In California last week, legislators and interest groups declared dead a measure…to allow certain apartments with some low-income units to sidestep the state’s environmental review process. That followed a failed effort by state lawmakers in New York earlier this year to renew a widely used tax break for rental housing in New York City….

For both measures, construction unions were key to the defeat, as they won over key allies with their argument that the government shouldn’t be aiding apartment development without also guaranteeing union-level wages.

Let’s see, low income housing, union wages.  Union wages, low income housing.

Union wages add some 20% to the cost of residential construction in California and New York.  Low income folks—who have the lowest ability to pay up; even union leadership understands that tautology—are being gouged by these unions.

That 20% is the vig low income folks must pay to have housing.  Alternatively, that 20% is the vig others must pay to subsidize low income housing.

Nice construction project you got there, really cool that it’s for the less fortunate.  Be too bad if something were to happen to it.