[telchar]

On rent control and gentrification I don't have a strong opinion right now. But I'd argue that if one has the means to buy but chooses not to, I can't feel bad for them if they get pushed out by rising rents. Buying a house is a good way to establish roots in a community. For those who can't afford to buy I feel that the argument that gentrification is harmful has some merit though, of course if the renter has started in a bad neighborhood I wouldn't think it would typically be that expensive to buy.

To use your analogy, if you don't put a ring on it you might lose it [your partner]. At least if one is divorced there is likely some alimony.

I suspect much of the real problem with gentrification involves the legacy of redlining and other abuses of vulnerable populations, like predatory contract loans and subprime mortgages. If populations such as inner-city blacks weren't systematically prevented from purchasing property in past decades gentrification would probably be much less a hot-button issue.