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HumpSlackWails t1_j7zqufx wrote

The biggest thing stopping healthy American communities is the tiny percentage of people who are of means.

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[deleted] t1_j7zsgyi wrote

They'll be crying when C-Salt can't steal wages from minimum wage workers anymore, cause no one can afford to live in the town.

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78FANGIRL t1_j7zsu3p wrote

Maybe if they weren't a bunch of old wealthy residents I might have some sympathy, maybe. Wages are exceptionally low and costs are exceptionally high. More affordable housing is needed.

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MrsBeansAppleSnaps t1_j7zswcx wrote

There's absolutely nothing they can do to stop ADUs, it's the law of the land as of July 1.

I'd love to look the idiots quoted in this article in the eye and ask them how they think a handful of ADUs is going to ruin their community.

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Seyword t1_j7zv806 wrote

Why would they be against this? Most of the nicer Cape homes are on larger lots. If you don’t want to build an ADU, nobody is going to force you.

Having your neighbor put in a tiny home would have zero impact on your daily life…

This is pretty sad and embarrassing.

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HIncand3nza t1_j7zyl6i wrote

Think from the perspective of a Cape Elizabeth resident. If you owned a house less than 10 miles from one of the northeast’s most hyped up cities, and that house was in a rural feeling area, would you want to change that? Bear in mind you’ll be working your whole life to pay down the 30 year mortgage. There is immense sunk cost, and your house in Cape is not only your ticket to higher social status but possibly an early retirement.

−41

OustedStrongman t1_j8019si wrote

I hate Cape like every right-thinking American but the assholes quoted in this article do not represent the opinions of everyone who lives there.

I am sure there is some overlap of the Prideful Ukrainians and the anti-ADU people but it is not 100%

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Anstigmat t1_j801qns wrote

AFAIK it's usually a small number of residents that spoil the bunch in these cases. Loud voices at community planning meetings. It is a little head spinning because up until very recently, stopping development was seen as progressive. Now...it's a 180.

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p53lifraumeni t1_j80366d wrote

Maybe they want to keep the nice place they’re living in nice.

−27

hjboots t1_j80425s wrote

Just wow.

"In this house we believe the poor should stay the fuck out of Cape Elizabeth."

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FITM-K t1_j806wp0 wrote

NIMBYism? In Cape Elizabeth! I am shocked! Shocked, I tell you!

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Majestic-Feedback541 t1_j807pam wrote

Time to set up homeless encampments there! Well... Maybe not in the winter. Just get all the poor people shipped there once it warms up, let's get them tents and random plywood and boards so they can build an empire!

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fastIamnot t1_j808cbx wrote

"One resident says his community hasn't changed since he moved there in the 1970s."

In other words, old guy.....get off my lawn.....don't park in front of my house.....those kids look suspicious......take down that pride flag........Trump 2024

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Fortunatesin77 t1_j8091ub wrote

Desantis just found his next spot to send refugees.

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crack-cocaine-novice t1_j809ukt wrote

Yeah, I’d be voting for the affordable housing even if I lived there because I have some selfless values and believe that others are entitled to a chance at similar comforts to those that I’ve been privileged to live with. Not every decision I make needs to be in my own self interest, especially true for people like me with a bit of wealth/ safety net. I wish more folks with wealth had this perspective.

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Porcupine-Baseball t1_j80btic wrote

The only way to provide affordable housing is to build more housing. It's a damn shame that NIMBY's are fighting against the lifting of zoning restrictions to allow for more housing to be built.

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Frosty_Stage_1464 t1_j80ea7r wrote

Classic cape Elizabeth. I got called 911 on by a resident for flying a drone over the ocean during sunrise. The officer just came and said hello and let me know someone complained and that there was nothing wrong with it and advised me to keep flying. These people are ridiculous beyond extreme. So far removed from the world.

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Freeman0032 t1_j80eyj4 wrote

What is there incentive to help human and animals under capitalism.

−9

notawight t1_j80fvv5 wrote

Cape is like the heavy bag for r/Maine. Doesn't matter what's going on, just say cape and watch the punches fly.

Wgme seems to have figured that out

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zezar911 t1_j80gnhn wrote

"town full of rich,entitled assholes acts like rich, entitled assholes"

imagine that

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EngineerAugust t1_j80j102 wrote

“We only want to see poor people working at their dead end service jobs, we can’t allow them to live in our community”

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RoyalRootersRallyCry t1_j80qhrr wrote

As the great George Carlin said once on the same subject: “NIMBY.. Not in MY back yard!”

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HumpSlackWails t1_j80zexg wrote

Sometimes people try to say "it's really just the very top .1% and the rich but not really rich people shouldn't be included.

