[aa-jv]

If you are wealthy enough to leave Vienna, you're not seeing the real Vienna when you're here.

(Disclaimer: I've also lived in many top tier cities around the world. Vienna is still a lot better than most of them, but don't kid yourself that its because they worked anything out beyond taxing the living daylights out of anyone who tries to build things..)

[malermeister]

What is the "real" Vienna, in your opinion? My entire family lives there and i have dozens of friends there. Are they not real people? They live cheaply in subsidized housing and generally live very comfortable lives.

[aa-jv]

Sure they're real, and sure they live comfortable lives. But this doesn't mean that Vienna isn't a welfare state which buys the happiness of its citizens through heavy, heavy taxation.

[malermeister]

How is that a bad thing? The welfare states is the means through which the world's most livable city and those comfortable lives are achieved.

[aa-jv]

Welfare is only sustainable for as long as there is someone willing to pay for it. That's the entire point of the heroes in the original article.

You can't make bread out of thin air. Vienna has a serious welfare budget.

[malermeister]

It doesn't matter if people are willing. Taxes are not optional.