Apple Commits $2.5 Billion to Fight California Housing Crisis

[Glockworkorange]

If they paid a fair rate of tax (ie not practically nothing) in my State/Country they’d have more funds for social housing too.

Paying tax should not be voluntary, Apple! As individuals we can’t get away with it. Why should you?

I don't know why anyone would pay more tax than they have to. If there's a loophole, they will use it.

Do you ask your accountant how you can pay more in taxes? I certainly don't. If there's a way I can reduce my taxable income, I reduce it.

Actually, a more relevant question is whether you trust the people who spend your tax money.

California has had liberal tax and spend policies for decades.

Are you happy with how the money is being spent?

 

[LordVic]

Agreed. Who do those Spaniards think they are, just stealing an entire continent and claiming it as their own? The nerve.

I wonder how hsi head would spin when he realizes that virtually everyone except the aboriginal's effectively illegally immigrated to the Americas.

Our entire continents founding has been via forced immigration.

using the term "illegal alien" here by this user is exactly the thing i was talking to Yoxo about. Using the terminology as de facto reason to treat other human being's as inferior.

The SECOND you start allowing for humans to be treated like they're not humans purely because of nationality, you have lost the plot. It shows a crass and dramatic lack of empathy, and basic human decency.
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If there's a loophole, they will use it.

you mean those very same loopholes that the rich and powerful helped create for themselves, that are only available to the existing rich and powerful that almost none of us can take advantage of?

 

[Glockworkorange]

Agreed. Who do those Spaniards think they are, just stealing an entire continent and claiming it as their own? The nerve.

Such a lazy, sophomore year in HS argument.

Who the hell was that one tribe stealing land and raping women of that other tribe and claiming the land as their own?

And before that, the one tribe stealing land and food and raping the women of that other tribe and claiming the land as their own.

Or how about that one tribe attacking, raping and murdering some peaceful Puritans near the coast?

Or maybe, how about that one tribe stealing land from another tribe and selling it to the white man from Europe?

Or maybe how about that one group of Africans selling that other group of Africans slaves to the white man.

Or maybe it's reasonable to say "hey, lot of conquering and bloodshed out there. Lot of ugliness. We've all come a long way."

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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I wonder how hsi head would spin when he realizes that virtually everyone except the aboriginal's effectively illegally immigrated to the Americas.

Our entire continents founding has been via forced immigration.

using the term "illegal alien" here by this user is exactly the thing i was talking to Yoxo about. Using the terminology as de facto reason to treat other human being's as inferior.

The SECOND you start allowing for humans to be treated like they're not humans purely because of nationality, you have lost the plot. It shows a crass and dramatic lack of empathy, and basic human decency.
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you mean those very same loopholes that the rich and powerful helped create for themselves, that are only available to the existing rich and powerful that almost none of us can take advantage of?

That's not true.

Stop fomenting class warfare.

If you (not you personally) think a little but throughout the year and then again at tax time it's not hard to save some money, which is all a loophole does.

 

[Stephen.R]

We've all come a long way

Some less than others, given the comments about “inferior” people.

 

[LordVic]

Or maybe it's reasonable to say "hey, lot of conquering and bloodshed out there. Lot of ugliness. We've all come a long way."

That's the point.

He was responding to someone who was literally refering to "illegals" as inferior humans who should be rounded up and gotten rid of somehow, and that anyone who isn't an American is inferior.

the example he used was to point out that even as "legal" migrants, the history of the western world is one of bloodshed and divisiveness.

instead, what we should be doing is trying to come a lot further and stop dehumanizing people over "legal" status. It's important to remember, that while the policies can vary on how to handle such an immigration concern, that they are human beings. And they should be treated as such.

 

[kd5jos]

The idea is to improve brand image and reduce the number of people buying non-Apple products just because they hate Apple as a company.

Sales of iPhones are dwarfed by sales of Android phones, and sales of Macs are dwarfed by sales of PCs. Apple needs to do something to win those people over if they’re to continue growing.

I'm not buying a new iPhone. Why? Because I have an Apple watch. It works fine as a phone replacement. For everything else I have an iPad Pro (including phone calls that are going to be long). Bigger screen, keyboard... And when the health app and CarPlay are added to my iPad, I'll sell off my iPhone. People that are buying Android phones are doing that because... i don't know, force of habit?

