Diminishing labor force and its influence on development

Pertinent indeed. This is a very alarming issue.

This is a One-two punch to the Boston economy. I guess the irony is that the people who live here who have enacted laws trying to stem development will ultimately kill the economy of the region or turn it into a sort of black and white caricature of itself with the uber-wealthy living in the suburbs and the hyper-poor living in inner cities. And they will still complain about the size of buildings.

What I think is needed is another public housing system only instead of tearing down large sections of cities to build ugly and dehumanizing towers we should focus on brownfields, building town homes, apartment houses, co-ops in the central cities that conform to the city and allow for upward mobility. We also need some sort of back up so that people don't get lazy and just live on subsidies. A great idea that is beginning to take hold at some public housing agencies is to require people living in subsidized housing to take classes and adult education to improve their lot. When the person reaches graduates they will have the option of moving to a non-subsidized home or buying the one they have been living in.

What this does is to try and create people who care about the places they live. No one cares about projects and the people who live there know it. We need to start building places where people care about; real communities that can help people when they are out of work or down on their luck. Ever since the 1950's we have completely forgotten about this aspect of city life.
 
Or we could just sell off all subsidized and public housing to developers, removing the cost of maintaining those from the public, allowing developers to pour money from nationwide real estate funds into Massachusetts and create construction jobs and wealth in the of improved buildings. And those buildings would actually pay tax revenue rather than leech it. And the fact that large amounts of housing would be added to the market would lower prices significantly, helping those people who are on waiting lists for subsidized housing and allowing the region to become more competitive and grow, ensuring that high-tech industries grow and remain here, providing higher-paying jobs and also paying corporate taxes. And the city would recieve large sums of money from selling the properties, with which it would invest in education to create smarter kids that get better jobs and fend for themselves and don't need to suck on the teat of Big Government.

But your idea sounds cool too.
 
^And while the poor kids are busy getting smart and the housing prices are dropping to levels affordable to all, every sidewalk in Boston will be clogged with beggars. Sounds great, but would never work.
 
^^the poor people who are unable to get jobs or good jobs to support a condo or a small house because of the extremely high cost of living in boston. This will greatly benefit those who are foreign or those who can't get jobs because many of the jobs in Boston require college degrees and many families in Boston just can afford college courses. Jobs that don't require it can barely support the living cost in Boston.
 
lexicon506 said:
^And while the poor kids are busy getting smart and the housing prices are dropping to levels affordable to all, every sidewalk in Boston will be clogged with beggars. Sounds great, but would never work.
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Increased policing and quality, afordable euthanasia services can tide us over through the transition period.

justin
 
DarkFenX said:
^^the poor people who are unable to get jobs or good jobs to support a condo or a small house because of the extremely high cost of living in boston. This will greatly benefit those who are foreign or those who can't get jobs because many of the jobs in Boston require college degrees and many families in Boston just can afford college courses. Jobs that don't require it can barely support the living cost in Boston.
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YES, Comrade DarkFen. Workers of the World UNITE!


sicklehj2.jpg
 
DudeUrSistersHot said:
Or we could just sell off all subsidized and public housing to developers, removing the cost of maintaining those from the public, allowing developers to pour money from nationwide real estate funds into Massachusetts and create construction jobs and wealth in the of improved buildings. And those buildings would actually pay tax revenue rather than leech it. And the fact that large amounts of housing would be added to the market would lower prices significantly, helping those people who are on waiting lists for subsidized housing and allowing the region to become more competitive and grow, ensuring that high-tech industries grow and remain here, providing higher-paying jobs and also paying corporate taxes. And the city would recieve large sums of money from selling the properties, with which it would invest in education to create smarter kids that get better jobs and fend for themselves and don't need to suck on the teat of Big Government.

But your idea sounds cool too.
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I think this is too utopian like to actually work out though seeing the government always end up squandering our tax money for mistakes. Also, the chance the every kid will become smart is probably zero percent because there will be always some students that will goof off at school no matter how much money you put into schools. If this was to happen, the world would be far more advanced but knowing that humans are greedy and stubborn (thats why countries around the world would rather wage war with each other over something pretty dumb instead of working together and advancing the human specie to a better future). Too bad, this dream could have happen if humans weren't so selfish (not saying everyone is obviously many would aren't. I doubt the city and the government will do something like this. Especially how kids today are more and more affected by the media are into more about sex then education.
 
^ What?

