Tech Rides Are Focus of Hostility in Bay Area

[jerry33]

Or increase local tax rates. Something like a city income tax could both improve the city and attract fewer wealthy residents.

The problem with income tax is that once a government gets it's hand on your paycheque, they never let go. The Federal income tax was supposed to be a temporary measure to pay for WWI and was sold with the idea that it would be discontinued in a very short time.

 

[omgwtfbyobbq]

That's easy enough to deal with. Just make the tax rate proportional to income/wealth inequality.

This is kind of off topic, but according to Wikipedia, the income tax has been around since the war of 1812.

Income tax in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I doubt it's as simple as never letting go. I imagine that income tax sticking around is a function of military expansion/a large number of global conflicts since WWI as well as the government providing beneficial services (highway system, mail, etc...) at cost that the private sector was either unable to unwilling to provide. There are probably many other factors as well.

 

[Norbert]

I'd think there are things at the the city planning level that could be done to make living in Silicone Valley, or the in-between areas, more attractive for those who currently live in SF. However a precondition might be to remove the max height restriction mentioned, specifically in those areas which are then designated to become more city-like. My impression is that things in SV are very distributed, which has its advantages, but it might be good (and profitable) to create a few areas (or a single one) where things are more centered and focused as they are in larger cities' "downtown" areas, for example.

I guess eventually some companies may find there will be an economic advantage in moving their operations elsewhere, if the demand-supply relationship of rental and housing remains so disadvantageous for their employees, then needing the salary to pay for it.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

More charity (out of guilt?!) from Bay Area tech heavyweights:

From The New York Times:

With New Antipoverty Initiative, Salesforce C.E.O. Puts Silicon Valley on Spot

Many have heard of the backlash against the tech industry in San Francisco. Now one executive is trying to convince his peers that charity should come with profits.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/07/with-new-antipoverty-initiative-salesforce-c-e-o-puts-silicon-valley-on-spot/

 

[lorih]

I like the idea of the charity, but the author of the article is weird. It says the money goes to anti-poverty initiatives, and then the author proceeds to compare Benioff to...

"Warren Hellman, the deceased investor who gave millions of dollars to cultural, educational and medical charities in the Bay Area and founded and financed a free bluegrass concert series, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass."

I don't see putting on a free concert in the bay area equivalent to helping the 1 in 5 people living in poverty in bay area. To quote the author: San Francisco’s 4.8 percent unemployment rate is well below the nation’s 6.7 percent, but one in five Bay Area residents live in poverty and rising rents are forcing low and middle-income residents out of the city."

 

[lloyds]

Had my pano and windows open yesterday because it was a beautiful day. A lady at a bus stop yelled out to me saying, "you should be ashamed of yourself because there are people who can't afford to pay rent." I just ignored her and drove off when the light turned green. It's a shame that class warfare has become a part of the culture in certain parts of California now.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Had my pano and windows open yesterday because it was a beautiful day. A lady at a bus stop yelled out to me saying, "you should be ashamed of yourself because there are people who can't afford to pay rent." I just ignored her and drove off when the light turned green. It's a shame that class warfare has become a part of the culture in certain parts of California now.

Ouch We are all hardworking folks who've earned every dime that got us this far and have earned the opportunity to own and enjoy this car. It hurts to have to experience such abuse though.

My wife, son and I did experience a variant of this a couple of weeks ago when a pickup truck on raised shocks pulled up alongside at a light; there were two teenage boys in the back seat who started hurling some nasty words at my wife and I, much of it tinged with racist nonsense. Much of it my 7-yr-old son in the back couldn't make out or understand thankfully.

 

[darthvdr]

Had my pano and windows open yesterday because it was a beautiful day. A lady at a bus stop yelled out to me saying, "you should be ashamed of yourself because there are people who can't afford to pay rent." I just ignored her and drove off when the light turned green. It's a shame that class warfare has become a part of the culture in certain parts of California now.

The fight between the far left and far right really did create the atmosphere of them vs. us. Very unfortunate. Many if not most of us worked very hard to be able to live a lifestyle or be able to purchase a car like the MS. As a matter of fact, the P85+ is my most expensive purchase other than our home. Didn't buy this car until I retired as we have lived quite a frugal life. We figured it's time to enjoy life a little.

 

[GasDoc]

My wife, son and I did experience a variant of this a couple of weeks ago when a pickup truck on raised shocks pulled up alongside at a light; there were two teenage boys in the back seat who started hurling some nasty words at my wife and I, much of it tinged with racist nonsense.

