California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to union workers and volunteers in San Francisco. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

THE BUZZ: After months of staying largely silent on efforts to raise penalties for fentanyl dealers, Gov. Gavin Newsom is now paving the way to treat them like murderers.

Newsom on Friday announced a new task force of state and San Francisco city officials to treat opioid-linked deaths similar to homicides. The governor has already devoted a good deal of attention (and state resources) to the problem this year, but the announcement of the task force marks a shift from progressive efforts to roll back some of the drug sentencing policies adopted across the U.S. in recent decades.

The task force will gather evidence and process intelligence with the goal of disrupting the opioid distribution networks behind the overdose epidemic in the city.

“The opioid crisis has claimed too many, and fentanyl traffickers must be held accountable including, as appropriate, for murder,” the governor said in a statement.

It is precisely the kind of thing that progressive lawmakers in Sacramento didn’t want to do this year — much to the frustration of victims’ families, Republicans and some moderate Democrats.

The legislature twice rejected a bill, SB 44, known as Alexandra’s Law, which would have required courts to notify convicted dealers that they could face murder charges if their actions led to someone’s death in the future.

Bill opponents, including Bay Area Sens. Scott Wiener and Nancy Skinner, questioned whether the measure would reduce overdose deaths and worried it could result in unintended consequences.

Newsom avoided weighing in on the bill when it was moving through the legislature. He’s now embracing the call for tougher treatment of fentanyl dealers.

Other Democratic officials, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, share this view.

“We must treat the trafficking and sale of fentanyl more severely and people must be put on notice that pushing this drug could lead to homicide charges,” Breed said in a statement.

Prosecuting fentanyl dealers for murder is not a novel concept. In Placer County, authorities this year convicted a 21-year-old of second-degree murder in the fentanyl death of a 15-year-old girl — the first conviction of its kind. Newsom’s office said efforts similar to the one in SF have proven successful in other cities, including San Diego and Fresno.

San Francisco city leaders have taken a tougher tack on crime in recent months as retail theft and drug use continue to take a toll. Breed last month also raised eyebrows among liberal allies for proposing drug tests for those receiving public assistance.

Mano Raju, San Francisco’s public defender, blasted Newsom and city leaders for their new approach to fentanyl overdoses, calling it “another step in the wrong direction toward the continued revival of the failed War on Drugs in SF.”

GOOD MORNING. Happy Monday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook.

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WHERE’S GAVIN? Back in California after his week abroad.

Guests line up to place bets for the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas in 2018. | Getty Images

PLACE YOUR BETS — A new push to let California’s Native American tribes conduct sports wagering has launched without a crucial player California’s Native American tribes.

There was never any doubt who was behind two failed rival betting initiatives last year. The ballot brawl set DraftKings and allies (Proposition 27) against tribes determined to protect their turf (Proposition 26). Not so with a mysterious pair of ballot initiatives that popped up on Friday. Tribal veterans of last cycle’s fight said they weren’t responsible for the new effort.

So who is? Official filings list a Reeve Collins, which is also the name of a cryptocurrency and blockchain entrepreneur who co-founded a betting platform formerly owned by the Pala Band of Mission Indians. Collins didn’t answer requests for comment. But an email sent to tribal leaders shed some light: The head of a recently launched LLC solicited their help and vowed not to move ahead without Native support.

Qualifying a ballot initiative at this relatively late hour will carry a hefty price tag. The supporters are also banking on winning over tribes that have deep pockets, powerful friends, and an aversion to interlopers. It’s a big bet.

— Jeremy B. White

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: INTO THE UNKNOWN — With just four months left until the March primaries, no candidate for California Senate has emerged as a clear favorite among Latinos, according to a new poll from the Latino Community Foundation and BSP Research, first shared with POLITICO.

The statewide survey of Latino registered voters showed little recognition of the leading Democrats, with support for Rep. Adam Schiff at 12 percent, followed by Rep. Katie Porter at 10 percent and Rep. Barbara Lee at 7 percent. Sen. Laphonza Butler, who has since announced she will not seek a full term, saw support from 9 percent of respondents.

Most Latino voters have yet to choose a favorite, however — with 40 percent saying they are undecided in California’s Senate race.

“With early voting starting in mid-February and a busy holiday season approaching, the candidates need to step up their game and invest significantly in outreach efforts into the Latino community if they expect to gain support,” said Matt Barreto, president of BSP Research, and the lead pollster on the survey.

