This is actually how it goes with most of the SWPL policies beloved by the Establishment: they make things worse for the Middle Class while throwing benefits small or large to the Establishment, and the Middle Class has had about enough of it. The Global Warming scam is only the biggest example, but anything labeled "green" or "smart growth" or the like is reliably a means to make the lives of the Establishment better at the expense of the Middle Class.In fact, the real problem is that most of the policies advocated by progressives such as Florida, from high-speed rail to urban density, are aimed at making cities comfortable for what he calls the “creative class” (meaning the college educated) while shutting out the working class. Because he doesn’t understand this, many of his prescriptions will only exacerbate the political divide.Rather than say cities should be responsible for paying for their own projects, as Trump urges, Florida is more interested in social policy. Using growth boundaries to increase density drives out the working classes who can’t afford housing. Increasing the minimum wage to $15 drives out working class jobs. Building light rail to downtowns while letting streets crumble favors white collar commuters over blue collar workers. Agreeing to the Paris accords on climate change makes middle-class people feel good while it threatens working-class livelihoods.
The fact that so many of the Establishment simply refuse to see such a basic fact tells you all you need to know about their perceptiveness.
2 comments:
Interesting piece.
I note the first comment is a "we in the cities pay for those arrogant red counties!" line.
Nice to see anti-planner's take on this. I've read it enough times in engineering magazines to believe them that the various rail options (light rail, high speed rail, etc.) are only economically viable in very limited situations.
Say it with me everyone, the .gov does not give a damn about you. It will seek to cater to itself. The same with the progressive policies. While conservative or constitutional or libertarian viewpoints may not care about groups or even individuals they also do tend to not produce direct harm or shut some groups or classes out of society. Florida states what the rest of the country already knows, that they are deliberately being excluded from planning, central planning and just outright chances at prosperity. That is the thing that the left can't figure out as to why no one will just go along with that attitude and treatment. The tone deaf caterwauling over Trump and everything that got him elected is still not realized by the masses of progressive policies.
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