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Google Bus blocked, window smashed in West Oakland

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Re: Google Bus blocked, window smashed in West Oakland

#331

Post by dragontamer »

gress wrote: post #309
dragontamer wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dunno. They can always become the next Google or Facebook and do something with THEIR money. These mega-corps grew from nothing in only ~20 years. The new rich of America is NOT like the "old rich" of Wall Street. Basically any no-name nobody with 5 guys working in a basement can become the next Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest, Groupon, Zynga or whatever.

It's hard to take this comment seriously. It's clearly absurd, because otherwise we'd have 100,000s of new multi-billion dollar corporations, instead of a small handful. I'm starting to think it's more likely that you meant it sarcastically.

Not multi-billion, but there are definitely thousands upon thousands of multi-tens-of-million dollar companies.

There was a recent study on the "new upper class" of the USA. Most of it is "new money": first-generation millionares and first-generation billionares.

Re: Google Bus blocked, window smashed in West Oakland

#332

Post by rexreed »

blhack wrote: post #249
rexreed wrote: post #245

Time for Google, et. al to switch to Uber / Lyft / etc? Not as eco or commute friendly, but a lot less noticeable. Or maybe time to subsidize publicly accessible commuter bus lines?

>Or maybe time to subsidize publicly accessible commuter bus lines? They could call it a tax!

It would have to be regional tho, because those commuter bus lines would run across city and county lines. So who would be the taxing authority? The state?

Re: Google Bus blocked, window smashed in West Oakland

#333

Post by gress »

dragontamer wrote: post #331
gress wrote: post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to take this comment seriously. It's clearly absurd, because otherwise we'd have 100,000s of new multi-billion dollar corporations, instead of a small handful. I'm starting to think it's more likely that you meant it sarcastically.

Not multi-billion, but there are definitely thousands upon thousands of multi-tens-of-million dollar companies. There was a recent study on the "new upper class" of the USA. Most of it is "new money": first-generation millionares and first-generation billionares.

None of whom seem to be interested in improving social policy other than for their own class.

Re: Google Bus blocked, window smashed in West Oakland

#334

Post by reeses »

dllthomas wrote: post #176
api wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the rent issue is definitely real, but isn't the fault of techies. It's the fault of several interacting factors: (1) Anti-development mentality on the part of city councils, zoning boards, etc. (2) Geographic containment of the area. (3) Shitty public transit and overcrowded roads. (4) Foreign investors driving up the price of RE. ... in roughly that order. #1 is largely the fault of this same stereotypical…

#1 is also the fault of conservative property owners, because building new housing lowers the prices of existing houses.

Living on the street where this took place (albeit over 50 blocks away), this is definitely not the case in Oakland. New housing generally replaces really poorly constructed old housing that has fallen into dilapidation.

"Improving" the houses in a neighborhood almost always increases the value of other houses in the area.

Whether this creates a class disadvantage through displacement or a reduction of affordable housing is another issue, but blaming conservative property owners is not an accurate motivation. The transfer taxes[1] on housing turnover supplied a great portion of Oakland's revenue during the bubble. Given that Oakland has a weak retail (and therefore, sales tax) market, it really needs real estate to pick up.

[1] http://www.acgov.org/auditor/clerk/transfertax.htm

Re: Google Bus blocked, window smashed in West Oakland

#335

Post by blahbl4hblahtoo »

icebraining wrote: post #292
blahbl4hblahtoo wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google shelters a great deal of tax money outside of the us...

Money that was also earned outside the US.

Google is an American company in an area that desperately needs the tax revenue. Even the money they "earn in the US" is washed through subsidiaries overseas.

Re: Google Bus blocked, window smashed in West Oakland

#336

Post by blahbl4hblahtoo »

Symmetry wrote: post #299
blahbl4hblahtoo wrote: post #258

If Google would pay their fare share of taxes instead of sheltering them offshore then the bay area could have awesome public transit for everybody. For all of you bitching about the "burning man" types. The bay area is full of runaways that look just like those kids and are easily radicalized. San Francisco is a "libro-cryt" city. Its very liberal, but they treat the poor like shit. Apple and Goolge should stop shel…

All the money that Google keeps offshore to avoid paying taxes on is money that was taken in over seas, and so would only be taxed by the federal government on repatriation. Even if they brought it all back to the US next year SF wouldn't see a cent of it.

It's only "earned overseas" because Google pays foreign subsidiaries money from its US operating company. Its a dodge and everyone knows it.

Re: Google Bus blocked, window smashed in West Oakland

#337

Post by dllthomas »

reeses wrote: post #334
dllthomas wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

#1 is also the fault of conservative property owners, because building new housing lowers the prices of existing houses.

Living on the street where this took place (albeit over 50 blocks away), this is definitely not the case in Oakland. New housing generally replaces really poorly constructed old housing that has fallen into dilapidation. "Improving" the houses in a neighborhood almost always increases the value of other houses in the area. Whether this creates a class disadvantage through displacement or a reduction of affordable hou…

Hm, fair point. It's more of an issue in SF, from what I understand.

Re: Google Bus blocked, window smashed in West Oakland

#338

Post by Crito »

gress wrote: post #325
Crito wrote: post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, just the people who create it... Totally unrelated.

Absolutely so. The fact that they create technology has nothing to do with the protest.

You're right, the root cause here is jealously, boredom, and a typical bully attitude.

However technology is a core feature of the root cause that the protesters claim. They are not angry at moderately wealthy workers in general, they are angry at moderately wealthy workers from technology companies in particular. They make this excruciatingly clear.

And do not even think of telling me that the only wealthy people in SF are those working for technology companies. That is bullshit, and you know it.

Re: Google Bus blocked, window smashed in West Oakland

#339

Post by gress »

Crito wrote: post #338
gress wrote: post #325

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely so. The fact that they create technology has nothing to do with the protest.

You're right, the root cause here is jealously, boredom, and a typical bully attitude. However technology is a core feature of the root cause that the protesters claim . They are not angry at moderately wealthy workers in general , they are angry at moderately wealthy workers from technology companies in particular . They make this excruciatingly clear. And do not even think of telling me that the only wealthy people…

They are angry at companies who provide corporate busses to make neighborhoods more comfortable for their employees than they are for other people, rather than supporting public infrastructure that everyone benefits from.

As to your comment about 'bullshit' - you seem kind of angry.

Re: Google Bus blocked, window smashed in West Oakland

#340

Post by foggycrypt »

anextio wrote: post #28
altero wrote: post #9

Technicaly the bus is place of work, so there are interesting implications for Google as employer.

No, the bus is owned by a third party contractor. That does not count as Google's workplace.

Incorrect. This used to be true back when Bauer was under contract. This is no longer the case. Google owns their own fleet and employs contracted drivers. The infrastructure is all in-house now.

The secure wifi network used by the employees to check email, do work, push code, etc. make it a satellite office on wheels. Ask anyone who works for Google.

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