Increasing prices only decreases marketshare.

Smartphone users in the US 2009-2040| Statista

This statistic shows the number of smartphone users in the U.S.

www.statista.com

Gartner Says Global Smartphone Sales Continued to Decline in Second Quarter of 2019

Global #smartphone sales continued to decline in 2Q19. #Huawei and #Samsung exhibited the strongest annual sales increases at 16.5% and 3.8%, respectively. Read more:

www.gartner.com

While the number of smartphone users is increasing (by a decreasing rate), the number of smartphones sold is decreasing. This means that the used market is supplying smartphones for the increasing number of users.

Topic: Smartwatches

Find the most up-to-date statistics on Smartwatches worldwide

www.statista.com

Market of smartwatches is increasing at an increasing rate AND Apple has the market share in the U.S.

If my goal is market share I'd prefer the smartwatches over smart phones.They're cheaper than smartphones AND they compliment a tablet more than a phone (considering the price difference between a tablet and phone). This enables me to be able to sell a tablet and watch as an upgrade to the used phone the person had. I not only make more money, but I avoid the market that appears to be saturated (probably why Apple introduced iPadOS to create a clear market delineation).

If you don’t think this tactic will work, you don’t have to own shares of AAPL. Feel free to sell - the price is at its all time high now, so if you think it’ll be going down, no reason you wouldn’t sell.

Now I don't mean to come off sounding like statista is infallible, or that's its projections are perfect. But to imply that the tactic that needs to work is staying mired in a market that isn't increasing, that's kind of shortsighted isn't it?

 

[chucker23n1]

Or maybe it's reasonable to say "hey, lot of conquering and bloodshed out there. Lot of ugliness. We've all come a long way."

As a whole, we have indeed.

People who think that "illegal aliens" are "lesser", however, haven't.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Maybe we should start referring to all Americans of European descent as “alien invaders” and see how much you like that term?

From a Native American points of view? Yep, they are. I think it's pretty difficult to argue otherwise.

 

[chucker23n1]

That's the point.

He was responding to someone who was literally refering to "illegals" as inferior humans who should be rounded up and gotten rid of somehow, and that anyone who isn't an American is inferior.

the example he used was to point out that even as "legal" migrants, the history of the western world is one of bloodshed and divisiveness.

instead, what we should be doing is trying to come a lot further and stop dehumanizing people over "legal" status. It's important to remember, that while the policies can vary on how to handle such an immigration concern, that they are human beings. And they should be treated as such.

Not to mention the broader context on why many of those "illegals" are fleeing their home country in the first place.

Foreign policy is complicated.

 

[gsurf123]

If they paid a fair rate of tax (ie not practically nothing) in my State/Country they’d have more funds for social housing too.

Paying tax should not be voluntary, Apple! As individuals we can’t get away with it. Why should you?

Your statement is just wrong. They pay the amount they are required to pay. You can't just decide you are not going to pay what you owe or you risk huge fines and/or jail.

 

[yaxomoxay]

I think we all need to stop playing the semantic battle and start looking at the issues themselves.

I totally agree with you. Since I can remember (Reagan era) immigration has been an electoral issue for the US. Each and every presidential candidate has promised to fix immigration. In 2019 we still have problems even on our legal process. It's just crazy to me. I understand that fixing it all is a complex process, but some issues (DREAMers etc.) can be fixed with some decent willpower and common sense.​

 

[SBlue1]

The problem with lowering housing prices is that it would screw over everyone that currently owns a house. We saw this in the last housing crash where prices dropped and people owed more than the house was worth. House prices should always go up, California just screen themselves early on by jumping too high too quick.
now if they want to cut property taxes and interest rates, I’m all for it.

Americans are all against what they call socialsm and for letting the free market set the price. Unless it affects themselves like food, gas and housing costs.

 

[diego]

why aren't tech companies (or everyone for that matter) taxed enough so that governments can provide basic services?!

 

[yaxomoxay]

why aren't tech companies (or everyone for that matter) taxed enough so that governments can provide basic services?!

Let me ask then,
why with a $3,630,000,000,000 revenue the government (*) can't provide basic services and should need to tax successful private companies and individuals?

(*)= federal government. California state revenue is an additional 149,466,000,000.

