Ground zero of the resistance at the state level, California is the biggest, wealthiest and most powerful state. This really tweaks trump (who was about as welcome here this week as vermin) and drives his obsession with us.
I do think San Francisco needs to take a harder look at street homelessness in the City, which has gotten worse since the tech explosion a few years ago and related population increase far out of proportion to available housing. For that matter, so should Mountain View, where working homeless live in campers and cars lining street after street after street in the shadow of Google. Perhaps they will now be spurred to act, to avoid a battle that will only make things worse.
4
He should go to downtown Houston and declare the same
2
Somebody should start a go fund me site to buy this man a straight jacket. We all would be safer if he is restrained until we can elect a new President.
4
My neighborhood of single-family homes and small (2-3-story) apartment buildings has been working- and middle-class for over a century. New 4-5-story apartment buildings are going up within 3 blocks in every direction. If you want to call us NIMBYs, then you'll have to tell me how many new units are being built within 3 blocks of YOUR home. Otherwise, you are an ignorant hypocrite.
I and most of my neighbors work to provide needed services to the people of SF (including further upgrades to our storm sewer system), and many others develop and deliver new technologies that the world ravenously consumes. There is not enough land here for a supply-side solution to housing prices.
One solution would be to enforce existing laws against anti-competitive behavior (including hiring), and to find ways of encouraging new enterprises in less crowded communities, where there's room for healthy development. I and my neighbors would have no objection if the next new success story was in your town instead of ours. Nor if our 75 billionaires had their taxes doubled or tripled to pay for infrastructure, healthcare and education improvements nationwide.
What's needed is a coast-to-coast coalition of working people dedicated to freeing up the multi-trillion-dollar cash-hoard of the billionaire class and circulating it through the real economy. The working people of SF are not your enemy.
6
From day to day, we cannot believe anything our fascist dictator says. I no longer know what is truth and what is fiction when Trump talks. He has created problems around the world. Mr Trump's economy is a false one, because his economy creates a yearly deficit of approximately one trillion dollars.
I don't understand how the Republican party can support Trump. He is a catastrophy and cannot get along with anyone.
Mr. Trump needs to be impeached, removed from office and locked up in jail.
2
So, Trump is trolling Democrats about homelessness. Wait until he discovers that the entire Trump clan will be homeless as of Jan. 2021.
At this point, Trump's doing about as well as Vermin Supreme who's platform of zombie apocalypse awareness and time travel research is pretty much Trump's as well. He also promised a free pony for every American -- much less expensive than Trump's wall.
The headline is misleading. The US is not fining San Francisco. TRUMP is fining San Francisco.
2
Interesting, especially since the same problems exist to varying degrees in big cities throughout the nation. And some believe, that many of them solve their homelessness problems by offering a one-way ticket to California, Portland, Seattle, or even Honolulu, in lieu of jail time for vagrancy or petty theft. San Francisco and LA are ground zero for homelessness- created and thriving from Republican led trickle down economics- an epic failure.
4
Has Mr. Trump been to DC, Austin, or Miami? Homelessness is not just a California problem, it is an American problem. Let's not pit state against state, but come up with real solutions for the good of all of us.
5
With all the police officers becoming very sick, as Trump says they have been doing, fact-checking can probe the truth of the situation quite easily. I’ll give it long shot odds for being true. What does the police union have to say about this? Has it been discussed in city council meetings?
It smells like this is all to do with Trump posturing over San Francisco's NRA resolution and the state of California's policy challenges to his administration's environmental rollbacks.
Whichever party you support, let's make sure n 2020 to get a president back in the White House that won't make up 'facts' to solve their personal grudges.
5
How I wish Trump & Co. could actually solve such a heartbreaking reality as homelessness, e.g. through constructive dialogue, effective problem solving, and true caring - instead of accusing or blaming, and worse yet insulting and politicizing.
5
He’s actually right: I live in San Francisco and in the last few years there’s been truly unsanitary conditions on the sidewalks on account of the drug addicts who live on the street.
8
Trump is just trying to slow tourism to San Francisco, which is San Francisco's major industry although tech is certainly making a big dent since the great recession. In any case, as a resident of a nice neighborhood in San Francisco and despite the nearby homelessness, I feel blessed to live in a friendly and compassionate environment and continue to welcome tourists whose presence means that those of us who live here always have something interesting and fun to do.
San Francisco Bay Area residents often discuss the homelessness problem both as a selfish "who wants to see them" issue and as a compassionate "no one should have to live like that" issue. The principle question comes down to, "Where will they go?" If you are drug-addicted or schizophrenic/delusional, you have limited ability to help yourself. If you are jobless or earn so little you can't afford housing, a tent starts to look like home compared to commuting several hours per day. Without the old Bedlam-like mad houses that used to exist--where they locked up the chronically mentally ill and threw away the key--what are the present alternatives people are willing to pay for?
A large swath of central San Francisco is more or less reserved for people with limited resources in the so-called Tenderloin and nearby. It's hard to fill your car with gasoline at the Chevron/Standard station on Van Ness Avenue without being harassed by someone, and these aren't even necessarily the truly homeless. (...continued)
2
The history of this problem goes way back. See
https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/30/science/how-release-of-mental-patients-began.html
So How We Got Here
1) Prior to the 1960s, man people with serious mental illnesses (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) were institutionally confined to mental hospitals/asylums. The conditions of and care offered in the hospitals were often poor, and frequently inhumane. They were also expensive for the state.
2) Towards the end of the 50s, new medications for psychiatric illness were emerging from the pharmaceutical industry's development pipeline. Aware of the terrible conditions within state psychiatric wards, some psychiatrists
believed that a new model involving "community care" with medication would be better for patients and cheaper for the state.
3) In addition, a combination of libertarian and counter-culture ideology worked to eliminate laws that permitted involuntary institutionalization.
4) So in a weird confluence of interests: by politicians who wanted tax cuts, psychiatrists who wanted better treatment for patients, and social ideologues who wanted "freedom" for the mentally ill, CA closed down the "snake pits" hospitals and released patients into community care.
5) Predictably: community care was underfunded. And medications didn't work that well.
6) Add Prop 13's side-effects was to radically reduced the liquidity of real estate in the Bay Area.
7) Add"high tech" (really the finalization of everything)
3
San Francisco has some of the highest standards and toughest regulations when it comes to the environment.
We are not even in the top 5 cities with the most homeless. Trump’s home town of NYC has the honor of being #1 and his current city of residence is #6, ahead of San Francisco. This is pure subterfuge for his own disasters environmental record. And payback to a liberal city who doesn’t support him. Shameful!
2
A real president would be setting her EPA's priorities on addressing the loss of over 30% of our country's total bird population over the last fifty years that's being reported today, not using them as his hired goons to break a city's kneecaps in a petty personal grudge.
1
Writing articles in the manner this is written validates that these comments are even in the atmosphere of sensible or debate worthy. It is a preposterous assertion he is making and should be treated as such. How about writing nothing until he actually does something? He has proven repeatedly that his bombastic statements are without merit and we should stop repeating his incoherent drivel as it is a waste of all our time. Homelessness is a real problem with dire consequences to those experiencing it, not a talking point for politicians to divide us more. Please stop participating in helping him divide us.
Might the VA and federal agencies be a source for the needles that the President claims are in our waters? Might they come from the suburbs? Can he prove that it is SF that is the cause of the problem, if it exists? Can he track pollution levels by proximity to source? Of course not.
It doesn’t make any difference, there are too many homeless people in San Fran. I understand, from visiting homeless in NJ and I am part of many that do help them with portable heaters, food and warm clothing. These people feel they no longer need to live and choose to live amongst those who feel the same way.
There are many that live in their cars too. This happens where housing is too expensive and mental and emotional help is not available.
2
(..continued from prior post) They are often people living in old so-called single room occupancy apartments in the Tenderloin that are reserved for them by law. When you bring up clearing the destitute out of San Francisco by opening the Tenderloin for gentrification and setting up inexpensive housing elsewhere with continuous shuttles downtown to retain accessibility for the people who live in these imaginary neighborhoods, people balk because of NIMBYism. I don't blame them. It's tough to see the suffering—especially next door. These imaginary communities would have to be so far away they'd be out of almost everyone's view. Better from most perspectives (apparently) to keep the destitute concentrated where you can avoid them if you don't walk or drive those streets. Used needles and sidewalk human waste may be a problem, although I have never encountered the former and only once encountered the latter; however, the Marina Times just reported a shoot-out at 6th and Market, which is a much more dangerous problem if true.
(...continued in further post)
2
Trump names a cheerleader for pollution and environmental destruction as head of the EPA, and then complains about San Francisco's homeless? This is a joke, right?
8
How ironic! Trump, who is rolling back clean water regulations
now wants to cite SF with water pollution. This is pure vindictiveness aimed at his ever shrinking base.
6
The unmitigated gall of our poor excuse for a human being (sitting in the white house) daring to judge San Franciscans for environmental violations, when he, himself, has done all in his power to deny climate change and defy all remedies to the problem. As the days go on, it is simply beyond comprehension that even a fat bully like trump can seemingly flaunt the very rules we need to survive over and over again until we simply cannot believe anyone could be so evil.
6
As usual, DJT is repeating misinformation he has seen on Fox News which has created a image of San Francisco, the Bay Area and California as a hellhole that no one would want to live in when the opposite is the case. Most of the problems are because too many people want to live here including the wealthiest and the poorest.
It has been decades since I have found a needle on the streets or in the parks where I go everyday. There are a few blocks near City Hall and near the large convention center that include a persist problem with 'undesirables' of all kinds that no one likes to see and certainly doesn't make a good impression on the tourists who only see those few blocks. One does not have to go far into the many wonderfully diverse neighborhoods to see why so many people make great sacrifices to stay here. You will not find out about them on Fox News or hear about them from DJT. There is not much that can be done for folks who only watch Fox News and ignore reality.
5
Trump is correct about how horrific the homeless situation is in parts of SF, including the anecdote of needing to step over passed out people to enter offices at trendy startups.
While his approach is cynical and unhelpful, so are the Democrats in charge. This is a problem they’ve failed to solve over decades and they continue to offer up the same tired solutions which fall flat due to lack of creativity and accountability.
13
Trump owms 30% of the former Bank of America building on California St. in SF. It looks like he's much more concerned about the value of his investment than he is about those who have the misfortune to be homeless and vulnerable. There is not an iota of compassion from Trump or Carson. Both men only have eyes for the 1%.
6
So easy to solve the homelessness problem. Just give people a home to live in. Each homeless person gets to have a one bedroom apartment for free to live in. Employ social workers, counselors and therapists to assist them. for those particular homeless people who don't want to live in a building, set up homeless camps for them to live in that have sanitary facilities, cooking areas, and durable tents to live in.
Is it really that difficult to provide alternatives for people who are otherwise sleeping on the sidewalks?
5
Beware of President Trump's masterful behavior. He is always playing to increase his base and focus it on himself. One of his tricks is to publicly command action that is already in the works. (He takes all the credit for Obama's work on saving the economy, for example, including a corporation's returning thousands of jobs to the US only days after Trump's election--remember that? He takes credit for massive weapons sales to the Saudi's that had already been accomplished.. and on and on.) After dropping this bomb in San Francisco on several categories of his enemies at once, as is typical he leaves the scene, leaves the issue hanging, and people scrambling to deal with the fallout. He never get's called out on this or anything else. Again, beware.
3
You might have mentioned that Trump wants to reduce Federal spending on affordable housing. Totally typical.
There's been chatter from this administration about rounding up the homeless, the point, obviously, being to move them out of sight.
Yes it's a real problem. No he's not offering any solutions.
14
Everyone knows cities everywhere in the US have homeless problems. Maybe Trump should work to fix the American homeless problem rather than trying to punish a state or city. Trump could donate some of his wealth to fix this problem in either Washington, DC, or New York City, both of which have big homeless problems.
4
So this is not the first incident of medical dumping ending up in the water. Think this makes the case for needle centers so they can be disposed of properly. Still this is not a made in CA problem. Are all the States going to be subjected to environmental fines. CA has 40 million people living there.
3
Unfortunately, homeless shelters are used only during sleeping hours. Then people are ousted. What is needed are permanent housing for low income families, maybe SROs for singles.
4
Wondering why no one suggests these people move out of over priced cities to somewhere that they can afford to live and work. That's what working class people have to do.
8
Therefore basically handing ownership of our great cities over to the very wealthy? No, no, no! Let the rich people move. Their wealth affords them an abundance of options others do not have. Do not just step aside while the super rich continue to buy the country out from under the rest of us. Do not go quietly . . .
4
Please read up on the issue of homelessness in California. Many people have jobs and still can't afford a home.
2
Good grief. Trump cares nothing about the environment unless it involves destroying his predecessor’s legacy and pandering to the fossil fuel industry. If he really cared about addressing homelessness in our big cities, which is reaching crisis proportions, he would work with the mayors and governors of those states to advocate for funding to address the root causes of addiction, lack of access to mental healthcare and treatment facilities, and economic displacement.
2
I agree San Francisco has many problems these days. So does LA for that matter. But for Trump to claim he cares about polluting our oceans when he wants to open up vast swaths of our coastal waters to oil drilling, and he’s rescinding every climate protection regulation he can get his tiny little hands on, is the pinnacle of hypocrisy. He doesn’t care one bit about the oceans or the so-called homeless “polluters”. He cares about homelessness only because the homeless are hanging around in the doorways of exclusive, expensive buildings (presumably with “Trump!” etched on them someplace) and scaring the rich people.
7
Half of the 550 K homeless population of the USA is in California .
That is close to 300 K people.
California is receiving all the homeless from all the USA .
There were some documented cases where homeless people were sent away by other states to California by free buses by states that did not want to deal with them anymore .
Buses that drop them in Santa Monica .
3
We had planned to visit SFO on Fall break, but we decided to go elsewhere. Friends who did visit there recently were shocked at the situation. Here, again, we have a Dem city that has gone to ruin. It's a shame!
4
@J. G. Smith
I am heading out the door to the grocery store. Walking through Golden Gate Park, past museums, botanical gardens, folks boating on Stowe Lake, manicured lawns, trees and more trees. Hope to avoid a stop at one of many tasty bakeries en route. You’re right, it’s a total disaster of a city.
4
@J. G. Smith Actually, here again we have an example of the effects of foolish and failed economic policies of the right; as well as their gleeful ongoing reduction in aid to those in need (unless they are corporate entities).
Clearly, San Francisco has issues any city would as a result of a rapid shift in economic base and population growth and clearly coastal California has an issue with the migration of people shut out of the economy to climates where they need not worry about dying of exposure.
Yes, we have problems relating to drugs and mental illness and little access to federal funds gone towards foolish policies.
But the last thing we need are a bunch of fresh and vindictive lies from a president who makes lying his greatest accomplishment.
3
then maybe trump shouldn't gut HUD nd work on the mass inequality that his tax cut exacerbated.
San Francisco is. beautiful city and wont miss you
2
This is a distraction. ‘Don’t look at me and my problems, look over there.’ It’s what-aboutism at its finest. He didn’t offer any solutions except to make the homeless disappear. It’s better for real estate values, one of the few things he knows anything about. He’s also got no solution for his recent self-inflicted Mideast problems, so again it’s all about distraction.
Trump is more worried about impeachment than homelessness, and is typically going on offense. Corey Lewandowski has set the template for behavior during his recent ‘testimony,’ and Trump wants Dems playing defense on multiple fronts. As an aside, House Dems should use their inherent contempt powers by detaining and fining recalcitrant witnesses citing phony privileges. They should also use professional counsel as the centerpiece of their interrogation efforts.
Homelessness has risen with income inequality and particularly after the Great Recession. Mental illness, substance abuse, and family dysfunction compounded the problem. Democratic cities are not responsible for the causes, but to the extent they provide social services and tolerate homeless within city limits, they encourage the homeless to congregate there. And I guarantee wealthy enclaves in the Bay Area don’t provide much in services other than encouragement to move on to the next town.
Trump doesn’t know anything about homelessness or its solutions, and his ‘EPA’ is too busy deregulating polluting industries to worry about used needles.
5
Is he kidding with this? The day he announces he is stripping CA of its right not to pollute its own air, he also declares intent to issue San Fran with an EPA violation?
