Like so many things in the Bay Area, this is a self-created problem. Despite living here, I have little sympathy for the sob-stories who voted for the exact p

Like so many things in the Bay Area, this is a self-created problem. Despite living here, I have little sympathy for the sob-stories who voted for the exact policies that put them out of business. It infects every level of policymaker thinking (at least what they choose to publicly state and run for office on). It's a fruitless desire to resist development and population growth, no matter what the cost. And we're seeing the costs obviously now. The political inclination of government (and the mistaken belief of voters) to "keep things the same" and prevent gentrification or any kind of development matching the demand for people to move here may play well for votes, but is causing every problem you can see. The constraints on housing and development trickle down to everything. The cost of hiring people, the price of retail/commercial space, the inability to police / prevent crime, the emptying out of formerly affordable neighborhoods, traffic, homelessness, etc. This is not a puzzle. When you make land so valuable (which pleases some), it leads to things that cannot show their value clearly to be priced out. And the very policies that are intended to protect the people who got here first (a very questionable policy), end up hurting them. The more you try to control rent, the worse the situation gets. Politicians intend well. But intentions are highly overrated. Effects are what matter. As long as we refuse to build up, out, and have rational transportation systems (overcoming local inertia against building them), and accept that we're growing, this will continue.