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MarijuanaBoston is dying (self.boston)

Blackbearr5022 が 投稿

I grew up on the North Shore, in Lynn. My whole family from the time we first got off the boat from Ireland, like God knows how many others, has lived in the Boston area.

This city is becoming a haven for boring, old, rich 1%ers (including Cambridge, Newton, and Brookline obvs).

I live in Brighton now and literally all I hear people talk about and all I see is: - corrupt politicians (both parties, which is damn depressing because the Democratic super-majority in MA proves that Dems don't give a damn about "the people") - Unaffordable rents driving us all farther and farther away from where our jobs and schools. Yet plenty of new luxury apartments everywhere... - A low MW considering the COL - Shitty public transit (the T needs serious modernization) - A homelessness epidemic. - No efforts at reducing MA's and Boston's carbon footprint - That BS pulled with the marijuana delay - Gentrification - An entire third of the city effectively ignored by the yuppies in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, etc. - Three (very wealthy) surrounding cities that use Boston for all of its needs yet refuse to help support the city: Newton, Cambridge, Brookline

This is a city for rich, white, old people. I see little artistic flare. I see no daring initiatives to take on any of the major crisis we face (climate change, poverty, homelessness, racism, etc.). I see nothing affordable. Nothing in this city is affordable.

I am young, but I have seen dozens of other cities. They make Boston look backwards. Yet, we have EVERY advantage! All of the colleges, young people, etc., etc.

Also, in b4 "if you don't like it, leave" ^ That is a simplistic and foolish argument. 21st century jobs are overwhelmingly in urban centers. Can't exactly get a job in rural MA, NH, VT, or ME... I can live here AND want to make it a better, more modern city. There is NO reason why Boston can't be THE city of the future. With the smartest young people in America (MIT) on our doorstep. But it has to be FOR EVERYBODY not just the 1%.

Suggestions: - Rent controls - MW increase - Direct input from local communities with all developments: i.e. "gentrification" - Abandoning the Democratic Party/running primaries on all D's because they legit f-ing suck. Socialist Alternative is my personal suggestion. - Initiatives for urban gardening and greater support to Boston's hinterland farmers: Support your CSA's people! - More bike lanes - A car-less city center. We should close Beacon Hill and Downtown to automobiles. - A T modernization effort: jobs, 21st century transport. - No charter schools; no private schools - Either finally conglomerating Newton, Cambridge, and Brookline with Boston OR making those cities pay some kind of rate into Boston - Public WiFi

Go ahead, say "who's going to pay for all that?" Call me a stupid liberal or socialist. Whatever. Down vote. Whatever.

You all agree, though, that the city is changing. And it is changing for the worse at the moment. BUT WE CAN MAKE IT CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.

Vote with your dollars and your ballots.

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[–]ItsLittyLitLit 10 ポイント11 ポイント  (3子コメント)

Contrary to popular belief on this sub, there are middle class families that do live in Boston.

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] -2 ポイント-1 ポイント  (2子コメント)

lmao no there isnt.

What, 7 families?

[–]ItsLittyLitLit 1 ポイント2 ポイント  (1子コメント)

No there's more than that. Your comment makes me question how much of Boston you have actually seen and know about.

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (0子コメント)

Probably wasn't sarcastic.

No fucking duh. I'm sure there's a large number. I'm also sure it's a small figure for comparable cities world wide + within the US.

[–]mrbostn 8 ポイント9 ポイント  (0子コメント)

Title is a "bit" dramatic to say the least. I guess you checked the box to pay the higher MA tax rate of 5.85%?

[–]proper4wd 16 ポイント17 ポイント  (0子コメント)

This is so millennial it hurts.

[–]FAthrowaway617 8 ポイント9 ポイント  (9子コメント)

Boston has basically become a city of transient wealthy, transient college students, and the subsidized poor that are here to serve the wealthy via low end jobs. Anything else and you're going to have a very hard time making it in the city proper.