6
@Lex He is not kidding. It is an irony that both he and his "base" are unable to see.
3
Of course we are hanging our heads in shame at the behavior of this person. We can't get rid of him fast enough, and have to realize that when we do there will be a long and painful process of cleaning up his messes, if that's even possible. We do have to recognize, though, that the housing situation in the Bay Area is partly historic (I'm old enough to remember trying to walk through the Haight-Ashbury in the late 60's) and even more the result of the tech bros greed and arrogance. Trump is seizing unscrupulously on an opportunity in this case, not manufacturing one out of whole cloth as he normally does.
2
This is Trump punishing a state that has not "treated him nicely". This is Trump being his usual vindictive self, throwing his considerable weight around, and using the office of the presidency in a vastly inappropriate way, proving once again that he has no business being the leader of our nation. That he is using the EPA to inflict punishment is rich - by revoking policies new and old meant to protect us from environmental hazards and climate change (which he stubbornly refuses to acknowledge), HE himself should be found in "serious violation".
5
During the last few years when I travel, I often meet people who comment on how run down San Francisco has become. This is odd for two reasons. First, I would never say, within minutes of meeting someone, how decrepit their hometown has become. Why would I say that?! It is presumptuous and rude. Second, this anti-coastal city campaign is a manipulated narrative, not presenting the big picture. I have lived in San Francisco for decades and overall the city has become safer and cleaner. Yes, coastal cities have issues due to rapid growth; that is the nature of urban areas. Clearly President Trump and like-minded pundits are spreading misleading information for political purposes. Anyone can take a picture of a trash anywhere and circulate it as representing that community. Why do people fall for this propaganda?!
We would like to know what President Trump proposes to do about homelessness. He doesn’t believe in regulations and social services because that is socialism. Perhaps he could put the homeless in cages and/or send them back where they came from. Based on his life’s work, this president has neither moral nor professional authority to address the welfare of American cities.
5
@Jane
"We would like to know what President Trump proposes to do about homelessness."
Fromm what little he has said specifically it look as if he wants to build "facilities to put them in" which sounds suspiciously like detention camps. We know his peers would love an additional source of very cheap labor and the homeless as prisoners seems to suit that well. They get stored away at night, and sent out to sweep streets or whatever during the day for slave wages while kept docile on drugs to "treat" them.
A Republican/Calvinist/Libertarian dream.
4
The rich, and complicit corporations, are disgusted by the site of homeless people! They believe they are entitled to not have to look at, or acknowledge, such things. People whom THEY have made homeless. This didn't start a couple of years ago, it started with Ronald Reagan, 40 years ago. Get rid of tRump and adopt candidates, and steps, that will increase justice in our country. We must stop sweeping our problems under a rug, and take care of every American who needs help. The right-wing will not be happy until every homeless person, every poor person, is dead and gone.
3
"SF’s appalling street life repels residents — now it’s driven away a convention" [1] (2018).
The convention driven away was an unnamed medical convention.
The city and the state needs to solve the housing crisis which is the cause of many other problems.
The zoning density restrictions that exist create an politically induced scarcity of land which results in higher housing costs. This in turn, requires that people commute longer in order to get to work thus creating more greenhouse gases.
These zoning density restriction benefit billionaire landlords such as Donald Trump the most. Thus the irony that California legislatures and people like them who hate Trump are most responsible for an increased magnitude of his wealth.
People also spend much more than suggested 30% of income on housing which causes additional stress and health effects.
Besides correcting the zoning density restrictions that cause artificial scarcity and higher housing prices, another major cause of the lack of affordable housing is the number of illegal immigrants in the state. Enforcing existing e-Verify laws for employment (which ensure that job applicants are legally allowed to work in the US) would make a substantial difference in allowing for additional affordable housing.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/SF-s-appalling-street-life-repels-residents-13038748.php?psid=nI00u#photo-15404073
4
Imagine if EMPLOYERS were criminally charged for hiring individuals without proper documentation or using the systems provided by the govern to verify citizenship or whether the individual holds the proper work visa. Doing so would make prosecution both more efficient and cost effective and it would serve as a far more meaningful deterrent to the employment of those who do not hold the proper papers.
1
Did he even visit San Francisco? It was my understanding he spent a few hours in the Bay Area and most of it was in Atherton.
3
Using the power of his office to punish his political enemies.
2
You don't have to like Trump to realize that the homeless problem and housing crisis in California has nothing to do with him. It's the fault of rich progressive NIMBYs who restrict development. Even though Trump is a sleazy liar, he's built more than one apartment building which is more to help house people that all these angry commenters.
3
@Peter
Those developers here who don't want to build affordable housing are not progressive. Your imagination does not create reality.
And to a certain extent it is his fault as some of those denied services by the Trump administration funding cuts have been forced into homelessness.
Cuts in SNAP benefits,
Increasing numbers of uninsured,
Now there are increasing numbers losing jobs as a result of tariffs.
As for "restricted development", zoning has changed in SF allowing more vertical development. But Developers are NOT progressive and the federal government does not like the idea of regulations that require units not "luxury" or "market rate" to be built.
3
@Peter
Those developers here who don't want to build affordable housing are not progressive. Your imagination does not create reality.
And to a certain extent it is his fault as some of those denied services by the Trump administration funding cuts have been forced into homelessness.
Cuts in SNAP benefits,
Increasing numbers of uninsured,
Now there are increasing numbers losing jobs as a result of tariffs.
As for "restricted development", zoning has changed in SF allowing more vertical development. But Developers are NOT progressive and the federal government does not like the idea of regulations that require units not "luxury" or "market rate" to be built.
And come on now! Though Trump has certainly built apartment buildings, they have only been for the very rich, and h has a record, with his father, of not renting to people of color. Not accusations, a record. As for his son in law, you need only look to your local publications to see what a slum lord he is. Trump (and Kushner) are hardly part of the solution and in no position to opine on the problem.
2
'He added that when world leaders come to an American city, they should not see homeless people. “They’re riding down a highway, they can’t be looking at that,” he said. “I really believe that it hurts our country.”'
This is a truly warped perspective about humanity and respect for all Americans.
Obviously Mr. Trump would prefer to live in an oligarchy...
... perhaps he should consider moving. 😊
5
“ They’re in total violation — we’re going to be giving them a notice very soon,” the president said, indicating that the city could be put on notice by the Environmental Protection Agency within a week that its homelessness problem was causing environmental damage. "
Instead of offering a real solution to a genuine issue of homelessness, Trump continues his bully tactic and turns it into a mockery.
We should file a complaint to Environmental Pollution Agency for Trump's mouthful, filthy, toxic message have contaminated and poisoned the environment, atmosphere and airway. They cause anxiety and mental stress to its citizens throughout the nation on a daily basis.
Vote on Nov 3, 2020.
2
“ They’re in total violation — we’re going to be giving them a notice very soon,” the president said, indicating that the city could be put on notice by the Environmental Protection Agency within a week that its homelessness problem was causing environmental damage. "
Instead of offering a real solution to a genuine issue of homelessness, Trump continues his bully tactic and turns it into a mockery.
We should file a complaint to Environmental Pollution Agency for Trump's mouthful, filthy, toxic message have contaminated and poisoned the environment, atmosphere and airway. They cause anxiety and mental stress to its citizens throughout the nation on a daily basis.
Vote on Nov 3, 2020.
2
Among the very worst things Trump’s doing—and he’s piling up quite the list of gawdawfulness—there’s the way that he’s teaching the mouth-breathers that anything anybody says or tries to do about the fixing the environment, or homelessness, or our cities, is just a clever trick.
They already think it’s cute to wave guns around, yack about Second Amendment remedies, blat about international Climate Change Conspirators, scream at anybody who sees the world differently, and so on.
Now, they’re starting to add turning any and every moral precept, or attempt at remedies, or idea, or whatever, into just another clever little thing you do to get what you want.
This is nihilism, folks. Charlie Sykes was right: the only stable belief is, burn it all down, and grab what you can.
What Trump wants is simple: re-election. Then, mo’ money and power. He really doesn’t care how, or what the consequences might be. And too many on the Left are gonna help him, by refusing to so much as vote, by writing in Jill Stein’s name, by attacking WHOEVER the nominee is.
What they don’t get is that they’re becoming Trump.
2
What's next? Trump directing HUD to negotiate a nuclear agreement, and putting Carson on the next plane to Tehran?
1
“Something must be done before it is too late,” he added. “The Dems should stop wasting time on the Witch Hunt Hoax and start focusing on our Country!”
Pot calls all kettles black, while insisting he's the only orange one around.
In the meantime, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which is supposed to co-ordinate activities about the problems, is currently on the third ACTING Director - yet another example of the President's temp-staffing approach to running the Executive Branch. It's not like Moscow Mitch would slow approval of an actual full-time Director.
2
"San Francisco’s mayor, London Breed, called Mr. Trump’s comments “ridiculous.”
“To be clear, San Francisco has a combined sewer system, one of the best and most effective in the country, that ensures that all debris that flow into storm drains are filtered out at the city’s wastewater treatment plants,” Ms. Breed said in a statement Wednesday night. “No debris flow out into the bay or the ocean.”"
This is just a total lie, but of course, never challenged. The combined sewer system in San Francisco is designed to filter out sewage before discharge in the bay or ocean in moderate rainfall events, but heavy rainfall produces overflow events that overwhelm the system and result in discharge into the ocean. In fact, "the current system is designed such that overflows to the bay or ocean now occur on average one to ten times per year, depending on the rainfall and the watershed."
http://explore.museumca.org/creeks/1690-OBSFSewers.html
Is it too much to ask for the media to call out public officials, who happen to be "progressives," when they like blatantly? Or does that rule only apply to Trump?
4
I am glad that we are at least talking about the homeless problem. It is not a question of poverty. Poor people need money or jobs. Homeless people need social and health services. They can’t take care of themselves. It is time to rebuild our in-patient mental health facilities and get these people off the streets. Why don’t our cities enforce their existing vagrancy laws to get homeless people into treatment facilities. If we don’t have enough treatment facilities, build more.
9
You are equating homelessness to mental illness? Yes, it's an issue, but a minor one at best.
How about affordable education for work skills, affordable housing, affordable transportation, affordable child care?
Open your eyes.
1
People living on the streets in San Francisco is nothing new. I lived there during the 1980s as a result of employment transfer from New York. It was bad then but not to the extent it is today. There were no tents and the homeless were concentrated in a area called the Tenderloin. San Francisco being a tolerant city with good weather attracted these people. Something needs to be done.
4
Although I am entirely sympathetic to the problem of homelessness in California and elsewhere, as a retired EPA attorney, I must question the basis for issuance of a Notice of Violation to the City of San Francisco. Based upon Trump's comments, I presume he is talking about an NOV issued under the Clean Water Act. Such a notice must be based upon evidence of an unpermitted discharge. As Mayor Breed notes, debris such as hypodermic needles would be filtered out at the water treatment plant. Could a occasional needle slip through? Possibly. However, in order to bring an enforcement action, EPA would need a water sample demonstrating such a violation or other credible evidence that such a violation occurred. Have EPA inspectors been collecting such samples or other credible evidence from the point of discharge? I suspect not.
16
Having lived in California all my life, I am horrified to see San Francisco in its present state. My grandparents settled there in the early 1900’s. Obviously the current policies are not working. Liberals have tried it their way and it’s only become worse. I am a long time Democratic supporter, but current policies are too far to the left. San Francisco has become a city of enablers. It is extremely sad to see it destroying itself. Many people I speak to are saddened and want to move away, tourists no longer want to visit. I believe in helping people but not to the point of a city destroying itself and forgetting it’s residents. Not everyone can afford to live in San Francisco. California cities should work with the federal government and find alternative areas here in the state to help house and treat the mentally ill. San Francisco and LA are over run. Continually enabling drug addicts who don’t want help won’t make addiction go away. They have to want to become sober. A city or state who enable without consequences will only attract more of the same.
9
A fine statement. Now please explain how levying environmental fines on San Francisco will help the problem you describe. That is the point of this article. And you must be joking if you think this Federal Government will work with CA to build shelters and mental health facilities.
2
@Melissa
And your remedy ?
1
Nowhere in CA is not expensive. That is why you are seeing the problems with homelessness. Also, you have good weather.
Grew up there myself but got tired of the high cost of living.
“In many cases, they came from other countries and they moved to Los Angeles or they moved to San Francisco because of the prestige of the city, and all of a sudden they have tents. Hundreds and hundreds of tents and people living at the entrance to their office building. And they want to leave.”
So the problem is that rich foreigners are offended, not that Americans are suffering. As always, the only issue for Trump is that there might be fewer buyers for his condos. It's impossible to exaggerate the extent to which the Presidency is nothing more than a tool to enhance his business prospects.
9
Developers like Trump who cater to the wealthy help create the homelessness problem. How many low income units has Trump built? How many drug rehab programs has he allocated money for? How about mental health services? Job works programs? It's true the US has a homelessness problem. And I am sure California with its warm weather takes the brunt of America's homeless from other states. But this has been a problem for easily 40 years when institutions began shutting down under Reagan and the budget for housing and community transitioning were severely cut. Where was Trumps concern then?
11
We do have a huge homelessness problem. But, Trump looks at it as an eyesore, whereas most people realize it's a humanitarian crisis. We have too many people, not enough affordable housing, and of course, a major problem is the drug related complications of the homeless. We have been trying to solve this problem for decades. Long Beach has been more successful than LA. Maybe we should try that in LA and SF.
9
So many things wrong - as usual - Trump accusing others of environmental violations? That's precious.
Trump attacking a state for its homeless problem? Homelessness is a national problem. The homeless migrate and California's warm weather is a natural draw. But the roots of the problem are national and require national solutions - which puts the issue on your doorstep.
We need solutions to the growing income inequality caused by low wages for workers while executives receive astronomical increases and shareholders increasing profits and dividends. The average wage over the last 50 years has barely kept pace with inflation and lagged far behind productivity growth. Workers' output increases but the wages do not. The minimum wage is less than half what it was approximately 50 years ago after adjustment for inflation. Mr. Trump, if you want to make American great again, why not push programs to help workers make higher wages?
Instead your signature achievement is a large corporate tax cut that helps the wealthy and exacerbates rather than helps with inequality; and contributes to huge Federal budget deficits now OVER $1 TRILLION PER YEAR. You are not making America great.
Most homeless people have problems, disabilities, medical issues, adjustment issues, lack of skills, and others. What have you done in the last 3 years to help them?
You added to homelessness with cuts in social services programs and funding for training, housing, medical treatment and others.
7
Environmental violations? Really? If Trump is so concerned about the environment, he should reverse himself and let California set its own CAFE standards, which are much more environmentally friendly than the federal standards. A child can see through his transparency.
5
Root Cause of worsening homeless: Trump.
He should be forced to live in the streets for a month.
"President Trump released his proposed FY 2020 ... Overall, the budget proposes to cut HUD by $9.6 billion or 18% below 2019.
"Like his other budget requests in FY18 and FY19, the proposal would reduce housing benefits for the lowest-income people by slashing federal investments in affordable homes, increasing rents, and imposing harmful work requirements on America’s struggling families. If enacted, the budget could leave even more low-income people without stable homes, undermining family stability, increasing evictions, and, in worst cases, leading to more homelessness.
9
President Trump is utilizing the environment to justifiably strike back against CA for all of the outrageous actions it has taken against his administration. Sounds OK to me and those of us who believe that CA feels it is a "country unto itself."
1
What outrageous actions? And also, thank you so much for admitting that Trump is levying fines, not to protect the environment or help the homeless, but strictly as revenge against a State he dislikes. Finally, an honest Trump supporter.
4
The housing crisis in California is sustained by a myriad of factors, but from my own personal eperience it is the heavy zoning, strict regulation, and the greed of landowners and developers who have contributed most to the problem. I graduated from an LA area high school 10 years ago, and not one of my former hometown friends or classmates has been able to fulfill the American Dream and buy a house. This is why I left, and many people I know are fleeing California. At least two people with 100k salaries are needed to afford to purchase a plain single family home. Housing in CA has become an investment and a gold mine, no longer can families purchase “starter” homes and carve out a slice of the American Dream in LA. Shame on City Officials for ignoring the problem. This has been the case for over a decade. Build affordable housing! The newest subdivision in my hometown of Ventura has set the min price at 750k- plus Mello-Roo tax as well. I moved to Reno, NV two years ago and here houses start at about 300k.
