Mises Wire

John Tierney on the Rentocracy

John Tierney on the Rentocracy

Choice phrases from NY Times op-ed columnist John Tierney on Nora Ephron and the rent-control crowd: “Like European nobles in crumbling castles, rentocrats are above money grubbing. They deserve their homes because of their longevity and their virtues. They compare rent control to Fulbright scholarships — a stipend wisely provided to worthy intellectuals and artists. They will announce, with a straight face, that they’re entitled to keep their apartments because of the extensive “emotional investment” they have made in the buildings.”

And: “No matter how much you love your rent-stabilized apartment, no matter how smug you feel bragging to your friends about your deal, in your heart you know it’s not fair you’re paying so little. It’s like buying stolen goods: you can revel in the low price, but you know it comes at someone else’s expense.” More here. Unfortunately, it requires a Times Select subscription to read the whole column.

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