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pillbinge t1_ixtcbq6 wrote

Reply to comment by dny6 in The lack of homes could strangle our life sciences industry: Why the concentration of biopharma in Cambridge and Boston would ratchet up costs, exacerbate the housing crisis, and pitch the region from its throne. by writethefuture3

On one hand, people in the suburbs (where I don't live) do. They have what our society considers a god-given right to vote, to democracy, to their land, and so on. It's very strange to say they don't. It's also odd because there's some sort of inference to be made about what right Boston or the region has to other people's land.

On the other hand, I'm not invoking any of that. I think you're having a conversation that you've had before with someone whom you haven't met and isn't having that. I simply recognize where we are and am trying to build a real path out, instead of bitterly whinging.

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dny6 t1_ixufzb3 wrote

Except we’re not talking about their land. We’re talking about other peoples land that they think they can control.

But yes, you’re right

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pillbinge t1_ixviu8k wrote

I'm not sure I know what you mean. This is what democracy is - you get to vote on things that affect everyone as a whole. You get to do it at the local, town level and at the state level. You don't have to worry about "their" land since it doesn't make sense to vote on personal property. In this case, we'd probably be talking about making all property that of the state's, or closer to it; putting control of these issues in a small group so that decisions can be made more easily.

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dny6 t1_ixvz6s0 wrote

If you have any interest in looking in to the history of housing zoning laws, you will find that they have nothing to do with legitimate democracy.

I have no idea what this has to do with state control of anything. Housing zoning laws have barely been around longer than most of us, “coincidentally” popping up all over the country following the civil rights movement of the 60s. They are new and failed policy with a horrible history.

Just build housing. It isn’t complicated.

By and large, you are mostly right though — in that the problem will be solved democratically. People need homes. Nimbys can live in denial about that all they want, but young people are clearly getting fed up

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