is this open for free food for the public? these are strange times where people who are fortunate enough to be gainfully employed can live in the world satisfactorily. i am tired of all of these big-time high-tech types who rub peoples noses in how successful they are

I have traveled to many foreign countries on business. Most of the companies I visited had a cafeteria. Many times the food was free and other times it was at a very low price.
There are many potential benefits to this type of program.

It's really lovely if you are a Google employee, but I'm not sure it merits a news story.

How is this news? The only people benefiting from this program is google employees. Google doesn't even hire locally. They scour the nation for the "best of the best" and bring them to Mtn.View. They provide them free lunch and a myriad of onsite services that do nothing to support our tax base. They don't even sell taxable products. Sometimes I wonder if we'd be better off with a giant auto mall, mega mall of America, and an Ikea store. Oh wait.... we can't even get an f'en HOME DEPOT!

Watch the googlers dance down their old Mtn.View lanes singing "nimby, nimby, nimby, nimby......"

How many council members have had a free lunch at Google?

Once upon a time, there lived a rich man who decided to build a castle in a valley that he owned. He promised the locals living nearby that the castle would inhabit only a small portion of the available land, not be visible to neighbors,and that the castle would bring jobs. He even promised to restore the local creek to the benefit of all, and was known as a conservator of nature, one who valued natural beauty and was willing to spend his own money to ensure this belief was maintained on his properties.

However, the local villagers raised a stink about the proposed castle, saying it would bring noise, and traffic, and persons of "ill-repute" to their pristine valley. They raised such a stink, by delaying proper environmental and permit reviews (all castles required plan check at the time), that the rich man decided to cancel the project and instead look elsewhere to put his castle. In its place, he decided to install high density peasant huts in the valley. After all, there was an outstanding need for the poor and what better place to have it.

Unfortunately, the above is not a fairy tale, but a true story:

Web Link

Web Link

Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

There are probably more non-Council members that have eaten free than there are Guest of Google employees.

Do you really think the Council members have time to run to Google for lunch? (You are getting a bit paranoid, I think)

I have eaten at Google for free. I have a friend who works there. When I met her there for lunch - it was free for both of us. Is that bad?! (By the way, I am NOT a Council member)

Great article! The way Google thinks about employee and local-based, environmentally sustainable projects is a vision for the future that other businesses should consider. This kind of news and insight is very welcome.

To those commenting above who aren't Google employees (I'm not) and who are jealous, just consider if this were the norm rather than throwing stones. @Greg David - by bringing to MV high-paying jobs and high-net-worth residents, you don't think they're improving our local tax base?

I second Andrea's take. Google should be a model for other large companies in making the work environment better and healthier for employees while trying maintain the smallest possible environmental footprint. Those unlucky enough to work for less progressive companies (which is most of us, I'd wager) should lobby our bosses to improve our conditions rather than hating on Google.

How much do those sustainable food products offset the pollution caused by their private air force at Moffett?

"How much do those sustainable food products offset the pollution caused by their private air force at Moffett?"

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I don't have the slightest idea, but its still better than having a different company there, that didn't employ sustainable food products, that nonetheless still maintained private jets.

A part of what has helped the "Green" Movement take off has been corporate participation, first by very progressive companies like Google, Genentech, and others that have the means to spend extra on these new technologies, which do indeed raise the bar and virtually force adoption by other companies who want to remain competitive or be accused of being behind the times.

City Council Members don't eat at the Google cafeterias.....they get free flights on Google's airplanes. Just ask John Inks, he's the council member that got a free flight.