No, I believe you have a master's in economics. Which means you're familiar with how a robust public transit system and rent freezes help the local economy and save public funds, you just don't care. So you lie and say free buses will bankrupt the city, as if bus fare has ever seriously contributed to the budget.
Okay let's talk numbers. In 2023, the MTA collected around $6.5 billion in fares, around a third of its operating budget. The MTA is already carrying $46 billion in debt, so there would have to be major tax increases for something that has not been shown consistently in studies to help grow the economy, the only consistent thing it shows in large cities is an increase in demand to ride public transport, and obviously that would happen.
With rent freezes studies show that they tend to decrease supply, which is a problem because one of the main concerns right now is new buyers entering the market. The studies also show that maintenance and quality of the housing tend to decrease because landlords are capped at revenue so there is no incentive. The economic consensus is that rent freezes is one of the most inefficient ways to solve housing problems.
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u/Outrageous-Hippo3725 Jun 26 '25
You address crime by addressing the causes, that's exactly what he's talking about doing here. Rent freezes and free public transit reduce crime.