November 7, 2025 • 22 mins
Progress in New York now means telling working families to pack up and leave—because affordability is a privilege, not a right.
In the latest Rant Network episode, we clash over whether skyrocketing rents and living costs are simply “capitalism at work” or a crisis that demands intervention. From frozen rents to shuttered mom-and-pop shops, the debate exposes a deeper divide: is the solution to move out, or to fix a broken system? Our fiery exchange puts generational entitlement, economic reality, and political promises under the microscope.
#CostOfLiving #Capitalism #Socialism
#podcast #therantnetwork #podcasting #opinion #podcaster #podcastshow #live #business #discussion #economics #politics #discussion #sports #racism #socialmedia #education #conservative #education #antiwoke #GoWokeGoBroke #DonaldTrump #PoliticalAnalysis
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:03):
No, no, no, no, no, no.
You don't get to start today.
Oh, this is Friday.
No, no, no.
No, no, no.
This is Friday.
Fridays is too much Fridays.
We want we should be taking iteasy and relaxing.
But as we sat there in the greenroom and we talked about, you
know, being, you know, you know,what cost of living is all about
and affordability is all about.
You know, it's interesting howdynamics work differently.
(00:25):
And I and I store it.
I'm going to give you a greatpost that I just saw somebody
post it on.
What do we mean by difficult inour world?
And you know, my grandmother wasborn in 1908.
And when my grandmother was bornin 1908, she didn't have
electricity in her village.
But when she turned six yearsold, it was World War I.
When she was then when she was11 years old, after the war had
(00:48):
ended, when she was, you know,in 1918, was the Spanish flu.
And then the Roaring 20s hit,and then 1929, you get the Great
Depression, where her familylost all of its all of its its
uh not its wealth, it's its itsassets, everything was gone.
And then when my grandmother waswas uh 31 years old, we had
(01:11):
World War II.
And I'm like, I can go on and onand on and on.
And when she passed away at thewonderful age of 89, she'd gone
through two world wars, theKorean War, she saw the Vietnam
War, the Cold War, the GreatDepression, another massive
recession, and a whole shitloadof stuff.
(01:32):
My grandmother had mygrandmother lived in three
different countries to try tomake life and ends meet.
And she never complained aboutit to me.
But I know she talked about howhard life was.
And here we are today with thesefucking card iPhone carrying,
Google phone carrying, Starbucksdrinking, spoiled little shit
(01:54):
kids who come out of universityand go, My life is difficult, my
life is challenging, I have ithard.
You know, don't know what hardis.
You didn't live throughSeptember 11, 2001.
You didn't live through a hellof a lot of things, but you are
sitting here, and as voters inNew York City who voted in
socialist Mamdanny, you thinkyour life is hard, and he's
(02:17):
about to give you a pass, alovely life.
unknown (02:21):
Ha!
SPEAKER_01 (02:22):
Anyways, we're gonna debate this whole thing about
affordability today.
But folks, welcome back to therant network.
I'm David Solomon, he is StuartBrisgale.
While he's shaking his head inhis wonderful posh residence,
haha, I'm just kidding, of myFlorida.
And while we're seeing more ofthose New Yorkers go down there,
I'm here stuck in Montreal witha whole other series of
(02:42):
problems.
What we do here every week,Monday, Wednesday, Friday noon
at Eastern is we rant about allkinds of stuff to do with
politics, culture, life, and somuch more.
So sit back today as Stuart andI once again dive into another
one of those issues that youknow make you scratch your head.
So, Stuart, you know, you saidlife in New York City, if you
(03:04):
don't like the affordability,get out.
You're not happy, get out.
It sucks.
Get out.
Is that the solution, Stuart, tothe New York City's problem?
Just get out.
SPEAKER_00 (03:21):
David, do you hear it?
Nope.
Do you hear it?
You ready for it?
You're ready?
You know, I think the song'sappropriate, and I had to share
it.
SPEAKER_01 (03:37):
Kudos to you, buddy.
SPEAKER_00 (03:39):
Now, now, now.
Okay.
I I I you know, listen, let'slet let's get this rant on
track.
SPEAKER_01 (03:46):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (03:48):
In the green room, we David and I went at it like
we typically do for a fewminutes every single Monday,
Wednesday, Friday, where we pickup topic and and then on
occasion we just clash like twoTitans.
And this is maybe maybe not oneof those uh Titan arguments.
It may be just the perspectivein which I'm sitting and he's
(04:09):
sitting, which are not verydifferent, both very white
privileged according to moderndefinitions.
David respectfully lives inMontreal.
I live in Miami, Florida.
We both have very nice families,we both live in very nice
places, and we drive very nicecars.
(04:29):
We can afford to buy very niceclothes and eat very, very nice
food and not have to worrywhether I'm buying chicken or
dairy.
Now, why I put those twotogether, I don't know, but
because dairy costs almost morethan chicken based on the price
of eggs, but it is just aconversation.
New Yorkers are upset why theyvoted for Mundami.