Edit: my mom was visiting a couple weeks ago and we stayed at a hotel in back bay. She commented that she was disappointed in the lack of Christmas lights in all the apartments and brownstones. I noticed it too, and realized... it's because few people truly "live" in this city any more, and fewer still raise families here, and Christmas decorations usually are at least in part done for the kids. Anyway... it was kind of a sobering moment about the state of the city and community as a whole.

[–]an1237on 3 ポイント4 ポイント  (4子コメント)

because few people truly "live" in this city any more, and fewer still raise families here,

That is direct contrast to population and vacancy data.

[–]FAthrowaway617 2 ポイント3 ポイント  (2子コメント)

True. What I mean is people that are making Boston their " home" though, not where they own investment property, or where they crash for a few years to further their careers or educations and bounce to the next locale. It's just shifting demographics, I guess. I realize there are plenty of people in the city.

[–]an1237on 1 ポイント2 ポイント  (1子コメント)

I agree but I'm inclined to believe that that trend isn't Boston specific. Nobody these days wants to raise a family downtown in any city.

Not sure how to analyze that quantitatively though.

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (0子コメント)

I think that's totally inaccurate. Everyone I have interacted with would like to live close if not in downtown. It's just no one can afford it.

[–]ItsLittyLitLit 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (0子コメント)

The second part is definitely true though

[–]towngirl808 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (0子コメント)

Just returned from vacationing in Boston, stayed at a lovely hotel in Back Bay and was stunned at all the Christmas lights. Way more than in my home city. Boston is one of the prettiest cities at Christmastime.

[–]antireligiouscomment -2 ポイント-1 ポイント  (2子コメント)

What does it matter if people aren't actually living here? So long as they pay property taxes they are free to be anywhere they want. As long as the streets look nice and tourists come in, it is perfectly fine.

[–]FAthrowaway617 2 ポイント3 ポイント  (1子コメント)

Unless you enjoy an actual community. It's just feels almost like the Disney Epcot version of a city at this point. To me anyway.

[–]antireligiouscomment 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (0子コメント)

That is exactly what I hope it turns into. Disney is awesome. Contrary to what a lot of people say, technology has connected us in such a profound way that we don't need to resort to talking to the neighbors in order to keep ourselves stimulated. Enjoy it while it lasts. We are only going to become more divided as the technology becomes more invasive. Heck, once virtual reality truly develops, going into the real world will be as rare as a trip to Disney. Haha, maybe I'm just too blown away by the fact that the new desktop PCs at work are the size of a modem...

[–]Milkshakemaker 2 ポイント3 ポイント  (1子コメント)

Abandoning the Democratic Party/running primaries on all D's because they legit f-ing suck.

Yeah...That's where you lost me. Doing that's not going to hinder the influx of "rich, white, old people" or our carbon footprint or help rent control.

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] -1 ポイント0 ポイント  (0子コメント)

Except in Democratic dominate MA and Boston the problem is worse than it is in divided ME (I've lived in both). These are DINO's.

We need a third party to seriously challenge the MA D's to force them back into working-class politics. Either the Greens or Socialist Alternative.

The Dems need to be the party of FDR/Bernie, not Bill or Hillary Clinton.

[–]ShortageOfSand 4 ポイント5 ポイント  (2子コメント)

Who's going to pay for all that

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] -2 ポイント-1 ポイント  (1子コメント)

Fair question! Think of it first and foremost as a wish-list for now.

But, if we decrease spending on prisons, actually implement and thus gain tax revenue from the marijuana legalization, and consider higher corporate tax rates then we may be on our way/

[–]GronamTheOxOut in the soul-sucking suburbs 1 ポイント2 ポイント  (1子コメント)

Massachusetts voted down rent control statewide in a referendum in 1995, ending about 30 years of rent control. In 1999, apartment occupancy in Cambridge and Somerville was up over 97% and rents were skyrocketing in the first tech bubble.

Good luck getting it voted back in.

Being the City of the Future means the city is expensive. NYC, London, Paris, SF, Berlin, all are very expensive.

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (0子コメント)

We can try.

None of those are cities of the future. MAYBE Berlin. Cities like Seattle, Portland, Medellin, Rotterdam, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Helsinki, Minneapolis, Havana, Singapore, Vienna, etc., etc. >>>>> all the cities you named in thinking forwards, quality of life, sustainability, affordability, and growth.

