5 ms·

They could have easily use their weight, reach and influence to envision and build an entire tech city community. It's not that hard. It’s actually very hard.

They could have easily use their weight, reach and influence to envision and build an entire tech city community. It's not that hard. It’s actually very hard. Most available land has already been built up. Cities are very strict about zoning and not allowing additional development. Tech companies can’t just steamroll the local governments. It’s very much a poor governance situation. I agree with your conclusion, I just don’t believe Big Tech can fix it so easily.

rednerrus 8y ago
Local governments are typically very easy to influence. Especially when you are the largest tax provider.
- mathattack 8y ago
  Mountain View required Facebook to give up the free meals benefit to lease a building. Google jumped through tons of hoops to develop housing in Mountain View. Palo Alto has blocked new housing for the last decade. They enforce strict zoning that has curtailed commercial development too.
  - dionidium 8y ago
    Well, sure. If you're going to bluff the car salesman, you have to be willing to walk out of the dealership (otherwise it really is just a bluff).
    - nostrademons 8y ago
      ...and then you haven't actually influenced the local government, you've just found a new one.
      - dionidium 8y ago
        One would hope that a local government that lost its town Facebook or Google would be influenced by that loss, but maybe things are actually so bad that they wouldn't be.
        nradov 8y ago
        Many of the people who are long time residents and home owners in Mountain View wouldn't shed a tear if Google packed up and left. The general local attitude toward those large tech companies is ambivalent at best.
        dionidium 8y ago
        Yes, I know. They aren't going to change that position voluntarily. I strongly suspect that state intervention is inevitable.
  - tzs 8y ago
    > Mountain View required Facebook to give up the free meals benefit to lease a building Not quite. The rule is that for offices in the Village at San Antonio Center project meals within an office cannot be subsidized more than 50% on a regular basis. Meals that are in restaurants that are open to the public can be subsidized as often and as much as the office wants to. That development includes several restaurants. I expect Facebook will make arrangements to use them to provide Facebook's free meal benefit at that development.
    - mathattack 8y ago
      The point is that local governments are making companies jump through hoops to get space.
      - redmanticore 8y ago
        not true either, it is the opposite, in fact. see more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bl19RoR7lc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bl19RoR7lc
jgust 8y ago
If Big Tech wanted to fix it, they could. They have the capital to purchase new governance in California & the Bay to effectively change the laws to foster growth.
- dahdum 8y ago
  The zeitgeist of local politics has been moving against them. With attacks on commuter buses, rallies, and blame for the housing crises assigned to them.
- tomatotomato37 8y ago
  >They have the capital to purchase new governance in California & the Bay to effectively change the laws to foster growth That's not exactly a good thing. One day it's sponsoring cheap apartments, the next it's dissolving labor laws.
- noelsusman 8y ago
  Despite popular opinion, you can't actually just throw money at politicians and get them to do whatever you want. Politicians need money because it helps them get votes, but allowing dense housing in neighborhoods full of single family homes is a great way to lose votes. No amount of money will make up for that at the polls.
- mathattack 8y ago
  Buying politicians isn’t leadership. Leadership is saying “I’m willing to lose some of my home price appreciation in the short term to keep the ecosystem thriving”
- dangjc 8y ago
  Unfortunately, only residents get to vote, not people who are just working there during the day. And these areas are so expensive, most of their workers commute from outside.
- seehafer 8y ago
  California has an initiative system. If Big Tech wanted to get more housing built, it could do so, and it wouldn't require any changes in elected officials.
onemoresoop 8y ago
How about to diversify geographically??
briffle 8y ago
Our next campus needs to handle buildings up to 8 stories high, plus apartment buildings the same height for all our jobs were bringing.. I guess we can't come to your town. Repeat that 2 or 3 times, and the problem goes away quickly..

rednerrus 8y ago

Local governments are typically very easy to influence. Especially when you are the largest tax provider.

mathattack 8y ago
Mountain View required Facebook to give up the free meals benefit to lease a building. Google jumped through tons of hoops to develop housing in Mountain View. Palo Alto has blocked new housing for the last decade. They enforce strict zoning that has curtailed commercial development too.
- dionidium 8y ago
  Well, sure. If you're going to bluff the car salesman, you have to be willing to walk out of the dealership (otherwise it really is just a bluff).
  - nostrademons 8y ago
    ...and then you haven't actually influenced the local government, you've just found a new one.
    - dionidium 8y ago
      One would hope that a local government that lost its town Facebook or Google would be influenced by that loss, but maybe things are actually so bad that they wouldn't be.
      - nradov 8y ago
        Many of the people who are long time residents and home owners in Mountain View wouldn't shed a tear if Google packed up and left. The general local attitude toward those large tech companies is ambivalent at best.
        dionidium 8y ago
        Yes, I know. They aren't going to change that position voluntarily. I strongly suspect that state intervention is inevitable.
- tzs 8y ago
  > Mountain View required Facebook to give up the free meals benefit to lease a building Not quite. The rule is that for offices in the Village at San Antonio Center project meals within an office cannot be subsidized more than 50% on a regular basis. Meals that are in restaurants that are open to the public can be subsidized as often and as much as the office wants to. That development includes several restaurants. I expect Facebook will make arrangements to use them to provide Facebook's free meal benefit at that development.
  - mathattack 8y ago
    The point is that local governments are making companies jump through hoops to get space.
    - redmanticore 8y ago
      not true either, it is the opposite, in fact. see more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bl19RoR7lc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bl19RoR7lc

jgust 8y ago

If Big Tech wanted to fix it, they could. They have the capital to purchase new governance in California & the Bay to effectively change the laws to foster growth.

dahdum 8y ago
The zeitgeist of local politics has been moving against them. With attacks on commuter buses, rallies, and blame for the housing crises assigned to them.
tomatotomato37 8y ago
>They have the capital to purchase new governance in California & the Bay to effectively change the laws to foster growth That's not exactly a good thing. One day it's sponsoring cheap apartments, the next it's dissolving labor laws.
noelsusman 8y ago
Despite popular opinion, you can't actually just throw money at politicians and get them to do whatever you want. Politicians need money because it helps them get votes, but allowing dense housing in neighborhoods full of single family homes is a great way to lose votes. No amount of money will make up for that at the polls.
mathattack 8y ago
Buying politicians isn’t leadership. Leadership is saying “I’m willing to lose some of my home price appreciation in the short term to keep the ecosystem thriving”
dangjc 8y ago
Unfortunately, only residents get to vote, not people who are just working there during the day. And these areas are so expensive, most of their workers commute from outside.
seehafer 8y ago
California has an initiative system. If Big Tech wanted to get more housing built, it could do so, and it wouldn't require any changes in elected officials.

onemoresoop 8y ago

How about to diversify geographically??

briffle 8y ago

Our next campus needs to handle buildings up to 8 stories high, plus apartment buildings the same height for all our jobs were bringing.. I guess we can't come to your town. Repeat that 2 or 3 times, and the problem goes away quickly..