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Desperate French Government Threatens To “Requisition” Vacant Buildings
Wolf Richter www.testosteronepit.com www.amazon.com/author/wolfrichter
Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault made it official: the government would requisition vacant buildings regardless of who owned them, including office buildings. It would then convert them to apartments and make them available to the homeless and the “badly housed.”
As a first step, he asked for “an inventory of available buildings.” That list should be on his desk in “a few weeks,” he said. He was in a rush to identify these properties “so that we can undertake at least several operations in January and February 2013.” A desperate move to halt the collapse of his numbers. And another broadside at investors.
It’s getting tough for him and President François Hollande. As France sinks deeper into its economic mire, people are losing patience: those who still have confidence in Hollande plunged to 36%, the lowest level of any president six months after taking office (the data go back to 1981). He dropped to 31% among workers —a catastrophe for a Socialist—and to 21% among shop keepers, artisans, business owners, and CEOs [they’d already stirred up the pot: A Capitalist Revolt in Socialist France].
And Prime Minister Ayrault hit 34%. Among his predecessors, only Édith Cresson in 1991 and Alain Juppé in 1995 were lower. Both were sacked, Cresson 11 months into her term, and Juppé two years into his. Only 19% of the shop keepers, artisans, business owners, and CEOs had any confidence in him—despite his “gaffe” that he would be open to discussing the 35-hour workweek to bring down the cost of labor, which was followed by furious backpedaling from the entire Socialist power structure. Among workers, his confidence level dwindled to 29%. An untenable position. He should be polishing his resume.
Instead, he’d requisition buildings.
With his announcement, he backed Housing minister Cécile Duflot. She’d already pointed at the “seriousness of the situation” and declared—as the first major cold wave imposed additional risks on the homeless—that she’d study the possibility of requisitioning vacant buildings for the purpose of converting them into housing for the homeless and the “badly housed.”
To preempt the conservative opposition from having public conniptions, she dragged their former standard-bearer Jacques Chirac out of the closet. Back in 1995 when he was still mayor of Paris, he requisitioned, “as everyone remembers,” about 1,000 offices and apartments.
Requisitioning buildings and apartments is a tactic for all sides of the political spectrum. The law that authorized it was passed in 1945 to deal with the post-World War II housing crunch. And during the 1960s, over 100,000 requisition orders were issued.
Advocacy groups such as Jeudi Noir (Black Thursday) and Droit au Logement (Right to Housing) have been pressuring the government to do something about the “housing crisis.” To make a public point, they chose a famous symbol as backdrop for their press conference: 1a, Place des Vosges—a building of 1500 sq. meters (16,000 sq. ft.) that has been vacant since 1965.
I used to live not far from there and walked through the Place de Vosges a lot, always wondering why someone would allow such a valuable property to remain empty. At the time, it was visibly going to heck. Yet it’s in an awesome location, facing the garden in the middle of the square, with galleries and cafés on two sides, and no traffic—an immense luxury in Paris. Members of Jeudi Noir squatted that building for a year until they were removed in 2010, a highly mediatized affair.
Instead of doing his utmost to encourage private sector construction, Prime Minister Ayrault has jumped on the bandwagon of the squatters, sending shivers down the spines of those who invest in real estate development and construction. With perfect timing: just when France desperately needs that business to pick up speed—not only to create sorely needed housing units, but also to create jobs [Worse than the Infamous Lehman September: France’s Private Sector Gets Kicked off a Cliff].
Unemployment is over 10%, youth unemployment over 25%. In disadvantaged areas, such as a number of volatile suburbs, unemployment is far higher. For example, in Clichy-sous-Bois, an eastern suburb of Paris, unemployment is 22%, and youth unemployment is astronomical. The pressure in these areas is rising. They’ve blown up before. Jobs would relieve some of it. But requisitioning buildings and scaring investors won’t.
To counter ugly economic trends that started while Nicolas Sarkozy was still president, the government has re-unearthed the catchword “competitiveness”—entailing the cherished and untouchable 35-hour workweek, equally untouchable wages, and sky-high employer-paid payroll charges. An explosive mix. And it just blew up. Read.... Attack On France’s Sacred Cow.
