Mt.Hamilton Society - David Mace: SF Budget - only difficult options

SF Budget… The Only Remaining Options Are the Difficult Ones

San Francisco spends as much per capita as the federal government. The city’s resident population is down 5% since 2019, and its workday population is down 11%, taking both back to 2012 levels. Yet, the inflation-adjusted budget is up 54% since 2012. Despite all the spending, the city is now famous for its poor street and business conditions. It should be no surprise that the city is facing a structural budget deficit on its $17B budget that is projected to grow to $1B+ per year by 2030. Where is the money going, what can be done, and is there any hope for a better future?

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David Mace grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis, was educated on the east coast, and spent 25 years in the finance industry with investment banking and private investing firms, ultimately retiring as a partner in 2022 to catch up on being a father. Since reading the March 30, 2023, “Doom Loop” editorial in the SF Chronicle with concern, San Francisco civic improvement has become a focus. His work on the SF budget, housing, the SFMTA, crime, and the SFPD are regularly used to educate sitting elected officials, business leaders, neighborhood associations, and other interested private audiences. He is an avid sportsman, an accomplished scuba diving instructor, an experienced mountaineer, an occasional racing sailor, and a budding soccer coach, but most importantly a concerned citizen, husband, and father.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mace-45b17b/

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/city-economy-doom-loop-17846412.php

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Please join the Mont Hamilton Society in this 16th year since our founding, to hear and interact with David Mace on this important topic.

This meeting, including lunch, will be in-person for no more than 24 individuals only. We think you will enjoy the intellectual stimulation, the edification, the camaraderie, and meeting new people.

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About the Mont Hamilton Society - In 1947 Friedrich Hayek, an economist and social philosopher who later won the Nobel Prize, organized a meeting at Mt. Pelerin, a resort in Switzerland. Hayek convened a modest sized group of (39) economists, historians, philosophers and journalists for the purpose of supporting research and discussion on the role of markets vs. government. The Mont Pelerin Society is now a large and prestigious international organization.

In 2009, a group of friends began to meet in San Jose for the purposes of improving their understanding of economic theory, applying it to current events and sharing their understanding with others as well as promoting a joyous sense of camaraderie. In recognition of the example set by the Mont Pelerin Society, they decided to name their group the Mont Hamilton Society. Members understand the realities of the business world, share an interest in economic thinking, and value civil discourse from a variety of perspectives. Faculty and students from the Department of Economics at San Jose State University are frequent guests at Society meetings. In June 2017 the Mont Hamilton Society became the San Jose affiliate chapter of the Bastiat Society, an AIER.org project, hence our name from then till late last year was: Mont Hamilton/Bastiat Society. However AIER decided late in 2024 to discontinue the Bastiat Society program, so we are reverting to our original name: The Mont Hamilton Society and continuing on our own.

There are no membership fees or organizational meetings at this time, but all interested are encouraged to join and participate.

If you would like to be on our invitations list, or know someone else who might like to receive notice of our 7 - 10 luncheon or other events per year, or if you have any questions, please send an email to:

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You or your suggested contact(s) will receive an announcement/invitation and a reminder or two for each event as they are scheduled, or a prompt answer to your question/s.

These events are discussions, not standard lectures. To facilitate this, the in-person gatherings before Covid Lockdowns were kept "small," typically 12 - 24 individuals only. Some presentations are video recorded, depending on demand and available resources. Constructive feedback on our events and interest in recordings is welcome, since we are continuing to evolve our meeting formats.

Thank you for your interest.

Also check out other Meetups in San Jose, Sports events in San Jose.