[theorique]

Seems to be largely a means of pushing the problem elsewhere.

"Um, could you please be poor some place else? This is Palo Alto - we have a prosperous reputation to uphold."

[mbillie1]

It is, but that's nothing new. The cops in NYC have been known to give the homeless a McDonalds meal and a bus ticket up the coast.

I'm curious what the prevalence of work-from-home software jobs will do, over time, to the ridiculous swell in cost-of-everything in the bay area though. I realize that, like Manhattan for finance, there's some status associated with being in tech in the bay area, as well as legitimate opportunities. But there are high-paying tech jobs in places where you can live much more comfortably.

[theorique]

Many people want to be where other people are - the center of the action for their particular universe. They vote with their money.

You're right that status is a big part of it. Manhattanites look down on the "bridge and tunnel" crowd.

[enraged_camel]

Police in Long Beach, CA does this. When they find a homeless person sleeping on the streets or generally causing trouble, they put them in the patrol car, drive them to a neighboring city and "let them go." Now it's that other city's problem, but that doesn't matter because Long Beach has one fewer homeless person to worry about!

(This place is awful for many other reasons, but this just reflects the general mindset.)