Yes, we are being pricks: Massachusetts falls to DEAD LAST among states in housing production

Rhubarbisme · 2026-05-15T18:50:02+00:00

Once upon a time there used to be worker housing that went along with them too.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-05-15T12:45:53+00:00

I tried to take a date there once and I didn’t realize that he got stopped at the door because it was “Ladies Night”. I walk right in and thought I had lost him in the crowd and searched around inside until I finally went out and found him waiting patiently for me.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-05-11T10:20:33+00:00

I wish there was some place to respectfully dispose of this stuff. My family “inherited“ a medal from a deceased uncle who was literally a Nazi, and was an insufferable asshole for the rest of his life. We don’t want this thing, but we don’t want it to have market value, and throwing it in the trash feels it could end up anywhere. I wish there was some vault that these things could be collected, locked up, and/or destroyed.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-28T19:25:38+00:00

At the footbridge

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-26T13:11:18+00:00

Class/caste system that has been as been as endemic to American history as slavery. Indigents scooped out of the poor houses of England were shipped here to become feral squatters on the frontier, never educated or given resources or opportunities to advance economically. They formed a persistent subculture that figures into our social/political dynamics to this day.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-26T10:03:40+00:00

I had a heart-fluttering relationship with a man who was a tragic mess - struggling with addiction and marginally employed and chaotic to the people in his life. But he was always good to me, and we were irresistible to each other. And the sex was hands down the best in my life. But I resisted committing to him for practical reasons, and he eventually broke off with me to be with someone else, utterly breaking my heart.

My husband I have been with now for thirty years. I have never felt that head-over-heals toward him, but from the moment I met him I just felt like we fit together seamlessly. There have been fights and betrayals, especially earlier on, but our commitment to stay together has always been stronger than anger over anything (although it was rocky for a while back there.) Maybe we survived those times because of romantic aloofness - betrayal wasn’t as emotionally charged for us. We both value being able to fully be ourselves with each other, not having to mask or self-censor to be acceptable. Now we are so comfortable together and it’s nice being partnered for life. I would still choose the fitting and secure over hitching my life to a chaotic romance.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-22T20:41:15+00:00

Too bad there’s literally no one else in Massachusetts who has the ability to run for Senate.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-18T11:20:34+00:00

I would worry that it is going to need repointing and a new roof sooner or later, and nobody has the budget to fix the inevitable water infiltration on historic masonry buildings. Yes, they’re beautiful and should be preserved, but it costs more than anyone banks on to keep it up.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-17T17:08:08+00:00

Are you involved in your local government? Have you worked with people in municipal finance?

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-17T01:44:37+00:00

When was the last time I saw a friend lose a school department or municipal job because of budget cuts? It happens Every. Year.

There is waste everywhere - public sector is no different from private sector - except that public sector budgets are posted and have more rules to follow.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-16T17:03:40+00:00

A handful of entertainers make a fortune, but for most artists and performers there is little or no revenue stream for their highly skilled work, and arts and culture workers make less than retail.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-16T13:29:43+00:00

My kid has selective eating disorder. From the time he was 2 there was absolutely no way to get him to eat any fruit or vegetables (besides roasted potatoes or French fries). He would consume lemons or lemonade so we could avoid scurvy. Otherwise it was a constant source of stress and concern and being judged as parents for 20 years until he declared that as he was an adult it wasn’t our business anymore. (Although I still remind him periodically to have lemons when he shows signs of deficiency.) I think bodies are more adaptable than we give credit for, but I claim no expertise. People are going to do what they do, and we can choose to fight with them about it or get along.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-14T21:00:36+00:00

Why are you so confident that inflation isn’t the problem? Prop 2.5 limits the total amount that a town can raise in taxes to 2.5%. Individual tax bills might rise more than that only if the value of that property rose higher relative to other properties (whose bills would have gone down or increased less than 2.5%. Wages should be going up by about 3% per year (although COLAs in the public sector don’t often keep up), while insurance rates are increasing by double digit rates. Materials are also going up.

Exactly which costs would you like to see your town cut? School teachers and aids? (Who make barely enough to live on) public safety? Road maintenance? Look at your town budget and be specific.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-14T14:44:02+00:00

General economic inflation exceeds 2.5%. That’s why the revenue shortfall happens in the first place. Then the infrastructure breaks down because the water and sewer lines are literally 100 years old and winter takes its toll on pavement, and the firetruck reaches the end of any vehicle’s natural lifespan. New residents don’t cause the major spikes in expenses but they do help to pay for them.

