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I would love to just see a hyperlocal minimum wage set in CA that's tied to housing prices. Live in enclaves with an average home of 10M dollars, your house cle

I would love to just see a hyperlocal minimum wage set in CA that's tied to housing prices. Live in enclaves with an average home of 10M dollars, your house cleaner will need to be paid $500/hour type thing.

shiroiushi 2y ago
What I'd like to do is pass a state law that requires employers to pay commuting costs for their employees, plus only allow up to one hour of unpaid commuting. So, suppose the only people applying for your job live 2 hours away. You'll have to pay 1) the federal mileage rate ($0.50/mile??) (or better yet, an even higher state rate to account for higher costs of car ownership there), or buy the employee a company car, for their commute time, and 2) the employee will get paid for 3 hours of commuting time, and only have to actually work 5 hours on-site (but getting paid for 8), so you'll have to hire another employee to cover the time difference. These people living in 10M homes should be paying $500 per plate to eat at a restaurant and $20/gallon for milk from the supermarket. And yes, $500/hr for the house cleaner. Here in Tokyo, it's normal (maybe legally required?) for employers to pay for employees' commuting costs. Of course, since the best public transit system in the world is here, a commuting pass doesn't cost that much.
- drewzero1 2y ago
  The hopelessly optimistic side of me thinks this might be just the thing we need to spur massive improvements in mass transit, when big employers discover that it's cheaper to chip in for some commuter light rail than it is to pay everyone to sit in traffic. Realistically I don't think it'll happen, but I can dream.
  - shiroiushi 2y ago
    Mass transit is horribly expensive, not just to build, but to operate too. Because of this, it requires high density to really work. You can't just slap some light rail lines into a giant suburban US city and expect it to work out somehow. Even here in Tokyo, with hundreds of train/subway stations all over the metro area, you frequently have to do a significant amount of walking (or even cycling) in between the nearest station and your actual destination. And don't forget all the stairs: subway stations are frequently quite deep, and have long staircases to get in and out. (There's many escalators and elevators, but they're not always that conveniently located.) It's a completely different culture that most Americans will not desire nor put up with. Mass transit isn't some kind of utopian panacea where a nice train will take you right to your employer or shopping destination or home. It all works here because the city was built densely to begin with, and because they made the smart decision back in the 60s, when it looked like car culture was going to take over, of revamping the zoning laws and permitting the construction of housing just about anywhere, which made it more profitable to build housing and other buildings than parking lots, which made it extremely inconvenient to use a car.
    - pjerem 2y ago
      I don’t see your point, in most European cities (and I don’t know Tokyo but I believe it’s the same), mass transit is much faster than driving, including walking, escalators, and elevators. Yes, you have to walk a little, but we are not talking about a hike. In fact for most people, it’s not even enough walking to compensate for their sedentariness. Also you are talking about subway stations but I doubt that there isn’t a denser bus network in Tokyo to get you to the subway stations fast and dry. It’s also SO MUCH LESS stress than traffic jams.
      - shiroiushi 2y ago
        My point is that Americans won't see it the way you and I do. >mass transit is much faster than driving, including walking, escalators, and elevators It really depends; it's hard to compare. If you have a route in the US that's mostly highway and you avoid rush hour, you can get to your destination very quickly. If it's a bad route and/or rush hour, it can be hellish. Many people I work with have hour+ long commutes; it's not unusual at all. It usually takes me 45-60 minutes to get to various locations in Tokyo, and I'm not even that far outside the central district; it really depends whether I have to change trains though. Cars really can get you places quickly, but the problem is the whole thing breaks down if there's too much traffic. Not to mention the stress factor and expense. >Yes, you have to walk a little, but we are not talking about a hike. It's frequently a 5-15 minute walk from a station to your destination. Of course, land closer to stations is more valuable because of this, so apartments closer to stations are more expensive. But many people have to walk 10+ minutes to get home from the station, after climbing all the stairs to get out. For most Americans, that really is "a hike". >In fact for most people, it’s not even enough walking to compensate for their sedentariness. Yes, but we're talking about people here who fight over parking spaces that are 50 feet closer to the door of their Walmart. >Also you are talking about subway stations but I doubt that there isn’t a denser bus network in Tokyo to get you to the subway stations fast and dry. No, there really isn't. There are buses, but they generally only serve routes that are very poorly served by the trains. They're also not as convenient or fast as the trains. The network definitely isn't "denser" than the trains at all. They can be handy to save you a bit of walking when there's a typhoon though. >It’s also SO MUCH LESS stress than traffic jams. Agreed, but again we're talking about Americans here: people who would rather drive around in circles in the Walmart parking lot just so they can find a space 50 feet closer to the door. So my point here is, it's not a panacea like many pro-transit Americans seem to believe. It's a very different lifestyle. I personally am happy with it and the tradeoffs, but car-brained Americans will not be.
- zer00eyz 2y ago
  >> plus only allow up to one hour of unpaid commuting. And that kids is how I met your mother... I mean and how California finally got high speed rail funded. It only goes an hour into the Central Valley but its better than nothing.
- thaumasiotes 2y ago
  > You'll have to pay 1) the federal mileage rate ($0.50/mile??) (or better yet, an even higher state rate to account for higher costs of car ownership there), or buy the employee a company car, for their commute time If I buy them a company car, do they have to pay me the mileage rate?

