Voters in the notoriously left-wing city of San Francisco may be about to approve a piece of sensible legislation.
Yes, really.
The Wall Street Journal reports that residents of the liberal mecca are likely to vote in favor of Proposition F, known as Illegal Substance Dependence Screening and Treatment for Recipients of City Public Assistance, which would mandate drug tests for welfare recipients.
The proposal, which was proposed by the city's Democratic Mayor London Breed requires a simple majority to pass.
Its text is as follows:
Proposition [F] would require anyone who receives CAAP benefits to be screened for substance use disorder if the City reasonably suspects the person to be dependent on illegal drugs. When screening indicates a recipient may be dependent on illegal drugs, the City will provide a professional evaluation and may refer the recipient to an appropriate treatment program.
This is San Francisco, however, so the proposal comes with serious caveats. Among them is that after completing the treatment program, recipients do not need to remain clean in order to receive the benefits. The city also has the right to continue providing housing assistance even if the individual refuses to take the necessary tests:
If that program is available at no cost, the recipient will be required to participate to continue receiving CAAP benefits. The measure does not require recipients to maintain sobriety to be eligible for benefits. Under Proposition [F], CAAP recipients who stop receiving benefits because they refuse to participate in a required screening, evaluation or treatment would continue to receive housing assistance for at least 30 days.
The City may extend their housing benefits beyond 30 days if necessary to avoid eviction. Proposition [F] would create a City fund to support the costs of screening, evaluation and treatment. Any cost savings from discontinuing public assistance would go into that fund.
The measure is likely to pass. A recent poll by San Francisco’s Chamber of Commerce found that 61 percent of likely voters support the measure, as well as a separate proposition that would give law enforcement additional powers to tackle crime.
It is worth noting that although many San Franciscans may feel uncomfortable with the proposal, their hand has effectively been forced by the city's drastic decline over the past decade.
Just some of the major stores closing down in San Francisco. Holy shlit. pic.twitter.com/xOkGIZUdSe
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 28, 2024
Last year, San Francisco reported its worst-ever year for drug overdoses, with 806 confirmed fatalities, This number surpassed 2020 by around 100, indicating the problem is only set to get worse.
Market Street, San Francisco.
— S.L. Kanthan (@Kanthan2030) January 12, 2024
Right next to Twitter’s headquarters.
Homeless people, drug users, tents on sidewalks, filth, poop…
Welcome to America, which has spent $200 billion on Ukraine, Gaza and Yemen in the recent wars. pic.twitter.com/NixqWiocWT
The city is also experiencing an epidemic of shoplifting, much of it driven by drugs and substance abuse. As noted by liberal outlets such as ABC, downtown San Francisco is rapidly turning into a "ghost town" as dozens of popular stores close down as a result of shoplifting losses and other criminal activities.
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