The Tech Bro Takeover of San Franciso, and the whole world, continues! … On our our last show, we circled back to the podcasters and journalists covering the Tech Broligarchy taking over San Francisco politics, and attempting to also take over the Bay Area and the entire nation, if not the world (and in fact, is doing so!) … We added new folks to the conversation–who have been researching the tech and real estate money that has flooded the political zone in the City by the Bay.
On this Part II show, we discuss the very different directions two of our great US cities–San Francisco and New York–have taken in response to rising disgruntlement among the general populace, particularly around affordability issues. How is it that New Yorkers elected Zohran Mamdani, a progressive, Democratic Socialist to fight back against the billionaire class, while San Franciscans elected the billionaire class directly into office? Daniel Lurie, a Levi Strauss heir is the new Mayor of San Francisco, and a man who hired Open AI founder Sam Altman to his transition team, and who seems to answer more to tech company CEOs than to the general population of SF. In this show, our guests address the following topics:
- Why is the trend in San Francisco relevant to rest of the nation and the world?
- What do Elon Musk and other tech oligarchs want with Oakland and what is the link to San Francisco?
- The new tech strategy: philanthropy and buying police departments as private security
- Public-private partnerships of the Robber Baron era are the new norm in SF and Oakland
- How has the pro-housing, pro-“abundance” movement, YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) become part of the tech-fascist movement in San Francisco?
Our guests:
Keane Chukwuneta – is on the Board of the San Francisco Phoenix Project. Keane is a seasoned political strategist and organizer, currently as Senior Campaign Coordinator at Jobs with Justice SF, and has deep commitment to labor rights and political advocacy. From directing field operations for congressional campaigns to spearheading voter engagement initiatives, Keane’s expertise has been pivotal in shaping progressive campaigns and policies across California.
Jeremy Mack – is Executive Director, Phoenix Project. Jeremy Mack is a dedicated advocate for transformative public policy, with a Master’s from the University of San Francisco and a dual major from Bates College. Specializing in Restorative Justice and ethical urban development, his work spans policy research, community organizing, and impactful academic work on the Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors Initiative in East Oakland.
Kevin L. Jones is a multimedia journalist and audio producer who’s worked at some of the most notable news outlets in the Bay Area, including the San Francisco Chronicle, KQED and KTVU–for two decades now. He currently hosts the leftist news show and podcast, Doomloop Dispatch with D. Scott Miller.
D. Scott Miller is the former Managing Editor of The East Bay Express, Former Associate Editor of Oakland Magazine and Alameda Magazine, Columnist-In-Residence at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)’s Open Space, Advisory Board Member of Nocturnes Journal of Literary Arts, and contributor to several newspapers, websites and magazines. Miller is founder of The Afrosurreal Arts Movement through his publication of The Afrosurreal Manifesto in The San Francisco Bay Guardian in 2009.
Resources:
Please listen to our last, Part I show to help make sense of all this and stay tuned for Part III: coming up Monday, Dec. 15th at 6pm on KSQD.
The Phoenix Project website with blog
The Doomloop Dispatch Podcast on YouTube
The Sad Francisco Podcast on Patreon
Coming Soon: Links referenced by speakers on this episode.
