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Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

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Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#301

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I was reading articles about people and companies picking up and moving out of California to places like Nevada...thirty years ago. That's like saying "I was reading about government deficit 10 years ago, and look at it, it's still growing and we're still here and the deficit is even larger!". It's a growing problem. California grows less attractive as more of these exploitative measures and taxes pile up, and the…

That's like saying "I was reading about government deficit 10 years ago, and look at it, it's still growing and we're still here and the deficit is even larger!" Yeah, pretty much. I’m saying it’s nothing new, and things are still churning along just fine, whether it is in reference to the deficit or CA. Nothing has changed, CA is still ridiculously expensive, as it always has been. CA taxes the shit out of you, as i…

> I’m saying it’s nothing new, and things are still churning along just fine, whether it is in reference to the deficit or CA.

Most economists will disagree with you about the deficit :-)

It's not something we tend to think about on a daily basis, but it's a huge, growing problem that already has ill effects and may end in a catatstrophe: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/04/09/why-a...

Similarly, California got away with squeezing the "rich techies", but it keeps losing some of them, and if it's not careful, that will escalate. I can tell you about a bunch of my friends who all had great offers in Cali, and normally would move there in a heartbeat, but the combination of taxes + housing costs + other crap made them go elsewhere. Once a bunch of companies open HQs in other states (besides Amazon that will certainly not open HQ2 in California), this will become worse.

> CA is still ridiculously expensive, as it always has been.

Not as bad as this. If you lived in California for decades, as you claim, you know it's been growing worse than ever.

> Remote access to centralized and/or distributed computing resources was a solved problem long before the internet showed up.

Same deal: it's a developing process. Folks wanted to do remote offices for a long time now, and technology has improved steadily to enable this. Now we're seeing more and more remote teams. This trend will likely strengthen as the internet gets faster, virtual reality gets better, etc.

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wonder what it will take to kill this Golden Goose. Bay area employees are already a big premium over employees in other areas, but companies still really want to be here. No free food is almost asinine... but it's not a big thing compared to the extra cost in salaries.

I'm wondering the same. Two growing trends that I'm observing: 1. Businesses moving out of California, especially NorCal. Sergey Brin already said two years ago that he would not have started Google in NorCal today. He was right. There's a lot more interest in other locations, such as Austin. 2. Remote work, and fully remote virtual offices. Personally I know a bunch of people who declined offers in the SFBay to avoi…

The issue is that America funds cities poorly. There is a federal subsidy from cities that goes to rural areas. Red areas get more back in services than they pay in taxes, and blue areas pay out more in taxes than they get back.

So cities have to raise funding somehow.

(This is also a problem with the way America funds schools. The US needs to figure out how to distribute tax dollars more equally - or at least figure out how to keep most of the country out of poverty while still building infrastructure that keeps city housing costs down.)

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Solving the basics is incredibly important. Ah, but you see, it is also difficult! "Dirty streets" and "traffic congestion" are big, messy problems, requiring careful planning, managing projects and contractors, adversarial factors, etc. By contrast, passing laws that apply to corporations is so easy! They are generally law abiding, so you just tell them "no more free food for you!", and they obey. Until, you know,…

I really wonder what it will take to kill this Golden Goose. Bay area employees are already a big premium over employees in other areas, but companies still really want to be here. No free food is almost asinine... but it's not a big thing compared to the extra cost in salaries.

Wherever Amazon puts HQ2 will be the next Valley. Not because companies can’t already move, but because it will be an easy excuse to focus there.

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel what you're saying, and that definitely is something that happens. Especially for people who move for the job, it's very easy to keep oneself separate from the community. But making it illegal to feed your employees is a very stupid, very authoritarian way of dealing with it that feels like a terrible idea. I don't want to be told where to shop, ever, for any reason, and I dislike that these local governments…

I see these types of comments, and I have a really hard time viewing them as anything but pretty entitled. I mean, yeah, it's unfortunate for those who won't get free lunches anymore (I'm currently part of the group that does, although I'm not in the bay area) but it's not like you deserve free food as a perk any more than any other random worker. If it were my company inflicting the decision on me after a record ear…

Private corporations on private property should be able to make private contracts with employee as they see fit, without government interference.

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#305
post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, really. Big tech companies, come down here to Texas. With your well-above-market-average salaries and free food.

And regressive state politics and terrible culture and weather. Tech companies hiring in Texas is a negative signal.

What does "regressive" even mean? The state doesn't interfere with private contracts?

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#306
post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, really. Big tech companies, come down here to Texas. With your well-above-market-average salaries and free food.

And regressive state politics and terrible culture and weather. Tech companies hiring in Texas is a negative signal.

...regressive state politics...

I didn't realize Texas had instituted soda and straw taxes.

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Contesting this on the grounds that until a line-item on my paystub starts showing up for the cost of a free lunch, I don't think they're comparable at all.

The line-item on your pay stub was a mandate from Obamacare for price transparency. Prior to that the employer contribution for healthcare did not appear.

"Trumpfeed" will probably have a similar requirement...
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