For me, this is not a feel good story. All employees and businesses should be receiving help. The fact that some people have so much money they can just donate a million on a whim is not a good thing. I fear it's a return to the terrible times when the aristocracy did as they pleased and the rest were under their thumb. We left Europe and fought the Revolution to escape that terrible, hopeless existence. Let's not celebrate a modern day version of serfs, peasants, and lords. Instead, let's fight for equality of opportunity, economic mobility, a ladder for success for everyone who works for it.

It sounds like someone is tailor-making the Bay Area. By paying and supporting the restaurants and institutions of their choosing, they're opting to weed out everyone else. But hey, if you use Facebook you support their donation. I quit nearly a decade ago, and you never needed to use "their" website in the first place.

I agree with Cordelia. Mark Zuckerberg pledged to give away a large amount of his $83 billion net worth. Right now given the economic crash, what is there for him to spend his vast wealth on? How can anyone spend $83 billion in their lifetime, even with an economy that is open, as opposed to our current economy which is virtually closed.

In an environment were almost 35 million Americans are out of work, and where millions of Californians are either homeless or very home-insecure, this $800,000 gift to 8 restaurants feels cruel. Zuckerberg could house 3 million unhoused Americans -- something that is essential for us to escape the lockdown, BTW -- and still have enough money left over to be as rich as multi-billionaire Sheryl Sandberg. And that is not even considering the below-market rent that could be generated by the 3 million units that could be built for the cost of $30,000/head.

It's typically tone-deaf of Zuckerberg to commendation for these 8 gifts, as deserving as these restaurants clearly are. If you have the money literally to give $100,000 to 800,000 restaurants, or $1,000,000 to 80,000 restaurants, why just choose 8? $800,000 is less than 1-one-hundred-thousandths of Zuckerberg's $83 B net worth, or the equivalent of a regular person giving a nickel. And unfortunately, in today's climate, most regular people need to hold onto their nickels.

Where are our Carnegies, our Rockefellers, our Lucile Packards? Now is a great time for one of today's billionaires to step up in a material way and be a hero. Who wouldn't want to leave that kind of legacy? And specifically, why do none of our 100 or so California billionaires want to be a hero?

It's not their obligation, obviously... but didn't most of them swear that would give back?

Just take a look at this article on Zuckerberg and Gate's view on billionaire philanthropy:
Web Link

I bought $45 takeout from that same Chef Chu's and left a $5 tip. As a percentage of my actual cash on hand, this would be equivalent to Zuckerberg giving away $100.

The Covid-19 could be a deal-breaker for capitalism. Revolution, crime or LLCs to DAF's and a pledge -- your call, RichieRichieRichieRichie Rich.

There could be a dish named for him at the ramen place called Veruca Salt.

You see, there are five types of broth at Dohatsuten: Soy, Salt, Spicy Miso, Tonkotsu, Vegetarian Soy.
Whereas Veruca Salt, before it was an indie band, was a bratty rich girl in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" movie.
So I'm riffing on two or three pop references and calling Zuck a brat, ok?
I have a yolk about Oompa Loompas but it's too rich for these pages.
Seether.

I heard that one of the PayPaly mafia just gave a bilion dollars to Bird Dog Restaurant, the former Mandarin Gourmet the former El Dorado Mexican although it will be paid out in avocados from a special tree, one avocado per year for 125 million years -- it's an $8 avocado.

Which reminds me: it was five years ago to the day that EK bid adieu to Jacquetta Lannan, who ran an upscale hot dog stand in the site of the former Know Knew Books, which i wanted her to call A Confederacy of Dunces but was actually called Chez Franc.
Coinkydinky, when I was an undergrad at Dartmouth, a wee bit before Jacquetta's time, we used to have a yearly contest called The Smith College Weiner Queen.
Web Link

"$800,000 is less than 1-one-hundred-thousandths of Zuckerberg's $83 B net worth, or the equivalent of a regular person giving a nickel. And unfortunately, in today's climate, most regular people need to hold onto their nickels."
-----====-----

This is so true!!! I have heard it said: To much who is given, much is expected. Mark and Prissy were given (okay, they earned it via their smarts and a bit of luck) very much indeed! So they give back to society (uh, no... to the favorite restaurants) the equivalent of what is five cents to most of us.

How cheap can you be? If I were Prissy & Markie, I'd be I'm-bare-assed!!!!
Sorry, but I only had a half a bottle of Chard, unlike Mr. Weiss, who looks like he has drunk three times what Hillary had on election night!

Keep writing, Mr Weiss, I like it!

The last sentence is so hollow. We are not “all in this together." Yes, we all face the same pandemic. But we all saw how only the uber wealthy could obtain a coronavirus test the same day they wanted one. There's a kid in the local high school who desperately wanted to be tested. Her parents said she had all the worrisome symptoms. She never got tested and her story ended up in the SJ Mercury News. Since we can't get tested, we tell ourselves that testing isn't useful anyways. This is utter baloney. As with most serious illnesses, early identification is key to getting early treatment. There are some treatments that are only possible the first two days. Reducing the viral load before it's established a foothold can save your life. We were exploited by a corrupt system. And now we are being slaughtered. Am I exaggerating? I wish I was.

