Google was fined 2.7 Billion in E.U. last year and is still doing business there. The parent company of Google's Alphabet revenues in 2017 were $110.9 billion.

I propose that instead of "Google Head Tax" that will net measly $6.1 million, the city takes, for example, less than a quarter of overall yearly revenue. In addition to the most fantastical transit improvements the money will pay for, I suggest we use the windfall to provide every resident with Guaranteed Minimum Income, free education, paid for medical care and, of course, ice-cream on Sundays. Who would be against THAT?

Are we serious about building the future or what?

Are you joking? The EU consists of 28 countries with significant populations vs Mountain View, one small city in California. The EU brings in much more revenue to Google than the lone city of Mountain View could ever bring.

If your intention is to force Google out of Mountain View, that's an entirely different matter that requires more thought, analysis and conversation than the comment section of this article could alone achieve.

Just the congestion added by the mass of people degrades our quality of life. How many additional hours do you spend in traffic due to the traffic they have brought here?
For most people time spent in traffic commuting is not compensated.
Let them pay for a part of the mess they created.
If this is a fair way to do it, so be it.

Google has overstepped it’s welcome. No doubt about that. I'd love to see them go elsewhere!

However, the city’s tax, tax, tax approach, when they should have incorporated city planning and environmental impact prior to building and forced comoanies to include infrastructure in the building process, is just another ’better them than me’ tax.

Stupid, foolish, greedy politicians. Crazy, unethical, money grubbing businesses. They deserve each other. They’re slready in bed together. Why force voters and other companies to take the brunt of Google and city officials’ corrupt planning?

Why did the city council not take a direct vote on the tax? Because they want to hide behind the leftist voters of MV and insulate themselves for when they run for statewide office after they term out in MV.

Taxpayers would do MV a great favor by approving the "Google Tax". Maybe Google will leave and take all of the horrible housing and traffic problems it has forced upon Mountain View --- with an ignorant city council's blessing. San Jose wants to "revive downtown San Jose". Let them have Google. They'll find, just like downtown MV, that nothing will revive downtown San Jose. The'll just get an enormous housing and traffic crisis.

The tax doesn't really charge Google more. Loads of their workers are
contractors and they won't see a very big tax because the employers are out of
the city and have a relatively small number working in the city. Maybe as many
as 5000 Google workers are going to be charged way less than $150 per head.

Then consider the holding company set up. Alphabet has a few direct employees,
but probably well under 1000. Entities like Waze and Project Fi employee a number of Alphabet workers in the city, but not over 1000 or so. The so called Google itself is probably primed to be broken up into different employing entities, if this is not already the case.

No, Google's not pay more than most companies.

The fee for Google will be tiny and Google can play games and reduce the charge to half of tiny. This measure is a waste of time. It will not raise enough money to do anything except maybe further pad the pockets of some city employees.

All tax decisions have to go to the voters. The Council can't raise a tax on its own. Anybody complaining about the Council (above) for doing this can simply vote no if you don't want the entities responsible for creating the traffic demand to pay for traffic improvements. But you know if this fails, YOU personally will be taxed. Which would you prefer?

Lots of retired people here advocating for policies that directly harm those of us still in the workforce. Can't say I'm surprised.

Business is good when they do good for the community. I can see communities giving tax breaks for setting up plants IF they will hire ‘existing’ local people; but many of FB, Google, Amazon, etc staff are being ‘imported’. These folks buy online, thus depriving local businesses revenue, and communities of sales tax revenue. “You break it you pay for it.” seems to be a reasonable solution. These companies have ‘broken’ the infrastructure - transportation, housing [prices/ rents], and pollution. A reasonable tax-per-employee would be arised at by computing the costs assiciated with the problems created. Housing alone would be about $250/yr, traffic congestion should be about 200+ extra hours in traffic per year - ie at min wage $3000/yr, and pollution would be another $1000/yr. So this $150per year per employee is really a giveaway!! It should be closer $4250!! for each added employee since say 2010.

Dont like it? Go away.