(04:54):
We talked about this in anearlier episode, and I'm sure
you've heard this on the newsfree rent, free boss, free food.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (05:02):
No, not free rent, it was frozen rent.
SPEAKER_00 (05:05):
Oh no, no, it's it's frozen rent.
Sorry.
But the point I'm trying to getat, Kros is that and reducing
rent is that the cost of living,the cost of food is too much for
New Yorkers.
Well, it's not just New Yorkers.
I have a friend who has a pizzachain in my in Orlando, Florida,
(05:28):
and they're shuttering the doorsbecause a landlord wants too
much money for the red to make apie of pizza, and because of too
many big box stores opening up.
David argued in the green roomthat that means the end of mom
and pop store.
And so I said, no.
It's the end of mom and pop atthe corner of Madison and Broad.
(05:50):
And you know what?
The basket weaver or the liberalartsy fartsy that wants to drink
her latte, weave her littlebasket, and afford to live on
the Upper East Side, well, andget paid a minimal amount of
money because she has nocredentials nor any ability to
(06:10):
support her lifestyle, she hasto leave New York.
And there is nothing wrong withsaying you cannot afford to be
in New York.
And the argument that the priceskeep going up, up, up, up, well,
okay.
There's nothing wrong with that.
Live somewhere else.
You know, I like brand newHermaise shoes.
(06:32):
But if you can't afford them,you're gonna buy Kolhan.
And you can't afford Kohl Han,you're gonna buy Nike.
If you can't afford Nike, you'regonna buy Skechers.
Can't afford Skechers, you'regonna go to the thrift store and
pick up a pair of shoes.
Does that mean Herma's should nolonger make shoes anymore?
And shame on Hermaise.
We gotta tax Herma's more so Ican get Skechers.
(06:56):
That isn't how capitalism works.
That's a definition ofcommunism.
And if New York got tooexpensive for those bakers,
pizza makers, uh shoe shiners tolive there, well, then they
shouldn't offer those servicesthere and they should leave and
be an early entrepreneur andmaybe offer your shoe shining
(07:18):
through mail order and not workon the corner of Broadison, uh,
Madison and Broad.
I think the expectations of themodern people are just insane,
David.
SPEAKER_01 (07:29):
I'm sorry, I totally disagree with you.
Like what you just said is is soit's so narrow-minded, my
friend.
And I love you and I adore you,and you know, you're like a
brother to me.
But boy, I would disown youright now if you sat at my
dining room table with astatement like that.
You know, I met you shinepeople, and I met you.
Hold on, hold on.
(07:50):
I let you go off on your usual.
Let me get in a couple of wordsin here.
You know what makes what what'sinteresting is that when you sit
there and you go, if mom andpops can't survive, move.
Moving is very, you know, I Imean, I if you grew up in
Brooklyn and you travel toMadison and Broad, as you said,
(08:12):
to do shoe shining, and that'sbeen your career, and you're
happy and what your lifestyle,fine.
But there are hold on, but thereare a lot of people who have a
pizza parlor in a in a in a in aplay in Brooklyn, in Queens, in
the Bronx, who've seen theirrent prices because of supply
(08:35):
and demand go through the roof.
And I'm not blaming anything butsupply and demand.
And yes, I'm not talking aboutMadison and Broadway, I'm not
going into Manhattan into thehighest district and whatever.
I'm talking about general thefive boroughs.
And the five boroughs right nowhave seen cost of living go
through the roof where peoplehave literally have literally
moved to New Jersey andConnecticut and Pennsylvania and
(08:58):
train in, and their lifestyle isI work in New York, it's two
hours, three hours in everydirection, but I have to live
outside.
And it's a different life, andthey're making those choices,
and some can afford it, somecannot, and some have had to
change jobs, and some some willnot because they're not
qualified to.
(09:39):
David, David, dude, people likeme.
SPEAKER_00 (09:41):
Sorry, me, you're you're not different, and and
just just so I don't let youtake off, take off.
No, no, no, no, no, David.
Let's let's not go there.
Um let me let me be very, veryclear.
Okay, are you you you know,let's talk about the United
States on its inception, orlet's talk about Canada.
When Canada knows, David, let mefinish.
(10:02):
In the furries, the Hudson Bcompany came to town and decided
to be a furrier across everybodybecause Professor Brisgale is
about to give us anotherhistorical lesson, Stuart.
So when you are your your job isto hunt animals and the animals
get out of the center of thecity, you've got to go further
(10:23):
and further out of the city tofind the animals.
Now, again, David, you're actingvery strange considering
considering your occupation andthe position you're taking.
I guess can you argue that ifyou are hunting animals, you
cannot hunt animals in the city.
But I like hunting animals inthe city, but there's no more
animals in the city to hunt, soyou have to go to the country to
(10:45):
go and find hunter gatherers.
SPEAKER_01 (10:48):
I'm not talking about hunting animals, I'm
talking about selling slices ofpizza.
Correct.