You just named other 1%er cities where wealth is concentrated.

[–]dj2short 4 ポイント5 ポイント  (3子コメント)

Lol make more money ked, your problems are solved. Also, "Boston is dying" title should only be used for the next plague or nuclear strike, your drama is falling out of your pockets moreso than mothers pasta.

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] -3 ポイント-2 ポイント  (2子コメント)

Except, no.

My problems are small compared to the city's problems as a whole. I am doing OK. Sure, poor. But on track for a career that will pay six figures. I'mma be fine. The city will not be.

Dramatic title? Sure. True? Mostly, imo.

Money don't save the environment, city, aesthetics, and quality of life.

[–]dj2short 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (1子コメント)

Oh, I would say a city dying would mean more deaths than births. Anyway, the make more money thing was a bit of a joke, congrats on 6 figures!

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] -2 ポイント-1 ポイント  (0子コメント)

Good banter, fair play.

[–]Mitch_from_BostonG.B.A. 1 ポイント2 ポイント  (6子コメント)

I agree with some of these things. Rent control, 100% agree. The current system does nothing but benefit slumlords, by allowing them to raise rents hundreds of dollars per year, with little to no reinvestment back into their properties. Perhaps we need legislation such as "Rent can only be increased per year by X per month, provided that 12X is reinvested back into the dwelling over the course of that year" or something.

I disagree with the MW increase though. MW is what is killing this city. The reason why we have more and more 1%ers living here, the reason why we have more and more luxury apartments going up, the reason why we are seeing the genocide of the middle class is directly because we are legislating the middle class out of existence. Wage hikes do little but funnel more money to the upper class. Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Give a man an ever-increasing supply of fish, and the fishermen are going to retire filthy wealthy.

What we need is to enact pro-American economic policies to help stagnate inflation. Instead of giving more and more of our money to foreign nations, to raise them up and make them wealthy, while our fellow Americans continually become poorer and poorer (save for the 1%ers with their investments in those foreign nations and banks, of course) we need policies which provide economic influx in the American economy. Continually raising the minimum wage every few years does nothing but delay the inevitable; mass poverty.

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] 1 ポイント2 ポイント  (4子コメント)

I'm not sure why you think MW increases leads to an increase in 1%ers? Genuinely interested in hearing more.

I agree, too, that the emphasis needs to be on American investment. Foreign investment/foreign aid are both designed to make other nations dependent on the USA. Perhaps it does that, but either way it is a tool of the 1% and that money can be better used domestically. But I guess that is more of a Fed issue.

Back to the MW: greater wages means greater spending power which means a healthier economy. McDonalds/Dunkin/Whole Foods CEO's continue to see their profits soar while workers struggle more and more.

[–]Mitch_from_BostonG.B.A. 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (2子コメント)

To grossly oversimplify; the more money in the hands of poor people, the more money spent by poor people. And where does that money go? It goes to McDonalds, WalMart, BestBuy, etc. Aftetall, why do you think people like Hillary Clinton et al are so strongly in favor of wage hikes?

You're right that greater wages means greater spending power, but it also means greater pricing power. That BigMac goes up in price every time the minimum wage increases, simply because the company knows that the public can afford to pay more for their lunch now. And sure, it is great that the employee of McDonalds gets a wage hike, but extend that BigMac price increase across the board. His lunch goes up, his cost of groceries goes up, his rent goes up...is he really any better off than he was before? Not to mention the guy managing that McDonalds. Sure, he's not making minimum wage, but he still loses his purchasing power once prices on all these products and services goes up.

Meanwhile, the fatcats sitting atop these corporations just see their quarterly earnings increase and increase, because people are spending more money (because they think they have more money, when in reality they have less) while we all get poorer.

But nah, its cool. The government can then just come along and redistribute 50% of the federal budget towards being "charitable" towards third world nations filled with millionaires and billionaires who have no responsibility for their own people, as that is our responsibility.

