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Comrades raise your pitchforks and take back the neighborhood

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Re: Comrades raise your pitchforks and take back the neighborhood

#11

Post by flogic »

sp332 wrote: post #2

Can we give developers some incentive not to do this? Is there some better configuration of homes that will give them more money (higher margins), or can we change the culture so that people won't buy these houses? Or maybe regulation is the only way to prevent this?

There really isn't anything we should do. It's not really a problem. The entire thing is a rant about how he doesn't like the style. He makes a couple vague references to build quality but that's beside the point of his main rant. Nothing good came come of legislating aesthetic values.

Re: Comrades raise your pitchforks and take back the neighborhood

#12

Post by middlegeek »

dbingham wrote: post #8
middlegeek wrote: post #5

So what? If they have the money and the land, go ahead and build what you like. That is what makes America free. This article is quite an example of class-ism.

Money is power and with power comes responsibility. Houses like this are wasteful and irresponsible on many, many levels. It’s true, focusing on this of all the problems facing us today is a little silly. And I don’t think it is the government’s place to discourage this. But it is our place to discourage it. This is something culture has to change. It should not be culturally acceptable to purchase McMansions. The ow…

Your (dbingham) argument is full of subjective arguments. Very judgmental.

Re: Comrades raise your pitchforks and take back the neighborhood

#14

Post by Nick_C »

middlegeek wrote: post #5

So what? If they have the money and the land, go ahead and build what you like. That is what makes America free. This article is quite an example of class-ism.

I would incline more to libertarian views like this if the full downstream cost of your decision was brought back to you to pay. But it never is.

Example where I live: new building is almost all McMansions because the new wealth wants that crappy design. Trouble is, the buildings have no eaves, so they get really hot (+100F) in summer when the sun hits the walls. They must have air-conditioning. Electricity capacity wasn't designed for that, so we need new generators and an upgraded grid. All users bills have gone up by 50% in 3 years to pay for it.

Why are my bills going up? I haven't done anything. The McMansion owners should pay the full cost. The only way for that to happen is by government order, thereby defeating libertarianism. Or, design rules should be changed to forbid eave-less building, also defeating libertarianism. It's catch-22.

Re: Comrades raise your pitchforks and take back the neighborhood

#15

Post by middlegeek »

Nick_C wrote: post #14
middlegeek wrote: post #5

So what? If they have the money and the land, go ahead and build what you like. That is what makes America free. This article is quite an example of class-ism.

I would incline more to libertarian views like this if the full downstream cost of your decision was brought back to you to pay. But it never is. Example where I live: new building is almost all McMansions because the new wealth wants that crappy design. Trouble is, the buildings have no eaves, so they get really hot (+100F) in summer when the sun hits the walls. They must have air-conditioning. Electricity capacity…

Sounds like the problem is sprawl and the fact that most of the houses near you are McMansions is besides the point. All houses in a climate that nears 100F are going to want AC.
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