By Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – October 31, 2021 There is no question that San Francisco was an extraordinarily beautiful city to visit and share in its treasures. The cable cars, Telegraph Hill, Pier Thirty Nine, and countless other wonders were around each corner as a visitor's delight. Fine dinning, wealth, and sparking neighborhoods were the norm, a pleasure cornucopia at arm's reach in this city by the bay. Along with its picture perfect skyline there has always been that "touch" of rebellion that percolated through San Francisco since before the end of the Vietnam War era. The sixties were a time in the city of anti war sentiment, a drug culture, and Haight Asbury. Since the 1980's when it was still possible to go downtown in San Francisco without being subjected at nearly every corner to the current display of the open drug scene, homeless encampments, trash strewn dirty streets, and violent crime, Progressive policies have ruined this city by the bay. It is not just that drug overdose deaths in San Francisco had risen to 71,000 by 2017 that has pointed to the ruin, but decades of Liberal/Progressive rule that has gone soft on any thing that remotely resembles RESPONSIBILITY. Our illustrious governor, Gavin Newsom, had his crack at bringing order to San Francisco's decent into third world status before becoming governor of the State. Things haven't changed much since Hair Gel changed addresses. All the things that plague San Fran are front and center State wide. The failure to recognize that Progressive policies in the Bayside city are the root of the problem and not some other insidious malady yet unrecognized, continues to plague any response to the corruption plainly evident. Lack of enforcement, no buy in to change bad behavior, untreated mental and addictive habits, the open drug scene including sales, and on and on. It has been said repeatedly when you interview progressives, they are more likely than not to point every where else but themselves in spite of the fact they have been in charge particularly in San Francisco since the Reagan years. It is not possible to house the homeless in the city with permanent housing, and would not work in any case without some sort of change in the recipient's life style. Temporary housing maybe, but even then changes in behavior or professional help for mental and addiction issues should be a prerequisite. Law enforcement and the elimination of the open drug scenes would hasten the change. Drugs and alcohol becoming harder to acquire. No tolerance for drug related crime, are some of the steps that would be necessary. Housing first should be discarded in favor of sheltering , no more sleeping anywhere. Progressive policies of non treatment of mental illness, non treatment of addiction, unsheltered sleeping, defecate any where, drugs on speed dial, and no arrest for minor offenses should be eliminated every where. Mandated treatment following arrest for criminal offenses, and no assistance period for those that make no effort to change their destructive behavior. San Francisco's ruin by Progressives will not go away quietly, but to not change will only further its decline. Venezuela did not start its decline until socialist/progressive policies were in place in that Country. It is only because of the extreme wealth that exists in a small way in the City, that the decline has been hidden. That can no longer be the case and should be a welcome warning of what can come to even our local area if this corrosive practice which has begun to intrude into this County is allowed to continue. Are you listening True North?