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America over the past 70 or so years excelled in comparison to other countries because 1) The standard of living was continually rising 2) A populus that was educated-A 12th grade Public Education was guaranteed 3) The Government has been stable.
Those characteristics are no longer applicable. Thus, we're on a collision course with a very big and thick brick wall. Why? Politicians deliberately spending for the benefit of their party without any recogniton of reuslts. The USA Federal Government has financially absorbed any potential downfall. Think about it. In 1980 our Federal debt was $900B, today it's 16Trillion. Where did all that money go? Our GDP certainly hasn't accelerated to that magnitude. Our standard of living /incomes have not grown dramatically. The Department of Education created by Carter has been a spigot for Union benefits. The high school drop out rate is around 30%. Simply put, our Federal Government has created debt to support spending with any concern for results or repayment. 56% of funds taken in by the USA are for entitlements. Where do we go from here?
The French are scrambling. They really don't have a clue. Think how miniscule this is. Turning vacant buildings into homeless shelters? Hard work, Discipline, Ingenuity are not words familiar to the French. At some point, the French will feel the pain in a very big way. The sad thing is that the US isn't far behind.
I'm sure Obama, with all his legal expertise, can classify this as "Eminent Domain" ... damn French, they just gave him a new idea for MORE VOTES!
Here comes the Constitutional change to let him be our leader forever!
Just a matter of time anyway ... but damn, did they HAVE to give him the idea and the PRECEDENT!?!
Government-requisitioned vacant buildings, or let's just call it for what they'll be - autonomous crack-diluting/distributing community projects.
In the US the homeless get free airfare. One city wants to get rid of them so flys them to another. And so on and so forth. One guy said he's been all over the US.
BS. Show us a cite for that. (You won't.) City's don't fly homeless people out of their juridictions. They pass ordinances that make it impossible for the homeless to lie down and sleep, to be fed by good samaritans, or to use public restrooms, wash, or smoke a cigarette. Then they walk out all on their own.
Hawaii:
http://thejetpacker.com/hawaii-cleans-up-beaches-by-deporting-homeless-people/
A non-event. Regardless, the buildings will remain vacant or unproductive assets.
I suppose, except for the minor point of government ownership by theft, under color of legality.
When is theft not theft? When government gives itself "lawful"permission to take whatever it wants.
To the contrary, this will bolster GDP since they Gov't will spend billions in renovation costs and hire a million workers to complete $20M worth of work! The more government wastes, the better it is for the numbers and our overall good!
It looks to me like its part of their new urban transport policey
This will increase pop. density in the cities but may lead to a further "white flight"
Further house construction is a waste of diesel anyhow.............the Anglo cross channel house bubble is over and this external demand shock is on a huge scale.
This was a waste of money - spending many 10s of millions on a Bus ................
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkKOcr2sCac
Cutting down Nimes city centre trees ( these are vital for shade in French southern towns )
And all for a flippin Bus !!!!!!!!!!
Lesson learned - if you are going to rip up the streets stick in tram tracks........
PS - not looking good..............
http://www.statistiques.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/publications/p/1941/756/construction-logements-resultats-fin-septembre-2012-france.html
The monthly number of housing units graph suggests a return to 2009 lows...........
The experience in Ireland is to leave the isolated housing to nature and use local labour to repair the older more central house units.
For example the old centre of Cork has undergone a decline of population as the rest of the county and burbs boomed.......now much of the burbs are getting very very quiet as people dump their cars.
"Desperate French Government"
Yes they're... cos much like Obalie in the US they've failed to kick to bankers in the nuts... Vae victis Hollande!
the conquered in France is the French citizen
Liberté, égalité, fraternité SOUS L'ÉTAT
The Fifth Republic was born when the loi-cadre of '56 failed to sufficently divide the masses for easy conqest by the state-owned enterprises (including banks). The Fifth Republic is of, by, and for the benefit of- the State-Owned Enterprises. Sure there is the ocasional show trial, but even while the Chairman of Elf (Total) stood trial for bribery, his sucessors were out bribing foreign officials in States where France wasn't a colonial power, and disn't have more efficient (corrupt) levers of power to manipulate.
