Simple solution for what to do with the land. The Albany A's. Alliteration, baby!

okaydo said:

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95bears said:

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TandemBear said:

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We have a HUGE homelessness problem in the Bay Area and you think this huge tract of land coming available is a negative?

Wow, that's kinda strange. I'd look at this as a great opportunity to actually do something about the problem.

But nope, I'm not that naive! This land will be sold to the highest bidder so some massive project can get built consisting of high-end commercial space, luxury apartments, condos and homes and be sold (for cash) to the highest foreign bidders. No Bay Area blue collar kids will be buying a home here. And for sure there we be NO relocated homeless living here pursuing the American Dream.

So I guess you're right

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You would turn all that land into a massive homeless shelter that is guaranteed to be a blight and fail? I don't think that helps the east bay.

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There's a massive housing shortage, forcing people who are poor people (those making under $60,000) onto the street. Why not redevelop that area for more housing or something? It doesn't have to be a homeless shelter.

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Agreed. A village of condos and apartments along the Bay with views and transit connection to BART would add needed "affordable" inventory to the market. My 89 year old dad and my stepmom live in a similar development in Pinole. The way to decrease homelessness is to increase the supply of affordable (right sized) homes on the market.

JimSox said:

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Simple solution for what to do with the land. The Albany A's. Alliteration, baby!

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You would think, but Albany is too small to be able to give Fischer all the taxpayer subsidies he is looking for.

calumnus said:

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JimSox said:

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Simple solution for what to do with the land. The Albany A's. Alliteration, baby!

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You would think, but Albany is too small to be able to give Fischer all the taxpayer subsidies he is looking for.

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Vegas has the casino companies to "influence" the state legislature into giving lots of taxpayer money to sports team owners, and they have the casino companies and the mob to bribe or threaten anyone who might try to file lawsuits to block or delay a project. Albany has neither.

TandemBear said:

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We have a HUGE homelessness problem in the Bay Area and you think this huge tract of land coming available is a negative?

Wow, that's kinda strange. I'd look at this as a great opportunity to actually do something about the problem.

But nope, I'm not that naive! This land will be sold to the highest bidder so some massive project can get built consisting of high-end commercial space, luxury apartments, condos and homes and be sold (for cash) to the highest foreign bidders. No Bay Area blue collar kids will be buying a home here. And for sure there we be NO relocated homeless living here pursuing the American Dream.

So I guess you're right

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No, you must be right. Give the homeless some of the best land in the East Bay. That makes tons of sense to me. Another clueless solution to a complex homeless problem.

OdontoBear66 said:

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TandemBear said:

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We have a HUGE homelessness problem in the Bay Area and you think this huge tract of land coming available is a negative?

Wow, that's kinda strange. I'd look at this as a great opportunity to actually do something about the problem.

But nope, I'm not that naive! This land will be sold to the highest bidder so some massive project can get built consisting of high-end commercial space, luxury apartments, condos and homes and be sold (for cash) to the highest foreign bidders. No Bay Area blue collar kids will be buying a home here. And for sure there we be NO relocated homeless living here pursuing the American Dream.

So I guess you're right

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No, you must be right. Give the homeless some of the best land in the East Bay. That makes tons of sense to me. Another clueless solution to a complex homeless problem.

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It'd be great if we had a program for people who just had a couple of bad breaks and need to reboot. Unfortunately, governments everywhere have failed to create a solution that works for these people, funds go overwhelmingly to the folks who don't want help, and billions in tax dollars get wasted (billions that the education system could really use, including UC).

Happy talk about how evil rich people are going to take over Golden Gate Fields unless we do something vague to deal with homelessness is not a serious discussion.

Albany on GGF


On July 16, 2023, it was announced that Golden Gate Fields will be ending its operation as a horse racing track in December 2023. Considering this, the City has compiled informational resources to provide context to the community about the property. This page will be updated periodically as additional information becomes available.

The City appreciates that this is an opportunity with potential to provide long-term benefits for our community. The transition of Golden Gate Fields will take time and is primarily driven by the property owners. We understand they are working through potential next steps and opportunities. Changes to this Albany Waterfront District property are subject to Measure C Citizens' Waterfront Approval Initiative, passed in 1990 in Albany, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

It should also be emphasized that the current business generates almost $800,000 in special revenues for the City and just over $706,000 for the Albany Unified School District. These are significant amounts, and must be part of the considerations in moving forward.

