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San Francisco politics are controlled by wealthy landowners. Progressive opponents to development make a more sympathetic appeal, but it looks like a Baptist-bo

San Francisco politics are controlled by wealthy landowners. Progressive opponents to development make a more sympathetic appeal, but it looks like a Baptist-bootlegger coalition to me.

manfredo 8y ago
It's a bit more nuanced than that. A lot of the progressive housing obstructionists rent at a fraction of the market rate due to long term rent control (one of the more prominent anti-housing activists rents a 2 bedroom apartment for only $670 a month). Many of said residents are heavily nativist and disdain the "techies" and people from "flyover states" moving to "their city". Blatant nativism is not socially acceptable, so pursuing exclusionary policies under the guise of protecting renters makes it more palatable.
- User23 8y ago
  This is a big motivation for California environmentalism. It’s not like rich Malibu landowners don’t want Tijuana levels of coastal density, it’s just think of the poor endangered amphibians so guess that mansion on the bluff will have to stay lonely.
  - manfredo 8y ago
    I'm not sure I follow. Low density housing is much worse for the environment than high density housing. Lower density means more transportation burden, larger energy costs to deliver utilities, greater risk of those utilities breaking, and more wildernesses being paved for roads and housing. There's nothing environmentalist about low density sprawl.
    - User23 8y ago
      Let me spell it out then. Low density housing is much better for seaside mansion owners who like their beautiful unimpeded views. Environmental concerns about some random newt are a fig leaf since they don’t want to come out and say don’t build high density low income housing next door.
      - manfredo 8y ago
        Ah, I didn't get that you were referencing how environmentalism was being abused as a political tool - I thought you were actually saying there was environmental concerns about greater density.
refurb 8y ago
Wealthy land owners? Calle 24 wields a lot of influence and they are mostly community activists. Same with Rose Pak. Sure she maybe owned property, but she didn’t derive her power from it.
User23 8y ago
All politics are controlled by wealthy landowners. Whether this is cause or consequence of landlords eventually capturing all income gains in the unlanded class is another question.

San Francisco politics are controlled by wealthy landowners. Progressive opponents to development make a more sympathetic appeal, but it looks like a Baptist-bootlegger coalition to me.

manfredo 8y ago

It's a bit more nuanced than that. A lot of the progressive housing obstructionists rent at a fraction of the market rate due to long term rent control (one of the more prominent anti-housing activists rents a 2 bedroom apartment for only $670 a month). Many of said residents are heavily nativist and disdain the "techies" and people from "flyover states" moving to "their city". Blatant nativism is not socially acceptable, so pursuing exclusionary policies under the guise of protecting renters makes it more palatable.

User23 8y ago
This is a big motivation for California environmentalism. It’s not like rich Malibu landowners don’t want Tijuana levels of coastal density, it’s just think of the poor endangered amphibians so guess that mansion on the bluff will have to stay lonely.
- manfredo 8y ago
  I'm not sure I follow. Low density housing is much worse for the environment than high density housing. Lower density means more transportation burden, larger energy costs to deliver utilities, greater risk of those utilities breaking, and more wildernesses being paved for roads and housing. There's nothing environmentalist about low density sprawl.
  - User23 8y ago
    Let me spell it out then. Low density housing is much better for seaside mansion owners who like their beautiful unimpeded views. Environmental concerns about some random newt are a fig leaf since they don’t want to come out and say don’t build high density low income housing next door.
    - manfredo 8y ago
      Ah, I didn't get that you were referencing how environmentalism was being abused as a political tool - I thought you were actually saying there was environmental concerns about greater density.

refurb 8y ago

Wealthy land owners? Calle 24 wields a lot of influence and they are mostly community activists. Same with Rose Pak. Sure she maybe owned property, but she didn’t derive her power from it.

User23 8y ago

All politics are controlled by wealthy landowners. Whether this is cause or consequence of landlords eventually capturing all income gains in the unlanded class is another question.