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Jeff Bezos owning 10% of Amazon really has nothing to do with the massive issue of entrenched institutional NIMBYism. San Francisco built 74 new units of housi

Jeff Bezos owning 10% of Amazon really has nothing to do with the massive issue of entrenched institutional NIMBYism. San Francisco built 74 new units of housing last year. Not 74,000. Seventy four. We could kill all billionaires and housing would not get cheaper in a world like that.

shiroiushi 2y ago
Exactly: the billionaires aren't the problem here, it's the middle-class NIMBY homeowners who refuse to allow any new construction near them.
- dns_snek 2y ago
  At what point do you just call that illegal cartel behavior?
  - shiroiushi 2y ago
    When they've captured the local government, you don't.
- forgetfreeman 2y ago
  Middle-class NIMBY homeowners have literally zero meaningful input into zoning and permitting processes. At the absolute peak of their power they can show up to public hearings and whinge into a microphone for 3 minutes, an activity that planning boards and city councils around the country are perfectly happy to ignore.
  - shiroiushi 2y ago
    If city councils and planning boards ignore them, they promptly get voted out of office. The NIMBYs are more reliable voters than anyone else.
    - forgetfreeman 2y ago
      That's a heartwarming narrative that bears no resemblance to observed reality. Frequently these positions are either totally uncontested or a straight party line vote by individuals who have literally no idea who or what they're voting for beyond party affiliation. What actually happens: council ignores the shit out of the noise coming from individuals that don't actually fund their campaigns, their affiliated party, or both. Entire projects are reframed as notionally beneficial to the community at large, citing some combination of bullshit claims about economic benefits and inclusivity, something something gentrification bad, etc, and the larger voting populace shrugs and goes on with their day oblivious. Worst case scenario a seat or two get sacrificed and the party apparatus advances another foot soldier to fill in the now vacated seat, with identical results.
grigri907 2y ago
Fortunately there is only one San Francisco and countless other Not San Fanciscos. That is a highly unique, cherry-picked case.
- carom 2y ago
  >From 2014 to 2018, for example, Santa Monica issued permits to build just 12 multifamily units. [1] 1. https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2022/11/santa-monicas-builders-remedy-experiment-holds-lessons.html https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2022/11/santa-monicas-b...

shiroiushi 2y ago

Exactly: the billionaires aren't the problem here, it's the middle-class NIMBY homeowners who refuse to allow any new construction near them.

dns_snek 2y ago
At what point do you just call that illegal cartel behavior?
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  When they've captured the local government, you don't.
forgetfreeman 2y ago
Middle-class NIMBY homeowners have literally zero meaningful input into zoning and permitting processes. At the absolute peak of their power they can show up to public hearings and whinge into a microphone for 3 minutes, an activity that planning boards and city councils around the country are perfectly happy to ignore.
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  If city councils and planning boards ignore them, they promptly get voted out of office. The NIMBYs are more reliable voters than anyone else.
  - forgetfreeman 2y ago
    That's a heartwarming narrative that bears no resemblance to observed reality. Frequently these positions are either totally uncontested or a straight party line vote by individuals who have literally no idea who or what they're voting for beyond party affiliation. What actually happens: council ignores the shit out of the noise coming from individuals that don't actually fund their campaigns, their affiliated party, or both. Entire projects are reframed as notionally beneficial to the community at large, citing some combination of bullshit claims about economic benefits and inclusivity, something something gentrification bad, etc, and the larger voting populace shrugs and goes on with their day oblivious. Worst case scenario a seat or two get sacrificed and the party apparatus advances another foot soldier to fill in the now vacated seat, with identical results.

grigri907 2y ago

Fortunately there is only one San Francisco and countless other Not San Fanciscos. That is a highly unique, cherry-picked case.

carom 2y ago
>From 2014 to 2018, for example, Santa Monica issued permits to build just 12 multifamily units. [1] 1. https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2022/11/santa-monicas-builders-remedy-experiment-holds-lessons.html https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2022/11/santa-monicas-b...