Sixty-six percent of respondents said they intend to vote in the March primaries, with voters marking the cost of living (46 percent) as the most important issue they think elected officials need to address, followed by housing costs and affordability (30 percent) and homelessness (29 percent).

“Any candidate seeking this office must speak directly to the chief concerns facing our communities,” said Christian Arana, vice president of policy at the Latino Community Foundation. “The stakes have never been higher.”

DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO: Newsom recently vetoed a bill that would have required him to collect diversity data about his gubernatorial appointments — at the same time he signed a bill requiring venture capital firms to collect similar data on company founders. (CalMatters)

NOBODY’S LAUGHING: An aide to L.A. Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez has resigned after he was criticized for posting Holocaust jokes about stand-up comedian Amy Schumer. The comments were widely seen as antisemitic and misogynistic. (Los Angeles Times)

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The post San Francisco shedding tolerance with drug deaths appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Elemental director Peter Sohn says his parents set the spark for Disney and Pixar’s upcoming animated film

From

BERENICE BAUTISTA Associated Press

Apr 12, 2023 4:13pm ET

• 4 minutes read

MEXICO CITY — MEXICO CITY (AP) — ‘Elemental’ director Peter Sohn says his parents set the spark for the upcoming Disney and Pixar animated film.

Son invited his parents, who both immigrated to the United States from Korea, to an event. Seeing them from the stage filled him with deep appreciation for everything they had done for their family.

“I saw them and felt very emotional as I thanked them for all the sacrifices,” Sohn said in a recent video call interview for “Elemental,” a film about a family of fire elements that migrate to Element City, a location where it was there are also inhabitants of water, air and earth. The themes of family, tolerance and building relationships run through the film, which premieres this summer.

The film focuses on Ember, a fire element who loves working in her father’s shop but has trouble controlling her explosive temper, especially around uncomfortable customers. Ember’s life in Firetown, a suburb with many Fire residents, is turned upside down when a plumbing accident causes her to meet Wade, a water element and inspector who lives in Element City. Ember and Wade meet and she enjoys being out of Firetown. They realize that their differences – and elements – are not an impediment to friendship.

The production team faced the challenge of bringing the characters to life.

“We designed all sorts of different characters, from toys to cars… And that was another challenge,” said Spanish animator Jordi Onate. “We had to break all the rules that we knew from body mechanics… We did a lot of research into how water behaves and how fire behaves in certain situations, and beyond that, we tried to get them to talk.”

But the fact that they are elements also gave the animators the opportunity to give the characters special powers. For example, Ember is a girl of fire. She can use this fire to restore broken glass and weld metal.

“This is, in my opinion, one of the most complex projects we’ve worked on at Pixar simply for that reason; We’re used to animating people or animals and you have references for that, but in this case we were trying to figure out how a character made of fire or water would move,” said Colombian animator Luis Uribe Córdoba. “We’ve had about three or four weeks to try stuff and watch videos of how fire or water behaves in slow motion.”

The development of the project started seven years ago. Mexican artist Paula Assadourian was one of the first to help Sohn find the essence of the characters and story. Assadourian, who began work on the film in 2019, was responsible for creating the storyboard ahead of production.

“I think Elemental is a very special film because it’s how Ember comes to terms with who she is and what she wants to do; whether she wants to continue on her path or stay close to her roots and family and what people expect of her,” Assadourian said. “Wade changes Ember, or wakes her up to say, ‘You can do so much more with your life.'”

Son, who is not only a director but also an animator, voice actor and artist, previously directed The Good Dinosaur and has worked on several Pixar films such as Incredibles 2, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, Up ‘, ‘Toy Story 3’ and ‘WALL E.’ But ‘Elemental’ is the most personal story he’s been involved with.

The film shows that tolerance and empathy can fight evils like xenophobia. Sohn says the “idea of ​​xenophobia” was a part of Elemental from the start.

“The idea of ​​xenophobia was always in history from the beginning (before the pandemic),” he said. “Because my father and mother experienced the same xenophobia, it wasn’t anything new… (But) the idea of ​​Asian hatred starting in such a blunt way was really chilling. I remember my mom called me and said don’t go to San Francisco. She was scared and growing up she had never been so scared; it was a real fear.”

The film’s layers prompted producer Denise Ream to work with Sohn from the beginning of the project.

“There were layers to the story that I really appreciated, I just reconnected with the idea of ​​thanking your parents, it really struck me,” she said. “I was really excited about the visual and technical challenges that really got me fired up. I knew (it) was going to be hard – it turned out to be a lot… harder than I thought – but I like everything about it.”

