Welcome to Axis ProRata, a podcast that takes just 10 minutes to get you smarter on the collision of tech business and politics.

I'm Dan Pramak. On today's show, how to know when we're really in a trade war, and Google finally begins to address its sexual harassment issues.

But first, San Francisco's big tech fight over homelessness.

Next Tuesday, voters in San Francisco will be asked to approve or reject something called Proposition C, which would create a new tax on local companies with proceeds aimed at helping the city's estimated 7,500 homeless residents.

Why it matters is that if approved, this could become a model for other cities, particularly

ones whose booming tech industries have helped create unaffordable housing environments.

But the outcome in San Francisco is anything but certain, and the ballot measure has

split a local tech community that usually sees eye to eye on political matters.

So on one side, we've got Mark Beniof, the billionaire chairman and CEO of Salesforce.

He's also the guy who just bought Time Magazine. Beniof is Prop C's most vocal backer and also

is the person providing most of its budget. He estimates it would cost Salesforce an extra

$10 million or so per year and says it's a drop in the bucket compared to what he sees as the

moral imperative,

because as he and honestly anyone who walks around San Francisco knows,

homelessness in the city has become pervasive.

Now, on the other side are folks like Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey,

who sides with San Francisco's new mayor, London breed,

who thinks cut prop C is putting the cart before the horse.

She first wants to audit existing homelessness programs, believing that added financial resources alone haven't proven effective in stemming the problem in the past.

Plus, she's got some new legislation, like a conservatorship bill for those with severe

mental illness and wants to give them a chance to work.

Dorsey's also joined by folks like Stripe CEO Patrick

...