San Francisco’s Warning: Compassion Without Accountability

Bill O’Reilly’s NewsNation special, The Decline and Fall of San Francisco, doesn’t pull punches. It shows a city that once welcomed the world now struggling with open drug use, tent encampments, retail theft, and random violence. The root cause? Progressive policies that prioritized compassion without consequences.

The numbers tell part of the story. San Francisco spent roughly $106,000 per homeless person annually. It handed out cash assistance and harm-reduction supplies — needles, even pipes — while “Housing First” programs placed people in apartments with no requirement for sobriety or treatment. Prop 47 turned theft under $1,000 into a misdemeanor, fueling smash-and-grabs that drove stores to close. Overdoses climbed. Mental illness went largely untreated on the streets because involuntary commitment was politically toxic.

Former Mayor Willie Brown put it plainly: once public-safety laws stopped being enforced, the city spiraled into anarchy. Frustrated residents fought back by recalling District Attorney Chesa Boudin in 2022 and electing new leadership that is now rolling back some of the most extreme policies, including stepped-up cleanups and enforcement.

Watch O'Reilly's special here [VIDEO]

Why Ben Shapiro Left L.A. – And Why the Rest of Us Should Pay Attention

Ben Shapiro just dropped a sharp, no-holds-barred video breaking down the mess that is modern Los Angeles. If you've ever wondered how one of America's most iconic cities turned into a cautionary tale, this clip nails it. 

The Core Problem: Leadership Failure on Homelessness

Shapiro doesn't pull punches. He slams current leaders like Karen Bass and Nithya Raman for their handling of LA's homelessness crisis. Decades of progressive policies, massive spending, and feel-good rhetoric haven't fixed the streets — they've made them worse. Tents, trash, and human suffering now define parts of what was once a world-class city.

The numbers are staggering, the results embarrassing. Billions poured in, yet visible decline continues. Shapiro highlights how this isn't just a policy failure — it's a leadership one.

Enter Spencer Pratt: Using AI to Expose Reality

One of the most interesting angles? Reality TV star Spencer Pratt jumping into the mayoral race with viral AI-generated campaign ads. These ads cut through the noise by starkly showing the city's decay. No sugarcoating. Just raw visuals that force viewers to confront what's happened to Los Angeles.

Pratt's approach is refreshing in its directness. In a city drowning in spin, using modern tools like AI to tell uncomfortable truths stands out.

Shapiro's Personal Take

O'Reilly: Dealing with the homeless problem

 

[VIDEO] Bill O'Reilly discusses the issue of the homeless. Perhaps addressing the homeless crisis in places like San Francisco, California. And the permissiveness of those policymakers who have opted not to adequately address the many issues involved with homelessness. 

Prager U: Homelessness The Reality and The Solution

 

[VIDEO] This is an eye opening documentary about the homelessness situation in California. It's definitely believable that this is a situation created by addiction and gov't unwillingness to really curb the issue of addiction. 

Tucker: We're watching civilization collapse in real time

 

[VIDEO] Well the monologue you see on Tucker Carlson's FOX News program is really him ranting about the homeless issue in a number of major cities around America. Public policy isn't really eradicating homelessness, it's in fact enabling it.

The bad news is that the answer to this issue isn't to just give them housing. How many of them in their various states of mental illness or addiction would be willing to settle down in one place with a roof over their head guaranteed (though most likely that's for a limited time anyway if someone else is footing the bill). Also is it really a good idea to let those dealing with addiction issues to have a safe space to continue imbibing their addictions?

Anyway I don't want to paint this issue with a broad brush. The root causes are as varied as the individuals it affects, yeah perhaps some have had a stroke of bad luck. Others well there's only so much one can do unless they are willing to address their addictions. The mentally ill is a whole other issue that is also very difficult. What can one do?

LA's failure to house the homeless..

[VIDEO] I did an earlier post this month about how a neighborhood in San Francisco, California is trying to deal with their homeless issue (which is by preventing homeless individuals from residing on their residential streets).

From Reason magazine the video above  examine how authorities in California and Los Angeles have dealt with the homeless issue. Or more accurately how they have only served to exacerbate the crisis with oppressive regulation of housing and real estate. There's a pastor who works with the homeless in LA who lost his leg to a staph infection once he came into contact with human waste.

