SF 2020 Tech-Exodus to Tax Havens. Where is your Spine?
By: Ryan Klinefelter
Tags: Exodus, San Francisco, Committedtothebay, Bay Area, Remote Work

SF 2020 Tech-Exodus to Tax Havens. Where is your Spine?

SF “tech-exodus” to state tax havens like Florida and Texas is cowardly. Those that have moved were/are not Bay Area community members or if they were, their spine is not strong enough to rebuild our Bay Area communities. Ryan Klinefelter Dec 23, 2020·3 min read

When the going got tough, these delicate tech snowflakes drifted out of the Bay Area.

Prompted by national headlines echoing the demise of San Francisco and Silicon Valley, there is now a pushback to the echo chambered exodus story. There is now a steady backbone of tech leaders who are doubling down on the Bay Area community, not feeding off the community. They are publically writing straight-forward rebuttals to the 2020 Bay Area demise theorists.

Kudos to AirBnB, Doordash, and Twillio for speaking about repairing, building, and commitment — not fleeing to Austin and Miami.

From Protocol on December 22, 2020 — Biz Carson writes: “The conversation about who’s leaving the Bay Area and who’s staying is happening everywhere and at all levels. Even the governor has questions.

“Airbnb is staying in California and I’m staying in California. This is a special place,” Chesky tweeted, adding that he had talked to Newsom about it.

Xu also told Business Insider that he planned to stay put in California despite a recent exodus. “I think it’s a reflection that we’re all virtual today so your kind of geographic location is less important, but you know, that the policy decisions do matter,” Xu said. “And, what we have to do is we have to work together, especially during a pandemic, we have to work together to help businesses grow so that the economy recovers.”

Biz Carson continues, “Other tech executives are piling in too, with the likes of Twilio’s Jeff Lawson having launched their own campaigns to get tech execs to commit to the Bay Area. Lawson asked fellow Bay Area CEOs to “commit to the Bay” and pledge to stay and help rebuild after the pandemic.

“What I take issue with is our leaders — people of means — abandoning our community when it needs us most,” Lawson tweeted. “Reaping the benefits of Silicon Valley’s talent, tech incubators, mentors, professional network, and culture until they no longer need it.”

Lawson tweeted. “Reaping the benefits of Silicon Valley’s talent, tech incubators, mentors, professional network, and culture until they no longer need it.” “ Whether it’s homelessness, equality, education — business can be the greatest platform for change to solve the world’s most pressing problems ,” Bret Taylor said. “I hope those people leaving the Bay Area commit to serving their new communities and not treating them as resources to be harvested.

,” Bret Taylor said. “I hope those people leaving the Bay Area commit to serving their new communities and not treating them as resources to be harvested. Garry Tan echoed the sentiment. “I will pay my seven or eight figures worth of taxes,” he said, “because it’s worth it. This is my home. And I want those tax dollars to go to my community, and this is my community. I’m from here, and this is where I want to stay.”

Brian C, Tony X, Bret T , and Garry T— that is classy, respectful, brave, and just the right thing to say and do. Well done.

2021+ will be rebuilding, it will be hard, it will take lots of effort, but 2021+ can also be memorable. Technology can help solve some of the problems. Teams and sides are clearly forming. Stay or leave. You decide. And then let’s get back to the hard work of working hard to solve these Bay Area problems. #committedtothebay