San Francisco is one of the richest cities it the world. It’s given us music, technology, and elegant architecture.
Now it gives us filthy homeless encampments.
One urban planner told me, “I just returned from the Tenderloin [a section of San Francisco]. It’s worse than slums of India, Haiti, Africa!”
So I went to San Francisco to make a video about that.
I’ve never seen slums in Africa, but I’ve seen them in Haiti and India.
What I saw in San Francisco looked similar. As one local resident put it, “There’s s— everywhere. It’s just a mess out here.”
There’s also lots of mental illness. One man told us, “Vampires are real. I’m paranoid as hell.” San Francisco authorities mostly leave the mentally ill to fend for themselves on the street.
Other vagrants complain about them. “They make it bad for people like us that hang out with a sign,” one beggar told us.
San Francisco is a pretty good place to “hang out with a sign.” People are rarely arrested for vagrancy, aggressive panhandling, or going to the bathroom in front of people’s homes. In 2015, there were 60,491 complaints to police, but only 125 people were arrested.
Public drug use is generally ignored. One woman told us, “It’s nasty seeing people shoot up—right in front of you. Police don’t do anything about it! They’ll get somebody for drinking a beer but walk right past people using needles.”
Each day in San Francisco, an average of 85 cars are broken into.
“Inside Edition” ran a test to see how long stereo equipment would last in a parked car. Its test car was quickly broken into. Then the camera crew discovered that its own car had been busted into as well.
Some store owners hire private police to protect their stores. But San Francisco’s police union has complained about the competition. Now there are only a dozen private cops left, and street people dominate neighborhoods.
We followed one private cop, who asked street people, “Do you need any type of homeless outreach services?”
Most say no. “They love the freedom of not having to follow the rules,” said the cop.
And San Francisco is generous. It offers street people food stamps, free shelter, train tickets, and $70 a month in cash.
“They’re always offering resources,” one man dressed as Santa told us. “San Francisco’s just a good place to hang out.”
So every week, new people arrive.
Some residents want the city to get tougher with people living on the streets.
“Get them to the point where they have to make a decision between jail and rehab,” one told us. “Other cities do it, but for some reason, San Francisco doesn’t have the political will.”
For decades, San Francisco’s politicians promised to fix the homeless problem.
When Sen. Dianne Feinstein was mayor, she proudly announced that she was putting the homeless in hotels: “A thousand units, right here in the Tenderloin!”
When California Gov. Gavin Newsom was mayor of San Francisco, he bragged, “We have already moved 6,860 human beings.”
Last year, former Mayor Mark Farrell said, “We need to fund programs like Homeward Bound.”
But the extra funding hasn’t worked.
One reason is that even if someone did want to get off the street and rent an apartment, there aren’t many available.
San Francisco is filled with two- and three-story buildings, and in most neighborhoods, putting up a taller building is illegal. Even where zoning laws allow it, California regulations make construction so difficult that many builders won’t even try.
For years, developer John Dennis has been trying to convert an old meatpacking plant into an apartment building—but it has taken him four years just to get permission to build.
“And all that time, we’re paying property taxes and paying for maintenance,” says Dennis. “I will do no more projects in San Francisco.”
People in San Francisco often claim to be concerned about helping the poor. But their many laws make life much tougher for the poor.
For many years San Francisco has been a puss filled boil on the ass of America and it still is!!
Seattle is the same. I remember when it was a beautiful, clean, safe city and it breaks my heart to see what our pathetic “leaders” have done to it. They enable the worst behavior, which only encourages more of it. I wish I could understand whenthe activists of the far left took charge. The elected politicians are so afraid of them that they will not let the police do their work to drive them out. Our police department is so restricted that they are losing many on the force, and not many want to apply for the open jobs. Who would want to? Seattle is nothing more than a garbage dump now.
San Francisco gets what it deserves, these people are so stupid. What did they think what going happen to all of these people? My god wake up before your city is totally destroyed. I feel sorry for all of you.
