What is going on in San Francisco?

[313ghazi]

So, I watch a lot of travel vloggers, especially people who come to Pakistan. Unfortunately my trips to Pakistan haven't involved a lot of travel because of security issues/time constraints with family weddings etc. One such vlogger is Peter Santello who is currently travelling around the US (his home country). He made a video about San Francisco, and frankly it was sad to see the state of the city.

The video is here.

Some key highlights
- There is a strange law in SF where you can steal up to $950 worth of goods from a shop and the staff won't stop you. It's not de-criminalised, just reduced as a less serious offence.
- There seems to be so much tension around lockdown and politics.
- People are defecating on the streets
- at 19:20 he talks to a couple of African-American girls about a protest their watching and the anguish in their voice about the mistreatment is deeply saddening.

Can someone shed some light onto what is going on? Is it really that bad? I hate American interventionism and American foreign policy, but I've always admired the country, even aspects of the culture. It's somewhere that's been seen as a bench mark of success in many ways - to see it in this state is surprising and not in a good way.

 

[GiG]

You can see a homeless person on every street corner even in Palo Alto, the situation is pathetic there. You don't feel safe going out at night. It's becoming so expensive that people had littrely stop reproducing you don't see any kids in the city.

 

[xyxmt]

Signs of what future is going to be like in the U.S. of A.

 

[-=virus=-]

Liberals, probably.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Well it is not main stream news , bit shocking but not unexpected

USA does have 20 Trillion Dollar Debt , the rich class maintain residences in multiple cities and countries so they won't be impacted they will just move their home to another country

However as some of us have seen , even mighty USSR bowed down and crumbled due to economic hardship
the space shuttle and space program did not help them survive

It is difficult for me to see what is the difference between USSR of the 90's and USA (burdened with debt of 1960-2020)

Economic factors are the prime reason for a fall of civilization it is a natural phase for all Civilization

For USA the peak was between 1800-1910 this is where every thing USA was gold
Now there is new competition from China or Europe
The rich have world affairs planned

• If Push comes to Shove I do see USA Military stepping up and confiscating Money from Apple/Google/Microsoft they should be able to recover 3-5 Trillion Dollars that way to stabilize economy

Because the Debt Reduction is not taking place , so one has to scratch the head how it will work out ?


There is a clear divide in USA for political reasons and some of these reasons are Jobs , Way of life (Less work more enjoyment) , roof overhead


The gap between Rich and Poor is widening , the Rich tend to be extra Rich and show off their stuff excessively

 

[Bossman]

The city welcomes homeless and provides them legal protection plus the weather is good so homeless people from all over the country come to SF. It’s is not economics, most homeless have alcohol, drug or mental issues. They don’t like government housing even if it is available as they have to be sober to get it.

 

[Mujahid Memon]

West is in decline

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Liberals, probably.

Exactly. San Francisco has been a Liberal wreck since at least the 1960's. Remember all those "Dirty Harry" movies are set in San Francisco where criminals would get a slap on the wrist which would frustrate Inspector Callahan to no end. That's why he would take matters into his own hands.

 

[gangsta_rap]

Can someone shed some light onto what is going on? Is it really that bad? I hate American interventionism and American foreign policy, but I've always admired the country, even aspects of the culture. It's somewhere that's been seen as a bench mark of success in many ways - to see it in this state is surprising and not in a good way.

Liberals, probably.

Exactly. San Francisco has been a Liberal wreck since at least the 1960's. Remember all those "Dirty Harry" movies are set in San Francisco where criminals would get a slap on the wrist which would frustrate Inspector Callahan to no end. That's why he would take matters into his own hands.

This is the result of white american privilege. Enough said

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

This is the result of white american privilege. Enough said

As usual you are in a completely wrong reality. San Francisco has a minority-majority demographic. The old majority of white people left long ago (1980 last year as majority) for the richer suburbs leaving San Francisco with a higher percentage of "have nots".

The mayor is black and grew up poor in a government housing project. Her brother is in jail for murder/armed robbery. Her sister died of a drug overdose. She is pro giving criminals just a slap on the wrist.

London Breed - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It's Liberal people like her which makes San Francisco a wreck.

The people with money are leaving and more people with no money are staying. Now the city has a rise in lower income social services spending needs but the people who normally fund it through taxes have left.

To make up for the shortfall of money they turn to local business taxes to make up for it and to make it worse San Francisco decriminalizes theft. Then of course the businesses leave and suburban shopping malls start welcoming them (or they go online). Suddenly nobody goes into the city to shop. No taxes. Further city budget slide. More lack of money for basic services...and then even more people leave.

