Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

yuiyoshida

(41,765 posts)
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 01:34 PM Oct 2015

S.F.’s homeless crisis: Can Mayor Ed Lee clean up streets?



San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has vowed during his campaign for four more years in office to address the city’s worsening homeless problem, pledging to devote the kind of time and attention to it as he did to creating jobs and boosting the economy during his first term.


But the delayed response — nearly five years since becoming interim mayor in January 2011 — has left some San Francisco residents wondering, “What took so long?”

After all, homelessness is the city’s in-your-face problem. It’s plainly viewable from Lee’s own office window. It’s crept into just about every San Francisco neighborhood. And residents appear to be more fed up than ever, according to data from the city’s 311 call center. Complaints about human waste, camps and needles have surged this year.

In the past 12 months alone, the city’s Department of Public Works has steam-cleaned more than 10,000 pieces of feces and 765 puddles of urine from streets and sidewalks. San Francisco’s Alley Crews — which clean up after the homeless — have picked up close to 800,000 pounds of trash and more than 12,000 hypodermic needles in that same time span, much of it from homeless camps. Every day on average, residents ask Public Works to clear 13 encampments.



http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/S-F-s-homeless-crisis-Can-Mayor-Ed-Lee-clean-6585482.php?t=ab7a56d4d37d4f3860&cmpid=twitter-premium
12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
 

arcane1

(38,613 posts)
1. "It’s plainly viewable from Lee’s own office window" indeed. It's grown MUCH worse during his tenure
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 01:39 PM
Oct 2015

He'll surely want to sweep them all up somewhere before the Super Bowl, but after that? I'm afraid to ask.

Vote 1-2-3 to evict Ed Lee!!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1040609395974042/

yuiyoshida

(41,765 posts)
2. The Superbowl will be in
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 01:42 PM
Oct 2015
Santa Clara won't it? That's the only STADIUM on this side of the Bay. That's pretty far from the City of San Francisco. I am sure that SANTA CLARA will have plenty of Hotels and Motels for people to stay in. Won't they? As for Homeless in Santa Clara, I guess that's for their Mayor to decide.

yuiyoshida

(41,765 posts)
5. Do you think Ed Lee will bring out storm troopers to clear the streets, seriously???
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 02:02 PM
Oct 2015
We are always going to be supportive. But you are going to have to leave the street. Not just because it is illegal, but because it is dangerous.”
 

arcane1

(38,613 posts)
6. I honestly have no idea what the details will end up being.
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 02:03 PM
Oct 2015

But I don't believe he cares about homelessness.

Response to yuiyoshida (Reply #5)

 

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
4. You forgot the sarcasm thingie, didn't you?
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 01:55 PM
Oct 2015


Santa Clara has only a handful of hotels, clustering around the convention center that's right across from Levi's Stadium. Neighboring San Jose has more, but let's face it, is not exactly a tourist attraction. So a large number of people will stay in SF and somehow find their way to Levi's Stadium for the game.

And there are far more homeless in San Jose than in Santa Clara, more than in SF in fact! It's just that it's easier for them to stay out of sight (and thus out of mind ) here; many live in the dry creek beds.

RandySF

(57,661 posts)
7. Redevelopment
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 02:03 PM
Oct 2015

All the work being done in SOMA and Mid-Market shifted transients around to other neighborhoods like mine.

kimbutgar

(20,882 posts)
10. Ed Lee is a corporate toady mayor who doesn't give one iota about the homeless
Fri Oct 23, 2015, 02:10 PM
Oct 2015

I am so disgusted by him.

As a lifelong resident and 3rd generation San Franciscan from birth I think he is a terrible mayor and only if he gets a donation from the homeless will he work on the problem. One of the reasons we have so many homeless now is that they have been displaced by the rising rents brought on by Lee wooing the Silicon companies to start busing their employees from San Francisco to Silicon and back. I was walking down the street recently and someone said my name. I turned around and it was a person I knew from high school who had been evicted by their apartment via the Ellis Act and they ended up on the street. This person came from a good family, worked hard and because of their age lost their long time job. He was still able to pay his rent doing odd jobs then he got evicted because his apartment was brought by an investment fund and he got evicted. They gave him a little money but he couldn't afford anything and couldn't move to the suburbs because he didn't own a car and all he knows is SF. So he was on the street and suffering. I gave him some money but this was another reminder to me that Lee has let down long time residents for monied interests.

I am sorry I ever voted for him.

Latest Discussions»Region Forums»California»S.F.’s homeless crisis: C...