5
And...back in California; we believe the man has lost his mind. The man who believes rolling back regulations allowing farms and businesses to legally pollute the nation's waterways believes syringes magically bypass the city's grated drain system and float into the ocean...Believes he has authority to do whatever his warped imagination leads him to conclude.
Who is advising this man? Aren't there staff attorneys at the E.P.A. to advise him; has everyone given up just to watch the circus? Are we witnessing the implosion of a not-so-great mind? If so; let him proceed.
4
I have to ask myself, where does the GOP get these policy ideas where one day the president takes action against sound environmental policies of California and like minded states and then the next day cites practically non existent pollution in criticizing San Francisco. Does the GOP have dedicated resources to find ways to mock our laws?
4
So wait, San Francisco has about 8,000 persons homeless, but most are on the street, whereas New York City has about 60,000 homeless, mostly living in shelters. And President Trump focuses his attention on San Francisco. It seems that his concern is really the visibility of the homeless living in public spaces in San Francisco, and not the scale of the problem. Or is it just that Fox TV has recently focused on California’s homeless problem, and that they set the President’s worldview?
8
"In many cases, they came from other countries and they moved to Los Angeles or they moved to San Francisco because of the prestige of the city..."
I don't think homeless people chose their location based on prestige. The president knows--and cares-- even less about the homeless than he does about ordinary citizens. And that's a low bar.
3
This is like the pot calling the kettle black. Trump has no credibility at all. If he really cared about the "environment" he wouldn't be threatening San Francisco with environmental pollution, while revoking the stricter emissions rules. Personally, I'd rather see homelessness than breathe dirty air. I grew up in Southern California and can still smell and taste the brown smog which crept up into the foothills on most days. It is why I moved away when my first child was born. I moved to the East Bay Area where we could breathe. And, while I know and have seen the blight that homelessness causes, along with drug addiction, is horrible and a growing problem everywhere, not just in San Francisco, in many cases it reflects the pain and unfairness of the economic reality in America. As always, Trump is way off target.
4
Trump’s statement about California’s homeless shows he cares nothing about the root of the problem or the people affected. It’s all about the optics and those who might have to be burdened by the reality of the situation as it offends their senses. It is a farce that he cares about the impact if any homelessness has on the environment or the issue of drug addiction on the lives of these people.
3
Trump continues his attack and distract tactics. As he and the EPA attack California's ability to regulate automobile emissions and protect its climate, Trump simultaneously attacks California cities for having too many homeless people.
Such tactics are Trump's version of governance and presidential leadership.
May all Trump Hotels in America offer free accommodations to any homeless person who needs a home.
4
Rather than offer an actual solution to homelessness such funds for new homeless shelters, job training programs, drug counseling etc, Trump views homelessness as a mere eyesore that is hurting our cities economies that must be removed. His “assessment” is completely devoid of compassion and humanity. Should we expect differently from a guy who along with his father, was a slum lord in NYC?
No, instead of offering programs to help the homeless, most of whom are not illegal immigrants (most are not even from out of town,) Trump just wants them “cleaned up” like trash in the streets. His plan is to punish LA and SF with environmental fines. What a joke, turning the EPA, which has been completely gutted, against California, the state that has been the nation’s leader in setting air quality and clean water standards. We have to invent a better term than “irony” for that.
1
California also has the most temperate climate so homeless people flock to California from colder climates where they would freeze to death on the streets and be miserable in the heat and humidity outside in the summer.
3
Why isn’t he mentioning the homeless populations in Florida and Texas?
11
This from the man who is gutting the EPA and wants to reverse many environment-protection regulations. And notice the concern is not so much about health/security issues but optics.
23
Any donor in California that gave Trump money should be eminent domained on their properties and given a one way ticket to Alabama. Use their real estate for the homeless.
19
Ironic does not begin to describe this.
24
San Francisco is an example of the current economic system in our country where the elite rich have set up shop and driven out
everybody else. They've made it their own personal enclave yet they have this problem of dealing with these lowlifes. Do not fear
entitled elites, the struggling middle class of California, with our
high taxes, will fix it for you.
8
@cbarber Funny, 99% of the people in SF are not homeless, soooo, unless the remaining 872,000 people in SF are rich, I'm just not quite sure how you make the statistics fit the reality you are propagating.
If Trump's economy is so great, then why are there so many folks who are homeless? And this guy threatening SF with the EPA is so ridiculous. Trump wants to roll back clean water and air regulations and then has the nerve to cite EPA infractions against homelessness.
143
@Carl LaFong these people are not part of the economy. They don’t want to work, they just want to lie around all day and collect trash.
4
@Nino
That is simply ignoring the fact that almost everyone of the people in this situation are unemployable. Who can be expected to hire them or pay them when they are unable to take care of their most basic needs? It is not a matter of choice or desire. One has to look at what they are actually capable of doing and who would be willing to tolerate so much incapacity whether mental illness or physical addictions and diseases.
13
@Nino
Well, Nino, I think you are simply ignoring the causes of homelessness (job loss, catastrophic medical bills, etc.) so that you can make this absurd statement.
7
Since when does Trump care about the environment?
15
Ridiculous. I think Mr. Trump should visit my fine city of San Francisco. In fact, he should walk the streets and meet our fine people. He will be welcomed like he's never been welcomed before. He may never leave.
3
What a phony Trump is . He and the rich in America who own all the apartments can charge as much as they want and if we can’t pay it they have the backing of the full GOP to evict us. At least the Dems are for rent controls to stop this greedy Republican scourge to put more Dems on the street in tents . If we have no address we can’t vote.
7
Trump is what needs to be swept up and flushed into the ocean. He is doing his best to bring down this country and all of us will be worse off. Karma, although can't be proved, is real. This may sound like a small thing but the Monarch butterflies are rapidly diminishing. Sorry folks, life on this planet as we know it, cannot continue without insects. Vote this ignorant man out of office. Less homelessness, more butterflies, and clean air for all of us.
Putin is the guy that is winning. Vote.
11
Trump’s rant in California about the homeless is a joke! He needs to clean up New York first. Just visited and it is worse than LA or SF!
10
Ooh, maybe he’ll say something we’re all waiting for. Don’t turn away, you might miss it.
2
Do I just read it right? President Trump cares about environment?
9
How about Trump start by addressing homelessness literally at his doorstep in DC before he attacks other cities? Oh, the irony!
11
California has rightfully flaunted DT. The only issue involved is retribution for their perceived insubordination. Suddenly DT cares about the homeless, the ocean!? I think not......
11
Should we bring back the poor house?
2
Environmental violation? Seriously? Funny how Trump considers the homeless to be an environmental threat at the same time he's aggressively trying to weaken California's air quality standards.
Yet another example of the Trump administration's hypocrisy.
16
Trump won't be happy until CA secedes from the Union. Who knows, maybe that has been his goal all along.
2
@SuLee I'd love nothing more. Imagine what the rest of the country would do without all of the money California gives to the feds.
3
Our President is again coming up with helpful, positive solutions to another national problem.
I really appreciate that Trump is so constructive in dealing with issues and is always ready to help out. He offers pragmatic and realistic suggestions and works to entreat support and bring parties together, helping all work for practical solutions.
Trump's leadership style is truly extraordinary and unparalleled in the history of our country. He will not soon be forgotten but will be held up as an example for all that follow. I think - and hope - many future leaders will learn lessons from his example.
@Rocky I hope many voters will learn lessons in 2020.
1
The President is supposed to be for America, not punish huge parts of the country simply because he is insulted they don't worship him. Trump cares more about himself than the country, and happily proposes any policy that might hurt Americans if he thinks it will help his wallet or hurt his perceived enemies. His policies have more of an effect on the average American citizen than any foreign country. Congrats Mr. President, you have become more of a threat to Americans than Iran.
11
I can't believe I am agreeing with Trump on this one. San Francisco is a mess and our Board of Supervisors had better wake up to solving the problem.
9
@Gary
Income inequality / wealth disparity is not up to the SF BoS to solve.
1
@Gary ...and how will imposing environmental fines solve San Francisco's mess? Also, you do realize that the Trump Administration is reducing or eliminating fines imposed on industries who pollute the environment? Strange how he feels compelled to protect the environment by levying fines on a Blue, progressive, liberal, Democratic State.
1
Gary, All politics are local. And just what is your contribution to solving homelessness and addiction issues?
1
When has Trump cared about the environment OR the homeless? His pretend outrage is another dig at the liberal city of San Francisco. What about mental health, healthcare, and drug addiction among the homeless? Affordable housing? Childcare? DC has a big homeless population as well. Trump's "concern" is solely about himself.
11
There are 7,000 homeless in San Francisco. And the city plans to put up 1,000 beds.
I guess that leaves 6,000 still on the streets.
It is a deliberate choice not to provide housing for six thousand people. What're happened to all the SRO conversions if yesteryears. were they turned into Air BnBs?
2
When this goes to trial, the so-called president's administration will have to provide evidence to their charge.
Let's face facts folks, this so-called president lives through fantasy, not fact. It will be fun watching his team fabricate their evidence. I expect to see some photos with needles drawn in with a Sharpie.
12
Hey NY Times,
Do some serious digging. Even I can see some issues with this data.
First of all per capita or total number. You mention the most populous state having the highest number. That makes sense because it has the highest population. It doesn’t tell us anything.
Alaska has a very high homeless population per capita. Why?
California has Mediterranean climate so many people can live outside fairly comfortably for most of the year. We also tend to have a more giving society. We also tend to collect better data.
Do red states bus their problems? Do rich California counties give bus tickets to poor to head to SF? They used to do this in Monterey county and Carmel many years back. Do they still do it?
Do red states, republican liars, actually collect the data or fudge the numbers for appearances like their corrupt leader?
Housing costs and vacancies? Why so many vacancies in LA yet so many people unable to afford housing? Did Trumps rich donor buddies build massive real estate for the rich while claiming opportunity zones tax shelters?
6
@Mathias
"Alaska has a very high homeless population per capita. Why?"
I know. I know.
a) Because they don't count igloos as houses
b) When Alaskans are out camping, fishing, and hunting they are living in tents and counted as homeless
This is the most laughable argument trump has made so far. He doesn’t give a fig about pollution or environmental problems, unless one believes that making them worse by rolling back essential protections is good for the planet. Clean air, clean water, less dependence on oil, protection of public lands from drilling & etc, are all under attack by DJT. To him the problem is that you can see the homeless. If there was a place where he could warehouse them, he wouldn’t have to think about them at all, not that he does much of that in the first place.
10
Americans will be issuing their own 'Notice of Violation' on November 3rd, 2020 and we can't wait. Trump will finally be history and our country can start to really heal.
17
"He added that when world leaders come to an American city, they should not see homeless people. “They’re riding down a highway, they can’t be looking at that,” he said. “I really believe that it hurts our country.”
This callousness is breathtaking. What is wrong with this person's head? The sickest part is that he only discusses this because he wants to give a black eye to California because he thinks it plays well with his supporters. This is meant to appeal to the same kind of voter that jokes about wanting California to slide into the ocean and take the liberals with them. That's all it is about. Period.
9
This is hilarious. For once, I agree with Trump. San Francisco has let their homeless population run amok for too long.
3
That's rich, trump concerned about the environment.
9
In the ocean huh?
Well, I lived in SF for over 30 years and still go back to the bay area on a regular basis. And yes, with the warm weather, California is a magnet for homeless who don't want to freeze to dead in the winter.
However, I have never, ever, seen used needles in the ocean.
So once again, twittler lies with impunity.
6
Wow. The man whose gutting environmental laws and policies suddenly concerned about the environment. The hypocrisy is staggering.
13
If he doesn't want to see homeless people in the streets, he should make homelessness a crime, like Victor Orban did in Hungary (not a joke). This would push those people out into the woods, like wild animals. Problem solved!
1
I’d like more information about who he visits for these big fundraisers.
5
We have a lot of homeless people in our cities and so I feel I am somewhat qualified to state that the problem with homeless people is not their impact on the environment. We all have an impact on the environment but homeless people are generally consuming very low amounts of fossil fuels, they get to eat very little red meat, they are low consumers of single use plastics and they are not using many electronic devices. The more affluent we are the higher our consumption of these items tends to be and these are the things that have an outsize impact on the environment. Blaming homeless people for our environmental problems is just a political ploy and will do little to resolve the real issues that impact the environment and will do nothing to solve the societal problems that cause homelessness.
While Trump is blaming homeless people for our environmental problems his re-election campaign continues to sell single use plastic straws. Does he believe that these are good for the environment? He is also promoting the return of incandescent light bulbs and denying climate change and wanting to roll back emission and water pollution standards.
Who is the bigger threat to the environment?
9
Quite honestly it's very difficult to find anything positive to say about San Francisco anymore. Only harsh words for its wastewater treatment was actually paying the city a compliment.
Mr. Doe, It is patently obvious you know little — if anything — about San Francisco. I have lived here for 45 years raised a family and none of us will leave. There are a handful of other cities on the west coast I would live in; but the best is San Francisco.
This completes the evolution of the EPA into purely a political tool.
At some time in the future, when a progressive is elected President, the conservatives are going to rue this day. The current President has fully weaponized the EPA, when someone else holds power over that agency, that weapon will be deployed in a very different manner.
4
What ever happened to "let the market decide"
If homelessness was such an issue in SF, won't people get tired of it and leave? Won't the city be motivated to solve the problem themselves? Is it affecting property values? (Apparently not)
Having been to San Francisco, they do have an issue for sure. I am also guessing that the biggest pollutant from the homeless going into storm sewers is not needles.
1
Trump is undermining our nation’s environmental laws and safeguards on a daily basis. This latest swipe at San Francisco is not motivated by concerns regarding our environment. It’s part of his ongoing effort to undermine California...a state that will never support his tyranny or serial grifting.
5
Why can’t the municipal governments of cities like LA and SF put a stop to ever growing homeless encampments that threaten the health and safety of all who live, work, or visit? Sorry, when a government is incapable of enforcing ANY standards and allows municipal conditions to deteriorate to such a degree that deadly communicable diseases begin to thrive, that government needs to stand aside and let authorities unbound by politically correct angst restore order.
London and Tokyo have hugely expensive housing issues but you don’t see them putting up with people living on streets and sidewalks within tents, and defecating at will out in public. I live in a large city and thank goodness we don’t put up with that either. Why are so many on the left unwilling to say that certain behaviors and/or choices are simply unacceptable when those behaviors impinge on the health, safety, and quiet enjoyment of others?
5
Katie, your city — Atlanta — does not put up with it? Right, they kick out homeless people and “move them along.” And they move to San Francisco or LA. Take care of your own homeless folk and people in CA will not have to.
1
And we all know how concerned Trump is about the environment, clean water and ocean pollution.
Perhaps he should listen to Greta Thunberg’s advice and listen to the scientists.
2
California has a problem all right, and he's visiting the state right now. They could substantially clean up their environment by simply making him leave.
8
As usual, Trump makes a bold pronouncement with no substance. Here's a retort: if he is so concerned about the homeless, why not convert his golf courses (also a form of environmental blight) into shelters?
3
I see the homeless on the streets, in the parks and in the subway system. Frequently there is a bottle of booze visible. I see them on cellphones, smoking $15-a-pack cigarettes, many with costly tattoos.
It's not just that these people are poor, they have mental problems and they should be treated as such. I get it that there are Constitutional issues with rounding up people against their will but perhaps if we offered treatment in decent, humane facilities some would check it out and get on the right track to recovery.
6
@MIKEinNYC Again with the sweeping generalization about homelessness! People, please do a little research. "Those people" are not simply poor or suffer from mental health problems. There are so many factors that can combine to have someone find themselves living on the streets. Factors such as unemployment, underemployment, bankruptcy, accidents and illness - all of which have nothing to do with someone's "choice". Maybe if Amazon, Walmart, etc., actually paid taxes (and paid their employees a living wage), then states/cities might have more resources to help those that need it and there would not be so many that do need help.
2
This is such as bizarre claim from trump. My partner and I visited San Francisco last month and we were incredibly impressed at how clean the city is, especially given the news lately about the homeless problems in the Bay Area. We initially thought there would be homeless individuals and garbage everywhere which turned out to be not the case. San Francisco appeared just as clean and safe as any major Canadian city, or even better. Good luck to Californians in resisting trump.