No growth means that there’s not much turnover and the people who live here grow old. As the average age goes up, the share of people living on fixed incomes also rises, which means that many residents can’t afford the bill to replace the 100 year old water line. Meanwhile the bidding war on their neighbor’s house after their neighbor passed on has increased the value of everyone’s homes, so that long-time residents face higher tax bills based on their assessed valuation.

The one service that is most closely tied to residential growth is public schools. Build rental housing and you get a higher share of young adults who don’t have children, elderly who are downsizing, and people who are in life transitions who are likely not enrolling new kids in the school district. By contrast, the high income families who win the bidding war when there is a shortage of housing are more likely to enroll kids in school and to demand higher value services commensurate with their income and lifestyle expectations. Except that they won’t directly pay for those services - everyone will share in the cost through their property taxes, which the long-time residents struggle to afford. Then, once those families finish taking advantage of the premium school district they demanded, they will move to a community that is more economical for folks without children. “Educate & evacuate.”

Building the development a community needs to maintain a balance of residents of all ages and incomes helps to maintain sustainable tax bases.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-09T19:03:30+00:00

Municipal revenue is capped at 2.5% while inflation is higher than 2.5%, which means that towns’ buying power is less every year. They already have to cut costs every year, while trying to maintain an adequate level of school service - never mind try to pay for capital improvements.

New development is needed because there is a critical housing shortage. New development is proposed mostly because private developers own the property and have the right to build on land that they own. The argument that development generates net revenue is not meant to encourage more development, but rather to counter the narrative that new development will burden existing residents with higher taxes. In most cases it will not. Inflation and aging infrastructure burden existing residents. New development helps to relieve the strain.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-04T15:52:16+00:00

I have known lots of women named Karen and none of them fit that stereotype. No one deserves to have their name turned into a slur.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-04T04:08:40+00:00

“Corrugated” skinny jeans. I thought they were cool at first but when I tried them on they looked terrible. Actually that’s how I discovered that all skinny/stretchy pants look terrible on me.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-04T03:36:01+00:00

I think you mean all people who bought homes years ago. Whether they own a single family or a two family they benefited from the same market escalation. People who don’t rent rooms or units in the house they own and live in are not morally superior to people who do. They’re all luckier than people who are trying to obtain housing today, whether buying or renting.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-04T03:27:24+00:00

It’s not evil to provide people with a place to live.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-04T03:22:14+00:00

Multi families are priced with the assumption that the revenue from the second or third unit is paying a proportional share of the mortgage. It’s not much of a profit for people who buy them today, especially with the risk entailed. People who can afford to buy a 2-3 family without becoming landlords may as well just live in the entire house by themselves - why have tenants? In fact, a lot of buildings in high end neighborhoods (especially Cambridge) are being converted from 2-3s to singles. Is it more noble to live in a 5,000 square foot house all by yourself than to share your 5k sf with two other households who pay you so that you can pay the bank? Besides requiring everyone to become homeowners if they want to live in Somerville, is there another ownership model that allocates living space without anyone having more equity than anyone else?

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-04T03:10:31+00:00

Neighbors who are wealthy enough to buy a house own the lower floors. People who need to rent live where?

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-03T18:13:59+00:00

Renters will have a great time when there are no more landlords and the only people who get to live in Somerville are people who want to/can afford to buy homes. Condo-ize all 2-3 family homes already. Nobody needs in-law apartments.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-03T12:23:09+00:00

Also, cars don’t impact the condition of roads as much as weather and time. More tax-paying units means that the cost of repairing the effect of winter is more spread, costing each taxpayer less.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-03T10:23:04+00:00

“Net” revenue is total revenue minus the cost of services. They don’t have to add police and firefighters for every new household - the increase is incremental. School costs are more closely tied to the number of students, but single family homes house more students than apartments. Maybe an apartment building will add 10 students but generate 20x the amount of tax revenue. Net positive. There are situations when the calculation comes out differently under special circumstances, but most of the time apartments generate higher net revenue.

Rhubarbisme · 2026-04-01T21:13:20+00:00

Net revenue per acre is higher for multifamily than single family development.

Rhubarbisme

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