I just got back from Berlin. The U-Bahn system isn’t free, but like MUNI and San Jose’s VTA, it’s strictly a tag in system. There are no fare gates. The system doesn’t need to be free to get rid of fare gates.
that doesn’t solve the “you didn’t pay taste my nightstick” issue
Are you saying that is an issue on MUNI, VTA and the U-Bahn? If not, then the issue isn’t free vs. paid.
yes, i’ve said the same thing many times in a row - that police use nonpayment as an excuse to do violence. please read my posts and digest them before replying
You aren’t getting my point. If police violence isn’t a problem on the U-Bahn, MUNI or the VTA, and there is a problem on BART, then the problem isn’t fare gates, it’s a specific police department, and even making BART free wouldn’t fix that.
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Because for the most part those companies aren’t actually in SF, they are in the surrounding cities. For example Mountain View might be able to tax Google, but good luck getting them to give that money to SF. California could also tax Google and give that money to SF, but they are also just as likely to spend it on cities far for SF that have their own issues. I would assume Mountain View pays into CalTrain and/or some other regional public transit system, but that doesn’t do much for homeless or cleaning public spaces in SF proper.
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Don’t many MV employees live in the city? Can’t income tax be taken if they reside, regardless of where they work or am I mistaken?
There are all kinds of costs to live and travel. A couple bucks here for highway/bridge tolls, a couple there for parking. Got to pay a dollar for every fourteen spent in restaurant (in my region). Plus tips. Some ill-prepared people will even pay a couple bucks to get cash out of an ATM.
Traveling costs money, and I always keep a few singles in my back pocket to give to beggars. 'Cause they aren’t getting the tax money! It’s their tax. If you can’t afford to travel, then stay home.
The last figure I saw there were 35,00 Lyft/uber drivers in San Francisco, a city of 49 square miles. Most of the business is concentrated in about 12 square miles. So in busy hours there are say 1000 per square mile vying for space downtown. Traffic is at a standstill. All the parking meters are occupied by Uber drivers waiting for a call. No wonder scooters are ,mistakenly,seen as saviors , No,I don’t have a solution.
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In addition, the real estate taxes can’t rise with the property values because of the 70’s era proposition 13. which caps the rate property taxes can rise to 2%(?)/year. While new development and ownership change can trigger reassessment for tax purposes, in practice, the big buildings never change ownership because they’re all owned by shell corporations and the corporations get bought and sold, not the real estate.
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That’s a nice way to look at it, a homeless tax. Besides the point that it’s really not a good way to go about helping the homeless. I also think it sends the wrong signal, I feel like you are saying “if you don’t want to get spat on, make sure you pay the homeless tax and always carry some singles!”
Do you also carry some extra wallets with a few 20’s in them for a pickpocket or mugging tax?
I understand what you mean, I think I started “planning” on handing out a dollar based on some Free Will Astrology column I read once.
I would rather have a bill set aside to give out rather than pulling out my entire wallet.
Indeed, there are better ways to help. But I did see a sign once (or a hundred times) that said “anything helps.”
BTW, I live in a city about half the size of SF, about 2000 miles away, so I may be better to butt out of this thread!
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Based on that metric I really don’t get a say, I live in “socialist” Europe, roughly half the globe away. 
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To an extent yes, but most cities don’t have an income tax, they use property taxes, sales taxes, corrupt red light camera systems, etc. to make up the bulk of their income. Also many of these tech companies use extensive non-monetary compensation like stock options, daycare, free cafeterias, free buses to and from work, all of which are harder, but not impossible to tax.
Or, in the case of one proposal in San Francisco, just prohibit cafeterias altogether, to force employees to buy food from local business (if such businesses actually exist).
I’ve got mixed feelings about that, because I do see how cafeterias can make companies into little self-contained islands that don’t benefit the community. But on the other hand, cafeterias are can be more convenient, cheaper and better than local offerings. Maybe just say that the cafeterias can’t be subsidized so local business can compete economically with them.
We’re discussing San Francisco specifically though. Which does have an income tax:
http://www.tax-rates.org/california/san-francisco-income-tax
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