I think it has more to do with the timing...in that, these are two companies that are going to be seriously affected by SF policies in the short term. Why Twit

I think it has more to do with the timing...in that, these are two companies that are going to be seriously affected by SF policies in the short term. Why Twitter and Zynga might be more deserving than a non tech company is because of the relatively high salaries of their staff. This extra disposable income flows up and down to the rest of the city. Look at it this way. You run a dry cleaning business. These are your choices: Your city can give Twitter a tax break to open shop near you (the same city). This will hopefully bring you new customers and help your business. This can work very indirectly. Twitter Employee >> Diner Waitress >> You. Or Your city can give you a tax break, but not one to Twitter. Twitter goes to a different city (because you can always find someplace that has lower taxes). Now neither you nor the diner have new customers. In theory, the tax break that you get ends up being less money than the extra money you would have made had Twitter opened shop.