My week spent living in the future...

[airdvr 197]

Let me start by saying it should be no surprise that i am not a fan of California politics and laws. I see them as intruding way too far into the average everyday life. That being said...

Rox and I have been in Mountain View CA since Friday. We're staying at one of the least expensive hotels in town (at least of the ones that don't charge by the hour).

This area is beautiful. Great weather just about every day. We're walking around in shorts and tees and some folks look at us like we're nuts. For those of you not familiar this is the heart of Silicon Valley. Home to Google, Intuit, Symantec et al. Geek nirvana. And I'm not kidding when I say it's beautiful.

However, I get the feeling that this is the blueprint for the future according to high ranking liberals. It's been quite an eye opening experience. Had I not been blessed with an orthopedic surgeon for a stepdaughter and a well paid code monkey for a stepson I probably would have never seen this area from the perspective of those who live and work here.

This is an economically gated community. You can pick up a cool 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1167 sq ft home for $1,664,000.00. Of course these days homes in this area are selling for 8-12% more than asking prices. Don't want to buy just yet? You can rent. Least expensive rental I can find is 750 sq.ft for $2350/mo. If you want to live someplace nice plan on $4-5,000. Interestingly I read an article in the local paper that talks of a problem with affordable housing in Mountain View. The fix; raise taxes on those who build developments, office complexes and apartments. http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/11/29/mountain-view-may-raise-developer-fees-to-fund-affordable-housing
So the only way the average person has a chance at living here is if the government says it's OK. Of course raising taxes on those who build the local housing ought to fix the problem.

The transportation system is second to none here. Right across the street is a stop for CalTrain and VTA. Just want to get around town? There's the Google funded buses. Of course this is controversial because you can now live in SFO and work in Mountain View and your transportation costs are near $0. Of course that is leading to rent increases in areas near the bus stops. http://io9.com/yes-the-google-bus-is-affecting-rental-prices-in-san-f-1510968923

I just deleted about an hour's worth of writing because it might possibly reveal unwanted personal information. Perhaps more to come later about this economically gated community and the way they control the uneducated brown people who work here. Funny, you never hear about this area as being racist because it's not racist if you are paying them.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[zoobrothertom 5]

Interesting read.

Please don't hold back!

____________________________________
I'm back in the USA!!

[riggerrob 558]

What?
California being racist towards the brow people water their lawns, wash their dishes and pick their vegetables?
Surely you jest?
Twenty years ago, I can remember being mighty proud when I could afford to buy a trailer in the Perris "ghetto" trailer park. The trailer part had originally been established for transitory farm labourers, but had been taken over ( dare we say gentrified) by skydivers after Lake Elsinore flooded its DZ for the umpteenth time.
I stop commuted between Elsinore, Perris and Hemet to work my three skydiving jobs. When halted at a particular stop sign in Quail Valley, had to be careful to avoid making eye contact with the dozens of day labourers waiting at the corner. They all had brown skin and Mayan or Aztec facial features. They were desperate for a day's work at less than minimum wage.

[quade 3]

In other news...

Houses cost a lot in Beverly Hills.
Housing costs in New York?
Cheap rent in the middle of bum fuck Egypt.

Location, location, location.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[airdvr 197]

zoobrothertom

Interesting read.

Please don't hold back!

No problem. Crime here in Valhalla is almost non-existent. And yet the apartment building has a multitude of unmanned electronic checkpoints. Without the magic fob we wouldn't be able to get near. I look for these to be implanted at birth in the future. Again, no mayans allowed without a weed eater.

And the safety nazi's don't stop at your doorstep. So far during our visit we've come to know that baby walkers are so dangerous as are those fun bouncy things my kids hung from the doorframe. We can't be trusted to take care of our children. We have digital thermometers in the bath, tiny mixers for the formula and no video interaction for baby until 18 months. A must have for your toddler? babiators http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/babiators-polarized-sunglasses-toddler/3832585?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_ite=828092&cm_pla=toddler_unisex:eyewear:sunglasses&cm_ven=Google_Product_Ads_pla_online&mr:referralID=a2a29081-ccc8-11e4-82f7-001b2166c2c0 I think folks here are pretty sure they are incapable of raising proper offspring without the government's help.

I see this area as the land of "take". Spotting a US manufacturer's auto here (with the exception of Tesla) is like a big-foot siting. I'm seeing the people with the most disposable income doing the least to help their fellow traveler. I did have the privilege of my first ride in a Tesla P85. I'm glad to know my taxes help support this area; it's so needy.