I'm talking about it's not no,it's not the same thing.
Absolutely.
Okay, so what your suggestion isthis.
Your suggestion is this yourworld, your vision, and this is
why, yeah, and and this is whyyou know, students, and by the
way, I teach students, I've hadthese conversations with
(11:08):
students to understand theirmindset and where they're coming
from.
Maybe you should have aconversation with some of your
your your your children'sfriends and see where their
mindset is.
But you what you're suggestingis you know what?
We don't mind Subway, we don'tmind McDonald's, but the mom and
(11:28):
pop who has his pizza parlorthere, you know, you ain't
happy, move to a cheaperneighborhood.
And when that doesn't work, goto another cheaper neighborhood.
It doesn't matter the cost, itdoesn't matter the labor.
SPEAKER_00 (11:42):
A hamburger McDonald's costs eight dollars
today.
I mean, again, if you couldafford to charge eight dollars
and you can afford to pay eightdollars, you'll continue to
exist.
That is economics.
What are you talking about,David?
I have no idea why emotionalyou're getting over a subject
that makes no sense.
SPEAKER_01 (12:01):
What you're suggesting is, and this is why
these maleducated, and I callthem maleducated or miseducated,
are looking at people like youand me and are saying, You don't
understand my trials andtribulations.
They are looking, they arelooking at eight dollar
hamburgers and saying, I can'tafford it.
Because their life listen, I'mgonna you're gonna tell me now
(12:23):
I'm contradicting myself, buthere's the story, okay?
They don't want to pay atMcDonald's four dollars for a
cup of coffee, even though theygo to Starbucks and pay seven
dollar lattes.
They don't want to pay fourdollars, they don't want to pay
eight dollars for hamburgers,they don't want that anymore.
But that's what cost of livingdoes.
If your rent goes up, your costshave to go up, and therefore you
(12:43):
pay more.
You know these this this thing.
What's more what Zora Mamdanicaught everybody's attention
with, and that's what he got himsuper excited over is I'm gonna
reverse the trend.
That's not the answer to theproblem.
He's not reversing the trend.
SPEAKER_00 (12:58):
What he's doing with that, we agree with that
statement.
The statement where we don'tagree is it's the fault of
growth and expansion is theproblem.
I did not say that.
SPEAKER_01 (13:12):
No, you interpreted that.
No, no, no, no.
What I said was no, I saidsupply and demand, and supply
and demand creates this thing.
The supply and the demand forwhat New York real estate has at
many, many locations has justbecome unaffordable.
SPEAKER_00 (13:28):
Unaffordable 50 million dollars for a condo.
I mean, it's insane.
It's insane.
So I can't afford 50 milliondollars, so I can't live there.
SPEAKER_01 (13:36):
So if I've been living in New York, if I've been
living in Brooklyn for threegenerations, your solution is
leave.
Your solution isn't fix aproblem.
SPEAKER_00 (13:46):
But David, your your your your your statement is it's
a problem.
I live in South Florida, David,over at a place near where Sunny
Isles is, where the entiretwo-mile stretch of Sunny Isles
was nothing more than two-storylow-rise motels that every
elderly Canadian from Montrealused to stay from the Marco Polo
(14:10):
all the way to Bell Harbor.
No, David, hang on, David.
Now they're massive, ginormousskyscrapers with three bedrooms
starting at four million dollarswith$60,000 a year maintenance.
Now, because it has changed, theold person that used to come
there should be entitled tostill be able to afford to come
(14:32):
there or live there.
David, no, it's called progress.
Is it is it is it a kindprogress?
Is it a heartless progress?
I'll agree.
But it's progress all the same.
SPEAKER_01 (14:43):
What your act, what your message is, yeah, rich and
you poor people get the fuckout.
This is what you just said, andwhat you said is no.
Not just what I said, but I Ilove the way you're putting
words in my mouth.
Listen, no, Stuart, I have Ilisten, I live in the same
neighborhood that you grew upin.
Once upon a time, there were nolarge homes, and once upon a
(15:04):
time, there was none of thiswealthy neighborhoods, and that
was it.
It has changed.
You're right.
We now have more affluent peoplehere, but the folks that live in
the lower income or the or let'scall them what do we call lower
middle income homes over there.
That got also very expensive.
And now what has happened isthat because of cost of living
(15:26):
in Montreal, and it's a problem,people are moving.
And it and I have friends inToronto with the same problem.
They grew up in Brampton, theirhomes used to be more
affordable.
Now they have to live an houraway because the housing is not
affordable.
The mess, the answer to thequestion of what you call
progress isn't move.
It's not that when you do that,it is that David.
SPEAKER_00 (15:50):
Oh, I see.
So because you what you'resaying is we need socialism,
socialism because to enable youto stay in the house that you
are that you can't afford it.
SPEAKER_01 (16:02):
That is socialism, David.
No, if you're telling me ifyou're I'm sorry, you're telling
me affordable housing economics,don't you?
