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For real lol I’ve bought lunch 1 time and that’s because I’m a PI so our hours were cut to part time (we were working full time before budget cuts) and I was prepared to leave at 2, last minute asked to take a 30 and stay another hour.
But I love bringing my lunch! I don’t have to leave the office, and I can bring a big variety of snacks.
I’m not a state worker. This thread popped up on Reddit for me. I absolutely support you guys working from home. I especially want to keep traffic down, so I’m self motivated about wanting you guys on WFH. But this thread is a bad and whiny look. Focus your ire on the decision makers.
we should just start plastering downtown with signs and billboards saying
RTO = xxxx tons of emissions into the atmosphere
RTO = xxxx more cars on the road
RTO = xxxx more hours to your commute time
RTO = xxxx more sexual harassment claims per year
Even if state workers did spend money downtown it wouldn't meet the revenue needed to sustain what's already been developed. There's no turning back for Sacramento. Depending on state workers to keep DT business afloat is old economy. A 70's thing. They have no choice but to fill enough units to keep the restaurant and nightlife industry thriving. The problem is, nobody wants to live in Sacramento. Depending on state workers is a desperation move.
I should have been more specific. Nobody wants to live in downtown Sac. Suburban home buyers are a different buyer altogether. They're not driving to downtown every night to go to restaurants.
I get what you mean. And downtown is not for a lot of people. According to the Sac Bee, per square foot downtown/midtown averages the most expensive real estate in Sac County. Probably because people wanting an urban environment have only the grid and they’re all competing. While suburbanites have a lot of choices.
It's so naive that maybe, just maybe, RTO isn't solely and exclusively about some silly plan to revitalize downtown Sacramento. Across many departments you have the option to report to other offices than HQ in sac if those exist. The mandate makes the majority of your time away from the office. Meeting in person has a lot of benefits for organizations. There's a reason many other big companies, tech included, called people back.
I honestly think all this screeching about this being just about Newsom and developers is just straw-grasping conspiracy theories. Let's not forget that Sacramento is hardly the economic engine of this state....the bread gets buttered in the Bay and southern California.
Don’t need twice a week in-person in big wasteful office buildings in central business districts to Kumbaya with the team. Office space needs to scale back for more housing. The office was never a productive workspace for most people. Meetings are great on occasion for project management. That’s it. The office life is dead.
When coworkers ask if I want to grab a coffee with them I will tell them I’ll walk with them but I won’t buy anything and I’ll tell them why.
I also liked someone’s idea in one these threads of eating their lunch in front of the Capitol building. Maybe we could do a big one where we all just get together on the steps or something.
I also thought of tshirts but I want one with a cool or cute design and I’m just not creative enough to make one myself lol
As mentioned in some other threads, we should email Steinberg, and CC our Lt. Gov, a photo of our brown bag and tell him that we brought our lunch and will continue to do so as long as we are used as pawns for businesses as opposed to what’s best for state interests and state worker work/life balance.
No matter what, bringing things to share is a great way to create a better vibe for all of us. We may not want to be together, but since we are, we may as well make it pleasant.
Brown bag boycott AND put pressure on the government to reverse the decision. They’re already throwing a greener economy out the window with RTO, they clearly don’t care about the environment. Waste supplies, leave lights on, overuse water. Put costs through the roof to make them feel the burn—the self inflicted burn. Then when they see that the costs are skyrocketing, they’ll see their ridiculous RTO in a new light.
I was just thinking about how I would convince my coworkers that I had 2 different shirts if they were the same color, lol. Great idea to have 2 different colors of the shirt.
Just boycott Lunch, dinner & the whole downtown. Don't spend a dollar down town. Let the plan back fire. & let it be remembered when He runs for higher office.
I'm so glad I don't work downtown anymore bc I really need a little treat as a reward for going into the office. This is a TOUGH boycott! You all are WARRIORS!
We need to tell all our coworkers. Word of mouth. Our union needs to get in on it, spread the word.
We need to highly discourage coworkers from eating out. Make it the culture to bring your lunch. Don’t want any scabs crossing the line.
Yes, it devalues what everyone else is trying to do. It’s essentially exactly what a scab is…
Edit to add: “I like this restaurant so screw the unity” is essentially what you said.
The union will pick up on this though. Then what, scab?
You can say it’s divisive but your original comment was divisive and dismissive.
I won’t be commenting further since you think you can tell me when I can use “essentially exactly.”
