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The Regular People Are Just Not Around Anymore

A weekend topic starting with Truthout. “National media outlets have trained their sights on Portland, Oregon, releasing hit piece after piece. The New York Times published no fewer than three articles about the state’s drug decriminalization in a single week. The mischaracterizations begin before the article does, starting out with the assertion the primary goal was to curb overdoses, reaching a fever pitch by the final clause, ‘and life has changed for most everyone…’ The New York Times would have you believe Measure 110 — which moved misdemeanor drug possession down to a Class E violation, similar to a traffic ticket — has given fentanyl dealers free reign, though a sale of even $5 of fentanyl remains a Class A felony.”

“Jennifer Myrle, a worker at a downtown coffee shop, says her downtown area can feel like ‘dealer central,’ but that ‘there’s no point in calling the cops.’ Though The New York Times is spuriously implying drug peddlers have free reign in the city, unpacking why Myrle sees no point in calling the police is worthy of a few sentences. None of what she describes has anything to do with the fact drug possession no longer warrants a misdemeanor arrest like it did in 2020. The entire rest of the article implies causality between drug decriminalization and myriad other social ills, such as homelessness, petty crime and drug overdose.”

“Officials and pundits persistently attempt to redirect our attention on the housing crisis to drug use, mental health or progressive permissiveness. Yet the fact remains: The sole predictor of homelessness is how rent-burdened people are.”

The Messenger. “The acting mayor of Boston kicked off his temporary, 10-day stint in the post on Monday — with a tour of one of the city’s most notorious intersections, Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. Known to locals as ‘Mass and Cass,’ the intersection has become the site of a growing homeless encampment, where opioids are being injected out in the open. Boston has even developed a special team to help tackle the situation. Photographs from 2019 show a homeless shelter located near the intersection, but no encampments. The combined effects of the opioid epidemic, the housing crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the current situation at Mass and Cass.”

The Dallas Morning News in Texas. “Dallas wants $3.6 million next year to address homeless encampments, which includes razing, cleaning, and fencing key areas, according to City Manager T.C. Broadnax’s budget proposal that City Council will tackle this month. The city plans to spend $1.5 million on decommissioning homelessness encampments, and another $1million on building fences to keep homeless individuals out of encampment-prone areas, like highway overpasses and bridges. It will also budget $1.1 million for the ‘cleaning’ of encampments. ‘The message this budget sends is this is a priority for the City of Dallas,’ said Peter Brodsky, the board chair of Housing Forward, one of the area’s largest homelessness nonprofits. ‘We are going to continue to address the unsheltered homelessness in our community and ensure our city doesn’t allow the problem to become out of control as it has in other cities.'”

“Brodsky and Ellen Magnis, CEO of homelessness nonprofit Family Gateway, were co-chairs of the task force. The two said there is an important distinction between simply closing and ‘decommissioning’ a homelessness encampment. ‘It’s very different than just shutting it down and telling people to move along,’ Magnis said. ‘Decommissioning means you’re going in with a workforce of trained professionals. You’re building relationships with those people who are living outside and you’re trying to determine what their needs are and what kind of housing is best for them. It’s a slow process to really understand what the need is.'”

KOMO in Washington. “The illegal homeless encampment that has shuffled around Burien for months is being dismantled after outreach efforts by a private group that has connected people who are living there with shelter. The encampment has been set up in a grass strip outside a strip mall in downtown Burien since early July. King County has offered $1 million and a package of other services to Burien to help stand up a place to house the homeless in the city. That offer is still sitting on the table as Burien leadership looks for a place to put a tiny home village, or similar shelter, for the homeless.”

“King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) Chief of Staff Anne Burkland sent a letter to Burien city leadership last week saying the city is responsible for finding a site to put emergency housing before the money can be applied. KCRHA indicated the county also has pallet shelters, which are similar to tiny homes, ready to offer Burien along with the $1 million. Kristine Moreland, director with The More We Love, has been working with people living in the encampment for weeks to get into available services. Moreland’s outreach group is funded by the property owner, not the city or county.”

“‘This is not safe, even in the slightest. Not even a little bit. We had two overdoses last week – it’s not going to stop, it’s perpetuating and it’s going to get worse,’ Moreland said. ‘There’s a gentleman who walked into grocery outlet yesterday, smoked fentanyl and blew it in one of the employee’s face and that employee had to go to the hospital. It is a problem and this city is just moving these people around.'”

KREM in Washington. “The woman accused of starting a series of fires near Sunset Highway admitted her actions to police while she was being questioned for trespassing, according to newly filed court documents. Vickie Smith, 53, was arrested in King County on Thursday for allegedly setting four fires near the Finch Arboretum on Aug. 3. The day after the fires, Smith was contacted by police for allegedly trespassing and, during that conversation, admitted to police that she lit fires ‘up at the golf course’ in order to get housing.”

