San Francisco’s tech moguls are pouring money into the election campaigns of moderate lawmakers in a bid to make the city safer and more hospitable.
Silicon Valley investors, executives and CEOs are trying to use their influence and money to sway public opinion by hosting fundraisers for local candidates and funding city ballot initiatives.
They successfully worked to unseat San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and three school board members in 2022.
Tech leaders are now asking residents to support moderate Democrats running in this year’s local elections. It’s part of a move to make the city safer and a better place to raise families and run businesses.
Silicon Valley largely blames San Francisco’s crime, drug, and homelessness problems on the current progressives in charge of the city for being too soft.
San Francisco’s tech moguls are banding together to pour money into the election campaigns of moderate lawmakers in a bid to make the city safer and more hospitable.
Tech leaders including Garry Tan (pictured) are now calling on residents to support moderate Democrats running in this year’s local elections.
Silicon Valley investors successfully worked to oust San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin (pictured) back in 2022.
The tech industry’s goal is to elect less liberal candidates to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, since more than half are up for re-election in November.
He is in charge of the city budget and can block the policies of Mayor London Breed, who is largely supported by Silicon Valley.
Garry Tan, CEO of startup incubator Y Combinator, told Wall Street Journal: “San Francisco, to some extent, has gouged out its eyes.”
Around 100 startup founders gathered at his house to learn about local politics in the area.
PowerPoint presentations were presented by technology-backed nonprofit organizations with plans to solve problems such as crime, homelessness and public education.
But Dean Preston, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who is up for re-election, believes the tech movement is self-interested.
“I just see a cynical effort to control the city,” he said. He believes the attempt to endorse new leaders and policies is an obvious attempt to “buy political power and reshape the rules for their own economic benefit.”
Preston believes he is being attacked because he supported higher taxes on expensive property sales during the pandemic.
Elon Musk previously accused Preston of ruining the city, after Preston claimed capitalism was to blame for San Francisco’s homeless crisis and criticized measures to arrest people who used drugs in public.
Former San Francisco District Attorney Boudin was ousted by voters in June 2022 after he was accused of not doing enough to keep citizens safe and introduce policies that would allow repeat offenders to commit crimes without fear of incarceration. .
“Right-wing billionaires outspent us three to one,” Boudin said in a speech to supporters following news of the impeachment results, in which more than 60 percent of San Franciscans were fed up with the impeachment. crime-ridden city’s state vote to remove him. .
He went on to claim that these groups had “exploited” citizens, saying they “took advantage of an environment where people are appropriately upset.”
Silicon Valley largely blames San Francisco’s crime, drug, and homelessness problems on the current progressives in charge of the city for being too soft.
In February 2022, technology investors, executives and CEOs worked to unseat three San Francisco school board members, including Alison Collins (pictured), in an election in which 70 percent of parents voted of the liberal city.
Dean Preston, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who is up for re-election, believes the tech movement to unseat him is self-interested.
In February 2022, they worked to unseat three San Francisco school board members in an election in which 70 percent of the liberal city’s parents voted.
School board president Gabriela López, vice president Faauuga Moliga and commissioner Alison Collins were removed.
The effort was well-funded by some of Silicon Valley’s billionaires and millionaires, led by early Apple investor Arthur Rock, who invested more than $500,000 of his billion-dollar fortune into the retreat. PayPal CEO David Sacks, who has three children and opposes mask mandates and school closures, donated $75,000, and venture capitalist Garry Tan donated $26,000.
One of parents’ main frustrations was that the school board did not address reopening schools during the pandemic and instead focused its efforts on renaming 44 schools because they claimed they were named after “problematic” Americans.
Collins was further criticized for labeling Asian parents who wanted their children to do well as “white supremacists.”
Tech workers left in droves after the pandemic and crimes, including robberies, hate crimes and robberies, rose rapidly.
Companies like Whole Foods, Banana Republic and Nordstrom decided to close their flagship stores and move.
Silicon Valley investors “have been here for 10 to 15 years,” said Tony Winnicker, who worked for two former San Francisco mayors.
‘They’ve put down roots here and say, “What the hell happened to my city?” They are angry.’
Tan first became involved in local politics in 2022 due to frustrations over the school curriculum.
“Being able to study algebra in high school allowed me to be a computer engineer,” he said.
“Technology gave me everything I have and I desperately want people from all backgrounds to be able to access that.”
Last month, he expressed his frustration with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in X.
Drug overdose deaths have reached an all-time high in the city of Golden Gate, with 752 deaths in 2023.
He called Preston and the other progressives on the board a “shit team.”
“Die slow motherfuckers,” he added before deleting the post and apologizing.
Preston and three other board members said they received hate mail after the outburst, and two supervisors filed a police report against Tan.
San Francisco investors and CEOs created nonprofits during the pandemic in an attempt to clean up the city.
TogetherSF Action, is backed by former Sequoia Capital Chairman Michael Moritz, Abundant SF, was started by Pantheon CEO Zack Rosen, and Grow SF is backed by Tan.
They focus on different issues in the city, from the opioid crisis to homelessness.
TogetherSF representatives have handed out leaflets about next month’s election measures.
The document insisted that people vote yes to a modernized police force and to return algebra to high school and no to making police personnel dependent on a new tax.
TogetherSF has used Instagram ads and TikTok videos to appeal to younger voters.
It encouraged thousands of residents to petition the city to take action on the opioid crisis, and the City Council later adopted some suggestions.