"Instead of doing his utmost to encourage private sector construction"
Yeah that's a nice dick-ish comment and it makes me wonder if you've ever been to PAris at all TP.
Paris is CLOGGED, there's not a single acre of constructible land available in town. Otoh you have MILLIONS square meters of empty office space that are owned by scum bankers (BNP being the main offender). These huge places await a new owner or a tenent.
It's not unusual to see on a Parisian building an ad thats says "FOR RENT 3000 sq meters". Take this space from the bankers put working-class families in the buildings... what's wrong with that?
"La propriété c'est le vol" ;-)
Paris is congested, and the roads can be "quite the experience"! One used to be able to buy bumper stickers with the French equivalent of "I survived the Grand Circulaire" from many Parisian auto shops. Says it all really doesn't it!
For the thrill-seekers amongst us, navigating the Grand Circulaire on a motorbike in the rush hour is up there with white-water rafting. Been there, seen it, done it (Honda ST1100 - and bought the sticker!)
"Shut eyes, open throttle, pray for a quick demise" seems to sum up the mindset of the 4-wheeled users . . . . . . .
Office buildings aren't designed for residential use ... not enough bathrooms, kitchens, ventilation, etc.
But hey, why let mundane facts like architecture get in the way of a bright political idea?
Like the Brits, the 21st century French comfort themselves with the delusion that their 19th century national grandeur lives on. Legends in their own minds!
Actually i think youll find the grass roots in britain are moving us back toward what made us great, its a shame america is voting in, what lost us our greatness.
We are voting ukip, we want flat taxes, we want less government..
the french have always been socialists, its their thing..
In Britain thousands of offices have been converted to housing (by private developers) as a result of easing of planning/zoning rules as per square foot housing sells for more than offices.
Obviously some buildings are not suitable but many can be divided and the necessary plumbing etc installed.
should be interesting for the Capitalists of France to blame the collapse of France on the newly elected President no less. France is at war so we shall see. No way i'm coming within a country mile of Socialist France either tho. that euro is WORTHLESS...or at least the economy it created sure is. these countries need to return to their respective currencies POST HASTE...although it's probably too late for that anyways. The dollar will do in a pinch....
Its wrong because it sets a precendent of the infringment of personal property rights by the government. If you can't simply steal someones property - then on what authority does the government think it can do so?
If the government is invested in power by the people, and they delegate their power to the government - then it stands to reason that the powers of the government are limited to whatever powers are held by individual people. So where then does this power to infringe the rights of certain people come from?
If the government wishes to confiscate property - then it better find itself a thorough legal justification for doing so - otherwise it has become tyannical and placed itself above the law.
If the banks are indeed evil institutions, and they steal wealth through fractional reserve banking, and through the immoral process of charging interest on currency (which they created out of thin air, whose value has been stolen from every other holder of the currency) - then judge them by law, find them guilty of fraud and deem all their assets the proceeds of illegal activity - in which case they might be justly confiscated.
If you regard property as what it is - just another asset (same as PMs) - since it's hardly "productive", then what's the real diffrence between this form of asset confiscation and any others, such as the various fees and taxes your Governments of all colours are happy to levy (in exchange for dubious levels of "service")??
Incidentally the Banking Institutions have made very sure that they will be the best-protected should anyone (individuals of groups) decide to reclaim "their" asset rights . . .
That same conception of "private property rights" was the justification of the theft of native lands in America and the genocide of the First Peoples.
The legal underpinnings of western conceptions of "private property rights" includes the principle that property should be put to its best and highest use, hence nuisance laws and eminent domain. Further, land should not be locked into the hands of one owner and should be subject to periodic turnover, hence the rule against perpetuities.