The post Makers of ‘Elemental’ discover household, tolerance and motion appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Elemental director Peter Sohn says his parents set the spark for Disney and Pixar’s upcoming animated film

From

BERENICE BAUTISTA Associated Press

Apr 12, 2023 4:13pm ET

• 4 minutes read

MEXICO CITY — MEXICO CITY (AP) — ‘Elemental’ director Peter Sohn says his parents set the spark for the upcoming Disney and Pixar animated film.

Son invited his parents, who both immigrated to the United States from Korea, to an event. Seeing them from the stage filled him with deep appreciation for everything they had done for their family.

“I saw them and felt very emotional as I thanked them for all the sacrifices,” Sohn said in a recent video call interview for “Elemental,” a film about a family of fire elements that migrate to Element City, a location where it was there are also inhabitants of water, air and earth. The themes of family, tolerance and building relationships run through the film, which premieres this summer.

The film focuses on Ember, a fire element who loves working in her father’s shop but has trouble controlling her explosive temper, especially around uncomfortable customers. Ember’s life in Firetown, a suburb with many Fire residents, is turned upside down when a plumbing accident causes her to meet Wade, a water element and inspector who lives in Element City. Ember and Wade meet and she enjoys being out of Firetown. They realize that their differences – and elements – are not an impediment to friendship.

The production team faced the challenge of bringing the characters to life.

“We designed all sorts of different characters, from toys to cars… And that was another challenge,” said Spanish animator Jordi Onate. “We had to break all the rules that we knew from body mechanics… We did a lot of research into how water behaves and how fire behaves in certain situations, and beyond that, we tried to get them to talk.”

But the fact that they are elements also gave the animators the opportunity to give the characters special powers. For example, Ember is a girl of fire. She can use this fire to restore broken glass and weld metal.

“This is, in my opinion, one of the most complex projects we’ve worked on at Pixar simply for that reason; We’re used to animating people or animals and you have references for that, but in this case we were trying to figure out how a character made of fire or water would move,” said Colombian animator Luis Uribe Córdoba. “We’ve had about three or four weeks to try stuff and watch videos of how fire or water behaves in slow motion.”

The development of the project started seven years ago. Mexican artist Paula Assadourian was one of the first to help Sohn find the essence of the characters and story. Assadourian, who began work on the film in 2019, was responsible for creating the storyboard ahead of production.

“I think Elemental is a very special film because it’s how Ember comes to terms with who she is and what she wants to do; whether she wants to continue on her path or stay close to her roots and family and what people expect of her,” Assadourian said. “Wade changes Ember, or wakes her up to say, ‘You can do so much more with your life.'”

Son, who is not only a director but also an animator, voice actor and artist, previously directed The Good Dinosaur and has worked on several Pixar films such as Incredibles 2, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, Up ‘, ‘Toy Story 3’ and ‘WALL E.’ But ‘Elemental’ is the most personal story he’s been involved with.

The film shows that tolerance and empathy can fight evils like xenophobia. Sohn says the “idea of ​​xenophobia” was a part of Elemental from the start.

“The idea of ​​xenophobia was always in history from the beginning (before the pandemic),” he said. “Because my father and mother experienced the same xenophobia, it wasn’t anything new… (But) the idea of ​​Asian hatred starting in such a blunt way was really chilling. I remember my mom called me and said don’t go to San Francisco. She was scared and growing up she had never been so scared; it was a real fear.”

The film’s layers prompted producer Denise Ream to work with Sohn from the beginning of the project.

“There were layers to the story that I really appreciated, I just reconnected with the idea of ​​thanking your parents, it really struck me,” she said. “I was really excited about the visual and technical challenges that really got me fired up. I knew (it) was going to be hard – it turned out to be a lot… harder than I thought – but I like everything about it.”

The post Makers of ‘Elemental’ discover household, tolerance and motion appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Caitlin Foster fell in love with San Francisco’s people and beauty and moved to the city a dozen years ago. But after repeatedly clearing used needles, other drug paraphernalia, and human feces outside of the bar she manages, and having many encounters with armed people in crisis, her affection for the city has been tainted.

“It was a goal to live here, but now I’m here thinking, ‘Where should I move now?’ I’m over it, ‘”said Foster, who runs the Noir Lounge in the hip Hayes Valley neighborhood.

A series of headline-grabbing crime stories – crowds breaking windows and snatching luxury purses in downtown Union Square, and daytime shootings in touristy Haight-Ashbury – only added to the feeling of vulnerability. Residents wake up to the news of attacks on Asian-American seniors, broken-in restaurants and boarded-up shop fronts in the city’s once-vibrant downtown area.

