71–80 of 103 posts
I'd like to share a message specifically for the Googlers on HN. I am a poverty fighter. I run a nonprofit that helps kids in high-poverty communities. I just want to say that I know that there are tons of googlers who care deeply about helping fight the persistent causes of and horrible effects of being forced to struggle with poverty. I see it every time a googler volunteers to help a school, donates a dollar to a…
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The point is not dominance contests, the point is people want to keep their low density housing even as housing costs rise in their city. Imagine if you lived in Hawaii, and the island was just starting to become popular because it is so nice. Everyone was moving there, and rents were going through the roof because there is nowhere to expand. What you want isn't Manhattan sky-rises on your little island; you want che…
>The point is not dominance contests, the point is people want to keep their low density housing even as housing costs rise in their city. I was told by an SF native that the problem was also one of wanting to keep older housing rather—some historic styling reasons. Does anyone know more about that aspect? I mean every city / town has historically designated homes, is there a more aggressive form of general legislati…
Not sure what the legislation is regarding maintaining existing buildings. Twitter has hung an awful sign outside their historic building. Butt ugly.
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Um, that is exactly the same claim the counter arguments are making: "we're entitled to move in wherever we want" I know I'd be pissed if my community - not the place I happen to live, but the actively built relationships I have with people in my neighborhood (years of freindship, acquaintance, understanding and so on) - were disrupted because a bunch of new people showed up and forced that community to be scattered…
For the sake of argument, let's say that I (to some extent) agree. What should Google and more importantly Google employees living in Oakland do?
Googlers could live closer to work. Why would you want to sit on a bus for two hours everyday when you could live in Mountainview and cycle to work?
Or Google could buy up houses and apartments and turn them into corporate housing for their workers.
It seems clear that the issue here is that more people want to live in Oakland than places to live and this drives rent up. If you want to bring prices down you need to build more housing, specifically denser housing.
Some people oppose this because it changes the character of the neighborhood, and that's a valid criticism. But the consequence of that stance is constrained supply which drives prices up, gentrifying the poor. Doesn't it make more sense to blame those who oppose high-density zoning?
Unless you want everything - strong local economy, low density, low prices – then I don't know what to say, that seems pretty naive.
Wow. I'm not surprised that a lot of Googler's drink coffee but I didn't realize so many visited prostitutes.
We are those that service you, even your loins!! for your money! You bastards!
WTF.
The sad part is that public transportation is so horrible in the Bay Area that companies are spending MILLIONs per year to have private bus lines.
The Transport services at Facebook were amazing. But when I left and then was working in Mountian view and had to take bart+caltrain it took me 2.5 hours each way!
After riding the trains and transport in Hong Kong recently, just how bad BART is was really driven home.
Bart is so abysmally poor y comparison to the HK train system, it makes me angry that I am punished by having to use BART.
It would be great if the rage that these protesters had were re-directed at the piss-poor management of public services and infrastructure.
Google and FB wouldnt have to spend millions on busses if the bay area were an actual urban planned region with real transportation services.
The fact that CalTrain and BART can't even sync schedule in the ONE single location where they intersect is atrocious.
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Actually, they do (Google Docs, Chromebook?), but you're totally missing the point.
Ok, you're right on Docs, but they don't make Chromebooks. Not missing the point, just thinking the point is not very strong.
Can someone enlighten me as to what a Google bus is? Googling it doesn't shed any light...
Read this:
http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/09/mapping-silicon-valleys...
Its amazing.
FB also provides dedicated rental-cars to groups of employees who are off the shuttle lines. Paying for all gas and tolls.
Additionally, they let employees check-out bycicles for weeks at a time to ride to and from their houses to the shuttle/van pick-up spots.
They calculated that the tota cost of commuting into the MPK campus from the east bay was as much as ~$12K/Year or some outrageous number. (I don't recall the exact figure...
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For the sake of argument, let's say that I (to some extent) agree. What should Google and more importantly Google employees living in Oakland do?
Google could open an office in Oakland given that there are enough employees there to merit arranging free transport by bus. Googlers could live closer to work. Why would you want to sit on a bus for two hours everyday when you could live in Mountainview and cycle to work? Or Google could buy up houses and apartments and turn them into corporate housing for their workers.
How is that a solution? Won't it only force out more people?
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If that's such an important value to you, why do you live somewhere with such a large proportion of renters who do not own their homes? If you really want to build long-term stable relationships with neighbors, wouldn't the best way to prevent people leaving due to rent changes be to live somewhere where you own your home, and so do most of your neighbors? I feel like I'm missing something significant here. Renting a…
For a lot of people (you aren't one of them, by your statements, that doesn't mean you represent the majority, or even that there isn't a significant minority!) renting makes as much sense, or more, as owning. Further, in my neighborhood, the prices have been relatively stable (roughly tracking inflation) for a long time. It isn't trendy place. Whatever. Whatever the case is - there are a lot of long-term renters. Pe…
It's a very simple concept. If you are renting, you have relinquished any guarantee of stability.