If you're telling me affordablehousing is socialism, I'm not a
socialist.
If you're telling me, figure outa way that in certain areas,
certain areas, we don't createthis inflationary situation
(16:23):
where people have to be forcedto move.
You're talking about anexceptionally costly thing which
disrupts families, isexceptionally stressful.
It's one of the top three moststressful things in people's
lives.
And your solution is too bad,move.
It's not that's why Mam Dani'sDani is popular because young
people hear this statement andthey go, no.
SPEAKER_00 (16:46):
You know what, David?
David, the generation you'retalking about is a generation
that expects participationawards, and that and that is
where this all stems from.
You know what, Stuart?
SPEAKER_01 (16:57):
It's not, you know what it is with a basket weaving
degree, is it is it reasonable?
It's it's beautiful because youare the parent of this
generation.
I know this generation and I'mgonna tell you something.
I'm gonna tell you something.
I heard what you say and I hearwhat you say, and I have a
millennial and Gen Z kids, and Ihave a very, very funny comment
(17:20):
that when they sit with GenAlpha, which is the next
generation, and they hear them.
Gen Z, the comments that Gen Zmake about Gen Alpha is freaking
hilarious, Stuart.
It's like, oh, they're spoiled,they don't know what it's like.
And I'm like, you poor kids, yougrew up with internet your whole
life, you had cell phones, youhad technology, you had all
kinds of beautiful things, andyou're saying your life is
(17:42):
difficult.
Listen, I I started this rant bystart talking about my
grandmother who didn't haverefrigeration, who had to like
who didn't have, you know, likewhen it came up to keeping food
preserved, there was an ice cubein the bathtub, and here we are
today.
We're whining because you know,uh, I can't get my latte at
(18:04):
Starbucks.
SPEAKER_00 (18:04):
I'm not I agree, but what I understand that's how you
started, but we went and flippedinto the green room, and the
green room conversation hadnothing to do with your
grandmother that grew up in.
SPEAKER_01 (18:17):
I specifically went down that road because I wanted
to put into perspective whatpain is all about for people,
and what momdani's followershave all said was their life is
very difficult, and their lifeis not very difficult, it's
there the challenge ofaffordable homes.
I agree with you.
My niece looked into living inNew York, in New York as a
(18:38):
lawyer and is in Washington.
Now, a lawyer, well-paid lawyer,well-paid lawyer, Stuart.
And you know what?
The cost of living in New York,when we looked at comparing
Washington, DC and New YorkCity, it didn't make any sense.
She went to Washington.
The re this is what I'm tryingto say is you're not just
getting rid of you know poorpoorer people or lower income
(19:00):
individuals, many people areleaving New York because the
okay, yeah, David, David, you'rea consultant in the space of
business.
SPEAKER_00 (19:11):
If if if the economics for the plumber in New
York City is$250,000 a year forsustainability, and out in uh
Birmingham, Alabama, it's$125,000 for the same plumber.
Okay, the plumber does the samejob, same demand, same work,
(19:33):
same everything.
So what companies do is theyadjust the labor and wage for
the people if they want to keepthem in that city.
Your niece, who's on a very welleducated.
So we're not talking aboutfixing.
Hang on a second.
(19:53):
And if the firm that wants herthem to work for her, right?
Or why no, if the firm thatwants her to work for them can't
afford to give her the lifestylethat she wants, which may not be
compensatory to the wage thatshe has, therefore, she cannot
live there.
(20:14):
Listen, tell me the flaw in myargument.
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
Because the flaw in your argument is is is one is
one dimensional, it's notmultidimensional, and the
multidimensional part.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (20:24):
I left out emotional.
Uh how did you do it?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_01 (20:28):
No, no, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
What you're getting, what youdidn't put into this, and we
have to wrap this up, folks,because we can go on for another
hour.
Bureaucracy.
You're telling me that thebureaucracy in New York can't be
like trimmed down.
Apparently, it's it's insane.
SPEAKER_00 (20:48):
Well, not not when you elect a social communist,
well, because he's just going toincrease those cost cases.
Which, which, which will do whatto the city, it will make it
even more unaffordable and moredilapidated.
It's the inverse.
And you're telling me I don'tunderstand it.
I'm one-dimensional.
David, I'm more multidimensionalthan than you're giving me
credit for.
(21:08):
But David, you're no more of alens than I am.
I'm sitting here giving it toyou as straight math.
If a plumber in Alabama and aplumber in New York City were
the same job, plumbers, I need aplumber in New York, I gotta pay
more, or you're not gonna have aplumber.
SPEAKER_01 (21:26):
And therein lies the problem is that people in New
York are saying we're reaching apoint, a critical point, where
things are just too expensive.
How do we lower costs?
And when you bring in Mangani,who says, I'm gonna arbitrarily
and artificially do this, itdoesn't work.
(21:47):
But the people who voted forhim, these so-called educated
masses, haven't a freaking cluethat he can't.
