Thoughts on the belt and suspenders of tax and ban open.spotify.com/episode/7rRU...

I recently had the chance to chat with @wazaroff.bsky.social who is running for mayor. He is smart, has great judgement, and spends his time providing affordable housing for those who need it. He would make an excellent mayor.

You watched the election and decided that caving to authoritarians in exchange for nothing was wise? Are you aware that the big brand problem for Dems (and a brand problem for Dems means disaster for America) is fecklessness? Not too late for you to undo this stupid betrayal of party and country.

Video has arrived of our annual UBC Sauder School of Business panel discussion, this year on the future of multifamily housing finance. Thanks to our panelists Graham Drexel, Suzana Goncalves, Nick Marks, and Neil Levecque, P. Eng. I certainly learned a lot. www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/dvk8f...

Wouldn't the city make bank by putting in red light / stop sign cams? Is there really a plurality of people stupid or narcissistic enough to think it's a bad idea? "Let's have a negative NPV policy that kills and maims people."

Solution to BC condo glut: let developers do short-term rental for a fee, somewhat lower than empty homes + spec tax, have to make good faith effort to market properties. Help fend off bank losses, preserve developer liquidity, ease hotel shortage. Hard to see who loses.

NEW: Rachel Maddow drops unseen bodycam footage of feds coordinating the arrest of Newark Mayor Baraka. I REPEAT: the feds ordered his arrest even though he wasn’t breaking any laws. Federal agent: “We are arresting the mayor right now per the Deputy Attorney General of the United States.”

I was back at 26 Federal Plaza today, where an ICE agent violently threw this bereft woman to the ground in front of her kids. She had not touched him. She did not pose any threat. She had to be taken to the hospital. (🎥: Elias Eliahu)

Two good things about @rebeccaleebligh.bsky.social from what I have seen: 1. Works hard and listens to reason. 2. Fundamentally a decent and kind person. I wouldn't be very worried about corruption stuff if she were mayor and I think she'd give a lot of attention to homelessness/addiction.

This is an interesting metric. I suspect there are similar abuses of speech "rights" with respect to COVID, herpes, and warts.

The evening of October 23rd, we will be hosting a panel discussion on the future of multifamily housing finance. I think a very important topic and a great opportunity to schmooze with real estate industry and policy professionals. www.sauder.ubc.ca/event/future.... I hope to see you there.

Some locals wrote up advice to @gregorrobertson.bsky.social , here is my reply to their advice docs.google.com/document/d/1...

The enemy of my enemy is my enemy? The enema of my enemy is my enemy?

Question about the Big Beautiful Bill: the Supreme Court has decided that tipping politicians for a job well done is legal, and the bill deletes taxes on tips. So if a rich guy gives a pol a bribe/performance bonus, is that now non-taxable?

Every book published in the United States is sent to the Library of Congress. Also, if you are under 16 you cannot use the reading room or order books.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/u... !!

Rep Sara Jacobs (D-CA) introduced formal amendment to limit “use of funds for a makeup studio for the Secretary of Defense”

Nice example of problems with first past the post.

Is anyone doing a same-store-sales analysis of the vote?

This does raise an interesting question: are benches entitled to due process? Can the criminal bench be sent to a foreign prison without a hearing because of its alleged criminality? I would think generally benches *can* be sent abroad, but does the alleged criminality imply human rights?

Abrego Garcia's wife: "I will not stop fighting until I see my husband alive. Kilmar, if you can hear me, stay strong. God hasn't forgotten about you. Our children are asking when you will come home ... they miss their dad so much."

Thanks @harvard.edu for taking a stand today. I just gave a token donation to say "good job."

A bearish theory of Trump: he indulges himself in whatever bad stuff until the market screams. So if market isn’t screaming, bad stuff to come. Or, an optimizer (even with bad motives) won’t leave slack in a costly constraint.

I had the opportunity to talk to a great civic group this AM on the formerly interesting topic of housing, here are the slides. blogs.ubc.ca/davidoff/fil...

The market got sick and tired of winning today.

Just listening to @thestrategists.ca making fun of people who worry about fluoride in water.

Unfortunate, I think that the EU is going soft on retaliation. Trump will lose a lot of support if things worsen. As with law firms and universities, I think bespoke negotiations make things worse for everyone, including 🇺🇸

Trump has done the same damage to our health, environment and security as to our markets, it's just that there isn't a stock ticker that measures the impact so clearly

President Trump out on a golf cart while people's retirements go up in flames. That may end up being the most enduring image of his presidency.

Up next, seniors’ swim event!

New council housing agenda, I hope: 1. Make multiplex work with more density 2. Replace tower on-site affordability/tenure requirements with cash for city use e.g. cheaper shelter for homeless. 3. Per plan, enable assembly->4-6 story apartments throughout R zones. Or alternatively: more crypto!

The lawn signs on Point Grey Road and Northwest Marine that I bike past commuting to work every day gave me a very, very bad read on the Vancouver by-election.

Ever the strong but flexible marketers, ABC has changed the meaning to “All ‘bout communism.”

results.vancouver.ca/results.html woah! ABC ya later.

Line arbitrage guidance? Other than vote by mail?

Who concert or municipal by-election?

Who should get my second council vote??

Tariff brilliance: outflanking Dems on wealth tax?

Any city council candidates want to convince me to vote for them? Likes: bike lanes, nature, safety, being kind to people who are struggling, parks, education, diversity, healthy economy. Dislikes: pollution, crime, wastes of money.

Guessing a lot of the people and algorithms that influence stock prices haven't even figured out the scale of value destruction associated with DOGE, but they might now.

Great job Trump voters, take a bow.

No certainty yet, but I guess markets think we have it pretty easy. I do wonder about a global unified front on these being a good idea. Should Canada do nothing reciprocal if almost everybody else getting punished a lot? Morally? Repeated game wise?

I am pleased to announce today that I have learned that demand curves slope upward and am endorsing Team for a Livable Vancouver!

If this is an April Fools', well played. If it's not, I am a huge fan of the podcast and this is awesome. Excellent either way.

Got a flat while dropping off pamphlets for @lucymaloney.bsky.social, rip please make my sacrifice worth it by voting for her tomorrow or on saturday 🫡

This is a sad thing. No one should celebrate.

This needs to be shared widely.

Not great. 1. I’ve never felt political pressure on research. 2. If you think “efforts to address racial inequality represent anti-white racism” you are a dork. 3. If I mentioned climate change in seemingly unrelated real estate finance class, that would be fine. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/o...

🇨🇦 political science question. Should Conservatives focus on Trump, front of mind for voters, but loser issue for Conservatives, or “Tax acing”, not salient, but winner issue. Same happened w Dems: between economy/inflation (loser issue, focal) versus corruption and abortion (low salience, winning)