If a bank has permitted a building to go unused for 47 years, take it. Fuck the bank. They stole it anyway.
http://www.dailypaul.com/261068/outrageous-civil-forfeiture-case-begins-...
Small business and job creation. Just not the type you were thinking of.
France is a socialist country which unless you know French history, most know nothing and are totally clueless (sorry dear author of this post).
Here if you are injured on the street, the law requires an onlooker to help you. There is solidarity here which is totally lacking in your America.
France has a public transportation system that works, a universal health care system that is rated number one in the world, the best communication systems at very low prices, good wine, no concealed carry laws, and solidarity amongst its citizens.
Using unused buildings for a social purpose was what they can do here. Paris still works for the majority of its citizens, unlike America.
Anyone can appear to enjoy a high standard of living by borrowing anticipated future earnings and consuming them today.
When it comes time to pay the piper, let's revisit your public transportation system that works, universal healthcare, communication systems, etc.
What is youth unemployment? How is France "working" for them? This premise that it works, because it work for the majority of people is merely appeal to popularity.
France is also among the highest taxed OECD nations, yet it is still in debt. How can this be? How will giving the government even more money, by raising taxes on the wealthy, solve this problem?
France, a veritable utopia. Just keep your mouth shut and let the government do for you.
Uh, your standard of living blows for most and you have minorities tipping cars in the suburbs (bet there are more than a few people who would like to be carrying). I'll bet they have to build a moat around France just bto keep people out.
Thanks, but no thanks.
PS - your school systems, especially higher education, suck.
Really?
Maybe you just need to check the rankings of many French Universities - and compare their performance with the American detritus that "passes" for Higher Education?
Obviously you have never experienced top-echelon European education (e.g La Sorbonne).
I submit that the problems you attribute to France are a result of immigration and population density. Further, I suggest that no major society has ever been able to sustain a stable population for any notable amount of time.
'the best communication systems at very low prices'
You mean the Minitel? Doubtless rated 'number one in the world' until France Telecom finally pulled the plug on France's closed-circuit telco internet this year.
If only those billions of written-off capital investment had been spent on housing ...
There was great solidarity among the socialist French pigs in helping hundreds of injured Algerians protestors in PARIS by administering further beatings until their morale approved or they died and dumping their bodies in the Seine...
Even today day while incomplete appologies for yesterday's sins are being bantered about, the French trained, equipped, and "advised" presidential guards and internal security forces in Africa have an almost unmatched record of using rape, torture, and murder to instill solidarity in the masses.
When 'americans' start to get concerned about the handling of sub humans or non humans, well, they are very low on ammo...
If the 'americans' in France did not treat those people the way they've done, those 'americans' would not be 'americans'.
Trouble: they are 'americans' so why expect something else from 'americans'?
Oh wait, you are an 'american' yourself and living in a world of fantasy where 'americans' are not what they are... That explains things.
Oh wait, you are an AnAnonymican Communautst Chinese citizenism citizen yourself and living in a world of fantasy where French roadsides are far too clean for your liking... That explains the sudden appearance of fresh dungheaps.
Perhaps you lack the capacity to distinguish between American and 'american'?
The difference between the practice of fascist statism in France and in the US (other than the ideology politicians nominally espouse for the sheeple) is that in the US the executives of Big Business go through the revolving door of Gig Government, whereas in France the Big Businesses themselves go through the revolving door.
As to running low on ammo- NEVER, especially in battles over the economic development of former European colonies (where my childhood, academic qualification, and professional experience intersect, and where the craniums of those caught in a false L/R or D/R dichotomy tend to spontaneously explode). In regards to the French- Algeria may be the most notorious, but it wasn't the first imperial repression in the drive to make French colonialism more politically correct. Six days before the birth of the Cinquième République referendums were held in the French colonies-
The stage for economic failure was set. On October 2, 1958, the independent Republic of Guinea was born.
Of all the French colonies, only Guinea had dared to vote ‘Non’ against both the metropole and the heroic and obstinate de Gaulle. De Gaulle was to be the savior of the French Empire. In order to preserve the empire, none of France’s other colonies could follow Guinea in seeking independence. Therefore, de Gaulle resolved that Guinea must fail; Guinea had to be made an example of to the remaining French colonies. The message would be sent that leaving the French Community was a formula for failure (Camara 145).
