More and more South Bay residents dreaming of cheaper pastures.
That’s according to a new poll by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, which found that 44 percent of Bay Area residents said they’d like to move out of the region in the next few years. Only 6 percent of them said they have definite plans to make the exodus in 2019.
Among those considering an exit, 77 percent cited the region’s high housing costs, and 76 percent said it’s the overall cost of living. Other major factors fueling the trend include traffic congestion, which was an issue for 51 percent of those surveyed, quality of life (45 percent) and taxes (41 percent).
The poll, which surveyed 1,568 potential voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties in mid-February, showed that perceptions held even throughout the Bay Area. Some 83 percent of all respondents said the cost of housing represents the most critical problem plaguing the region, followed by the cost of living (81 percent), homelessness (79 percent) and traffic congestion (76 percent).
Wildfires were cited as a serious issue, with 70 percent citing it as one of the most serious problems affecting the region.
Opinions were divided on whether the Bay Area’s rapid growth has been a positive or negative. Just 33 percent said they consider it a good thing.
SVLG President Carl Guardino, whose organization represents some of the biggest corporate names in Silicon Valley, has been one of the biggest cheerleaders for sales tax measures as a way to address traffic and affordability issues in years past. In a statement announcing this new poll, he hinted as the possibility of another such initiative.
“We need to take big, bold, transformative steps before we lose the talented people who keep the engine of Silicon Valley, and our innovation economy, running,” he said. “With the leadership of Gov. [Gavin] Newsom, and our own advocacy at the [SVLG], we believe that voters in 2020, will have real, substantive choices to help solve some of the most pressing transportation and housing challenges facing our region and state today.”
Sure enough, the SVLG followed its news release about the cost-of-living poll with another showing that more than two-thirds of voters surveyed said they were willing to support a nine-county sales tax to pay for transportation infrastructure improvements.
Source: SVLG
A proposed regional solution to the housing crisis known as CASA fared worse.
When asked it they would back a measure that would ease up regulations to speed up housing construction and impose a Bay Area-wide rent cap and tenant protections, just 43 percent of voters expressed support while 42 percent said they opposed the plan.
Among respondents, Latino and black voters were more likely to support the proposed CASA compact than their white counterparts. Voters younger than 40 tended to support it while those over 40 leaned more in opposition. And 62 percent of renters leaned in favor, compared to a third of homeowners.
Source: SVLG
Only 6 percent of those people who say they would like to leave also said they have definite plans to make the exodus in 2019. This is about what I see too. People talk a lot, they like to complain, but then they never go. If you’re gonna complain, whine and cry about how bad it is here, no one is forcing you to stay. There’s the door…
The other way to look at this study is that 56% of those surveyed say that they plan to stay. With the complexities of the bay area, I’d say that’s a pretty solid majority.
They might not have a choice if rents keep going up.
It is something to think about. Few friends of mine are moving out by September and October. They are planning to buy homes in other places; they will rent their homes here. Thus, a significant portion of Bay Area owners will be actually living some other places, countries, while local residents will be renting, tech people. Schools already have a decrease on student population. Thus, the study results may be a bit late of this current situation. Low and middle income families are moving to other near by places in order to keep their employment.
What’s driving up the rents is all the foreign tech workers coming over to the SF Bay Area. For the most part, tech companies won’t take people from other parts of the US. They come and after a couple of months of looking for a place to live then leave.
Somewhere out in Kansas or Nebraska, there is going to be a huge flaming pile-up on the Interstate where the people leaving New York and Illinois collide with the people leaving California.
“SVLG President Carl Guardino, whose organization represents some of the biggest corporate names in Silicon Valley, has been one of the biggest cheerleaders for sales tax measures as a way to address traffic and affordability issues in years past. In a statement announcing this new poll, he hinted as the possibility of another such initiative.
We need to take big, bold, transformative steps before we lose the talented people who keep the engine of Silicon Valley, and our innovation economy, running,” he said. “With the leadership of Gov. [Gavin] Newsom, and our own advocacy at the [SVLG], we believe that voters in 2020, will have real, substantive choices to help solve some of the most pressing transportation and housing challenges facing our region and state today.”
There you have it from ol’ Carl Guardino who “kisses more political-butt” than his charlatan counterpart, Governor “greasy-as-they-come” Newsome.
Any person with the means to leave the Bay Area, especially San José (which is the official Bay Area “dumping-ground” of vagrants and associated vermin) will leave. What should concern the city council and the SVLG is; a talented person or group of talented people will figure out a way to take the climate of the Bay Area with them when they relocate.
The Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) only survives from having a predatory and dominant position on the worn-out, sagging “tax and spend” teats of the San José City Council and their brother and sister communists on the Santa Clara County Board Of Supervisors.