shiroiushi 2y ago

What I'd like to do is pass a state law that requires employers to pay commuting costs for their employees, plus only allow up to one hour of unpaid commuting. So, suppose the only people applying for your job live 2 hours away. You'll have to pay 1) the federal mileage rate ($0.50/mile??) (or better yet, an even higher state rate to account for higher costs of car ownership there), or buy the employee a company car, for their commute time, and 2) the employee will get paid for 3 hours of commuting time, and only have to actually work 5 hours on-site (but getting paid for 8), so you'll have to hire another employee to cover the time difference. These people living in 10M homes should be paying $500 per plate to eat at a restaurant and $20/gallon for milk from the supermarket. And yes, $500/hr for the house cleaner. Here in Tokyo, it's normal (maybe legally required?) for employers to pay for employees' commuting costs. Of course, since the best public transit system in the world is here, a commuting pass doesn't cost that much.

drewzero1 2y ago
The hopelessly optimistic side of me thinks this might be just the thing we need to spur massive improvements in mass transit, when big employers discover that it's cheaper to chip in for some commuter light rail than it is to pay everyone to sit in traffic. Realistically I don't think it'll happen, but I can dream.
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  Mass transit is horribly expensive, not just to build, but to operate too. Because of this, it requires high density to really work. You can't just slap some light rail lines into a giant suburban US city and expect it to work out somehow. Even here in Tokyo, with hundreds of train/subway stations all over the metro area, you frequently have to do a significant amount of walking (or even cycling) in between the nearest station and your actual destination. And don't forget all the stairs: subway stations are frequently quite deep, and have long staircases to get in and out. (There's many escalators and elevators, but they're not always that conveniently located.) It's a completely different culture that most Americans will not desire nor put up with. Mass transit isn't some kind of utopian panacea where a nice train will take you right to your employer or shopping destination or home. It all works here because the city was built densely to begin with, and because they made the smart decision back in the 60s, when it looked like car culture was going to take over, of revamping the zoning laws and permitting the construction of housing just about anywhere, which made it more profitable to build housing and other buildings than parking lots, which made it extremely inconvenient to use a car.
  - pjerem 2y ago
    I don’t see your point, in most European cities (and I don’t know Tokyo but I believe it’s the same), mass transit is much faster than driving, including walking, escalators, and elevators. Yes, you have to walk a little, but we are not talking about a hike. In fact for most people, it’s not even enough walking to compensate for their sedentariness. Also you are talking about subway stations but I doubt that there isn’t a denser bus network in Tokyo to get you to the subway stations fast and dry. It’s also SO MUCH LESS stress than traffic jams.
    - shiroiushi 2y ago
      My point is that Americans won't see it the way you and I do. >mass transit is much faster than driving, including walking, escalators, and elevators It really depends; it's hard to compare. If you have a route in the US that's mostly highway and you avoid rush hour, you can get to your destination very quickly. If it's a bad route and/or rush hour, it can be hellish. Many people I work with have hour+ long commutes; it's not unusual at all. It usually takes me 45-60 minutes to get to various locations in Tokyo, and I'm not even that far outside the central district; it really depends whether I have to change trains though. Cars really can get you places quickly, but the problem is the whole thing breaks down if there's too much traffic. Not to mention the stress factor and expense. >Yes, you have to walk a little, but we are not talking about a hike. It's frequently a 5-15 minute walk from a station to your destination. Of course, land closer to stations is more valuable because of this, so apartments closer to stations are more expensive. But many people have to walk 10+ minutes to get home from the station, after climbing all the stairs to get out. For most Americans, that really is "a hike". >In fact for most people, it’s not even enough walking to compensate for their sedentariness. Yes, but we're talking about people here who fight over parking spaces that are 50 feet closer to the door of their Walmart. >Also you are talking about subway stations but I doubt that there isn’t a denser bus network in Tokyo to get you to the subway stations fast and dry. No, there really isn't. There are buses, but they generally only serve routes that are very poorly served by the trains. They're also not as convenient or fast as the trains. The network definitely isn't "denser" than the trains at all. They can be handy to save you a bit of walking when there's a typhoon though. >It’s also SO MUCH LESS stress than traffic jams. Agreed, but again we're talking about Americans here: people who would rather drive around in circles in the Walmart parking lot just so they can find a space 50 feet closer to the door. So my point here is, it's not a panacea like many pro-transit Americans seem to believe. It's a very different lifestyle. I personally am happy with it and the tradeoffs, but car-brained Americans will not be.
zer00eyz 2y ago
>> plus only allow up to one hour of unpaid commuting. And that kids is how I met your mother... I mean and how California finally got high speed rail funded. It only goes an hour into the Central Valley but its better than nothing.
thaumasiotes 2y ago
> You'll have to pay 1) the federal mileage rate ($0.50/mile??) (or better yet, an even higher state rate to account for higher costs of car ownership there), or buy the employee a company car, for their commute time If I buy them a company car, do they have to pay me the mileage rate?