Any company or consultant can created a report that says whatever the sponsors want. Here is another opinion: politicians who continue to do the bidding of big business will soon become political casualties - replaced by real patriots not beholden to giant corporations or foreign regimes. Who says so? I do and so should you. Stand up or get trampled.

I'm with you! We'll vote these Republicans out of office, impeach Trump and Pence, and fill the Supreme Court with left-wing Justices! Together as real patriots, we're going to take our country back!

The CA housing crisis is a transpartisan issue. It needs to be addressed immediately, at the state level, by building more housing in job-dense areas. Local governments and their voters are content to jack up property prices in their own district, to their own benefit. This forces people to live farther away from where they work, increasing traffic and commute times. If people could live near where they work, traffic would be manageable.

Why not consider building job centers where the workers live? And where they can afford to live and raise their families? The central valley has lots of open space and relatively inexpensive housing. Salinas, to the south, also has plenty of open space. With technology, workers and work from home.

Robyn, that's exactly what they did. FAANG etc all started here because that's where the workers are. Surprise, surprise, economic centers attract more people and more businesses. Usually, this is a positive feedback loop that leads cities to grow. Instead, the newly wealthy landed class here, like yourself, decided they'd rather keep seeing those home prices rise, pulling the ladder up behind themselves.

@@second
"Vote these Republican out of office"? Really? This is California and it has been run solely by Democrats, without a peep of conservative input, for decades. The result is rampant illegal immigration, high taxes, declining schools, decreasing open land, congestion, reductions in city services per capita as populations explode (because any money has to pay for outrageous retirement packages for government workers rather than more police and fire services) and a host of other ills. In short, a hot mess.

You can blame a lot of people for the problem, but the Republicans aren't among them. It's about time Democrats take responsibility for the mess they have made. In case you've forgotten, There is a liberal super-majority in this state. Conservatives haven't had state-wide impact here for a VERY long time.

Robyn's comment is the most constructive- instead of perpetuating the mad "commute culture" from the Central Valley, why not build tech facilities within the very communities that house the workers that make the economy grow? There need not be the "prestige value" to be found in a satellite facility, but it would be offset by the attraction for the very techies who would enjoy the shorter commute and economic advantage denied them by a "Silicon Valley" address.
There would be mucho benefit for those communities (Sacto, Monterey, etc) who could then share the current prosperity, besides reducing the inconvenience of our belabored commute routes. Need I mention that HSR and electro-Bart could proceed at a more relaxed pace, according to their accustomed schedules?

@anthodyd

Tech companies do build where the workers are. That's why they're building in the Bay Area. Do you think there's some unserved enclave of software engineers sitting in a rural part of Kentucky, twiddling their thumbs and waiting for Google to open up shop?

What percentage of Google employees are here on worker visas? They come to work for Google - not to live in Mountain View. So yes, Google should expand to Manteca and add housing there. But instead, Google and other giant corporations have a plan to ruin residential neighborhoods with highrise housing everywhere - looking down on all of you. And most homeowners are too foolish or preoccupied to see it coming and too politically impotent to head it off.

Fantastic, just in time, we get the thinly-veiled xenophobia ("imports" and "worker visas"). Mountain View is thankfully better than that, but it's good to have the occasional reminder that it's still floating about.

Lol is still looking for a highrise condo he can afford. He will post any con that comes to mind.

Tell us more about those "imports" and people on "worker visas" you want to keep out. Maybe you'd like to Build The Wall?

@Google imports

"But instead, Google and other giant corporations have a plan to ruin residential neighborhoods with highrise housing everywhere - looking down on all of you."

Google could build a high rise that stretches to the moon and you'd still look down on the residents of the top floor.

I’m just reading the comments and am a little floor struck that LOL draws “xenophobia” from a comment re the fact that workers are here because they’re employed by tech not because they’ve fallen in love with Mountain View. Xenophobia is a pretty big stretch but I’ve noticed the name calling seems to start when somebody can’t accept another’s opinion as simply a different opinion. Pretty sad.

As for the lack of affordable housing, the problem will obviously continue to get worse if tech keeps expanding. Most of us living in suburbia aren’t particularly anxious to turn little Mountain View into Manhattan by continuing to increase density. So the answer is for the local city councils to stop approving expansion forcing tech to “spread the wealth”.

@Just reading...

Did you miss the part about the "imports" coming in on "worker visas?" If that isn't xenophobia, what is? I find that most people who clutch their pearls at an accusation of xenophobia or racism aren't arguing in good faith, but that couldn't be the case here, could it?

@LOL exactly. Everyone who wants to protect MV/California from over-growth and population suffers from xenophobia and racism. Funny how when you say something often enough you believe it.

mvresident, do you think people from Sunnyvale, Santa Barbara, New York, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, etc need work visas to come to Mountain View? Please, pretending to not understand people is really unbecoming.

