3 ms·

1. Require higher standards. Infrastructure needs to last decades, not years. We used to build things that well. There is no reason we can't again. Then the big

1. Require higher standards. Infrastructure needs to last decades, not years. We used to build things that well. There is no reason we can't again. Then the big bucks we pay up front would be worth it. Unfortunately we have been moving in the opposite direction, to fill the coffers of cheap fat cats. 2. Zoning laws must change. It is ridiculous the a suburban family has to drive to the Super Walmart for a gallon of milk. When I was young there was a local convenience store just down every street (and not just crappy junk filled 7-11s). 3. Trains. Apparently they are cheap enough to get immigrants to their jobs, but too expensive for middle America? The B.S. around trains needs to end, and a new age of private passenger rail promoted. If you don't beleive me (b/c you'd rather believe political talking points) you best get a'Googling. 4. To go along with the trains, why is my municipal airport all but useless? Is anyone else getting tired of ever bigger airports and ever smaller seats? Who decided airports needed to be malls and that all flights needed to herd people into a handful of national feed lots? I figure at this rate airports will have indoor roller coasters within the next 20 years. What we need to do instead is transition to point-to-point flights on mass produced jets. Currently jets are all hand made. Good grief! 5. And ditch that 9-5 business. It's time we split the work and go 8 to 2 and 2 to 8. More jobs, business are open longer, and yet fewer people on the roads. My 5 cents. Penny for your thoughts?

gohrt 12y ago
> When I was young there was a local convenience store just down every street (and not just crappy junk filled 7-11s). Do you think zoning laws prevent 7-11 from selling milk, or do you think 7-11 sells what the market buys?
im_a_lawyer 12y ago
All of you are approaching this the wrong way. Suburbia was born out of government policies, not because a bunch of towns decided to plan their cities differently. Here is what you do: Keep government away from the mortgage market. Bring back the historic minimum of ~20% downpayments at ~6% interest. End mortgage interest deduction. Basically scrap every stupid law that has been passed in the last 50 years that has the keywords "home ownership", "american dream" blah blah blah in them because it has done nothing but the opposite. Raise the gas tax so we don't have to bail out our highways using general funds and to pay off our accumulated infrastructure debt which is estimated to be at a trillion dollars. The result: No more free mortgages to every peon on the street to further inflate housing costs. Real home-ownership. Gas goes up to $7 a gallon and suddenly you'll start seeing buses and sidewalks everywhere... places like this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Cincinnati-suburbs-tract-housing.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Cincinnat... become worthless overnight. Cities and neighborhoods will naturally start organizing themselves towards a more traditional and sustainable pattern. Problem solved.

gohrt 12y ago

> When I was young there was a local convenience store just down every street (and not just crappy junk filled 7-11s). Do you think zoning laws prevent 7-11 from selling milk, or do you think 7-11 sells what the market buys?

im_a_lawyer 12y ago

All of you are approaching this the wrong way. Suburbia was born out of government policies, not because a bunch of towns decided to plan their cities differently. Here is what you do: Keep government away from the mortgage market. Bring back the historic minimum of ~20% downpayments at ~6% interest. End mortgage interest deduction. Basically scrap every stupid law that has been passed in the last 50 years that has the keywords "home ownership", "american dream" blah blah blah in them because it has done nothing but the opposite. Raise the gas tax so we don't have to bail out our highways using general funds and to pay off our accumulated infrastructure debt which is estimated to be at a trillion dollars. The result: No more free mortgages to every peon on the street to further inflate housing costs. Real home-ownership. Gas goes up to $7 a gallon and suddenly you'll start seeing buses and sidewalks everywhere... places like this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Cincinnati-suburbs-tract-housing.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Cincinnat... become worthless overnight. Cities and neighborhoods will naturally start organizing themselves towards a more traditional and sustainable pattern. Problem solved.