Something Happening Here

Woman in SF bar attacked for wearing Google glasses.  For those who don't pay attention to what's happening locally in San Francisco, there's been rising tension over the past year or so about the status of tech workers in the city.  The big thing earlier this year was Google buses, which transport Google workers from the city SF to the Silicon Valley for work.  They use Muni stops and disgruntled San Franciscans started protesting the buses.  There were other issues of grievance - the city basically paying twitter to keep their offices on Market Street, some recent graffiti on Atherton houses targeting the 1% and now, some thugs grabbing a woman's google glasses and stealing her purse.

The big factor underpinning this "movement" if you can call it that, is rising rents.  Anecdotally, rents are absurdly high in SF.  I have a buddy renting a 2bd 2bath in Western Addition, which is hardly a tony neighborhood, for $3600 a month.  Another friend claims he could rent his Mission 1 bedroom with a parking space and deck for over $3000 as well.  Some "joe average" San Franciscans are pissed and blame the tech workers.  This is silly, of course. The tech workers themselves are not to blame.  And fundamentally, the issue is simple: envy.

What's happening here is an exaggeration of other trends in the economy.  The wealth is not being spread around.  The top 10-15% are benefitting and others feel themselves falling behind.  This is emotional.

Solutions?  Who knows.  What's ironic is the situation is pure liberal vs. liberal tension.  Maybe the solution is getting rid of rent control.  And re-signing Jim Harbaugh (which is the other big issue of the moment.)