91–100 of 322 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
My guess is non-citizens or 'undocumented immigrants'.
Those as well. But even citizens and immigrants with paperwork can often not vote for local elections if they do not have stable housing.
Pay Japanese salaries, get Japanese prices [0]. That $4 kombini bento feels like a $13 burrito or Cava bowl when on a Japanese salary. Japan only appears cheap if you earn in USD, GBP, and Euros. For most Japanese households, costs have risen higher than salaries [1][2] and they are now facing inflation due to tourist spending [7][8][9]. It also doesn't help that the median household income in Japan is around $25,000…
> Japan’s minimum wage ($6.68 an hour) is similar to America’s ($7.25).
That's the federal minimum wage. The actual minimum wage, factoring in state and local rates is actually around $12, 65% higher.
https://www.economist.com/content-assets/images/20251122_FNC...
I have heard that there are no zoning laws in Houston, Texas. Are there $4 lunch bowls there?
The lax zoning laws doesn't mean there are no rules, just that there are no rules preventing you from having an eatery right next to an active oil and gas well right next to a townhouse right next to a liquor store right next to a welding shop.
[0] https://www.houstontx.gov/planning/DevelopRegs/docs_pdfs/par...
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Protests come when people are pushed into a corner with little other choice. Participation is more prevalent when people have free time in their lives. Our economics has systematically squeezed free time out in favor of more work to most of our workforce, and particularly hard for young people. One reason so many local city policies favor the old, is that they're retired and have the time to participate
I don't think economics have squeezed out free time -- phones squeeze out all our free time.
Frankly I think alternative laws should be applicable (you don't need to be able seat wheelchair people if you're willing to bring the food to them to-go) since I just think it's not worth losing that efficient density and cost-effectiveness for a tiny tiny fraction of the population.
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> Japan’s minimum wage ($6.68 an hour) is similar to America’s ($7.25).
But does anyone actually make minimum wage in the US? Statistics i can find suggest it is around 1% with Japan closer to 20%.
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I've lived in various European cities where I was not able to vote for various reasons. Such as living hotel long-term, living in a holiday home, being semi-homeless, sub-letting, crashing on someones couch. Seasonal workers, migrant workers or people with unstable employment are typically in this situation. No, I was not able to vote.
I get the sentiment about "why would I let people who aren't going to stay long term decide how the city is run?" but in the end it creates a city that is indifferent or even hostile to people in that situation. It ends up disenfranchising a population that will always be there, even if the people who make up that population is constantly changing.
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Those as well. But even citizens and immigrants with paperwork can often not vote for local elections if they do not have stable housing.
Yes, because they don’t legally permanently live in that place. Sorry not sorry. Why do you think anyone can just sign up for some local elections and vote for a town they’re not even legally permanently situated in??
