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Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
edited December 2013 in Strut Central
SF startup pon blast!

http://valleywag.gawker.com/happy-holidays-startup-ceo-complains-sf-is-full-of-hum-1481067192

Why the heart of our city has to be overrun by crazy, homeless, drug dealers, dropouts, and trash I have no clue.

The difference is in other cosmopolitan cities, the lower part of society keep to themselves. They sell small trinkets, beg coyly, stay quiet, and generally stay out of your way. They realize it's a privilege to be in the civilized part of town and view themselves as guests. And that's okay.

In downtown SF the degenerates gather like hyenas, spit, urinate, taunt you, sell drugs, get rowdy, they act like they own the center of the city.

there is an area of town for degenerates and an area of town for the working class. There is nothing positive gained from having them so close to us.


Predictably harsh reaction came swiftly to the man's facebook page. The original post has since been taken down and in place, an apology:
Last night, I made inappropriate comments about San Francisco and its less fortunate citizens on Market st. I'm really sorry for my comments. I trivialized the plight of those struggling to get by and I shouldn't have. I hope this thread can help start an open discussion on what changes we can make to fix these serious problems. Again, I am deeply sorry.

Maybe his friends talked some sense into him... or not:

It isn't like you said anything many others in the startup community aren't saying. I'd rather you speak your mind and trigger a good, civil chat than self-censor
No way!!! Do not sorry to anyone. It is so important that you live the why u like. our life is so short. What it means if we do not live freely and speak what they actually think? You are the Jedi Master of the Angelhack.
Empathy is an important leadership skill. And so is the willingness to admit one's mistakes and weaknesses. I don't have the full context, but I trust that you're implementing your learning and continuing to make a positive impact on the communities around you.

damn man. how are things in California?

  Comments



  • that shit was fake though. dude was a false flag bro.

  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    rashied-vindicated?

  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
    This is excellent advice, exceeded in its fundamental truth only by the elegance of its expression.

    Do not sorry to anyone. It is so important that you live the why u like. our life is so short. What it means if we do not live freely and speak what they actually think?


  • this won't end any time soon; dude is the 2nd tech founder this yr to post some lengthy anti-homeless diatribe. there will be more. there's several thousand new luxury units under construction and most of the Twitter dudes haven't even caked yet.

    damn we thought the first tech bubble was bad? mid-90's seem like the good ol days in comparison to the current douchebag tidal wave.

  • yuichiyuichi Urban sprawl 11,331 Posts
    damn man. how are things in California?

    Compared to just 5 years ago, it's getting progressively worse for the true middle-class who seem to be getting pushed out by the overabundance of affluence moving into the Westside of LA...

    Literally 1 out of 3 cars out here is a Mercedes/BMW/Audi/Porsche/Land Rover/Lexus. It's like if you don't have one, you're not worthy.

    Probably time to move elsewhere.

    Parts of Long Beach are nice and peaceful. I'm sure Anthonypearson and others near the area can attest, but the shit is becoming a clusterfuck out here.

  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,095 Posts
    My initial response was that he is a horrible human being. But he seems like he's just a kid. And the reality is that issues of equity are normative - not everyone has the same concept of fairness. And even where people can agree that all people in a society should have the access to opportunities for social attainment, not everyone has the knowledge to understand that poor people aren't poor because they're lazy. So, many kids are going to grow up raised with fundamentally inhumane or at best uninformed worldviews. So I get where he's coming from.

    The truth is that we won't see very much meaningful change to the systems we live in to make them more equitable until there is much greater political will. So I wonder if it's actually good that he (and others) show their ass like this if only to strengthen the resolve to act on these types of issues.

  • LOL @ poors


  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
    ketan said:
    My initial response was that he is a horrible human being. But he seems like he's just a kid. And the reality is that issues of equity are normative - not everyone has the same concept of fairness. And even where people can agree that all people in a society should have the access to opportunities for social attainment, not everyone has the knowledge to understand that poor people aren't poor because they're lazy. So, many kids are going to grow up raised with fundamentally inhumane or at best uninformed worldviews. So I get where he's coming from.