Only legal imports have work visas. Migrants may or may not have work visas. These are English words for those of you concocting stories of "racism." Your posts read like something Google or the Krelim would commission. Keep up the gooood work.

First rule when you're in a hole, stop digging. I'd tell you to put down the shovel, but it's so good when you show everyone you can't help yourself.

mvresident2003, still riding this train? No shame in updating your assessment when someone gives you more evidence.

"Lol" still hard at work. Say "hi" to "Vlad" for me. And start collecting your pay in American money just in case you ever reach America. They don't accept rubles at Target.

LOL I think you’re missing Google Import’s point. I believe what he’s referring to is the fact that all these people living here, creating the housing crunch and overcrowding, are not homegrown MountainView boys. They’re here because Google is importing them here from all over the world. While this may be necessary for tech companies to meet their engineering needs, it is not necessary to consolidate all the talent in this small geographic area as it compromises the quality of life for those of us who have enjoyed in the past a much more relaxed and affordable lifestyle here. It has nothing to do with xenophobia.

This topic is getting tedious with "LOL" communicating from some far away place.
How about a trivia question? Here goes. What is a Russian ruble worth in Americam currency? LOL should know. The ruble may increase in value in the coming hours when Trump announces that US companies should partner with Russian companies - as Trump companies have probably done for decades.

"Just reading", please square that with "Google imports" post above yours. We can all agree that at least that one is xenophobic? If not, I'd really like one of you to tell me what you think xenophobia sounds like.

Say "proshchay" LOL.

mvresident2003 and Just Reading, are you still on board with this person? As I said above, there's no shame in updating your assessment when new evidence is presented. "Google imports" keeps making it clearer and clearer what they actually meant.

LOL, please substantiate with facts, not generalities, your assertion that I am among the "newly wealthy landed class here, like yourself.." Again, be sure that your facts are about me not some other person. Otherwise, your statement is incredible and merely an unjustified insult intended solely to disparage me. Here are your words:
1. Newly
2. Wealthy
3. Landed Class

Provide your factual basis.

Thank you.

Robyn, you're a Bay Area homeowner, which means that you've become a millionaire solely due to that. Hence, wealthy and landed. Newly might be up for dispute, were you a millionaire before?

Thanks in advance.

State your specific facts.

Robyn, I think you might have missed my latest post, so I'll post it again here:

You're a Bay Area homeowner, which means that you've become a millionaire solely due to that. Hence, wealthy and landed. Newly might be up for dispute, were you a millionaire before?

LOL's President just finished his new conference with Trump. Maybe these gangsters will sell or rent LOL a room in a Putin or Trump Tower right here in Mountain View.

LOL, I did read it. It is devoid of facts.
You write in general terms. For instance, do you know anything about mortgages? Not every home in the Valley is paid for 100%. Not everyone has 1 million dollars in equity as you insinuate. Not every house is valued north of 1 million dollars.
You know nothing of my financial situation or that of others you disparage.

Again, state your facts, if you have any.
I expect you have none so I am signing off.

This discussion has devolved to people calling each other racists. Name calling does not encourage debate.

The careful reader will note that not a single word of that is a denial.

Greetings,
I forgot to include a comment about visas. They are for temporary workers: H1B is good for 1-6 years; H2 A/B is good for one year and up to three years.
The statement by Google Import is factual. People here on visas are by definition temporary. You can read more at www.uscis.gov
He or she is not racist for stating the obvious.

LOL state you facts.
All you are doing is discouraging people from disagreeing with you. That is self-serving. I am merely asking you to substantiate your statements without my input. You failed to do so.

Robyn, as I'm sure you're aware, the Terms of Use on this website state the following: "You agree not to disclose personal information about another person." My comments so far have been within the terms of use. You, on the other hand, are free to post information about yourself, and the careful reader will not that you have not denied what I posted.

I just looked up the tallest buildings in Mountain View where "LOL" could live if he ever gets a work visa. The tallest seems to be Hanger One at Moffett Field. Could be difficult to buy or rent there. But then we have Avalon Towers on El Camino near Showers. It is currently used as an apartment complex with rents (for new tenants) from $3,600 to $5,700 (listed online). But I believe the building was actually built as a condominium complex which can sell units. Maybe it can only sell units when it stops being an apartment complex. The conditions of approval would need to be checked. So there is hope for LOL if he ever gets here and has some legal income.

"Google imports," do you have an actual point? Or are you just having some weird anti-Russian fever dream? I can't quite understand why you think I'm Russian or live overseas, but you're really not helping your case for "no xenophobia here."

Please don't feed.

@Robyn

Oh come on, any property owner in the Bay Area that's owned for more than 8 years has seen their property values massively appreciate. You can't hand-wave that away, or the fact that you benefit financially from the housing crisis.