Texas seems intent on grabbing all the deadwood valley companies. What's next ? I predict Cisco. Meanwhile, SF just had two IPOs worth $200bn
Oracle Moving HQ to Austin
71–80 of 451 posts
Re: Oracle Moving HQ to Austin
#72Shouldn't the republican party be worried? If the trend continues and a lot of companies move from California to Texas bringing along a lot of liberal employees with them, won't that tip the already narrowing margin towards the democratic party?
That’s only a concern if the Republican Party makes no gains elsewhere, and Florida is looking less purple and more red these days, and the “blue wall” is looking a bit more purple.
Re: Oracle Moving HQ to Austin
#73How long before all the Californians make Austin the exact same place they fled from?
If the typical person leaving California for Texas is doing so explicitly for the lower cost of living and lower tax burden, why would they vote for policies that go against that goal?
You could argue that it's the longtime locals in the Bay Area, those who bought homes cheaply in the 60s/70s, that are usually the NIMBYs voting for the policies that caused the current state of things.
Those same people are the least likely to be the ones leaving for Texas.
Re: Oracle Moving HQ to Austin
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're confusing supply-and-demand-driven cost of living with liberal vs conservative politics. NIMBYism and desires for high-paying jobs cut across the American political spectrum. (Existing property owners in Austin, however, may be ecstatic if their property is suddenly priced like SF value... but that doesn't mean they're gonna want to relax zoning and increase density and change the shape and character of their…
The locals have been mostly gentrified. There is no Prop 13 in TX, it’s a low-service state, so it all rolls down to property valuation and tax rate.
I'm not sure what you're saying. Do you think those things make Austin immune to any problems that could be caused by increased income inequality?
Re: Oracle Moving HQ to Austin
#75How long before all the Californians make Austin the exact same place they fled from?
"Californication" (yes, as referred to in the Red Hot Chili Peppers song) has been a thing for almost a century now. Oregon literally tried to ban immigrants from California back in the 1940s, and Coloradoans have a notorious saying from the 60s "Don't Californicate Colorado" (it used to be a pretty common bumper sticker) due to this effect. Go to Wyoming or Idaho and people feel the same way. California has unfortun…
How does a state export a cost of living? Or are you referring to price increases due to increase in demand? If so, that does not seem like a notable phenomenon.
Re: Oracle Moving HQ to Austin
#76I'm super curious how this will WFH Covid-era will play out for the Bay Area. I think the question I haven't figured out is job mobility. Pre-covid, even if you lost your job here as an engineer, finding another company thats interesting with the right pay isn't too hard which is one of the best appeals of SV. I wonder how this will play out in terms of this dynamic.
I'm curious what it will do to tech salaries as well. Will developers working remotely for SV companies from LCOL areas be compensated the same as those in SV? Will smaller firms elsewhere have to raise salaries to compete with locals taking non-regional salaries?
> Will developers working remotely for SV companies from LCOL areas be compensated the same as those in SV?
Some will, some won't! Truth is, those who decide to offer compensation based on value added instead of a magic HR approved formula will get interest from everyone else. I expect some companies to use this CoL-based compensation as a way to let go underperformers and others to attract talent that was previously unavailable.
> Will smaller firms elsewhere have to raise salaries to compete with locals taking non-regional salaries?
They'll have to.
Re: Oracle Moving HQ to Austin
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Californication" (yes, as referred to in the Red Hot Chili Peppers song) has been a thing for almost a century now. Oregon literally tried to ban immigrants from California back in the 1940s, and Coloradoans have a notorious saying from the 60s "Don't Californicate Colorado" (it used to be a pretty common bumper sticker) due to this effect. Go to Wyoming or Idaho and people feel the same way. California has unfortun…
How does a state export a cost of living? Or are you referring to price increases due to increase in demand? If so, that does not seem like a notable phenomenon.
It's almost like the cost of living is driven by MONEY, and problems result from income inequality, more than left-vs-right policies - and if the Californians getting priced-out of CA still have more money than where they're moving, then it cascades.
Re: Oracle Moving HQ to Austin
#78How long before all the Californians make Austin the exact same place they fled from?
Average high/low temperatures in the summer for Austin are: June. 92° / 72° July. 96° / 74° August 96° / 74° Average high/low temperatures in the summer for Cupertino are: June. 75° / 55° July. 76° / 58° August 76° / 58° Austin will never, ever be like Silicon Valley because of this. The freedom you get from cooler weather is great from an energy utilization stand point and for allowing safer and more desirable condi…
This won't last much longer for the SF Bay Area. The climate has changed already and average temperatures are rising. The place where I live used to be foggy. It hasn't been like that for over 7 years now. It's much worse in the southern part of the Bay Area. Air conditioning is starting to be requirement.
Re: Oracle Moving HQ to Austin
#79I live in Austin, Oracle has a huge campus here that looks as big as an airport building with terminals/gates and all the trimmings. It's a beautiful building that gentrified the whole area, for better or worse. I ate there a couple of times, it's nice inside too! I love biking/walking around the Oracle campus area because they made a bike path and the area is safer than it was before. That being said, I know a coupl…
> That being said, I know a couple of people who work there and they don't like their job - it's thankless - but I think that's the same with all big companies where you're just another number. No, that is specific to Oracle. Here's some references [1]. The other day on HN I read a quote: "What is the difference between Larry Ellison and God? God doesn't think he's Larry Ellison". Can't find it though. [1] https://ne…
That quote is actually a book: https://www.amazon.com/Difference-Between-God-Larry-Ellison/...
Re: Oracle Moving HQ to Austin
#80Some people lament the decline of Silicon Vally companies like Tesla and Oracle moving out. I argue it could be a good thing. These giant enterprises are not really a pinnacle of entrepreneurship and innovation anymore. Let them move elsewhere and keep the Bay Area nurturing new entrepreneurs and startups. It is huge cubicle farms vs. garages and coworking places kind of distinction.