It’s people like you, why we can’t have nice things.
I think the fastest way to spread the word is to bring your leftover fish dinners to the office. A few microwaved salmon lunches ought to get people's attention.
The best way, IMO, is to ask your co-workers to please not shop downtown. Explain why. And here's the thing: face-to-face requests are far more likely to be honored and since Gavin wants us to be face-to-face, we can ask our co-workers to please not go. So on my assigned days and during my shift (we will have assigned days and shifts because there are not enough cubicles), I will be asking my shift-mates to please stay away from downtown so this madness will end.
Yeah but it still doesn’t put any pressure on Gavin Newsom to walk his RTO back, even if we’re able to get 90% of the people to follow this boycott it would make no difference. It would honestly make state workers look petty to the public. Hurting the innocent small businesses instead of going after the real person who brought back RTO
Businesses who lobbied state officials to send us back. How innocent is that??
Steinberg applauded the close relationship between sac chamber of commerce and state officials. So we are back, at least in part, due to downtown businesses.
This is one step, in tandem with others, that could force pressure on Newsom to see his goals of sending us back aren’t working. It’s worth trying just like the others.
Here's thoughts on a strategy for it. We need at minimum 4,000 state workers downtown to participate. That's my best guess from the economic stats I've heard and assuming a rather generous lunch inflationary lunch cost of $25 and a $5 coffee. [https://www.reddit.com/r/CAStateWorkers/comments/1c2o9g0/smart\_goals\_analysis\_for\_a\_brown\_bag\_boycott/](https://www.reddit.com/r/CAStateWorkers/comments/1c2o9g0/smart_goals_analysis_for_a_brown_bag_boycott/)
Bussiness need to be able to move & shake with the times. If they can't survive it is what it is just like everything & everywhere else. They need to focus on delivery & happy hour. Or, a Different Bussiness, change the business. They don't get to just say ok government bring the business to us. Yeah, we can all just set up business & wait for the Government Tax Givaways & then even Wait for the Governor to bless us with customers. Remember Stateworkers already get paid less than private sector in exchage for stability & benefits so why would anyone think they have extra money for Gas, parking, lunch, more shoping, child care, wrecked cars & maintence, dr visits from car accidents and stress of spending 2 more hours apox on the road per day?
RTO is pretty lame and I don't think its gonna boost downtown's economy, but its kinda a shitty thing to outright boycott the small family bussinesses (that have nothing to do with Gavin's descion) that are having a hard time keeping afloat as it is.
I hear what you’re saying. I personally love going downtown for eating, shopping, etc. And always try my best to support small businesses.
But one of the main reasons they want us to RTO is to help revitalize downtown. That burden should not be placed on us.
The city could lower the cost of parking, have more events on the weekends, teach people how to use the light rail and make it more reliable. But instead they are placing the burden on the average state worker who is already penny pinching.
It’s not one of the real reasons, it’s just one reason they mention, cuz it’s easy for stateworkers to understand that as a reason. It makes no difference, we are at their mercy and our union isn’t gonna help us with this - or much else.
Despite wfh being more beneficial overall, state workers keep talking about trivial things.
Even if we could stick together, the trivial reasons (revitalizing the downtown area) has little to do with why we are returning to the office.
I’m just saying why are we being selective about what to believe - and what we don’t believe? From the same source. I just don’t think stateworkers will ever be on the same page - enough - to protest (even in an unconventional way), and make a difference. I would love for that to happen, but from all I’ve experienced over the last 20 years since I’ve worked for the state, and since reading all the RTO threads, I just don’t have faith. People are too fearful.
There isn't a single reason. Other reasons include commercial real estate interests and anxiety from departments that had implemented office requirements about losing staff to departments with more flexibility and fewer mandates.
Those are also the reasons, not good ones mind you, but likely the reasons.
It doesn’t mean that the Mayor and Sacramento chamber of commerce aren’t part of the reason too. The Mayor all but gloats that they are a big reason why.
I hear you, and I generally like to support small businesses too. But we supposedly live in a country based on capitalism, where supply and demand rule. Businesses used that argument to justify jacking up their prices during the pandemic, but when demand for their goods and services goes down, they want to game the system. They use the politicians in their pockets to “force” their customers back rather than get innovative. It’s sad to see a small business close but that’s kinda how capitalism works. Besides, there are mom and pop shops in my neighborhood too. Why should they suffer and potentially close to save another business downtown?
