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Sergio Stefanuto
Joined: 14 May 2009
Location: UK
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 Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 1:44 am Post subject: |
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| English Matt wrote: |
| You're an odd little man. Have you even been to the UK? |
Unfortunately, I'm from it. I strongly encourage all the nations of the world to fight the good fight - invade the UK and burn as many of its towns and cities to the ground as possible. To sterilize!
| English Matt wrote: |
| For that matter have you been to Somalia, Sudan or North Korea? Your statement is so farcical I'm not even going to waste my time typing a rebuttal. |
That was obviously supposed to be a joke. If you can�t tell when someone�s clearly making a light-hearted and facetious observation, then perhaps a course of antidepressants is in order? |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:59 am Post subject: |
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/8548069.stm
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North Tyneside high street 'revived' by fake shop front
Fake businesses are to be used to lessen the impact of the recession on high streets in North Tyneside.
With 140 empty shops in the borough, council bosses think they have come up with a unique way of ensuring shopping areas remain as vibrant as possible.
The first empty shop unit to be given a makeover with a "flat pack" shop front is in Whitley Bay.
North Tyneside Council said the move was cost-effective and would help to attract new investment.
The council said the fake shop in Whitley Bay - which alone has 49 empty units - has been welcomed by traders and shoppers. |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potemkin_village
It's all about the message. Everything is about the message. Feelings, sentiment, public opinion. |
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English Matt
Joined: 12 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:00 am Post subject: |
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| Sergio Stefanuto wrote: |
| English Matt wrote: |
| You're an odd little man. Have you even been to the UK? |
Unfortunately, I'm from it. I strongly encourage all the nations of the world to fight the good fight - invade the UK and burn as many of its towns and cities to the ground as possible. To sterilize!
| English Matt wrote: |
| For that matter have you been to Somalia, Sudan or North Korea? Your statement is so farcical I'm not even going to waste my time typing a rebuttal. |
That was obviously supposed to be a joke. If you can�t tell when someone�s clearly making a light-hearted and facetious observation, then perhaps a course of antidepressants is in order? |
Jokes are supposed to be funny. |
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chellovek
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 5:39 am Post subject: |
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With regards to the article mentioned about equal protection rights or whatever for other beliefs, I think some people are just getting riled up for the pure fun of it.
It strikes me that the gov't is trying to make the law logically consistent with regards to protection of beliefs. Why legally protect some but not others? Just because they're ancient and more popular (but every bit as unproveable and/or subjective)?
I'd honestly be surprised if the result of this is anything other than a handful of unlucky people get caught out mouthing off and offending some poor sensitive soul or officious mediocrity.
Though having said that, if I were in charge I'd have just left the whole thing alone for the time being, if not forever. UK's got far bigger fish to fry. |
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RufusW
Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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| mises wrote: |
| http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/8548069.stm |
Seems like a good idea. Unused properties will bring down the price of surrounding properties, so this is a good use of public funds, certainly if it helps mitigate a downward spiral. |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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| RufusW wrote: |
| mises wrote: |
| http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/8548069.stm |
Seems like a good idea. Unused properties will bring down the price of surrounding properties, so this is a good use of public funds, certainly if it helps mitigate a downward spiral. |
The value of empty property will bring down occupied property values if you put lipstick on them or not. That's the function of vacancy. It brings the market down to clearing rates. If you dress it up, you'll at best just delay the inevitable pain. This is why my rent has gone down for two years in a row. Should the local government attempt to keep my rent high? |
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RufusW
Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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| It seems they function in a few ways. They help maintain a pleasant shopping environment and help show off the property's potential. Therefore, I argue a very small amount of government money has helped lessen the impact of a recession. You yourself have argued for government planning city building and this scheme is similar to creating pedestrian shopping avenues - government spending to facilitate a good economy. |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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| This is all government is doing. Lipstick on a pig. And no matter how stupid their ideas are there will always be support from voodoo following public. |
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geldedgoat
Joined: 05 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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| mises wrote: |
| The value of empty property will bring down occupied property values if you put lipstick on them or not. |
Yes, but this brings it down less. Efficiently-managed city beautification projects are definitely good uses of public money. |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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I'm a big fan of city beautification, but I feel beautification funds should be spent on lasting things which will provide value open-endedly. For example, a town redoing its streets to include aesthetically pleasing sidewalks and old-fashion lamp posts could be a very charming inclusion which would raise property values and increase the value of the city overall; it's a good potential use of funds. But making vacant shops look used is more questionable, as it is the expenditure of funds on a very temporary thing. I feel like the owners of those vacant properties are the ones who should be making them look used in order to make them more attractive to potential renters (if they're trying to rent them out) or purchasers (if they're trying to sell them).
I think I agree with mises that this isn't a good approach to the situation. |
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geldedgoat
Joined: 05 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:00 am Post subject: |
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| Fox wrote: |
| But making vacant shops look used is more questionable, as it is the expenditure of funds on a very temporary thing. |
I think it would depend heavily on how temporary the vacancy is expected to be and also whether or not these shop costumes can be re-used at other locations (which would greatly extend the life of the beautification materials). |
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RufusW
Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Fox wrote: |
| I feel beautification funds should be spent on lasting things which will provide value open-endedly. |
By reducing the effect of a recession you do exactly that, it effects everything after it. |
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