Still I recognize we can never arrest our way out of this problem however what do we do about those homeless individuals who live on the streets? And especially the ones who do have difficulty taking care of themselves, what do we do for them as far as social services. I recognize this isn''t a very easy problem to solve.

Via Newsalert.

How citizens deal with the homeless issue in their neighborhood

[VIDEO] I'm sorry I missed this although this blogger doesn't live in San Francisco. This story aired on their CBS affiliate.

A neighborhood there put up some large boulders on a sidewalk to prevent homeless people who allegedly are not only dealing drugs, but also using them from sticking around on their block. The residents grew frustrated when the city didn't appear to be taking swift action on this issue. These boulders were ultimately removed by the city sometime after this story.

A tough problem that requires a really tough solution. Seen a number of stories about this since visiting LA's Skid Row in 2016 to take a bus to Las Vegas, Nevada about how out of control the homeless issues has become in California.

Aside from the attempt at humor with this by one of the anchors referring to this as a "bolder solution", check out the comments to this video. They're hilarious! 😂

LA Times: High cost of housing drives up homeless rates, UCLA study indicates

I'm sharing this with you not only because I had spent a small amount of time in LA's Skid Row in 2016. Contrary I want answers to the increasing homeless population in LA. This is a must read!

California's sky-high housing costs are a significant factor behind the state's homeless crisis, according to a new analysis from UCLA https://t.co/CaWXGy0H8X pic.twitter.com/CF4aBk9wRO

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) June 18, 2018

In a study contained in the latest UCLA Anderson Forecast, released Wednesday, UCLA found that higher median rent and home prices are strongly correlated with more people living on the streets or in shelters. The research backs other studies that have found a similar relationship.

Last year, Zillow released a study that showed that a 5% rent hike in L.A. County — where more than 50,000 are estimated to be homeless — would cause 2,000 additional people to lose their homes.

In April, according to Zillow, the median rent for a vacant apartment in the county was $2,462, up 1.9% from the previous year. In 2017, rents climbed an average of 4.3% and in 2016, 6.5%. The median home price in April was $608,800, up 9% from a year earlier.

I have heard housing costs are pretty high in some areas of California - not just Los Angeles - however is this a reason for the increase in the homeless population?

 BTW, this is from two years ago at Newsalert, Subsidized rent, but nowhere to go: Homeless vouchers go unused. What a shame!

LAs Skid Row

California dreams

[VIDEO] Last week on Tucker Carlson Tonight he hosts Fabio who talks about what's going on in California. Remember I did a post about this recently I once had dreams of living in the Golden State. Unfortunately the leaders of our nation's most populous state have engaged in regressive polices - which certainly includes the current issue of immigration - that have caused the state's middle class to flee!


BTW, Fabio admits that he splits his time between Washington state & California. While I associate Washington as a solid blue state one thing I understand the Evergreen State has is no state income tax. See this is why states like Texas and Florida are winning while California is experiencing it's issues.

California has been known as the Golden State, however, it's not looking so golden. If California is known place of wealth with currently the 6th largest economy in the world it also known for high poverty rates. As Tucker puts it Gov. Jerry Brown and other officials throughout the state are making waves clashing with President Trump and federal authorities as far as illegal immigration instead of addressing the real issues of California.

Consider this a piggy back off of another segment Tucker did last week with regards to Skid Row in LA, which you can watch in my post from last week.

#Tucker and Katie Hopkins talks LA's Skid Row

[VIDEO] Saw this segment on Tucker Carlson Monday. A British journalist named Katie Hopkins spend a bit of time in LA's Skid Row. She notices one thing, that people just want to turn away and pretend this area doesn't exist.

To be honest, I know the feeling. I spend a small amount of time in Skid Row. On a vacation to the west coast my family decided that they wanted to do a jaunt from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. One problem with this, well we had no idea how we were getting to Vegas and the Grand Canyon though we figured it out on the fly.

From LA to Vegas we took a Los Limousines bus to Vegas from a depot in Skid Row. I didn't rest easy until we were out of that area. I didn't enjoy the aroma of urine and was definitely ill at ease with the tents that you see prevalent in the area. How does a major metropolis like "the City of Angels" allow this to happen? How do they allow so many people collect in a neighborhood to just treat city streets as if its their only home?