Thanks this is what I was worried about. They are hyper focused on the threat of losing tax revenue so they will build more 1.8mm condos. When in reality the biggest thief of tax revenue is of federal tax revenue and it's to pay for nice roads in southern welfare states. Of course they'll spin it like they spun decentralization to get Gray Davis removed and then low and behold oops Enron and Ken Lay and btw have fun with wildfires because we bankrupted your utility provider; or like they're currently doing with the apparent gas tax. Remember it's a gas tax not corporate greed. It's a gas tax people. Oregon has zero refining capacity and imports fuel from Benicia and mandates someone pump your gas and pays a total gas tax of .24 and the price is 3.5 while at the source in benecia the tax is .37 and yet the price is 6.25
Remember it's the .13 tax difference that accounts for the price difference.
I swear the world has gone full brawndo with realignment and everything else.
Shame we're letting republican grifters Jack this state all to hell all to be able to spin some stupid narrative about why democrats suck and they need to be in charge to push an absolutely insane conservative social agenda and an overthought of a fiscal policy that is more liberal than democrats

CNHTH said:

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Thanks this is what I was worried about. They are hyper focused on the threat of losing tax revenue so they will build more 1.8mm condos. When in reality the biggest thief of tax revenue is of federal tax revenue and it's to pay for nice roads in southern welfare states. Of course they'll spin it like they spun decentralization to get Gray Davis removed and then low and behold oops Enron and Ken Lay and btw have fun with wildfires because we bankrupted your utility provider; or like they're currently doing with the apparent gas tax. Remember it's a gas tax not corporate greed. It's a gas tax people. Oregon has zero refining capacity and imports fuel from Benicia and mandates someone pump your gas and pays a total gas tax of .24 and the price is 3.5 while at the source in benecia the tax is .37 and yet the price is 6.25
Remember it's the .13 tax difference that accounts for the price difference.
I swear the world has gone full brawndo with realignment and everything else.
Shame we're letting republican grifters Jack this state all to hell all to be able to spin some stupid narrative about why democrats suck and they need to be in charge to push an absolutely insane conservative social agenda and an overthought of a fiscal policy that is more liberal than democrats

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I agree, but read the room.

Trying my best.
I thought most blues simply want Greek orgies, Moscow mules, Ada access, intelligent discussions at ccc, yearly boho grove visits to piss on stuff, and noon kickoffs sans the inconvenience of paying high taxes that benefit the heathens in secessionist states

CNHTH said:

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Trying my best.
I thought most blues simply want Greek orgies, Moscow mules, Ada access, intelligent discussions at ccc, yearly boho grove visits to piss on stuff, and noon kickoffs sans the inconvenience of paying high taxes that benefit the heathens in secessionist states

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Nah.

CNHTH said:

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Thanks this is what I was worried about. They are hyper focused on the threat of losing tax revenue so they will build more 1.8mm condos. When in reality the biggest thief of tax revenue is of federal tax revenue and it's to pay for nice roads in southern welfare states. Of course they'll spin it like they spun decentralization to get Gray Davis removed and then low and behold oops Enron and Ken Lay and btw have fun with wildfires because we bankrupted your utility provider; or like they're currently doing with the apparent gas tax. Remember it's a gas tax not corporate greed. It's a gas tax people. Oregon has zero refining capacity and imports fuel from Benicia and mandates someone pump your gas and pays a total gas tax of .24 and the price is 3.5 while at the source in benecia the tax is .37 and yet the price is 6.25
Remember it's the .13 tax difference that accounts for the price difference.
I swear the world has gone full brawndo with realignment and everything else.
Shame we're letting republican grifters Jack this state all to hell all to be able to spin some stupid narrative about why democrats suck and they need to be in charge to push an absolutely insane conservative social agenda and an overthought of a fiscal policy that is more liberal than democrats

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Do you know who runs this state, and the city of Oakland, and has for decades? It ain't "Republican grifters".

The rest is just bong talk.

BigDaddy said:

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CNHTH said:

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Thanks this is what I was worried about. They are hyper focused on the threat of losing tax revenue so they will build more 1.8mm condos. When in reality the biggest thief of tax revenue is of federal tax revenue and it's to pay for nice roads in southern welfare states. Of course they'll spin it like they spun decentralization to get Gray Davis removed and then low and behold oops Enron and Ken Lay and btw have fun with wildfires because we bankrupted your utility provider; or like they're currently doing with the apparent gas tax. Remember it's a gas tax not corporate greed. It's a gas tax people. Oregon has zero refining capacity and imports fuel from Benicia and mandates someone pump your gas and pays a total gas tax of .24 and the price is 3.5 while at the source in benecia the tax is .37 and yet the price is 6.25
Remember it's the .13 tax difference that accounts for the price difference.
I swear the world has gone full brawndo with realignment and everything else.
Shame we're letting republican grifters Jack this state all to hell all to be able to spin some stupid narrative about why democrats suck and they need to be in charge to push an absolutely insane conservative social agenda and an overthought of a fiscal policy that is more liberal than democrats

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Do you know who runs this state, and the city of Oakland, and has for decades? It ain't "Republican grifters".

The rest is just bong talk.

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Enron and Fischer more than qualify as "Republican grifters" but pushing for large scale market housing and economic development that generate tax revenues for the City of Albany and its schools absolutely does not.

"Clueless solution?" What you got?

Here are some suggestions to bolster the several you suggested:

1) Universal basic income.
2) Universal single-payer healthcare. Let's save $1.4 TRILLION every single year! Let's stop profiteering off Americans on health care.
3) Federal universal savings plan for every American.
4) Federal universal retirement savings plan for every American.
5) Federal housing support program. Get every American in a home they own.

Oh wait, you offered exactly ZERO suggestions on addressing the homeless.

