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admiralteal

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admiralteal , to news in Boomers wanting to downsize face huge tax bills

This is part of a growing class of "house rich, cash poor" people.

They can't afford to move because the sale price of their existing (oversized) houses would not be enough to buy existing stock of smaller houses, in spite of the crazy market. The old houses they live in are increasingly in exurbs or even age-restricted communities that the kind of new family that might need a house that size can't be in for totally different reasons.

Plus they might want to stay in that community. Maybe that's where their friends or family are. Their doctors. All that kind of stuff. And it's not unreasonable for a person to want to keep living where they have a social network.

They also can't rent out rooms or ADUs because local zoning laws arbitrarily forbid it either directly or by enforcing things like minimum parking requirements that are not achievable. Which would be one great way to increase housing supply and let people stay where they are; turn extra space into more housing. But these boomer houses tend to be in the most restrictive type of suburbs that stifle the rights of the homeowners and prevents sustainable growth.

They increasingly don't have pensions because those disappeared in their lifetimes. Retirements funds got fucked by a variety of financial catastrophes in the intervening years, so they're increasingly relying on social security checks to pay for their (mandatory) car, big ass house expenses, and all that stuff. They're living well above their means and even if they realize it and want to make a change, the actual ability to do so is a massive problem.

The net result of this situation is even more tightness in the housing market. Even less real stock, since the ability to downsize is so lousy.

This thread has a sure lot of angry people and boomer hate in it. Which I get, but this is all part of the same housing problem with the same solutions -- more low-cost/smaller homes need to be built and fewer restrictive codes/zoning rules preventing common-sense housing. A lot of people want to develop the properties that people want to buy, but city policies are often the biggest obstacle to them -- that and lack of financial products to fund development thanks to the gradual snuffing out of local banks.

admiralteal , to news in What happened at the nation's first nitrogen gas execution: An AP eyewitness account

I mean, we don't even know that this execution caused pain. Pain is subject and the only guy who can comment on it is dead.

All we know is that the guy was thrashing around and then seized on the bed over the course of the 20ish minutes from administering the gas to when he apparently went lifeless.

But it sure sounds like it was excruciating to me.

admiralteal , to news in What happened at the nation's first nitrogen gas execution: An AP eyewitness account

"I haven't actually bothered to learn what happened, what's going on, or made any effort to imagine the situation fully or understand what people are saying, but I think other people are dumb."

Go away.

admiralteal , to news in What happened at the nation's first nitrogen gas execution: An AP eyewitness account

Yep, except that has two huge flaws -- first, how do you make sure he really doesn't know its coming so isn't inflicted with other kinds of torture like prolonged sleep deprivation (because sleep = death). Second, how do you maintain the spectacle for the onlookers that have bloodlust in their hearts, who these executions are designed to make happy?

admiralteal , to news in What happened at the nation's first nitrogen gas execution: An AP eyewitness account

The pain will come from the desire to not be killed, i.e., holding your breath and resisting breathing the gas.

Just because the gas ITSELF doesn't necessarily cause pain does not mean the METHOD isn't going to be immensely painful. Judging the technique based on how an unknowing or cooperative victim will perform is just so dumb when it is an execution method.

admiralteal , to news in GOP legislatures in some states seek ways to undermine voters' ability to determine abortion rights

There's so many little vignettes like this in the rise to prominence of the antichoice movement. Schaeffer is one of my favorites, but there's some other really weird little corners.

Another fun one was all these religious/evangelical schools that, in the post-Brown era, were facing down a future where they may have to start paying taxes if they wanted to maintain segregation. These institutions saw that their strictly racist policies were becoming politically unpalatable, so they sought out a way better issue to get that power. Still happening today, by the way, where explicitly religious schools are actively campaigning to get your tax dollars while continuing to teach bigotry and nonsense. Be VERY wary any time you hear a politician mention "school choice".

I also enjoy that Norma McCorvey (AKA Roe) was later turned into and paraded a bout as a pro life campaigner, saying she regretted the abortion and lawsuit and all that. Only to reveal later in her life that they paid her HANDSOMELY to do so and the beliefs and words were totally insincere, she just needed the money. I think that tells you a lot about the underlying moral fiber of these religious whackos.

admiralteal , to news in House GOP releases impeachment articles in bid to oust Homeland Security's Mayorkas over the border

If you're from Georgia, you know that the GADOT are total morons.