“Cindi Miraglia, a West Hills resident, told police she confronted the woman for trespassing on her property and walked her out of the neighborhood while calling 911. Miraglia called police a second time and kept the woman from running away or going onto another neighbor’s property. While escorting the woman out of the neighborhood, the resident told police she spoke with the woman about her housing situation. The woman told her she was ‘upset with the Catalyst Housing’ because they would not let her stay there, according to court documents. ‘Telling me about how discouraged she was about the services she got, she got nothing to eat, to drink,’ Miraglia told KREM 2. ‘How all these services for the homeless are terrible.'”

“Miraglia said the two also talked about the fires. ‘I said, ‘I’m really upset about these fires,’ and she said, ‘Yeah, I’d be upset too if someone was setting fires by my house,’ she said. ‘I think she really just wanted to be heard.'”

NBC 7 in California.”In downtown San Diego, residents, homeless individuals, city crews and nonprofit services navigate the new ordinance on the streets amid the larger, more complicated crisis. Anneke Durbin and Amanda Lawrence told NBC 7, they have been homeless for a long time. ‘We’re out here because of the situation that led us to here. And it’s not being a drug addict. It’s not spending your money on the wrong thing. The cost of living has gone up. I couldn’t afford my rent no more,’ said Lawrence.”

“Thursday, downtown resident Georgio Kirylo was on his walk home when he ran into the two women and NBC 7. ‘It’s devastating to see people dying on the street every single day,’ Kirylo said. He told NBC 7 things have gotten so bad that he’s started a neighborhood watch comprised of several community groups. ‘We have children on the street. We have businesses on the street. It’s unsanitary and it’s dangerous. Our cars are being broken into. There’s fires being started,’ Kirylo said.”

The Daily Mail on California. “Shocking new photos lay bear the devastating homeless crisis tormenting downtown LA – where filthy ramshackle tent cities are plagued by zombie-like residents smoking drugs, while others hawk stolen goods on street corners. There are currently an estimated 42,260 people sleeping rough in the City of Angels – a startling 10 percent rise compared to just last year, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported. Just this week, it emerged that the city had resorted to sending mobile teams with oxygen cylinders to Skid Row in a desperate bid to prevent overdoses amid its crippling opioid crisis.”

“There were more than 2,200 county-wide deaths among homeless people in 2021, marking the first time the agency has reported an annual toll of more than 2,000, said Will Nicholas, director of the Center for Health Impact Evaluation at the LA County Department of Public Health. Drug overdoses accounted for more than a third of deaths among homeless people in LA County in 2020 and 2021 combined, according to the report. Fentanyl deaths almost always involved combinations of drugs. Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs to enhance the high, but a small amount can be deadly. In 2021, 71 percent of all fentanyl deaths among people experiencing homelessness also involved methamphetamine. Methamphetamine was involved in nearly 77 percent of the overdose deaths.”

The Wall Street Journal on California. “Local leaders are trying anything they can to keep San Francisco’s struggling downtown core afloat, including paying retired, unarmed police to keep an eye out for trouble. One is Mike Browne, who spent 30 years as a San Francisco cop and now patrols downtown as part of a squadron of ‘community ambassadors,’ recognizable in blue shirts, who aim to help commuters and shoppers feel safer in and around San Francisco’s downtown commercial and shopping district. Homelessness, drug use, and non-violent crimes like shoplifting and car thefts are commonplace in many parts of the neighborhood. When an apparently disturbed man rammed into him recently, Browne did nothing. ‘What are you going to do?’ the 60 year-old said. ‘You can’t fight crazy.'”

“Downtown San Francisco thrived during the 2010s in large part because of the growth of the tech industry. But those employees easily transitioned to remote work during the pandemic and the majority never came back to the office full-time. Under pressure to cut costs last year, tech giants like Meta Platforms and Salesforce laid off workers and cut their real estate footprints in the city. Floors of many downtown office towers now sit empty. Those changes have collided with a series of intertwined problems that have been festering in San Francisco for years, including high housing costs, street homelessness, rampant property crime, the fentanyl crisis and a precipitous drop in public transit ridership since the pandemic.”

“‘I don’t feel safe, there are so many vagrants walking around and there is garbage everywhere,’ said 63-year-old Sandra Brealey, a longtime city resident who used to go downtown regularly, but has largely stopped over the past five years. Jack’s Shoe Repair Service, which is located in front of a subway exit where legions of commuters used to pass, has regained only about 40% of its business from before the pandemic, said owner Setrak Soghomonian. Jack’s used to employ three full time employees, but is now down to just one. ‘The only time things are better is when the tourists come around,’ Soghomonian said. ‘The regular people are just not around anymore.'”