As expected. But I'm sure you're SUPER vocal on NextDoor and other internet sites blaming the Mayor, the City Council, Gavin Newsom and "Kommiefornia" for homelessness. (As if homelessness is a unique California phenomenon. Not like prosperous Detroit that's a model for using housing really efficiently! Ha, ha!)

"Most homeless people suffer from addiction, alcoholism or mental illness, or a combo of those things."

AND? These are SYMPTOMS of the problem, not the cause. The cause is deprived economic opportunity and lack of prosperity for so many. First, we tell low wage workers they're "worthless." Close the trade schools because that work is for "losers." Second, we undermine the vast quantity of working class and blue collar jobs to poverty wages. Lack of economic security, over-worked people, families torn apart, housing instability, no retirement savings, living paycheck-to-paycheck, the affect of this and so much else on the human psyche is huge. No surprise the poverty and stress lead to mental illness and drug addiction!

I've recommended Nicholas Kristoph's "Tightrope" many times here. And anyone here actually read it? It summarizes our homelessness and hopelessness problem quite well. "Addiction, alcoholism or mental illness, or a combo of those things" are the RESULT of undermining American economic opportunity and prosperity. Kristoph's book spells this out very well. When you tell the bottom 30% of your economic demographic, "you're worthless, you should suffer," how do you think they'll behave?

"You broke it. Fix it."

This is our situation in a nutshell. Reaganomics have basically created this massive problem. We've seen it decades in the making. "But our economy simply cannot provide THOSE jobs anymore!" many have said over the years. And that is somehow an answer? We just abandon the working class and admonish them that, "they should have made better life choices?"

Well, here we are! Hundreds of thousands of homeless in CA (or more), millions nation-wide that will now cost a LOT to fix.

It's our responsibility to fix this disaster. I obviously don't have the answers, but I do know that this problem is of our making and we have to address it.

Developing the GGF site to do exactly this would be perfect. It would be just ONE step in a bunch of needed steps to address the problem.

I'm not arguing HOW, but that we MUST address the problem. A dose of "tough love" sure won't be the answer. Any more "bootstraps" economic policy will turn the US into shanty towns from coast to coast.

But if you REALLY want to address the problem, here are some suggestions:

1) Universal basic income.
2) Universal single-payer healthcare. Let's save $1.4 TRILLION every single year! Let's stop profiteering off Americans on health care.
3) Federal universal savings plan for every American.
4) Federal universal retirement savings plan for every American.
5) Federal housing support program. Get every American in a home they own.

These things would go a LONG way to restore prosperity for all Americans. Sure, let the lotteries and financial institutions continue to operate. But let's backstop American prosperity by making sure people have an embedded savings and retirement plan to help prevent future poverty and financial insecurity.

But for the "broken" homeless people already in a state of dysfunction? Don't know how many can be returned into normal work-a-day life. But it doesn't matter because we caused it, so we have to fix it. It's gonna cost us in the short run, but vital changes will save us in the long run.

In genera, I think we've learned that coddling the wealthy and corporations does NOT benefit society. It destroys it. We now know with certainty that "trickle down economics" was a cruel joke. So let's STOP giving every advantage, subsidy, break, or benefit to the wealthy & corporations and instead provide those benefits and incentives to those who actually need it. This is how you restore American prosperity. Make a job pay so well you'd be an idiot to NOT work! Jobs should always be more beneficial than robbery or picking up a gun.

This is how it USED to be. Most people worked a job and it paid off. Be a little extra smart, scrimp a bit, put in some extra time, and it paid off in spades. My parents experienced this. My in-laws did too. The latter didn't have to be "best in their class" or get a "top executive job." They worked regular jobs and enjoyed American prosperity.

It's simple when you put it in those terms.

BigDaddy said:

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CNHTH said:

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Thanks this is what I was worried about. They are hyper focused on the threat of losing tax revenue so they will build more 1.8mm condos. When in reality the biggest thief of tax revenue is of federal tax revenue and it's to pay for nice roads in southern welfare states. Of course they'll spin it like they spun decentralization to get Gray Davis removed and then low and behold oops Enron and Ken Lay and btw have fun with wildfires because we bankrupted your utility provider; or like they're currently doing with the apparent gas tax. Remember it's a gas tax not corporate greed. It's a gas tax people. Oregon has zero refining capacity and imports fuel from Benicia and mandates someone pump your gas and pays a total gas tax of .24 and the price is 3.5 while at the source in benecia the tax is .37 and yet the price is 6.25
Remember it's the .13 tax difference that accounts for the price difference.
I swear the world has gone full brawndo with realignment and everything else.
Shame we're letting republican grifters Jack this state all to hell all to be able to spin some stupid narrative about why democrats suck and they need to be in charge to push an absolutely insane conservative social agenda and an overthought of a fiscal policy that is more liberal than democrats

---

Do you know who runs this state, and the city of Oakland, and has for decades? It ain't "Republican grifters".

The rest is just bong talk.

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If CNHTH wants to bong and talk, he'd fit right in the OT forum with the rest.