Many years ago, I considered the most beautiful city that I had visited was San Francisco. And the city with the most attractive setting was Vancouver, B.C. Since then, I have travelled more extensively, and I would add Venice, Rio de Janero, and perhaps pre-communist Hong Kong to that list. But I might be prejudiced for the latter because I had a tailored suit made there very economically, along with fittings, during a short stay.
The once beautiful city of San Francisco has become a breeding ground for crime and filth. Homeless people occupy tents on many sidewalks of the city. One diner reported that a man defecated outside a restaurant where he was about to eat. How did this happen in this formerly beautiful place?
Crime has been allowed to increase throughout the city. FBI data shows that the crime rate in San Francisco is 110% higher than the national average. The city is short over 200 police officers. Dozens of stores have closed. Walgreens have shuttered 22 stores, and the tragedy is that many who lack transportation now have little chance of obtaining their pharmaceuticals. Walgreens said that "the scale of thefts has made business untenable." Old Navy has closed its flagship store in the center of the city. Some of the other large stores to leave are T-Mobile, Whole Foods, and Nordstrom.
The Wall Street Journal says that San Francisco "has become a shoplifter’s paradise." The cause is the soft-on-crime attitude of the city's legal system. The former district attorney--Chesa Boudin--is the son of a radical leftist who spent decades in prison. Boudin was recalled in a June 2022 referendum, but his policies have been carried on by his replacement--Brooke Jenkins. In particular the penalty for the crime of shoplifting has been reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor provided the value of the stolen goods is less than $950. Consequently, many thefts are of goods valued at $949! Videos are common of unopposed shoplifters walking out of stores with stolen goods. The previous DA said that he had better things to do than prosecute shoplifters. CVS has told its employees not to pursue shoplifters because encounters could be too dangerous.
(Just as an aside, and in case your son/daughter was considering entering law school, it was announced today that Boudin was appointed as a law professor at UC Berkley.)
The public use of illicit drugs is another major problem that contributes to San Francisco's decline. The Tenderloin District comprising 50 city blocks is the center of the drug trade and usage. It compares favorably with Amsterdam's "needle park" in that drug activities are virtually unopposed. Drug use in the Tenderloin District has grown to the point where it has spilled over into other areas such as the Mission District. A major drug that is sold is fentanyl--made in China but smuggled into the country through our porous southern border. The sickness of addiction is a scourge on the city. They say the city must be "humane" in its handling of the addicts. However, one cured addict said that the best thing that happened to him was that he was sent to jail where he dried out, and subsequently was cured of his addiction.
City decline is not limited to San Francisco. Other liberal west coast cities like Portland and Seattle are also inflicted. Portland recently took a first (mini) step to improvement by disallowing homeless tents on streets during daylight hours.
On the other side of the country New York is also facing crime and other problems. This "sanctuary city" has become saturated with illegal immigrants. Some hotels and parts of school buildings have been used to house the illegals. Parents have rebelled against the use of school facilities that deprives students. In this interesting city with all its cultural advantages, robbery and other crimes saw a 22% annual increase last year. Mayor Eric Adams says that retail theft and subway safety are among his chief concerns. Arrests in subways are up 47%. The District Attorney in Manhattan is Alvin Bragg. This DA received $1 million from liberal billionaire George Soros during his election campaign. Bragg has communicated that he will not prosecute the following crimes: possession and selling more than 3 ounces of marijuana; not paying for public transportation passes; resisting arrest; and prostitution. Furthermore, his office may decline to prosecute misdemeanor offences, and may reserve pre-trial detention for only the most egregious cases. Naturally the police union is critical of this plan. It seems to me that Alvin Bragg is far more interested in indicting former president Donald Trump than he is in fighting crime in his city.
So, these once beautiful and interesting cities have developed increasing problems under current leadership. No longer can I say that I left my heart in San Francisco or in any other of these liberal cities!
Peter Gilderson, Madison.
