Most lawns aren't nearly nice enough to comfortably and consistently hit a perfectly struck flop shot from. If it doesn't look like the fairways at Oakmont, I don't want it.

​

/s

The racket and emissions caused by gas powered lawn equipment is an absolute nuisance. Despite only having a few houses on my street, and the properties being very spread out, the noise is disruptive and annoying. I feel for people who live in denser areas, the noise there must be far worse.

It wouldn't be fair to implement in all areas, but I'd support a gas lawn equipment ban in my municipality. Again, this isn't true in all areas around the county, but people in this municipality can afford electric equipment (or to pay landscapers more for acquiring electric equipment), and it would improve quality of life. If some people in this municipality can't afford it, I'd be more than willing to subsidize their shit. I frequently spend time in areas elsewhere in the US with such a ban, and the difference is night and day. So much more peaceful and quiet, not to mention the lack of nasty emissions!

It always amazes me how many people enjoy mowing and finicking with grass. I prefer to spend my time outdoors doing things other than lawn maintenance. Good landscapers are worth their weight in gold. You do you though!

That said, thank y'all lawn enthusiasts for your hard work keeping the golf courses in good shape! My slightly above average short game appreciates (and needs) you!

Lol. Tempting, along with hard 0-60 pulls followed by slamming on the brakes in between the bumps.

/s

Gainey is in over his head. He is looking for anything quick and easy that might give him political points. For him, political points are the issue. The speed bump binge is the quickest and easiest way he has found to score political points, which gives him breathing room on harder issues, such as zoning.

It's basic local politics.

Zoning administrators are tasked with enforcing a Byzantine shithouse maize of restrictions contained within an enigma of a process. Gainey didn't promise much of anything before he was elected - his biggest asset in the primary was not being Peduto. It's no surprise he isn't delivering much when he never promised much in the first place.

Peduto was able to generate positive national attention for Pgh, and attract outside business interest and investment. So far, Gainey has done neither.

More like "My mom needs to focus on getting rid of her cancer, but she's concentrating on eating healthier instead of taking the chemo her doctor recommended." Misplaced priorities indeed. Gainey threw yinz a political bone with the speed bumps, and yinz chomped down on it without question. It does nothing to improve transit or decrease car dependancy.

I'm pro bike lane for the record, at least it makes it easier to not use a full size vehicle. The speed bumps make driving worse and actually slow public transit down instead of improving it.

Gainey isn't pursuing a better city structure though. He's simply taking the path of least resistance. Taking a bare minimum approach that gives no thought to the long term concerns shouldn't be good enough IMO.

Speed bumps are the very worst method of traffic calming. Literally anything else would be better.

Raising fees while interest rates are skyrocketing effectively kicks the projected yield rate while it's down. Use all the buzzwords you want, it won't change the fact that this fundamentally discourages development because it decreases the yield rate. Developers who have already submitted proposals might be more likely to move forward, because of their sunk costs. Developers who haven't already committed could decide to build elsewhere.

Even though they are assessed at a percentage rate, the fees still affect smaller developers more because the fees are a larger percentage of their net worth than they are for bigger developers. It's the same principle that renders a percentage based flat tax unfair. Even though it's the same percentage, it affects the little guys way more.

More staff to enforce the shitty zoning we have isn't a good thing unless we reform the zoning first. Other existing expensive non-refundable costs aren't a valid excuse to impose new ones.

An ugly, sticky, itchy, obstructive, annoying, wasteful, and noisy band aid. Compared to alternative solutions, the speed bumps needlessly create more fossil fuel and other emissions, increase road noise, and don't increase safety more than other traffic calming measures.

They also increase wear on vehicles, obstruct emergency vehicles, and make suburbanites less likely to patronize city businesses.

Probably the worst "solution" possible IMO. Lane narrowing and chicanes does the same thing, but that is harder to implement. Gainey took the easy but shitty road here.

Exactly what burdensome fees, abysmal zoning, unpredictable government response, and a regulatory quagmire of a review process tends to do.

Pittsburgh's relatively low housing prices also limit potential profit, so along with the fees and unpredictable review process, the only way to reliably profit is to go very large scale and exploit local political connections.

Just because the numbers are large does not mean the money is unlimited. Fees and regulatory process have a huge impact on whether projects not only move forward, but also whether they are proposed in the first place. Especially when the fees are levied in percentages and non-refundable.

Demand and prices in Pgh (or even much more expensive cities) aren't nearly high enough for developers to build with no regard for costs.

Your impression of the business likely comes from memes, TV, and a certain orange tinted ex-president.

Also, higher fees affect smaller and mid sized developers the most. Want to make sure only big developers can build? Jack the fees up and make the review process an unpredictable quagmire without a reasonable time frame.

A more agile and visionary administration would be shoulder deep in reforming the zoning and review process by now. Gainey, however, would rather concern himself with speed bumps.

>capital-holding classes

lol, that's a loaded phrase if I ever saw one. I've been called worse.

I'd chalk Japan's lost decades up to too much micromanaging by the Bank of Japan, a liquidity trap, and bad demographics (birthrate too low).

Most of the time, these activists have nothing resembling a workable plan, let alone funding. Their approach to "oversight" is to jam up the process so nothing new ever gets built unless they approve. Which they never do, because they're typical NIMBYs or tankies. People respond much better to complaints when the complainers present a workable solution to the problem they identify.

It blows my mind how resistant some people here are to development, even when Pgh has been badly lagging in this area since the 1980s. We have a declining population and some of the oldest housing stock in the country. Opposing development instead of compromising for smarter, more equitable development is a fool's errand.

Behavioral economics makes very different assumptions than the rational choice theory you're describing. Also, many if not most seemingly irrational decisions can be explained by incomplete access to information or people valuing money differently.

Yours is a common and, to some extent, valid criticism of classical and neoclassical economics. That said, don't throw the baby out with the bath water here.

Skiing in a little town called Assspen.

NIMBYs and the poorly educated certainly think so.

imagine looking at the average Pgh house and thinking “this is perfect, ban all new development and we’ll end up like Prague or the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona.” Lol.

Gainey has been in over his head since he took office, and the foundering hasn’t improved over time. Classic one term and done mayor.

Ever take an economics class?

So you’re glad the zoning review fee has gone up 1600%, ensuring less new housing gets built, which keeps the housing stock shittier and more expensive?

If only there were a more tactful way to encourage more equitable development instead of punishing and discouraging all development with extortive fees. /s

What a short sighted take. Keep Pittsburgh shitty!

Rib Room downtown has it

It isn't really a steakhouse (they don't have enough different cuts of steak on the menu). That said, the steaks and sides they do offer are great.

More of a gastropub feel IMO. Love that place.

Meat and Potatoes is probably your best bet. They don't have the selection of a true steakhouse, but the tomahawk ribeye and steak frites there are amazing

Napa Prime is great, but it's well outside of the city in Wexford. Cioppino and Alla Famiglia come close in terms of vibes, but neither has the variety of cuts you expect at a good steakhouse. That said, both are worth visiting regardless.

Edit: I'm going to add Meat and Potatoes to the "not a steakhouse, but go for steak anyways" category.

Pgh isn't a chain city, with the notable exception of steakhouses.