Category: General

Increasing risk is not the answer

Does anyone really think that legislating state-wide rent control, while also making it more difficult to evict troublesome tenants, will make investment in California’s rental market more attractive?

On Statewide Rent & Housing Tour, Governor Gavin Newsom Signs Nation’s Strongest Statewide Renter Protection Legislation

If Californians want more affordable housing, then they should make it more attractive for developers. This means reducing – not increasing – risk. Ease the permitting process, reduce development fees, eliminate the requirement for below market rate units, and strengthen protections for landlords. This will spur development, which will eventually lead to a glut of rental units and a corresponding reduction in rents. Rent control and eviction restrictions will do the opposite.

Disinformation

Interesting read:

‘Disinformation’ Is The Word Of The Year — And A Sign Of What’s To Come

Some will have you believe that the solution to disinformation is government supervision. Unfortunately, this means that someone has to decide what can be said and who can speak. Such power is ripe for abuse, and must be avoided at all cost.

Others, such as myself, believe that the solution to misinformation is education. An educated electorate can easily determine the truth, making disinformation campaigns ineffective.

No one should determine what we hear, no matter how benign the intent. This will only lead to censorship, which is eventually corrupted for “the good of the people”.

How many??

A total of 28 democrats have put their name in the hat for the democratic presidential nomination. 18 remain, a large field of candidates on its own. The big question is: Why so many?

I think the simple answer is that the democratic party is not trying to find a winner for whom everyone will vote; instead I think they are just trying to “swing” swing voters to vote democrat, regardless of the candidate. By offering literally every possible left-wing political ideology – free everything, censorship of those who disagree, even (gasp!) a moderate – they can appeal to a wider base, driving them to the primary polls. I believe that they hope the eventual nominee will inherit the voters from those candidates left behind, and again draw this wider base out for the actual election.

Not a bad strategy, really, and well in line with latest democrat-led drive for “rank choice voting” (which I’ve detailed here). However, I don’t like it; it just feels… well, dirty… to me. Everyone knows the majority of the candidates have absolutely zero chance of being elected, and yet their ideology is used to seduce voters to the democrat side of the voting booth.

Unfortunately, to compete the republicans will have to do the same. Can’t wait for that…

The end justifies the means

Or so it seems – according to one of the hosts of the progressive-leaning daytime talk show “The View”. Her position is that democrats should simply lie to get elected so that they can implement liberal policy:

“They should not tell everything they’re going to do. If you’re going to take people’s guns away, wait until you get elected — then take the guns away,” she said. “Don’t tell them ahead of time.”

Lie to voters, get elected, then do whatever you want. Sounds like “democracy” to me…