Radical Ideas for the T and Housing Affordability (Boston, Cambridge: sublet, 2014)

[mdovell]

there is some good ideas within this. Progressive income taxes would actually do horrific damage here because as was mentioned it's one of the few things that people have stayed here to avoid. take a look at Connecticut and that's pretty much what Massachusetts could have ended up like had we not gone through some of the reforms in the late 70s and early 80s.

within Transit you have to keep in mind that if you take state or specially federal funds you're going to have to deal with the prevailing wage which is generally 30% above market rate. rent controls do not work because if you prevent a landlord from Raising rent then what you're going to do is you're going to have their revenues decrease due to inflation which generally means a cutback and maintenance. Remembered New York in the early 1970s that's what rent control look like. Making matters worse is that if you take any industry and say that you cannot increase prices you're going to have fewer people and organizations get into it which means that you're going to have fewer units on the market or at least coming at the market and then as a population grows the demand is going to grow. Then tenants begin to sublet the apartments in order to make higher Revenue and act as an underground Market.

As for governor Patrick he was horrific. I even knew Democrats I want him out of office. The DCF investigation the compounding investigation roads falling apart shall I go on?

the simple answer is with transit is simply get some of these companies to expand further west especially in Gateway cities. If we want to make public transit free that does create an interesting Advantage not getting on will take less time in terms of the collection practices. When CT rail started there was a free weekend and I took it and it was packed to say the least.

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by mdovell

Remembered New York in the early 1970s that's what rent control look like.

Haven’t read much about it, but a quick google search suggests that Berlin is planning a 5 year rent freeze which will serve as a more modern case study of rent control. I mean, NYC (and the US in general) was a very different place 50 years ago.

In fact, 2019 NYC is about as similar to 1974 NYC as 1969 NYC was to 1924 NYC.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by mdovell

there is some good ideas within this. Progressive income taxes would actually do horrific damage here because as was mentioned it's one of the few things that people have stayed here to avoid. take a look at Connecticut and that's pretty much what Massachusetts could have ended up like had we not gone through some of the reforms in the late 70s and early 80s.

within Transit you have to keep in mind that if you take state or specially federal funds you're going to have to deal with the prevailing wage which is generally 30% above market rate. rent controls do not work because if you prevent a landlord from Raising rent then what you're going to do is you're going to have their revenues decrease due to inflation which generally means a cutback and maintenance. Remembered New York in the early 1970s that's what rent control look like. Making matters worse is that if you take any industry and say that you cannot increase prices you're going to have fewer people and organizations get into it which means that you're going to have fewer units on the market or at least coming at the market and then as a population grows the demand is going to grow. Then tenants begin to sublet the apartments in order to make higher Revenue and act as an underground Market.

As for governor Patrick he was horrific. I even knew Democrats I want him out of office. The DCF investigation the compounding investigation roads falling apart shall I go on?

the simple answer is with transit is simply get some of these companies to expand further west especially in Gateway cities. If we want to make public transit free that does create an interesting Advantage not getting on will take less time in terms of the collection practices. When CT rail started there was a free weekend and I took it and it was packed to say the least.

1. Connecticut is the way it is because it failed to invest in its cities and urbanism and still does. it offers even more power to towns than does massachusetts. A graduated income tax is not the cause of tis woes. It was implementing an income tax at all for the first time in 1991. It was a tax haven from NYC, it implemented the graduated tax in 1996 but Connecticut was already very much in trouble by then. That and lack of public transit and education reforms did far far more damage than a graduated income tax.

2. You ignored what i said about an incentive and exception for maintenance and upgrade. Los Angeles also has rent control. Cambridge had rent control in the 1990s. New York City still has rent control. That argument is kind of dead, its far to oversimplistic and ignores a host of other economic and social ills.

3. High rents encourage folks to sublet -look at the airbnb market and why Boston had to add regulations. Take a look online and see how many thousands of sublets you see in Boston right this very second.

4. Under Patrick we fantastically weathered the Great Recession, implemented universal health care, improved and laready fantastic our educational standing in public schools, began the revitalization of some gateway cities, and was popular. He was horrific-he just was governor in 2009 and not 2019. People just have short memories.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by mdovell

there is some good ideas within this. Progressive income taxes would actually do horrific damage here because as was mentioned it's one of the few things that people have stayed here to avoid. take a look at Connecticut and that's pretty much what Massachusetts could have ended up like had we not gone through some of the reforms in the late 70s and early 80s.

Tax free New Hampshire is 30 miles north of Boston. It's not like there are factories that are difficult to relocate 30 miles.

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Tax free New Hampshire is 30 miles north of Boston. It's not like there are factories that are difficult to relocate 30 miles.

I mean: why then haven’t they already relocated, if taxes are such a large consideration and NH already has lower taxes?

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by iAMtheVVALRUS

I mean: why then haven’t they already relocated, if taxes are such a large consideration and NH already has lower taxes?

Many have, and I'm sure more to follow.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

It wasnt an issue really at the time. It wasnt a part of the political conversation and public discourse. THere were other much more pressing issues-most notably the great recession. He was pivotal in building those additional stops on the Fairmount line and wanted to order those DMUs. He certainly wouldnt have to be dragged kicking and screaming into alotting more funds to the MBTA given its current state. Baker literally waits for people to almost die before eher does anything.

It might not have been as MUCH of an issue, but it certainly was an issue and was talked about. The notorious incidents we have seen over the past few years are the result of DECADES of neglect now catching up. Not a single governor or politician in our lifetimes is free of blame there.


And sure Patrick had the great recession to contend with, but that didn't stop him from massive spending increases in other areas of state government. His executive budget tripled while he was in office (not sure what is to show from that, but...). Transportation has been the red headed stepchild for several generations now.

[btownboss4]

I think the Busses are a bigger issue than the trains once they get into a state of good repair.

Boston has very low Bus ridership compared to other comparable cities the system could use a revamp.

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Many have, and I'm sure more to follow.

Can I get a list of companies that have moved from MA to NH?

Originally Posted by btownboss4

Boston has very low Bus ridership compared to other comparable cities the system could use a revamp.

Revamped in what ways? Like removing stops or merging routes?

It doesn’t help that buses are subject to the same awful street traffic as cars.

[Bridge781]

The bus sucks to put it bluntly. Why would I cram on a bus with 50 other people to sit in traffic and pay for it? I’d take my own car before I do that. I’ve taken it before it’s a slow process. I’m guessing others share my sentiments