    The truth is that we won't see very much meaningful change to the systems we live in to make them more equitable until there is much greater political will. So I wonder if it's actually good that he (and others) show their ass like this if only to strengthen the resolve to act on these types of issues.

    Eh. "The poor people should stay in the poor part of town" doesn't really have anything to do with concepts of fairness or opportunity. It's just an asshole thing to say.

  • small trinkets

    beg coyly

  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,095 Posts
    DB_Cooper said:
    ketan said:
    My initial response was that he is a horrible human being. But he seems like he's just a kid. And the reality is that issues of equity are normative - not everyone has the same concept of fairness. And even where people can agree that all people in a society should have the access to opportunities for social attainment, not everyone has the knowledge to understand that poor people aren't poor because they're lazy. So, many kids are going to grow up raised with fundamentally inhumane or at best uninformed worldviews. So I get where he's coming from.

    The truth is that we won't see very much meaningful change to the systems we live in to make them more equitable until there is much greater political will. So I wonder if it's actually good that he (and others) show their ass like this if only to strengthen the resolve to act on these types of issues.

    Eh. "The poor people should stay in the poor part of town" doesn't really have anything to do with concepts of fairness or opportunity. It's just an asshole thing to say.

    I was referring more to his clear general disdain for people who aren't in the "working class". He clearly thinks they're unworthy because they're not productive.

  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
    ketan said:
    I was referring more to his clear general disdain for people who aren't in the "working class". He clearly thinks they're unworthy because they're not productive.

    Oh, no doubt.

  • DuderonomyDuderonomy Haut de la Garenne 7,778 Posts
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    small trinkets

    beg coyly

    No need to rub it in. I try begging, complimenting, plying with alcohol, implying that there's magic in the wand... coyness gets you nowhere.

  • DJFerrariDJFerrari 2,411 Posts
    rootlesscosmo said:
    this won't end any time soon; dude is the 2nd tech founder this yr to post some lengthy anti-homeless diatribe. there will be more. there's several thousand new luxury units under construction and most of the Twitter dudes haven't even caked yet.

    damn we thought the first tech bubble was bad? mid-90's seem like the good ol days in comparison to the current douchebag tidal wave.

    There's a lot of people trying to turn San Francisco into a Hollywood-esque tabloid driven scene because they're so desperate to make working in technology cool and interesting. Guess what? It's not. I always say "you can work in tech and be cool, but you're not cool _because_ you work in tech". Unfortunately, SF is such a small city that it's hard to escape it like you can in LA. That's why I moved to Potrero Hill and never leave my house anymore :-)

    I have faith that it'll come crashing down again. Such a small percentage of these startup kids are actually making any _real_ money, so when they burn through their investments with lavish parties and no business, it'll right itself. When my parents ask me what's going to happen when the bubble bursts again, my reply is simple... "a bunch of douchey 20 year olds in SF will be out of work. Damage contained."

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    ketan said:

    The truth is that we won't see very much meaningful change to the systems we live in to make them more equitable until there is much greater political will. So I wonder if it's actually good that he (and others) show their ass like this if only to strengthen the resolve to act on these types of issues.

    My city is a smaller version of this.
    The political will that this guy, and most politicians, are looking for is the will to push poor people into a corner of the city where no one will see them.
    I've yet to hear a Portland politician say the problem with homeless people is they don't have houses to live in.

  • DJFerrariDJFerrari 2,411 Posts
    I will add that it is somewhat difficult to be critical towards these kids because I was totally like that when I was 20 doing the startup thing. When you're that age and someone gives you millions of dollars and talks you up like you're the next big thing, then it's only natural that it would go to your head. Not much different than the music industry. It took me getting knocked down a few times to come back to reality

  • facesdfacesd 236 Posts
    damn man. how are things in California?

    SF is just kinda banoodles...$3000 for a 500 sq. apartment (oh,okay! sounds good!) At some point it just has to give. I believe NPR (or similar) just reported on how the rent controlled places are all going away in the Mission. The amount of money up there right now is staggering. I'm sure this is nothing new for New Yorkers.