Actually I went to Peet's for the first time in months, and that was 12 hours ago -- -and then on my own blog I was recalling that the guy who wrote Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure was in my Hebrew School Carpool....I actually met Zuckerberg on the night that he commissoned David Choe to paint a mural on his first office space, above Jing Jing. I gave Choe $20 for a calendar of his art work -- years later it was revealed that Choe was offered $20K cash for the mural or FB stock options which he took and made him a millonaire but I reckon that if I hadn't come along with that $20 he might have took the cash from Zuck and shorted himself the stock options.
Meanwhile, when I tried to fact check my own story Choe had posted that the coda of the story is that the City of Palo alto had sent FB a fix-it letter claiming that FB was liable for the damages caused by Choe dripping paint on the sidewalk -- so rather than Palo Alto being an incubator of tech somehow, which we sometimes claim to be, we were actually a nuisance to FB.
But I don't use that social media -- don't want to give the broth the satisfaction of my data -- and I know the difference between a 501c3 and a Donor Advised Fund via a LLC. The reason the article says that it was a gift from his personal account and not from his ZCI fund is that that fund is subject to audit, and restricted to 501c3s.
If these billionaires gave away their entire fortunes except their primary residence and tried to get by just on their wits, their contacts and their good name, I'd be impressed. But i'm not impressed with giving away a billion dollar if you got a billion dollar hole card, so to speak. hot dog!
Some one once said "I'd rather be lucky than good" -- I say "I'd rather be funny than good lucking"

Any tax experts who can tell us how that gets structured?

This article is not about food. It is about something else.

I agree with Cordelia wholeheartedly. The Weekly has done such a horrible biased job reporting venerating those with money that giving it away as though they are saints, and bullying and vilifying the small business like the Menlo Park Art Dealer calling her "rogue" for trying to stay open. It is a shame and I am ashamed of the Weekly and this disgustingly biased portrait bullying the small businesses just trying to stay alive calling them "rogue" but painting the Zuckerbergs as saints while Facebook censors all speech opposed to the lockdown.

wow, what a bunch of poopers and complainers! The guy supported a few restaurants, which in return were able to give food to those in need and still got slammed. And these comments about capitalism and revolution?! Seriously? I came from a country that was building communism. NOBODY is helping anybody there. And people are as sad, lazy and pathetic as the commentators here.

Mark Weiss, you do not even tip enough so please do not berate the generosity of others.

“The guy supported a few restaurants, which in return were able to give food to those in need and still got slammed."

Thank you Elena. You articulated what I was thinking.

Elena, I grew up here a long time ago and I remember when capitalist and socialist rules both meshed more harmoniously here in our country. In the 50s, 60s, 70s, into the 80s we used to tax our uber wealthy at 90% because they benefited the most from our society. And those taxes paid for help with education, housing, and food for all. That still left the wealthy with millions.

Did you ever wonder why CEOs choose a $1 salary? It's so they can receive payment that gets taxed at 10%. The current system is rotten. However, nobody is saying capitalism is evil. What we are saying is that these ridiculous donations feel like sponsorships at a Roman gladiator event. People are dying and suffering. Helping everyone is the right response. Helping a few and celebrating that is horrific.

Quote> "Mark Zuckerberg pledged to give away a large amount of his $83 billion net worth. Right now given the economic crash, what is there for him to spend his vast wealth on? How can anyone spend $83 billion in their lifetime, even with an economy that is open, as opposed to our current economy which is virtually closed."

^^ Excellent point. If Zuckerberg gave $1M to every U.S. citizen (approximately 375 million people), he would still have plenty of money leftover & this 'gift' in turn, would go a long ways towards re-stimulating the American economy.

Mayor Bloomberg could have done the same...instead of blowing $500M of his personal & readily available CASH reserves to finance a failed presidential bid.

In either case, both individuals would win a presidential campaign hands down as a declining state of the economy is usually what gets a POTUS fired.

From posting by "Show Me the Money"

"Excellent point. If Zuckerberg gave $1M to every U.S. citizen (approximately 375 million people), he would still have plenty of money leftover & this 'gift' in turn, would go a long ways towards re-stimulating the American economy."

Uh, I suppose this is why we need better mathematics education:

$1M x 375 M people = 375 Trillion (10^12) ... so I'm afraid even this is even beyond what Zuck is capable of doing ....

Mark and Priscilla

Thank you for your kind hearted donation.
Businesses appreciate your help during these tough times.

Well it's been a while since I've seen Gene Wilder in the Charlie chocolate factory movie but if not Veruca Salt which spoiled rich child does Mark Zuckerberg remind you of?
And I'll double check my math but if I tipped five dollars and have $5000 in my savings account for either saving or investing or discretionary spending, That is like a billionaire or someone with $5 billion liquidity giving away $5 million.
But I don't generally then discuss it on social media or here at the library of Alexandria I mean Palo Alto weekly website.
But I will repeat COVID-19 might be a game changer for capitalism. Or maybe life will go back to normal I have no idea I am not an economist a tax expert or even an actual comedian I play one on TV.
Ver-Zuck-a Salt. Too hip for the room but there's always hope

Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg for doing something positive for the community. Shame on the negative Nancys in the comment section.

Zuckerberg gave 100K to Dohatsuten, a wonderful local place of great informality and simplicity (and better Ramen than the trendy downtown places with long waiting lines)? I say wonderful, thank you Mark and Priscilla.

I am so happy for the staff at Palo Alto Sol, one of my favorite restaurants in the area.

It's pretty lame that people are bashing Mark and Priscilla on their gesture. Yes perhaps they can donate more, but they don't have to. There are so many issues happening around the world outside of this pandemic to which they do contribute. I can only imagine how many people and organizations are on their doorstep asking for money all the time. Why can't we commend people for their intentions instead of being so critical about how much they make and their contribution amount?

Yes it may be their “favorite" restaurants, but we can't dismiss the fact that these restaurants hire a lot of people. The article mentioned that it will allow them to keep folks employed and/or continue to provide healthcare.