Seriously? Around your area? Sorry that happened to you. I'm local to you, BTW; let's grab a coffee sometime.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Seriously? Around your area? Sorry that happened to you. I'm local to you, BTW; let's grab a coffee sometime.

Thanks, GasDoc. I was rather taken aback too when it happened right off Holly St. Yup, let's sync up soon; we did chat briefly at Teslive btw.

 

[GasDoc]

Thanks, GasDoc. I was rather taken aback too when it happened right off Holly St. Yup, let's sync up soon; we did chat briefly at Teslive btw.

I'll show you the new de-chrome wrap that I'm getting in San Carlos tomorrow, provided I go through with it.

 

[dsm363]

Ouch We are all hardworking folks who've earned every dime that got us this far and have earned the opportunity to own and enjoy this car. It hurts to have to experience such abuse though.

My wife, son and I did experience a variant of this a couple of weeks ago when a pickup truck on raised shocks pulled up alongside at a light; there were two teenage boys in the back seat who started hurling some nasty words at my wife and I, much of it tinged with racist nonsense. Much of it my 7-yr-old son in the back couldn't make out or understand thankfully.

That's horrible. Was there an adult/ parent driving them? I can only hope they said something to them later but probably they were raised in an environment like that if they felt comfortable doing that to someone they didn't know in public. Sorry this happened to you.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Thanks, Dave. There was presumably an adult in the driver's seat that we couldn't see given the raised shocks and that the truck was to our left.

We've gone a bit OT but, I think some of the same underlying tensions that drove the shuttle bus protests in SF are manifesting in other ways across the Bay Area.

There's always been wealth here coupled with pricey real estate and such but, things have somehow gone off the rails a bit of late.

 

[cwerdna]

San Francisco Board of Supervisors Denies Appeal of Google Bus Stops | NBC Bay Area

Not surprisingly, a bunch of folks tried to block the program

calling for an environmental review to study the impact of the new shuttle program.

Supporters of the review said the diesel emissions and pedestrian safety risks have environmental impacts....

Uhh.... I think it's pretty obvious that if the shuttles went away and all those workers drove instead, the environmental impact and pedestrian safety risks would be FAR worse.

Another story w/more details on this:
San Francisco tech shuttle pilot program clears road block appeal - CNET

 

[cwerdna]

Yahoo bus blockaded, puked on in Oakland - CNET
Protesters Block, Vomit on Tech Commuter Buses at MacArthur BART Station | NBC Bay Area

 

[cwerdna]

Wow, it seems like these folks have shifted to this: Anti-tech protesters target Kevin Rose's neighborhood - CNET.

It seems like these protestors actually have a web site: Defend the Bay Area | Fight the Tech Takeover. So... they're obviously using tech... Hmm.. and they use Twitter, which is headquartered in (drumroll....) San Francisco!

And, I'm 99% certain their organizers have used computers w/either Intel or AMD CPUs, w/both being based in the SF Bay Area (Santa Clara and Sunnyvale). Intel doesn't provide company shuttles to/from SF. Don't know about AMD. And, it wouldn't surprise me if a good % of them use Macs, and Apple does provide shuttles between their campus and SF.

And, I suspect they use many technology products (computers included) which have components designed and engineered in the Bay Area.

Imagine if these companies didn't exist...

 

[AnOutsider]

Wow, it seems like these folks have shifted to this: Anti-tech protesters target Kevin Rose's neighborhood - CNET.

It seems like these protestors actually have a web site: Defend the Bay Area | Fight the Tech Takeover. So... they're obviously using tech... Hmm.. and they use Twitter, which is headquartered in (drumroll....) San Francisco!

And, I'm 99% certain their organizers have used computers w/either Intel or AMD CPUs, w/both being based in the SF Bay Area (Santa Clara and Sunnyvale). Intel doesn't provide company shuttles to/from SF. Don't know about AMD. And, it wouldn't surprise me if a good % of them use Macs, and Apple does provide shuttles between their campus and SF.

And, I suspect they use many technology products (computers included) which have components designed and engineered in the Bay Area.

Imagine if these companies didn't exist...

To be fair, I don't think they're saying the companies shouldn't exist...

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

To be fair, I don't think they're saying the companies shouldn't exist...

Yeah.

…/ It seems like these protestors actually have a web site: Defend the Bay Area | Fight the Tech Takeover. So... they're obviously using tech... /…

As I understand it, it’s not the tech they’re opposing…

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Some new ideas from an ex-Facebook exec:

A one-percenter from Facebook: Status quo needs to change (QA) - CNET

Former Facebook exec Chamath Palihapitiya grew up on welfare but caught a lucky break. He has an idea how the tech industry can help people -- and profit everyone concerned.