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] 1 ポイント2 ポイント  (1子コメント)

Yeah, idk. I'm not sold. I appreciate the depth of your comment and your sincerity. But I just disagree a bit. I think if the poor made more money they'd be less likely to spend it on places you mentioned. Of course, more money would be spent and profits may go up but the wealth gap would decrease which is the bigger problem. 1950's America: the highest MW relative to the era/inflation/COL, the golden age of American unions, and the heyday of the American middle class.

[–]Mitch_from_BostonG.B.A. -1 ポイント0 ポイント  (0子コメント)

Well yeah, they had very low inflation. We need deflation.

[–]CodmanHyperCube -1 ポイント0 ポイント  (0子コメント)

no way Chinese slumlord can raise rent 100s of dollars a year until they electrify the Fairmount line and the nightly Mount Bowdoin Draper / Dudley Street shootouts cease. renting something undesirable is only about 70% more than similar hoods in Providence like 1700 for a 3br instead of 1000. seems like buying a tripledecker is a much steeper premium on BOS vs PVD, proably beacuse condoization potential is factored into price or smth. but a 70% increase in rent for about 7000% increase in jobs sign me up, as imperfect as the world is. the economy can always turn around and there's all this new supply coming online. can we finish DotBlock before Taleb sneezes?

[–]BostonUrbExRevere 1 ポイント2 ポイント  (1子コメント)

The people helping facilitate Boston's shift towards being a place for the wealthy is arguably the fault of the very people who try to prevent change. I'm tired of seeing local townies and old retirees running the show, putting their foot down on new development, and then my rent goes up every year. Get fucked, townies.

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (0子コメント)

Old people suck.

Many townies might, too.

[–]asalvuSouth Shore 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (0子コメント)

"No private schools"

I'm curious why you believe this. For the record, I went to a private Jesuit high school in Boston, so I am heavily biased. The majority of students there came from middle class families. Sure, there was some kids who came from wealthy families but they were rare. The school actually gives out a very large amount of financial aid to families in the city. I had quiet a few classmates who were first generation Americans.

The education I received at my school far exceeded any education I could receive at a public school. (The Jesuits know a lot about education.) Partly because the students wanted to be there and wanted to do well, as well as having teachers that were passionate about teaching.

Not everyone can afford an expensive education, I understand that. My parents paid for it because they viewed it as an investment; pay for high school and get a scholarship to college. Seems unfair to say one can not have a good education because others can not afford the same education as you.

[–]antireligiouscomment 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (2子コメント)

The reason that this city is for the rich is because this city creates rich people. It happens everywhere. The poor are going to be forced out at a faster and faster pace and I am just fine with that. We have one of the nicest spots on the planet. If you are making 35k a year, you are in the global 1%. If you haven't travelled outside the US, I recommend it. You will realize just how lucky you are to even have a chance at living in a place like Boston.

[–]tronald_dump 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (0子コメント)

The poor are going to be forced out at a faster and faster pace and I am just fine with that.

W E W.

You will realize just how lucky you are to even have a chance at living in a place like Boston.

bitch, I was born here. I was here long before any of yall realized what a nice place this was. the gall of people like you waltzing in here with your comp sci degrees that your parents financed, and spewing shit like "I dont care about poor people being pushed out", and "you dont know how lucky you are to even have a chance to live here" is beyond out of touch.

If you haven't travelled outside the US, I recommend it.

oh then maybe we can all be as enlightened, and logical as you. poor/working class people are connected here, and I doubt they're gonna cast aside generations of connections, because of your neoliberal fantasyland, where people are magically able to just uproot their lives on a whim to head to greener pastures.

Y I K E S.

[–]Blackbearr5022[S] -2 ポイント-1 ポイント  (0子コメント)

Have done so. I was amazed at how BAD we have it, not how good. More alienation, more stress, more obesity, less family time, less free time, less healthcare, less education, more homelessness, etc., etc.

[–]an1237on 0 ポイント1 ポイント  (1子コメント)

You think poverty, racism, homelessness, and affordability are bad now - then just wait until you implement rent controls, high minimum wages, "urban gardens" and closing most of the city to cars.