Not too long ago I moved from the wilds of Canada to San Francisco and started a new job with A Tech Company. In many ways, I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people on earth. I have a job I love. Every day I get up, wanting to go work. I get to do all the things I’ve dreamed about for many years.
As I’m sure many people in the Bay Area know, there has been growing unrest between the “have” and “have nots”, between the “techies” and the “common folk”. Today I ended up reading an article and more and more, I’m starting to see things like this tweet. It seems that my good fortune and hard work are somehow marginalizing the existing good folk of San Francisco. Somehow it feels like I’m supposed to be apologizing for where I am. Well, fuck that.
I’m sure that there will be people that will feel the need to pick up on my language, feel the need to point out my privileged stance in the world. Ok, why don’t we address that point blank. Since you (and I’m addressing the aforementioned people here) see the need to judge a book by its cover. Or at least judge the price of it by its appearance.
First of all, I didn’t come from money. At least not in the traditional sense where everything was simply handed to me. I grew up on a farm, and learned to work an average of somewhere between 6-12 hours most every day. Unfortunately, milking Cows does not help one with having a “wondrous odour”, and much of my time during High-School was spent on my own. When the local populace did notice me, it was to ridicule me, or let me know in no uncertain terms that I smelled of something. My Scholastic achievements were only used to either exploit me, or to let me know that I did not fit in. Even teachers saw to it that they needed to point out, and single out, in front of a class the one student that actually brought a book to class and decided to read once the assignments were finished. Popularity was a distant concept, other than in a negative light. Thankfully, the farm was a profitable business, and I ended up getting paid for the work that I did. While it was not a lot, it was enough to save some amount, and be able to pay for a portion of my first year in University.
After high-school, I got accepted at the local University. Not some Ivy League School. While in University, I held down at least a part time job the whole time I was in School, and most times, a full time job. Most of my money went towards rent, food, and maybe the odd night at a bar (I didn’t drink, so just for the cover charge). Thankfully, my University years were more forgiving to me. People were less concerned with status, where you came from, and much more accepting of someone that did well in Scholastic endeavours.
I distinctly remember getting my first Credit Card about 2 months before my University graduation, and maxing it out to pay for rent. Thankfully I was able to start work at Wolfram Research not long after my graduation. Since I had zero dollars to my name, I slept on hardwood floor for 3 months before I could afford a futon mattress.
Fast forward a couple decades. Mix in a few failed relationships, more than one lonely night. A couple of sacrifices along the way. Maybe a death of two; you know, life as it happens to everyone. Nothing too different from what everyone on this mud-ball experiences. Along the way, I feel that I’m very fortunate, I have work, it pays well, and I like it most of the time. I’ve had opportunities that I’ve messed up, missed, and just plain fucked up on. I’m sure everyone has them.
So since I’m working for Tech Company, and I’m living in San Francisco, I must be part of this “techie problem”. I mean, I’m part of the populace that is driving up the housing prices, right? Well, allow me to give a quick lay of the land that I get to deal with on a weekly basis:
And now I’m supposed to feel sorry for making enough money to live modestly in an apartment the size of a shoe-box, trying to figure out how I’m going to save enough for retirement. Fuck that. I’d rather feel grateful for the opportunity that I may get to only enjoy for a short time. Feeling sorry detracts from the ability to feel grateful, and detracts from my quality of life. What gives you the right?
Instead of protesting the “techie scum”, take your feet to City Hall. Get them to get rid of rent control. Get them to issue enough building permits to solve the real problem. Enough supply to meet the demand in a manner to let the real market control the rental and housing prices. For a “free market” economy, San Francisco is remarkably draconian. The problem is not the “techie scum”, but the City Councillors that the current property owners obviously have in their pocket. There is no point in hating the “techies” that make more money than you. They’re not your problem. I repeat, they are not the problem. Neither are the companies that pay them.
You see, the companies would love to pay less for their workforce. It helps their bottom line. Unfortunately, the bulk of the workforce that the Tech companies hire are highly educated (if by school, or otherwise), and know how to do subtraction. Salary minus living expenses should be a positive number. If this is not the case, most of the “techies” simply ignore the chance to partake in said opportunity. San Francisco is so expensive, even the hated “techies” can’t afford to live here for any length of time. Most them leave when they have kids, start a family, or simply desire slightly larger living quarters. Many of them endure a commute of an hour, or more. Over 35 years, this adds up to over 2 years of your life where you’ve done nothing but commute. This is not sustainable, not desirable, hell, barely humane. Just for the privilege to make a good salary. For the privilege to be hated upon. Again. Fuck that!
If you want real change, take your feet to City Hall, and demand that they start paying attention to the real demand that exists in this City. Demand that they answer you, you’re a tax payer, and deserve an answer. Should they decide not to give you an answer, vote! There are more of you than us “techie scum”, and you can have your say. Hell, we’ll likely vote with you.
So, in conclusion; I’m sorry (I’m Canadian, so I’m allowed to say “sorry”), but I’m not going to apologize for being where I am in my life. I know it won’t last and as such I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts, without feeling sorry about a situation that I’ve had little to nothing to do with. Should you feel the need to despise me, call me names, bully me, or otherwise label me, I urge you to instead strike up a conversation with me. You may just be surprised at what you learn, and even more, what you may be able to teach.