We reported Google’s big announcement that it’s bringing 1,000 jobs to downtown Durham on our website last week. Some Facebook commenters are not thrilled.
“Oh no!,” wrote commenter LESLIE DREYER. “This is terrible news, especially in a state where rent control is illegal and in a city with rents doubling in majority Black and Brown neighborhoods already. Big Tech ruins every city they touch. Bay Area, Austin, Seattle, and now Miami are dealing with skyrocketing rents and massive displacement due to tech-infused inequality and the real estate vultures capitalizing on the influx of wealth. Also these jobs aren’t for folks from Durham, especially those with income and housing insecurity. Resi- dents are going to have to fight to repeal the ban on rent control at the state level and protect tenants asap. Berlin successfully stopped a Google campus coming in, and there have been years of protests in the Bay Area against tech-gentrification. Yes, it’s only 1,000 jobs over time thus far here, but that’s how the trickle started in Austin, and now the city is totally unaffordable to low-income and even many middle income folks.”
“I guess this explains who can afford to live in all the expensive apartments going up around downtown,” wrote LAURA WINDLEY.
“They know moving to an anti union right to work state is where they can have total control over their employees,” wrote CHRIS JAY.
And, finally, “Good bye chances of buying a house anytime soon…the market now is horrible enough with houses going 20-70k over asking,” wrote JEN DARRAGH.
Writer Thomasi McDonald also wrote about a rash of robberies in the Bull City targeting Hispanic residents for the website. Facebook commenters say gentrification and economic inequality is the reason for crime.
“Man … Durham is just getting so crazy,” wrote JEFFREY DAVID ZACKO-SMITH. “I swear much of it has to do with gentrification and rampant economic inequality. All these developers buying lots or small bungalows for $125,000, putting a $150,000 “modern masterpiece” on it and selling it to someone for $650,000. Please.”
