Jan Sramek , the chief operating officer behind the controversialCalifornia Forever labor , appeared at Bloomberg ’s annual tech group discussion in San Francisco on Thursday . He was treat to a not - exactly - amiable discourse with one of the outlet ’s newsman , Karen Breslau . For the most part , Sramek tried to keep it together as he was asked a serial of pointed questions about his quixotic projection .
California Forever is a aim growth in Solano County , California , that would see a brand new urban center build up on one thousand of acres of Bay Area tilth . Flannery Associates , the company behind the project , spend years in secret purchasing land parcels , only to disclose its true aim after square scrutiny by the news media . In one case , where some longtime landholder initially turn away to deal to the company , California constantly accused them of “ cost fixing”and suedthem . The suit has been a sore point between the local biotic community and the developers ever since . On Thursday , Breslau brought up the suit and asked Sramek why it seemed like a good estimate .
“ You then sued — you bring a federal antitrust activity — against a bit of longtime land possessor in Solano County and accused them of price - fixing , of collusion … That case is still work on its path through the Union bankruptcy lawcourt . These are your future neighbor . What were you thinking ? ”
Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg (Getty Images)
“ It was a hard decision but we have laws on the volume that protect against that form of deportment , ” Sramek eventually answered , while referring to the farmers the company had process as a “ price - fixing hoop . ”
“ What is the law of nature that say if you want my belongings and I do n’t desire to trade it to you , you dredge me to court ? ” Breslau shot back .
“ There ’s no law like that , ” Sramek admit . “ What we have a law against is that if the six gas stations in town get together and say that they ’re gon na charge $ 50 for gas , then there ’s cost - fixing Pentateuch against that and we had literal electronic mail and factual textbook messages between domain proprietor state ‘ Hey we require to sell to these guys but if we all get together and harmonise on a in high spirits price we can get more money . ’ ”
Breslau later asked Sramek about whether the local residential district support the labor or not . At local “ town hall ” meetings about the projection , topical anaesthetic have notably suffer up andscreamed at Sramek over and over again . “ There ’s a circle of unhappiness in the region [ about the task ] , there ’s also a caboodle of oddity . It ’s very mixed , ” Breslau say .
Sramek claimed that many people in Solano County supported the task . “ We have so many supporters who are third , fourth , fifth propagation Solano County resident physician . We have nurse , doctors , and teachers , we now have elect official , ” claim Sramek . “ We have now dumbfound to the gunpoint where people are evangelizing to their neighbors and dispelling all of this misinformation that the no - development or de - growth forces in the county have spread , ” he said .
“ Is there anything you ’d do differently ? ” Breslau asked , towards the end of the conversation .
Sramek enunciate that anytime you ’re building something “ of this scale , of course , you ’re going to make a luck of mistakes along the way . ”
Daily Newsletter
Get the best technical school , science , and culture news program in your inbox daily .
News from the future , delivered to your present .