4
@Ryan S.
They're fairly consolidated in a couple areas such as the Tenderloin, which are not on most tourists' itineraries.
1
The chickens are coming home to roost - in California cities. The abject failure of leftist, liberal policy is on full display in the Golden State. I especially liked the comment from California State Senator Scott Wiener about Trump's lack of knowledge of housing and homeless problems - Trump has forgotten more about housing and how to provide it than Scott Wiener and all of California gov't will ever know. The problem is California and how foolishly it's being governed not Donald Trump or the federal gov't. Trump knows this and so do many, many Californians whose frustrations will be manifested in coming elections. Changes coming to the "Promise Land".
1
Really?! So, is Trump giving himself an environmental violation for the car rules?
1
Well this is new. Concern for what we put into the environmental by Dopey Don? Until now this has been noticeably lacking.
1
Of course, the day after he decides to break California's nation-leading environmental protection regulations with the California Air Resource Board's ability to create stiffer air pollution regulations, he spouts lies about environmental violations due to needles being in our water? If Trump's administration wants to play the game of divide and conquer with states, punishing blue states with trumped up nonsense, that breaks the whole idea behind the union of states and our shared national bond.
2
Who is giving trump these ridiculous ideas, there is no way he could equate Environmental with needles flowing into the sea. Trump really doesn’t have anyone to rally against ( like Mueller ) he’s his own worst enemy and he is self exploding from within his head.
9
Mt. Environmental Crusader travels to CA to eliminate auto mileage standards and complain about used needles washing into the ocean! The irony too much even for a Trump supporter. Wait until you cannot breathe the air or drink your water.
12
By day, President Trump watches the world burn and melt. By night, he dons his superhero cape and fights cities with homeless problems ... in blue states.
13
Trump and his followers wrap themselves in the flag and suggest in some warped way that they are the standard criteria of patriotism. 9-12 percent of veterans are homeless. What are you doing about that Donnie? Not a damn thing, except using the problem as a cudgel against cities that disagree with his empty rhetoric. The man is a despicable human being.
36
Clean up the White House on November 3 2020. Criminal Trump needs to take his rightful place inside a courtroom then swiftly put behind bars for the rest of his pathetic life.
30
As a long term resident of San Francisco in the Haight Ashbury, my recollection is that homelessness exploded not long after Reagan became president. No surprise that when you shovel billions of dollars to the wealthy and squeeze everyone else, more people fall off the edge. We should demand that the feds cough up money to help deal with the problem, but what do you want to bet that won't happen anytime soon?
38
@Kurtis E Agreed. "Another of Reagan’s enduring legacies is the steep increase in the number of homeless people, which by the late 1980s had swollen to 600,000 on any given night – and 1.2 million over the course of a year. Many were Vietnam veterans, children and laid-off workers."
https://shelterforce.org/2004/05/01/reagans-legacy-homelessness-in-america/
4
Guess what - there are a whole lot of people in Silicon Valley who actually agree with Trump - he is very pro-business, anti-regulation, and focuses on profit now vs long term impact of decisions. Social responsibility and justice are considered 'fluff'. Lots of folks who are making good money in tech live in SF and have contributed to the dramatic increases in rents and loss of affordable housing. They take the luxury bus about 20 miles to work so they can avoid traffic, or being in a public place with anyone who is not 'like me.' They are disturbed by what they see on the streets of San Francisco, and believe that they should not have to see "this". A recent decision to allow an area on the waterfront to be used for homeless services instead of construction of another hotel or luxury housing is the key trigger for this particular foolishness.
17
@mary
If only these people could be a part of the solution. There is no easy fix to homelessness- the issue is multi-layered and includes affordable housing, livable wages, social services, including mental health and substance abuse, access to affordable healthcare and prescription.
Does San Francisco need another hotel or luxury housing? Probably not.
3
I’ve been to Ocean Beach more times than I can count and I’ve never seen a needle wash up on the shore. As our mayor stated, we have one of the best wastewater treatment plants in the nation which prevents debris from going into the ocean. We also have street cleaning trucks out every day of the week. In addition, we have people out every day cleaning sidewalks. A couple of years ago, the sidewalks were much worse, and you’d have to send multiple 311 alerts to get someone out to clean up debris. In the past year, this has changed tremendously. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had to request a sidewalk cleanup via 311.
Trump is literally making things up. He will not be able to provide any proof to substantiate his claim. I’d like to see him try. And he’s not fooling anyone with his sudden concern for the environment.
32
@Rikki I live on the Peninsula. I made the mistake of taking my 8 year old granddaughter to a Starbucks onMarket Street last year after going to the ballet. There was a security guard in the store because there were so many homeless strung out on drugs on the street. I actually was afraid for our safety walking around through that. Bart Station was packed with them. I don’t travel by train to SF any longer. It’s bad and Trump is right. Shameful national embarrassment. And this from a former NYC resident who thought she had seen it all.
3
petty to the 10th power
12
Yes, SF has a problem. But the president's response to it is a disgraceful sham.
12
Trump has a terrific solution to the homeless problem and the homeless will pay for it.
15
Since when does he care about the ocean? or any aspect of the environment?
29
The boorish Trump continues to wield his imaginary powers and loud mouth as tools of pest control -- to rid himself of persons, places and things that personally bug him. He seeks to swat them like mosquitos, squash them like flies.
When it comes to impeachment, the House Judiciary Committee shouldn't have to sweat so much over getting witnesses who know things to say things about Trump's obstructing justice, overstepping of U.S. laws, and misusing powers such as the seeking of vengeance on perceived enemies (including entire cities).
San Francisco is an immigrant Safe Haven city, challenges the president's bad behaviour, and, worst of all, is packed with progressives. With public displays such as this, the president is handing committee members much of what they need. They don't need so much to go to him because he's coming to them.
9
This is the most disgustingly hypocritical example of a bad faith argument that I’ve ever seen. This will be my new go-to example for why I don’t trust Republicans. It’s a party of two-faced opportunists who cynically use the tools of democracy to pillage and oppress. The most distressing part about this story is that Trump’s followers who cheer the gutting of social welfare programs and the abolition of environmental regulations will eat this up like soybeans in a commercial cattle feedlot.
21
Is he that ignorant?
Every city has used needles floating into the sea.
Even at Mar-a-Largo.
Hasn't he warned his (our) "guests" about this?
Yes, Donald: There are used needles floating in the water right there off the lawn of Mar-a-Largo.
You get your EPA on that right now, you hear?
16
He's concerned about the environment!!!! What a joke!
19
It's clear that Trump's attack on California is only designed to fire up his base. They firmly believe that blue cities have stolen rural resources and jobs and thus deserve to be punished. Unfortunately he is probably right that his base will eat this up.
In response, California should get Arnold Schwarzenegger fired up to defend the state. He did a pretty nice publicity video to entice tourists. Or maybe California can offer red state voters jobs here? Stopping immigration should open up quite a few low paying jobs. It will be difficult for them to find housing, but their water won't be tainted by coal ash and they can breath easy.
In any event, the source of the problem of homelessness should be firm identified as a Republican created problem. Until Jerry Brown California has been governed by Republicans, who drove up its deficits and created the homeless problem by closing and defunding mental health treatment centers and public housing. It should be pointed out to red state voters that the Republicans are now busy doing the same thing in red states - denying Medicaid to people who need it and causing clinics and hospitals in rural America to close, destroying not only the health of those voters but also a large number of good paying jobs. Some education might be useful, except Republicans are destroying the education system in our country as well.
185
@Eero
We don’t need or want any more people in California, especially red state voters bringing their superstition and scientific illiteracy. Let them stay in their own states and fix their own problems like addiction, lack of health care, and joblessness. And tell Trump to focus on fixing red states instead. They’re the ones who need it.
21
@Eero Trump couldn't care less about the ocean. His solution is to deregulate the fossil fuel industry. Our oceans are dying.
14
@Eero
"blue cities have stolen rural resources and jobs and thus deserve to be punished. Unfortunately he is probably right"
Exactly what "rural resources" are blue cities "stealing"?
7
The Bay Area, compared to other parts of the country has built less new housing than many other parts or the country. Bay Area workers rights are in adequate, and inequality is the rule.
Even a blunderer like Donald Trump can tilt the scales for a moment.
20
@Jim
Please show me the open swaths of land in San Francisco where we should build all of this housing. You make it sound like this is an easy problem to fix.
15
@Jim
The Bay Area HAS NO LAND LEFT on which to build anything.
6
@Jim. SF does not have any room to build more housing. Your comment is true for probably true for the average worker. It is an expensive state to live in.
4
As a resident of this region for two decades, it is my observation that the demand to live in California and Silicon Valley is extraordinarily persistent and large, perhaps even unlimited. No amount of building can meet that demand. People criticize us for not building enough housing, but as someone living here, the volume of new construction astounds and much of it is housing. There are limits to the physical carrying capacity of any place. People criticizing us don’t live here and don’t really understand what they are talking about. Existing residents who are also hard working and taxpaying are being damaged and the natural environment trashed. Where is the consideration for those people and the flora and fauna that are being displaced and murdered by human rapacity. Our school district just built a construction road behind a group of houses valued in excess of $3 million each. Work starts at 7 am and the noise persists until 4:30 or later. I have tremendous empathy for any person enduring homelessness and routinely offer my home to people in transition, my own small contribution to solving the crisis. The answer can’t just be build into oblivion. And that’s not NIMBYism. That’s common sense.
122
@SSimonson Decades of terrible housing policy are responsible for the housing shortage, and it will be decades before there's no shortage. In terms of population density, the Bay Area is nowhere near capacity, largely because of peninsula and South Bay cities that limit the number and height of apartment buildings to keep people out and inflate house prices.
12
@SSimonson as someone who lived in the Bay Area and now lives in Seattle again (which has its own systemic issues with homelessness and housing), the issues seem similar. From my perspective (aligning with NorCal Girl), one of the big problems with California (from a livability perspective) is that traditionally, land was not used in a dense manner. This results in problems not just with housing, but also transportation: Seattle is walkable, whereas much of the Bay Area, in particular South Bay, is not. Having to have a car to get around because mass transportation is so poor outside the BART corridor/SFO, is a problem for everyone (it jacks up the cost of living, but monetarily and time wise getting stuck in traffic).
So getting back to your comment about homes that cost $3 million: that’s the wrong solution. Affordable, dense housing needs to be built, not single family dwellings, so we can get out of this housing and climate crisis that’s coming down the pike.
11
@SSimonson New York City has extraordinarily expensive real estate but has built shelters to accommodate 95 percent of the homeless population. Why can't California do the same thing?
9
It is actions like this that make me shudder at the thought of Mr. Trump getting re-elected. His second term will just be retaliation against his perceived enemies. And in the meantime, I would urge everyone to volunteer, donate to candidates and encourage everyone you know to get out and vote in 2020.
14
That’s rich coming from someone destroying the environment with rollbacks of environmental regulations. It’s clearly payback for california’s resistance to the trump regime. Same bridgegate tactic. But choosing to punish political enemies doesn’t end well for most politicians. Ask new jersey.
13
Trump’s concern for homeless people is on a par with his concern for blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, coal miners, gays and women.
It’s all about what they can do for him.
12
@A. Stanton I think his focus is on making these groups 'disappear". The childishness of 'I don't like to see this, it's ugly, make it go away" is chilling in the leader of a democracy.
6
When are progressives, finally, going to take some responsibility for the terrible problems occurring under their watch? Instead of lashing out at Trump, isn't some progressive introspection long overdue over the huge problems in California where the Republican Party has been annihilated? The state has the worst homelessness condition in the country, the most poverty and a public school educational system that is one of the country's worst. All this in spite of a confiscatory state income tax that taxes 9.3 percent of all income over $55,000. Again, there is virtually no Republican Party in California. Who do California progressives blame their problems on?
9
You do realize that the meth, opioid and suicide problems are much more severe in rural, Red, Republican, Trump supporting states, yes? When are Conservatives going to tackle the issues that plague their districts? And what do you mean “under the progressive’s watch”? Ultimately everything is under the President’s watch. But of course, the buck doesn’t stop at this President’s desk.
2
Billions of tons of CO2 emitted each year are acidifying the oceans and overheating the atmosphere. Trump is fine with that.
A few hypodermic needles might make it to the bay and Trump declares an environmental crisis.
This is beyond political pettiness. This is insanity. Impeach or use the 25th amendment now.
14
Except CO2 levels have declined under Trump. Try again.
Two words would solve it, ‘social welfare’.
But I guess I may have just said ‘socialist communism’.
When will my fellow Americans understand that helping our most desperate citizens doesn’t infringe on capitalism?
8
The fine people of San Francisco think they know it all. Why do they permit so many homeless people over there to openly use needles so recklessly? Between the high taxes and costly homes individuals are moving to other cities namely Austin, Texas and here to Las Vegas.
5
Progressive’s have proposed clean needle exchanges which would eliminate discarded needles from the streets, radically reduce the transmission of HIV and get addicts into treatment centers but, of course, Conservatives oppose such common sense and beneficial programs because they falsely believe such programs will increase the use of injectable illegal drugs.
...and of course, Trump’s decision to fine San Francisco does nothing to solve the discarded needles problem but this president isn’t about solving problems. Rather, he uses problems as a weapon to his own advantage.
1
Needles in the ocean? That gives a whole new meaning to the term "trumped up," now translating to "utter nonsense." Trump ought to hover his helicopter over one of those clean coal power plant smoke stacks for a few minutes to see what real environmental damage looks, and smells, like.
13
Par for him he’s using the homeless for fodder. In the 80’s he had some homeless people harass tenants in one of his buildings on Central Park West. Now as president it’s using them as a political cudgel.
As usual he never offers solutions it’s just invective and self enrichment for him and his grifter family.
5
What a joke. The climate change denier now cares what's in the ocean? While he works to end California's pact with automakers to reduce emissions? If his base in coal country is smirking now at this overt act of retaliation, just wait until the mad baby king does something similar to them. welcome to a country run by petty little beaurocrats more focused on their petty little vendettas over perceived slights than positive solutions to real problems.
4
Trump is tougher on California than Iran or North Korea. Funny thing is California drives the United States economy and pays the most taxes. California independence!
15
Yet another sad example that our president is unfit for office. In this case he simply didn’t recall the existence of water treatment plants. In his thinking, waste flows directly from streets into the ocean. Let’s face reality: he’s not fit for office and something must be done. Sure, the returns on the investments are good, but is the proverbial 30 pieces of silver really worth the damage that this president has created? The narrative has to change in 2020 before more damage is done. George Orwell said it best. “A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves and traitors are not victims, but accomplices.”
5
You need only walk to the corner to see how bad the homeless problem is. 1,000 add’l beds will not resolve the problem.
4
...either will imposing environmental fines on San Francisco. The President offers no solutions to anything, only cruelty and revenge.
1
Why don't the DEMOCRATS make more of Trump's roll back of MPG as it will cost people more to fill up their tanks, especially with uncertainty in the Gulf.
Also, the new light bulbs which turn Trump orange also result in lower electrify prices for users.
The Dems are not making enough of Trump siding with gas and other toxic energy producers over the consumer.
3
Why would Democrats accept polluting the ocean with dangerous drug debris? It won’t cost much to prevent this problem.
7
Why don’t red states take less welfare so we can clean it up? They obviously don’t have a homeless problem or poverty. So we should stop sending them all funds and redirect it to San Francisco to help with this very important environmental issue republicans actually care about.
4
@Richard Wright If you’d read the article you’d have seen that’s not what is happening. The sewers are all filtered and prevent just that. So why would Republicans proffer lies about reality? It won’t cost much to start telling the truth. And you may get your own integrity back in the bargain!
8
Everyone knows Trump doesn’t give a fig about the environment or homeless people. Even Trump’s supporters know that. In fact, they love the fact that he hates the environment and poor people.
This latest phony pretense of caring about oceans and homelessness is just an attempt to punish California. California is one of the most progressive and modern states. He will never win their electoral votes, and they stand up to him when, out of spite, he wants to make their state worse. He is trying to show he is the big “boss” in any way he can. If California had gone for Trump in the last election and if they just rolled over when he decided cars should be less efficient we wouldn’t be hearing about polluted oceans and homelessness. We would be hearing about the great state of California and how “beautiful”and clean it is.
