chris

economics and statistics. data analyst somewhere. grad student somewhere too.

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

https://t.co/2i9OaavmMA

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@FlyinTwinkies @RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian By the way, defending rent control is defending a policy that we have settled science on that it’s bad. You are the equivalent of an anti-vaxxer defending this terrible policy that achieves basically none of its (stated) goals

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@FlyinTwinkies @RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian You need collusion actually widespread enough for this. You can have 10% of the market have higher prices than otherwise and it still wouldn’t make this claim here true. If 10% of landlords randomly raised their prices, what do you think would happen?

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian You actually have to give me evidence that rent control isn’t binding because landlords are colluding to raise prices above market level. You can’t just claim it

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian A lot. I think my answer earlier misread what you were saying though— I don’t think the government should be helping out everybody in the whole income/wealth distribution because it’s inefficient and costly. But not sure what the point of this line of questioning is

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian I’ve given you an answer to pretty much everything. If there’s something you want my reasoning on just ask, but if it’s unrelated to the conversation I’m obviously gonna mention that

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian Because markets in general are better ways to allocate goods. Prices act as signals and incentives. If there’s some market failure where prices can’t act like this, there can be a role for government. That’s a pretty cold take there

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@Sehwhatt @RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian And again person who is pro rent control saying people should pay attention in school. Pay attention to the scientists who’ve studied the issue

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian I don’t know, both are pretty bad, I think china’s is probably downstream of a worse system. What does that have to do with anything?

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian I don’t think that, but okay

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian eh, I don’t know. Definitely not 100%! But you can apply this to literally anything, it’s not really a good point

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@Sehwhatt @RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian Nobody denies that collusion leads to an increase in prices* depending on the scale. Two landlords colluding isn’t going to give you actual price effects, for example. And the DOJ isn’t an economic study but go on lol

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian Not the status quo, as any YIMBY would tell you

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian Lawyers vs engineers way of organizing society, right? They have central government dedicated to building housing even when they go empty for years (which tbc is bad to some extent). We have local governments dedicated to stopping housing and making it harder to build

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian Obviously there’s a space for government to help the worst off in our population! But in general, sure

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian I think there are plenty of things that matter besides how productive one is

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian Eh, I did have a choice, just chose not to. I agree that (generally) people shouldn’t be homeless.

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian I think that if anything, letting people build (aka not banning those 100 houses being built to satisfy those 100 people) is the most important part. But land use regulation among other local government shenanigans stops this from happening.

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian I’m definitely not defending the status quo, I think it’s terrible

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian Now you’re mad at me for arguing against your claims? Don’t know what you want me to do, don’t make dumb claims. Or ask me for my opinions. Idk man

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian Obviously not

[chris @goldmarkovchain]

@RighttooEarly @ShadowArandom @JFPitre @neeratanden @BtechIberian No, not really. Seems pretty suboptimal