Of course in all it's glory the Golden State is about to become a desert. Funny how something as simple as water will either be the great equalizer or the resource that exposes these over privileged douchebags for what they are. Somehow I seriously doubt Mountain View will be the area hardest hit by the lack of H2o.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[Andy9o8 0]

I never realized you were a Communist. I'm beginning to see you in a different light.

[airdvr 197]

quade

In other news...

Houses cost a lot in Beverly Hills.
Housing costs in New York?
Cheap rent in the middle of bum fuck Egypt.

Location, location, location.

Absolutely

SAN FRANCISCO NAMED LEAST-AFFORDABLE CITY IN THE U.S.
http://www.interest.com/mortgage/news/study-big-city-housing-often-unaffordable/

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[grimmie 173]

You should get out of Ohio a little more often.

[airdvr 197]

Andy9o8

I never realized you were a Communist. I'm beginning to see you in a different light.

More like an observer. I probably won't live to see it but I imagine the response of these folks when the scales tip. Being that nothing is static I believe the future will see the "have-nots" rise up against the ruling class or the "haves" will suddenly wake up to see that they actually work for the government.

I did think it was odd that property taxes in CA work differently than elsewhere. Seems your tax rate doesn't change once you purchase. That's why, even in MV every once in a while a dilapidated home graces the corner.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[airdvr 197]

grimmie

You should get out of Ohio a little more often.

You're probably right. I think I would probably be more healthy if I lived here. I laughed at the Prop 65 warning at Starbuck's.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[DanG 1]

Quote

...these over privileged douchebags...

Pretty dim view of your daughter and son-in-law.

- Dan G

[GeorgiaDon 340]

Quote

This is an economically gated community. You can pick up a cool 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1167 sq ft home for $1,664,000.00. Of course these days homes in this area are selling for 8-12% more than asking prices. Don't want to buy just yet? You can rent. Least expensive rental I can find is 750 sq.ft for $2350/mo. If you want to live someplace nice plan on $4-5,000.

I am missing the point of your complaint. Those prices represent free market capitalism at work. It's not the government that has created an "economically gated community". The market does not care that someone can only afford $700-800/month for rent, as long as there is a sufficient supply of people able and willing to pay five times that amount. I am surprised that you of all people would have anything negative to say about that.

Quote

So the only way the average person has a chance at living here is if the government says it's OK.

Do you see a free market fix for the affordable housing situation? Be sure to consider land costs there; do you think it is even possible for developers to buy land and put up housing that would come close to affordable? Even if they could build cheaply, if people are willing to pay $4-5,000/month, why would you expect a landlord to charge less?

Alternatively, are you OK with paying bus drivers, teachers, and all the other folks who are needed to make a city function a salary that would allow them to live there? Say, $100,000 a year starting salary for teachers?

Quote

The transportation system is second to none here. Right across the street is a stop for CalTrain and VTA. Just want to get around town? There's the Google funded buses. Of course this is controversial because you can now live in SFO and work in Mountain View and your transportation costs are near $0. Of course that is leading to rent increases in areas near the bus stops.

What's the alternative? If you (not Airdvr "you", the whole society "you") don't want to pay a living wage (which includes enough to pay for a place to live), and you don't want affordable transportation so that people can live in less expensive areas yet still get to work, how is that supposed to function? Also, why do you (Airdvr you) care how Google spends its money? If they want to provide cheap transportation so people can get around without jamming the roads with cars, why should that be controversial?

I don't see any of this as racist against brown people, I see it as an inevitable consequence of the growing income gap, where people are either quite well off or they are poor, with little in between. Given that Republican (and Libertarian) policies are all about feeding the income gap, I think you are off the mark about any of this being "the blueprint for the future according to high ranking liberals". You are looking at an economic version of the Republican ideal.

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

[airdvr 197]

DanG

Quote

...these over privileged douchebags...

Pretty dim view of your daughter and son-in-law.

They fit the mold to be sure. Actually more my step-sil. He is the reason they are in MV.

An example; his pregnant wife drove an Evo 10 with Ricaro seats because he didn't want to sell his rally car. She could have driven the Tesla but I don't think he trusted her not to bend it.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[SkyDekker 1,123]

airdvr

Let me start by saying it should be no surprise that i am not a fan of California politics and laws. I see them as intruding way too far into the average everyday life. That being said...

