[otterley]

I'm not sure what special skills VCs have that would make their contributions more useful and valuable than those of other contributors. They have a certain perspective around improving the startup business climate, but cities aren't built and operated to serve them in particular.

[tptacek]

I don't think they have any special skills, just that they're concentrated in one of the most dysfunctional cities in the country.

[cinntaile]

Maybe they're part of the problem?

[tptacek]

I'm not interested in litigating the merits of VCs, I was commenting positively and not normatively on the peculiarly small ratio of engaged financiers to obvious urban dysfunction in San Francisco.

[cinntaile]

I don't know the answer to my question. I just observe that it's a factor that sets San Fransisco apart from a lot of other cities. In my opinion it's worth investigating at least.

[hollerith]

In my experience, the San Franciscans advocating policies that are clearly misguided (e.g., not prosecuting property crimes) are usually not VCs.

[fakedang]

You don't need VC level skills, just a healthy dose of common sense pragmatism, something which SF leadership has consistently lacked for decades now.