Just look at the southeastern rail corridors. Brightline from Miami to Orlando with extension already planned to Jacksonville. Fast rail service being developed from Raleigh to DC. And what's GADOT doing to be part of the future for the region?

Well, nothing. Literally nothing. Making the ATL->SAV Amtrak cooridor take as long as possible. But at least they're going to gift a few dozen millions of dollars to NS and the major cargo shippers by raising the Talmadge (edit: while already planning its BILLION dollar replacement).

Well, surely they're out there in Atlanta fixing the unspeakable terrible congestion by helping pay for common-sense, costsaving mass transit, right?

Nope. More highways.

How about rural GA? Are they at least making sure the state roads are safe and well-maintained? Wait, why are you walking away?

When FLORIDA's transportation planners are making you look bad, you've got a fucking problem.

admiralteal , to news in What happened at the nation's first nitrogen gas execution: An AP eyewitness account

Just so long as you understand that your desire to end the life of imaginary people who are irredeemably bad WILL lead to the death of real people that are redeemable. Not to mention innocent people.

Though I don't think it is up to you to decide that any life is definitely less preferably to death. Only the ones living those lives can decide that.

admiralteal , to news in GOP legislatures in some states seek ways to undermine voters' ability to determine abortion rights

It never really was about abortion. It was always about building power for conservative christian institutions. Abortion was just the issue that they were able to build a power base around -- particularly by uniting Catholics and Evangelicals who previously didn't really get along. It was mostly an invented controversy that sprang up in the wake of Roe as part of a larger de-liberalization movement.

Even today, the statistics of people who actually believe that abortion should be fully and unconditionally banned -- what the conservatives are all legislating for -- is only something like 8%. Another 29% think there are at least some exceptions, and a vast majority think it should be mostly or completely legal.

In the numbers, this is a settled issue. It isn't even THAT contentious.

But the issue is politically incredibly useful, and the religiously fundamentalist institutions do a great job having outsized influence and concentrating power. It's a rare opportunity for conservatives to take a pseudo-ethical stance and advocate for an actual outcome -- normally they just look like weird, selfish freaks shouting "no no no" all the time. The fact that the ethics aren't there is irrelevant.

admiralteal , to news in House GOP releases impeachment articles in bid to oust Homeland Security's Mayorkas over the border

Buttigieg is from Indiana.

Nothing good has ever been produced by the GADOT or the greater world of Georgia transportation officials. They're one of the most moronic such organizations in the country and none of their membership will ever go on to do anything meaningful.

admiralteal , to news in What happened at the nation's first nitrogen gas execution: An AP eyewitness account

But he didn't want to die. If you don't want to die -- if you aren't cooperating with the execution -- it is going to be torturous with this method.

The attitude of "this is the way I want to die" is automatically assuming that you want to die. That you're a willing participant. Execution must be presumed to have an uncooperative victim and the humaneness must be judged in that context.

Lot of people saying he should've just let it happen. It would've hurt him less. That's unacceptable to say to a victim of violence in any other context, so I'm not sure why it makes sense to people here.

admiralteal , to news in What happened at the nation's first nitrogen gas execution: An AP eyewitness account

It's definitionally coercion if the only other option is death. You do not have agency in that situation. End of story.

admiralteal , to news in What happened at the nation's first nitrogen gas execution: An AP eyewitness account

Which was... dun dun dun, within just a minute or two when it was posted and THREE HOURS before you replied. GASP, you discovered the terrible conspiracy of a typo being fixed! No content was changed!

You're a fucking lunatic.

admiralteal , to news in What happened at the nation's first nitrogen gas execution: An AP eyewitness account

Nope, was not edited to change contents at any point. You just didn't read it. Compare any relevant timestamps and you'll see you were just being a dolt.

It's OK to be wrong sometimes. You can just be wrong.

admiralteal , to news in What happened at the nation's first nitrogen gas execution: An AP eyewitness account

I did, in the comment. Read what I wrote again.

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