New York Daily News. “When it’s hot out, Shalisa Richardson likes to take her two young girls from their Bed-Stuy home to the McCarren Pool. On her most recent trip, Richardson noticed something different: Just outside the pool area, migrants were coming in and out of the rec center. She’s protective of her daughters and is worried about the male asylum seekers. She’s reconsidering the family pool visits. New York is at the center of a global migration crisis, and the front lines are creeping to locals’ pools, parks, senior centers and soccer fields. More than a year after buses from the southern border started to arrive, the influx of thousands of migrants is forcing the city to consider unconventional shelter options.”

“As nearly every neighborhood sees the situation up close, they’re starting to lash back. Richardson feels punished by the migrants’ placement. It seems implausible to her that this big city full of vacant storefronts, empty warehouses and shelters doesn’t have any space left. ‘Ya’ll allowing them to sleep outside, but yet you’re on the news talking about ‘Oh, yeah, well, we want to help all these homeless people,’ she said. “Okay, well give them a free house. Give them a free apartment. Help them out like that. But no, you’re helping them letting them be in the streets, homeless.'”

CBC News in Canada. “A Cape Breton non-profit group says the number of clients it is seeing who are homeless has doubled compared to last year. The Ally Centre in Sydney helps people with mental health, addiction and homelessness issues. Of the 683 clients who have visited this year, 30 per cent say they are homeless. Christine Porter, the Ally Centre’s executive director, said this includes people who are sleeping rough, couch surfing or relying on a local shelter. She said more than twice as many clients are sleeping in a tent.”

“‘For the population that we serve here at the Ally Centre, we need housing stock,’ she said. ‘”We need safe, affordable housing. Not tents, not rooms. We need housing.’ Porter said the centre has been handing out tents to individuals and families. Given high prices for rent, low housing stock and the increasing cost of supplies, Porter expects to see the problem getting worse through the fall and winter. ‘We’ll see a lot more evictions for people not able to pay the rent because they have to eat,’ she said. ‘We’re all … a paycheque away from that.'”

The Evening Standard in the UK. “Sadiq Khan has issued a stark warning that London house building could ‘grind to a halt’ in a ‘perfect storm of pressures’ without an extra £2.2bn in Government funding. In a letter to Housing Secretary Michael Gove on Friday, Mr Khan called on the Government to stump up £2.2bn to deliver 35,000 affordable home starts by March 2026, or face developers downing tools across the capital. It comes amid warnings that national house building could fall to the lowest level since World War II because of high interest rates and building cost inflation – a trend City Hall said was already taking root in London.”

“‘The city has reached crisis point in relation to housing affordability and homelessness pressures,’ states the Mayor’s letter. ‘Without the necessary national action from the government, I fear there’s a real prospect of housebuilding grinding to a halt across the country, putting a stranglehold on the progress we’ve been making in London.'”

“Mr Khan said he had this week reconvened a London Housing Delivery Taskforce to hear from senior leaders across the housing sector in a bid to prevent a collapse of London house building. Deputy mayor for housing, Tom Copley, added: ‘Ministers need to wake up and realise that every light on the dashboard is flashing red. We need an immediate injection of £2.2 billion to steady the ship and get us back on course to deliver 35,000 new genuinely affordable homes.'”

Radio New Zealand. “Crime, housing and transport were the hot topics at Wednesday night’s political debate in Auckland Central. Electoral candidates from Labour, National, Green and The Opportunities Party slugged it out at the altar of St Matthew-in-the-City church. National candidate Mahesh Muralidhar dived headfirst into crime. ‘It’s not on good terms that we’re meeting,’ he told the audience. ‘Over the last two weeks, four people were killed in shootings through the city. There’s a crime wave cutting through, and people are feeling more and more anxious.'”

“Muralidhar criticised Labour’s handling of ram-raids and shootings in the city, but Labour candidate Oscar Sims said National could not do any better. ‘Compare our record to the National Party’s record,’ Sims said. ‘The last term that National was in government, police funding went down. They can talk a big game when they’re out of power about how much they’re going to do on law and order, but they’re not credible once they get onto the Treasury benches and are actually in government.'”

“Green candidate and incumbent MP Chlöe Swarbrick said it was not as simple as hiring more police or dishing out harsher sentences. ‘Let’s have a grown-up conversation about that,’ Swarbrick said. ‘When I speak to our district (police) commander, they are incredibly up-front about the fact that they are responding to crime and they cannot tend to the avalanche of social issues that are producing these issues in the first place.'”

“The Opportunities Party candidate Damian Sycamore brought housing issues into the debate. He said a land tax would push owners to sell or develop their properties and prevent land banking. ‘You cannot build affordable housing, or buy it, if the value of land stays as stratospherically high as it is currently in New Zealand,’ Sycamore said.”

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This Post Has 111 Comments

    1. You keep pushing this disinformation. Do you not remember the mass public adulation & massive overflow rallies for Pedo Joe?

      Oh wait…that was for Trump.

  2. ‘The New York Times published no fewer than three articles about the state’s drug decriminalization in a single week’

    Let the gaslighting begin. Globalist scum media scrambling to spin their disastrous ‘narratives’ since minor repository illness. Wa about cancel rent? Where’s my forbearance? Take a knee NYT, you own this fooked up mess.

