I keep thinking back to 's book - "Know Your Power".
She writes that she went into politics to fight the HIV/AIDS crisis. In her inauguration speech on Capital Hill she said "I came here to fight HIV".
She fought hard. Research was funded. Much has improved.
Conversation
We are in crisis. This is one of addiction.
Local advocates estimate 85% of our homeless population is severely addicted to Fentanyl, Meth, Heroin & Alcohol.
Treatment is not going to be free and SF cannot afford to care for all those who arrive.
We need funding.
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It is my strong belief that we should go fight for funding treatment.
We need CA state funding. Federal funding. Private funding.
We need live/work programs, social workers, doctors...
Not just free needles & tents.
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I am heartbroken (& frankly disgusted) by our city's current approach.
It lacks strategic orientation, vision, goals.
It is a hodgepodge of money flying all over -- not understood, not transparent, not even tracked.
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When led the charge for Prop C (to tax companies to fund homelessness solutions) our Mayor, opposed.
“The City needs to audit the $300+ million we are already spending on homelessness,” Breed said in the statement.“
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Where is the audit?! Where is the transparency?
That $300M is only the homelessness department. It doesn't include Public Health, EMS/Fire, SFPD, street cleaning, non-profit funding...
The real number is likely between $1-2B.
$1-2B could pay for a LOT of treatment...
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I believe that we as citizens need to call on our representatives to go fight for our city & homeless residents.
We need funding for treatment. Just like we needed funding to research HIV/AIDS.
If you have connections to local politicians ask them to fight for us. (12/12)
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How would you feel about setting up a national facility/campus to handle these issues in a more cost-efficient location, outside of SF?
Cities could give grants to individuals to join the program rather than each struggling to poorly manage the situation at high, local costs.
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I think that is the most practical solution
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What do you guys think is driving people to demand this national problem be addressed in SF, by the taxpayers of SF?
9/10 times the idea to relocate services/people comes up, the mob comes out. "Relocation is immoral, zoning is immoral, SF's problem should be handled by/in SF."
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It's a big problem that we don't have reliable data but even if it were a homegrown issue, it still doesn't follow that the best place for treatment is inside the city. Maybe geo attribution answers the question of who should foot the bill but not who should perform the service.