Ezra Klein

And really saddened like yimbies from the stage. I was thinking, man, that is a huge intellectual victory for a movement that didn't exist like 25 minutes ago. 100%. But then I started thinking and started running back through the data. I'm like, okay, how's it working out? And you look in San Francisco and housing starts aren't up. And you look in LA and they're not up.

You look in California, not talking here about ADUs, but housing starts in January, 2025 or lower than in 2015. I began thinking to myself, oh shit. We actually have won an intellectual argument without winning the policy.

You look in California, not talking here about ADUs, but housing starts in January, 2025 or lower than in 2015. I began thinking to myself, oh shit. We actually have won an intellectual argument without winning the policy.

You look in California, not talking here about ADUs, but housing starts in January, 2025 or lower than in 2015. I began thinking to myself, oh shit. We actually have won an intellectual argument without winning the policy.

So I began doing some reporting because I knew how many, I mean, not literally how many, but I knew there's been a pretty torrid pace with you and, you know, Scott Wiener and Buffy Wicks and a bunch of other housing.

So I began doing some reporting because I knew how many, I mean, not literally how many, but I knew there's been a pretty torrid pace with you and, you know, Scott Wiener and Buffy Wicks and a bunch of other housing.

So I began doing some reporting because I knew how many, I mean, not literally how many, but I knew there's been a pretty torrid pace with you and, you know, Scott Wiener and Buffy Wicks and a bunch of other housing.

Yeah, passing big bills. And so I began calling developers in San Francisco and saying, what's going on here? Why don't I see a movement in how much you're building? What they all told me. was I didn't end up writing this piece.

Yeah, passing big bills. And so I began calling developers in San Francisco and saying, what's going on here? Why don't I see a movement in how much you're building? What they all told me. was I didn't end up writing this piece.

Yeah, passing big bills. And so I began calling developers in San Francisco and saying, what's going on here? Why don't I see a movement in how much you're building? What they all told me. was I didn't end up writing this piece.

I just didn't have time, but I meant to for some time, was all these fast track bills required me to take on a bunch of new standards and requirements, prevailing wages and environmental standards and this and that, that made it more expensive for me to take the fast track than just do what I'm doing. It wouldn't pencil out for me to do it. Now look, I don't know if that's 100% true.

I just didn't have time, but I meant to for some time, was all these fast track bills required me to take on a bunch of new standards and requirements, prevailing wages and environmental standards and this and that, that made it more expensive for me to take the fast track than just do what I'm doing. It wouldn't pencil out for me to do it. Now look, I don't know if that's 100% true.

I just didn't have time, but I meant to for some time, was all these fast track bills required me to take on a bunch of new standards and requirements, prevailing wages and environmental standards and this and that, that made it more expensive for me to take the fast track than just do what I'm doing. It wouldn't pencil out for me to do it. Now look, I don't know if that's 100% true.

I can see you. But if that's not it, why do you think all those bills didn't lead to that much more housing construction? Well, a lot of them have. I mean, we can talk about it.

I can see you. But if that's not it, why do you think all those bills didn't lead to that much more housing construction? Well, a lot of them have. I mean, we can talk about it.

I can see you. But if that's not it, why do you think all those bills didn't lead to that much more housing construction? Well, a lot of them have. I mean, we can talk about it.

Everything bagel liberalism. Yeah, I get it, right?

Everything bagel liberalism. Yeah, I get it, right?

Everything bagel liberalism. Yeah, I get it, right?

Because they did the same thing. Look, you go to the rural broadband effort, right? 2021, they pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill, say it's the biggest infrastructure bill in decades, which is not wrong.