And this problem is that theyjust exacerbated the problem
that he they said it's gonna beeliminated, and you know what?
It's been proven, it's beenproven in other cities, but the
media didn't bother with that,and we'll leave it at that,
(22:08):
ladies and gentlemen.
We're done.
Have yourself a wonderfulweekend, everybody, as he plays
the music.
We're out of here, we're gonnabe back here on Monday.
Have yourself a wonderfulweekend, everybody, and hey,
we'll get a lot better.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
You don't get to start today.
Oh, this is Friday.
No, no, no.
No, no, no.
This is Friday.
Fridays is too much Fridays.
We want we should be taking iteasy and relaxing.
But as we sat there in the greenroom and we talked about, you
know, being, you know, you know,what cost of living is all about
and affordability is all about.
You know, it's interesting howdynamics work differently.
(00:25):
And I and I store it.
I'm going to give you a greatpost that I just saw somebody
post it on.
What do we mean by difficult inour world?
And you know, my grandmother wasborn in 1908.
And when my grandmother was bornin 1908, she didn't have
electricity in her village.
But when she turned six yearsold, it was World War I.
When she was then when she was11 years old, after the war had
(00:48):
ended, when she was, you know,in 1918, was the Spanish flu.
And then the Roaring 20s hit,and then 1929, you get the Great
Depression, where her familylost all of its all of its its
uh not its wealth, it's its itsassets, everything was gone.
And then when my grandmother waswas uh 31 years old, we had
(01:11):
World War II.
And I'm like, I can go on and onand on and on.
And when she passed away at thewonderful age of 89, she'd gone
through two world wars, theKorean War, she saw the Vietnam
War, the Cold War, the GreatDepression, another massive
recession, and a whole shitloadof stuff.
(01:32):
My grandmother had mygrandmother lived in three
different countries to try tomake life and ends meet.
And she never complained aboutit to me.
But I know she talked about howhard life was.
And here we are today with thesefucking card iPhone carrying,
Google phone carrying, Starbucksdrinking, spoiled little shit
(01:54):
kids who come out of universityand go, My life is difficult, my
life is challenging, I have ithard.
You know, don't know what hardis.
You didn't live throughSeptember 11, 2001.
You didn't live through a hellof a lot of things, but you are
sitting here, and as voters inNew York City who voted in
socialist Mamdanny, you thinkyour life is hard, and he's
(02:17):
about to give you a pass, alovely life.
unknown (02:21):
Ha!
SPEAKER_01 (02:22):
Anyways, we're gonna debate this whole thing about
affordability today.
But folks, welcome back to therant network.
I'm David Solomon, he is StuartBrisgale.
While he's shaking his head inhis wonderful posh residence,
haha, I'm just kidding, of myFlorida.
And while we're seeing more ofthose New Yorkers go down there,
I'm here stuck in Montreal witha whole other series of
(02:42):
problems.
What we do here every week,Monday, Wednesday, Friday noon
at Eastern is we rant about allkinds of stuff to do with
politics, culture, life, and somuch more.
So sit back today as Stuart andI once again dive into another
one of those issues that youknow make you scratch your head.
So, Stuart, you know, you saidlife in New York City, if you
(03:04):
don't like the affordability,get out.
You're not happy, get out.
It sucks.
Get out.
Is that the solution, Stuart, tothe New York City's problem?
Just get out.
SPEAKER_00 (03:21):
David, do you hear it?
Nope.
Do you hear it?
You ready for it?
You're ready?
You know, I think the song'sappropriate, and I had to share
it.
SPEAKER_01 (03:37):
Kudos to you, buddy.
SPEAKER_00 (03:39):
Now, now, now.
Okay.
I I I you know, listen, let'slet let's get this rant on
track.
SPEAKER_01 (03:46):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (03:48):
In the green room, we David and I went at it like
we typically do for a fewminutes every single Monday,
Wednesday, Friday, where we pickup topic and and then on
occasion we just clash like twoTitans.
And this is maybe maybe not oneof those uh Titan arguments.
It may be just the perspectivein which I'm sitting and he's
(04:09):
sitting, which are not verydifferent, both very white
privileged according to moderndefinitions.
David respectfully lives inMontreal.
I live in Miami, Florida.
We both have very nice families,we both live in very nice
places, and we drive very nicecars.
(04:29):
We can afford to buy very niceclothes and eat very, very nice
food and not have to worrywhether I'm buying chicken or
dairy.
Now, why I put those twotogether, I don't know, but
because dairy costs almost morethan chicken based on the price
of eggs, but it is just aconversation.
New Yorkers are upset why theyvoted for Mundami.
(04:54):
We talked about this in anearlier episode, and I'm sure
you've heard this on the newsfree rent, free boss, free food.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (05:02):
No, not free rent, it was frozen rent.
SPEAKER_00 (05:05):
Oh no, no, it's it's frozen rent.
Sorry.
But the point I'm trying to getat, Kros is that and reducing
rent is that the cost of living,the cost of food is too much for
New Yorkers.