    1. From the Portland article:

      “there’s no point in calling the cops”

      See also: Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, etc.

      Housing? Yes, because it’s the municipal services that your property taxes are NOT paying for.

      1. A relative who lives in L.A. was totally unaware that the Russia hoax was bought and paid for by Hillary and company, and that everybody knew that from the beginning. He asked bemused, “That’s been proven?”

        He thinks that because Trump selected Supreme Court justices who happened to not agree with his political bent, that the government is going to start confiscating land owned by minorities. Because of the Supreme Court we’re going back to the days of the Alien Land Laws.

        The problem in this country is that too many people literally believe everything from the MSM and believe to their core that Republicans and conservatives are the biggest threat to this nation. If they were loaded into boxcars and taken to extermination camps, they still would believe this.

  3. ‘It’s very different than just shutting it down and telling people to move along,’ Magnis said. ‘Decommissioning means you’re going in with a workforce of trained professionals’

    Highly paid professionals Ellen.

  4. ‘When an apparently disturbed man rammed into him recently, Browne did nothing. ‘What are you going to do?’ the 60 year-old said. ‘You can’t fight crazy’

    Interesting that this wasn’t really the case before minor respiratory illness Mike.

    1. you just KNOW a city is beyond salvation when a 30 YEAR FORMER POLICE OFFICER openly states it’s useless to enforce the law.

      *but I’m puzzled as to WHY exactly this guy is wearing a blue vest & wandering around SF?
      modern version of Guardian Angels?!
      good lord man: you survived 30 years of SF law enforcement!
      move to a better locale & enjoy a much deserved retirement.

      write an autobiography. (I bet it’d be a best seller).

      in short, ANYTHING but continually jabbing yerself in the eye with the sharp stick called San Francisco.

      1. The residents there still can’t figure out why their city is going into the toilet. Stupid is as stupid does.

        1. They blame it on corporate greed.

          Last winter natgas prices soared out here, due to higher than typical demand (it was cold a winter).

          Posters on NextDoor were blaming the high prices on the utility company (Xcel), claiming that Xcel was gouging us. I reminded those posters that Xcel is regulated and they can’t charge whatever they want, and the reason prices were high was simple supply and demand, where the demand was high and the supply was low due to government regulation.

          The leftists wouldn’t hear of it. They claimed that natgas production was at record highs, which wasn’t true. They also dismissed the fact that we were export natgas to Europe in wake of the NordStream sabotage. Nope, it was corporate greed, plain and simple. Also, nevermind that natgas prices were much lower when the bad orange man sat in the Oval Office.

          Anyway, these idjits will keep voting D even as they freeze in the winter since they can no longer afford to heat their homes.

  5. ‘Officials and pundits persistently attempt to redirect our attention on the housing crisis to drug use, mental health or progressive permissiveness. Yet the fact remains: The sole predictor of homelessness is how rent-burdened people are’

    Not legalized shoplifting. Not defunding police. So high rents cause people to start fires, break car windows?

    2. 42k officially homeless in City of Los Angeles in a city of 3.8 million. 38k=1%. If we add in all the ones they didn’t count it is probably closer to 2% of the city that is homeless; technically the arriving invaders should be counted as homeless too. If you add in LA county they estimate it is 75k but there is no way that is accurate, it is easily over 100k people in LA county. 100k is 1% of their 10mil county population and doesn’t include invaders and couch surfers etc. It is only the people on the street that they could physically see and count.

      I read on another blog today that foreclosures are so historically low and charge offs are so low that it means everyone is doing really well and no one should worry. I’m sure it’s fine.

  6. ‘Photographs from 2019 show a homeless shelter located near the intersection, but no encampments. The combined effects of the opioid epidemic, the housing crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the current situation at Mass and Cass’

    These time lines keep showing up.

  7. ‘King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) Chief of Staff Anne Burkland sent a letter to Burien city leadership last week saying the city is responsible for finding a site to put emergency housing before the money can be applied. KCRHA indicated the county also has pallet shelters, which are similar to tiny homes, ready to offer Burien along with the $1 million’

    I’d bet 5 pesos this million came from federal guberment bum money.

      2. “…the city is responsible for finding a site to put emergency housing…”

        The county’s landfill is a perfect site where they could compete with the seagulls for something to eat.

    2. King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) Chief of Staff
      Why does a government agency like this even exist? And they have a “Chief of Staff”??? What does she do? Homelessness is now an industry in this country which must maintained so that people who got degrees in social injustice have a place to work.

      1. “Homelessness is now an industry in this country which must maintained so that people who got degrees in social injustice have a place to work.”

        Ta-da!

  8. “The sole predictor of homelessness is how rent-burdened people are.”

    It seems like the Fed:s housing price inflation program may have missed the mark on achieving America’s affordable housing goals.

