A leading Portland city councilor says here that the only reason anyone would push the "abundance" agenda is greed. This is insane. If you read the original book Abundance, it is about wanting government to be competent and well resourced so that it can do things people want. 1/ - ThreadSky

humantransit.bsky.social • 3 days ago

A leading Portland city councilor says here that the only reason anyone would push the "abundance" agenda is greed.

This is insane. If you read the original book Abundance, it is about wanting government to be competent and well resourced so that it can do things people want. 1/

Reposted from Candace Avalos

Let’s be real: the reason so many Democrats are pushing this “abundance agenda” is because they’re rich too. 😑

They’re not rejecting economic populism because it’s unpopular—they’re rejecting it because it might mean they have to give something up.

We need real economic justice to defeat Trumpism!

Comments

ecosozialismus.bsky.social•2 days ago

Seems like she just reads more deeply into the implications

thebeallcurve.bsky.social•2 days ago

You are insane, and none too bright.
My cousin, a woman last name Riker, did the transit planning in Portland Oregon and designed the system. You read crap and your education was a scam

ethanfletcher.bsky.social•2 days ago

Correct. Abundance is populist!

People just seem addicted to conflict at this point.

humantransit.bsky.social•3 days ago

I just re-read the original book, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, just to confirm that their agenda has nothing to do with what is being attacked from the left. 2/

humantransit.bsky.social•3 days ago

The book is not attacking "economic populism" at all. It is instead about how society can build things that will make life and economic opportunity better for everyone. 3/

humantransit.bsky.social•3 days ago

Commissioner Avalos's attack is directed at many people who should be her allies: People like me who care about wealth redistribution and who want a more functional government that can build things, and who are pretty sure that greed is not our motive. 4/

andersem.bsky.social•3 days ago

Avalos doesn’t say here that abundance is a bad thing, only that *some* people are pushing the concept, while also opposing redistribution efforts, for self-interested reasons. Which I think is hard to dispute in itself https://x.com/ChrisBarnardDL/status/1924831771843072008

andersem.bsky.social•3 days ago

That said, I agree with Tony that there is no inherent conflict between these two policy goals, and some folks seem convinced that there must be https://bsky.app/profile/tonyjordan.bsky.social/post/3lqltcltrdk2v

andersem.bsky.social•3 days ago

My own take is that we want housing markets to feel like grocery stores: plenty of options for everyone; me taking an orange from the bin makes it easier, not harder, for you to do the same; well-funded SNAP and WIC for everyone who needs help.

Abundance 🤝 distribution

emma321.bsky.social•3 days ago

Angelita Morillo definitely does. I am telling reasonable Portlanders: this DSA group will not help this city.

humantransit.bsky.social•3 days ago

Her statement is a little stronger than your paraphrase. But I don't disagree with what you're saying.

andersem.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yeah, maybe.

emma321.bsky.social•3 days ago

See Councilor Angelita Morillo's similar post on her unofficial social media from this weekend: "Abundance by Ezra Klein is a scourge on this earth lol
Neolib shit repackaged as a new idea, gonna stab myself if this is the best we can do"

bixfrankonis.bsky.social•2 days ago

It would probably help things if you didn’t label someone’s personal and professional analysis an “attack”. No one attacked you, certainly not Councilor Avalos.

humantransit.bsky.social•3 days ago

I am a middle income, middle wealth professional who wants to pay higher taxes in return for a competent and empowered government that can foster justice, opportunity, and happiness.

Why does this new left want me as an enemy? 5/5

rayhoang.bsky.social•3 days ago

I guess, but it's also a thing on the right

emma321.bsky.social•3 days ago

The DSA group don't like people like you and me. I realized this with my own county commissioner a while ago (Jayapal). Candance is not an official member but its members like her a lot which tells you how she thinks. These leaders are not good for municipal governance.

anarcho-yam.bsky.social•2 days ago

they paint activist orgs and unions as obstacles to “good policy” and which is absolute horseshit. Watch Ezra’s convo with Sam Seder. Ezra barely answers any questions in a planned interview turned debate
@samseder.bsky.social

https://youtu.be/KIrylt-tvNQ?si=-W0B9X_G9A8kqBaT

zebathome.bsky.social•3 days ago

Would suggest you read her response. You are not enemies, that framing is not helpful at all.

genderlessrodent.bsky.social•3 days ago

As a self described leftist I would want to know what you mean by justice, opportunity and happiness.

gettingbucketz.bsky.social•2 days ago

the poors should be crammed into 250sqft windowless studios right next to i84

anarcho-yam.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yes but not in Multnomah County! Too close to downtown of course

nerdma.bsky.social•3 days ago

Does "society" here mean communities or landlords?

bcinchicago.bsky.social•1 day ago

This is absolute horseshit

capitalist.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yes, she is insane. Or, actually, just willfully ignorant.

https://bsky.app/profile/candaceavalos.bsky.social/post/3lqn6l7sxkc2b

amendez.bsky.social•3 days ago

The article's idea that the two approaches are exclusive because the poll "tested this point directly" is ludicrous. One question polling better than another doesn't mean the approaches themselves are mutually exclusive.

rjsheperd.com•3 days ago

I'm also confused as to what the "economic populists" promise to deliver that doesn't require significant abundance-esque reforms? I'm all for social housing, but it will require the same significant changes to zoning codes that Abundance has pointed to as a limitation of sponsored housing.

amendez.bsky.social•3 days ago

Totally. "Abundance" framing struggles with messaging because it's not about "abundant everything" or abundance vs. austerity.

Austerity in some areas (like energy use from AI and crypto, freeways, free parking) are arguably good, depending on what takes their place.

Hard to communicate nuance!

orobharris.bsky.social•3 days ago

To be fair she does say “so many democrats” not “all wealthier democrats”. Maybe there’s room for honest discussion there.

humantransit.bsky.social•3 days ago

The construction of her sentence invites people to attribute to wealth all Democratic support for abundance. If this is not what she meant, she needs to be more careful.

orobharris.bsky.social•3 days ago

I take your point. Hopefully she wasn't being catagorical

emma321.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yes, she was. This is all in the context of police Chief Day citing the book at a city council meeting. Police abolitionist Portland city councilors will run to the opposite of any stated ideas from portland police.

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