Toni
Contributor
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2011
- Messages
- 19,899
- Basic Beliefs
- Peace on Earth, goodwill towards all
I’m vacationing in a nice vacation rental cottage on a nice lakeshore. We’ve been come up for a week or so almost every year for the past 14-15 years, which is when I dragged my husband up here abd he saw the benefits.Oh jeez. Why is the only alternative to today’s unregulated capitalistic violence, Bolshevism? Give me a fucking break. We’re we fucking commies in 1956? Do you think Eisenhower, a Republican President, was a Bolshevik? Seriously, are you that obtuse?
1. Today's capitalism, including in the US, is far from "unregulated". And what's this nonsense about "violence"? Are you escalating on crass hyperbole from the Camp? "Theft", now "violence" ... give it a rest!
2. No, it is obviously not the only alternative. But Camp's ramblings about government taking away people's stuff because it is "a better arrangement" do remind me of Comrade Yelkin and Comrade Kaprugina.
3. What does 1956 have to do with anything?
This area relies heavily on tourist dollars. Other industries have largely played out. Environmental regulations plus increased costs in extracting or harvesting/processing natural resources has resulted in loss of many well paying jobs about 50-60 years ago. This part of the country is…not easy to live in during the long, cold winters. On the plus side, it is beautiful, heavily forested with lots of lakes and fishing, boating, etc. anyway, we love it but I also know that at this stage of my life, I’m not fit enough to adjust to the harsh winters. So we visit when we can.
It used to be that every summer, we would pass a dozen or more real estate signs for modest/tiny cabins…and we’d talk about whether we could afford to buy a summer place and the ethics of doing that. I’d look at the listing, figure we might be able to swing the purchase but no idea how much a new septic tank would cost, not to mention just updating electrical without making it ‘to our taste’ and needs. We’re talking very basic old family cabins and cottages.
Covid hit. Thousands of people seeking to escape crowded urban areas flocked to this and other vacation hot spots. So did property developers for vacation rental outfits. Mostly from out of state, at least a thousand miles away. I’m typing this from a very nice little cottage: 2 bed/2 bath, nice but not fancy kitchen, lakeside. Modest living area. Baths are modern but not fancy. Zillow tells me this place would list for well over $1M.
We will never be able to afford anything up here, which is no tragedy. For us.
But we decided to have lunch today at a favorite spot. Closed on Tuesday’s, which it never used to be. Drive miles to another favorite lunch spot attached to a camping/outfitter place. No lunch. They are closed Tuesday and Wednesday for lunch due to labor shortage. Labor shortage due to housing shortage. Several long time businesses no longer in business because it’s too hard to find labor.
Rich people are buying up all of the property they can, making them cabin chic fancy to rent to out of towners like us—and have priced all the locals who might take jobs in food service completely out if the region.
People here are mostly just interested in living simple lives. They enjoy the outdoors abd the freedom it affords them. They don’t need fancy….anything. But they are being priced out of all housing for the profit of already rich people living thousands of miles away. And o wonder how long this vacation rental industry will last. Locals clean/maintain property between guests but they need to live….somewhere…