    1. This sounds about right, regarding homelessness in San Diego:

      “Anneke Durbin and Amanda Lawrence told NBC 7, they have been homeless for a long time. ‘We’re out here because of the situation that led us to here. And it’s not being a drug addict. It’s not spending your money on the wrong thing. The cost of living has gone up. I couldn’t afford my rent no more,’ said Lawrence.”

      1. The Real Deal Logo
        Commercial
        New York
        BREIT forges ahead on comeback trail
        Blackstone fund posted strongest return in 10 months after limiting withdrawals
        A photo illustration of Blackstone president Jon Gray (Getty)
        Jul 17, 2023, 9:50 AM
        Updated Jul 17, 2023, 5:25 PM
        By TRD Staff

        Blackstone’s real estate investment trust continued its climb out from under a mass of redemption requests that landed in recent months, with June posting its strongest returns in nearly a year.

        Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust recorded a 0.96 percent return last month, the Commercial Observer reported. It was the third straight month of positive returns for BREIT, which is posting a 1.3 percent return year-to-date.

        BREIT is a non-traded entity, but the $68 billion net asset value fund is rising along with the rest of the REIT market, a sign of adjusting investment strategies and an increased focus on deal activity after the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes all but froze transaction activity.

        The Blackstone fund brushed up against trouble starting last year when investors made a plethora of redemption requests, leading BREIT to limit withdrawals for several straight months. The origins of the investor pullback emerged a year ago when there was a selloff in Asia.

        In January, however, BREIT’s fortunes started to turn when the University of California provided a $4 billion endowment, a common equity commitment locked in for six years in connection to a $1 billion commitment from Blackstone itself. The university later added $500 million to the pot.

        Another helpful push for BREIT came from a shift in its holdings. It has continued to double down on the multifamily market, industrial real estate and data centers in the Sun Belt, combining to represent a large majority of the REIT’s portfolio. It has no exposure to commodity offices and malls — two property sectors struggling in the post-Covid world.

        “Where you invest matters,” a Blackstone spokesperson said in a statement to Commercial Observer.
        …
        https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2023/07/17/breit-forges-ahead-on-comeback-trail/

        1. “It was the third straight month of positive returns for BREIT, which is posting a 1.3 percent return year-to-date.”

          Got red hotcakes?

      2. Something the media wont discuss due to their agenda is that this is a manifestation of the great replacement. When you have no growth/slow growth policies mixed with a well funded illegal invasion you are going to have lots of people displaced. The fentanyl is being trucked in to ease their pain and thin their ranks. San Diego is rapidly turning foreign, try not to notice.

        1. San Diego is rapidly turning foreign, try not to notice.

          It’s one of the reasons I left over 20 years ago.

  9. Associated Press — Rising political threats take U.S. into uncharted territory as 2024 election looms (8/12/2023):

    “Threats against public officials have been steadily climbing in recent years, creating new challenges for law enforcement, civil rights and the health of American democracy.

    The Capitol Police last year reported that they investigated more than double the number of threats against members of Congress as they did four years earlier. Driven by former President Donald Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen from him, threats against election workers have exploded, with one in six reporting threats against them and many seasoned election administrators leaving the job or considering it.

    The threats are not simply an issue of coarsening of the national discourse. Experts warn they can be precursors of political violence.”

    https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/12/political-threats-2024-elections-00110966

    2020: over $2 billion of property damage, dozens of murders, and an actual insurrection in Seattle with the seizure of public and private property and the declaration of an autonomous zone.

    Burn Loot Murder and Antifa, pockets full of Soros paychecks, are the brownshirt foot soldiers of Democrat Party.

  10. Some good news for a Sunday.

    Russia Today — Ukrainian counteroffensive falling short of NATO expectations (8/13/2023):

    “NATO was overly optimistic about the Ukrainian military’s ability to regain ground before its summer counteroffensive, The Times reported on Saturday, citing an unnamed US officer. The British newspaper noted that officials in Kiev had begun blaming their Western backers for their supposed lack of resolve.

    In its article penned by Mark Galeotti, the author of more than 20 books on Russia, The Times quoted an anonymous US army officer involved in the training of Ukrainian service members. “Nato expected miracles, and the Ukrainians promised them,” he said, adding that “you can’t run a war on optimism.”

    The author estimates that Kiev has two months at most to turn the tide before autumn rains start making the ground impassable for military hardware in November.

    Strong defense fortifications and extensive minefields set up by Russian forces in southern Ukraine were among the reasons for the apparent underperformance of Kiev’s counteroffensive, the report claimed.

    Against this backdrop, officials in Kiev have recently begun criticizing NATO for not doing enough, with one describing the US-led military bloc as “gutless,” according to the newspaper.

    With neither side willing to compromise, the conflict is likely to continue for the long haul, the report concluded.

    https://www.rt.com/news/581210-times-ukraine-counteroffensive-underwhelming/

    Nothing more than a corporate welfare program for defense contractors, and the largest money laundering operation in the world, all paid for by you, the U.S. taxpayer.

