There was a downpayment assistance program in the past that wasn’t a problem

Kamala is focusing on first Gen owners too which is essentially going to be African Americans, which I think is a great idea. We need more reparations in programs to help build generational wealth

9/5/2024 9:02:15 PM

I could see an assistance program being less likely to drive up prices appreciably, as it wouldn't be going to all buyers (or all of a class of buyers). This one seems to also be an "assistance program", but the devil is in the details of what is actually implemented. I'd still be wary, especially in a time of skyrocketing housing prices, and since I also don't trust builders not to be asses about it, either.

As for the second point, allow me to shock the hell out of you by saying that I agree. I'd like to see policies that increase generational wealth in minority communities as a form of reparations, among other things. It's far better than the oft-proposed cash handouts that will just be squandered and gone in a matter of months, and it would go significantly toward actually undoing the damage that occurred. Though, to be honest, I'd rather see significant investments in educational programs that actually fucking work.

9/5/2024 10:13:21 PM

Quote :

"If only we had any examples within, say, the past 4 years, of whether artificially increasing demand by handing out free money has an effect on prices..."

This is an extremely disingenuous read of the impact of COVID stimulus.

Quote :

"It's far better than the oft-proposed cash handouts that will just be squandered and gone in a matter of months"

The superiority of cash transfers to in-kind and other types of assistance in most situations is well-documented, and the assumption that it will all "just be squandered" in the case of reparations specifically is paternalistic at best and racist at worst. Nobody sits around fretting about seniors "sqandering" their Social Security checks.

That said, I'm not in favor of significant cash transfers as reparations for slavery/racism, partly for logistical reasons, and because I do not think it provides any meaningful sort of justice.

---

As for the downpayment assistance itself, it's fluff. It won't do any real harm but it also won't do a whole lot of good. It might be quite helpful if you're one of the recipients, obviously, but it's not going to address the underlying problems. In that way it's a bit like student loan forgiveness.

9/6/2024 11:22:47 AM

Yea, I’m thinking post-COVID inflation is due to a whole host of loose money policies (globally) that go back probably a decade.

I back checked myself on entrepreneurship data, seems like I’m out of date. Post COVID has seen a rebound in “New Business Starts” that has sustained over the last few years. New business starts were at all time lows through the twenty-teens (2012-2017 ish).

9/6/2024 8:10:28 PM

One thing Harris does that’s irksome is she puts the wrong inflection on the end of her sentences. It sounds a lot of the time that she’s asking a question when she’s making a statement. I hope she can work on this for the debate

9/9/2024 9:47:43 PM

Can someone just finally put this dude in his place already?

9/9/2024 10:25:27 PM

I'm nervous.

9/10/2024 7:39:42 AM

Quote :

"This is an extremely disingenuous read of the impact of COVID stimulus."

A little, maybe. COVID stimulus got the ball rolling on inflation, and it was very evident in some of the sectors where that money was used most prominently, namely consumer electronics and home renovations. Obviously, along came supply chain issues, followed by Russia, to finally uncork the inflation from low interest rates that had been miraculously held back for over 20 years.

Quote :

"The superiority of cash transfers to in-kind and other types of assistance in most situations is well-documented"

Yes, in regards to direct social programs such as welfare and food stamps. Not in the kinds of things that moron and I are alluding to. There also aren't studies that look at the scale of payments that are being hinted at with reparations, as no one has dropped money at that scale before, except in lotteries. I'd suggest that 2-3k a month is wildly different than 100s of thousands, possibly millions dropped on folks.

Quote :

"and the assumption that it will all "just be squandered" in the case of reparations specifically is paternalistic at best and racist at worst. Nobody sits around fretting about seniors "sqandering" their Social Security checks."

There's nothing paternalistic going on here. Dropping the kinds of sums that are generally talked about onto a group of people who have no experience with that level of finances is going to be a clusterfuck. I'm actually more worried about how white people would swindle reparations money away from blacks, because, FFS, we invented payday loans... we know how to fuck over black people when it comes to financial schemes. There's strong evidence that lottery winners go bankrupt at a higher rate than the population at large (not the 70% as claimed, but still a higher jump), and I would expect to see similar outcomes with lump sum windfalls as well. It's not a race thing at all, except inasmuch as it's black people that the US has fucked over for a few hundred years, so those would be the folks who would be getting the money.

