Too Much of a Good Thing (Money and Sunshine)
In popular music and literature, California and sunshine are an inseparable pair. Like siamese twins, one is forced to follow the whims of the other. I never understood why Florida is considered the Sunshine State since it often seems wet, balmy and humid whenever I visit. In The Golden State, we often snicker at the unfortunate weather gripping the rest of the "humid continental" lower 48. Polar Vortex? Is that a new tech-start-up we ask?
Fair weather smugness aside, we shouldn't engage in so much schadenfreude, when we realize that climate change is very much a global phenomenon. Living in Northern California, I assumed that summer fog and rainy winters would keep my skin nice and moist. Unfortunately the reality is that the Bay Area and the state as a whole is suffering the worst drought in four decades. This is unprecedented because the cost of fruits and vegetables could skyrocket for shoppers across the nation if the gods don't soon bestow us with a heavy soaking. Sure the weather is lovely, but at what price?
Borrowed from the United States
Likewise the economy is booming here and money is shining down on a lot of folks. But it's become a case of being careful what you wish for. There's a loophole in the city's rent control laws called "The Ellis Act" where a landlord may evict every tenant (even ones who are in good standing) in order to convert the whole building into condo units. While it's true that a landlord should be able to decide what he wants to do with his property in a free-market society, thousands of families have been displaced since the act's inception in 1997, fraying relationships and making the population way more fly-by-night.
Much of that new money is coming from, not surprisingly, the tech sector. Years ago, this new industry was the apple of the city's eye but now it's leaving a lot of people complaining about unfair treatment and social tone-deafness.
In the last year especially, it's becoming somewhat of a culture war of techies versus old-timers. The conflict reached shrieking point in the past few months with protestors sabotaging Google buses and at least two tech-bros posting disparaging public remarks about the city's downtrodden. I've been mostly neutral on the divide because I do believe that wealth can be a useful tool if it is harnessed wisely. But money can change things in violent ways. Everyday since the inception of the new year, I've witnessed or heard about crimes ranging from petty theft to violent acts. Smashing car windows to loot phones and wallets is a popular one.
Photo borrowed from the Fashionox Blog.
A lot of folks believe that crime is a manifestation of class warfare. Whatever it is, it's getting a little ugly out there. There's an approaching darkness to every city that's lounging back and rolling in the money and sunshine.
Fair weather smugness aside, we shouldn't engage in so much schadenfreude, when we realize that climate change is very much a global phenomenon. Living in Northern California, I assumed that summer fog and rainy winters would keep my skin nice and moist. Unfortunately the reality is that the Bay Area and the state as a whole is suffering the worst drought in four decades. This is unprecedented because the cost of fruits and vegetables could skyrocket for shoppers across the nation if the gods don't soon bestow us with a heavy soaking. Sure the weather is lovely, but at what price?
Borrowed from the United States
Drought Monitor
Likewise the economy is booming here and money is shining down on a lot of folks. But it's become a case of being careful what you wish for. There's a loophole in the city's rent control laws called "The Ellis Act" where a landlord may evict every tenant (even ones who are in good standing) in order to convert the whole building into condo units. While it's true that a landlord should be able to decide what he wants to do with his property in a free-market society, thousands of families have been displaced since the act's inception in 1997, fraying relationships and making the population way more fly-by-night.
Much of that new money is coming from, not surprisingly, the tech sector. Years ago, this new industry was the apple of the city's eye but now it's leaving a lot of people complaining about unfair treatment and social tone-deafness.
In the last year especially, it's becoming somewhat of a culture war of techies versus old-timers. The conflict reached shrieking point in the past few months with protestors sabotaging Google buses and at least two tech-bros posting disparaging public remarks about the city's downtrodden. I've been mostly neutral on the divide because I do believe that wealth can be a useful tool if it is harnessed wisely. But money can change things in violent ways. Everyday since the inception of the new year, I've witnessed or heard about crimes ranging from petty theft to violent acts. Smashing car windows to loot phones and wallets is a popular one.
Photo borrowed from the Fashionox Blog.A lot of folks believe that crime is a manifestation of class warfare. Whatever it is, it's getting a little ugly out there. There's an approaching darkness to every city that's lounging back and rolling in the money and sunshine.
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