    Russia is winning. God wills it ✝️

  11. Somewhere there’s a highly paid ,checking all the boxes, bean counter, that wouldn’t turn on the 80 sirens to warn people that a fire was about to eat them up….I surely hope they find him ,or her, and fire them now…Never trust the guvment, be aware at all times …..

    1. He’ll pull an Epstein before they can question him. Chances are he’s among the dead already. A charred corpse leaves little evidence.

    2. Somewhere there’s a highly paid ,checking all the boxes, bean counter, that wouldn’t turn on the 80 sirens to warn people that a fire was about to eat them up…

      It just wasn’t ONE person, it was many. The power company that lined an important escape route had unsuitable poles that could burn and drop live wires across the road. Maui officials knew that the place was at high risk of a wildfire but did nothing. Local officials which, apparently, did absolutely nothing since the beginning of time to do ANY disaster planning.

      If you’ve ever been to Hawaii, you’ll know that the place is run like an organized crime syndicate. It’s led by Japanese Americans and connected natives–after the War things changed there and the locals were just fine when the white plantation owners lost their grip on the islands. And everybody who is anybody in Hawaii is a Democrat.

      Enough said….

      1. Years ago my wife and I took the kids to Ocean Shores to see the kite festival. The place is another ocean facing sand bar with a two-lane winding road road as the only access—and egress. Developers have built “over 50” condos everywhere despite the tsunami risk when the Cascadia subduction ruptures. Brown envelopes likely convinced county officials that this was a good idea, and the tax receipts probably help puff-up their retirement portfolios.

    1. Yet the voters of Australia supported the politicians that took away all their civil rights during the “pandemic”. And support these same people who are driving Australia out of business chasing renewable energy windmills which is causing their energy bills to go through the roof. It’s literally like pouring gasoline over your head and lighting a match and then asking, “Who did this to me?”

    1. Or is it “bear steepener”?

      It shows up various ways in the MSM. But regardless of how it is described, it’s what’s happening.

        1. “This scenario would be be bearish for both the economy and stock market.”

          I dream of US30Y@15% when I’m feeling good.

    1. “Horrified shoppers were left terrified as a large group of suspects swarmed a department store and used bear spray on two security guards – before taking off with thousands of dollars worth of luxury handbags and high-end clothing

      On a busy Saturday afternoon around 4pm, shoppers at Nordstrom’s were left in shock as a large group of people – which cops estimated between 30 to 50 – ran into the store.

      The thieves used bear spray on two security guards who confronted them, police say. Video shows thieves scooping up armfuls of items and running for the exit.

      On Twitter, LAPD police said: “Today at around 4 p.m., a mob of criminals stole items from the Topanga Mall with an estimated loss of $60,000 to $100,000.”

      Youths? Students? Spring breakers?

      Better check the Associated Press Style Guide, our betters inform.

      1. More from the article:

        “Crimes of theft, in general, are increasing, which is indicative of economic factors, says a report by The LA Times. “That’s how people pay their rent, pay their car loans. Going to the mall, stealing clothes, that’s how people have money,” said a man interviewed by the publication that didn’t wish to be identified by name.”

        Says a report by The LA Times.

        The State of California decriminalized shoplifting, because reasons. And lest any business owner try to go Rooftop Korean and protect their business, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, who was purchased by George Soros, will prosecute them and all of the criminals will walk free.

          1. Note that all of the video footage made public is shot from a distance, but there is no hiding that primordial stoop and frantic hopping about.

        1. large group of people

          In other words, Asian American students who are taking advance placement classes on their way to university. Or right wing machine gun owning white people who don’t believe in law and order. Or Amish kids who needed fast cash to buy hay for their hungry horses…..

          I won’t even look at the surveillance video because I know what the perps looked like. It’s always the same group of “suspects”.

    2. Canoga Park has long been referred to as Congo Park, as in decades. I’m surprised Nordstrom set up shop there.

      1. Topanga Mall has always been a nice place–I haven’t been out there in years, perhaps things have changed.

        1. “Topanga Mall has always been a nice place…”

          It’s one of Westfield’s newer and more successful malls.

  15. CNBC — When student loan payments resume, 56% of borrowers say they’ll have to choose between their debt and buying groceries (8/13/2023):

    “Federal student loan payments are coming back, and they’re going to wreak havoc on borrowers’ budgets.

    Interest accurals resume on Sept. 1 and payments will be due in October for the first time in over three years.

    But over half of borrowers (56%) say they will be forced to choose between making their loan payment or covering necessities, like rent and groceries, when the pandemic forbearance ends …

    Though 72% of borrowers say they will prioritize their student loan payments over other debts, many still expect they won’t be able to make payments and could see their loans enter delinquency. In fact, 45% of borrowers expect their loans to go delinquent when the forbearance ends”

    https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/13/56-percent-of-student-loan-borrowers-will-have-to-choose-loans-or-necessities.html

    45% is that a lot?