The French withdrawal from Guinea was brutal. Everything needed to run the new nation was taken by the French. What couldn’t be put onto ships was sabotaged or destroyed. Morrow writes that this included: military small arms and uniforms, office supplies and furniture, judicial documents and files, and medical supplies (37). Nelson adds telephones (190). Rivière, an eyewitness, adds that French technicians removed files and manuals, and French soldiers burnt their barracks (83). Camara states that buildings were burnt and railroad ties removed (140). Walsh includes telephone poles, and documentation for water, electric, and rail utilities, as well as the severing of the telephone lines that were left on the ground (interview).
To further ensure the economic demise of Guinea, on October 4, 1958, France ceased to admit Guinean imports under favored-nation status which it had accorded its colonies (Du Bois “Vote” 99). The immediate effect was that tons of bananas rotted on the docks at Conakry and Benti (Morrow 125). The long term effect was that France accounted for only 5.7 percent of Guinean exports by 1965, and less than one percent by 1972, down from the seventy-five percent before independence (Nelson 301). This does not even take into account that, in quantitative terms, the total exports declined during this period.
It's difficult to make self-confessed agent of imperialism Smedley Butler look like a chicken hawk by way of comparison, but de Galle succeeds...
"you are an 'american' yourself and living in a world of fantasy where 'americans' are not what they are. . ."
By that definition, you are more 'American' than that. Why do you publicly exhibit your own self-loathing? Why do you bring such shame to your ancesters?
AnAnonymous: More 'American' than 'American.'
I usually enjoy UR's comments, but here I have to +1 you: how is France really that different from the US? Note that I usually have to defend the frogs, here...
Item one: presidential republics placing immense power in the hands of one person.
Item two: a form of capitalism centered on big biz (where the main difference is if the biz is state-owned or state-supported and crony)
Item three: colonialism getting over to neo-colonialism - remember VietNam?
Item four: IMF
having said that, +1 to ParisianThinker, I agree. France functions, nevertheless...
'Americans' are the same.
It is an 'american' world and a US world order.
Viva la Revolucion! Viva La France! (still need to work on that nuker thing tho. and American info tech is currently creating trading strategies that when implemented will...
Instead of doing his utmost to encourage private sector construction,
____________________
A good one. Yet some could see that the fear of getting a flat robbed from you is quite a powerful incentive to drive the construction of others.
That is a point that this 'american' author wants to offuscate.
Infinite growth, here we go. With depletion of resources rearing its ugly head, the construction of buildings is going to be limited, especially in 'american' nations as substitution of oil energy by human workforce is going to extremelly difficult.
Just walking a construction site shows how much house building is dependent on oil powered engines. And no, that is not with your solar celled engine you will match that.
Every worker will have to live in the neighbouring environment (save hiring temporary crews of chinese that will stay on ground for six months, see how 'american' economics create demand for that kind of workforce)
An environment that has grown much expensive to live in due to the accumulation of wealth.
Today, it takes only one driver to operate one excavator. Imagine the crew of diggers you will have to hire to match the digging performed by one excavator per day.
So, yep, infinite growth, and the impossibility of it, expanding the inventory wont be that an easy option in the future, it is already not that an easy option.
Going to be fun watching 'americans' overcoming their environment, very fun.
AnAnonymous excreted:
And after the temporary crews of Chinese citizenism citizens leave, workers will have to be employed to clean up the mountains of crap left behind on the roadsides.
Smell how Chinese citizenism gastronomics creates demand for that kind of workforce.
you forgot to add the War Machine that has kept you safe and snotty for sixty years...especially the last ten. Oh, look! Ten million Algerians!
What war machine are you talking about? Safe from whom? And who is safe?
'Americans' have been running their war machine to support their 'american' scheme of extorting the weak, farming the poor.