The San Franciscans pride themselves on their liberal political leanings and generously approve tax measures for schools and the homeless. They accept that garbage roads, tent camps and petty crime are the price one has to pay to live in an urban wonderland.

But the frustration of Foster, who moved from Seattle in search of more sunshine, is growing among residents who are now seeing a city in decline. There are signs that the city, famous for its tolerance, is losing patience.

The pandemic has emptied parts of San Francisco, highlighting some of its drawbacks: human and dog droppings smeared on sidewalks, break-ins into homes and vehicles, overcrowded bins, and a laissez-faire approach by officials to brazen drug trafficking. Parents were desperate as public schools remained closed for most of last year as nearby counties welcomed the children back into the classroom.

Meanwhile, residents and visitors scurry past scenes of lawlessness and misery. Just steps from the Opera House and Symphony Hall, drug dealers carry translucent bags with crystal-like stones or stand outside the main branch of the public library while haggling on heroin and methamphetamine.

“There is a widespread feeling in San Francisco that things are on the wrong track,” said Patrick Wolff, 53, a retired professional chess player from the Boston area who has lived in the city since 2005.

As a sign of civic frustration, the San Franciscans will vote in June on whether to remove District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a former public defender who was elected in 2019 and whose critics say he is too lenient about crime. Its supporters say there is no spike in crime and that corporate wage theft is a more pressing issue than cases like that of a San Francisco woman who was eventually arrested after stealing more than $ 40,000 in goods from a target in 120 visits had. She was released by a judge and arrested again on suspicion of shoplifting after she failed to come to collect her court-ordered ankle monitor.

“Where is the progress? If you say you’re progressive, let’s get the homeless off the streets and get them mental health care, ”said Brian Cassanego, a native of San Francisco who owns the lounge where Foster works. He moved to Wine Country five months ago because he was tired of seeing dealers selling drugs with impunity and worrying that his wife would be out alone at night.

The day before he moved, Cassanego went out to take his dogs for a walk and saw a man who “looked like a zombie” with pants up to his knees and bleeding from a syringe stuck in his hip. Nearby, a woman screamed in shock.

“I went upstairs and said to my wife, ‘We’re going now! This town is ready! ‘”He said.

Theft reports – shoplifting from a person or a company – increased by almost 17% to more than 28,000 compared to the same period last year. Inquiries about cleaning dirty streets and sidewalks are most calls to 311, the city’s service number.

Overall, however, crime has been falling for years. More than 45,000 incidents have been reported so far this year, compared to the previous year when most people were locked in closed rooms, but fewer than the roughly 60,000 complaints in previous years.

San Francisco’s well-publicized problems have served as fodder for the conservative media. Former President Donald Trump recently stepped in again, releasing a statement saying the National Guard should be sent to San Francisco to prevent robberies.

Elected officials say they are grappling with deep societal problems that are common in every major US city.

A high percentage of an estimated 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco are struggling with chronic addiction or severe mental illness, usually both. Some people are romping on the streets, naked and in need of medical help. Last year, 712 people died from drug overdoses, compared to 257 people who died from COVID-19.

LeAnn Corpus, an administrative assistant who enjoys figure skating, eschews the downtown ice rinks and won’t bring her 8-year-old son there after dark because of open drug use. Still, the city’s urban problems have crept into its Portola neighborhood far from downtown.

A homeless man used a bicycle and a sheet to pitch a makeshift tent in front of her house and relieved himself on the sidewalk. She called the police, who came two hours later and cleared him out, but a homeless man camped in the back yard of her aunt’s house for six months after trying to get the authorities to remove him.

“This town just doesn’t feel like it anymore,” said Corpus, a third generation local.

San Francisco residents, who are generally uncomfortable with government surveillance, have installed security cameras and bolts to prevent break-ins and have begun to suspect outsiders.

Last night, on an otherwise warm evening, Joya Pramanik’s husband saw someone wearing a ski mask on their quiet street. She worried that the masked man was up to no good – and it pains her to say that because what she loves about San Francisco is the light hug of all kinds of characters.

Pramanik, a project manager who moved to the US from India as a teenager, hailed Trump’s failed re-election proposal but said she realized too late that democratic activists had kidnapped her city.

