The Google bus actually has something in common with this tunnel nonsense. Both are private enterprises. Google could have given money to expand the city bus network instead of running private buses. Elon could work with the LA public transport companies, but he is choosing not to.

The thing about contributing to public goods is that it benefits everybody. The problem with building private solutions is that even-if it has some public good (e.g. replacing many cars with one bus) it still creates an us-vs-them situation where mere mortals cannot take advantage of the Google bus.

Expecting people much less corporation to give away for public infrastructure is unrealistic in itself. That isn't Google's job. The city and its residents need to take responsibility. By definition municipal transportation either is doing things more efficiently than Google to be able to fund others or Google is paying more than they have to. Given that they aren't trying to undercut Google Bus expenses in a "Hey we could operate it cheaper for you and buy up the buses you already have for a long term contract" it is clearly not the previous.

I fully support improved public transit and good governance but it isn't Google's job to support it but the transit's job to support everbody and make the additional taxes worth it. Why should Google pay? They already get their share and it is up to the city and its residents to decide to use it that way. The public transit option always has to compete with private regardless of what the delusional gatekeeper attitude. Not to mention flexibility - if Google wants to bus their people to a convention instead of the usual routes they can.

Resentment is still an absurd case of sour grapes. Especially given the resistance to public transit infastructure expansion for fear it may bring them in contact with poor and minorities, housing expansion for it may change the facade from when they got their or devalue their absurdly inflated nest egg from artificial property tax stagnation. I bet anything the same people would flip out if they were told they couldn't use their private vehicles on public roads yet they want to do the same thing to Google buses. After they themselves vetoed alternatives.

Lets face it - the area's biggest root problem is an entitlement issue. It is one thing to want corporations to pay more taxes, it is another to stop every possible solution and then screech like howler monkeys over solutions that don't harm them. By all means hold corporations accountable for misconduct but this is just irrational. Other areas have been trying anything to replicate their success and failing. As an outsider it is painful to watch an already objectively great area squander their potential for further improvement and act so damn bratty and crazy.