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Comment by maxsilver | Hacker News Reader

> You should live where the government aligns with your phase of life and personal goals and be free to choose a new government later.

It should be noted that while this is good advice, this is a big luxury to have, and not something that is broadly applicable to most people. If you don't have the money, if your career is tied to a specific industry, if you have children from any past-and-now-divorced marriage, or a handful of other reasons, you may be locked to specific areas for a really long time.

Yes, move somewhere new if you can and you feel the grass is greener. But municipal government absolutely owe it to their residents and community to support the people they have, not just the people they wish they had.

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> Yes, move somewhere new if you can and you feel the grass is greener. But municipal government absolutely owe it to their residents and community to support the people they have, not just the people they wish they had.

I'm living in a district subject to heavy gentrification at the moment. (And as I'm transitioning from student to Yuppie, I'm part of it) The conflicts between newly moved in rich people and the entrenched working class are intense, and looking at other places it is incredibly obvious who is going to win.

The process of moving to a place, then expecting that place to cater to you needs over the people who originally lived there seems deeply problematic to me: Considering the power dynamics at place, the process as a whole is a really mean way of punching down.

Just to give one concrete example, there was a bar close by that basically served as a living room for many of the neighbors. The people living above me are 5 in 2 rooms, obviously they need the space. But there were noise complains, the police came (never used to even come out 10y ago, and lawyers were used). The bar closed, a fashion store moved in, there are of course other bars but they are much more expensive, the staff doesn't speak german and the community largely consists of academics and expats.

I just fundamentally disagree with the idea that someone should be entitled to live where they want simply on the basis of previously having lived there.

> But municipal government absolutely owe it to their residents and community to support the people they have, not just the people they wish they had.

Within reason, supporting the people you wish you had, instead of the people you have, is called leadership. It is how we progress as a species.

What kind of democracy is that?

"thanks for your vote, for your taxes, for your contributions to the community, now fuck off"

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