Politicians don’t care. They have a WALL around their homes
People get the government they vote for – elections have consequences. Citizens of San Francisco elected these loons – liberal – communist.
Now how do you get them out of office. My Uncle lived in Mountain View California for almost 60 years after WWll. If he was still alive I know he wouldn’t recognize what these loons have done to a formerly beautiful vibrant city. The whole state of California is toast – New York is a close second and maybe even going to pass-up California. We have to stand-up and not to be afraid to speak out.
Denver CO is not much better. In the last State election almost all the Republicans were voted out of office and cheers went up now that the legislature is mostly Democrates. We expected that they would do something about state infrastructure and roads but instead they are passing all sorts of laws that the Liberals want such as Charter schools must now teach sexual experiences and transgenderism. Parents and school officials have no say. They are making it crystal clear that they (the legislature) think they know more than than parents. This is just one example – several more concerning transgender laws are coming. They also making changes to Colorado’s Electoral College Votes Why vote for President when Politicians believe they know better.
I was stationed in the Presideo at Letterman General Hospital in the 60s for 2 1/2 years during the Nam War. I loved the city and always had the desire to go back and visit. NOT NOW.
more to the point why do people give support to the dems????? i guess they don’t mind filthy surroundings – i will never go back there ever
The author used a word rarely heard anymore; vagrant. Language is important. The left has been systematically destroying meaning by stigmatizing certain words. They want people to believe the vagrants, bums and hobos are what they are solely because of free markets. This is not the case. Yes, many are mentally ill, but there are also many who relish the freedom from convention…. and work, that their lifestyle affords them. Nice people fall right into the lefts trap because they cant believe others would choose to live under a bridge. These same nice people also struggle to understand that criminals choose that life because they look down on those who punch time clocks and submit to bosses. Many of us have been insulated from the underclass and its ways by virtue of growing up in the suburbs. When you hand over money to a bum holding a cardboard sign he takes you for a sucker, not a benefactor. Btw, the Andy Griffin Show covered this nicely in an episode from 1963.
Yes, San Francisco has zoning laws about building construction because of the situation that the buildings have to withstand earthquakes but highrises can be built. The problem lies with the zoning block to keep certain areas exclusive from highrise buildings which can be housing units (There’s a whole section called Snob Hill, very exclusive.) These selective individual areas don’t want to share their space with others. It has been that way historically.
NY is on its way too.
People keep voting these politicians in or they dont vote at all.
Unless something is done and people keep getting voted them in it will contiue to spread state to state.
What’s really scary is its the first sign of socialism. Poor, homeless, sick and living off government.
It will spread like cancer.
Quickly and deadly.
Be prepared.
Unfortunate, San Francisco was on my bucket list, couldn’t pay me to go there now. Have no desire to even visit California, though some years ago did see Death Valley.
Blame Nancy Pelosi and Diane Feinstein for that. Why don’t the citizens of CA wise up and vote these idiots out of office!
I don’t go there any more!
Well said, John. What a horrible waste (pun intended) of a city. We haven’t visited SF for years because the city smells like a bathroom that hasn’t been cleaned in forever. LA is getting just as bad and Seattle has homeless tent cities under virtually every highway overpass. I don’t get why the tax paying citizens don’t vote the bums out for making their once enviable cities into stinking cesspools. I guess they’ll just continue to vote Democrat, but I’m stymied as to why.
Great article. Needs to be followed up with a documentary broadcast on Fox, Foxnews maybe even in theaters. Since Gov. Pete Wilson left Republicans have basically given up on California (no I don’t count Auunald S.).
This exposure plus another expose’ educating people on the economic disaster this state is would be a start, I believe, in turning the tide. Plus, this might help squash the fantasy land thoughts of socialism that so many want to espouse today.
