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Legislators' reaction to Boston rent-stabilization bid: If they ignore it, maybe it'll just go away
By adamg on Tue, 05/02/2023 - 9:33am
WBUR reports on the reaction on Beacon Hill to Boston's request to let it set a cap on how much rents in larger, older buildings can go up each year:
[T]o say the bill lacks momentum is an understatement. It’s been given a number and assigned to the Joint Committee on Housing. But so far, no other lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors. Many are reluctant to even talk about it.
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Comments
Opaque, Do-Nothing Legislature Wants to do Nothing
Not too shocking that an opaque, do-nothing legislature thinks it can solve their problem by doing nothing because it usually works out for them. Speaker-for-life Ron Mariano learned at the feet of the best in his days as loyal party hack.
I know its not very legal, but Boston should start threatening to withhold tax money until Beacon Hill gets off their collective ass and stops neglecting important regional issues like this. See: developing a real funding structure for the MBTA, local control of liquor licenses, Long Island Bridge, etc, etc...
The phrase "no taxation
The phrase "no taxation without representation" does indeed spring to mind here; that old Colonial complaint was similarly about an out of touch, do-nothing legislature (albeit one a little further away from Boston). There's not much value in a completely legal political protest, so I do enjoy your suggestion.
Conversely
What if the burbs decided, they aren't sending revenue to Boston?
The per capita income for Boston is just over $33,964. That puts Boston on a per capita basis with Warwick (not RI - up by the NH / VT border) and Hubbardston. You ever been to either town? Just lets say, investment has passed by and Cooter will fix the General Lee if you smash it up.
Boston would wither if it wasn't for the earners along the 128 ring, the western burb bulge and along most of the North and South Shores underwriting the City. (See Detroit 1965 - Present if you want Boston to withhold revenue).
I am not saying it should happen, but guess what, there are more stakeholders out there than you think.
As far as the legislature goes, Boston alone has 10% of the Mass. House seats not counting Our Friends in the North who would be sympathetic to rent control. Boston has15% of the Mass, Senate seats though some go into Cambridge / Brookline / Somerville. Get on the horn and call them up if you want something done. That is a big block of seats but somehow.....
Deeply Unserious Comment
You comparing the economic impact of a town with a population of 780 to Boston shows that. How do you think those wealthy "earners" are generating their money?
Also, stop assuming people are NOT talking to their legislators. We're not all simple perpetual grievance generating machines like yourself.
Have You Seen The Hingham Ferry Parking Lot?
Not very full lately.
People are working from home more - in the burbs, and making money.
"We're not all simple perpetual grievance generating machines like yourself." - Ha! Whining about rent control and you don't think you are a grievance machine? Get real.
And, based on my experience(I
And, based on my experience(I live in Newton), the neighborhood bars and restaurants that serve the burbs are making money(places like Buff's Pub are relentlessly busy). Boston's lifeblood consists of the suburban yobs who come into the city for sports events and concerts.
You mean the earners which
You mean the earners which commute into the city of Boston which has built itself into an attractive destination for companies and talent? These suburbs aren’t valuable on their own, they’re valuable due to their proximity to the city and its jobs centers.
Ha
Yep, now tell us how Massachusetts would collapse instantly without all the economic support from places like Mississippi and Oklahoma.
You've got it backwards: The rest of the state would wither without Boston and the jobs and services it provides. Where do you think all those suburbanites would work if Boston suddenly sank into the harbor? Even in the first year of the pandemic, Boston had 792,420 jobs (source). Subtract those from the state? Really?
Now imagine all the screaming all along 128 if Boston did suddenly disappear, but its companies didn't and those companies demanded space to recreate all the office buildings and labs that disappeared along with Boston. Suburbanites are getting a grand bargain: They get to enjoy all the benefits from circling a large city (not just jobs, but museums, theater, sports, medical care, universities, etc.) without having to actually live in the city.
Detroit? That just shows the dangers of an industrial monoculture (perhaps coupled with intense racism). We're not Detroit, as one of our main industries faded, we've managed to grow new ones.
Maybe we wouldn't have such a housing crisis if more suburbs did their part to house people.
There is a big block of seats at the state house but somehow....
you aren't running for one of them yet. Clam up, etc.
Why Take A Pay Cut?
1. Sorry about the B's.
2. My grandmother was and my aunt are local councilors (not here). They had (have) a much tougher skin than me. Why would I have to raise money, listen to the Trumpies call my family names, hire some local judge's blockhead kid for my office, and then get sent to the committee on clamshell processing when I tell the speaker to go soak his head on his pet bill for another roadway re-alignment in downtown Quincy?
3. I have already gotten hate mail along with bloody tampons and dirty diapers dumped in front of my house because someone thought I was the local rep. (We have nearly the same name) and I had some Biden signs out front. I don't need that anymore.
Not worth it.
Thanks John!
Went through the five stages of grief up in section 313 in about 10 seconds haha what a train wreck of series
Personally I feel you could filibuster with the best of em, I'd sure as hell tune in!
And good lord that's horrible in all seriousness, I'm sorry that happened.
Withhold what tax money?
Boston doesn't collect any meaningful tax money for the state -- at least, not the City itself. The state collects income and sales taxes -- and a portion of the latter on meals is returned by the state to the city. On the flip side, the City of Boston received $475 million in state aid in FY 22, so I guess the state could threaten to withhold that.
The vast majority of the Commonwealth's revenue comes from the income tax, and if you're suggesting some sort of tax strike, the state has granted itself the power to take your money and your stuff if you don't pay your taxes -- also ignoring the fact that average income tax revenue per resident for Boston is a lot lower than the state as a whole.
We will continue to "just build it!"...
...prices will continue to skyrocket nonetheless, everyone will wonder when it will end, and nobody will do anything about it.
The real estate industry
Is EXTREMELY powerful in city halls, state houses, and D.C. Theu own politicians.
By the
time this is law it will be capped at 25% increase per year, and everyone right, left, and center within the power structure will engage in an orgy of gladhanding each other off that they were able to protect the corp--I mean, erm, ahem, do something for the under-fire middle class. What the effects of such a thing will be downstream is not a guess: it will be bad. Yep, you're happy about this.
People will really advocate
People will really advocate for anything except building more housing
I see new housing going up or
I see new housing going up or being proposed in many places. Greater Boston happens to be a relatively compact and desirable area to live in, and prices are bound to be high. People are fleeing Portland and Chicago, they're not fleeing Boston.
would love to see
that it becomes illegal to charge tenants broker fees unless they specifically hire a broker.
so sick of being punished for doing all the work combing through hundreds of listings with a fee for a "service" I never used or agreed to.
Should be forced to vote
The legislature should be forced to vote on every bill introduced.
Actually, to avoid clogging the works with silly stuff- only bills with, say, 25 or some other significant number of sponsors should get a mandatory floor vote.
The legislative leadership is far, far too powerful in their ability to just not do their jobs.
I am against this rent control bill, btw. I just want pols to do their job in the interest of the people, rather than themselves.
Reading comprehension:
So it's got one sponsor and that's it.