Anyway, Hopkins wonders the same thing and she's right. There is an emerging crisis going on and has been going on for years instead it's easier to take on the more popular causes of the day. The big news recently is Stormy Daniels and I'm not sure how this happened aside from the fact that she claimed to have had an affair with our current President. Then we talk about those "dreamers" which our current President also wants to address. And yet no one has the willingness to attack this problem and clean it up.

At the time I did my own research and apparently there have been lawsuits over this. It's easier to let this problem linger than to have to fight this through the court system. Yet remaining in an area so dirty and allowing broken people to remain broken in broad daylight and in full view can't be acceptable. It's possible the residents of skid row have families who are looking for them.

And don't think areas like this only exist in Los Angeles, they are everywhere. Want to know where these individuals are in Chicago, go to lower Wacker Drive (no thanks from me on that sorry to say). In Atlanta taking the Greyhound into their downtown I often found the homeless living along the highways into downtown with their own tents. It's very sad and obviously if there is an emerging health issue waiting to happen, then perhaps it's time to pay attention and get started fixing this.

Meanwhile the pics below are of my brief foray into Skid Row during the summer of 2016. Not pleasant and not forgettable.

Tiny houses for the homeless

[VIDEO] The video I'm sharing with you was shown over at E.M. It showed one man's attempt at alleviating the homeless problem in Los Angeles. He calls them houses I call them sheds and these are structures which often are on the sidewalk or on a street. Well there isn't a private property to places these structures on.

Let me level with you, I have the absolute worst expectations of homeless people. My current job has odd hours that includes being on the CTA L in the early morning hours and often - especially during winter - the homeless are stretched out on the train sleeping. I don't like it, but how much resources are going to be dedicated towards keeping them off of CTA trains?

So this struggling musician you see here being interviewed, I support his own grassroots efforts to help the homeless of LA. For those who appreciate these small houses it gave them something. Problem is the city officials wanted to rebuff this solution to the point where the personal effects of these individuals were seized with these houses and no opportunity to collect them.

Last summer one part of my vacation was spent in this area known as Skid Row. I even have a picture of it and will show you below. I was at an Los Limousines bus station waiting to ride to Las Vegas. It was a patently unpleasant experience with the smell of urine in the air. On the other hand really sad to see so many people out on the streets in such a prosperous city as Los Angeles

What I will say regarding this issue is that if I could, my goal would be the provide resources so that we can provide these houses for homeless people in any city. Preferably on vacant lots not on streets and sidewalks. Hopefully we can provide those individuals with the services they need to improve their lot.

I watched 60 Minutes Sunday night

[VIDEO] I saw the most recent edition of 60 Minutes when it aired. I really enjoyed the story about the investigation into the life and death of artist Vincent van Gogh. Tonight however I wanted to share the whole episode that in fact started with the life of two homeless families. There was no way it could be justified to favor one story over another.

Both stories are very sad but surely both stories have something that everyone could relate to. Even if you can relate to a homeless family hopefully you can still find ways to help them out. Even if you couldn't relate to a troubled dead artist hopefully you can still relate to him in some way and even find a museum where his art work is located. And even still you can help support a struggling living artist today who hopefully can prove themselves to have the stature of a van Gogh in the future.

So here's all 42 minutes of that edition of 60 Minutes. Feel free to sound off!

35 Ways You Can Help the Homeless

I'll be honest I tend to just not respond to the homeless. Just have my ideas about some of them mainly that they beg and offer nothing else. Perhaps I don't trust them.

Well this list gives me something to consider. If the homeless begs who's to say I have to give them money. Could always offer a donation to a local homeless shelter. At that I could always offer them some information that could help them get off the streets. Ultimately that would be what I would like to see. Not sure standing on the streets looking for a handout is what will get them off the streets.

Let me also be honest I don't know much about how they got to where they are or what their backgrounds are. All the same I would never offer money, but certain offer them something that I take for granted such as food.

Via Chicago News Bench.

From NBA glory to homeless shelter

This article is via Newsalert.

Gentlemen if you're looking at a sports career I would advise you to consider other means of making living beyond basketball in case your career doesn't turn out the way you thought it would. If you're not careful and you don't save your money you might not be living the high life you thought you would. In an extreme case you could be homeless.

