The economy of the world I live in hasn't been getting better; we've drastically reduced the variety of foods we buy and I'm stretching medications for chronic conditions
The good news is that it is something most people can help fix locally.
Like... look at this group of local NIMBYs trying to stop an apartment from being built in their neighborhood, where I live:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-compass-corner
That's entirely a local problem, not something the supreme court needs to fix.
I have seen huge problems in Tennessee zoning causing massive traffic issues where I grew up. It’s honestly very bad — maybe we should start by fixing the infrastructure first.
The infrastructure is just an excuse. The roads they're talking about are some of the least busy in town.
Also you're never going to "just one more lane, bro" your way out of traffic. You need:
* To put more things people need day to day closer to where they live, so they can walk, bike, or still drive, just not so far. Zoning prevents this in much of the US.
* To build alternatives for the people who are able to use them, like bike infrastructure, transit and so on.
But you have to start somewhere, and you can't wait until everything is 'just right' before you build homes. The real world doesn't line up like that, it works in fits and starts and you do what you can where you can.
Concerns about property values, congestion, and other impacts are valid, but are plainly less important than preventing homelessness. Or not having medical care. Or not having good drinking water. Etc.
It's possible that the NIMBYs in this case are right, especially if the proposed new "affordable housing" isn't really affordable at all, etc.
But in general NIMBYism is essential for keeping things exactly as they are: it lets people feel good about "wanting" better things for society, without having to make material decisions which are inevitably imperfect and zero-sum.
https://bendyimby.com/2024/01/01/housing-supply-and-demand/
Agree with everything else about NIMBYs.
There are many impacts. But collectively if all taken seriously, it means we can't build anything. Or the costs to build just get really high. And then we don't have enough housing and the housing we do have is either very costly or in undesirable areas.
Something must give, and it really might impose costs on locals. But the alternatives ensure housing scarcity and its many ills.
America is not a country where the little guy wins typically anymore but wishing the best for them.
It would be interesting to know how much homelessness the canceling of student debt prevented? And what about all the Covid stimulation programs, many of which are ending soon, how much homelessness did those delay?
Finally, perception is reality for most voters. If I were to bet on the results of this coming Nov, I don't think I'd be putting my money on the incumbent.
And as for medications, don't expect their prices to go down without legislation and bullying, as shown with insulin. The industry just owns legislators.
Same for housing. Soaking consumers is asymmetrical warfare.
At this point the media is gaslighting the public. This is the most bleak economic future I have seen in my lifetime. I say this as somebody making multiples of the median income. I greatly worry that one day I will join the lower class (where I started) in misery as my buying power is completely eroded.