 

[PickUrPoison]

They are less than Americans in every sense of the word. I don't care to associate with those inferior to US Citizens

Less than Americans in every sense of the word? Who told you that?

Please name all the ways undocumented immigrants are inferior to US citizens.

 

[theMaccer]

its like saying - they want to lower the cost of higher education by guaranteeing student loans. we know how that turned out.

 

[hellopupy]

Apple is only doing this because it benefits them first and then spinning it to look like local heroes. Hey nothing against that, their money, they should spend it the way they want.

Housing is expensive in CA because of supply/demand, building regulations, and labor costs. Reducing nonsensical regulations and cutting punitive minimum wage for entry level basic labor jobs, can help alleviate high prices.

In LA and SF, developers cant build affordable homes because the regulations are too strict, if they sold the housing at affordable prices, they lose money. If you lose money, where is the incentive to build in the first place? So they build luxury apartments where the margins are better, banks and investors all get their money back and earn a healthy profit.

 

[citysnaps]

Apple is only doing this because it benefits them first and then spinning it to look like local heroes. Hey nothing against that, their money, they should spend it the way they want.

Housing is expensive in CA because of supply/demand, building regulations, and labor costs. Reducing nonsensical regulations and cutting punitive minimum wage for entry level basic labor jobs, can help alleviate high prices.

In LA and SF, developers cant build affordable homes because the regulations are too strict, if they sold the housing at affordable prices, they lose money. If you lose money, where is the incentive to build in the first place? So they build luxury apartments where the margins are better, banks and investors all get their money back and earn a healthy profit.

Which regulations are nonsensical?

 

[PickUrPoison]

Not true. People move to California so they can work for companies like Apple; they don’t move because they want to live there and then so happen to get a job at Apple.

The thing is, Apple insists that everyone must live there, go into the office, and not work from home.

Your reply to me isn’t responsive to my post. Here’s what I wrote:

Apple locates where the employees they want to attract are living (or would like to live).

Apple has facilities in many states, but there’s a reason so many companies are located in Silicon Valley, San Francisco and the East Bay.

There is a huge labor pool of the kinds of employees Apple needs and wants who already live in Silicon Valley. So Apple has a very large presence there. It’s really not that complicated. Of course, there is migration in and out of the valley, but that net migration pales in comparison to the existing labor pool.

Apple has more than 1,000 employees in 16 states:

So it’s not all about California. Apple doesn’t “insist that everyone must live there”.

 

[dogslobber]

As a shareholder, Cook's responsibility is to MAXIMIZE shareholders value, not invest our diverted dividends into socialist housing projects.

 

[gnipgnop]

As a shareholder, Cook's responsibility is to MAXIMIZE shareholders value, not invest our diverted dividends into socialist housing projects.

As a shareholder you should probably consider another alternative motive: Cook is hoping to limit what Apple has to contribute in taxation by voluntarily donating money. If he's successful in getting CA to accept a donation style system rather than big changes in taxation, that would probably reduce Apple's cost in the long term by putting Apple in control of what it contributes.

 

[Eraserhead]

Let me ask then,
why with a $3,630,000,000,000 revenue the government (*) can't provide basic services and should need to tax successful private companies and individuals?

(*)= federal government. California state revenue is an additional 149,466,000,000.

because they need to improve operational efficiency. Shame only the Democratic Party is even trying that and they are nibbling round the edges.

 

[gnipgnop]

Housing is expensive in CA because of supply/demand, building regulations, and labor costs.

You can cross off supply and demand because demand for affordable housing is high and it's not being supplied. That doesn't happen in other markets like electronics, food, clothing, or transportation. Those markets supply solutions for a much wider range of income levels within the same economy.

 

[Eraserhead]

You can cross off supply and demand because demand for affordable housing is high and it's not being supplied. That doesn't happen in other markets like electronics, food, clothing, or transportation. Those markets supply solutions for a much wider range of income levels within the same economy.

that means there isn’t enough supply for the demand .

 

[PickUrPoison]

that means there isn’t enough supply for the demand .

Increasing the supply of affordable housing can only help the supply/demand imbalance. The State of California is also helping by passing legislation that overrides local zoning regulations. It allows homeowners to build a cottage (a so-called mother-in-law unit) on their existing property even if city or county regulations would otherwise prohibit it.