When I saw this story I first though about former Chicago Bulls player Bob Love. Of course his only disability was his stuttering. His wife didn't want to be with a man who can't talk. He went from a basketball player to working in a cafetria. Of course both the man in the article and Mr. Love comes from an era before NBA players were signed to millionaire contracts.

Once the tables have been moved out of the way and the floor has been mopped, Joe Pace grabs a tan mattress off a stack, slides it into a corner and beds down at the Family and Adult Service Center on Third Avenue.

His feet hang over the edge of the mat, so he rolls up a blanket to support them. He shares the room with 60 people. He pays $3 a night for this privilege.

Thirty years ago next month, Pace slept in one of Seattle's finest hotels, though he can't remember which one, as a visiting pro basketball player for the Washington Bullets, sharing in an NBA championship won in this city at the expense of the Sonics.

A snack bar, room service and chocolate left on the pillow are no longer an option for this 6-foot-10 man, who is homeless in Seattle.

"Sometimes I don't want to wake up, I'm so sad," he said. "Sometimes I wake up crying and say, 'What did I do to be like this?' "

Instead of becoming a millionaire, Pace, 54, frequents the Millionair Club, another downtown facility for the destitute that provides meals and job leads. He sits at the front door as a security guard from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., wearing a gold badge and clutching a black walkie-talkie. He performs this chore more for something to do than as a source of income, regularly limping outside for cigarette breaks.

Pace spends the rest of his afternoons riding on buses, using a disabled passenger pass he bought for $8. He is afforded this right because he has degenerative disks in his back and is in need of surgery he can't afford on both knees. He takes trips to Woodinville and Tacoma, simply to kill time.

Then it's back to his homeless shelter. Pace usually is asleep by 8:30 or 9 p.m.

"NBA players are all looked at as millionaires, but a lot of guys back in those days didn't make it, and Joe is one of them," said Zaid Abdul-Aziz, a former Sonics forward. "The image of them as big, opulent people isn't always true. They take a fall sometimes."

Of all the things Pace longs for, the simple pleasure of soaking in a hot bathtub ranks near the very top. There have been the rare moments when he has paid for a hotel room just to turn on the water and give his aching, middle-aged body some needed relief. It beats the homeless shelter showers he considers risky at best in regards to good hygiene, especially when barefoot.

For that matter, he doesn't shake hands or exchange high-fives anymore with people he encounters in a similar situation, and he's friendly enough. Repeated colds and congested lungs have forced him to adopt this policy. Fist bumps are much healthier.

"That hand could have 5,000 germs on it," he said unapologetically.

Go read the whole thing and then look at the young man at your life and bring him back down to earth with this story.

Los Angeles

I was out of town for eight days. I left last Tuesday and it took me about a day and a half to get to LA by train. I just have to say after taking the bus so often to school that I've missed taking the train. That's a whole other topic however.

I've taken some video even. As soon as I can get a handle on this vlogging craze I'd like to share some with you. There is one thing I failed to get video of...

We went into a part of LA with a rather large homeless population. I could call them shanty towns because it's not uncommon to see tents on sidewalks all over LA. It's really sad when you think about it. I truly believe homelessness is a choice though I am sure most have had hard luck but that is another question. As with most other cities particularly the city I'm most familiar with (Chicago), progress is definitely creeping up on the homeless and the poor. In any case we were there looking for a relative who had been known to hang in that area.

Also my family was there for a family reunion. There were only a handful of us there and that's because California is an expensive proposition for many in my family. Of course there are those who didn't really want to go anyway or they may have small children or they may have been elderly. Then again there are many who are hard pressed with money.

I'm rather looking forward to my next Sunshine State getaway but that won't be for some time. I was nine when I went out there last and I barely remember that. I hope I'll get other opportunities. Besides there are other sites to see in not only LA, but San Diego, San Francisco, and even Oakland. We'll have to see.

In any case I'm sure I have some catching up to do. I have a few ideas to play around with so in the next few weeks I'm going to put them to press here. In the meanwhile this'll be it for today. Hopefully I can do some posting tomorrow.

Oh yeah if you guys want to know if I have updated you can utilize this feed. Hopefully you either have My Yahoo! or even My MSN. Or you can utilize some of these programs which allow you to read the various blogs out there.