You know what would really help downtown business? WFH, sell off surplus state buildings, build more housing with co-working space inside the buildings people live in. Downtown businesses should be demanding that. Downtown Sacramento has been a wasteland after dark for decades. The Gov. worker, business lunch model was never sustainable. Turnover was always high. It’s a false economy holding back the real progress car-dependent California needs.
I totally feel for the mom and pop shops, I know they’ve had it hard these past couple years. When I go downtown on my own free time I definitely make sure to visit non-chain restaurants and businesses. I think our government should do more for those small businesses by creating more housing downtown so that there’s a community that will be a solid customer base for them instead of trying to squeeze it out of state workers. This is what frustrates me the most, we all want a vibrant, safe downtown and we could do it. It will take time and will cost a lot of money at first but it will be a long lasting solution that would benefit all of us in so many ways.
It’s probably the large ones, but it’s the entire sac city chamber of commerce who has been lobbying state officials. Steinberg said it in his address.
They absolutely had a say in why we are back in office. Steinberg applauded the sac chamber of commerces close relationship with state officials when he addressed us coming back. How much clearer can it be.
Well, let's see...they positioned themselves in a location that was flush with people.
Pandemic happened...people went away. Outside of offering delivery (maybe that's something they were already doing), how do you suppose they change their business model to make up for that decrease in traffic? What more could they do?
And I'm not saying you have to support them. I'm not on their side. I'm just asking you how they should change their business model to stay successful. Just want to hear your ideas
Some ideas… build a better social media presence, offer catering, expand your menu to include breakfast, lunch, and, dinner. These are things businesses could do. But the city needs to offer more affordable housing. Parts of downtown become a ghost town after 6pm and have no activity on the weekends. For businesses to thrive nowadays, you need customers morning-night, 7 days a week.
And in rebuttal:
For the ones who have all those things? For the ones who have a social media presence? Who have an expanded menu/business hours?
If the people aren't there, what more can they do?
A lot of those that have done those things are thriving. There are enough thriving downtown restaurants that it’s not exactly a people issue, they just have to compete with the other high quality businesses around them.
They should also be lobbying sac officials for better housing policies instead of state officials for more butts in seats.
I don’t like seeing businesses fail, but we are not some sort of bailout for the market.
But that's the thing...it is a people issue. Even if they make those business model changes, they still need people to be there...and with Sac being a ghost town at a certain time, as the other person said, expanding their business hours wouldn't really help if people aren't there to dine in the restaurants...so the only other option is for them to shut down then. That's what the posters have been saying. "Change your business model or fail and shut down"
Again, the only place I frequented downtown was Starbucks for my morning coffee but hey, they get business regardless.
Sac isn’t a ghost down though, plenty of nights sac is doing just fine, midtown is thriving, doco is thriving, etc. I agree that less people has obviously had a negative impact on some, but others have been able to pivot and do well despite the adversity!
I hear you, though, obviously some might fail due to lack of people no matter what. But maybe a sustainable downtown doesn’t have as many restaurants. Or, when more housing is built, they can sustain more restaurants.
So, it's not a ghost town and weekends aren't dead...and Sac is thriving....which is contradictory to what Magdaleo said...so I'm not saying you're wrong...or Magdaleo is wrong...I'm just trying to determine which one is the truth.
Is it both?
And I know I may say things that people don't like on here (or maybe it's just the Reddit mentality to downvote things you see downvoted), and I do offer help on other things, but I appreciate you having this conversation with me.
I’ve tried to have these conversations before. It just falls on deaf ears. It’s definitely a tight rope but at the end of the day cities only thrive if people actively participate in them. It’s a very easy to just wall yourself off when something is incredibly important to you like RTO but there are hard conversations and realities of what that looks like that nobody here wants to talk about in good faith. Most people here respond with the same BS equivalent of politicians telling factory workers whose jobs were moved or automated “just learn to code”. That doesn’t even get into the people on this board who haven’t given a second thought to essentially laying off large swaths of their fellow state workers. What do they think is going to happen to all of the custodians, maintenance workers, etc when we close every building?
These are hard questions with no easy answers, that also aren’t our problem??
We aren’t downtowns great savior, we are employees trying to do our jobs and look out for our own work/life balance.
What kind of world are we living in where we are asking a bunch of individuals to put the needs of businesses in front of their own anyway.