40
@SkL
You are 100% correct. It's funny because of how blatantly transparent it is. Is there anyone in the US who, with a straight face, can claim that Trump gives one whit about the environment and/or the homeless? I don't think even his most naive supporters would raise their hands. This is a move 100% based on spite to attempt to punish people that don't support him.
7
@SkL
And if he punishes California, he may drag some rust belt resentment voters to the ballot box.
3
Not all the homeless are drug addicts, and not all drug addicts are homeless. We must demand leadership, policies and action from those we elect, not the reinforcement of prejudices and stereotypes.
21
While Trump supporters cheer his attempts to punish California for harming the environment because of its homeless population, he simultaneously attempts to kill a voluntary agreement between California and carmakers to reduce the most pollution-producing industry in this country.
Does anyone remember pictures of the constant smog over Los Angeles before California adopted measures to reduce auto pollution?
Trump’s supporters really need to rethink how long they are going to support this bratty, vindictive, ignorant child we now have in the White House.
32
@John Vasi Yes, thousands of us recall LA in the 50s and 60s and are not going to let this out of control man bring back that era. He is fooling with the wrong state with his obsessive hate!
7
Fomenting potential civil war because Trump is afraid of his shadow is what this is.
Americans must vote en mass to stop this downward spiral.
19
The downward spiral I see is that of a still incredibly rich and once majestic city like San Francisco incapable of enforcing any civil order and ending up looking like Calcutta.
1
So, the problem with homelessness is ... it looks bad? Wut?
20
@MuTru Disease is the problem, exposing police and those living and working in areas populated by the homeless. Often around government facilities and spread when "relocating" this population. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckdevore/2019/06/04/typhoid-fever-typhus-tuberculosis-are-l-a-s-medieval-diseases-coming-to-your-city/#2636a401610d
1
I travel to SF frequently and usually stay in a hotel on the edge of the Tenderloin. Yes, the homeless problem is out of control and walking down the sidewalk or through BART stations can be like maneuvering an obstacle course of human waste and people living in hopeless conditions. Frankly neither Republicans nor Democrats have shown serious interest in solving the problem.
But for Trump to raise environmental concerns is the height of hypocrisy. If a nice “red” city in the Florida Panhandle were to dump raw sewage into the Gulf of Mexico, would it draw his wrath? I think not.
32
The notice is both hypocritical and dangerous. But what else can be expected from this hypocritical and dangerous occupier of the White House?
16
Trump knows only how to hurt someone; not a single idea of how to make things better - along with his base. They're hungry wolves who wants to take everything..
GOP must be made aware that this is due to their beloved GOP President - Reagan's policies and subsequently red state policies; which has pushed poor people to blue states. We welcome them as they're our fellow citizens.
You will find many homeless veterans on NYC streets; who are originally from red states.
16
This is a rant that started on hate radio as a way to poke "liberal" places like SF and LA. Mr. Trump is simply trolling when he complains about homelessness. His first budget cut funding for mental health treatment. He's been relentlessly trying to take health insurance from the poor. His policies exacerbate the divide between rich and poor. He's never shown a smidgeon of interest in or empathy for those who are struggling. As with so much that he does, this is totally bogus.
36
@JVG Right on. And let’s remember that homelessness as we know it today is essentially a product of Reagan’s deletion of mental health in-patient benefits back in the 80s. So this is a long-standing result of Republicans creating the problem and then cluelessly complaining about the consequences of their own choices.
4
Infuriating, hypocritical, ridiculous. I agree with David from NYC - this man deserves no more of our attention. Let’s see what would happen if he disappeared from media coverage for a while. His ego couldn’t take it.
26
Aan Francisco, and all other cities with thousands of homeless street dwellers should put them on buses to Washington and let Trump deal with tent cities in Pennsylvania Avenue and the Washington Mall.
13
@Marie
He doesn't care about the homeless in D.C. He doesn't care about homeless people period. What did he do as a builder for the homeless in NYC? Not a thing.
Were Trump actually to see homeless people in D.C., it'd only be via Fox News anyway.
1
Dear Mr President-
Please start your environmental cleanup in your own home city of NY.
Ms Thunberg from Sweden just arrived, and said it smelled. That must be so embarrassing.
21
How sad for this beautiful and powerful country to be "lead" by this ugly and weak man. He takes every utterly consequential issue - which will be around for years after his demise - and churns a twist of his sadistic ego. He cares for the environment now?! Horrific. We Californians will take care of this planet in spite of you mr. "president".
28
trump is suddenly concerned with the environment? what a hypocrite.
18
What the readers below fail to understand is that even a broken clock is right twice daily.
I just spent 10 days in SF and LA. To put it mildly, the downtown area of SF is disgusting. Yes, the homelessness is ever-present; but so is the stench of urine and feces. I stopped counting home many times I saw someone relieve themselves in full view. And the syringes!
In LA, areas that used to be pristine are no longer. Pico-Robertson, areas just outside of Beverly Hills- urine stench and homelessness.
We have similar problems in NY, but not nearly the scope. Under DeBlasio it has worsened.
Listen people, Trump is an imbecile. But that doesn't give us permission to discount what he is saying about the homeless issues in these cities.
Biden 2020
14
@Jonnynimone is discounting. Many cities did drop the ball and it is a problem. However cities across the country are actually taking it seriously. Letting the pResident set the talking points on this issue is counterproductive.
3
...and how is levying fines going to help the problem? Trump isn’t about solutions, he’s about revenge.
He knows his base. They will eat this up. Trump supporters have completely given up on the notion that we can, despite real differences, all do better together re the economy, environment, education, etc. Political points are no longer won by policy achievements and success, they are won by damage done to the opponent (the “libs” in this case). These are voters that have given up on a better future, and whose only goal is to make sure Trump drags us all into the mud with him. These pointless, nonsensical action will be cheered on Fox News.
12
San Francisco and Los Angeles are lucky to have Democrats as leaders. It would be a worse situation under Republican (non)leadership. The Republicans don’t do anything to help people who are poor, homeless and have mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. All the Republicans do is to scold them, and take away their healthcare and mental health care.
18
You may want to rethink this. SF can no longer be called livable. The city is doing little to nothing and has been under constant Democratic leadership. Compare that to NY with a Republican Giuliani and a republican/centrist Bloomberg.
3
The regime is DC is at war with SF and all of California. They do not help us in any way but take our enormous tax burden and redistribute it to red states. It is starting to look the only answer is autonomy for California, bye bye GOP land.
16
Fascism 101: Bully, threaten, and punish your (perceived) political adversaries and reward your political friends.
How hypocritical of Trump to complain about environmental violations when he is the chief enabler of environmental pollution by his political friends.
21
The real ocean pollution is coming from the rollback on environmental laws and deregulation of park protections led by this science oblivious and financially greedy administration.
25
1. Trump was in CA to raise campaign funds. The homelessness crisis is the most divisive issue in West Coast cities. Trump's motivation was more to motivate the donor base than the find solutions.
2. The homelessness crisis has built up over many years and has many causes.
At a macro level it is driven by massive levels of inequality in income, wealth and opportunity.
At a local level states and municipalities need to look at zoning and land use policies that prop up the value of land. Expensive land and housing costs makes any possible solution more expensive and less impactful.
Inadequate access to health services also plays a role as mentally ill and drug addicted people are pushed into the legal system instead of receiving the health services they need.
So here we are stuck in a world where all proposed solutions are bandaids.
The left proposes solutions that are some variant of building more beds and services (funded by local taxpayers).
The right increasingly calls for more authoritarian measures. Pass more laws, lock more people up, increase penalties.
What will it take for us to begin addressing the underlying systemic issues?
9
And we have 100,000 vacant homes in la county? Yet 50,000 homeless. Real estate cry’s for government assistance of tax right offs for opportunity zones and then builds for the ultra wealthy not for low income or middle America. They exasperate housing issues. The houses are for investors, vacation homes and the ultra rich.
The cry for more housing from developers must be looked at with a critical eye.
5
Our petty president cannot let go of his hatred for Obama. Unfortunately it is not Obama as much as the rest of us who will suffer from all of the thoughtless rollbacks. But with Trump, we get no forethought, no concern for country or our Constitution and no real policies. We do get commands and edicts in the form of Tweets full of anger and disdain for all. So he now turns his uncontrolled anger towards California because they show him up with respect to climate issues, even if Obama is the ultimate target.
13
Since when does Trump care about environmental protections being violated, or damage to our oceans? Excuse me, but that has never happened, and will never happen. Agree with comments below: do not give the fool a headline that he can and will use in some future brag down the road.
10
So all of a sudden he cares about the environment? He manufactures plastic straws, rolls back environmental regulations,allows mining in national parks, denies climate science, now this? He just has it with California because that state openly defies him, and his fragile ego cannot stand it! I will hold the expletives!
12
Are we to really believe Trump cares about the environment? We know Trump hates the leadership in the State of California which has been critical of him. Let's call this what it is... Vindictive.
18
Which US city has the biggest homeless population? Not San Francisco. A quick google search showed it is Trump's hometown, New York City. Just above number 7 San Francisco in the list is -- ta da! -- the District of Columbia.
Maybe the stable genius could exert some effort conquering homelessness in the cities where he lives and works? Hint: shouting at people isn't solving the problem.
Oh, and btw, Florida is among the five states with the biggest homeless population. I guess you can't see them from the air-conditioned luxury of Mar-a-Lago.
19
Trump is useless but he knows a live one when he sees it. As a three decade SF resident I want to assure Times readers that “homelessness”’per se is just a fraction of what is happening under the convenient cover of these thousands of tents. Much more common is street criminality in myriad varieties. It has been and remains a ridiculous situation, with extremely bad news people ruining daily life for everyday Californians. There is zero law enforcement and the fog of bad legal precedent, both of which have emboldened this criminal street population like something out of a horror movie. If anything it’s another case of Trump stepping into a vacuum left by a feckless government approach.
8
@Mia: His one big talent seems to be identifying a 'weakness' in an opponent and beating it like a dead horse. And if the weakness is complicated - such as the homeless problem - all the better. Trump can state the problem in the lowest common denominator language and 'win' (with his base but nobody with a rational mind).
He does it time and time again. It terrifies me.
2
I don't care about his motives....if any of his decisions or policies help one homeless person then count me in.
4
Help a homeless person? Trump is only helping himself and hurting anyone who doesn’t support him.
8
@michelle moore: What if he 'rounds them up' and sends them to something akin to the migrant detention centers? How would you feel then? A staff member of Trump's said, "We're not ready to round them up or anything". That kind of language being used is extremely worrisome. Because it means it has been considered and they are just not 'ready' yet for that action.
1
California, has major problems, and is in denial. Democrats, without fear of losing elections, have out-liberalled themselves. Allowing open drug use, tent cities, and sidewalks to be used as toilets is a crime against all of its citizens. Mental illness, drug addiction, and homelessness is being accommodated, not addressed. It’s no wonder San Francisco leads the country in property crimes. Homeless addicts don’t get illegal drugs for free, yet. They should address their citizens problems. They are being ignored, for the sake of an open arms program that welcomes millions of illegal aliens. California spends over $20 billion annually to support their undocumented citizens. Money that could be spent for mental health and drug addiction treatment, or affordable housing is being spent luring people here illegally. California needs to look at its priorities. The most obvious is not being adequately addressed
12
@Jay: Says Jay, from that shining beacon of success on Lake Erie, Cleveland, Ohio.
12
@Steve . So much easier to kill the messenger than to listen to the uncomfortable facts😁
4
@Jay Ohioans and Trump and others of their ilk need to mind their own business. If you don’t like California don’t go to California. I wouldn’t set foot in Ohio for anything less than half a year’s salary.
3
As a highly experienced environmental compliance professional, I can say with confidence that our 'President' is spouting complete nonsense (again).
15
Trump addressed a class at graduation from a "Christian college" this past spring. His first piece of advice: "Always get even." And you know enough of that bizarre character now, I'm sure, to believe that. It's his mantra, that and "Attack, attack, attack," courtesy of his mentor Roy Cohn. So he's looking for ways to spite and attack his "enemies" in California, and comes up with this. It's the sort of thing the highest powers in our land busy themselves with these days. And the sort of thing he advises "Christian" youth to do, to applause. The pervertedness of it all is stunning.
14
Vote every republican out of office at every level.
18
Would someone please tell Trump that EPA isn't the best department to handle a problem of heroin addict needles on the streets.
10
The cities, suburbs, and university towns of Blue States did not buy Mr. Trump's poisonous Tweets and messages and did not vote for him in 2016. The same people in the same Blue communities have been paying with their income taxes to support the less fortunate in their own communities and the needs of rural and Red State people who do not pay to provide enough for their schools, roads, hospitals, medical care, and those with mental illness or drug addiction.
Our cities need to rebuild and revitalize themselves. To paraphrase, "It's the infrastructure, stupid." The Hudson River tunnels carrying 10% of the American economy that connect New York and New Jersey need replacement and added capacity. Affordable housing is a major problem in many American cities in both Red and Blue States. The answer to transportation and traffic gridlock problems is not more cars.
Pointing stubby fingers at San Francisco and California, which by any measures are American success stories, is not a recipe for "Making America Great Again."
7
Homelessness is a reflection of the lack of adequate mental health treatment facilities and medical professionals.
Homelessness is a reflection of enduring endemic historical systemic educational socioeconomic polstuctural white European American Judeo-Christian supremacist bigotry and prejudice.
Homelessness is a reflection of ignoring and mistreating of American military veterans.
7
"...Trump continues to use his power to punish his perceived enemies, most of which are American institutions, officials, and now whole States. He is a dictator in plain site and should be removed from office...."
Now if only the Constitution had provisions to deal with a corrupt and lawless president.
6
Now President Tiny Hands is shaking his Tiny Fists at oh-so-blue California. "I'll make you pay for not liking me!". We need to make him go away, and the only way to do that is to vote him out of office in numbers that are staggeringly large. I'll be there. Will you?
12
Since when does he care about the environment?
8
Literally sweeping away the problem.
As Trump employs darker and bleaker measures to rid the nation of what he, and his policy makers deem as undesirables, and people not fit to live in their lily white kingdom.
5
Such a desperate man, this person called Trump is. So foolish. Yet his followers and FOX News will exaggerate this preposterous "violation." Aha, there is no global warming and climate change! It is San Francisco which is polluting the water and air. Yes, our homeless is an embarrassing and shameful state of affairs. How my city of birth got like this is a question I keep asking myself. Yet, look around at this nation. Look to Red states along with the Blue. An opioid epidemic killing the vulnerable and addicted who have lost all hope. Where is the health care to save these individuals? Disappearing or gone because this president does not care. Daily we see Mr. Trump's state of mind deteriorate. And no one will stop his egregious and amoral behavior. My message to him is simple: Look around, Sir. Under your policies, poverty and homelessness will only expand.
8
Isn't this the political party which actively opposed needle exhanges as a means to prevent the spread of AIDS? And some of their "amen corner" called AIDS "God's judgment on gays?" And one of whose main allied radio "commentators" had a well-known pain-killer addiction an used other people to obtain his supply through fraudulent prescriptions?
7
Finally we have a president who really cares about the environment!
I read about this last night and wound up laughing at the idea of Trump actually caring about the ocean and its cleanliness in any way, shape or form. Except perhaps his private beach in Fla. This from a man who has gutted and continues to gut any regulations to protect the environment or wildlife. This is revenge against California for wanting to set their own pollution standards for autos. And the fact that he and his wealthy cronies don't want to look at the homeless because it offends their sensibilities. I have FB friends in California and homelessness and the accompanying problems appears to be horrendous in some area. It's going to take regulations about living on the street, providing housing and mandating that anyone who gets free housing engage in job training, addictions counselling and mental health services to solve this. And not everyone will like that either. But its better than Trump's no doubt punitive solutions. Maybe he will want to bus them all to Mexico or Central America? And of course, those countries will pay the bus fares....
9
Yes, there is a homeless problem in San Francisco. The city is certainly not alone in this, and as the numbers of homeless people increase, the problem worsens, everywhere. Does Donald Trump take any responsibility for this? Have his misguided economic policies, or his unwillingness to tackle health care in a meaningful way contributed to this? If they are contributing, would Donald Trump take an approach other than blaming or criticizing someone else? It is on his watch, after all.
