4 ms·

Texas is next. Companies are moving out of SF for Texas.

BobbyJo 6y ago
You assume the companies are the source of the shenanigans, which I disagree with. It seems counter productive for a tech company to want their worker's cost of living to be higher, as that just means they will cost more. The reality is the companies create a large inelastic demand for living space, and the local government and property owners of exploit that for profit. If you just create adequate supply (build residential), or constrain demand (don't build office space), the problem doesn't happen.
- SR2Z 6y ago
  I'm not so sure that it's counterproductive, because the senior leadership of those tech companies is also frequently part of the local NIMBY class.
  - asdfasgasdgasdg 6y ago
    They have the same general characteristics as the local NIMBY class, but I think I'd want to see more evidence that they are actually members of that class. It's a substantial accusation to make without evidence, especially since you purport to link that to tech companies being NIMBY by policy -- again, a claim I've not seen evidence for.
  - BobbyJo 6y ago
    Only one half of the equation (new residential) is affected by NIMBY-ism. No new residential is fine, just don't build more office space then. That requires local governments not to endlessly expand spending though, so obviously impossible.
- TaylorAlexander 6y ago
  Free internet for the poor also improves political organizing which could be a net negative for the ultra wealthy.
  - Something1234 6y ago
    It also improves the ability to gaslight those minorities via targeted advertising. Not that newstainment doesn't do the same.
  - BobbyJo 6y ago
    Literally anything that changes anything 'could be a negative for the ultra wealthy'.
throwawaysea 6y ago
I really hope the employees who follow don’t vote like they did in CA. I’ve seen first hand the effect that had on politics in WA. I hope TX avoids the same fate.
- ccpcx 6y ago
  During election season I saw billboards here about like: Are you new from a state of blue? Remember in November why you came to Texas
  - drak0n1c 6y ago
    A WSJ reader letter welcomed a fleeing VC but stated, "I would only ask Mr. Lonsdale and his fellow economic migrants to carefully consider that they are arriving as refugees, not as missionaries." https://www.wsj.com/articles/blue-peril-threatens-texas-refugees-not-missionaries-11605737069 https://www.wsj.com/articles/blue-peril-threatens-texas-refu...
- toiletfuneral 6y ago
  You mean like vote for an electrical grid that works?
- nemothekid 6y ago
  Well they don't. If you look at polling from the last election, what is turning Texas blue is hispanics turning 18, what's keeping it red are people moving into Texas.

You assume the companies are the source of the shenanigans, which I disagree with. It seems counter productive for a tech company to want their worker's cost of living to be higher, as that just means they will cost more. The reality is the companies create a large inelastic demand for living space, and the local government and property owners of exploit that for profit. If you just create adequate supply (build residential), or constrain demand (don't build office space), the problem doesn't happen.

SR2Z 6y ago
I'm not so sure that it's counterproductive, because the senior leadership of those tech companies is also frequently part of the local NIMBY class.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 6y ago
  They have the same general characteristics as the local NIMBY class, but I think I'd want to see more evidence that they are actually members of that class. It's a substantial accusation to make without evidence, especially since you purport to link that to tech companies being NIMBY by policy -- again, a claim I've not seen evidence for.
- BobbyJo 6y ago
  Only one half of the equation (new residential) is affected by NIMBY-ism. No new residential is fine, just don't build more office space then. That requires local governments not to endlessly expand spending though, so obviously impossible.
TaylorAlexander 6y ago
Free internet for the poor also improves political organizing which could be a net negative for the ultra wealthy.
- Something1234 6y ago
  It also improves the ability to gaslight those minorities via targeted advertising. Not that newstainment doesn't do the same.
- BobbyJo 6y ago
  Literally anything that changes anything 'could be a negative for the ultra wealthy'.

throwawaysea 6y ago

I really hope the employees who follow don’t vote like they did in CA. I’ve seen first hand the effect that had on politics in WA. I hope TX avoids the same fate.

ccpcx 6y ago
During election season I saw billboards here about like: Are you new from a state of blue? Remember in November why you came to Texas
- drak0n1c 6y ago
  A WSJ reader letter welcomed a fleeing VC but stated, "I would only ask Mr. Lonsdale and his fellow economic migrants to carefully consider that they are arriving as refugees, not as missionaries." https://www.wsj.com/articles/blue-peril-threatens-texas-refugees-not-missionaries-11605737069 https://www.wsj.com/articles/blue-peril-threatens-texas-refu...
toiletfuneral 6y ago
You mean like vote for an electrical grid that works?
nemothekid 6y ago
Well they don't. If you look at polling from the last election, what is turning Texas blue is hispanics turning 18, what's keeping it red are people moving into Texas.