This is the kind of stuff I like to remember when I'm told that.

I get not wanting to lose property value. I get wanting to have a nice community.

Segregating yourselves from that community while demanding access to all the good things just make people assholes.

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DidDunMegasploded t1_j810mel wrote

> Residents say they won't make changes that could help solve the state's housing crisis if it means changing the neighborhood feel. > One resident says his community hasn't changed since he moved there in the 1970s.

> “It would change the character of those communities when you add more housing, and these neighborhoods just weren't designed for that,” Cape Elizabeth resident Tom Durham said.

Go back to shaking your cane instead of making shit excuses, NIMBY boomer.

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CupAdditional5068 t1_j814zb9 wrote

Maybe DeSantis can fly some illegals up to help celebrate diversity

−5

Vryimpatnt t1_j815axl wrote

I am a liberal democrat. I bet most of these aholes are Democrats too.

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Chupacabra2030 t1_j816m1v wrote

Isn’t this a predominantly Democratic community? I don’t understand

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AssumptionLivid6879 t1_j816q4n wrote

If those people wanted to protect that much space, they needed to create an HoA or buy enough land to protect their space. You see investors buying and building entire cities out west, to protect that kind of life style.

To preserve you much be wealthy, it’s no one’s fault that these people aren’t rich enough to buy enough land to protect it. Freedom works both ways, NIMBYism is just blocking society from progressing.

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Jim_from_snowy_river t1_j81d01b wrote

Fucking boomer NIMBYs man. Their generation needs to die off already.

Can't have "them poors, sexual devients, and the minorities" upsetting the Boomer WASP feel of our community.

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Hot-Okra-5096 t1_j81k9c7 wrote

If I lived in CE I wouldn’t want them there either. For fucks sake, send them to Lewiston or Biddeford. Don’t put them in the nice areas.

−12

notcoolneverwas_post t1_j81keqv wrote

"A conservationists is a person who built their cabin in the woods last year"

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Maineguy58 t1_j81m9ql wrote

Cape is not as rich as you might think. A small subset skews the data. The average income is only 6K above Cumberland county average. Figuring there are a bunch of multi millionaires on Shore Road that skew upwards the average my guess is most of the town is just average.

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fLux3303 t1_j81o9yx wrote

Ah yes, a further wedge into the ever-increasing socioeconomic disparity in this country!

i love feel good stories

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imnotyourbrahh t1_j81sjgt wrote

Maine is an individual state with Maine governance and Maine laws.

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zutronics t1_j81x7n7 wrote

By posting this, I know I’m inviting hate but I live in Cape and not all people feel this way. There is a contingent of people here that fight everything, no matter the cause. I have small children and moved here to raise them in this town. There was a referendum to build new schools and it was also shot down because it would impact our taxes. It’s very frustrating as the town says all the right things, but acts completely differently.

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nedasherman283 t1_j81xz33 wrote

I hope Falmouth will get some better traction with affordable housing. The route one corridor is so perfect, bus route and straight shot right into Portland.

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XDonovan t1_j82hjfr wrote

Just to be clear, the best thing is to fly those flags AND accept the ADUs. Not one or the other.

Everyone needs to stop being dicks to each other because they don't like/don't understand what their neighbor is doing. Motherfuckers would be so much happier if they minded their own business. Let me be clear, if what you are doing is causing hate towards another, you're a fucking asshole.

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XDonovan t1_j82hr4e wrote

What does it fucking matter? Picking one of those barbaric tribes we call political parties in America makes you as dumb as the rest of the morons you hate on the opposite side.

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SnooCats7847 t1_j82zyd2 wrote

Anything that will stick it to Eliot Cutler and those poor victims in cape.

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cracan1 t1_j83kijr wrote

Yes Cape Elizabeth wants ADU's built and they are all for it... as long as they are in South Portland.

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lucidlilacdream t1_j83pw9p wrote

It’s 6k over the town of Cumberland not Cumberland county based on what you posted. The median household income is 126k. That’s exactly what I would expect. The median household income income in Cumberland county is $80k.

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Maineguy58 t1_j83v5t2 wrote

My mistake. You are correct. It was Cumberland town not county. I originally made the argument because I know there are a large number of lower income homes and properties in neighborhoods you don’t see. A blanket description of all residents is inaccurate. But I do agree that the most vocal groups in Cape are NIMBY folks who like to feel virtuous by talking a good game as long as it’s on someone else’s field. I have lived in the SoPo side of town for 20 years and the town has changed over the past 20 years and has moved to consistently Democratic voters who one might think would be welcoming based on their yard signs.