Rox and I have been in Mountain View CA since Friday. We're staying at one of the least expensive hotels in town (at least of the ones that don't charge by the hour).

This area is beautiful. Great weather just about every day. We're walking around in shorts and tees and some folks look at us like we're nuts. For those of you not familiar this is the heart of Silicon Valley. Home to Google, Intuit, Symantec et al. Geek nirvana. And I'm not kidding when I say it's beautiful.

However, I get the feeling that this is the blueprint for the future according to high ranking liberals. It's been quite an eye opening experience. Had I not been blessed with an orthopedic surgeon for a stepdaughter and a well paid code monkey for a stepson I probably would have never seen this area from the perspective of those who live and work here.

This is an economically gated community. You can pick up a cool 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1167 sq ft home for $1,664,000.00. Of course these days homes in this area are selling for 8-12% more than asking prices. Don't want to buy just yet? You can rent. Least expensive rental I can find is 750 sq.ft for $2350/mo. If you want to live someplace nice plan on $4-5,000. Interestingly I read an article in the local paper that talks of a problem with affordable housing in Mountain View. The fix; raise taxes on those who build developments, office complexes and apartments. http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/11/29/mountain-view-may-raise-developer-fees-to-fund-affordable-housing
So the only way the average person has a chance at living here is if the government says it's OK. Of course raising taxes on those who build the local housing ought to fix the problem.

The transportation system is second to none here. Right across the street is a stop for CalTrain and VTA. Just want to get around town? There's the Google funded buses. Of course this is controversial because you can now live in SFO and work in Mountain View and your transportation costs are near $0. Of course that is leading to rent increases in areas near the bus stops. http://io9.com/yes-the-google-bus-is-affecting-rental-prices-in-san-f-1510968923

I just deleted about an hour's worth of writing because it might possibly reveal unwanted personal information. Perhaps more to come later about this economically gated community and the way they control the uneducated brown people who work here. Funny, you never hear about this area as being racist because it's not racist if you are paying them.

Interesting you would describe this as the future according to high ranking liberals.

Which liberal policies do you think are associated with what you describe?

Cause I am seeing more free market than anything else.

[masterblaster72 0]

GeorgiaDon

I am missing the point of your complaint.

You're not the only one. Summed up, the long post is a gratuitous archie bunker-like bash on "liberals" from an out of place nascar dad who needs to go home to Ohio where the real Americans pay less for their real estate.

Be humble, ask questions, listen, learn, follow the golden rule, talk when necessary, and know when to shut the fuck up.

[billvon 2,400]

A while back I drove into Rancho Santa Fe and saw . . .

A good example of what liberals are doing to this country. Million-dollar mansions on acres of land! Probably a lot more than a million. Gated communities, guards everywhere, you have to be a resident (and probably a rich white guy) to be able to live here. All liberals I am sure, claiming they are "open minded" and tolerant while staring down their noses at the immigrants who do all their work for them. They probably never worked a day in their lives, unlike conservatives who are willing to buy a tiny house in a bad neighborhood and then WORK to advance themselves and their families.

And I'm supposed to live near these stuck up, clueless, rich snobs? THANKS OBAMA.

Then I drove into Chula Vista and saw . . .

A good example of what liberals are doing to this country. I saw tiny houses on tiny plots of land, a lot of mobile homes. Kids just sitting around outside. They probably hate the idea of working and are just living off the government. All liberals, no doubt, and they all vote democratic so that the free money keeps coming. They're probably all illegal aliens too - at least they all look Mexican. None of them have what it takes to work hard and afford those big houses - houses that they probably just want to rob. Conservatives are the types who work hard and are able to afford those big houses.

And I'm supposed to live near these dangerous criminal types? THANKS OBAMA!

[headoverheels 291]

airdvr

I did think it was odd that property taxes in CA work differently than elsewhere. Seems your tax rate doesn't change once you purchase.

Actually, they can go up a compounded 2% per year, plus any bond issues that are passed.

My next door neighbor built her house in 1966, and paid $1956 in property taxes in 2014.

I paid $7300 in 2014 (about $3700 when I bought in 1987).

My neighbor across the street paid $12,800.

All are worth within 10% of each other, with they guy paying the most having the house with the least market value.

I'm 25 minutes out from Mountain View, where you get 3600 sq ft on an acre, with a helluva view, for less than the house price you quoted above.