    Also, this ethos: "It is so important that you live the why u like" pretty much sums it all up. Great way to live/think/move in the world!

    (I know, "at least its an ethos")

  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,471 Posts
    FortyFivan said:
    I will add that it is somewhat difficult to be critical towards these kids because I was totally like that when I was 20 doing the startup thing. When you're that age and someone gives you millions of dollars and talks you up like you're the next big thing, then it's only natural that it would go to your head. Not much different than the music industry. It took me getting knocked down a few times to come back to reality

    Yeah, these kids absolutely believe their own hype. That attitude fused with a really douchebaggy libertarian outlook is just the worst look, and it's all over San Francisco (and invading Oakland, too).

  • oh and BTW there IS a disgusting homeless/heroin problem in SF, not to mention horrible roads and services.

    city government sucks here.

    go Niners.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    I heard about this. There was some heavy internet backlash by the locals.

    This smells like the East Village. Used to be cool and the money washed shit away.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    rootlesscosmo said:
    oh and BTW there IS a disgusting homeless/heroin problem in SF, .

    Been around since I lived there. I was generally friendly/helpful to the homeless, but the heroin bunch amongst the lot really made things the pits. If the city would actually keep some of those fools in jail for longer than one night at a time, maybe more empathy could be mustered for those who actually deserve it.

  • Big_StacksBig_Stacks "I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
    yuichi said:
    damn man. how are things in California?

    Compared to just 5 years ago, it's getting progressively worse for the true middle-class who seem to be getting pushed out by the overabundance of affluence moving into the Westside of LA...

    Literally 1 out of 3 cars out here is a Mercedes/BMW/Audi/Porsche/Land Rover/Lexus. It's like if you don't have one, you're not worthy.

    Shit, this sounds like the Northeast!!! Superficiality and greed rule out here, while folks complain about being in debt to their eyeballs. Especially, I hate the 'park crooked' tactic people use in parking lots (i.e., straddling two parking spaces) to protect their precious BMW/Mercedes/Lexus/Infiniti (enter in any status symbol, baller-esque vehicle) from dings. I thought they were 'large' so they should be able to afford to fix the dings (or buy a new ride altogether).

    Peace,

    Big Stacks from Kakalak

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    Big_Stacks said:
    yuichi said:
    damn man. how are things in California?

    Compared to just 5 years ago, it's getting progressively worse for the true middle-class who seem to be getting pushed out by the overabundance of affluence moving into the Westside of LA...

    Literally 1 out of 3 cars out here is a Mercedes/BMW/Audi/Porsche/Land Rover/Lexus. It's like if you don't have one, you're not worthy.

    Shit, this sounds like the Northeast!!! Superficiality and greed rule out here, while folks complain about being in debt to their eyeballs. Especially, I hate the 'park crooked' tactic people use in parking lots (i.e., straddling two parking spaces) to protect their precious BMW/Mercedes/Lexus/Infiniti (enter in any status symbol, baller-esque vehicle) from dings. I thought they were 'large' so they should be able to afford to fix the dings (or buy a new ride altogether).

    Peace,

    Big Stacks from Kakalak

    Sounds like they are trying to avoid dings but attract key gouges at the same time.

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,896 Posts
    Could be worse. You could have a Rob Ford for a mayor. Who says some truly fucked up shit on the regular. The pain of this guy increases 10 fold every time I have to hear one of his enablers speak.

  • dukeofdelridgedukeofdelridge urgent.monkey.mice 2,453 Posts
    Back in the first SF superboom, I remember reading the stories of people riding the 24-hour buses all night because they couldn't afford apartments. To find out this go-round is worse is mind-boggling, but I believe it.

    It's happening in Seattle again too, the same people. Can't fight it, can you? Money talks.

    I've realized now that I should've followed all the artists/bands/young people down to Portland 15 years ago. My neighborhood is toast.

    b/w

    I'm getting older. Scareder. And so it goes...

  • Don't get me started.

  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
    GatorToof said:
    Don't get me started.

    OK.
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