Have any of folks that have posted negative comments donated money to 8 restaurants? I'm not talking about ordering and giving a tip, I'm talking about donating cash to these restaurants? My guess is no. We can't control what others do, but we can control what we do individually. Instead of bashing others why don't we reflect on what we can do as an individual and try to do better ourselves.

I'm not sure what a “negative Nancy" is but I would say specially to all my fellow ‘90s indie rock people “can't stop the seether"
Take it, Nina and Louise:
Web Link

And once again though it goes without saying NB is correct that this is not merely a
FOOD FIGHT!!!!

Money is money, but keep in mind that Zuck isn't rich because he created a company that provides useful goods and services. Rather, he's rich because he figured out how to sell our private information to the highest bidder. That fact may color some of the comments here.

> Zuck isn't rich because he created a company that provides useful goods and services

Strange point of view to take in the middle of a pandemic where we rely on virtual social connections more than ever.

I admit I felt a bit of sadness for those restuarants not winning the lottery but congratulations to those who did. Acts of kindness lead to further acts of kindness. That is was this is why try to read further into it. We all support our local businesses the best we can and our favorite charities. Why should the Zuckerburgs get slammed for picking who they would like to help. The negative energy here could be used for something more positive and proactive.

You can be anything these days so please be kind.

Why slam them for giving away money? The bigger question is, why is this newsworthy?

wouldn't it have been a bit classier to have made those donations more quietly ? How many dining places probably won't reopen & would have been lucky to have just had a $10,000. shot in the arm.

So surprised that I saw so many not so positive comments about Zuckerberg and Chan's action to donate $800000 to 8 local restaurants. I really like and appreciate the action they did. The most important thing is they see the needs, the pains and took actions to help.

Yes, they are rich but not every rich persons will do the things they did. Additionally, rich is not a sin and it is no requirement that rich persons are obligated to help out other people. We should thank everyone no matter he/she is rich or poor when s/he does a good/nice thing to others or to the society. No matter how harsh the environment is we should all try to be our best to be fair, kind and respectful to others.

Whenever billionaire "philanthropy" gets positive PR in the press I refer people to this incredible side-scroller which shows you just how much money the .0001% are hoarding. Web Link

There is nothing noble about this gift, which is literally a rounding error for the Zuckerbergs (and probably a tax write-off as well). It's nice for the chosen restaurants, I guess.

It is crazy to think that a good deed like this is met with ridicule, mockery and mean-spirited sarcasm by so many Palo Alto residents.

Thank you, Mark and Priscilla.

I suspect that these restaurant owners are very appreciative during these difficult times.

@ local - How do you know that they didn't offer this money discretely? There is nothing in the article that indicates that they did this for "publicity." In fact, the Zuckerberg's initially reached out to the restaurant owners privately via email (which they assumed was fake).

Contrary to what some other posters suggested, this doesn't seem to be a "tax write-off" either -- because those restaurants are not non-profits or charities.

The sad truth is that there is a bitter response by many people who seem unhappy with this man's business success. As someone who knows what it is REALLY like to be poor, I've noticed that greed and bitterness are often qualities of people who aren't highly successful more so than those who are.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just be happy that a good deed was done even if we might not like the person or people who did it?

Funny how most of you bash Zuckerberg/Chan for how rich and ungenerous they are, yet you spend 14 hour a day on FaceBook. I canceled my account years ago.

@Joseph E. Davis - Like many super-wealthy people, Zuckerberg got obscenely rich by figuring out how to set up a tollbooth to extract rent for every transaction going through his tollbooth. In his case, the rent is your personal information, which he sells to companies and others to be used to manipulate you to buy products, and for darker purposes as well.

There's no reason a Facebook-like service couldn't exist that *DOESN'T* extract vast sums to line the pockets of the few people who built it at the cost of our social fabric, and even to some extent our autonomy. It's just that the operating system of capitalism as it's currently practiced incentivizes this extractive and anti-social behavior. And then the obscenely wealthy are literally celebrated like royalty. Great King Zuckerberg bestowed 8 chickens on his worthy subjects? WOW, let's write a propaganda article celebrating this Great and Noble benign ruler for this *literally* meaningless sacrifice. (Check my previous post for a visceral idea of just how insignificant $800K is to someone with his hoard.)

Whether one gives ten dollars, ten billion or, in this case, close to a million, its a mitzvah, sure.
But why did his spokesperson talk to the press? That's the part I'm making fun of.

Also, @Joseph Davis, I disagree. Social media has made this worse. We as a people or civilization or community facing an unprecedented threat would be more able to face the challenge were it not for the disruptive effects of the proliferation of digitial fascimile, mediated experience and Facebook. I beleive we were hacked by a foreign power. I believe national leadership is inept. Maybe semiconductors will indeed help Dr. Porteus develop an RNA gene therapy cleaver to defeat future novel viruses, but in the here and now this stuff divides us and confuses us and discourages more than it helps us while the hours or actually work together or beat the virus, survive the pandemic.

Where did you get the story, Elena?

But what do you guys make of the idea that we might have a library shuttered for lack of the budget to unlock the doors, yet right next door, in theory, is some guy -- I don't mean Zuck -- or gal -- with $500 million in stock, paper excess worth? Tough titties? Or does Covid-19 make us rework capitalism, along the lines of Piketty, Krugman, Keynes, Jesus Christ, Chomsky or Bernie Sanders????

(And I do think it's better to laugh than cry and yes, two women with loud detuned Fenders can cut thru the clutter on policy -- as a society our approaches to policy are too formulaic or Cartesian or Jack in the Box...I don't mean I support music in the sense of Nero fiddling while Rome burns, but people whose only education is 1's and 0's and coding and math are not flexible, cannot improvise or "speak friend and enter". It's a flaw. Steam not stem. Like steamed gyoza and dohatsuten)

@Joseph Davis...we can thank FB for getting Trump elected in 2016.

