San Francisco looks to ban free lunch at tech companies

[Jason Harvestdancer]

Hey, Don2, can you try posting that again but with facts this time?

 

[RVonse]

Personally, I am not for this legislation, but I don't think it's a big deal that there are two persons who are for it. In the grand scheme of life, local governments exert tremendous control over everyone's life, way more than the federal government. Example: zoning laws. Conservatives and Libertarians (who are completely different) often say they want a small federal government and prefer governments to be more local to the people because they allege it would be closer to individuals making decisions. However, that's never been true. Looking at these two persons within the whole grand scheme of local government control and all the shenanigans that local governments pull on people, I don't think they'll get their way, but it is interesting that you don't hear conservatives and libertarians commenting on zoning laws that try to keep minorities and poor out of the suburbs. So one wonders why there is such a big deal being made out of legislation that will never pass so that the right-wing can protect BIG CORPORATIONS but the little guy, the Right just doesn't care.

Because in theory, the right will tell you that with a small fed and a big local you can always move out. Move to a different city or a different state until you find the city hall just to your liking. And I agree at least with the logic of how that freedom and liberty should work.

But what still doesnt add up to me though is how such a liberal over bearing government like San Francisco is so extremely successful. San Francisco is where all the most successful companies hang out. In the most liberal blue location in the US.

So liberalism works well but I just dont understand why.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Personally, I am not for this legislation, but I don't think it's a big deal that there are two persons who are for it. In the grand scheme of life, local governments exert tremendous control over everyone's life, way more than the federal government. Example: zoning laws. Conservatives and Libertarians (who are completely different) often say they want a small federal government and prefer governments to be more local to the people because they allege it would be closer to individuals making decisions. However, that's never been true. Looking at these two persons within the whole grand scheme of local government control and all the shenanigans that local governments pull on people, I don't think they'll get their way, but it is interesting that you don't hear conservatives and libertarians commenting on zoning laws that try to keep minorities and poor out of the suburbs. So one wonders why there is such a big deal being made out of legislation that will never pass so that the right-wing can protect BIG CORPORATIONS but the little guy, the Right just doesn't care.

Because in theory, the right will tell you that with a small fed and a big local you can always move out. Move to a different city or a different state until you find the city hall just to your liking. And I agree at least with the logic of how that freedom and liberty should work.

But what still doesnt add up to me though is how such a liberal over bearing government like San Francisco is so extremely successful. San Francisco is where all the most successful companies hang out. In the most liberal blue location in the US.

So liberalism works well but I just dont understand why.

The last time I was in Berkeley I watched a family of five riding their bicycles down the main road. The youngest was in a carrier and the oldest was doing his own locomoting on his own two wheels. The middle munchkin was in tow. If you are not driving a car the city seems to go to great lengths to welcome and protect you.

At the time it was illegal to use one of those leaf blowers.

We stopped in at the Cheese Board and enjoyed open air food, music, and watched an oriental lady repeatedly ply the trash receptacles for cans and plastic.

The Berkeley campus was having a fair and I stopped in to talk at several of the booths. Some years earlier the tree-sitters had finally been removed but had accomplished some good. We exchanged waves, me from my perch on the ground and they from their glorious heights.

If I had to venture a guess as to why the Bay Area is is popular for liberals, aside from the great climate, it would be that they feel at home with the diversity and the cosmopolitan atmosphere. Many of the folks around here in Pennsyltucky won't even drive into the city out of fear of getting lost or mugged, though a few might enjoy a vacation in Las Vegas doing some gambling, something I despise.

 

[Axulus]

It's not just San Fran. Mountain View has already implemented the ban:

When Facebook moves into its new offices in Mountain View this fall, a signature Silicon Valley perk will be missing — there won’t be a corporate cafeteria with free food for about 2,000 employees.

In an unusual move, the city barred companies from fully subsidizing meals inside the offices, which are part of the Village at San Antonio Center project, in an effort to promote nearby retailers. The project-specific requirement passed in 2014, attracting little notice because the offices were years away from opening.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/busines...e-for-Facebook-No-13096100.php#photo-15897966

 

[dismal]

It's not just San Fran. Mountain View has already implemented the ban:

When Facebook moves into its new offices in Mountain View this fall, a signature Silicon Valley perk will be missing — there won’t be a corporate cafeteria with free food for about 2,000 employees.

In an unusual move, the city barred companies from fully subsidizing meals inside the offices, which are part of the Village at San Antonio Center project, in an effort to promote nearby retailers. The project-specific requirement passed in 2014, attracting little notice because the offices were years away from opening.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/busines...e-for-Facebook-No-13096100.php#photo-15897966

Well, as long as they really up the tax breaks enough to make up for the lost productivity it's a real win-win. The greedy ruthless tech company gets massive tax breaks and avoids having to buy assloads of free food. The greedy ruthless restaurant lobby gets more customers. Someone may be losing, I guess, but not someone important enough to matter.

 

[steve_bank]

It Doesn't say how the meals are provided. Boeing in Everett has a cafeteria, but you pay. I worked for a company of about 700 that subsidized a cafeteria. In the 90s I worked for a small company that provided a small lunch for $25 a month. They paid a woman to come in and make the lunches.

You'd think restaurants and entrepreneurs would make a pitch to the companies to provide the service.

The companies have to pay for food and people to make meals. Or they have it catered. It is not free, somebody makes m,oney on it.

Sounds like poltical posturing for the foodservice industry.

 

[RVonse]

It's not just San Fran. Mountain View has already implemented the ban:

When Facebook moves into its new offices in Mountain View this fall, a signature Silicon Valley perk will be missing — there won’t be a corporate cafeteria with free food for about 2,000 employees.

In an unusual move, the city barred companies from fully subsidizing meals inside the offices, which are part of the Village at San Antonio Center project, in an effort to promote nearby retailers. The project-specific requirement passed in 2014, attracting little notice because the offices were years away from opening.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/busines...e-for-Facebook-No-13096100.php#photo-15897966

Well, as long as they really up the tax breaks enough to make up for the lost productivity it's a real win-win. The greedy ruthless tech company gets massive tax breaks and avoids having to buy assloads of free food. The greedy ruthless restaurant lobby gets more customers. Someone may be losing, I guess, but not someone important enough to matter.

The central planners are telling everyone where they must eat. What will be next, that they tell everyone what time they must eat or what food they must eat?

If that isnt communism I dont know what is.

But they clearly know what they are doing. Its the richest area of the country, by far.

 

[jonatha]

the politicians can say, hey, we tried.

Say that to who? the greedy capitalist restaurant owners lobby? Certainly not the noble employees who they fucked out of a free lunch, right?

Google can still give their employees a free lunch.

They'll just have to have one of the local restaurants cater it....

(I see they're going to use zoning laws to effectively prohibit cafeterias in office buildings. I believe dismal has me on ignore; someone can ask him if using those laws to prohibit Google from setting up a tannery to save money on furniture for their employees would be an abuse of state power...)

 

[steve_bank]

I wonder if they will ban microwave ovens and refrigerators the work place. Bringing your own lunch deprives restaurants. I wonder if they will ban cafeterias in govt buildings.

 

[Keith&Co.]

I wonder if they will ban cafeterias in govt buildings.

Really not sure how you come to wonder that...

The original complaint was about the inability of eateries to compete with the lavish free lunches provided by the techies.

I don't know what government buildings you've been in, but I don't find that the words 'government,' 'lavish,' and 'free' tend to associate together.

I expect the competitive edge will always be to the eateries in that particular area.