“If I say I want to enforce the law, I am racist,” she said. “I say, ‘No, I’m not a racist. There’s a reason I live in San Francisco. ‘”

Last year Wolff, the retired chess player, helped start a new political organization that aims to elect local officials who focus on solving urgent problems. Families for San Francisco will vote Democrats, but it will be organized outside of the city’s powerful Democratic Party’s establishment, he said.

Wolff hopes to change a bourgeois way of thinking that no longer expects much from basic services.

In hip Hayes Valley, for example, business owners who are fed up with trash lying around and the city is doing nothing to address the problem have come together to lease closed trash cans from a private company, said Jennifer Laska, president of the neighborhood association. After the lease expired, the association managed to get the city to buy and install new public garbage cans designed to keep rubbish in and thieves out.

That was four months ago.

“We’re still struggling to actually buy the trash cans,” Laska said.

In the Marina, an affluent neighborhood with breathtaking views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, dozens of residents recently hired private security after an increase in car break-ins.

Lloyd Silverstein, a native of San Francisco and president of the Hayes Valley Merchants Association, said companies are considering hiring security guards and installing high-resolution security cameras. He rejects the idea that a single city official is to blame for the situation and is optimistic that the city will recover.

“We’ve been through great earthquakes and depression and a lot more, but we have a pretty good attitude about recovering. We have some problems but we will solve them, ”he said. “It can only take a while.”

Conclude

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The post San Francisco’s vaunted tolerance dims amid brazen crimes, open drug use and soiled streets appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Politically liberal San Franciscans are used to living on an equal footing with open drug use, faecal streets, and petty crime. But a surge in home break-ins and outrageous shoplifting leads some residents to believe that the city they fell in love with is on the decline.

Caitlin Foster is one of those San Francisco shopkeepers who repeatedly had to put used needles and other drug paraphernalia away from the bar she ran. And after too many encounters with armed people in the crisis, Seattle’s transplant affection for its adopted home has grown sour.

“It was a goal to live here, but now I’m here thinking, ‘Where should I go now?’ I’m over it, ”said Foster, who runs the Noir Lounge in the hip Hayes Valley neighborhood.

A series of headline-grabbing crime stories – crowds breaking windows and stealing luxury purses in downtown Union Square, and daytime shootings in touristy Haight-Ashbury – have only added to the general feeling of vulnerability. Residents wake up to the news of attacks on elderly Asian Americans, broken-in restaurants, and boarded-up shop fronts in the city’s once-vibrant downtown area.

The pandemic emptied parts of San Francisco, highlighting some of its drawbacks, including a laissez-faire approach by officials to open drug trafficking just steps from the Opera House and Symphony Hall. Parents were desperate as public schools remained closed for most of last year as nearby counties welcomed the children back into the classroom.

“There is a widespread feeling in San Francisco that things are on the wrong track,” said Patrick Wolff, 53, a retired professional chess player from the Boston area who has lived in the city since 2005.

The San Franciscans will vote in June on whether to remove District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a former public defender who was elected in 2019 and whose critics say he is too lenient about crime. Its supporters say there is no spike in crime and that corporate wage theft is a more pressing issue than cases like that of a San Francisco woman who was eventually arrested after stealing more than $ 40,000 in goods from a target in 120 visits had.

“Where is the progress? If you say you’re progressive, we’ll get the homeless off the street and get mental health care, ”said Brian Cassanego, a San Francisco native who owns the lounge where Foster works.

Cassanego moved to Wine Country five months ago after stepping out one day to find a man who “looked like a zombie” with his pants up to his knees and bleeding from a syringe in his hip. Nearby, a woman cried out in shock.

“I went upstairs and said to my wife, ‘We’re going now! This town is ready! ‘”He said.

While overall crime has been declining for years, reports of thefts – shoplifting from a person or company – have increased by nearly 17% year-over-year to more than 28,000. They stay lower than the 40,000+ thefts reported in 2019. Inquiries about cleaning dirty streets and sidewalks are most calls to 311, the city service number.

San Francisco’s well-publicized problems have served as fodder for the conservative media. Former President Donald Trump recently stepped in again, releasing a statement saying the National Guard should be sent to San Francisco to prevent robberies.

Elected officials say they are grappling with deep societal problems that are common in every major US city.

A high percentage of an estimated 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco are struggling with chronic addiction or severe mental illness, usually both. Last year, 712 people died from drug overdoses, compared to 257 people who died from COVID-19.

LeAnn Corpus, an administrative assistant, said a homeless man used a bike and a sheets to pitch a makeshift tent in front of her house and relieved himself on the sidewalk. She called the police, who came two hours later and cleared him out, but a homeless man camped in the back yard of her aunt’s house for six months after trying to get the authorities to remove him.

