I guess this subtle hint (threat/extortion) didn't go over so well. Was it desperation to use such a transparent tactic?

This reminds me of the Merlone Grier development fiasco. I knew all those small gifts to the city were no gifts at all. Bookmobile, community shuttle, free LOfi in MV. They were to buy our willingness to allow them to grow unfettered.

Merlone Grier tried to hold Mill Pail hostage. Now that the council has placed an obstacle in the way, it'll be interesting to see if they punish the city.

"The company's plans call for connecting 270 miles of streets for cyclists so that bicycles could be a primary mode of transportation in Mountain View, he said."


Ya Right, forget about the residents that live here, we must all use bikes from now on.

Google has been wanting to expand, to roll out Google Fiber in Mountain View, to build a bridge over Stevens Creek and build housing there.

The city blocks each of these things, and hints at Google being a better citizen, "giving back", etc. I don't know what happens behind the scenes, but we end up Google operating a shuttle service for the city, fixing up parks, and now bike paths.

Being an outside observer, it seems to me like the city is trying to shake Google down for money and perks as a condition of approving projects. This would be consistent with the megalomaniacal psychopathy required to go into politics.

The city tried to get too much, and then blocked Google's expansion plans, so I expect to see Google's "donations" drying up. Pretty sure the quality of the shuttle service will drop too. It's just how things work when someone gets shaken down for money.

From the article: "Google has set a company goal to eventually encourage 20 percent of its employees to bike to work." I was at the talk and don't think this was what they said.

What Google did say is that they currently have 21% of employees that live within 9 miles of their offices at N Bayshore riding bicycles to work. That's already an outstanding rate, but they intend to *double* it.

While Google's growth certainly has caused some negative impacts in our area, it has contributed far more than it has hurt. They have gone above and beyond to work with the city to find ways to mitigate the problems that arise in part from its growth. The city council has been extracting "public benefits" from Google for years, including among other things, free community shuttle service, wifi (a bit of a flop) and sponsorship for oodles of events. It'd be a shame to see a progressive and collaborative neighbor start looking to develop (and move jobs) outside the city.

Those "public benefits" are hardly "gifts" from Google. And they were hardly "extorted" by the city.

Google provides those to help smooth the way for getting approval to build more densely than they would normally be allowed. If anything, those were "bribes" to the city.

Remember, the developments cause irreversible change while most of tbe "public benefits" are short term payments. Google isn't stupid. It's a business that demands a return on any investment it makes. They get more than they take.