5
Trump may have a number of weaknesses. But his strength—which the left will not recognize (which is why he was elected and may be again) is that he sees things the same way millions of average Americans do. So when he sees our great cities deteriorating dramatically under the naive, destructive and faux compassionate policies of “progressive” local politicians, like millions of Americans disgusted by what they see, he speaks out. Is he always articulate? No. Does he first have his advisers parse his words so they appeared measured? No. But he communicates the anger and frustration millions of Americans are feeling and thinking. And on this particular issue, there are many, many on the left who are otherwise not Trump fans, who agree with him.
7
@hillesum: Does he have a plan to remedy the situation which, by the way, was largely created by Reagan’s jettisoning mental patients into the streets? No. Of course not.
6
@ehillisum
Please do not speak for those of us on on the left; we understand all too well that Trump sees things the way millions of average Americans do — the ones who consume a steady diet of Faux News and don’t question the bull that’s peddled to them. Mr. Slumlord doesn’t care a whit about the homeless. If he did, we’d see some meaningful mental health, healthcare, housing, employment, and drug policies being championed by the White House.
10
@ehillesum I doubt it the many who agree with you have one iota of interest in what becomes of our cities.
4
A lot of the homeless and near homeless are refugees from red states where they will get no help at all. Although it gets cold there in San Francisco when the summer fog rolls in, these people will not freeze to death they they would in Oklahoma City. The homeless in the state that refused to vote for Trump are a major talking point in conservative media and that is what has moved Trump to suddenly micromanage this situation, not the sudden discovery of an inner philanthropist
10
Looks to me like Trump's frustrated by inability to wage war with Iran so he's declared political war on California. Gotta admit this is a safe bet for him. Not in a thousand years would Californians vote for him and the U.S. Capitol exit doors are clogged with California Republican House members "retiring" before 2020.
I think California is up to the task. The place is fiscally sound. The economy is diversified and growing nicely. They are blessed with natural resources, including lots of sunshine, which probably contributes to the difference in unsheltered homeless between the West and East Coasts.
Stay in the fight, California. We're rooting for you from the sidelines.
7
A better idea would be to withhold federal funding - based on whatever funding can be delayed stopped or withheld a huuuuuge amount (as Trump would say). Hit SF where it hurts in the only common language left between the left and right.
1
@DED
A Federal Funding War -- another great idea from the MAGA we-hate-everybody-but-ourselves crowd. However, be advised that since federal funding comes from federal taxation, don't be surprised to see how quickly a federal tax revolt will surface in all the blue states.
Think that's just a fantasy? The high tax paying people of CA, NY, CT, and Mass are longing for any excuse to stop paying welfare to the deficit Red states.
Stop sending federal funding to California, and California will figure a way to allow its citizens to pay federal income tax not to the IRS, but into an escrow account to be held hostage by the state. None of all this gamesmanship will last, of course, but in the meantime, the feds have far more to lose from a serious interruption of revenue than cities like SF have in lost funding.
1
Here's a message for Trump: enforce the Fair Housing Act, repeal harsh regulations your administration adopted in regard to public housing, support legislation that creates training and jobs in new technologies, make mental health services under the ACA more accessible, support grants to large cities to create assisted living facilities for people suffering from mental illness. I could go on and on. But the problem of homelessness in large and mid-sized cities is not going away under your administration's policies. It is getting worse.
6
Trump has succeed again by making outrageous claims, violation of rules, and garners a front page story in the NYT that highlights his point. Yes, the story does delve into the issues but the first 5 paragraphs highlight his position. Notice all his threats are always vague about what and when - this gives him an out and any follow-up is long forgotten. As long as Trump's outrageous and generally non-factual statements keep garnering front page news, we are not hearing the real stories. Perhaps, the stories should start with the facts and the situation then end with Trump's rants. Perhaps, the headline should read, "SF addressing hemelessness, an issue mentioned by Trump on his visit."
3
All this because CA smartly wants to require presidential candidates to submit their taxes to qualify to run for the office. CA got it right. It won't be long now but know that trump is going to bulldoze against blue states and his detractors all the way to primaries. Where are the Democrats with their arrests of people who refused to testify according to the laws of this country, including the latest Whistle blower?
10
@Gulfport
This. A thousand times, this.
2
Dear Trump (and supporters). San Francisco has a combined storm and sewer system. Anything that goes in the storm drain is treated at the sewage treatment plant. Things like needles etc. are removed via grit screens and disposed.
6
Trump is worried about the environment? Isn’t this the same guy trying to strip California from keeping its own auto emissions rules?
10
Donald Trump all of a sudden cares about the environment? Oh, that's rich. That's a good one. I'll be chuckling over that one for a long time. Thanks for the laugh.
6
I hope incandescent light bulbs make a comeback
1
The inanity of trump surpasses all bounds. The Republican federal government, beginning in the Reagan administration, took away funding for mental health institutions, shuttering them, throwing thousands of people who couldn't fend for themselves into the streets, creating a homeless population that didn't exist before. Federal money for education was diverted and the quality of public education sank, creating a population less able to support itself and its families, who then found even worse schools.
Why isn't that infamous $1.5 trillion of federal money going into healthcare, drug treatment programs, job training and creation, and affordable housing?
You don't nurture and sustain a great country by taking away its resources any more than you protect the environment we are all dependent upon by defiling it. And, surely, you can't blame your victims for the injuries you have inflicted upon them.
8
It's interesting to watch as an American president declares war on one of our own states.
Maybe Newsom or the mayor of San Francisco writes Trump a "beautiful letter", and they hold a summit at a Trump property and finish with a round of golf, where Trump gets all the mulligans he wants?
5
Every time you treat his idiotic ramblings as serious policy you reinforce the belief that he's an actual president. Perhaps "it's unclear" what laws he'd use because there are none. Why on Earth do you pretend otherwise? Why on Earth do you treat this fool with such respect? This is not a story which should be run. This is not a thing he will do. If he said, "I'm going to Mars next Thursday" you'd report on that as fact? You'd run a story about how he's going to Mars without questioning his grip on what's real and what's not? You'd say, "It's unclear how he's getting there."?
239
The NYTimes is reporting on the fact that the President said this not on whether he can or will do this. That’s there job. They reported facts.
6
@David F You nailed it.
2
@David F thank you from the S.F. Bay.
3
Oh! This is not a joke! I am sorry. Homelessness bad! Environmental water pollutions rolled back good! Playing to stereotypes priceless!
48
"Mr. Trump told reporters that San Francisco was in “total violation” of environmental rules because of used needles that were ending up in the ocean."
Watch out, Florida, you're next. Needles in the ocean, bad.
32
Did the President offer any proof that needles are winding up in the ocean? Did he propose a mechanism that would cause the needles to wind up in the ocean? I’m not sure needles float. And of course, if true, this president could offer solutions to the problem. But that is not his way. He doesn’t solve problems. He uses them as weapons to his advantage.
7
Somehow I can't imagine a "red" city be cited. "I'm from the Federal government and I'm here to help you".
17
Trump suddenly cares about the environment. Laugh out loud.
118
What an utter abomination this Administration is! They roll back clean air regulations and are in a battle with the State of CA and the auto industry to ease requirements for auto MPG. They are opening up the Arctic to drilling, allow farmers to pollute the water on their land and reduce the amount of land protected as National Parks. And yet they punish SF for polluting the oceans with used needles. The hypocrisy and cruelty of this Administration is on naked display! In all my life, I have never lived thru a darker time as a citizen of the United States. Even the turmoil and suffering brought on by the Viet Nam war and its associated protests, even during the civil rights strife, EVEN after 9/11, I always had a feeling of hope and optimism and believed that the country would be better. I no longer feel that way.
131
@Andy
Mandy about 50% or more of the US seed this very differently. Nice attempt to link to the viet nam war too. The continuous war waged against this administration can expect no less than withholding Federal funds.
@DED Actually, it's more like 38% and falling.
Interesting. Weaponize the EPA to punish your political enemies and reward your friends. (Or have I oversimplified the situation??)
106
@Aaron G I'm only one person, but I'd say you characterized the situation perfectly.
9
What does it say about a president who visits a city in his country and instead of helping, attacks it with lies and threats? Instead of working to improve things, this man uses the power of the government to sanction and penalize citizens apparently because they didn't vote enough for the so called president. A man who would require an entire state to submit to environmental damage, smog and needless deaths by eliminating its legal right to control emissions from combustion engines.
It says that he is unfit for the presidency, unfit for public office. It says that he is cruel and hateful, pitting one part of the country against another.
It says he is unAmerican and doing all he can to enrich himself and stay out of jail.
Time for a change. Congress is hapless, it's up to the voters.
85
@Zeke27 Yes, the voters will save us. Just like the Mueller report was going to be the end all. Get used to the fact that like global warming, Trumpism is a runaway train that has already left the station. Gird thyself, 2020 is only a year away.
3
@John __Can you cite ONE thing Trump has done to help the environment in American cities? Or the homeless population in America? Ben Carson has done just the opposite as has Trump's new EPA head. We don't want 'warnings', we want action. Trump's whole life has been threats and extortion.
7
This is America’s. Homelessness is growing. I don’t hear any solutions being proposed. All I hear is “Get rid of them. “
1
Trump does not care about the homeless unless business is hurt by their presence. And if they are in liberal California then all the better to interfere and stir up animosity. This is about revenge and using his power to work everyone up into a froth. It is all a precursor to rallies he wants to hold there where he can claim that he alone cleaned up the homeless problem in California because the Democrats couldn't do it. Rally bait, nothing else.
53
Trump thinks we'll believe he cares about an environmental consequence? Haha!
51
“From this day on, the official language of San Marcos will be Swedish. Silence! In addition to that, all citizens will be required to change their underwear every half-hour. Underwear will be worn on the outside so we can check ‘. -BANANAS Woody Allen 1971
40
Trump needs a “them” to pit against his “us” — basically the people who show up at his rallies.
Muslims, Mexicans, China, Chrisie Tiegan...whoever is enough of an “other” compared to his base.
I’m sure that it has been explained to Trump that CA has the most electoral college votes (55) of all the states and that he is never going to get them.
Compared to the adulation he craves and receives from his red state crowds, that he is so openly mocked and hated in CA must really get to him.
So in his mind he is making lemonade out of lemons by trying to turn the entire state of CA into an enemy of his people.
That it will probably work on many of his supporters says more about them than it does about Trump.
32
I only hope that the SDNY and others will heap the same vengeful tactics on the treacherous Trumps and his cohorts once he is out of office. I see RICO written all over his actions and justification to relieve him and the band of traitors of all their wealth before they toss them all in jail.
29
No needle parks for Mr. Trump to panic about in his own hometown?
22
@itsmildeyes In a neighboring town to mine, residents are talking about needles in the parks and roadsides. Drugs are everywhere, and that town is also on the ocean!
1
Allow more tailpipe emissions. Check.
Allow more methane emissions at oil and gas wells. Check.
Loosen clean water rules. Check.
Burn more coal. Check.
Drug-users needles on street, not good for the environment.
Naw, this is just more of the political pettiness coming from a moronic twit who should be locked up in an attic.
I long for the days when we had presidents who had intellect, morals and ethics, Clinton notwithstanding.
55
“The Dems should stop wasting time on the Witch Hunt Hoax and start focusing on our Country!”
The motive for this diatribe. It is to distract people from lifting the curtain to see a small and corrupt dude.
21
Typical for Trump and his cohorts to not get the facts straight about San Francisco's sewer system. And his new concern forthe environment is really touching.
22
Listen up folks! Only Trump and his EPA can pollute the the air, water and land around the world! It's a "violation" when anyone else does it. Do as I say, not as I do, understand!?!
38
More of his declaring war on California.
19
We have a soulless human being living in the White House. It cannot be more clear that donald trump is completely unfit to be president of anything. Diane, Kamala, Nancy, Gavin - as leaders of our state (California), the 5th largest economy in the world and the engine of America's economy - I ask you to mobilize a few leaders and citizens from key sectors of our community and denounce this awful human being called trump. He is clearly a sick puppy who has no clue about leading mobilizing for the well being of our people and all life. We are in very dangerous waters now and real leaders must step up
20
Show me a city on any major waterway that doesn't have this (and bigger environmental waste) problem. If he does this I hope the courts immediately slap it down as 'selective enforcement.' If this ruse succeeds you can be sure he will throw in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, Boston, New York, Miami...(sorry the list is too long). Heck, he might even include Denver!
13
Atlantic City, the home of Trump's huge failures has a serious street drug and homeless problem. As part of his plea deal to avoid jailtime after his current job, he can do community service sifting through the sand to make sure no needles are carried away by the next climate change fueled super-storm.
51
A massively bigger problem is that Trump does not see these drug-addicted homeless people as his people. They are his citizens and as president of the entire country, ultimately his responsibility.
30
If Trump is suddenly worried about our oceans and pollution, maybe go after the three largest plastic Polluters in the world: Nestle, Coca Cola, and Pepsi. And what about the rollback on auto standards? I wonder if the cops on the beat will appreciate their increase in lung disease.
19
It is given that trump’s hypodermic needle fantasy is absurd, and intended only to manipulate the imagination of voters who have no understanding of reality in major metropolitan areas.
It is also given that these regions have a problem with homelessness. The problem was not caused by city policies, nor can it be adequately addressed by city policies. To punish those cities, using the EPA as a cudgel, is beyond absurd. It is a gross abuse of executive power.
19
Again,Trump makes claims based on no evidence. That's his standard ploy to energize his unthinking base. But California gives him surface ammunition. The state and its cities abet criminal behavior by giving away hypodermic needles then spending large sums of money to clean them up. They are not effectively fighting the crimes of illegal drug distribution or use. I have empathy for homeless people who are on the streets because of unavailable housing (the result of greed by the rich and privileged like Trump) or true mental illness but I cannot feel sorry for those who poison their bodies and minds with illicit drugs. It is my opinion that drug distributors should be arrested, jailed immediately, and given life sentences at hard labor building homes for the disadvantaged and those they prey upon. Stop the flow of illicit drugs. Second, instead of giving away hypodermic needles and tents, provide mandatory detox for users in safe, clean state facilities. Provide them with jobs, no matter how menial, and job training for better work so they can see some hope in the future. Treat those who are truly mentally ill or have AIDS instead of letting them die on the streets. Arrest or heavily fine slum lords who overcharge for rat holes they own and profit by. Instead of displaying Trump-like callousness or abetting the problems, become a beacon of effective empathy and problem solving.
47
@Angelsea, "stop the flow of illicit drugs", apparently a more difficult task than you seem to think. "Mandatory detox", so prison basically? Needle distribution isn't about fighting crimes, it's about preventing the transfer of disease.
34
Homelessness is really a nationwide problem, and the more temperate cities shoulder the burden. Very few of the homeless in San Francisco lived there before becoming homeless, but the weather is nice and the laws and policies in San Francisco are kinder and more geared towards helping them.
San Francisco is less than 50 square miles and is home to about 700,000 residents. It is both a city and county. Based on data from last year, there are around 7,000 homeless in S.F. About 140 homeless people per sq. mi., or 100 homeless people per 1000 residents. Compare that to Washington D.C. D.C. is about 68 square miles, has about 700,000 residents, and has about 8,400 homeless. Washington D.C. is a federal district, not part of any county. So D.C. has 123 homeless people per sq. mi., or 120 homeless people per 1000 residents. And I wager there are more foreign visitors to D.C. (and of higher standing) than to S.F.
Trump should clean up the city where he lives currently. It is a federal district, reporting directly to the federal government, unlike S.F.
37
@Angelsea: Or, put the approximately $40,000 per year per lifetime jailed drug distributor (plus the enormous court costs of each case), and apply that to rehabilitation, education, life-skill training, job training, and general support for the homeless. Help the homeless to not rely on drugs in a society that, according to the president, deems them as a source of pollution. If you do, there will be fewer distributors.
Your attitude and the long-failing war on drugs is a huge part of this problem, as we've fractured families and driven people to despair. Don't make this worse by relegating a permanent segment of the population to prisons.
21
How many Americans are just a paycheck away from homelessness? And if you are mentally ill, have a prison record, lack education, are a drug addict, can't get or hold a job, have exhausted or rejected your family's help, where are you going to go? Where can you get a good night's sleep? Use a bathroom? Keep you or your belongings safe?
