For 20 years, California politicians have promised to spend more on mental health care, drug rehabilitation, and housing, but the problem is exacerbated. .. Between 2010 and 2020, California's homeless population increased by 31%, despite a 18% decrease in other parts of the United States.
One of the reasons Californians didn't demand change is that many of us escape the turmoil of the city by living in the hills, like the rich in 2013 science fiction movies. Because it can be done. } Elysium", where the rich people leave the earth and live on satellites in space, and the poor remain in the violent shantytowns of the earth.
I'm one of those Californians. I'm based in Berkeley Hills and, like everyone on the hill, I come across people who mentally yell at invisible enemies, overdose drugs, and defecate on the sidewalk. You can spend your days without having to.
For the past two years, when I told my neighbors that I was writing abookabout the homeless crisis, some whispered their faces. .. Go downtown. Many on Twitter claim to be progressive, by posting a self-portrait in front of the Golden Gate Bridge or at the top of Lombard Street, where there are no homeless camps, to corrupt humans in downtown San Francisco. I believe I was able to successfully uncover the document about.
But Californians are the largest and most discussed. Don't request a change for one of the reasons not. This is called "Big Lebowski Syndrome" or BLS for short. In the Coen brothers' 1998cult classic, the protagonist Jeffrey Lebowski (played by Jeff Bridges) calls himself "Dude". Hey, when it comes to homelessness, it captures the energy of many Californian liberal lazy people.
For example, when raising the issue of people camping on the sidewalk, many progressive Californians say "easily", one of the maxims. Many progressives just shake their heads, pointing out that putting a mentally ill or addict to sleep on the sidewalk is neither compassionate nor safe. Feel free to be a man.But when things get too chaotic, as happened in the cities of California these days, even men lose their composure.
Almost three weeks ago, California voters finally said "no more." It was like saying. For rampant crime and the homeless. On June 7, San Francisco's ultra-liberal votersrecalled the city's progressive district attorney Chesa Boudin, saying he stopped prosecuting many crimes, including field drug use and trading. did. And in the Los Angeles mayor's election, more voters initially chose Rick Caruso, a Republican-to-Democratic developer, than Karen Bass, a long-time leader in the state's progressive Democratic machinery. It seems.
However, as mailing votes are currently aggregated, the future of Californiais still a political knife edge and remains. DA Boudin's recall was55% for and 45% against, a much smaller victory margin than the 61% landslide claimed by supporters on election night. And after showing that the number of votes was 42% to 37% ahead of Bass, Caruso celebrated his first victory, but then the tally reversed and Bass leads Caruso 43% to 36%. did. The final winnerwill be declaredin the finals of November.
In addition, LA voters have elected members of the city council that are even more radical than the already progressive incumbents they defeated. Two of them advocate police financing andone advocate the complete abolition of the armyall advocate for maintaining rather than removing homeless camps. I support you. The same is true for the two candidates heading for the November final vote for controllers and city lawyers.
Still, crime and homeless opposition gradually increase It emits steam in America's most populous liberal state. Voters rarely bring back incumbent politicians because of his policies. Even more so, a progressive politician in San Francisco.
And it's worth noting that liberal LA voters have chosen white male billionaires to compete in the mayor's final vote. Meanwhile, Los Angeles' ultra-progressive district attorney George Gascon was killed by two police officerswhile responding to a possible sting at a motel earlier this month. After being, we are facing a backlash. A total of 35 cities in the Golden State voted"No Confidence Resolution" against Gascon facing the possibility of a recall.
Political identity remains a powerful spiritual shortcut for California voters And most of them specify as follows. Democrat. Most people don't think too long or enthusiastically about who to vote for, especially in the 2022 primary. In 2020, 71% of thepeople in Los Angeles and 85%in San Franciscovoted for Joe Biden. And Governor Gavin Newsom is a candidate for reelection and could beat Republican opponents by the same 62-38 votes he won in 2018.
LA Republican voters have a bus Highly praised for being a black woman, Caruso's position as a rich white billionaire has shown a more complex reaction, with his success not only gaining respect for him but also causing suspicion. Of the 18 political races in California involving wealthy candidates who funded their campaign, one of, megastar Arnold Schwarzenegger, won. The most spectacular defeat is due to eBay CEO Meg Whitman spending $ 150 million after losing to Governor Jerry Brown in 2014.
Both Bass and Caruso are warm, intelligent and well received. "When the bus came here for a campaign event, everyone liked her and no one thought she would change anything," said the actress in Venice Beach. Summarized her attitude. LA voters and political journalist Peter Savodnik said: Fundamentals look good for Caruso for all obvious reasons: crime, homelessness, economy, housing. Still, in order for him to win, he needs a sharper message about the
homeless and crime.
Whatever the election results, Californiais gradually changing. Governor Newsom promised a whole new court system to deal with homeless people with mental illness, and Bass called for the involvement of a new mental hospital and FEMA to protect the 44,000 homeless people in LA.
In California cities, shelters, rehab clinics, and mental hospitals require thousands more police officers and beds. It will take years to solve the problem. But if Gascon is recalled and Caruso is elected, California will at least get a new leader to recognize them.
Michael Shellenberger was ranked third as an independent candidate in the June 7th Governor's primary in California and is the author of "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities". .."
