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RICH AGAINST THE POOR?
DAN SIMON HAS THE STORY.
>> SAN FRANCISCO, NOT FOR SALE.
>> RAY BUS STOP IN SAN FRANCISCO
WARMED BY PROTESTERS.
THESE PEOPLE ANGRY AT WHAT THEY
SEE AS GROWING INCOME INEQUALITY
IN THE CITY.
BUT TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE, YOU
NEED TO CHECK THINGS OUT ON A
REGULAR DAY.
SO WE DID.
IT'S 9:00 A.M. ON A WEDNESDAY
MORNING.
AND THESE GOOGLE EMPLOYEES ARE
LEADED TO WORK.
SAME GOES FOR THESE APPLE
EMPLOYEES, FACEBOOK EMPLOYEES,
GENENTECH, EMPLOYEES AND LINKED
IN EMPLOYEES.
ALL HOPPING ON COMPANY-PROVIDED
SHUTTLES TO MAKE THE HOUR LONG
COMMUTE FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO
TO SILICON VALLEY.
SOME 17,000 WORKERS GOING BACK
AND FORTH EACH DAY.
>> WITHOUT THE SHUTTLE, IT WOULD
BE A HUGE HASSLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE
TAKEN THE JOB WITHOUT THAT
ADDITIONAL PERK BECAUSE FOR ME,
I DON'T HAVE A CAR IN THE CITY.
>> LIKE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE
TECH WORLD, LINDSAY NORMAN
CHOOSES TO LIVE IN THE CITY
INSTEAD OF CLOSER TO WORK.
THAT WILL FACT IS WHERE THE
FRUSTRATION BEGIN FOR MANY OTHER
SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT
YOUNG WELL PAID TECH WORKERS ARE
TAKING UP A DISPROPORTIONATE
SHARE OF HOUSING AND DRIVING UP
ALREADY ASTRONOMICAL HOUSING
PRICES.
RENT INCREASES OUTPACE THE
NATION MORE THAN THREEFOLD.
THE AVERAGE PRICE OF AN APT IS
MORE THAN $3,000 A MONTH.
>> IT'S SAD TO SEE PEOPLE SEE
PEOPLE BEING FORCED OUT OF THEIR
HOMES WHERE THEY LIVED FOR
DECADES.
>> THIS IS JUST A SYMPTOM OF A
LARGER CHANGE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO
THE CITY.
PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE HERE.
>> SO THESE BUSS HAVE BECOME A
TARGET OF WHAT CRITICS SAY IS
THE GENTRIFICATION OF SAN
FRANCISCO.
>> DO THE PROTESTERS HAVE A
POINT?
>> FAIRLY OR UNFAIRLY, THESE
COMMUTER BUSS HAVE BECOME A
SYMBOL OF INEQUALITY, A SYMBOL
OF OUR AFFORDABILITY CRISIS AND
THESE ARE VERY REAL PHENOMENON.
THAT MANY SAN FRANCISCOIANS AND
MANY AMERICANS AROUND THE
COUNTRY ARE REALLY EXPERIENCING
>> SOME CITY LEADERS SAY THE
ANGER IS MISGUIDED POINTING OUT
THE BUSES TAKE THOUSANDS OF CARS
OFF THE ROAD EVERY DAY AND THE
TECH INDUSTRY'S POSITIVE RIPPLE
THROUGHOUT THE ECONOMY.
>> FOR EVERY ONE TECHNOLOGY AND
INNOVATION JOB WE'VE HAD, WE'VE
HAD THREE OR FOUR OTHER JOBS IN
OTHER SECTORS WHETHER IT BE
HOTEL AND STAUNT WORKERS OR
RETAIL THAT HAVE BEEN HELPING
OUR ECONOMY.
THAT IS I AN GOOD THING.
>> FOR THOSE SQUEEZE THE OUT OF
HOUSING, IT'S A TOUGH SELL.