“Personally I think the idea that fake news on Facebook, which is a very small amount of the content, influenced the election in any way �" I think is a pretty crazy idea. Voters make decisions based on their lived experience."

�" Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in remarks at a conference, Nov. 9, 2016

Mark Zuckerberg's statement did not age well. Does he really deserve to be a billionaire? If yes,Why?

What's with the free food going to health care workers and first responders? They're doing their normal jobs (and being hailed as heroes?) and getting paid for them while half the county is out of work with zero income. Are these the people most in need of free food?

It's America folks the guy has a right to give to whomever he wants. What right do we have to tell him what to do with his money? Yes it would be nice to have people like myself and the Zuckerbergs help EVERYONE who needs help out but that'll be our choice. Those of you who are doing your part GREAT! keep it up. I understand this is everyone's opinion but I also wanted to voice my opinion and speak on behalf of the 1%.
Ok folks continue with your poo poo party.

My gosh - just stop. A gift is a gift. Wish I could do as much.

More restaurants should do what Cafe Borrone did. They were featured in a PA weekly article and opened a Go Fund Me fund. Many people have a sentimental connection with Palo Alto restaurants and want to save those memories.

Cafe Borrone is getting funded and shows how well liked they are.

I think the worst thing about this whole thing is that it was not done anonymously instead of through their PR firm AND including the names of the resturants. Generousity (and I am not calling this an act of generosity) is without publicity.

If they want to be generous, why not work on the Zukerberg Hospital in SF to get an A rating instead of the F they just received.

This is simply shameful in every way.

Jeez, people. The Zuckerbergs do one small nice thing, and it's a referendum on everything about them.

Like if you bought 3 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, and some bystander starts muttering about how you could clearly afford more boxes, and how you aren't doing enough for the world's youth.

Give it a rest.

Giving to Chef Chu's, hmmm, isn't his son the director of that independent film, "Crazy Rich Asians", and "Now You See Me 2"? It's good that Zuckerberg is supporting that restaurant as I don't know how Director John Chu could support his family.

Interesting restaurant choices to support:

(they're all restaurant favorites to Bay Area's Triads- the Tong Family, the Mafia and the Yakuza)

Dohatsuten
Palo Alto Sol
Fuki Sushi in Palo Alto,
Chef Chu's in Los Altos,
Vesta in Redwood City,
Sushi Sam's Edomata in San Mateo
La Ciccia
The Liberties Bar & Grill in San Francisco

Zuck can do whatever he wants with his money, but keep in mind that he 'won' the IPO jackpot, anyone who becomes a billionaire at 23 did not 'earn' it. Hopefully he realizes that too.

Reading these comments... wow the anger in our community. I think everyone has been sitting home for way too long.

The envy and resentment in this comments section is horrifying.

Thank you Mark and Priscilla for pursuing your values and supporting the businesses you most want to see survive the lockdowns. That is exactly the right thing to do. You don't owe anyone anything�"least of all the leaches trying to tell you what to do with your own money.

I have heard many times that Mark and Priscilla really do patronize our local restaurants and businesses.

A few years ago, my daughter Kai was a waitress at Dohatsuten. Kai comes home late one night and she is very excited. “Guess who I waited on tonight?" she asked, not easily containing herself! Wow, must be someone famous, I thought. I guessed Joan Baez! Noooo, she yells at me. “It was the Zuckerbergs, and they go to Dohatsuten frequently", my daughter said! “And they tipped me really well!"

Some of the comments to this gifting story indicates that some folks think the Zuckerbergs should do more! Well, I have absolutely NO doubt that behind the scenes they are doing MUCH more.

Several years ago my business decided to match donations from our customers for the Holiday Charitable Fund that is hosted by the Palo Alto Weekly. Employees and customers gave ten dollars, twenty five, fifty and sometimes even one hundred dollars!
Then one late afternoon on Christmas Eve a man walked up to a cashier and handed her an unsealed envelope and asked her to put it in the Holiday Jar! The cashier looked at it and then ran thru the store to find me! The cashier was so excited, the customer had just handed Sally a $ 1,000 check!
A couple of days later I called the donor. I said, “Bob, did you really mean to leave us that money?". He said “yes, usually I donate to international charities and my collage and things like that, but this year I wanted to make a difference in my own community".

So the moral of this story is that you and the Zuckerberg's can do similar acts of kindness. Whether it is $ 100,000, $ 1,000 or $ 100, it still can hugely help the struggling restaurants in our community.

Go online and search for Covid-19 Relief Funds for small business in your community. One example is Web Link


All you need to be is creative with your giving instincts!

This was a kind and generous donation, and I'll never understand the mindset of people who can't appreciate generosity. What a shame.

Washington Post reports today that Zuckerberg's company paid $52m to compensate workers made sick moderating the content, all the disgusting crap that FB users try to inflict on society.
FB is evil.
Why do you promote them?
Was part of the $100k the Weekly took as a bribe quid pro quo to promote the image of the founder?
[Portion removed.]
Web Link

If the Weekly can prove the veracity of the “Kai...Bob...and...Sally" story above, I'll match “Sally's" $1,000 donation to a 501c3 of their choice.

We all know that Facebook needs to be a closed book, but what can you do about it? The House and Senate both have members that own quite a bit of Facebook stock. No matter how nice and evenly spirited the Zuckerbergs tend to be, they have been getting away with societal murder for far too long.