    Remember “fifteen days to flatten the curve” LOLZ?

    1. “Federal student loan payments are coming back, and they’re going to wreak havoc on borrowers’ budgets.”

      “I’ve put America behind me.” —Chad Haag, student loan debtor

    2. When student loan payments resume, 56% of borrowers say they’ll have to choose between their debt and buying groceries

      All those victims studies majors really thought they were going to get a six figure job and be able to repay that $120,000 student loan.

      Or maybe when they had to take the online “Paying back your student loan” they just zoned out. Especially the part where they are warned that their wages and tax refunds can be garnished for non payment.

    3. So 45% of student loan slaves will take a hit to their credit and have lines of credit cut off. Will that affect spending and the economy? Clear skies ahead

  16. How is it government will come down hard on a guy hoarding hand sanitizer yet leaves Invitation Homes alone while they hoard 10’s of thousands of SFH’s?

  18. omg that’s hilarious trying to connect & justify the Nordies looting to thug peeps trynna pay dem student loans n’ car notes n’ sheet!

    “hey there, I say my good man: you’ve dropped your calculus prep sheet whilst running down that road.
    be running up that hill.
    with no problems”

    KB samples

  19. ‘Over the last two weeks, four people were killed in shootings through the city.”

    In Kiwiland? That’s unpossible! They have strict gun control and an authoritarian government. Remember when they arrested some guys for leaving their zone to buy some KFC during the lockdowns?

  20. San Diego County median household income (2020) = $82,426

    San Diego County median rent (3 br apartment) = $3,722/mo, $44,664/yr

    Average apartment rent as a share of median income = 54%

    I don’t know how San Diegans can afford to pay for food and clothing after paying a pirate’s ransom in rent plus confiscatory California state income tax.

    1. I wonder if the exodus out of California is bigger than reported. $3,722/mo for rent is simply horrific.

      I suppose that for many the tricky part is saving up enough to escape.

    2. That can’t be true. I was told everyone in San Diego works in biotech and makes a gazillion dollars and home prices will continue to increase 10% every year. Anyone who doesn’t already own a home has been permanently priced out of the market.

      1. Anyone who doesn’t already own a home has been permanently priced out of the market.

        That’s assuming that the current housing market is viable and sustainable. What happens to property bubbles? All of these shacks in California can’t all be worth $800,000+. Where will all of the future buyers come from? I know, they’ll all be coming from the next big TECH BOOM, AI!!!! It will be like the old days!

      2. I’m seeing a lot of $2.2M homes (even those closing) that shouldn’t be more than $1.4M pre-pandemic. SF and LA exoduses must be keeping our prices high. For how much longer?!

    3. “I don’t know how San Diegans can afford to pay for food and clothing after paying a pirate’s ransom in rent plus confiscatory California state income tax.”

      Ah ah ah…

      Don’t forget about that $700 car payment.

      Average auto loan payments: What to expect in 2023

      Published April 26, 2023
      Written by Rebecca Betterton

      For many Americans, the cost to finance a vehicle can be one of the biggest hits to their wallets each month outside of housing costs. On average, drivers are spending over $700 and $500 each month for new and used vehicles, respectively, according to Experian’s fourth-quarter automotive finance report. Insurance costs an average of $2,014 per year, according to Bankrate data.

      This steep monthly charge comes on top of inflation-based increases everywhere from the grocery store to the shopping mall. So while the amount you pay to keep your car on the road is dependent on a number of factors ranging from your credit score, the vehicle you choose and your loan term — ongoing supply troubles and high interest rates will increase the cost.

      https://www.bankrate.com/loans/auto-loans/average-monthly-car-payment/

  21. The 2nd new VW Golf R at Volkswagen of Puyallup has been sold despite their asking nearly $10k above MSRP. [pinch myself]

      1. Anybody who still has their kids in government school at this point is simply willfully blind and deserves what they get.

  24. “Affordability is way down, units offered for sale are way up and price appreciation has all but stopped. It is a radical change in the market situation, which, however, has so far impacted economic activity only moderately. Past experience with housing bubbles suggests that the first effects are in the steep fall of actual sales and in the lengthening of time until sales materialize. The markets become illiquid. Until sellers capitulate and accept lower prices, it can take a long time.”

    Sound familiar? It was written by Kurt Richebacher in September 2006.

    1. Financial Times
      William Langley and Gloria Li
      55 minutes ago
      Country Garden shares drop after trading halted on 10 bonds
      Thomas Hale in Shanghai and Hudson Lockett in Hong Kong

      Shares in Country Garden slumped to a record low on Monday after the Chinese property developer suspended trading in at least 10 of its mainland bonds.

      The company, formerly the largest developer in China by sales, missed international bond payments last week in a sign that a two-year liquidity crisis across the real estate sector was threatening to escalate.

