[0] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/06/finnish-busine...

For a building company getting ready to add on several million dollars worth of floor space, you can bet that they will engineer their books so if they have little to no income.

They do that already for income taxes....

The city can sublet it, the developer derives zero revenue.

Precedent being an odd mother, the capacity to morph violations into stealth taxation might not be a power one wants to grant to a government.

That and I don't really have a problem with making the rich the country's piggybank.

See: NY, CA, &c.

That is: (dis)incentives matter.

Maybe we can agree that our tax system is a Byzantine train wreck in need of reform.

In contrast, the US was founded in rebellion, and has a cultural acceptance/expectation of a weak state, preferably de-centralized (federal). Rural independence and freedom is more highly valued, so governmental norms/regulations are always seen as slightly suspect/illegitimate. People prefer fines/punishments for "breaking government rules" to be more of a slap on the wrist, because it's more accepted to see what you can get away with, without the government catching you.

(But keep in mind this is really only in the realm of "regulation", like in this case, or in speed limits, etc. Violent crime is a whole other story, where the culture is far more punitive.)

I have worked in at least 2 of the buildings on that list (both of which had 0 violations) and honestly the plazas were lovely, well maintained and a great place to eat lunch on a nice day. I think it was the desire to attract and keep tenants which kept it nice, not the fear of fines.

First time 5k as a warning.

Second time, you knew what you were doing 50k

Third time, fuck you, if we can do third strike laws for citizens we can do it for businesses. 50m fine.

Bet there'd be a lot fewer repeat offenses