Friday, March 27, 2015

Water, $$$ & Western Civilization

A new brand of dot.com millionaires and generally Silicon Valley money moved into San Francisco with bags full of cash and no manners and very little education in the great culture of Western civilization,” Lawrence Ferlinghetti.


We're currently in one of the worst (if not THE WORST) droughts in California history. Many a Californian municipality has already begun imposing serious water restrictions on it populace. But drought minimization efforts here in San Francisco range from non existent to absolute minimal. Could it possibly have something to do with all the construction cranes that have become ubiquitous throughout the city the past couple of years? Could it be because there's just so much money pouring in from all these recent high tech firms (both start ups and established) that no one wants to rock the boat in whatever puddle is left to rock? Would this most recent wave of high end $$$ look elsewhere if they heard that water access would be cut several hours a day? Of course, it makes little difference either way to the scores of homeless that literally litter our streets despite this plethora of high tech income.

And for 1/2 hr every Friday at lunch hour, you can see a regular handful of these dot.com, start up, millionaire wannabes deftly maneuvering around the homeless on the streets as they pick up latte cups and napkins off the city streets with their mechanical grabbing sticks. This is their officially sanctioned method of "giving back" to the city they've invaded, in return for which, San Francisco has bequeathed them with millions in tax incentives as they price local, long time residents out of home and... city.

4 comments:

Eric Rose said...

I'm sure you just joking when you posited that new construction etc. has caused the drought. The drought as you know has been caused by a lack of rain. Water management on the other hand might be a problem. You can't hold back the wall of change. You have several choices. As they say in the army - lead, follow or get out of the way. It's like a lot of areas, the artists move in because it's cheap. Their funky lifestyle attracts coffee shops etc. The coffee shops attract yuppies (do we call them that anymore) which then attracts chain stores which attracts people who want to move in to the area. Prices go up and the artists have to move out. The soul is replaced with money and fake atmosphere. After awhile this area becomes passe and the money moves out to the next cool place. Prices drop and the artists move back in. The cycle repeats itself. Maybe it's time for you to move to Oregon.

Stan B. said...

No, no. Not joking- but what I am saying is that "drought minimization efforts here in San Francisco range from non existent to absolute minimal," and that's probably because if they start imposing water restrictions here, Big Money will find elsewhere to go.

Yeah, I know the process well- watched it go down step by step in NYC...

PS- Believe it or not, the wife wants to move to Portland (as if that place is somehow immune).

Eric Rose said...

Portland is a cool funky university town. It has it's problems but for the most part has a good vibe. I would rather live there than Frisco any day.

Stan B. said...

Agreed, great town and home of Powell's City of Books! But...

Haven't appreciated cycling in the rain since I hit 50- and as for employment... not quite ready to meet and greet with a blue vest yet...