"Move fast and break things" sounds like our current government, but Mark Zuckerberg and his employees have been doing that with the entire world and their politics for nearly 16 years, now!

Remember when Mark Zuckerberg threw a donation into the New Jersey school system, and it went nowhere? He was regarded as a hero, but there was zero progress.

Pander and praise the Zuckerbergs all you want, but in the end you're supporting the teenagers that beat up a Target man for opting not to wear a mask, the girl who told all her friends that she was going out of town-to return to a burglarized house, a long list of children and teenager suicides that have been caused by online bullying. You're supporting hatred to Jews and Christians, Muslims and Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists, to Atheists and Pantheists. You're supporting a constant need for attention, and the constant published views that everyone is better or more rightful than someone else.

Remember, just days after September 11th happened in the rubble of Ground Zero, Billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed offered Mayor (then) Giuliani a check for $10 million as a donation to cover for the "damage". The Mayor refused the check.

If you were a restaurant that knew you were given money to bail you out by a billionaire when you knew that the intentions may have been good, but the boundaries of the intentions weren't based on fairness and equality, and in helping your fellow man and woman of this country - would you take the money?

@The Answer, where did you get that info about Rudy rejecting that money from Prince Alwaleed? CNN, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News?? I got news for you...FAKE NEWS!! According to our all mighty greatest President that ever lived Donny Trump.
So he did take the money right!

I suggest that those who have negative things to say about this $800,000 infusion of cash to help local restaurants consider that the Chan-Zuckerburg Foundation to which organization they have donated millions of their wealth, is doing a lot for the community. This $800,000 is just a flash in the pan for what they are investing in works to benefit others. So check out what you're talking about before you mouth off against someone.

I bet most of the low paid workers that make these restaurants viable are bummed out. They would have made more money on unemployment along with their stimulus check and been able to stay at home with their families.

Chef Chu's did not need the donation, the low paid workers do.

[Post removed.]

Thank you Mark and Priscilla. We need more people like them to help the community.

It's not a foundation it's a corporation check your facts

So the hundred thousand dollar gift from the Zuckerberg foundation sick includes the part where you sign off promising to only say nice things about Mark and Ialways delete portions of my comments although I am also named Mark?

Mark Weiss,
On behalf of the Weekly, thank you.
How would you like to proceed with your kind act of charity?
Since we are both registered users, perhaps you can contact the publisher of the Weekly to determine the "veracity" of the "Kai, Bob and Sally" stories.

Again, a very generous gift on your part.
Absalom

What a bunch of whiny, nattering nabobs of negativity. It was a nice thing to do, it was not meant to fix the ills of society.

People.. this has to be a prime example of "no good deed goes unpunished".

What is wrong with just being grateful these establishments were given money which will allow them to continue operating and,in some cases, helping others in the community?

Waxing on about how much money Chan/Zuckerberg have and how it should be spent is inappropriate and very rude!

I hope they continue to give as they see fit and dismiss all the negative comments; most of which were posted anonymously. I can see why some chose to give to Third World countries where maybe a least a thank you is received.

I think the donations are fabulous (as are all of their other generous donations to local organizations!) - so grateful Mark & Prescilla love Palo Alto as much as I do!

@Absalom nice one!!! That'll shut him up!
@Mark Weiss you going to sit still for that?

Acts of kindness should be looked at as just that, not judged. I hope the best for all restaurants and particularly for local favorites: Fuki Sushi, Palo Alto Sol and Chef Chu.

I am serious.
And I know Bill Johnson in that being either a source, a topic -- I was actually on the cover two weeks ago walking my dog, plus I sat for a different photographer in a story about my concert series, March 13 edition -- or an advertiser, plus these volumninous comments - if the Weekly can prove that Absalom's story is true I will match the gift of "Bob" (not "Sally" -- my bad) and Absalom can direct the fund.
Maybe they have better things to do, like lunching with Mark and Pris.
But my point is that Bill really has no idea other than the IP numbers which of you are like Rebecca, Nielson and I actually community members and which of you are trolls. Or Russian trolls.
I actually have had this conversation with Chief Dennis Burns and City Clerk Donna Grider when the Weekly, in my opinon, baited the trolls to attack me personally when I ran for City Council ("The Agitator").
It would be wonderful and it's likely happened that people who give to the Weekly's fund also give to funds of their favorite businesses, but I was just playing the hunch that what started with a tip about the pr firm of a billonaire and digressed thru many layers of bullshit internet hell you can take at face value. If you check the record I debunk a lot of hoaxes here. I was trained as an actual journailist. Plus I take creative writing at Stanford plus I work with musicians who are fantastic fabulists. And I wrote my thesis on "Absalom, Absalom".
Or you can unmask yourself, sir or madame.
Mark Weiss
dba Earthwise
former editor in chief, Gunn High Oracle, 1980-1981, 1981-1982

Vesta in Redwood City is a fabulous restaurant. The food is sooooo good.

You cannot in food conscience take down excerpts from the greatest Southern novel ever written,by the Nobel Laureate William Faulkner? it's themes of class and race perfectly mirror or presage The Zuckerbergs...

How about everyone post their favorite 8 restaurants they've been supporting to date by having bought takeout during the pandemic. Put your money where your mouth is. I see the Zuck/Chan PR as a challenge to the rest of us to support OUR local restaurant businesses and their employees. Here's my list:

Peninsula Creamery
Kirk's at T&C
Sushi House at T&C
Como Esta Taqueria (Midtown)
Round Table (Colorado Avenue)
Chef Chu's
Lulu's in Los Altos (why is the T&C one closed?!)
Mikado in Los Altos

As for the social/economic debate in this thread, I fondly recall reading a Birge Clark unpublished history at the Palo Alto history archives then at the Rinconada library about how and why Lucy Stern funded our 1st local cultural center. She wanted Clark to build a California mission style facility. City Hall would not approve the design. She had Clark ask the City police chief if she had work started without a permit would he stop the work in the Depression. Chief said, "No." And, THAT is how Palo Alto got its first professional quality community theatre, a dance hall, and a headquarters for the local Boy Scouts.

