3603 - IL Primary; Cannabis Union; Housing Crisis Driven By Inequality w/ GCD Union, Max Buchholz
The Majority Report with Sam Seder Podcast Recap
Published:
Guests: Tony Del Sorbo, Malik Bowens, Luca Negrino, Max Buchholtz
Summary
The episode covers a unionization effort at Gotham Cannabis Dispensary in Brooklyn, highlighting issues of alleged unlawful terminations and disputes over employee conduct. It also discusses Max Buchholtz's paper arguing that inequality, not regulation, is the main driver of America's housing...
What Happened
Sam Seder engaged with Tony Del Sorbo, Malik Bowens, and Luca Negrino from the Gotham Cannabis Dispensary in Brooklyn. They detailed a unionizing drive to join Local 338 of the RWDSU, marred by unlawful terminations. Del Sorbo faced accusations of being a gossip and a bully, which he and his colleagues dispute, marking a broader trend of dispensary workers seeking union contracts.
Max Buchholtz, an assistant professor at UC Berkeley, presented his working paper, 'Inequality, Not Regulation, Drives America's Housing Affordability Crisis.' The paper argues that inequality, rather than regulation, is the primary factor in housing unaffordability. It challenges the abundance theory, suggesting that increasing housing supply has a minimal impact on affordability due to the elasticity between supply and rent.
In the Illinois primary, Juliana Stratton emerged victorious in the Democratic Senate race, defeating Raja Krishna Moory. Notably, AIPAC and the crypto industry invested heavily in these races, yet AIPAC's influence was perceived negatively by Democratic voters, affecting the outcomes.
Buchholtz explains how housing demand is highly elastic, meaning more supply can lead to more consumption rather than significant price reductions. He points out that housing prices and incomes have moved closely together over decades, but income growth has been concentrated in the top 30-40% of the population, pushing up housing demand and prices.
The episode also touched on international affairs, with Israel's assassination of top Iranian officials seen as a missed negotiation opportunity. Additionally, the Republican Senate showed division over the Save Act, a voter disenfranchisement bill, while tariffs were found to undermine U.S. manufacturing growth.
Controversial and satirical statements peppered the segment, including a hyperbolic dialogue about wealth disparity and dismissive remarks about Donald Trump. The episode concluded with a prompt for a caller to the Majority Report, indicating Sam Seder's imminent participation.
Key Insights
- The Gotham Cannabis Dispensary workers are organizing with Local 338 RWDSU, highlighting a trend of unionization efforts among dispensary workers. Tony Del Sorbo's termination under disputed circumstances underscores challenges faced during union drives.
- Max Buchholtz's paper argues that inequality, not regulation, drives the U.S. housing affordability crisis. The paper critiques the abundance theory, noting the minimal impact of increased housing supply on affordability due to supply-rent elasticity.
- In the Illinois primary, Juliana Stratton defeated Raja Krishna Moory, with significant financial influence from AIPAC and the crypto industry. AIPAC's influence was viewed negatively by Democratic voters, affecting election outcomes.
- Buchholtz emphasizes that housing demand is highly elastic, meaning increased supply often leads to more consumption rather than lower prices. Income growth concentrated in the top earners has driven up housing demand and prices.