Supersizing the American Dream

[Viking12]

...and you wonder why we're fusckin' up the planet :eyes:

* Since 1950, the average new house has increased by 1,247 sq. ft. Meanwhile, the average household has shrunk by 1 person.


* The National Association of Home Builders’ “showcase home” for 2005 is 5,950 sq. ft. That’s 15% bigger than last year’s model.


* 88% of American commuters drive to work. 76% of those drivers commute alone.


*The number of Americans with commutes of longer than 90 minutes each way has increased 95% since 1990.


* Since 1982, 35 million acres—an area the equivalent of New York state—have been developed.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/exhibit/2005/03/exhibit.html

[Triana]

1. Mo, bigger, better...be good little consumers now...

...cause that's how the plutocracy keeps us in their pocket and under control.

[HughBeaumont]

2. I laugh at Home Improvement shows and books

As if the average mortal could afford these mansions that didn't need improving in the first place. Can someone PLEASE write a book on how to make an average dumpy 400-1200 sq-foot home look good? PLEASE? I'm so sick of picking up these damned things and going "Huh, not MY house as usual".

[Inland]

10. See post number 9 below

[HughBeaumont]

16. Except look at the room on the cover of that book

Who owns a home with a surround window room with a center fireplace? That's something you see in a upper-middle class home, not any home in the 100-150k price range I've ever looked at. I'm talking average Cape Cods/Ranches/Colonials. I live Ah-HIGH-Ah, not on the coasts.

[Inland]

19. I hear ya.

But you might find some ideas. Even an owner of a large house can't duplicate the magazines.

[Viking12]

13. I actually learn about some things I can do to my modest home..

from This Old House, so I can't say that it is all bad. But I understand your point. How can the average PBS viewer afford most of the techno-gadgets and the tools to install them?

[HughBeaumont]

17. LOL, like New Yank-me Workshop

features $1800 tools all over the place, plus a McMansion-sized work barn to store all of them in. Yeah, THAT'S realistic, Norm.

[UdoKier]

3. Don't look at me.

I have a 2 bedroom apartment, and I'm lucky to have that much space here in SF.

[IrateCitizen]

4. It really puts it into perspective, doesn't it?

I always have these debates with my wife, when I tell her that there's no reason for us to get a 2000+ sq ft house to raise a family -- that most did just fine with a 1200 sq ft house less than 50 years ago.

Recommended for greatest page, too.

[Patiod]

11. My SO lived in rowhouse w/2parents, 3 sisters & grandmother

Only 3 tiny bedrooms. They thought they were doing OK.

My one girlfriend couldn't quit her job or take leave when she developed breast cancer, because they had a McMansion mortgage to support. No kidding, her bedroom is bigger than my whole apartment, and it's right in the middle of what used to be beautiful, fertile cropland out near West Chester, PA.

Surely there's a middle ground somewhere?

[newportdadde]

5. Commuting.

a 90 minute commute one way DAMN. I about loose my mind at the 30 min commute I have now.

[Patiod]

12. Another friend has a 90=minute commute

Yardley PA to Princeton NJ. Up Route 1, which is nothing but solid traffic.

I don't know how she does it.

Between the time savings and gas prices, I'm saying "God Bless Public Transportation" every morning as I get on the train.

[Goathead]

6. Buy, buy, buy!

More, more, more!

[Inland]

7. On the other hand, I am 50% bigger than I was twenty years ago.

Thanks to the Onion for stupid joke.

[Viking12]

14. Just for you...

:)



On edit; Not that I know if you're a) white, b) male, or c) living in the suburbs, but it is an interesting factoid. :)

[Inland]

20. Unfortunately, the deck is the only thing missing.

White, male, suburbs and ten pounds over is right.

[Viking12]

21. LOL.

:7

[Bonhomme Richard]

8. I could never understand paying for rooms.....................

that I might walk into once a year.
The simple fact of the matter is people are just crazy with conceit.

[tanyev]

9. I love the Not So Big House books.

Product Description:
Sarah Susanka contends that people are naturally drawn to intimate spaces. Large structures inspired by outdated patterns tend to result in houses that just don’t work. In The Not So Big House, she proposes clear guidelines for creating homes that serve spiritual needs as well as material requirements. Topics covered include designing for specific lifestyles, budgeting, building a home from scratch, and using energy-efficient construction. With more than 200 color photographs as well as floor plans, the book is perfect for homeowners ready to rethink their space. “Susanka says to evaluate what makes you feel at home and let your activities define your rooms.” — San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1561583766/qid=1113508520/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/104-1299549-7758316?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

They made me really think about what you do and don't need in a house.

[dcfirefighter]

15. A (the?) Solution:

I'm a big fan of the not so big house, new urbanism, energy efficiency, transit, and having a small ecological footprint.

The solution, as far as I can see, is to tax your ecological footprint. More specifically, I support the idea Land Value Taxes.

Land, and other natural resources, have a fixed and limited supply. They are not the product of anyone's labor. Taxing them does not decrease their supply, but rather encourages conservation of them. A tax on land and other natural resources, encourages their economic use, and tends to develop compact, dense, cities vs sprawling suburbs. A tax on land leaves more area undeveloped, for use as agriculture or recreation.

Taxing land makes housing more affordable. Desirable land is built on rather than held for speculation. Homeowners pay less in interest and don't pay for a property's speculative value. More homes get built on less land, lowering prices. This means that the cost of living goes DOWN for the same standard of living. This means more jobs with no inflation.

Taxing land allows us to lower direct and indirect taxes on employment. This means more jobs at better wages and working conditions.

Taxing land allows us to break up monopolies and oligopolies of natural resources, allowing more competition, meaning cheaper goods, and smaller corporations, which means more democracy.

Taxing land, in the form of use and abuse of the atmosphere, allows us to change to renewable resources without trying to pick a winner, and allows us to make a an energy tax progressive rather than regressive.

http://www.landvaluetax.org

[tofubo]

18. a possible solution:

http://www.notsobighouse.com

i'd take the money in a mcmansion, put it in land and amenities into a smaller, livable house, one that you can actually use and enjoy

what a fucking concept

do you o'reilly need a two story foyer and 17 bedrooms ??