“This town just doesn’t feel like it anymore,” said Corpus, a third generation local.

In Hayes Valley, business owners who are tired of trash lying around and the city is doing nothing to address the problem have come together to lease closed trash cans from a private company, said Jennifer Laska, president of the neighborhood association.

After the lease expired, the association managed to get the city to buy and install new public garbage cans designed to keep rubbish in and thieves out. That was four months ago.

“We’re still struggling to actually buy the trash cans,” Laska said.

The post San Francisco’s vaunted tolerance dims amid brazen crimes appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

In San Francisco, homeless tents, open drug use, break-ins and dirty streets have all increased during the pandemic

Through OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and JANIE HAR Associated Press

December 11, 2021, 4:21 pm

• Read for 4 minutes

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSend this article via email

SAN FRANCISCO – Politically liberal San Franciscans are used to living step by step with open drug use, faecal streets and petty crime. But a surge in home break-ins and outrageous shoplifting leads some residents to believe that the city they fell in love with is on the decline.

Caitlin Foster is one of those San Francisco shopkeepers who repeatedly had to put used needles and other drug paraphernalia away from the bar she ran. And after too many encounters with armed people in the crisis, Seattle’s transplant affection for its adopted home has grown sour.

“It was a goal to live here, but now I’m here thinking, ‘Where should I go now?’ I’m over it, ”said Foster, who runs the Noir Lounge in the hip Hayes Valley neighborhood.

A series of headline-grabbing crime stories – crowds breaking windows and stealing luxury purses in downtown Union Square, and daytime shootings in touristy Haight-Ashbury – have only added to the general feeling of vulnerability. Residents wake up to the news of attacks on elderly Asian Americans, broken-in restaurants, and boarded-up shop fronts in the city’s once-vibrant downtown area.

The pandemic emptied parts of San Francisco, highlighting some of its drawbacks, including a laissez-faire approach by officials to open drug trafficking just steps from the Opera House and Symphony Hall. Parents were desperate as public schools remained closed for most of last year as nearby counties welcomed the children back into the classroom.

“There is a widespread feeling in San Francisco that things are on the wrong track,” said Patrick Wolff, 53, a retired professional chess player from the Boston area who has lived in the city since 2005.

The San Franciscans will vote in June on whether to remove District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a former public defender who was elected in 2019 and whose critics say he is too lenient about crime. Its supporters say there is no spike in crime and that corporate wage theft is a more pressing issue than cases like that of a San Francisco woman who was eventually arrested after stealing more than $ 40,000 in goods from a target in 120 visits had.

“Where is the progress? If you say you’re progressive, we’ll get the homeless off the street and get mental health care, ”said Brian Cassanego, a San Francisco native who owns the lounge where Foster works.

Cassanego moved to Wine Country five months ago after stepping out one day to find a man who “looked like a zombie” with his pants up to his knees and bleeding from a syringe in his hip. Nearby, a woman cried out in shock.

“I went upstairs and said to my wife, ‘We’re going now! This town is ready! ‘”He said.

While overall crime has been declining for years, reports of thefts – shoplifting from a person or company – have increased by nearly 17% year-over-year to more than 28,000. Inquiries about cleaning dirty streets and sidewalks are most calls to 311, the city’s service number.

San Francisco’s well-publicized problems have served as fodder for the conservative media. Former President Donald Trump recently stepped in again, releasing a statement saying the National Guard should be sent to San Francisco to prevent robberies.

Elected officials say they are grappling with deep societal problems that are common in every major US city.

A high percentage of an estimated 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco are struggling with chronic addiction or severe mental illness, usually both. Last year, 712 people died from drug overdoses, compared to 257 people who died from COVID-19.

LeAnn Corpus, an administrative assistant, said a homeless man used a bike and a sheets to pitch a makeshift tent in front of her house and relieved himself on the sidewalk. She called the police, who came two hours later and cleared him out, but a homeless man camped in the back yard of her aunt’s house for six months after trying to get the authorities to remove him.

“This town just doesn’t feel like it anymore,” said Corpus, a third generation local.

In Hayes Valley, business owners who are tired of trash lying around and the city is doing nothing to address the problem have come together to lease closed trash cans from a private company, said Jennifer Laska, president of the neighborhood association.

After the lease expired, the association managed to get the city to buy and install new public garbage cans designed to keep rubbish in and thieves out. That was four months ago.

“We’re still struggling to actually buy the trash cans,” Laska said.

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