I'm NYC based but had an office in SOMA for years. Five years ago SF was a drug infested dump that made NYC look like the yellow brick road. When we closed the office because one of our employees was stabbed, I didn't think it could get any worse. I had a $10MM/year payroll in that office with over 100 employees. No one cared that all of that tax revenue just disappeared. That doesn't happen in Republican controlled cities.
Geez, Chuck, if you would get off the Fox News obsession, it would be easier to take your commentary to heart. You've been writing for SF newspapers for about 300 years now, and all this deterioration is nothing new. It's worse, but the city (I lived there from 1987 through 2017) had an endless supply of supporters on the media side forever . . . and you are one of them. I don't know what the fix is, but I do know action on this could have been taken during Frank Jordan's term and EVERYONE bashed the guy for enforcing the LAWS ON THE BOOKS. If you do that, as a member of the media, you get what you have today.
It’s true. Frank Jordan gave SF what he promised. But people quickly decided it was too strict. Back and forth we swing, not getting much accomplished.
This is the classic offhand, bitchy and scolding tone with no real substance, ideas or solutions that is so toxic for genuine liberals, making sensible dialog increasingly difficult while feeding divisiveness.
Well, Oliver, perhaps it's time for some scolding. Influential members of the Bay Area media sat on their hands as the crime, homelessness, and drug issues escalated. They defended the civil libertarians who decided San Francisco would be the perfect place for social engineering. It has failed. The city has deteriorated to the point where livability is a genuine issue. My point to CW is that there has been NO SUPPORT for a law and order approach to a law and order problem. This is not offhand, nor am I bitchy. I left in 2018 and am not coming back. You can stay there and defend the inert bureaucrats who do nothing but make platitude laden speeches about the problem. If that doesn't sit well with you, tough boogies.
I think on balance you are right about the scolding, I misinterpreted your comment and I am definitely a scolder of the bureaucracies myself, on BoS sessions and on social media. There are so many tragedies unfolding daily in SF (and California) due to misguided and naive public policies it beggars belief.
I'm sure the pendulum will swing back as CWN says but right now we have a 'Dirty Harry' style stasis between law enforcement and our spectacularly mediocre politicians. Why the corporate media is so absent in all this is explained by who writes the writer paychecks in a one party state (I'm a registered Democrat, hoping for reform for a party that feels uncomfortably like a union that was infiltrated by the mob ).
As long as Boudin and Co. practice catch and release for property crimes we will have this, and more, going forward. This attitude filters down through the criminal justice system and the Police are not motivated to act on, much less respond to, citizen's pleas for assistance. Further, citizens, thus disheartened, arm themselves for response to personal attack with predictable results. So it all goes back to the DA, either do your job, enforce the laws or resign. When is he up for re-election anyway>?
No one with an inkling of a brain would come to SF any more. Trumps watch was much safer and Trump or Biden isn't in control of your shithole..the residents should be. Obviously you people don't have the chutzpah to fix it. Such a shame. Lawlessness is a crime and your city is an experiment in idiotic thought by officials also, you need police allowed to do their job. Owning property there must be a nightmare now
I generally agree with what you're saying and your framing of the story. Nice work!
One part that stood out to me as imprecise was about Safeway. Growing up in the south bay, I always thought it was a well-known policy of theirs to not confront shoplifters, for safety and liability reasons. So I don't think framing that in the context of San Francisco specifically is right.
If you don’t live or work in San Francisco it’s hard to understand. What was once a beautiful, slightly weird but livable city is now an uncomfortable place to go about your daily life…be careful how you engage a mentally ill person on the street, don’t be shocked by open air drug use, remember to leave nothing in your car when you park in public, your local CVS has essential items locked up, etc.
No one thing is a dealbreaker but the culmination of quality of life issues makes you question if the natural beauty and lifestyle is worth the stress.
I'm NYC based but had an office in SOMA for years. Five years ago SF was a drug infested dump that made NYC look like the yellow brick road. When we closed the office because one of our employees was stabbed, I didn't think it could get any worse. I had a $10MM/year payroll in that office with over 100 employees. No one cared that all of that tax revenue just disappeared. That doesn't happen in Republican controlled cities.
