[mcherm]

> if it's democratic like that I'm mostly OK with it

One thing to keep in mind. It might be that it's "democratic" in that all the homeowners are allowed to vote for or against the zoning policy (or for or against the local leaders who set zoning policy) but ONLY the local homeowners are allowed to vote. Those who rent (or who can't even afford to rent) live in a different district and aren't allowed to participate in the election.

If that's the case, then voting doesn't represent "the will of the people", just the will of those people permitted to participate.

[sokoloff]

I live in Massachusetts. Maybe I’d like to move to Palo Alto or Malibu. I hear they’re lovely.

To what extent, and by what mechanism, should the government of those two areas weight my preferences on housing policies in those areas? (I think it is properly exactly zero, even I say really, really want to.)