This war machine is operated as the profits of 'americans'. If someone else benefits from it, it is an unintended consequence that 'americans' might have or not the power to correct.
That 'american' author sounds like those 'americans' who in the future will claim that the places of world whose resources are being depleted by 'americans' are regretting not the times when they had their resources but the times of pax americana, when the US military was policing the world.
Nope. They wont regret that time. What they will regret are the long gone resources that 'americans' consumed, consumption enabled by the umbrella provided by the US military protecting the extraction process.
'American' armies are not there to protect people, they are there to make sure that the resources in a place are well allocated to support the 'american' consumption pattern.
In such context, no person can feel safe as the 'american' armies do not protect people but flows of wealth.
'Americans' will never stop claiming to achieve what they have never been achieving.
It is just their nature.
AnAnonymousitizens have been running their war machine to support their Chinese citizenism scheme of farming the kooks and extorting the bewildered.
This war machine is operated by the extraction and consumption of their most plentiful resource: depleted insanium.
There is much truth in what you bring to this forum. Perhaps you do not appreciate that not all 'americans' are ignorant psychopaths.
Is there such an animal as the "Ignorant Psychopath"? The evidence we have now, of remarkably smart psychopaths commandeering positions of power and influence in key structures seems to imply the opposite, and there are a-plenty of these in the US FIRE economies, and Politics (surprise, surprise!)
It's not the blockhead that worries me - sheeple are traditionally easily diverted / placated / manipulated; My concern is the "smart, well-conected Psychopath" that can (and WILL) do whatever they "need" to further their, and ONLY THEIR aims.
And there are plenty of those in "Modern America" - maybe Mr Obama, certainly Mr Romney and / or his closet supporters (purely on the basis of his past actions.)
As they consolidate their power-base, to they become emboldened. Methinks the "Land of the Free" might not be quite so free in another 4 year's time . . . .
I have to assume that you are being sarcastic, yes?
"Truth"? In the bigoted and retarded ramblings of AnAnonymous? You are more likely to find a cactus growing on the bottom of the sea.
As against the equally bigoted ramblings of the American contributors? "Pot, Black, Kettle, Calling, The"
Mind you I sometimes wonder if AnAnonymous (and others) might not be real peoople, but a form of "next-generation" Astroturfing? Plant a provocative response, statistically analyse the replies, refine the "fuzzy logic" software to provide a more "human" AI response / database?
Turing Test here we come . . .
Wow. It won't be just Atlas who shrugs in France!
If these buildings are vacant it is because the owners lose less money just paying the property tax than they would by renting them, or maybe the office buildings are empty because paper shuffling can be outsourced to cheaper countries where workers can be laid off when business is bad or your competitor beats you badly on the price of your service. Government can not break the law of supply and demand though they never seem to tire of trying. How many office workers have been permanently replacerd by computerized systems?
Vacant since 1965? That is ridiculous. Obviously the government has given the owners more economic incentive to keep the place empty than to fill it up. That is where the problem is and that is where the government should start
I'm not sure where the relevant French law stands nowadays; if still the rent control law I knew in 15 years ago, anything built before 1945 is subject to rent control, which implies very cheap rent (I was paying USD 50/month for a 27 sq.m. (330 sq.ft) flat that would normally be worth USD 250/mo. myself) and your tenant is almost impossible to evict. The only way around it is to rent out the premises as a furnished flat. The other option is to turn it into a hotel, which would require substantial investment. Moreover, any building at all in Place des Vosges is a national heritage monument, which means it's extremely difficult to get permission to make any changes to it.
To give you one example, a friend of mine got appointed principal (or headmaster) of a secondary school in Paris that had a huge glass roof in a metal frame covering the entire inner courtyard/playground. In summer, nobody dared venture into it because it was a true greenhouse, so he told the maintenance people to tear it down. And they were horrified: the glass roof had been designed by Gustave Eiffel, just like the tower of the same name. And Mr. Eiffel did it so kids could play there even when it rained. Yes but... argued my friend. Well, it didn't take long before he found out it was classed as national heritage too. End of story.