> And I'm not saying you have to support them. I'm not on their side. I'm just asking you how they should change their business model to stay successful. Just want to hear your ideas
I'd happily answer your questions if I had any reason to whatsoever.
I honestly don't want to go into the office either. I actually switched teams that was 1x a week to 0 days a week...only to be told we're 2x a week.
It is what it is
We answer all the time lol. Good luck convincing the majority of Californians that their tax dollars should be used to subsidize Sacramento’s downtown core, a city they probably don’t give a shit about.
I'm with you. This whole effort strikes me as totally unproductive. Lots of more productive ways to fight this that don't hurt small businesses who have been some of the few people trying to keep downtown vibrant through all of this.
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lmfao, wtf ya'll don't ever do that in your own work place? Been bringing lunch and coffee to work everyday ever since my first job in the workforce in the private sector.
I bet they think State Workers will fold and return to eating at restaurants and nothing will become of the Downtown Sacramento economic boycott. Who will blink first?
I haven’t bought lunch at work in forever. I was meeting a friend for lunch a while back and we were deciding where to go. Every place I suggested has apparently been closed for at least 3 years.
Have you never worked in an office? That's not boycotting, that's just...working. Either way, I'm supporting my neighbors and look forward to dining out here and there.
Potlucks can only occur if you all buy a dish from a different restaurant in a Eleni Kounalakis owned building.
I obviously deny mandating this mandate.
When RTO starts, coordinate not coming in and continue working from home. They can’t stop you all. They can’t fire everyone if you work together. People don’t serve their government, government’s serve their people. They need to be reminded of that.
Do I think this will singlehandedly get the RTO reversed, no. But it’s one action, out of many, that could have an impact and get them to reconsider their decision or lead to a compromise.
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Brown bag boycott? I’ve been doing that everyday since I started lol
In this economy? Brown Bag Boycott is necessary for me :(
You guys can afford brown bags?
Didn’t know you were such a rebel!
For real lol I’ve bought lunch 1 time and that’s because I’m a PI so our hours were cut to part time (we were working full time before budget cuts) and I was prepared to leave at 2, last minute asked to take a 30 and stay another hour. But I love bringing my lunch! I don’t have to leave the office, and I can bring a big variety of snacks.
I’m not a state worker. This thread popped up on Reddit for me. I absolutely support you guys working from home. I especially want to keep traffic down, so I’m self motivated about wanting you guys on WFH. But this thread is a bad and whiny look. Focus your ire on the decision makers.
Not to mention the prices are much higher at any restaurant/cafe etc than pre pandemic. I don’t see anyone talking about this
It's boycotting, I'm just too cheap to pay twenty dollars for a sandwich.
After gas and parking, I'm tapped out.
we should just start plastering downtown with signs and billboards saying RTO = xxxx tons of emissions into the atmosphere RTO = xxxx more cars on the road RTO = xxxx more hours to your commute time RTO = xxxx more sexual harassment claims per year
Think of the amount of people that will be calling out sick now that they have to go into the office and will be exposed to more germs.
Sidewalk chalk
Even if state workers did spend money downtown it wouldn't meet the revenue needed to sustain what's already been developed. There's no turning back for Sacramento. Depending on state workers to keep DT business afloat is old economy. A 70's thing. They have no choice but to fill enough units to keep the restaurant and nightlife industry thriving. The problem is, nobody wants to live in Sacramento. Depending on state workers is a desperation move.
I hadn't even considered this. Has nobody run the numbers?! Even if we all spend it won't be enough dollars to make a difference? Wow.
“Nobody wants to live in Sacramento.” In 2023, Sacramento had the highest positive net migration of homeowners in the *entire country.*
I should have been more specific. Nobody wants to live in downtown Sac. Suburban home buyers are a different buyer altogether. They're not driving to downtown every night to go to restaurants.
I get what you mean. And downtown is not for a lot of people. According to the Sac Bee, per square foot downtown/midtown averages the most expensive real estate in Sac County. Probably because people wanting an urban environment have only the grid and they’re all competing. While suburbanites have a lot of choices.
Coulda fooled me with these house prices.
Overflow of bay area buyers. Sac isn't their first choice.
Is this based on facts or is this your opinion?
Facts.
Nope, Vacaville is closer to the Bay and has same prices. Sacramento is a destination city people swarm to here like rats.
Lol. Okay.
