US Politics on Sidechat | Is the US just too stuck in the mud? Like are we ever going to actually get free healthcare and public transportation or should I just move to Europe

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US Politics 2w

Is the US just too stuck in the mud? Like are we ever going to actually get free healthcare and public transportation or should I just move to Europe

Anonymous 2w

Conservatives really say shit like “if we have free healthcare all the doctors will leave!” As if all the other developed countries don’t have free healthcare

Anonymous 2w

too many people have a mindset that prevents them from supporting things for others because they can't control who specifically benefits from it so probably not getting either of those anytime soon

Anonymous 2w

I moved to Canada in 2024 and I love it here. It’s not perfect and the province I’m living in is struggling because they have a conservative government that is fucking shit up, but my quality of life is still SOOO much better than the USA imo. I feel happy and respected and safe here :)

Anonymous 2w

I'm moving to Europe. You only have one life. If the US does change for the better it'll take 20+ years.

Anonymous 2w

Europe methinks

Anonymous 2w

Go to Europe

Anonymous 2w

i fear we are like 90 uncharacteristically good years away from public transit being meaningful in any city not named new york city, and probably more for long distances

Anonymous 2w

I mean it certainly feels that way but the thing is, democrats would likely need to hold power in congress plus having an actually decent president would be a good start. I think we can still get there but the road is not easy

Anonymous 2w

Free public transit really isn’t a great idea

-2

Anonymous

#7 2w

I would loveeee to move to Canada but it’s hard with all the family I have here who need and count on me but damn I’m so happy u moved up there and im rlly jealous😂😭

Anonymous

#8 2w

Yes it is

Anonymous

#10 2w

Fares for public transit are good because 1. They provide funding to maintain/ improve services 2. They create buy-in to the system from customers; people who pay for the service are more likely to take care of it/not trash it (see effects of new fare gates on BART)

-2

Anonymous

#8 2w

1. Taxes already do that 2. Propaganda

Anonymous

#10 2w

1. The MTA, the biggest and most used public transit agency in the US, gets 26% of its budget, or $5.5B from fares 2. BART had to do 1,000 hours less of maintenance (cleaning, removing graffiti, repairing vandalism) and transit police issued half as many citations over 6 months after installing new fare gates that weren’t as easily jumped 3. People are more likely to use a transit system that is clean and safe. Ridership goes up

Anonymous

#8 2w

1. And it could easily get that 26% somewhere else if we spent our tax dollars more wisely 2. The fare gates and policing cost more than the money saved 3. Yes

Anonymous

#10 2w

1. NYC has a $5B deficit already and the MTA already has $45B in debt. 2. The fare gates cost $90M, far less than the thousands of hours less of maintenance, half as much policing, and increased ridership/fares will bring in

Anonymous

#10 2w

And if free public transit is really such a great idea why does it basically not exist anywhere

Anonymous

#8 2w

It actually does exist in several countries. Luxembourg; Tallinn, Estonia; Belgrade, Serbia; Malta; Dunkirk, France; Hasselt, Belgium; Kharkiv, Ukraine; Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; Samokov, Bulgaria; Perth, Australia; several places in China, etc Phone in your hand btw. Use it

Anonymous

#8 2w

Maybe they should stop spending more on policing and fare-evasion prevention tech than they save by paying for those things lmao. Get fucked dude, I'm blocking your excuse-making ass