People who have earned, or inherited and not squandered huge fortunes deserve to do the charity they want to do. If one does not like current federal tax laws on charity, work to change those laws rather than bash those taking legal advantage of them. But meanwhile, it will be interesting to watch what local charity is done by our local residents, business entities, and well-endowed trusts like Stanford University with pennies to spare. Some will do charity openly, others will be anonymous.

Billionaires doing nice things for the stuff they personally like and want to see happen seem to be working at odds with trying to better life for everyone. [Portion removed.]

These ideas are expounded on more seriously in one of the best non-fiction books to hit the shelves in years, "Winners Take All" by Anand Giridaharas. Read it and wake up.

> People who have earned, or inherited and not squandered huge fortunes deserve to do the charity they want to do. If one does not like current federal tax laws on charity, work to change those laws rather than bash those taking legal advantage of them.

Quaint idea, but thanks to rich and powerful people capturing and buying the government the very assumption in your idea is impossible because we have squeezed the democracy and public space out of our system to replace it with myths and phony marketing about how great billionaires are.

With all these billionaires with all this money and power always talking about how they want to end poverty and make things better for the little people ... well, they must be much less competent than they think because we get farther away from that every year as they get more powerful and controlling.

Eight local businesses were generously aided by concerned customers. I'm happy for these restaurants. Standing with Oldster with our list of 8:

Siam Fine Thai (El Camino)
Zareen's (CA Ave)
Kali Greek Kitchen (CA Ave)
La Boheme (CA Ave)
Dohatsuten
Anatolian Kitchen (CA Ave)
Darbar (Lytton Ave)
Chef Chu's

Hello again Mark Weiss,

I went to the bottom of this page and located this info:
President: William S. Johnson (650-223-6505)

Originally you wrote that you would give $1,000 to the Weekly which they could give to a 501c3 of their choice. Then you modified that to read $ 1,000 of a 501c3 of my choice. I prefer that you give this generous gift to the Weekly and let their staff decide how best to use it in the community which they serve so well.

What is your timing to make this gift to the Weekly? Is there anything I can do to help your promise get executed?
Again, many thanks for your generosity.

Absalom

Kudos to the Zuckerbergs! We should all be thinking how we can help the good, hard-working members of our community commensurate to our means to do so. Let's follow rather than denigrate their example. Thank you.

Freedom of choice is important. I thank the Chan Zuckerbergs for thinking of their eight favorite regional restaurants and giving them these gifts.
Impractical demands such as that they should “house the un-housed" or etc. are plain silly. Kanye West, for example, tried to offer little buildings - yurts!? - erected on one of his luxury properties in LA area, and the government ordered him to have them taken down.
Things work on different levels, folks.
I support citizens and legal residents being active in their communities and expressing their opinions on government-related matters, issues to our representatives. If “housing" is your issue, learn about it and join organizations, support candidates, vote, discuss you4 points sensibly woth others. Random posting bemoaning “the rich" or etc. is wasting time and ineffectual.
I approve of charity and gifts, so I hope others will follow the example of the Chan Zuckerbergs in this, to the extent feasible.
I also agree with supporting local, non-chain businesses. I personally try hard to avoid purchasing via Amazon. I personally want local plant nurseries and bookstores to stay in business. We all have our own ideas and interests, as weshould in a free society.

Many of us who are able to, have already donated to the less fortunate people around us during this crisis. And we will continue to do so. It doesn't make my gesture noble. It's just a normal human response, undeserving of a news story.

I don't think anyone is bashing the Zuckerbergs for doing the normal thing. But I do think that the less fortunate are more likely to worship the wealthy and that's dangerous for democracy.

We see how Bill Gates uses his billions to set the agenda for healthcare topics. And the Zuckerbergs are setting the agenda for public schools. They have the legal right to do so, but it's at the cost of the voice of the common people, the vast majority who should be at the head of the table, voting on such important matters.

This is absolutely fantastic!!! Some comments are just crazy! Happy to hear that this 8 restaurants will continue working!
Before you start to spread your critics, start with yourself!!! What you did to judge some people???
Thanks Marc and Priscilla!

[Post removed.]

if the Weekly can prove that Absalom's story is true....

You can reach me on my own blog if you like. (But do not come to my place of residence).

And Bill could probably do this faster, if he wanted to.
Or you could provide the info yourself -- leave "Bob" as Bob.

A local network picked up the story -- Washington Post asked me if I had the source. (about Zuck,not Absalom)

I ran into NB and we lamented PAW dissing Faulkner -- it's easier to find the famous 1,200 word sentence in that book than to find Absalom of Palo Alto who owns or manages a store and has a child Kai who worked at Dohatsuten.

Incidentally, Terry and I got takeout from Dohatsuten last night and I could tell when I walked in and they discovered that "Mark" was not the billionnaire guy, they were a little disappointed. I tipped nine dollars on a $41 tab. I did the math again and in fact as a portion of net worth -- I used cash on hand sneakily in the previous post -- indeed Zuckerberg's $800,000 gift on a $530B valuation of his company is more generous than that. Not by much. And I didn't alert the media. Ok, I did. Here. But I didn't pay anyone to talk to the media for me.
But yes if Absalom's story can be proven true, I will donate $1,000 to charity. In his or her honor. Or like "Bob".