The state used to provide a place for the mentally ill but Republicans didn't want to pay for it. Today, our jails and prisons are the largest mental health facilities in most states. The same for those who are addicted to drugs. Needles in the ocean are not the most pressing problem about homeless people.
Trump doesn't have a clue and the rest of his Cabinet members and advisors don't care or see it as their problem.
217
@JMT. It is the liberal Dem local politicians who don’t have a clue. And really, how exactly is it that evil Republicans—who have no power in CA, are preventing the Dems from spending money on the mentally ill? The problem is the Dems are spending all of their money paying goor outrageous govt employee pensions and providing services and public education to illegal immigrants so they apparently cannot find and money to take care of mentally ill citizens.
5
@JMT 600 million dollars for 7000 homeless. That is $85k+ per homeless plus the annual budget. Sounds like the money is mis-spent and the liberal government is getting rich off the problem.
4
@ehillesum Michigan- how is it that you can speak for California? Ronald Reagan exacerbated the problem when he closed facilities (nationwide) and put the mentally ill on the street. And there is not a square inch of space for construction in San Francisco or Los Angeles that hasn't been developed. We live on a fault line, you know.
17
It's just Donald Trump playing the blowhard again, this time toward Democratic-controlled cities. His threats of federal intervention mean nothing because he doesn't want to spend a dime on these cities. He's just trolling San Francisco and Los Angeles. A real leader would drop the pretense and ask the mayors, "What can WE do to fix this problem?" ...never going to happen.
27
The Environmental Protection Agency has become a farce.
It is headed and stuffed with Science deniers and lobbyists for large polluting corporations.
It is now in the business of abusing the homeless in San Francisco, a lot of them actually fully employed or in need of mental health care.
Housing in San Francisco in unaffordable, even to fully employed citizens.
The EPA should be renamed the Enforcement Police Against-Innocent-Citizens
19
Homelessness is a big problem in San Francisco and elsewhere and needs special attention to alleviate it.However, it is not the most urgent environmental problem.Mr.Trump and his compliant EPA are a bigger threat as they relax rules to make air and water less clean and as they insist that more fuel efficient cars are not needed.They champion coal and oil but focus on the threat of homelessness.It is easy to disparage the down and out living on the streets but the huge polluters who are wealthy and give generously to Trump get a pass.
28
Rollback regulations to the clean water bill, allow companies and Big Ag to dump waste into rivers, lakes and oceans...but blame homeless people for polluting the ocean with their needles?
29
164,000 discarded needles from one city in one month?
I guess I might call that a problem.
Do you know how many diseases can be transmitted by needle sticks?
9
Read the article.
4
I find it amusing that the left loves the administrative state, but only up to the point that it has to answer to it.
6
@MM So if Trump and his folks are so concerned about the environment and what goes int our waters - why did they repeal the Clean Water Ordinance and ensure that our waters can never be clean?
27
President Trump's statements about the homeless situation in California are venal, hypocritical and vindictive. And, unfortunately, accurate.
6
Since when does this erstwhile leader believe in or care about environmental rules? The home is wearing thin and becoming tiresome.
10
so, suddenly, trump cares about the oceans which he wants for drilling?
22
He's truly off his rocker. Vote him and every single one of his GOP enablers out of office.
24
humm SF "passed" prop C for $600MM for homelessness two years ago. Now they have a $600MM bond for homelessness. That's 1.2B on top of current homelessness spend which is high when you add up services homeless consumes + "regular" homelessness budget. I'm guessing that amounts to another $600MM.
I wonder how many $600MM checks SF will write to solve this issue.
12
it will write as many checks as it takes. maybe if all the rich tech people gave a dollar or two to charity the city would not need to.
12
Yet another example of why the title of President is inappropriate when combined with the word Trump. Solving real issues like homelessness requires actual leadership, not acts of petty retribution.
45
As Richard Branson once said, (not verbatim), I had a one on one, two hour lunch with Trump, an all he talked about was revenge.
91
@charles almon
Branson said Trump told him his "mission in life" was to "ruin" 5 people he had asked for money after one of his bankruptcies and they refused to help him.
26
Can it possibly be legal for Trump arbitrarily and out-of-the-blue simply to announce a punitive action against a political opponent out of political vindictiveness? Is Trump serious about this, or is this another one of his stunts designed to excite his base?
18
Legal doesn't matter. He does what he wants and nobody stops him.
12
This is rich! The guy who has gutted the EPA of regulations wants to use EPA regulations to mettle in a state matter. He says he wants to "help," but he really wants to hurt -- Democratic strongholds. Listen, I hate that SF has done NOTHING about the homeless, which only results in more and more pouring in. I'm beyond empathy at this point -- just get rid of them, keep bussing them, enforce anti-loitering laws, do SOMETHING. But you have to figure this has just as much to do with mental illness and addiction as housing. We can't handle all those issues on this scale. which is why i think the first step is returning homeless to their last legal address.
12
@Andy
The "something" that needs to be done is get control of housing costs first and deal with mental health issues in a compassionate and comprehensive way. You can't bus away homelessness or mental illness.
8
@Andy
The homeless of San Francisco were not all born in San Francisco or even California. They have come to San Francisco to try to live and survive. Many people in hospitals, government and social service organizations, religious and charitable institutions do what they can to help these people. And now Trump is worried about needles in the Ocean?
10
@ollie of course not but I was thinking of bussing back Ohio’s mental health issues — or Texas’ or NY’s — you can’t treat the world’s problems in SF. Let’s at least start with locals. As is, the numbers are overwhelming and nothing will get done.
It is very obvious that Trump again struck pay dirt with his adoring masses with his scree about homeless people in California.
The leaders of many of our major cities, my city with a population of 100,000 included, have recognized the homeless issue and programs such as affordable housing, temporary housing and social programs have been undertaken, California included.
But, Trump needed a new boogeyman, another target, another enemy to focus his base of supporters on. And, predictable, it worked. The con artistry was successful.
Yet, the person who practiced housing discrimination is concerned about the environmental dangers of addict's needles?
Perhaps if the president* channeled some of that caring (well, not so much) about the homeless we could possibly provide more assistance.
16
@Dan
That really is Trump in a nutshell - do anything he can to keep us divided and hating on each other as he and his henchmen and henchwomen destroy the country.
12
How strange he’s suddenly concerned about the environment. I’m pretty sure that’s the first time he’s ever uttered that word.
30
The obvious solution to used needles in the ocean is rakes.
35
what a joke! so now all of a sudden trump is worried about the environment?? hypocrisy at its finest...
24
Anything i mean anything to skewer California
Which rightfully loathes this fool
Not reaching out and cooperation
But overreach which republicans used to loathe
He’s toast as he alienates each group he needs to win
One at a time
Give it time he’ll alienate the fake Evangelicals too
15
This is beyond Mark Twain. This is Dickens territory, flogging the sufferer with sanctimony.
33
Aside from his other "superlatives," is there a more cynical person on the planet?
10
If only a filtering device could be placed between Trump's brain and mouth.
9
This guy is not in control of his faculties.
11
So mass gun casualties continue without any intervention from the President, who instead launches a fight against the real killer - vaping. And then the same guy who signs off on the destruction of Alaska, and Bear Ears in Utah, and tears up clean water and clean air legislation while also attacking energy efficient lighting, wants to charge homeless people with pollution?
It’s as is Trump is the Genius of Stupid.
22
What hypocrisy!!!! Protector of the environment? Trump? Who is he kidding? The one who wants to bring back coal, spreads lies about windmills, is relaxing our regulations on water and air pollution? I hope everyone sees through this smoke screen. He is just trying to punish California with this and the attempted revoking of California's car emission regulations. He also punishes other states he doesn't like. What happened to states rights? It's OK for the Republican states but not the Democratic states. The 2020 election is the most important election in our history. Vote him out and regain Democratic control of the Senate to stop the carnage.
15
The whole west coast should succeed from these once United States. With hold all federal taxes that republicans enjoy giving away to backwater states like Kansas , Alabama ,Mississippi, Arkansas etc. You know, the real welfare queens. Then they can build a wall to keep the out of state homeless from invading their new country. Then the northeast can join them. He can rule his fiefdom from Mar a lago on his gilded golf cart.
13
@Harry B
Exactly Harry B, thank you! CALEXIT.
Those 'backwater Red states' their demigod Trump love to California-bash -- they never heard of "don't bite the hand that feeds you"? We pay more in federal taxes to those 'welfare queen states' while getting less back AND provide almost 50% of all produce, etc. consumed in the U.S.!
Furthermore, many of those homeless on the CA streets are NOT from California.
2
Homelessness as an "environmental problem"? Has Trump ever known the term "social issue"? And to hear this on the heels of Trump's attempt to rollback the ability to regulate emission control and gas mileage of CA as a "national security" issue, this is just so freaking grand. I thought Trump is idiotic, but this brings his idiocy to new height.
15
How about the homeless in Florida, especially Miami. Where do their needles go? Oh I forgot, Florida is a red state.
17
Where to begin?
Homelessness is a problem that needs significant federal resources to be addressed adequately . How about increasing the federal Section 8 rental subsidy program for starters, rather than the cuts called for in the President’s budget?
As a developer, the president should know about the challenges of siting new shelters and permanent supportive housing in cities like SF and LA. Extremely high land costs and limited development opportunities, compounded by NIMBY. A little help from Washington in the form of federal surplus properties and capital could go a long way, rather than punitive measures.
And I seem to recall that when Mr. Trump was trying to empty out a building on Central Park South in NYC, he offered to house homeless people in the building to accelerate the process. Kind of a cynical view of the homeless, and not showing concern for their plight.
President Trump seems far more concerned about the embarrassment of public homelessness (when viewed by foreign leaders driving by encampments) than he does about the individuals facing life on the streets.
And concern for needle waste and the environment. Please.
24
A total violation of environmental rules, said the man who wants to reduce inspections at pork farms, allow potential cancer causing chemicals to be used near sensitive fish eco systems, has opened up 1.6 million acres of pristine wilderness in Alaska for his oil and fracking buddies and refuses to ignore climate change.
28
Dems will easily translate this into "Trump attacks the homeless" and it will seriously backfire on the GOP.
6
Trump acts like the homelessness and housing problems aren’t his responsibility as president. If he cared, he should be calling for federal government to help with the issue instead of just complaining about it. He acts like San Francisco and LA aren’t a major part of the United States. He’s obviously just trying to make political gains.
13
I often read the anti-south posters from San Francisco condemning cities like my own (Charlotte,NC) while failing to acknowledge their incredible economic and racial stratification and the failure of their government to provide basic services like policing and clean streets. How did a city with so many geographical blessings and a liberal mindset become so compromised while another, formed at the intersection of 2 trading routes and hobbled by a wretched legacy of slave owning, become so dynamic?
While our city has it’s problems, we are ranked among the best for economic opportunity for African Americans, we have housing and jobs for young people and a vibrant urban core. Walking around the architecturally bland, dirty streets of San Francisco, with its fourteen hundred dollar a square foot housing, hoping not to be accosted by an aggressive homeless person and having to watch where you step does not look like Utopia to me. The limited opportunities for women, minorities and the young does not appear to be very egalitarian. The “hustle”, culture of Silicon Valley does not seem very enlightened.
Maybe we aren’t quite what you think we are and you aren’t quite what you think you are.
9
@John Cunnane I am very happy your city does not have these problems...yet. I lived in NYC int he 1980s where every ATM had a homeless person opening the door for you. It is a difficult problem and has to be treated humanely and aggressively. There is often, too, a lot of public resistance to tackle the problem for many reasons (money, NIMBY, politics). I wish San Francisco well and it surely appears their leaders are working on the issue. They deserve our support, not contempt or comparison.
14
The best course of action is to fix the homeless problem in these cities. We cannot justify it or go after Trump for pointing it out. Whatever Trump’s motivation, making good progress on this issue before next year’s elections would take the air out of his balloon. He is going to make the point that Democrats cannot run cities, let alone the country. And that Democrats do not care about the poor among them. He is right, there is no excuse for the homeless crisis. We can shoot the messenger but we would be also shooting ourselves on this one.
7
They're homeless because of the GOP. Reagan, for example, turned the severely mentally ill out into the streets and they have been twisting in the wind there ever since. The GOP creates poverty through its policies and then willfully maintains the extremely poor in their circumstances through additional policies and government inaction. If it were up to the Democrats, homelessness would have long since ceased to exist as a problem.
25
As always, thanks for the “help”, Donald.
Really, a placeholder President would be a genuine improvement. His ire for the fact our state sees through him is unfortunate, as he leads like a petulant boy-king rather than the head of a broad union.
5
Trump knows that the only thing that really matters is that everyone is talking about him all the time.
When he makes outrageous statements everyone talks about him. Including here in NYT.
Trump knows that when everyone talks about him all the time, he will get re-elected.
12
I think we are at the point where the real solution is to totally suspend all coverage of trump and his taxpayer funded sideshows
17
Tens of thousands of used syringes are collected on the streets each month is a problem Iin itself.
8
Income inequality, inadequate medical care for addiction and mental illness, lack of affordable housing are all related to homelessness. Trump's criticism comes easily and as usual lacks any interest or knowledge into the cause or finding a solution. Those who participate in his fundraisers wherever he travels own his ears and tweets. The same people who reap the rewards of his tax breaks and in turn resent any social program that will contribute to the health and well being of the majority of Americans.
40
As the issues that led to so many people being homeless appear to be structural, surely a shift in the paradigm is required to re-regulate the system. For example, as land is so rare and precious, why don't these cities implement some form of rent control to keep rents at a level that is affordable so that the homeless can afford to home themselves? After all they're not making any more - land, that is, so the land that is available should be utilised with the greatest economy for the greatest number. Really, the fact is that housing is more than a speculative vehicle with which to make a profit; it becomes a resource of the society, utilising society's resources. I think there is a price to be paid for that, a kind of social cost for the privilege of gaining ownership of something that used to belong to everyone. It is not only for the President or city officials to "care" about the homeless, it is everyone's prerogative.
4
The odds are 100 to 1. Every day we will wake up to at least one more vitriolic Trumpian outrage against basic human decency. This morning it is using the EPA to punish San Francisco, a progressive bastion that Trump has made into another mortal enemy.
Everywhere Trump goes he exacerbates a challenging problem: trade, taxation immigration, foreign policy, economic security -- you name it. But Trump misses the irony that the downward spiral is unfolding under his watch.
22
@John lebaron
Absolutely missed it
It will be his undoing
1
This week Trump announced that he was going to prevent California from continuing to require automakers to meet higher air pollution standards than those federal standards. This action would indubitably degrade the environment in California and harm it’s millions of residents. This same week, Trump has the unbelievable chutzpah to announce that San Francisco will be will be cited for degrading the environment because if hypodermic needles found in its waters. The hypocrisy is breathtaking. Could there be any more obvious use of presidential power for purely political purposes than these two actions?
All I can say is that the only thing — and I mean the ONLY thing — restraining Trump to any degree at this point is that he must run for re-election. If, god forbid, he is re-elected, there will be nothing whatsoever to stop him from spinning completely out of control.
25
Considering the originating source of this latest "concern" about the environment, here's another perfect example of Trump's total blindness to hypocrisy. You'd think he actually believes that his adminstration is NOT acting to destroy every environmental protection initiative undertaken in last half century!
4
Trump cited the dangers to the environment, to police, and to the image of America in the eyes of foreign leaders.
He said nothing about the suffering of homeless people or the moral stain on our country, or its roots in deference to real estate investors.
Trump is making evil overt, and bold. His fear and resentment are boundless.
16
There is so much going on here, I don't know where to begin. As usual, Trump's rants are barely decipherable. Every time he speaks I cringe with embarrassment for the nation. But that is beside the point. I don't hear a single viable plan on how to actually alleviate this issue. We need funding for mental health care, treatment instead of incarceration for drug addiction, affordable housing and good paying jobs with benefits. I don't hear an iota of concern or compassion for the suffering of the homeless. Instead Trump plans to punish the cities he despises because of his suddenly convenient concern for the environment. And of course he throws immigrants into the mix. He doesn't see the homeless as human beings, rather they are an eyesore to be done away with. I shudder to see what his proposal for that will be. This man is a tyrant whose mental capacity is rapidly declining. The Republicans need to stop pandering to Trump for their own political gain and do what's right for this country.