Geez, Chuck, if you would get off the Fox News obsession, it would be easier to take your commentary to heart. You've been writing for SF newspapers for about 300 years now, and all this deterioration is nothing new. It's worse, but the city (I lived there from 1987 through 2017) had an endless supply of supporters on the media side forever . . . and you are one of them. I don't know what the fix is, but I do know action on this could have been taken during Frank Jordan's term and EVERYONE bashed the guy for enforcing the LAWS ON THE BOOKS. If you do that, as a member of the media, you get what you have today.
It’s true. Frank Jordan gave SF what he promised. But people quickly decided it was too strict. Back and forth we swing, not getting much accomplished.
This is the classic offhand, bitchy and scolding tone with no real substance, ideas or solutions that is so toxic for genuine liberals, making sensible dialog increasingly difficult while feeding divisiveness.
Well, Oliver, perhaps it's time for some scolding. Influential members of the Bay Area media sat on their hands as the crime, homelessness, and drug issues escalated. They defended the civil libertarians who decided San Francisco would be the perfect place for social engineering. It has failed. The city has deteriorated to the point where livability is a genuine issue. My point to CW is that there has been NO SUPPORT for a law and order approach to a law and order problem. This is not offhand, nor am I bitchy. I left in 2018 and am not coming back. You can stay there and defend the inert bureaucrats who do nothing but make platitude laden speeches about the problem. If that doesn't sit well with you, tough boogies.
I think on balance you are right about the scolding, I misinterpreted your comment and I am definitely a scolder of the bureaucracies myself, on BoS sessions and on social media. There are so many tragedies unfolding daily in SF (and California) due to misguided and naive public policies it beggars belief.
I'm sure the pendulum will swing back as CWN says but right now we have a 'Dirty Harry' style stasis between law enforcement and our spectacularly mediocre politicians. Why the corporate media is so absent in all this is explained by who writes the writer paychecks in a one party state (I'm a registered Democrat, hoping for reform for a party that feels uncomfortably like a union that was infiltrated by the mob ).
As long as Boudin and Co. practice catch and release for property crimes we will have this, and more, going forward. This attitude filters down through the criminal justice system and the Police are not motivated to act on, much less respond to, citizen's pleas for assistance. Further, citizens, thus disheartened, arm themselves for response to personal attack with predictable results. So it all goes back to the DA, either do your job, enforce the laws or resign. When is he up for re-election anyway>?
No one with an inkling of a brain would come to SF any more. Trumps watch was much safer and Trump or Biden isn't in control of your shithole..the residents should be. Obviously you people don't have the chutzpah to fix it. Such a shame. Lawlessness is a crime and your city is an experiment in idiotic thought by officials also, you need police allowed to do their job. Owning property there must be a nightmare now
San Francisco was never a safe city. If you want a safe city, move to Austin, Miami or some other Trump-loving shithole.
I know people who purposefully blight their neighborhoods just to keep the tech bros out. I'm one of them.
Give me 100 homeless junkies on the street over 1 techbro any day of the week.
You're an idiot
If you think Austin and Miami love Trump you obviously haven’t been to either of these places.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n-Xb7tyqxzQ&feature=youtu.be
I generally agree with what you're saying and your framing of the story. Nice work!
One part that stood out to me as imprecise was about Safeway. Growing up in the south bay, I always thought it was a well-known policy of theirs to not confront shoplifters, for safety and liability reasons. So I don't think framing that in the context of San Francisco specifically is right.
If you don’t live or work in San Francisco it’s hard to understand. What was once a beautiful, slightly weird but livable city is now an uncomfortable place to go about your daily life…be careful how you engage a mentally ill person on the street, don’t be shocked by open air drug use, remember to leave nothing in your car when you park in public, your local CVS has essential items locked up, etc.
No one thing is a dealbreaker but the culmination of quality of life issues makes you question if the natural beauty and lifestyle is worth the stress.
So true. If you don’t live here you don’t get the full picture. Still a great city but . . .