Then they ask the Federal government to bail them out.

If she wants a city where everybody isn't walking around in fear and misery she should be doing things to encourage people and businesses with money to STAY not leave.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Can someone shed some light onto what is going on? Is it really that bad? I hate American interventionism and American foreign policy, but I've always admired the country, even aspects of the culture. It's somewhere that's been seen as a bench mark of success in many ways - to see it in this state is surprising and not in a good way.

See my previous post.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

As usual you are in a completely wrong reality. San Francisco has a minority-majority demographic. The old majority of white people left long ago (1980 last year as majority) for the richer suburbs leaving San Francisco with a higher percentage of "have nots".

To make up for the shortfall of money they turn to local business taxes to make up for it and to make it worse San Francisco decriminalizes theft. Then of course the businesses leave and suburban shopping malls start welcoming them (or they go online). Suddenly nobody goes into the city to shop. No taxes. Further city budget slide. More lack of money for basic services...and then even more people leave.

Then they ask the Federal government to bail them out.

If she wants a city where everybody isn't walking around in fear and misery she should be doing things to encourage people and businesses with money to STAY not leave.

The entire area is a cesspool including many of the suburbs, they just don't know it yet. Nobody with a normal income can afford to live there so middle class moves out, upper class never sees the crime because of private security at their corporate offices, and the only people left on the streets are the lumpen proletariat because they live in Section 8 and rent controlled housing. In some expensive east coast suburbs you can afford 2 mansions for the price of a shack in a shit neighborhood in the SF Bay.

An 'uninhabitable' shack in San Francisco that's missing a wall just sold for $2 million, and it showcases the real value of land in the Bay Area

Located in Potrero Hill, the shack made headlines back in May when it was listed for $2.5 million. It just sold for $2 million.

www.businessinsider.com

In reality, it is a policy failure at all levels, not merely limited to liberals. Conservative Prop 13 limits property taxes to 1% of their value, with all existing properties assessed at their 1976 value. This means that millions of homes are being held back from the market, driving prices up and driving middle/working class to homelessness or to move away. Cynical liberal policies under the guise of environmentalism or helping neighborhoods 'maintain their ethnic character' give them excuses to bury new developers in paperwork and make it unattractive to build homes; indeed, in many places in SF it is illegal to build apartments yet there's no space for suburban homes, so you end up with tiny shacks costing millions.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

In reality, it is a policy failure at all levels, not merely limited to liberals. Conservative Prop 13 limits property taxes to 1% of their value, with all existing properties assessed at their 1976 value. This means that millions of homes are being held back from the market, driving prices up and driving middle/working class to homelessness or to move away.

WTF? 1% of 1976? No wonder California has problems. I bet a huge majority of homes in San Francisco are rentals because as you said it would be too much of a guaranteed cash cow to sell. Available houses would be gobbled up quickly by big landlord companies.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

WTF? 1% of 1976? No wonder California has problems. I bet a huge majority of homes in San Francisco are rentals because as you said it would be too much of a guaranteed cash cow to sell. Available houses would be gobbled up quickly by big landlord companies.

You also can't buy these shacks and tear them down for apartments due to zoning regulations. Thus no new construction, particularly of higher density housing, can occur. The only possible expansion is outward; in the SF bay, you can't expand outward so prices skyrocket. When you can, like in Socal, you end up with 3 hour commutes from the middle of the desert for a good job or work a Target/McDonald job nearby. Anywhere near the city, you pay $1500-2000 per month to sleep on a couch or inside a closet. California has designed it so that only a chosen class has benefits, everyone else is in the shark tank.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

You also can't buy these shacks and tear them down for apartments due to zoning regulations.

I'm completely fine with that for the suburbs. The people who actually OWN property have a long term vested interest in keeping things nice vs transient apartment dwellers who don't really give a damn. Driving into the apartment area of a town vs the single family area is like night and day.

When you can, like in Socal, you end up with 3 hour commutes from the middle of the desert for a good job or work a Target/McDonald job nearby. Anywhere near the city, you pay $1500-2000 per month to sleep on a couch or inside a closet. California has designed it so that only a chosen class has benefits, everyone else is in the shark tank.

Apparently decentralization hasn't hit hard in California after 9/11 as it has in the NorthEast. Companies started moving half their workforce 30 miles outside the city limits around here to avoid a Cantor Fitzgerald situation.