Unfortunately, more development, by itself, is not going to fix the problems facing Mass's economy. We simply don't have the kinds of industries (manufacturing, industrial, back-office work) that provide lower-skilled workers with upward mobility. And these industries aren't going to come back -- they moved South long ago and are now moving overseas.
As a state, we must create some kind of ladder to help lower-skilled workers access the opportunities in the high-skilled, information industries that our economy specializes in. (that, in itself, is no easy task) Otherwise, Mass will become a rich/poor society with no middle class. We also have to minimize institutional burdens (especially red tape) that stunt the growth of industries we do have a competitive advantage in.
Given the subject of this board, we're inclined to see everything in terms of development -- but the problem goes deeper than that.
 
aws129 said:
^ What?

Unfortunately, more development, by itself, is not going to fix the problems facing Mass's economy. We simply don't have the kinds of industries (manufacturing, industrial, back-office work) that provide lower-skilled workers with upward mobility. And these industries aren't going to come back -- they moved South long ago and are now moving overseas.
As a state, we must create some kind of ladder to help lower-skilled workers access the opportunities in the high-skilled, information industries that our economy specializes in. (that, in itself, is no easy task) Otherwise, Mass will become a rich/poor society with no middle class. We also have to minimize institutional burdens (especially red tape) that stunt the growth of industries we do have a competitive advantage in.
Given the subject of this board, we're inclined to see everything in terms of development -- but the problem goes deeper than that.
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Ok I'll just make it as simple as possible, what is the chance that Dude's idea will happen and everyone will become smarter and everyone one is going to get a better job and everyone is going to afford to live or buy a house no matter the cost? What are the chances the government will invest all its money into education? What are the chances it'll sell off all the subsidized and public houses? And more importantly, what will happen to all the people that can only affor public/government housing? Are they going to be kicked out of their apartments? Where are they going to live when they can't afford anything else?
 
Exactly!

"At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge," said the gentleman, taking up a pen, "it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and Destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."

"Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge.

"Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

"And the Union workhouses?" demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"

"They are. Still," returned the gentleman, "I wish I could say they were not."

"The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?" said Scrooge.

"Both very busy, sir."

"Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course," said Scrooge. "I'm very glad to hear it."

"Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude," returned the gentleman, "a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?"

"Nothing!" Scrooge replied.

"You wish to be anonymous?"

"I wish to be left alone," said Scrooge. "Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned -- they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there."

"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."

"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides -- excuse me -- I don't know that."

"But you might know it," observed the gentleman.

"It's not my business," Scrooge returned. "It's enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people's. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!"
 
Sustainability has got to become the goal of Massachusetts and eventually the whole country. We have to realize that we can't grow ourselves out of every problem. Getting by with a stable population has to be our goal, I don't know anyone who thinks it would be desireable to have skysrapers from the Cape to the Berkshires, which would be the ultimate result of those who preach forever population growth. The last I checked, unemployment was below the national average in MA, economic growth was double the national average, population is steady or up slightly. That seems to be the state of affairs that we should be aiming for, and we have it.
 
DudeUrSistersHot said:
Or we could just sell off all subsidized and public housing to developers, removing the cost of maintaining those from the public, allowing developers to pour money from nationwide real estate funds into Massachusetts and create construction jobs and wealth in the of improved buildings. And those buildings would actually pay tax revenue rather than leech it. And the fact that large amounts of housing would be added to the market would lower prices significantly, helping those people who are on waiting lists for subsidized housing and allowing the region to become more competitive and grow, ensuring that high-tech industries grow and remain here, providing higher-paying jobs and also paying corporate taxes. And the city would recieve large sums of money from selling the properties, with which it would invest in education to create smarter kids that get better jobs and fend for themselves and don't need to suck on the teat of Big Government.

But your idea sounds cool too.
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See the only thing you're over-looking here is the fact that these subsidies not only help the indigent, the lazy, and the general asshats of the world, but they help the owners of such subsidized property. The money is being paid directly into the owner's pocket, who can re-invest back into development as he sees fit.

Don't get me wrong, the system is full of holes - and there are asshats galore that leech off of your paycheck daily, but as Kyle's dad once said: "the world is full of gods and clods"
 
HAhahahahahaha

Thank you for that laugh out loud moment. I think I'll watch that episode when I get back from class.

Oh, and for all you SP fans, this site hosts every episode free to watch, although at the moment they are having problems overloading their server: http://allabout-sp.net/ (no www in the address)
 
This is probably off the topic of development but how about offering free tuition to college-bound students with the agreement that they stick around for at least 10 years?

This approach is being explored by a state commission in my home state of Wisconsin to help curb their shrinking labor force.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=540476
 
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