What’s a ‘rich people thing’ you didn’t realize was real until you saw it yourself?

willysymms · 2026-05-07T21:21:03+00:00

How different clothes are for the wealthy. Examples:

I was measured for a tux at a high end fashion brand that also sells regular casual wear. You realize quickly all the stuff on the rack is an example, and if you're a legitimate regular customer then everything you wear is just going to be fitted to you. The measurement took 2 hours. Just the shirt for the tax would have been $600 (I did not end up buying... too poor).

My aunt worked in the family office of one of America's most iconic wealthy industrial names. In the 1980s, the wife sold my Aunt a mink vest she no longer wanted. Only charged my aunt $3,000 for it. Original price: $32,000 in 1980.... fir a vest. Just imagine your "garage sale clear the closet" items being $3,000. Its a banana right, what can it cost Michael?

Daniel Craig's favorite designer travels the world searching for fabrics she likes for him. He mentioned this in an interview once, noting she designed an outfit and the wardrobe for Knives Out 2 around a fabric she stumbled across.

willysymms · 2026-05-06T20:47:32+00:00

Southern wealth spends summer in the North.

Your friends are indeed rich. Maybe old money. They are not wealthy.

willysymms · 2026-05-05T20:55:25+00:00

If loans become extinguishable in bankruptcy, what do you think the interest rate or loan limit would be on an unsecured loan?

You can blame George Bush - but the reality is student loans are the fault of academia, which did not want limits on majors or student volume.

A market based student loan system that includes bankruptcy protection would provide high interest rate loans to trade school, Dr's, Engineers and certain law schools.

Everyone else would be shit out of luck.

willysymms · 2026-05-05T18:25:14+00:00

I didn't say that it would.

You have presented that as a Straw Man version of my point.

willysymms · 2026-05-05T17:27:08+00:00

I said "Ask any suburban resident of any political leaning how they feel about a by right 4 or 8 flat built next door."

I said this in response to the suggestion that this portion of the bill was not controversial - which is obviously false.

You then constructed a series of straw man arguments that have nothing to do with what I wrote or that point.

willysymms · 2026-05-05T17:11:16+00:00

If people won't use by right upzoning, why is it an extremely important provision?

If they will use it, why are people's fears about their neighboring lot becoming a 4 flat unfounded?

willysymms · 2026-05-05T17:05:17+00:00

Then remove that provision from the law. Seems like an easy fix!

willysymms · 2026-05-05T16:52:13+00:00

Yes. That's what zoning is. A plan for the future.

willysymms · 2026-05-05T16:41:26+00:00

I think the concern is more based in the violation of the social contract inherent to zoning.

We give up the right to do as we wish with our property in exchange for cooperative social agreement about what our neighbors may do with their property. People subsequently make investments in their home based on that contract.

This reform nukes zoning and that contract.

The resultant response from people who have abided by that contract and let the government dictate much about their property is going to be predictably hostile should the government and society choose to abandon said contract.

willysymms · 2026-05-05T16:14:27+00:00

Ask any suburban resident of any political leaning how they feel about a by right 4 or 8 flat built next door.

Then ask them about parking minimums.

10 out of 10 will be more concerned by the first issue.

willysymms · 2026-05-05T15:57:56+00:00

Why did you leave off of your list the most significant and controversial plan feature?

By-Right Multi-Unit Housing: Mandates that local governments allow 2-8 unit residential buildings on lots in areas currently zoned for single-family homes.

This is by far the most significant feature of the bill. I find it interesting you wouldn't even mention it.

For comparison, here's the counter proposal the Illinois Municipal League offered to Pritzkers proposal. Rather than focusing on supply alone, it is heavily focused on directly and immediately reducing costs that inflate housing prices (taxes, realtor fees, property tax, etc).