I'm more concerned that the Weekly took a $100,000 bribe - they call it a grant -- from FB.
They should be covering FB's role in the community. In my own blog I paste a segment I filmed two years ago where their PR team threatens to leave Silicon Valley unless we little people start playing their game better.

When you are analyzing the donations of a billionaire with a cash register mentality, you might consider what's in it for him.

In this case,
a long story in the Weekly
A sizable tax deduction
Royal treatment in all those restaurants, maybe even free food.

Good return on Investment.

Mark Weiss,

You were at Dohatsuten last night, Kai and her mom picked up takeout there tonight!

I will reach out to someone at the Weekly to bring this full circle.

And, worry not, even if I knew where your residence was, I have no reason to go there!

I don't know anything about a blog you have ... I thought this comment section attached to the Zuckerberg story was your blog!

Since you are familiar with the Weekly, having been on its cover and a past City Council candidate, I guess the Weekly knows how to reach you?

Thanks for remaining committed to your promise.
Absalom

I mean, we still have a little bit of karage left -- we ordered two portions, one was not enough -- if anybody wants some, from Dohatsuten.

I hope Kai and her Mom -- which implies that Ab is a dude and not a dudette, a Dad -- enjoyed theirs.

So to be proven wrong, the Weekly would have to prove that Absalom's story about "Kai...Sally...Bob" is true and not some fable or trollery.

I thought her name was "Kat" -- the one with the mole or birthmark on her cleavage?

I remember Tiffa -- who wanted to study psychology at university and is "happa" -- we don't get regularly enough to know all the names. i did not know the founder who has died --- I have noted the shrine.

And since we live in North Palo alto i have to recommend Ramen Nagi. Worth the wait. (which has ironic meaning in these times).

but I kinda think Bill Johnson has more going on. Also, I'd rather here how Elena K got this story. (which was picked up by at least one tv station).

Also, it concerns me that PAW took a $100K gift from FB -- where is objectivity?

I do recommend the Faulkner book "Absalom, Absalom!" -- its a biblical reference. The book is about race, class and money in old South.

Mark Weiss... I hope you find happiness within.

So Mark, are you reneging on your deal? What more proof do you want Absalom to provide? Stop trying to distract from the issue of your challenge.

Ah heck people, lighten up. A fabulously rich young couple tried to do something nice for a few local businesses that they patronize regularly, good for them. Something is better than doing nothing, and the restaurant owners and their employees were very appreciative. One billionaire isn't responsible for all of the woes of society, and let's be clear, these are all good restaurants (at least the ones I've been to) but Zuck/Chan are not throwing money at Madera, Village Pub, Protege or other high end places. Regular people can afford to eat at the restaurants that got the lottery tickets funded by a local philanthropist, it's a good thing.

I don't think repeating “I'm not a troll" three times proves he's not a troll.
Maybe Bill Johnson and Elena Kadvany have been trying all week to prove the “Kai... Sally...Bob" story and have given up and moved on.
If “Absalom" were a real person he might have unmasked himself already.

I think this is relevant because it speaks to the problem of relying on the internet for information, especially crowd sourcing or Wiki or message boards, that permit anonymous and pseudonymous contributions.
In the context of Facebook blurring the lines between publicity and philanthropy or kindness, I think this is an interesting plot line.
See also “Yes, Virginia There Is a Santa Claus..."
Beckett, “Waiting for Godot";
Jan Herald Brunvand, “The Choking Doberman" �" this is a variation on “friend of a friend" story.

Hi Mark Weiss,

I don't know if you were referring to me when you mentioned someone that wrote three times "I am not a troll". I actually had to Google the term "troll" since I never really understood what it meant before. I guess it sort of means "In internet slang, a troll is a person who starts Flame wars or upsets people on the Internet by posting inflammatory and digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community." Wow, I get that. Mark, did you mean to apply that to ME ?

Back to the task at hand. I contacted the Weekly today. I said the donor made the original promise of the non profit gift to a non-profit of the Weekly's choice. I think the Weekly should carry the ball and get you, Mark, to make good on your promise subject to your requirements. I need to prove that I am me. I can do that. Also that a story about a daughter that worked at Donhatsuten was true. You could have done that two nights ago by asking the owner at Donhatsuten if they remembered Kai from September of 2014... the young lady that had to leave because of the tragic death of her uncle and the need for the family for her to come and fill in for Uncle James at the family business. The other detail you seem to be fixated on is the veracity of the story of "Bob", and the check he gave to "Sally". While Bob's check was deposited in the bank and was part of the matching funds donation to the Holiday Fund, the truth is that I might not be able to remember the year! Did it happen, of course. It is OK if you want to accuse me of lying about this story. As you know, I wrote the story about Bob's $ 1,000 donation before you promised to match Bob's donation. So I had no reason to concoct that story ... but I have to admit that proving the story is true may be difficult! Not sure I can locate the paperwork from several years ago! I don't really mind being called a liar. You could be polite and suggest I have dementia, but that might be in a few more years. Mark, if you are serious about fullfiling your stated promise, how can I help. Meanwhile, I remain grateful that you once offered me free tickets to the Molly Tuttle concert. Absalom.

What reason might I have offered Absalon free tickets to a MollyTuttle concert?

