RT> Pretty thin argument Ryan.  I'm not buying it.  But if I did, there 
RT> would still be one alternative... move to another city.  But then, 
RT> you've already showed us that you _choose_ to live in your present 
RT> situation.
RB> In case you hadn't noticed, there is a severe shortage of
RB> quality, inexpensive  housing in this country, especially in
RB> the city. Finding a lease-less apartment 
RB> is nearly impossible.
Do you know why?  Its because of all the crap a
property owner has to go through with a rental
property.  My father-in-law owns three rental
properties and I wouldn't go through the headaches he
does for twice the money.  There's taxes (income,
property, and others), there's insurance (just in case
one of the renters sets the place on fire AGAIN),
there's the repairs after the tenants move (he has
returned less then ten security deposits in all the
years he's been doing it) then there's the money that
has to be spent to evict a tenant for non-payment.
You'd think all you would have to do is show someone
that your renter hasn't paid rent for three months and
that would be it.  Not with all the nice laws the
government has enacted to "protect" the poor renter.
Now add to that all the government regulations and
paper work.
RB> It isn't ring around the rosy. The question is, if it is my
RB> FAULT that I would  be arrested for carrying a joint,
RB> because it was my choice to carry a joint, by 
RB> the same token, it would be a black person's FAULT if they
RB> decided to break a  racist law. Yes? Or no? The point I'm
Yes!  They made the choice and must be willing to take
what comes.  If they didn't want to be arrested then
they didn't have to break the law (like a large number
of blacks in the South in the 60's).
RB> Yeah, well I know plenty of kids who work at Kroger's (or
RB> something like it)  after school, and *still* commit crimes
RB> like drug dealing because Kroger's  doesn't pay enough.
And who's fault is that?  Maybe Kroger should pay
$50/hr, would that be enough?  But if Kroger did that
they would have to charge $5 for a can of soup which
would mean that the kids mother would have to spend
$1000 a week on food which would mean that the $50/hr
the kid is making isn't enough to even buy food.
That's the thing about increasing pay that most people
don't think of.  If it cost a business more money to do
business they have two choices (there is that word
again).  They can either go out of business or they can
raise prices on their product.
                      Remember:  Freedom isn't Free!
--- timEd-B11
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