Category Archives: econ

My taxi earnings begin to increase. Is it temporary?

December and January were tough months. Holidays meant many people left the City. There was very little tourism and few, if any, special events that draw large numbers into the City. This weekend and last weekend produced relatively high earning … Continue reading

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When I get mad about employers screwing me over, I think of Robert Reich and then direct that anger at the government. You can too! Here’s how.

When I drive an 11 hour shift and make only fifty or sixty bucks I feel pretty sour. This doesn’t happen often. But, it does happen a few times a month during this time of year when demand for cabs … Continue reading

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Mayor spends thousands of dollars to learn transit user fees are necessary.

Dear Mayor Newsom You didn’t have to spend City taxpayer money on private consultants. Anyone could have told you: Just like any other shared and limited public resource, public transit needs user fees. Offering ‘free’ Muni is a destructive proposal. … Continue reading

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Does San Francisco suffer from hippie conservatism?

I’ll admit: I’m relatively new to San Francisco. I’ve only lived here for about a year and a half. In that short time I’ve seen a puzzling set of behaviors in the City that troubles me. Our City suffers from … Continue reading

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The City needs congestion pricing.

(Photo Credit) On a recent episode of KQED’s Forum, Dave Iverson discusses the possibility of congestion pricing in the City with two main guests: Ken Cleaveland, director of government and public affairs with the Building Owners and Managers Association and … Continue reading

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Should the City allow cab companies to charge higher gate fees to taxi drivers?

In some ways, blogs are great. They present frequently updated writing with a nice user interface that emphasizes recent postings first. But, most blog interfaces (including this one) bury old postings even if new, interesting and worthy comments are posted. … Continue reading

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New Year’s Eve Driving

I drove late in the night on New Year’s Eve. As a recent beginner in the world of cab driving, I am a ‘day driver’, low on the taxi company totem pole. I cannot drive during the lucrative hours of … Continue reading

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Dear Chronicle: Exodus of low-income City residents caused by rent control, not SOMA development.

This Chronicle article misses the mark. It gives a strong impression that development South of Market represents the reason San Francisco has become unaffordable for low income City residents. I paraphrase the introduction of the article: “Our City is changing. … Continue reading

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Thanks for your 3 months of work on the competitive analysis, Suzy. Let’s meet at 3:30 tomorrow and figure out how to implement!

Here’s a great interview with Columbia University professor of management William Dugan about why brainstorming doesn’t always serve our needs as well as it could. I echo some of his thoughts from my personal experience below. Surely you’ve had these … Continue reading

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And now for some hippie speak on why cars are bad.

First, a surprising statistic about per capita car ownership. The USA doesn’t even rank in the top five! First, a non-surprising statistic about per capita vehicle ownership. The USA ranks at the top! (Source) (Old Source – This data set … Continue reading

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