      Shares in the group fell as much as 15 per cent in Hong Kong following a weekend statement that said several bonds issued by the company and its subsidiaries would be suspended from trading this week. A Hong Kong index tracking the mainland real estate sector dropped 5 per cent.
      ————————————————
      2 hours ago
      Asian equities sell off as China data clouds outlook
      William Langley in Hong Kong

      Asian equities fell on Monday morning, continuing a downward trend from last week as a series of disappointing Chinese economic data bruised markets.

      Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 1.8 per cent, while China’s CSI 300 was down 1 per cent. Japan’s Topix fell 0.1 per cent and South Korea’s Kospi shed 0.5 per cent.

      Chinese equities experienced their steepest fall since March last week as data showed a sharp decline in exports and the economy slipping into deflation. Investors this week will look ahead to the release of retail sales and industrial production figures on Tuesday.

    1. Such a fine pair of law abiding American citizens. Perfect poster children for Wanted Posters at the Post Office.

    2. I can’t remember the specifics, but IIRC, Ziminski set in motion the events and intimidated a witness.

  30. ‘I said, ‘I’m really upset about these fires,’ and she said, ‘Yeah, I’d be upset too if someone was setting fires by my house,’ she said. ‘I think she really just wanted to be heard’

    You get the virtue signaling award of the day Cindi!

    ‘In 2021, 71 percent of all fentanyl deaths among people experiencing homelessness also involved methamphetamine. Methamphetamine was involved in nearly 77 percent of the overdose deaths’

    That’s the Floyd cannon ball.

    Caddyshack Bill Murray GIFfrom Caddyshack GIFs

  32. ‘We’re out here because of the situation that led us to here. And it’s not being a drug addict. It’s not spending your money on the wrong thing’

    Amanda is a spokeswoman for the Ban Narcan organization!

  35. FYI, a one month inflation rate of 0.8 percent occurs at an annualized rate of 1.008^12 – 1 = 10%.

    1. Financial Times
      2 hours ago
      Asian currencies fall against dollar on fears of elevated US interest rates
      William Langley in Hong Kong
      © Bloomberg

      Asian currencies declined against the dollar on Monday morning after hot inflation data from the US increased expectations of a widening interest rate differential with economies in the region.

      The renminbi slipped 0.3 per cent to trade at Rmb7.2367 a dollar, the won slipped 0.1 per cent to Won1,331.33 and the Australian dollar fell 0.3 per cent to A$0.6479. The yen was flat at ¥144.81 after briefly touching its lowest point against the dollar since November.

      Data released in the US on Friday showed annual producer price inflation accelerating to 0.8 per cent in July from 0.2 per cent in the previous month, adding to expectations that the Federal Reserve would maintain higher interest rates.
      …

      1. “…hot inflation data from the US increased expectations of a widening interest rate differential with economies in the region.”

        Got bear steepening?

    1. Finance · Housing
      Housing market outlook: Where to expect mortgage rates in 2024, according to 8 leading research firms
      BY Lance Lambert
      August 13, 2023 at 10:25 AM MDT
      The majority of housing economists expect housing affordability will improve in 2024 through reduced mortgage rates.
      getty images

      On Friday, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate jumped to 7.19%. Over the past few months, mortgage rates have climbed back up. Financial markets, which have reacted to stronger-than-expected labor market data, are now factoring in higher probabilities of the Fed maintaining higher interest rates for a prolonged period.

      This 7.19% mortgage rate is the second highest recorded by Mortgage News Daily since early November. It was surpassed only by the 7.22% rate reached in July.

      This surge in mortgage rates signifies another decline in U.S. housing affordability. For instance, a borrower who secured a $500,000 mortgage at a fixed rate of 5.99% in early February 2023 would have had a monthly payment of $2,995 for principal and interest. However, at the 7.19% rate (which was the average on Friday), the same borrower would face a monthly payment of $3,391 for a loan of the same size.
      …
      https://fortune.com/2023/08/13/housing-market-mortgage-rate-outlook-prediction-2024/

    2. Can’t think of any reason that it wouldn’t (8%+).

      The yield on the 10 yr treasury (which mortgage money roughly tracks) has a lot of catching up to do if you look at a historical chart.

      Current yield is 4.17% which is at rough parity with September, 2007.

      Thus, R/E prices can only adjust downward.

      Wouldn’t be surprised one iota if R/E purchased during beginning of pandemic may go down as one of the worst investments of all time.

      1. “Wouldn’t be surprised one iota if R/E purchased during beginning of pandemic may go down as one of the worst investments of all time.”

        If World War Z materialized rather than a 3-day migraine and 2-week dry cough, a 3/2 in the exurbs and an AR15 would have seemed like a smart move. 🙂

        1. AR15 would have seemed like a smart move. 🙂

          Get one while you still can. And lots of ammo—it’s still cheap and available.

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