@elonmusk Trillions sent over decades. It was supposed to create systems that sustained them independently... they just became dependent on the cashflow.
🚨 NOW: El Salvadorans are boasting that President Nayib Bukele has turned his once-violent country into the OPPOSITE of EUROPE — instead of rampant gangs and no go zones, the people are safe and THRIVING
-98% in homicides
Incredible what ruling with an iron fist over crime can do! 🇺🇸🇸🇻
Bravo, @NayibBukele! A model for Latin America. EUROPE should take notes!
📽️ @JorgeManzaSV
@awong_SF you're crazy... to want to share walls with people in a house built on the cheap.
but yes, you can put in more houses... if you want to live in a big long wall of houses.
@nickroberts317 well... you didnt actually think about the Rockies or the Appalachians. you'd have to cut new HSR lines THROUGH the ranges... you cant use existing lines. HSR hates grades over 2-3% or so...
between them, go for it. expect tremendous legal battles, but at least it's flat.
@_vatsalasingh a little water here, a little water there... all being put to better use.
but then somewhere down the line, there is no more water flowing at the end.
@the_transit_guy geography. property rights. environmental impacts. etc.
think of the old westerns where the railroad comes and buys/forces people off the land. now modernize it with lawyers.
good luck with that.
@BernieSanders that's one way to kill an industry...
take away half the company and not share in the liabilities/risks and offer nothing in return. no tax breaks, no funding, nothing...
Talk about killing the Goose that lays the Golden Egg.
@GovPressOffice $4 is a bargain for us in California! ...how dumb to point out another state's cheaper gas.
what kind of 'gotcha' is it when you point out someone paying $4/gal when your neighbor is pumping $6/gal?
The same people who support endless regulations and strict enforcement for legal businesses somehow have no problem with a tent restaurant opening on a public sidewalk regulation free.
Here’s a short list of why that’s a problem.
1. Health Inspections. When you have a business in LA you have to pay for the proper health and food safety certifications and pass inspection repeatedly, often times at random. You can be shut down and lose everything if you do not comply and meet the standard. This includes proper sinks and sanitation of every corner, these tents don’t even have a sink to clean anything.
2. Lawsuits. You can be sued into oblivion by scumbag attorneys because the toilet paper roll in the bathroom wasn’t the proper height for a wheelchair customer they sent in to hit you with a lawsuit.
Permits and Licensing. Legal businesses have to pay thousands in permits, licensing fees, zoning approvals, signage approvals, fire inspections, and endless bureaucratic hoops before they can even open their doors.
3. Taxes. Legitimate businesses pay sales tax, payroll tax, business tax, workers comp, unemployment insurance, and accounting fees while illegal vendors operate entirely in cash and contribute nothing.
4. Labor Laws. Restaurants and shops have to comply with minimum wage laws, overtime rules, mandatory breaks, workers compensation requirements, and employment paperwork or face massive penalties.
Rent and Property Costs. Legal businesses sign expensive leases, pay utilities, insurance, maintenance, and security every month whether business is good or bad.
5. Insurance Requirements. Legal businesses are expected to carry liability insurance, food safety coverage, workers comp, and other policies because if something goes wrong they are held responsible.
6. ADA Compliance. Small businesses can spend enormous amounts modifying bathrooms, entrances, counters, ramps, and parking to comply with accessibility laws while illegal operations ignore all of it.
7. Fire Code Compliance. Restaurants and stores must install fire suppression systems, emergency exits, extinguishers, alarms, and pass inspections. Tent operations with propane tanks on sidewalks face none of these standards.
8. Environmental Regulations. Businesses are fined for improper grease disposal, waste handling, recycling violations, water runoff, or air quality issues while illegal setups dump trash and wastewater directly into public spaces.
It is hard to explain to someone paying six figures a year to operate legally why they should compete against people operating tax free, permit free, inspection free, rent free and consequence free, and they decided right next to you was a great spot.
These ideas are slowly chipping away at any remnants of a high trust and high functioning society.
DC is a federal district so no state — not even itself — can claim to own the nation’s capital. If it became a state, it would be first among equals… and that is in no way equal at all. The capital is supposed to be neutral.
You can fire back with all the “inequality” arguments you want, but breaking this basic constitutional promise isn’t a slippery slope — it’s driving off a cliff.