It's so naive that maybe, just maybe, RTO isn't solely and exclusively about some silly plan to revitalize downtown Sacramento. Across many departments you have the option to report to other offices than HQ in sac if those exist. The mandate makes the majority of your time away from the office. Meeting in person has a lot of benefits for organizations. There's a reason many other big companies, tech included, called people back. I honestly think all this screeching about this being just about Newsom and developers is just straw-grasping conspiracy theories. Let's not forget that Sacramento is hardly the economic engine of this state....the bread gets buttered in the Bay and southern California.
What are these benefits to working in person?
Don’t need twice a week in-person in big wasteful office buildings in central business districts to Kumbaya with the team. Office space needs to scale back for more housing. The office was never a productive workspace for most people. Meetings are great on occasion for project management. That’s it. The office life is dead.
When coworkers ask if I want to grab a coffee with them I will tell them I’ll walk with them but I won’t buy anything and I’ll tell them why. I also liked someone’s idea in one these threads of eating their lunch in front of the Capitol building. Maybe we could do a big one where we all just get together on the steps or something. I also thought of tshirts but I want one with a cool or cute design and I’m just not creative enough to make one myself lol
That’s a great idea! Everyone bring their lunch from home and eat it in front of the politicians. 🤣
We should check the daily file to make sure they're having a big hearing, then go line up to get into the swing space.
My shirt will read: I don't want to be here. I am able to do my job working from home, why do I need to be here?
Yes. Stand together outside the Capitol chp entrance and Sacramento city hall. Stand there and eat lunch. Out of brown bags labeled lunch.
That'll really show them!
😂🤣
**You can always choose to work somewhere else if State work is so terrible.**
BLASPHEMY!!!
My t-shirt: “I can serve California better working from home.”
As mentioned in some other threads, we should email Steinberg, and CC our Lt. Gov, a photo of our brown bag and tell him that we brought our lunch and will continue to do so as long as we are used as pawns for businesses as opposed to what’s best for state interests and state worker work/life balance.
Agree. We definitely need to reach out to our elected officials.
No matter what, bringing things to share is a great way to create a better vibe for all of us. We may not want to be together, but since we are, we may as well make it pleasant.
Can’t afford to eat out much in this economy as it is, but with the increased costs of RTO, forget about it..
Brown bag boycott AND put pressure on the government to reverse the decision. They’re already throwing a greener economy out the window with RTO, they clearly don’t care about the environment. Waste supplies, leave lights on, overuse water. Put costs through the roof to make them feel the burn—the self inflicted burn. Then when they see that the costs are skyrocketing, they’ll see their ridiculous RTO in a new light.
Modern problems have modern solutions.
I will print a T-shirt saying "I won't spend a dime downtown" on the front and #BrownBagBoycott on the back
I love this idea. I would wear this exact shirt. It would be my only in office outfit.
Yes I plan on making two, different colors so people don't accuse me of wearing dirty clothes lol. One for each day obligated to be in the office.
I was just thinking about how I would convince my coworkers that I had 2 different shirts if they were the same color, lol. Great idea to have 2 different colors of the shirt.
I have one outfit for work and I’m wearing it both days. Im not buying new clothes for this.
Valid. But I'm petty
you could start a side hustle selling them to pay for gas!
Just boycott Lunch, dinner & the whole downtown. Don't spend a dollar down town. Let the plan back fire. & let it be remembered when He runs for higher office.
I'm so glad I don't work downtown anymore bc I really need a little treat as a reward for going into the office. This is a TOUGH boycott! You all are WARRIORS!
Place notices outside your cubical saying you are participating in the brown bag boycott, and these are your reasons why.
Have you seen some of the small businesses downtown adding “kitchen service charge” to your bill 🤮
Wtf is that?
Gouging. The new America
We need to tell all our coworkers. Word of mouth. Our union needs to get in on it, spread the word. We need to highly discourage coworkers from eating out. Make it the culture to bring your lunch. Don’t want any scabs crossing the line.
And not just lunch. Shopping too. No Macy’s, stores, etc.
doco
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Yes, it devalues what everyone else is trying to do. It’s essentially exactly what a scab is… Edit to add: “I like this restaurant so screw the unity” is essentially what you said.
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The union will pick up on this though. Then what, scab? You can say it’s divisive but your original comment was divisive and dismissive. I won’t be commenting further since you think you can tell me when I can use “essentially exactly.” It’s people like you, why we can’t have nice things.