[dpreguy 14]

You and Karl and Max should sit down and have a beer. Maybe write a book together....uh...what to call it.....

[Coreeece 2]

GeorgiaDon

if people are willing to pay $4-5,000/month, why would you expect a landlord to charge less?

I'm not dismissing any of your points, but it's not always about what people are willing to pay.

Gas prices taught us that it's not always about what people are happily willing to pay, but but rather, what they have to pay.

Sometimes people end up trapped in unfortunate situations such as owning a car with a combustible engine. Of course they're "willing" to empty their bank accounts and search the couch cushions for extra cash to make it to their next job.

Of course a woman is "willing" to turn tricks after work to pay $1000 rent on a 500 sq-ft apartment in South Central LA complete with bars on the windows because the the only other option at the moment would be skid row.

Now some of these people are lucky enough to obtain government assistance, but then why should we have to subsidize the cost of excessively greedy land owners?

Never was there an answer....not without listening, without seeing - Gilmour

[grue 1]

Think about what you posted for a moment. The south bay area and peninsula are proximate to Google, Apple, Facebook, etc. Places where hundreds of thousands of people are paid pretty well. These people don't want to have hour (or more) commutes, they want to live reasonably close, in a reasonable nice area.

As a direct result, the prices go up. Supply, demand. Does it suck to be a guy who bags groceries for a living? Probably. But that's not the fault of the area, or of the workers.

There's a reason why the cost of living here is high: people want to live here, and there's a limited ability to do so. Compare with Texas: Plenty of room for everyone who wants to move there, and a low cost of living. Why? Because not many people think "Man, I should move to Texas".

cavete terrae.

[Driver1 0]

And of course, there are people that wouldn't live in CA for whatever reason, political climate, risk of catastrophic acts of God, etc...

You couldn't pay me to live there.

I'd rather live in Texas than California.

There will be no addressing the customers as "Bitches", "Morons" or "Retards"!

[grue 1]

Driver1

And of course, there are people that wouldn't live in CA for whatever reason, political climate, risk of catastrophic acts of God, etc...

You couldn't pay me to live there.

I'd rather live in Texas than California.

Sure, I'm just saying that overall, living in California has a much, much much higher demand.

I'd live in Texas, personally, but not for anything under $200,000/yr after taxes, with at least 12 weeks of paid time off per year.

cavete terrae.

[jclalor 12]

It's the free market at work... Is it not?

90% of the workforce is from surrounding areas, with some people commuting 2 hours each way.

If people are looking at you like you're nuts, it ain't the shorts. I've lived in the South Bay my whole life, I would never think twice about seeing someone wear shorts, any time of year.

We hate brown people? That's a new one. Did you happen to take a gander at how many of those engineers were brown? Mountain view is JUST barley a white majority.

[turtlespeed 212]

grue

Think about what you posted for a moment. The south bay area and peninsula are proximate to Google, Apple, Facebook, etc. Places where hundreds of thousands of people are paid pretty well. These people don't want to have hour (or more) commutes, they want to live reasonably close, in a reasonable nice area.

As a direct result, the prices go up. Supply, demand. Does it suck to be a guy who bags groceries for a living? Probably. But that's not the fault of the area, or of the workers.

There's a reason why the cost of living here is high: people want to live here, and there's a limited ability to do so. Compare with Texas: Plenty of room for everyone who wants to move there, and a low cost of living. Why? Because not many people think "Man, I should move to Texas".

So, my question is how are the charities and such doing there? Is it more or less than the national average?

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[grue 1]

turtlespeed

***Think about what you posted for a moment. The south bay area and peninsula are proximate to Google, Apple, Facebook, etc. Places where hundreds of thousands of people are paid pretty well. These people don't want to have hour (or more) commutes, they want to live reasonably close, in a reasonable nice area.

As a direct result, the prices go up. Supply, demand. Does it suck to be a guy who bags groceries for a living? Probably. But that's not the fault of the area, or of the workers.

There's a reason why the cost of living here is high: people want to live here, and there's a limited ability to do so. Compare with Texas: Plenty of room for everyone who wants to move there, and a low cost of living. Why? Because not many people think "Man, I should move to Texas".

So, my question is how are the charities and such doing there? Is it more or less than the national average?

Honestly? I couldn't tell ya. I haven't personally gotten to the point where I can "give to charity", so instead I personally feed a few people myself when I can so I know that what I do give is being used efficiently.

cavete terrae.