Well, it's not just New Yorkers.
I have a friend who has a pizzachain in my in Orlando, Florida,
(05:28):
and they're shuttering the doorsbecause a landlord wants too
much money for the red to make apie of pizza, and because of too
many big box stores opening up.
David argued in the green roomthat that means the end of mom
and pop store.
And so I said, no.
It's the end of mom and pop atthe corner of Madison and Broad.
(05:50):
And you know what?
The basket weaver or the liberalartsy fartsy that wants to drink
her latte, weave her littlebasket, and afford to live on
the Upper East Side, well, andget paid a minimal amount of
money because she has nocredentials nor any ability to
(06:10):
support her lifestyle, she hasto leave New York.
And there is nothing wrong withsaying you cannot afford to be
in New York.
And the argument that the priceskeep going up, up, up, up, well,
okay.
There's nothing wrong with that.
Live somewhere else.
You know, I like brand newHermaise shoes.
(06:32):
But if you can't afford them,you're gonna buy Kolhan.
And you can't afford Kohl Han,you're gonna buy Nike.
If you can't afford Nike, you'regonna buy Skechers.
Can't afford Skechers, you'regonna go to the thrift store and
pick up a pair of shoes.
Does that mean Herma's should nolonger make shoes anymore?
And shame on Hermaise.
We gotta tax Herma's more so Ican get Skechers.
(06:56):
That isn't how capitalism works.
That's a definition ofcommunism.
And if New York got tooexpensive for those bakers,
pizza makers, uh shoe shiners tolive there, well, then they
shouldn't offer those servicesthere and they should leave and
be an early entrepreneur andmaybe offer your shoe shining
(07:18):
through mail order and not workon the corner of Broadison, uh,
Madison and Broad.
I think the expectations of themodern people are just insane,
David.
SPEAKER_01 (07:29):
I'm sorry, I totally disagree with you.
Like what you just said is is soit's so narrow-minded, my
friend.
And I love you and I adore you,and you know, you're like a
brother to me.
But boy, I would disown youright now if you sat at my
dining room table with astatement like that.
You know, I met you shinepeople, and I met you.
Hold on, hold on.
(07:50):
I let you go off on your usual.
Let me get in a couple of wordsin here.
You know what makes what what'sinteresting is that when you sit
there and you go, if mom andpops can't survive, move.
Moving is very, you know, I Imean, I if you grew up in
Brooklyn and you travel toMadison and Broad, as you said,
(08:12):
to do shoe shining, and that'sbeen your career, and you're
happy and what your lifestyle,fine.
But there are hold on, but thereare a lot of people who have a
pizza parlor in a in a in a in aplay in Brooklyn, in Queens, in
the Bronx, who've seen theirrent prices because of supply
(08:35):
and demand go through the roof.
And I'm not blaming anything butsupply and demand.
And yes, I'm not talking aboutMadison and Broadway, I'm not
going into Manhattan into thehighest district and whatever.
I'm talking about general thefive boroughs.
And the five boroughs right nowhave seen cost of living go
through the roof where peoplehave literally have literally
moved to New Jersey andConnecticut and Pennsylvania and
(08:58):
train in, and their lifestyle isI work in New York, it's two
hours, three hours in everydirection, but I have to live
outside.
And it's a different life, andthey're making those choices,
and some can afford it, somecannot, and some have had to
change jobs, and some some willnot because they're not
qualified to.
(09:39):
David, David, dude, people likeme.
SPEAKER_00 (09:41):
Sorry, me, you're you're not different, and and
just just so I don't let youtake off, take off.
No, no, no, no, no, David.
Let's let's not go there.
Um let me let me be very, veryclear.
Okay, are you you you know,let's talk about the United
States on its inception, orlet's talk about Canada.
When Canada knows, David, let mefinish.
(10:02):
In the furries, the Hudson Bcompany came to town and decided
to be a furrier across everybodybecause Professor Brisgale is
about to give us anotherhistorical lesson, Stuart.
So when you are your your job isto hunt animals and the animals
get out of the center of thecity, you've got to go further
(10:23):
and further out of the city tofind the animals.
Now, again, David, you're actingvery strange considering
considering your occupation andthe position you're taking.
I guess can you argue that ifyou are hunting animals, you
cannot hunt animals in the city.
But I like hunting animals inthe city, but there's no more
animals in the city to hunt, soyou have to go to the country to
(10:45):
go and find hunter gatherers.
SPEAKER_01 (10:48):
I'm not talking about hunting animals, I'm
talking about selling slices ofpizza.
Correct.
I'm talking about it's not no,it's not the same thing.
Absolutely.
Okay, so what your suggestion isthis.
Your suggestion is this yourworld, your vision, and this is
why, yeah, and and this is whyyou know, students, and by the
way, I teach students, I've hadthese conversations with
(11:08):
students to understand theirmindset and where they're coming
from.
Maybe you should have aconversation with some of your
your your your children'sfriends and see where their
mindset is.