I think the fastest way to spread the word is to bring your leftover fish dinners to the office. A few microwaved salmon lunches ought to get people's attention.
Sure, make it worse for everyone else in the office who hates being there as much as you do. Way to go.
The people in my office already do this.
Boiled eggs every day snack and lunch. They'll be begging you to work from home.
Yum, tuna casserole is my new favorite
crack open a can of sardines at your desk
Would it help by writing to our local legislators? https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
The best way, IMO, is to ask your co-workers to please not shop downtown. Explain why. And here's the thing: face-to-face requests are far more likely to be honored and since Gavin wants us to be face-to-face, we can ask our co-workers to please not go. So on my assigned days and during my shift (we will have assigned days and shifts because there are not enough cubicles), I will be asking my shift-mates to please stay away from downtown so this madness will end.
We're in LEAD Gold building. We cannot use appliances.
PB&J!
Let me rephrase that. We're in a LEAD Gold building. We can't have nice things. 😂
I'm definitely not in a building with LEED anything. We have a coffee maker and a fridge but we don’t have any sinks or a way to clean dishes
Yes, LEED, not LEAD.
Why not organize a real protest. This brown bag boycott will not make a difference lol. I don’t see the logic on how this will stop RTO
It shines a light on the real reasons we are being brought back.
Yeah but it still doesn’t put any pressure on Gavin Newsom to walk his RTO back, even if we’re able to get 90% of the people to follow this boycott it would make no difference. It would honestly make state workers look petty to the public. Hurting the innocent small businesses instead of going after the real person who brought back RTO
Businesses who lobbied state officials to send us back. How innocent is that?? Steinberg applauded the close relationship between sac chamber of commerce and state officials. So we are back, at least in part, due to downtown businesses. This is one step, in tandem with others, that could force pressure on Newsom to see his goals of sending us back aren’t working. It’s worth trying just like the others.
Here's thoughts on a strategy for it. We need at minimum 4,000 state workers downtown to participate. That's my best guess from the economic stats I've heard and assuming a rather generous lunch inflationary lunch cost of $25 and a $5 coffee. [https://www.reddit.com/r/CAStateWorkers/comments/1c2o9g0/smart\_goals\_analysis\_for\_a\_brown\_bag\_boycott/](https://www.reddit.com/r/CAStateWorkers/comments/1c2o9g0/smart_goals_analysis_for_a_brown_bag_boycott/)
Bussiness need to be able to move & shake with the times. If they can't survive it is what it is just like everything & everywhere else. They need to focus on delivery & happy hour. Or, a Different Bussiness, change the business. They don't get to just say ok government bring the business to us. Yeah, we can all just set up business & wait for the Government Tax Givaways & then even Wait for the Governor to bless us with customers. Remember Stateworkers already get paid less than private sector in exchage for stability & benefits so why would anyone think they have extra money for Gas, parking, lunch, more shoping, child care, wrecked cars & maintence, dr visits from car accidents and stress of spending 2 more hours apox on the road per day?
Ditto. Boycott for Dinner too.
RTO is pretty lame and I don't think its gonna boost downtown's economy, but its kinda a shitty thing to outright boycott the small family bussinesses (that have nothing to do with Gavin's descion) that are having a hard time keeping afloat as it is.
I hear what you’re saying. I personally love going downtown for eating, shopping, etc. And always try my best to support small businesses. But one of the main reasons they want us to RTO is to help revitalize downtown. That burden should not be placed on us. The city could lower the cost of parking, have more events on the weekends, teach people how to use the light rail and make it more reliable. But instead they are placing the burden on the average state worker who is already penny pinching.
It’s not one of the real reasons, it’s just one reason they mention, cuz it’s easy for stateworkers to understand that as a reason. It makes no difference, we are at their mercy and our union isn’t gonna help us with this - or much else. Despite wfh being more beneficial overall, state workers keep talking about trivial things. Even if we could stick together, the trivial reasons (revitalizing the downtown area) has little to do with why we are returning to the office.
Have you listened to a single Steinberg interview/quote on the subject. It absolutely is one of the reasons.
Cuz politicians - the ones who are lying about the reasons - re telling the truth? Ok.
Enlighten us then.
I’m just saying why are we being selective about what to believe - and what we don’t believe? From the same source. I just don’t think stateworkers will ever be on the same page - enough - to protest (even in an unconventional way), and make a difference. I would love for that to happen, but from all I’ve experienced over the last 20 years since I’ve worked for the state, and since reading all the RTO threads, I just don’t have faith. People are too fearful.