Absalom

I use “ troll" for people who post under fake names especially if they do so as sort of a Trojan horse before revealing their true intention in the form of ad hominem or racist attacks (and such people the weekly cannot truly identify other than they know successive people posting under different names from the same computer address; in theory they can ban these people out right; in extreme cases they can go to the police who can figure out who these people are and they can testify at trial for example when the weekly was hacked).
I can be pretty caustic or salty. I don't think that makes me a troll in that I stand by my words. I reserve the most pointed barbs for public figures, for example council. Sullivan v The New York Times is the Supreme Court precedent re malice. For example it's hard to libel Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel or John Arrillaga. In these pages I once described the mayor of Palo Alto as a bully but Bill Johnson felt I was being unfair. (My vindication indirectly was the Grand Jury report).
Certainly people I have met or spoken to by phone, for example at my concerts I would have a broader set of clues from which to Intuit if someone's story makes sense.
And in the instant matter if I felt there was a 50 percent probability that the “Kai....Sally...Bob" story was not true, I have my reasons for distrusting what I read on TS/PAW. By the way Sherry Listgarden has a current blog and thread on this topic.

If the Weekly can prove Absalom's story, I will March Bob's 2014 gift, adjusted for inflation.

match the gift
$1,072 in today's dollars

It does come off a bit tone deaf doesn't it? Why are their favorite restaurants getting 100k? If they live in Palo Alto and they love this city so much.... they need to attend the PAUSD board budget meeting that happened this week and the City of Palo alto Budget meetings that happened (or get one of their foundation staff member to attend).

They needed to have understood the crisis our PALO ALTO public school is under going and what exactly is happening. Good public school system with great grades affects real estate. It affects THEIR real estate. So they need to get involved in their city.

What programs are being cut that is affecting Palo Alto youth?
What programs are being cut at the city that affects the Palo alto community?

Speak up. Their voice can be heard. Create a fund to support all restaurants and grocery stores across the board in the city they live in and love. Invest in it. Partake in it. Be part of it. It is not just a convenient area to live to commute to work, and buy up property. Make it better because they want to.

But I agree with other posters. The middle class is disappearing. It has to do with the taxation rates at the federal level. It's bigger than the Zuckerbergs. But 100k to only 7 restaurants that they love?

OUCH.
If I were a great restaurant in Palo Alto serving amazing foods, but struggling to stay alive right now but Zuckerberg never visited it... suddenly there is no 100k?

Tone deaf and ouch. ouch ouch ouch

Come on Zuckerbergs. Get a larger vision. Grow up and be more mature. Please.

I apologize for not reading every comment, but I have a simple question. It concerns taxes. Could care less what Mark and Priscilla do with their money. If they give $100,000 to a company or an individual, it is not considered a donation that one can write off. Maybe the money came form one of their non-profit foundations. Regardless the gift should be considered income to the recipient. Of course the owner might spend it on tax deductible business items. Just wondering if someone familiar with taxes could explain the taxable consequences of this gift.

I've never understood why news sites have public comment sections where the comments are posted for all to read. And most of the preceding comments are a perfect example. Endless drivel by people who even before the COVID-19 lockdown had nothing better to do than spend hours posting any half baked thought that passed between their ears because it makes them think that they are the President tweeting on their toilet.

Yes, have a process for readers to easily send responses to the author of an article and the author update the article or post an addendum. Or provide information for a follow-up article. If you must provide a public forum, limit public comments to readers providing additional information rather than just spouting opinions that often are only loosely connected to the subject of the article - like I am doing here.

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To your point I posted �" and the moderator deleted �" something referencing the matrix movie and whether the Covid samples would be enough to power futuristic battery operated robots. I also separately compared Greg tanaka city council To the test in total recall on whether Harrison Ford was catching a replicant or a human. No that was Blade Runner. “Total Recall" was when the grand jury agreed that our counsel did not follow its protocol in meeting with a wealthy developer about building a tower it is on her.

I don't think you have to report $100,000 gift you receive. I think you can only give away $11 million unified credit during your lifetime but that could change. You can give away an unlimited amount through your limited liability corporation to your donor advised fund to a 501(c)(3).
The news is reporting that the founder of another big tech company gave $10 million for computers to Oakland schools which is ironic since they made a big to do about San Francisco abolishing a business tax to get them to relocate there. But what everyone really wants to know is udon or Ramen or pho, bro?

Well done to the zuckerbergs for donating to their community! Their community is actually their community. Thumbs down to all the haters and negative comments. Seems like no good deed can go unpunished! You may object to FB... but respect is due here!! My family has frequented many of these restaurants for decades....Fuki Sushi, Chef Chus and now Vesta. The liberties is where one of my best friend started working as a cook and now he is a James Beard nominated chef. How anout we all try tomsupport businesses and people that we caare about!. -The Yalom Family

Web Link is Palo Alto Online's Facebook page. Much content there is same content as here, but different set of comments. Fewer comments as Facebook requires login to open your mouth though not just to read. City of Palo Alto has Facebook pages for many departments like Police, Fire, Utilities, Libraries, Open Space, Art Center, Animal Control, Rec Services, and so on. Must be cheaper and less cumbersome than maintaining pages on the official City of Palo Alto dot-org website. Multiple links ease navigation from one to the other. Not sure how city information is controlled or kept in sync. At any rate, Facebook appears to be a key service. Not surprisingly, each of these restaurants has a Facebook page.

I won't comment on the Zuckerberg donation to these 8 restaurants, as enough has been posted (and I find agreement with both sides). And I can see the points of both Mark Weiss and "Absalom". But I do agree with Mark that I tend to give more credence to posts that are attributed to an actual person, as opposed to an anonymous poster.
One of the problems with the internet is the ability of anonymous posters to feel no restraint in what they post. Some are certainly Trolls; most are probably not Trolls. But nevertheless, anonymous posters are not "putting their money where their mouth is".