The hope facing those who cannot afford to live here is the rallying cry to raise more taxes and “spread the wealth” via the goofy blather of the royal pin-head of the SVLG.
Forget the sycophantic whining of the self-serving SVLG. If the voters of San José ever figure how and why San José is shamefully miss-managed, we will see the last of this political breed on Council and the County Board of Supervisors. The SVLG will then rapidly vanish like a smelly-fart in a strong wind.
For my part in this mess, I am currently working on a screenplay entitled, “Escape from San José-the Movie.”
David S. Wall
So what’s the problem ?
I don’t see one.
I’m out by June if everything works out. I’m trading my overvalued house in SJ for a house in Carmel. Already have real estate agents working on it.
Why do I want to pay so much in property taxes when they’re so much less in Carmel? There’s no county add-on tax, fee’s, etc. What am I getting for pissing all of that money away? Schools I’m too scared to send my kids to? Streets I’m too scared to let my kids wander and explore on? Crime going through the roof? A downtown that already has the distinct odor of urine, feces, and unsightly homeless aggressively panhandling everywhere? Cops that only respond if you’re a big box store?
It’s so bad, the only way I can ensure my kids get a 1/2 decent education without being bullied is by paying $1700@mo for them to attend private school. I’d much rather put that into a mortgage payment in a good city. This new era of white shaming virtue signalling will make them targets in public schools around here. No thanks.
I’ve had it. I’ve had enough already. Rest of you can try and carve out a life here in the new and exciting San Jose, but I’m over it. You can all play keeping up with the Joneses like a sick game of “Who has the best business card embossment” like American Psycho. I’m going somewhere where the population still has some control of their government, and refuses to become like San Jose.
> I’m trading my overvalued house in SJ for a house in Carmel.
Bad news Robert: Gavin Newsom will still be your governor.
Plus, the hunter-gatherers from San Jose will still come down to Carmel on weekends clogging the streets and looking for loot. Either get out of town or hole up in your compound.
>Plus, the hunter-gatherers from San Jose will still come down to Carmel on weekends clogging the streets and looking for loot. Either get out of town or hole up in your compound.
My new compound it just that. 2 large electric iron gates, and a swimming pool for those days I don’t wish to swim at the ocean with the unwashed masses.
Newsom still being governor is concerning, especially with the amount of criminals he’s letting loose. Maybe if I win this place, you’ll come to the housewarming party.
This morning I got onto 680 south from Hostetter looked like another homeless camp is set up in the middle of the ramp.
Furniture clothing and trash bags, another Silicon Valley success story.
I’m living the dream, moving on out, I’m one of those 6% lucky Trump voters that are trying to get out of here before the Socialist scum put up a wall to keep us in or put up a exit tax.
A few weeks ago in my new state I saw a couple of collage age kids and a dog holding a cardboard sign “Need gas money”. I suggested they change the sign to read,
“Two Socialist Students Going to California”,
“Can You Spare Some Money”.
Four hours latter on my way home, another guy was standing on that spot with a sign that read exactly that, so I turned around and went back to ask what happened to the other two guys. He said they had given him the sign an hour ago, they had made enough money to catch a bus to the airport and buy two tickets to LA.
We spent 3 years looking for a great place to retire, all up and down the west coast, and east coast. Most places were clean and friendly. Traffic is even worse in the North Eastern cites than it is hear. Humidity sucks big time and mosquitos are to die for. Oregon has the best roads and no sales tax, property tax is as high as here but homes are affordable . Washington has no income tax but since we have no income that’s no help and winter sucks in both places. West side are full of hateful bigoted lefties.
Nevada, Lake Tahoe/ Reno, reasonable compared to here low taxes no jobs. 60 year old cocktail waitresses in mini skirts, not a turn on, but everyone has to work for their bread. Out side of LV it’s Trump country.
Utah, Very quiet Trump country, Idaho fun place, I actually know people that live here and voted for Trump. Cold snowy winters.
Arizona, Hot summers nice winters unfortunately Phoenix and Tucson are being over run by drug gangs funneling in from Mexico from Central America, and the murder rate is as high as the bay area.
So do us all a favor, if you think trash in the streets, homeless people, and high taxes are a great thing,
“STAY HERE” with your corrupt socialist politician, with people $hi++ing in your doorway, in a place where English is only spoken as a second language.
I and the rest of the normal people will be forever grateful.
M.T.GUNN
If you don’t work in tech, leave. San Jose is not interesting enough to live in to justify the cost.
The idea that we will build our way out of housing crisis is just not going to happen. There is not enough federal funding and for profit development is only profitable if it is targeted towards those who make tech money.