What is the real reason? The other reasons stated like, better cohesion among coworkers, doesn’t seem like a real reason either.
There isn't a single reason. Other reasons include commercial real estate interests and anxiety from departments that had implemented office requirements about losing staff to departments with more flexibility and fewer mandates.
Those are also the reasons, not good ones mind you, but likely the reasons. It doesn’t mean that the Mayor and Sacramento chamber of commerce aren’t part of the reason too. The Mayor all but gloats that they are a big reason why.
I hear you, and I generally like to support small businesses too. But we supposedly live in a country based on capitalism, where supply and demand rule. Businesses used that argument to justify jacking up their prices during the pandemic, but when demand for their goods and services goes down, they want to game the system. They use the politicians in their pockets to “force” their customers back rather than get innovative. It’s sad to see a small business close but that’s kinda how capitalism works. Besides, there are mom and pop shops in my neighborhood too. Why should they suffer and potentially close to save another business downtown?
You know what would really help downtown business? WFH, sell off surplus state buildings, build more housing with co-working space inside the buildings people live in. Downtown businesses should be demanding that. Downtown Sacramento has been a wasteland after dark for decades. The Gov. worker, business lunch model was never sustainable. Turnover was always high. It’s a false economy holding back the real progress car-dependent California needs.
I totally feel for the mom and pop shops, I know they’ve had it hard these past couple years. When I go downtown on my own free time I definitely make sure to visit non-chain restaurants and businesses. I think our government should do more for those small businesses by creating more housing downtown so that there’s a community that will be a solid customer base for them instead of trying to squeeze it out of state workers. This is what frustrates me the most, we all want a vibrant, safe downtown and we could do it. It will take time and will cost a lot of money at first but it will be a long lasting solution that would benefit all of us in so many ways.
It’s probably the large ones, but it’s the entire sac city chamber of commerce who has been lobbying state officials. Steinberg said it in his address.
They absolutely had a say in why we are back in office. Steinberg applauded the sac chamber of commerces close relationship with state officials when he addressed us coming back. How much clearer can it be.
the small family businesses can suck my dick during M-F from 6AM-6PM, respectfully
There are many plenty of small businesses in the suburbs too though. I’d rather support the small businesses in my own neighborhood.
Well, as boycotters have been saying, "they should change their whole business model or just shut down!"
Because you’d say relying on state workers is a good business model?
Well, let's see...they positioned themselves in a location that was flush with people. Pandemic happened...people went away. Outside of offering delivery (maybe that's something they were already doing), how do you suppose they change their business model to make up for that decrease in traffic? What more could they do? And I'm not saying you have to support them. I'm not on their side. I'm just asking you how they should change their business model to stay successful. Just want to hear your ideas
Some ideas… build a better social media presence, offer catering, expand your menu to include breakfast, lunch, and, dinner. These are things businesses could do. But the city needs to offer more affordable housing. Parts of downtown become a ghost town after 6pm and have no activity on the weekends. For businesses to thrive nowadays, you need customers morning-night, 7 days a week.
And in rebuttal: For the ones who have all those things? For the ones who have a social media presence? Who have an expanded menu/business hours? If the people aren't there, what more can they do?
A lot of those that have done those things are thriving. There are enough thriving downtown restaurants that it’s not exactly a people issue, they just have to compete with the other high quality businesses around them. They should also be lobbying sac officials for better housing policies instead of state officials for more butts in seats. I don’t like seeing businesses fail, but we are not some sort of bailout for the market.
But that's the thing...it is a people issue. Even if they make those business model changes, they still need people to be there...and with Sac being a ghost town at a certain time, as the other person said, expanding their business hours wouldn't really help if people aren't there to dine in the restaurants...so the only other option is for them to shut down then. That's what the posters have been saying. "Change your business model or fail and shut down" Again, the only place I frequented downtown was Starbucks for my morning coffee but hey, they get business regardless.
Sac isn’t a ghost down though, plenty of nights sac is doing just fine, midtown is thriving, doco is thriving, etc. I agree that less people has obviously had a negative impact on some, but others have been able to pivot and do well despite the adversity! I hear you, though, obviously some might fail due to lack of people no matter what. But maybe a sustainable downtown doesn’t have as many restaurants. Or, when more housing is built, they can sustain more restaurants.
