4 ms·

Benevolent dictators strike me as the best form of government at any level so long as they are capable, just, and benevolent - a rare combination it seems. Nati

by rndmize 14y ago

Benevolent dictators strike me as the best form of government at any level so long as they are capable, just, and benevolent - a rare combination it seems. National geographic had an article a few years ago on Singapore that provides some perspective on this - http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/01/singapore/jacobson-text http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/01/singapore/jacobson... . All that aside, I don't see why SF can't move in a more technocratic direction. There was apparently no lack of Google/Facebook/startup engineers and programmers willing to jump in and help out the Obama campaign on a massive scale - do those same people have no interest in local politics?

gyardley 14y ago
In my admittedly anecdotal experience, long-term San Franciscans can't stand startup employees -- the dot-com crowd is blamed for gentrification and high rents. Getting involved in local politics would be like hanging a 'vilify me, I'm an oppressor' sign on your back.
- gojomo 14y ago
  Indeed. The local SF Bay Guardian – mouthpiece of the local progressive left – ran this hit-piece against Ron Conway, for his growing involvement, recently: http://www.sfbg.com/print/2012/11/27/plutocrat http://www.sfbg.com/print/2012/11/27/plutocrat Its ham-handed propagandizing is kind of funny. Look at the rapacious black eyes on the Conway cartoon monster we've drawn! Despite being born and raised in SF, he's a rootless carpetbagger! He's involved in "a long list of other shadowy [investment] businesses, all incorporated in Delaware for its lax tax and regulatory policies"! He supported measure E's tax breaks for tech companies! (Unmentioned: SFBG itself endorsed that same measure.)
- spitx 14y ago
  I think it is a step in the right direction that the "tech transients", long deplored by the high priests of SF, are starting to talk about this unwarranted animosity toward them. For too long, tech players - in denial - have swept this under the rug.
- homosaur 14y ago
  In my admittedly anecdotal experience, long-terms San Franciscans can't stand anyone outside SF period. SF does everything it can to make the experience of visiting and doing business in that city as miserable as possible. 1. Affordable short-term housing or hotels? Yeah, you're going to be staying across the bay. 2. Parking is miserable and parking enforcement are total fascists. You can't even refill a meter. 3. Pandhandlers everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I'm not talking about just homeless, I'm talking about scientologists, 9/11 truthers, people raising money for Africa or the cat shelter or whatever. I've never been as harassed on the streets as I've been in SF. Just because I stopped for 3 seconds does not mean I want a pamphlet, dude. SF loves being a self-imposed alternaculture concentration camp which is fine with me when I don't have to go there on business.
  - malandrew 14y ago
    Totally agree on housing and hotels, but not on parking. Do you go to NYC on business and complain about the parking there? No, probably not because it's simply unnecessary. There is no reason that SF can't develop in that same direction.
- malandrew 14y ago
  The dot-com crowd is not the only people to blame. They just provide demand. If the long-term San Franciscans don't allow an increase in supply of housing (something which is totally possible in SF), then they are equally at fault.
potatolicious 14y ago
I have questions on how this would even work. Engineers played a large role in spreading the word and getting people out to vote via technological innovations. But how would we apply technology to government? What would we do, technologically, to curb the massive addiction and homelessness problem in the city, and how would you use technology to bust unions down to size? There are a lot of places technology fits in the world, but this particular one is purely political.
- glenra 14y ago
  Actually, technology is being used to bust unions down to size. One specific technology is streaming web video, to make underhanded and reprehensible union tactics more visible. http://www.phillymag.com/articles/busting-philly-unions-pestronk-brothers/ http://www.phillymag.com/articles/busting-philly-unions-pest...

by rndmize 14y ago

gyardley 14y ago

In my admittedly anecdotal experience, long-term San Franciscans can't stand startup employees -- the dot-com crowd is blamed for gentrification and high rents. Getting involved in local politics would be like hanging a 'vilify me, I'm an oppressor' sign on your back.

gojomo 14y ago
Indeed. The local SF Bay Guardian – mouthpiece of the local progressive left – ran this hit-piece against Ron Conway, for his growing involvement, recently: http://www.sfbg.com/print/2012/11/27/plutocrat http://www.sfbg.com/print/2012/11/27/plutocrat Its ham-handed propagandizing is kind of funny. Look at the rapacious black eyes on the Conway cartoon monster we've drawn! Despite being born and raised in SF, he's a rootless carpetbagger! He's involved in "a long list of other shadowy [investment] businesses, all incorporated in Delaware for its lax tax and regulatory policies"! He supported measure E's tax breaks for tech companies! (Unmentioned: SFBG itself endorsed that same measure.)
spitx 14y ago
I think it is a step in the right direction that the "tech transients", long deplored by the high priests of SF, are starting to talk about this unwarranted animosity toward them. For too long, tech players - in denial - have swept this under the rug.
homosaur 14y ago
In my admittedly anecdotal experience, long-terms San Franciscans can't stand anyone outside SF period. SF does everything it can to make the experience of visiting and doing business in that city as miserable as possible. 1. Affordable short-term housing or hotels? Yeah, you're going to be staying across the bay. 2. Parking is miserable and parking enforcement are total fascists. You can't even refill a meter. 3. Pandhandlers everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I'm not talking about just homeless, I'm talking about scientologists, 9/11 truthers, people raising money for Africa or the cat shelter or whatever. I've never been as harassed on the streets as I've been in SF. Just because I stopped for 3 seconds does not mean I want a pamphlet, dude. SF loves being a self-imposed alternaculture concentration camp which is fine with me when I don't have to go there on business.
- malandrew 14y ago
  Totally agree on housing and hotels, but not on parking. Do you go to NYC on business and complain about the parking there? No, probably not because it's simply unnecessary. There is no reason that SF can't develop in that same direction.
malandrew 14y ago
The dot-com crowd is not the only people to blame. They just provide demand. If the long-term San Franciscans don't allow an increase in supply of housing (something which is totally possible in SF), then they are equally at fault.

potatolicious 14y ago

I have questions on how this would even work. Engineers played a large role in spreading the word and getting people out to vote via technological innovations. But how would we apply technology to government? What would we do, technologically, to curb the massive addiction and homelessness problem in the city, and how would you use technology to bust unions down to size? There are a lot of places technology fits in the world, but this particular one is purely political.

glenra 14y ago
Actually, technology is being used to bust unions down to size. One specific technology is streaming web video, to make underhanded and reprehensible union tactics more visible. http://www.phillymag.com/articles/busting-philly-unions-pestronk-brothers/ http://www.phillymag.com/articles/busting-philly-unions-pest...