But, if it doesn’t eventually this idiocy will come to an end, because socialism is a self canibalizing disease. Just like bateria on a petri dish, San Francisco and California will continue to grow in its ravenous socialist programs until nothing is left to consume and a return to sanity is the only option.
Who’s John Gault?
No matter how much money the Libtards throw at the homeless problem, there will always be people who choose that life. The more you give them, the more they demand. Why work when you can get the basics for free? Sorry, but no sympathy from me.
Democrats strike again at America. They only care about getting elected. They are hiding behind their “walls” that they say don’t work for us. Voters need to stop electing these socialists and elect people that will clean this mess up Socialists only know how to lie and fill their own pockets instead of doing the right thing to clean up their mess.
Trump talked about s**t h**e countries and we have the same type of cities right on the west coast.
Just another example of what socialism will be like.
Appears to me that the people of California like the life style. They continue to elect the same politicians and their leftist ideas over and over. Not only that, they seem to burn a large portion of their State almost yearly and then criticize President Trump when he says they need a better forestry program.
Soylent Green comes to mind.
Hey, John, do you have a link to your video of the San Francisco’s slums?
With all the politicians in that part of the state, you’d think they’d take more pride in their “human environment” and clean up the place. Oh, wait a minute; what am I saying? They live behind security walls and lush landscaping to block it all out! Or they vacation in Hawaii or Puerto Rico where the air smells of plumeria instead of poop!
Having grown up in the Bay Area, mostly in the East Bay, it was always special to take out-of-town visitors to “the City”. Especially around Golden Gate Park, it was lush and green, picturesque all year around. Now, the “green” is either from the “weed” or the nausea experienced from the stench!
Heading to city in May for graduation, told by said student they have area for homeless. But still drive away tourism alone.
Thanks to the Leftists.
Now replicate in all US cities IE NYC alone.
Watch urban residents leave city for suburbs due North X Golden Gate or head South & East.
Love to see a City Map denoting the Homeless Zone for area.
Make public.
It is way past time to replace the spineless govenmemt officles that just collect a paycheck and do nothing. Time for t. he taxpayers to take controal
I don’t see how anyone can afford to live in San Francisco
Very sad. Always loved “the city” and went to school there. Not even interested in visiting.
Glad I don’t like there…..
Blame the Demonrats! They will allow anything for a VOTE!
What you read in this article, is happening to every city in California. If the Democrats get to implement
their policies this will happen all over the USA.
I just can’t believe how San Francisco got into just a slum city. I remember back in the early 90’s my husband and I went to visit his sister and her family twice for a visit. At that time, SF was so beautiful and I remember riding on a trolley car there. We also went to the Golden Gate and visit other interesting thing. I had heard now that San Francisco is nothing like I used to remember. I do blame these Democrats for this mess. It’s a good thing at that time, I was able to visit San Francisco as I had very good memories there. So so sad.
If you think you want to come see San Francisco this might help you change your mind.
San Francisco has been “different” for decades. I remember seeing the hippies all over the place back the mid 1960’s.
So, don’t expect Nancy to ever tear down her “immoral” wall around her estate there.
Just a microcosm of what’s in store for the country when millennials and younger become the largest voting bloc. Add to that the threat from foreign aggressors when the defense budget is slashed. Ugly…really ugly.
And now the mayor that brought you the S-hole that is San Francisco is going to do the same to the entire state. Leave now and take your money with you.
Isn’t that Prlosi’s district.
If that spending bill that Kongress just came up
Is going to create welcome centers at the border for the illegals
Then bus them to interior immigration support groups
Let’s ship them to the Bay Area
And insist that there are no barriers of any type
around Pelosi or Devin Newsome properties.
Was in the Army in the 60’s and stationed at the Presidio. It was a beautiful place and truly a great city. In a recent visit I was shocked to see what it has become. Not going back. How sad.
In 1957 I attended a school on Treasuer Island. At that time San Francisco was a beautiful and thriving city. The politicians who destroyed this city should be put against a wall and shot.