But you what you're suggestingis you know what?
We don't mind Subway, we don'tmind McDonald's, but the mom and
(11:28):
pop who has his pizza parlorthere, you know, you ain't
happy, move to a cheaperneighborhood.
And when that doesn't work, goto another cheaper neighborhood.
It doesn't matter the cost, itdoesn't matter the labor.
SPEAKER_00 (11:42):
A hamburger McDonald's costs eight dollars
today.
I mean, again, if you couldafford to charge eight dollars
and you can afford to pay eightdollars, you'll continue to
exist.
That is economics.
What are you talking about,David?
I have no idea why emotionalyou're getting over a subject
that makes no sense.
SPEAKER_01 (12:01):
What you're suggesting is, and this is why
these maleducated, and I callthem maleducated or miseducated,
are looking at people like youand me and are saying, You don't
understand my trials andtribulations.
They are looking, they arelooking at eight dollar
hamburgers and saying, I can'tafford it.
Because their life listen, I'mgonna you're gonna tell me now
(12:23):
I'm contradicting myself, buthere's the story, okay?
They don't want to pay atMcDonald's four dollars for a
cup of coffee, even though theygo to Starbucks and pay seven
dollar lattes.
They don't want to pay fourdollars, they don't want to pay
eight dollars for hamburgers,they don't want that anymore.
But that's what cost of livingdoes.
If your rent goes up, your costshave to go up, and therefore you
(12:43):
pay more.
You know these this this thing.
What's more what Zora Mamdanicaught everybody's attention
with, and that's what he got himsuper excited over is I'm gonna
reverse the trend.
That's not the answer to theproblem.
He's not reversing the trend.
SPEAKER_00 (12:58):
What he's doing with that, we agree with that
statement.
The statement where we don'tagree is it's the fault of
growth and expansion is theproblem.
I did not say that.
SPEAKER_01 (13:12):
No, you interpreted that.
No, no, no, no.
What I said was no, I saidsupply and demand, and supply
and demand creates this thing.
The supply and the demand forwhat New York real estate has at
many, many locations has justbecome unaffordable.
SPEAKER_00 (13:28):
Unaffordable 50 million dollars for a condo.
I mean, it's insane.
It's insane.
So I can't afford 50 milliondollars, so I can't live there.
SPEAKER_01 (13:36):
So if I've been living in New York, if I've been
living in Brooklyn for threegenerations, your solution is
leave.
Your solution isn't fix aproblem.
SPEAKER_00 (13:46):
But David, your your your your your statement is it's
a problem.
I live in South Florida, David,over at a place near where Sunny
Isles is, where the entiretwo-mile stretch of Sunny Isles
was nothing more than two-storylow-rise motels that every
elderly Canadian from Montrealused to stay from the Marco Polo
(14:10):
all the way to Bell Harbor.
No, David, hang on, David.
Now they're massive, ginormousskyscrapers with three bedrooms
starting at four million dollarswith$60,000 a year maintenance.
Now, because it has changed, theold person that used to come
there should be entitled tostill be able to afford to come
(14:32):
there or live there.
David, no, it's called progress.
Is it is it is it a kindprogress?
Is it a heartless progress?
I'll agree.
But it's progress all the same.
SPEAKER_01 (14:43):
What your act, what your message is, yeah, rich and
you poor people get the fuckout.
This is what you just said, andwhat you said is no.
Not just what I said, but I Ilove the way you're putting
words in my mouth.
Listen, no, Stuart, I have Ilisten, I live in the same
neighborhood that you grew upin.
Once upon a time, there were nolarge homes, and once upon a
(15:04):
time, there was none of thiswealthy neighborhoods, and that
was it.
It has changed.
You're right.
We now have more affluent peoplehere, but the folks that live in
the lower income or the or let'scall them what do we call lower
middle income homes over there.
That got also very expensive.
And now what has happened isthat because of cost of living
(15:26):
in Montreal, and it's a problem,people are moving.
And it and I have friends inToronto with the same problem.
They grew up in Brampton, theirhomes used to be more
affordable.
Now they have to live an houraway because the housing is not
affordable.
The mess, the answer to thequestion of what you call
progress isn't move.
It's not that when you do that,it is that David.
SPEAKER_00 (15:50):
Oh, I see.
So because you what you'resaying is we need socialism,
socialism because to enable youto stay in the house that you
are that you can't afford it.
SPEAKER_01 (16:02):
That is socialism, David.
No, if you're telling me ifyou're I'm sorry, you're telling
me affordable housing economics,don't you?
If you're telling me affordablehousing is socialism, I'm not a
socialist.
If you're telling me, figure outa way that in certain areas,
certain areas, we don't createthis inflationary situation
(16:23):
where people have to be forcedto move.
You're talking about anexceptionally costly thing which
disrupts families, isexceptionally stressful.
It's one of the top three moststressful things in people's
lives.
And your solution is too bad,move.
It's not that's why Mam Dani'sDani is popular because young
people hear this statement andthey go, no.
