Government involvement by distorting markets always fixes everything.
https://members.aagla.org/news/once-again-la-county-board-of...
It’s very effective: people with previously unrented units will obviously decide to rent them out at, legally, at exactly 160% of the FMR rates, thus making lots of new housing available. FMR rates can be easily found here:
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2026_code...
And the fact that it’s impossible to predict the law more than one month in advance will guarantee success!
Hah, did anyone fall for that? I know people who were about to move out of LA County, rent somewhere cheaper, and rent out their house to a family that needed it, except that 160% of FMR is utterly, hilariously below market in LA’s housing emergency and isn’t really enough to make the whole housing swap worthwhile, so their house is not actually available to rent. Good job, LA.
P.S. If one could instantly get a permit to rebuild a modern house on the site of one’s burnt-down house, then the housing emergency might resolve faster.
If you sarcasm this broad: Letting the market run free destroys everything. Here's my evidence: broken atmosphere (CO2), broken ecosystems, poisoned rivers, lakes and fields, lots of people still struggling to pay for basic necessities. What's yours?
The contention that it “doesn’t work” in LA and NYC doesn’t really tell us anything useful about groceries.
What you also seem to miss is that government intervention in markets is actually the norm, not the exception, they just don’t normally intervene in ways that get sensationalised by the press.
DaveZale•2mo ago
Waste can be minimized. This year I donated several huge boxes of backyard potatoes to local food banks, and I learned a little about their supply chain. They make weekly trips to Walmart to snag unappealing produce, which would otherwise be deposited in the dumpsters. Discontinued or overstocked items are included too.
But changes in shopping habits can make the dollar go further. The loaf of white French bread or baguette for $3 may be very tasty and be consumed in a single meal, but the $6 loaf with 21 grains that weighs 1-1/2 pound can last all week and provide all the daily fiber you need in just a few slices!
Let's face it, half the food in the American supermarket is junk calories in brightly colored packages, heavily advertised to children to hook them young. It's not easy to quit comfort foods. Who doesn't like an oily, crunchy, salty snack designed for addiction?
Maybe this will be an opportunity to critically examine our eating habits, cook more of our own food, maybe grow some in the backyard, or support local farmers by buying direct and cutting out the wasteful middlemen?
heathrow83829•2mo ago
JohnFen•2mo ago
trashface•2mo ago
DaveZale•2mo ago