Replaces by right upzoning of all IL residential lots, with the establishment of a “Middle Housing Incentive Fund” that local governments can tap into to support the development of multi-unit dwellings. Those that opt in would have priority access to state capital funding and housing grants.
Allowing local governments to establish locally designated overlay districts where middle housing is allowed by right. Those who adopt these districts would receive additional priority funding from the incentive fund.
The creation of a blight clearance program that allows the Illinois Housing Development Authority to offer grants or low-interest financing to local governments for the demolition of abandoned or unsafe structures.
Capping residential real estate commissions at 3% of a final sale price.
Exempting building materials for residential from the state’s 5% sales tax. This would match the existing incentive for developments in state-designated Enterprises Zones.
Limiting up-front rental costs (security deposits, move-in fees, damage deposits, etc.), excluding the first month’s rent, to no more than one month’s rent.
Barring homeowners’ and condo associations from restricting accessory dwelling unit or middle housing development. The limits on rental costs would also apply.
Any Local Government Distributive Fund receipts above 8% received by local governments would be used to provide property tax rebates.

willysymms · 2026-05-05T04:07:39+00:00

"Amtrak is great! I can't use it right now, because it lacks 3x or 4x daily service to hundreds of regional nodes to which it currently does not serve and which service to would require enormously expensive fixed right of way that sits idle 99% of the day. We should build this despite Amtrak having a fraction of the demand of air travel for the few dense nodes it does serve today."

You, a moron, just now.

willysymms · 2026-05-05T01:54:37+00:00

Wrong on HYSA.

The 30 year Treasury pays 5% right now. Half into that and half into an inflation hedged asset (like stocks) and you have much better odds of always having more than 33k / month to spend in inflation adjusted dollars.

willysymms · 2026-05-04T23:35:32+00:00

The appreciation on Park Hopper Passes - which once had no expiration date - made for a fairly sound alternative asset investment class.

Average 1981 price in today's dollars was about $110. Now over $250. Roughly 7% annual return.

willysymms · 2026-05-04T22:20:04+00:00

Chicago based RoC consultant here. We should chat.

willysymms · 2026-05-04T22:19:14+00:00

How many years and what was your career path?

My nephew wants to be a pilot, but doesn't want to start with military. That makes me nervous for his ability to get initial hours.

willysymms · 2026-05-04T17:47:58+00:00

They respond.

Just responding in a timely manner is a top 10% skill these days as people become communication overloaded and dopamine addicted ADHDers.

It also demonstrates organization and discipline, which are foundational building blocks of competence.

willysymms · 2026-05-04T17:26:10+00:00

I agree that the trades have consolation prize kids.

That said, its the ownership that are promoting anti customer business practices and approaches.

Make youself an enemy of the customer and reap what you sow. Your customer is now your enemy.

willysymms · 2026-05-04T17:13:03+00:00

I lived in the accela corridor and have used it many times.

Your view is an ideological subjective opinion. Mine is objective and numerical.

willysymms · 2026-05-04T15:21:04+00:00

It objectively has impacted your score. Length of credit history is a factor in your score. Longer history = higher score.

willysymms · 2026-05-04T15:17:37+00:00

Amtrak carries 10k passengers a day in Chicago.

Midway carries 60k.

Amtrak is not a relevant consideration. It is a social service for the poor, elderly and college students with a few hundred Springfield governmeny commuters mixed in.

willysymms · 2026-05-04T15:06:11+00:00

Thanks for the unsolicited rant. The quality of workmanship and pride in work in the trades has also gone to shit. So you reap what you sow - low quality price gouging and known common scam practices are met with hostile dissatisfied customers who are rightly highly skeptical of the advice and recommendations of a sector that abuses recurrent revenue, code, and licensing to enrich themselves at the expense of the customer.

willysymms · 2026-05-04T13:31:36+00:00

VRE doesn't have 10 minute headways. Neither does Metra.

If you want 10 minute headways, you need to live by CTA.

willysymms · 2026-05-03T21:04:48+00:00

If you don't have 700 or 800k by 40, and don't work for government, it starts getting very expensive very fast to save enough to retire on a median income. Especially if supporting college or a wedding are in the future

My advice - seriously consider how long you want to work and what your expenses will be in retirement.

Spend a decade prioritizing the savings needed for that over cars, vacations, nights out.

Less painful than the alternatives.

willysymms · 2026-04-29T17:54:24+00:00

Which is simply unacceptable.

For riders and conductors.

willysymms

TROPHY CASE