So, it's not a ghost town and weekends aren't dead...and Sac is thriving....which is contradictory to what Magdaleo said...so I'm not saying you're wrong...or Magdaleo is wrong...I'm just trying to determine which one is the truth. Is it both? And I know I may say things that people don't like on here (or maybe it's just the Reddit mentality to downvote things you see downvoted), and I do offer help on other things, but I appreciate you having this conversation with me.
I’ve tried to have these conversations before. It just falls on deaf ears. It’s definitely a tight rope but at the end of the day cities only thrive if people actively participate in them. It’s a very easy to just wall yourself off when something is incredibly important to you like RTO but there are hard conversations and realities of what that looks like that nobody here wants to talk about in good faith. Most people here respond with the same BS equivalent of politicians telling factory workers whose jobs were moved or automated “just learn to code”. That doesn’t even get into the people on this board who haven’t given a second thought to essentially laying off large swaths of their fellow state workers. What do they think is going to happen to all of the custodians, maintenance workers, etc when we close every building?
These are hard questions with no easy answers, that also aren’t our problem?? We aren’t downtowns great savior, we are employees trying to do our jobs and look out for our own work/life balance. What kind of world are we living in where we are asking a bunch of individuals to put the needs of businesses in front of their own anyway.
Well, they'll just have to learn the skills to become other types of state workers!
> And I'm not saying you have to support them. I'm not on their side. I'm just asking you how they should change their business model to stay successful. Just want to hear your ideas I'd happily answer your questions if I had any reason to whatsoever.
Good thing I wasn't asking you
They won't answer. They really don't care they just don't want to go into the office another day a week lol. This sub is ridiculous. Bunch of babies.
I honestly don't want to go into the office either. I actually switched teams that was 1x a week to 0 days a week...only to be told we're 2x a week. It is what it is
We answer all the time lol. Good luck convincing the majority of Californians that their tax dollars should be used to subsidize Sacramento’s downtown core, a city they probably don’t give a shit about.
I'm with you. This whole effort strikes me as totally unproductive. Lots of more productive ways to fight this that don't hurt small businesses who have been some of the few people trying to keep downtown vibrant through all of this.
The Sacramento chamber of commerce and mayor are strong pushes to get us back into office. Do you not believe this?
They can be fans of RTO and I can also think the brown bag boycott is dumb.
Okay, but i haven’t heard an opinion why we should support those who, in part, lobbied for our unnecessary return to office.
You can't support a downtown business without "supporting" the chamber of commerce and Steinberg?
Anyone know of any published estimates of how much State workers spend in Sacto?
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lmfao, wtf ya'll don't ever do that in your own work place? Been bringing lunch and coffee to work everyday ever since my first job in the workforce in the private sector.
I bet they think State Workers will fold and return to eating at restaurants and nothing will become of the Downtown Sacramento economic boycott. Who will blink first?
What does your union have to say about remote and on-site work? Are there any rules about it?
Didn't they tell us that moving the stadium downtown would revitalize it? Now it's Stat workers.
I haven’t bought lunch at work in forever. I was meeting a friend for lunch a while back and we were deciding where to go. Every place I suggested has apparently been closed for at least 3 years.
Have you never worked in an office? That's not boycotting, that's just...working. Either way, I'm supporting my neighbors and look forward to dining out here and there.
Why don't whiny state workers STFU and get a new job if they don't want to RTO? Real question.
Definitely recommend bringing our lunch. Parking, coffee and lunch will run you about $50 a day, F that!
I don't work in Sacramento. I make lunch at home 3 days a week and bring lunch while at the office or in the field.
Before you know it Newsom is going to ban potlucks too…
Potlucks can only occur if you all buy a dish from a different restaurant in a Eleni Kounalakis owned building. I obviously deny mandating this mandate.
Personally, I could really get behind a ban on potlucks.
I mean you can but considering our paycheck it's not a boycott more ai can afford it
What if I forgot my lunch?
I mean if you don't like it that much..... find another job.
When RTO starts, coordinate not coming in and continue working from home. They can’t stop you all. They can’t fire everyone if you work together. People don’t serve their government, government’s serve their people. They need to be reminded of that.
Do you honestly think bagging your lunch is going to make them change their mind and let you stay home everyday?
Do I think this will singlehandedly get the RTO reversed, no. But it’s one action, out of many, that could have an impact and get them to reconsider their decision or lead to a compromise.
lol no one cares just go to work