I wonder how a low income proposal in the middle of the gentrified Portland west end would fly.

0

DOGO8991 t1_j83x6is wrote

Gor forbid the "feel" of a neighborhood ever be altered for the greater benefit

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Good-North-7176 t1_j83xkbs wrote

You are so right about this. But it requires mathing and understanding how averages work. Much easier to just say “they’re all such rich assholes.” Also median = half the people make LESS than that.

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MrsBeansAppleSnaps t1_j84izs1 wrote

No one is making generalizations. Your town voted against affordable housing. It voted against building new schools. You think you have a "vibrant town center" that needs saving, when really you have a strip mall and nothing more. You restrict public access to public spaces like beaches at every opportunity. You want to remain rural, but also enjoy all of the economic and cultural benefits that downtown Portland offer 10 minutes away.

People are going easy on Cape in this thread.

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Good-North-7176 t1_j84sr56 wrote

You said “you” a lot in that response. I’ve literally never done any of those things. (But, no one is making generalizations.) Keep the divide growing by not seeking to understand that MANY citizens here are working very hard to do all the things you say we don’t do. The town council is working fervently to bring Cape in line with the housing law. This article highlights one despised citizens opinion…it was a public comment session, not a vote. All my friends and I worked our asses off to pass the housing amendments and the school bond, only to see it derailed by old rich white people who’ve lived here forever and don’t want to open their eyes and accept that change will happen eventually. But it’s ok, you can keep thinking the town is just made up of all wealthy jerks who don’t want anything near anyone ever. Your lack of interest in actual facts is unhelpful and fails to move the social progress ball forward at all. I’ll just go back to canvassing and fundraising while you “go easy” on Cape. 👍

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nattatalie t1_j84x2mi wrote

What is that supposed to mean? Don’t put them in “nice” areas? You know there are low wage jobs that need working in Cape Elizabeth, right? So are people supposed to ride the bus from Biddeford to Cape Elizabeth to work at the Rite Aid in that one strip mall?

People deserve to live where they work. So either the minimum wage in Cape Elizabeth should be $30/hour (even at shit retail and food service jobs) or they need affordable housing. They can’t have it both ways. 🤷🏻‍♀️

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greenglasstree t1_j850cvv wrote

Cape Elizabeth is only socially progressive. They are anti-racism but pro-elitism. They don't like low IQ, poor, uneducated, fat, poorly dressed people. They like people of any skin color, sexual orientation, gender, or religion as long as they are thin, well dressed, well mannered, rich, educated, and smart.

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greenglasstree t1_j850yhi wrote

They're only Democrats because Republicanism is now associated with low IQ, anti-intellectual, anti-education, fat, fundie Christian, poorly dressed, small vocabulary poor people from Alabama.

If there were a right-wing party in America that catered to high IQ, cognitive elitist, pro-education, secular, thin, well dressed, well read, well travelled rich and educated people who play lacrosse and wear J Crew, they would consider joining that party.

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zutronics t1_j851ahx wrote

I take umbrage with your use of “you”. I voted for affordable housing and the new schools. The younger generation wants these things - but we have a long way to go. I also agree the town center is a strip mall.

The NIMBY movement is not unique to Cape. My previous town, Cambridge, MA has similar issues. The city says they want affordable housing but then you have neighborhood associations who say they support it - just not in their neighborhood. Same with my hometown in NY.

Trust me when I tell you many of us here in Cape support affordable housing.

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MrsBeansAppleSnaps t1_j8577jz wrote

No one said it was unique to CE. Falmouth restricts access to Mackworth Island and refuses to build any housing at all. Scarborough residents fight against what is a pretty good development at the old race track. Freeport thinks adding a few hundred homes will kill their town character. Brunswick put a moratorium on all big development. It's everywhere and it's ruining southern Maine. The smartest thing any non-home owner could do right now is move away, and that's sad.

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muthermcreedeux t1_j88sjee wrote

No. What's stopping progress is large corporations and the 1%, not a few middle to high middle income residents. It's not each other we should be fighting.

No one wants to live in a town with a lot of low income housing, but the problem is really that jobs aren't paying enough to the worker and they are being forced into low income housing as their only option. The solution is to fight back against the corporate world so people can make a loving wage.

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HumpSlackWails t1_j88szjm wrote

False. Some people understand that communities require low-income workers to function and don't hate the idea of those people living around them.

YOU do. These people do. I don't.

The corporations aren't responsible for these residents wanting to put up class walls.

No.

EDIT: People ARE responsible for their choices and beliefs within our systems. Its how we make progress: by better people believing in better things and making better choices. SOME people believe better things.

0