SPEAKER_00 (16:46):
You know what, David?
David, the generation you'retalking about is a generation
that expects participationawards, and that and that is
where this all stems from.
You know what, Stuart?
SPEAKER_01 (16:57):
It's not, you know what it is with a basket weaving
degree, is it is it reasonable?
It's it's beautiful because youare the parent of this
generation.
I know this generation and I'mgonna tell you something.
I'm gonna tell you something.
I heard what you say and I hearwhat you say, and I have a
millennial and Gen Z kids, and Ihave a very, very funny comment
(17:20):
that when they sit with GenAlpha, which is the next
generation, and they hear them.
Gen Z, the comments that Gen Zmake about Gen Alpha is freaking
hilarious, Stuart.
It's like, oh, they're spoiled,they don't know what it's like.
And I'm like, you poor kids, yougrew up with internet your whole
life, you had cell phones, youhad technology, you had all
kinds of beautiful things, andyou're saying your life is
(17:42):
difficult.
Listen, I I started this rant bystart talking about my
grandmother who didn't haverefrigeration, who had to like
who didn't have, you know, likewhen it came up to keeping food
preserved, there was an ice cubein the bathtub, and here we are
today.
We're whining because you know,uh, I can't get my latte at
(18:04):
Starbucks.
SPEAKER_00 (18:04):
I'm not I agree, but what I understand that's how you
started, but we went and flippedinto the green room, and the
green room conversation hadnothing to do with your
grandmother that grew up in.
SPEAKER_01 (18:17):
I specifically went down that road because I wanted
to put into perspective whatpain is all about for people,
and what momdani's followershave all said was their life is
very difficult, and their lifeis not very difficult, it's
there the challenge ofaffordable homes.
I agree with you.
My niece looked into living inNew York, in New York as a
(18:38):
lawyer and is in Washington.
Now, a lawyer, well-paid lawyer,well-paid lawyer, Stuart.
And you know what?
The cost of living in New York,when we looked at comparing
Washington, DC and New YorkCity, it didn't make any sense.
She went to Washington.
The re this is what I'm tryingto say is you're not just
getting rid of you know poorpoorer people or lower income
(19:00):
individuals, many people areleaving New York because the
okay, yeah, David, David, you'rea consultant in the space of
business.
SPEAKER_00 (19:11):
If if if the economics for the plumber in New
York City is$250,000 a year forsustainability, and out in uh
Birmingham, Alabama, it's$125,000 for the same plumber.
Okay, the plumber does the samejob, same demand, same work,
(19:33):
same everything.
So what companies do is theyadjust the labor and wage for
the people if they want to keepthem in that city.
Your niece, who's on a very welleducated.
So we're not talking aboutfixing.
Hang on a second.
(19:53):
And if the firm that wants herthem to work for her, right?
Or why no, if the firm thatwants her to work for them can't
afford to give her the lifestylethat she wants, which may not be
compensatory to the wage thatshe has, therefore, she cannot
live there.
(20:14):
Listen, tell me the flaw in myargument.
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
Because the flaw in your argument is is is one is
one dimensional, it's notmultidimensional, and the
multidimensional part.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (20:24):
I left out emotional.
Uh how did you do it?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_01 (20:28):
No, no, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
What you're getting, what youdidn't put into this, and we
have to wrap this up, folks,because we can go on for another
hour.
Bureaucracy.
You're telling me that thebureaucracy in New York can't be
like trimmed down.
Apparently, it's it's insane.
SPEAKER_00 (20:48):
Well, not not when you elect a social communist,
well, because he's just going toincrease those cost cases.
Which, which, which will do whatto the city, it will make it
even more unaffordable and moredilapidated.
It's the inverse.
And you're telling me I don'tunderstand it.
I'm one-dimensional.
David, I'm more multidimensionalthan than you're giving me
credit for.
(21:08):
But David, you're no more of alens than I am.
I'm sitting here giving it toyou as straight math.
If a plumber in Alabama and aplumber in New York City were
the same job, plumbers, I need aplumber in New York, I gotta pay
more, or you're not gonna have aplumber.
SPEAKER_01 (21:26):
And therein lies the problem is that people in New
York are saying we're reaching apoint, a critical point, where
things are just too expensive.
How do we lower costs?
And when you bring in Mangani,who says, I'm gonna arbitrarily
and artificially do this, itdoesn't work.
(21:47):
But the people who voted forhim, these so-called educated
masses, haven't a freaking cluethat he can't.
And this problem is that theyjust exacerbated the problem
that he they said it's gonna beeliminated, and you know what?
It's been proven, it's beenproven in other cities, but the
media didn't bother with that,and we'll leave it at that,
(22:08):
ladies and gentlemen.
We're done.
Have yourself a wonderfulweekend, everybody, as he plays
the music.
We're out of here, we're gonnabe back here on Monday.
Have yourself a wonderfulweekend, everybody, and hey,
we'll get a lot better.
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