We are all Slave now.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I wonder how much of our economy is "house poor" or "rental poor"? That's got to be an enormous drag on the rest of the economy.

I was just reading a long form piece on the Ghost Ship fire in Oakland in the New York Times. Someone was asking a few days ago if we knew people who were poor. I know a lot of people who live in these sorts of living situations, partially because of lifestyle choices, but mainly because it's so godammned expensive to live in some cities that this is the only option outside of moving.

In the piece they talk about how the city knew about it. The fire department knew about it. The landlord knew about it. There is even bodycam footage of cops in the building saying that it's a deathtrap. But the only people who are facing consequences are the guy who ran the place and his number two.

These sorts of fires used to happen all the time in this country. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if this is just the first of many more to come.