9/10/2024 1:47:43 PM

Fair enough that $100,000 or $1,000,000+ cash payments handed to that many people all at once would be wildly destabilizing. I'm not sure what proportion of reparations advocates actually support going that route.

Quote :

" COVID stimulus got the ball rolling on inflation, and it was very evident in some of the sectors where that money was used most prominently, namely consumer electronics and home renovations."

Two areas where you would expect demand to skyrocket in a country where everyone was stuck at home for 1-2 years.

Look, I can't claim that the stimulus checks had zero impact on inflation. But next to all the other factors at play, it's small potatoes.

9/10/2024 3:16:00 PM

I know there's a lot of enthusiasm, as people want to move on from Trump (Biden was the sacrificial lamb, I guess), but what's the read on Kamala Harris's background, independent of the current situation.

Although, I guess local and city politics are inherently dubious and dirty.

9/13/2024 11:37:39 AM

Please explain your question. The contrast is night and day. If that wasn't patently obvious for anyone who actually watched the debate with an open mind, I don't know what to tell you.

9/13/2024 12:57:54 PM

Quote :

"but what's the read on Kamala Harris's background, independent of the current situation."

My question is entirely about her outside of this 'night and day contrast'. Like, let's say versus other Democrats, what do you think about her particular policy positions, whatever. I'm basically assuming her winning here, and just wanting to talk about what we think about her in a "normal context".

[Edited on September 13, 2024 at 3:38 PM. Reason : 1]

9/13/2024 3:38:45 PM

Her background? She's a politician who has been aiming for high office since day one. What's remarkable is the magnitude of her ambition and the speed with which she has pursued it. In 1998 the San Francisco DA recruited her; four years later she ran against that DA and won. Eight years after that, she's AG for California - a job she no doubt would have grabbed sooner if it had been held by anyone other than Jerry Brown. Another six years, at the earliest possible opportunity, she's a senator. She's in that office barely two years before she runs for President. It's a remarkable pace. If she wins this election, it would be like a Roman Senator being elected Consul "in their year." Just no down time, no opportunity let slip.

In the course of all this she's had to shift a lot of positions for political expediency. More than I'd normally feel great about, but it's better than constantly shifting positions on things because you're an insane old bastard reading Truth Social while Laura Loomer whispers into your ear. So at the end of the day I don't care too much about what those past positions are. If she does (or at least seriously attempts to do) the things she's saying she will, and surrounds herself with reasonably competent people to create an administration that can handle crises, then she will be a reasonably good President. Biden's "tough on crime" schtick from back in the day didn't age well, nor did his attacks on Anita Hill; these parts of his background did not age well. As President, he did better. Not perfect, but better. I'll take it from him and I'll take it from Harris, too.

9/13/2024 4:31:22 PM

Nice summary, thumbs up emoji

[Edited on September 13, 2024 at 5:28 PM. Reason : 1]

9/13/2024 5:28:07 PM

Kamala is being completely drowned out this weekend by the news of trumps people doing bomb threats against Haitians

Not seeing any of Kamala’s people able to push her message

This is as Kamala goes above 50% in more polls but battleground states still tightening

Feels like 2016 again with a logjam of negative trump news to the point you hear about nothing but trump

9/15/2024 3:10:22 PM

But why aren't people reacting to the torrent of negativity in a normal, human way and deciding to stop carrying water for this bozo?

9/15/2024 3:27:35 PM

Quote :

"Kamala is being completely drowned out this weekend by the news of trumps people doing bomb threats against Haitians "

Normally Trump sucking up all the press oxygen annoys me, but on this one I say let him cook.* I think this Haitian insanity is hurting more than helping. And I'm sure screaming about Taylor Swift is.

(* - This is only as far as electoral politics go. In the grand scheme I want him to shut the fuck up before somebody gets killed, which absolutely is going to happen.)

9/16/2024 8:31:54 AM