10
Let me get this right. The man whose incompetent Secretary of HUD has done nothing to address the need for affordable housing, who represents a party that is trying to dismantle the ACA - thus eliminating healthcare for drug addicts and people with mental illness, whose EPA has been steadily rescinding laws that keep our air and water safe, and who himself just announced that California will no longer be allowed to enforce more rigorous pollution standards is going to punish California for violating environmental standards? This would be farcical if it weren’t tragic.
71
Why hasn’t San Francisco taxed their ultra wealthy tech billionaires to fund the solution to homelessness? They could design a solution for the rest of America to emulate. BTW- it is horrible walking in downtown!! It huge problem. There needs to be a solution or people will be leaving.
8
Why is Donald Trump treating California like a foreign adversary, and Saudi Arabia like a friendly state? He has lowered our deductions, raised our taxes, and now this.
Last time I looked, we were part of the United States. It seems our Stable Genius has forgotten that fact, just as he forgot about us when he suggested we needed to rake our forests, sent little aid in the wake of our worst wildfires ever, but offered substantial aid to Siberia!
Donald Trump is literally an enemy of the people who don't wear red hats.
8
Every time you think you have reached the bottom of Trump's ignorance and cynicism he shows you a trap door and plunges even lower. Any constructive suggestions about homelessness? Of course not. He's not that smart and he certainly doesn't care.
13
The president with zero interest in climate change is now very concerned with syringes ending up in the oceans? His EPA is on the verge of attempting to take away California’s leadership role in auto emissions...resulting in higher pollution levels. He needed a story for Fox News and he’s using this ‘homelessness’ topic. A large percentage of homeless are Vets. What’s his plan for the VA to work with homeless Vets? He’ll never work on that.
7
This administration is one sick joke. This president who trashed every single environmental protection law passed by previous administrations is suddenly concerned about the homeless and what that does to the environment? It's getting more bizarre by the minute.
12
Let's hope that when he shuffles off this mortal coil, Trump leaves whatever he's using for a brain to science. We need to figure out how to prevent similar accidents in the future.
15
Mr. Trump’s ignorance of facts combined with his willingness to proclaim any random thought of the moment whether in a tweet or traveling on the plane makes me believe the mayor of SF over the president. She provided a rational explanation of her city’s waste disposal system.
Once again, the president shows his incompetence to lead our country.
6
Trump is right. San Francisco is a disgrace thanks to liberal ideology that just didn’t work. Time to clean up that beautiful city
6
@NYC Dweller Hmm. What about your city and its issues?
Homelessness is not due to any political ideology.
But, Trump has said it is true, so, therefore it is true.
3
The Trump regime citing anyone for violating environmental rules is truly a joke. Trump’s lackeys are vigorously destroying our pollution and fuel efficiency rules as quickly as they can.
It’s even more bizarre Trump is going after a California city, where they fight to retain decent environmental rules. What a joke.
5
The irony of this attack on homelessness as an 'environmental' problem is that it coincides with Trump's attacks on Caliornia's strict vehicle emissions standards, which are what helps keep the red flag smog alerts in L.A. at bay. This man's haphazard policy ideas are always about politics.
23
@Robbi
The attacks on the homeless and on the city is about politics but it’s also the attacks of a party and its leader whose sole concern is winning at any cost.
I grew up in SF and live in Chicago but over many years, I’ve seen the homeless problem expand and contract. Conducting police sweeps to lock up the homeless is typical GOP strategy. Providing much needed money and supportive housing programs to people with mental illness and addictions(the majority of people who are homeless fall into these categories) would be required to clean up the streets of San Francisco Unfortunately, as you intimate, appealing to a cruel, ignorant base is much more important to the party than alleviating a huge social problem in what is arguably America’s most beautiful city.
6
I'm not surprised Trump didn't show any empathy or deep concern for all the homeless. It should have been heartbreaking for him to witness all the homeless. He should have commented on how he would like to seriously help them or god forbid, even speak to some in person and listen to their stories.
7
Which would require one to break.
Is the larger number of unsheltered homeless a factor of the milder climate in Southern California? Do fewer homeless seek shelter or are there fewer places? Are the shelters even more dangerous and thus discouraging?
2
@Alexandra Hamiltont Having lived in both places, I believe this is definitely part of it. When a person can be outside in a mild climate, shower in beach showers, etc. this may well be more acceptable than a shelter. However, the problem in CA has clearly worsened in the past 10 years, even more the past 5 - but Trump's approach is not constructive TSTL.
3
This is the biggest joke of the day, to think that Trump and this administration cares about environmental damage when every day they roll back protections meant to improve our future.
All they care about is punishing a city for trying to help their homeless people because Trump and company are failing at the border to do the same thing.
5
And again the comments are blind. This isn’t about the facts and merits of an EPA notice. This is red meat for the election cycle, highlighting how the most liberal cities in the most liberal (and very important) state have become cesspools of vagrants and drug addicts. How they’re absolutely hostile to the needs and concerns of functional nuclear family structures. You can’t go to the park or a shopping street without stepping over vagrants and needles is how this will be portrayed.
Trump picked an absolutely undeniable problem with two famously liberal cities, one the home of the Hollywood that hates him, the other a quintessential identity-politics venue.
He’s showing how under liberal rule these places have deteriorated beyond any justifiable level. The basics of law enforcement and social order have been abandoned and even actively rejected.
Then extend that same level of decay to what will happen under an identity politics Democrat president and Congress. That’s the whisper campaign for social media.
Trump is equal parts cynic and mad political genius. Yet again the left marches right into the public relations trap.
26
@Who’d A Thunk It? Yup. Most accurate comment here. It's about 2020 for sure - the focus on trashing California pre-election is quite obvious already and only likely to get worse.
3
What percent of the homeless population in California is women? What portion of this population has drug or mental health issues what portion of this population is under 26, and what portion of this population fell into a homeless state because of catastrophic healthcare bills?
Before having the EPA declare San Francisco an environmental hazard, Trump might try to preserve ACA and Planned Parenthood so California’s homeless population doesn’t end up with zero access to healthcare when they are swept up in the Trump solution to homelessness.
It is also mind boggling to think that Trump thinks tents are alluring. Yes it is those darn Tent City zip codes are what migrants and homeless people aspire to. Take away the tents and homelessness will end.
Trump logic, is really so
2
Homeless people face so many challenges and experience so much misery. For many, its a huge challenge just to stay alive.
Many have never done anything more objectionable than develop serious medical problems or lose their jobs. Hearing their stories should fill us with compassion and a desire to find ways to solve this multi-faceted problem.
I couldn't be sadder to see Trump begin to focus on them and look for humiliating and stressful ways to make their lives harder.
Trump never stops looking for people to beat up on.
Let's try hard to never again elect a mean, punishing, heartless president.
5
It’s obvious that San Francisco is unable or unwilling to face this set of problems. Who will take responsibility then?
13
All over the Western world, federal governments, beginning in the 80’s, began pulling out of funding for social housing. Coupled with steadily decking tax $, and other corporate-friendly laws, social housing responsibilities devolved down to states and provinces, then to the cities and towns, then to charities who have been scraping funding together ever since. The same as done to mental health care. From the hospitals to the streets with no follow-up care. That’s where “the Homeless” come from. The issue really is that they are unsheltered-by-design, not created by some natural law.
86
Large cities in blue states could say that they are taking care of American refugees from red states that refuse to expand Medicaid and as a result they should get funding from red states to care for citizens that red states refuse to care for. Or maybe we can just keep the tax dollars blue states pay to take care of blue state needs.
146
So the only time Trump cares about environmental regulation is when he can use it to punish one of the states that's fighting hardest against him in his crazed war against the health of our biosphere.
So the only time Trump cares about the homeless is when he can use a genuine problem to attempt to embarrass a liberal state—no support for programs, no vision for elevating and offering dignity to the homeless nationally, just a crude weapon. Bully; holler about punishing; bully and mouth off.
California just needs to ignore him. (Gavin Newsom needs to guard against the dangers of grandstanding, too.) What's Trump gonna do? Launch drone strikes against Sacramento? Blow up the Golden Gate if he doesn't get his way?
November 2020 can't come soon enough. Vote this malevolent fool out of office.
362
My guess is that Trump thinks it’s witty and funny to threaten California with pollution citation due to hypodermic needles. Oh, I’m sure he will go through with it if he can, but he will be grinning when he does it. He only cares that rich visitors and wealthy tax payers not have to encounter the homeless as they stroll from gilt lobby to limousine.
26
@Alexandra Hamiltont - He gets off on making normal people's head explode.
22
"Launch drone strikes against Sacramento? Blow up the Golden Gate if he doesn't get his way?"
Are any of our vast collection of "norms" and "checks and balances" strong enough, or even legally binding enough, to stop ANY of that from the loser?
I FULLY expect those, and worse. He's THAT spiteful.
9
In this article the NYT asserts:
“Tens of thousands of hypodermic needles are collected each month from the streets of San Francisco.” If this is accurate, the needle issue may be a good place for Trump to begin. Huge amounts of dangerous medical waste in the streets of a formerly lovely city - that’s a problem that calls to everyone regardless of party affiliation.
23
@Mary Ann
That comment in the article is in the context of the next paragraph—
“City officials have a longstanding program of distributing clean needles in an effort to reduce infectious diseases like H.I.V.”
That program is what collects the used needles. The quote you pulled does not refer to trash pickup. I’m sure that’s an issue too, I live here, but the article is referring to needles turned in by junkies to get new ones. It’s a “needle exchange” program designed specifically to get people not to share needles.
12
@Mary Ann What are tRump's solutions? None. Only one I heard so far was locking them up in warehouses.
5
@Mary Ann
It’s unclear if these needles are picked up from the ground or from collection points.
I was in SF four weeks this summer. Never saw a needle, on the ground or otherwise.
Also, Trump hasn’t a clue about what he’s spewing, which is no surprise.
13
There seems to be no group of marginalized or disadvantaged citizens that Trump will not demonize. More red meat for his base. He is totally lacking in empathy or compassion, the distinguishing trait of both sociopaths and psychopaths. The fact that he can enlist almost the entire Republican Party in his toxic schemes is the most disturbing thing of all.
200
@G
If he really wanted to help the homeless problem he would send a check.
1
Motivations aside, Trump is right on the money on this. California has a horrible homeless problem and the once beautiful cities like San Francisco and LA are quickly sliding towards being uninhabitable. If the tax base leaves (many are) the city’s demise will accelerate and you’ll have Detroit all over again.
Democrats would be wise to partner here and not make this political. As these cities become more visible on the national stage, it will tarnish the Democrats (they are in control in CA) and be used to paint negative images of what the US could become under wider Democrat control run with “progressive” policies.
Trump is a lousy businessman (and person) but he will capitalize on this politically.
He is laughing all the way to his second election.
35
@Norville T. Johnson
”Uninhabitable”
That’s ridiculous. I live just across the bay, and the great majority of SF is not infested with homeless people and needles. Housing prices certainly don’t reflect an “inhabitable” region.
Don’t buy the hype. We have issues with homeless, techie culture, and wage disparity, but homelessness is not as rampant as you say.
12
@Norville T. Johnson Partner with Trump on what?! He is not proposing any solutions, just looking to score political points. Please point to a single proposal from the Trump administration to effectively deal with homelessness in California!
16
@Norville T. Johnson
Trump has already made it political, as he has with everything he has sullied with his touch. He has done his best to degrade the environment, most recently by his actions regarding California’s attempts to improve air quality. And I doubt he’s laughing about the election, not if he’s seen the polls
7
For Trump, the real problem with California cities is that they vote Democratic.
114
This is national issue. California’s homeless come from all over the US. They come to CA because of the milder climate and the generous social services. Not to mention Trump’s HUD and anti-ACA policies exacerbating the problem.
And the optics of Trump complaining at fundraising events in front of recipients of the $1.5T tax cut are unbelievable.
169
That's it? That's the best he has to offer? Issue a Notice of Environmental Violation. That should about do it. The homeless will start signing leases all over San Francisco. No....federal funds for low income housing. No federal funds to improve mental health and substance abuse services. No real help. You have a problem and we are going to punish you because you have a problem? This is the same guy who says the ACA is a disaster, so he is going to repeal it, take away health care for millions, and put nothing in it's place? Ah yes.....the dad who thinks if his kid has a drug abuse problem that the answer is to take away the credit card. If you don't do what I want....I will punish you. I have no intention of helping you. No hugs from ole Don. Just a slap across the face. Clearly the Trump method worked on him. Look how sympathetic, honest, and nice he turned out.
249
@Walking Man
He is a case of arrested development.
He stopped maturing at 8. He was the kid he took his ball and stomped of home to his Queens home if he didn't get his way.
He hasn't changed on single bit.
7
Yet another outrageous action!
On the one hand Trump is allowing for seismic blasting in the ocean and allowing acidification and climate change, as well as the pollution of nitrates by destroying clean water rules passed by Obama, removing California’s emission control waivers that protect the ocean, and...
At some point California and the Coasts are going to have to re-evaluate and jump ship.
If the Federal Government is becoming the cudgel and the abettor of a dictator with ego and mental problems, then what other choice is there for the States with a vibrant economy, burdened by sending remittances to Washington, targeted by this madness?
45
He's so concerned about environmental rules?
83
Democrats need to own the fact that they can’t govern and it leads to fall of great cities by homelessness, infrastructure deterioration , crime, high taxes and unaffordable housing.
18
@Mark V
We have had republican rule for three years and insteading of bolstering help in these areas Trump and his cabinet have cancelled support . You'd think think he would introduce progroms for these homeless instead of for his One percent buddies.
32
@Mark V Reality: my state accounts for 15% of the GDP. We did over three trillion dollars of GDP last year. Our economy -- on its own -- ranks fifth in the world. We are the largest economic powerhouse in the country, and have been for quite a while.
I think we're doing okay.
16
@mmmlk What about all those red states in the heartland dotted with closed factories, factory ghost towns and sad people. Will the Republicans own the fact that they can't govern and it led to the fall of the entire multi-state region?
25
Trump doesn't want anyone to see homeless people while driving through cities. He of course doesn't care if there are homeless people or anything about their plights. He just doesn't want to see them. He definitely should have added, "Let them eat cake!"
69
The Donald has "environmental concerns"?? The same individual that has relaxed methane seepage regulations for oil rigs?; is allowing oil drilling in Alaska; is relaxing effluent rules for our water ways?; is championing coal?
184
The cynicism of Donald Trump using environmental protection laws as a political tool against cities with Democratic mayors, and as yet another cudgel to with which to abuse vulnerable people, can not be overstated. Clearly he relishes doing so, as this particular argument hits the Trump trifecta: “owning the libs,” making a mockery of legitimate laws and regulations, and - most importantly - aggrandizing himself by falsely pretending to care about the suffering of others.
87
The man who who created the Environmental Pollution Agency wants California to clean up its act.
The man who just invested trillions in billionaires with the 2017 GOP 0.1% Welfare Tax Cut Act wants to blame California for America's 39-year-old right-wing war on the poor.
The man who operates a Presidency of spite, by spite and for spite wants the great American state of California with the largest state economy in the nation to be a rabid, right-wing target of political spite for his election campaign.
America has never had a tinier President in its 243 years.
November 3 2020.
581
@Socrates
He's too chicken to go to war with Iran, so why not San Francisco.
(and this is not an endorsement for war with Iran...)
18
@Ladybug
The answer is to work hard to support every blue candidate running and to work hard to help turnout voters in 2020.
Vote blue no matter who.
Biden/Warren or Warren/Biden or whomever.
16
@Butterfly
I like it! Vote blue no matter who. Thank you.
2
Mr Trump wants to roll back auto emission and clean water regulations, but now he is concerned about environmental issues in San Francisco?
109
San Francisco politicians allowed the city to become known as one of the most unlivable cities in the U.S. Homelessness is out of control with no solutions offered. A fine is richly deserved.
19
@Jim And Trump & Co are allowing the country to become known as unlivable. A fine on him and his cabinet even more richly deserved.
41
@Jim What solutions are Republicans offering? You don't have to be in control to offer suggestions and sell them.
The truth is Republicans aren't interested in solving these problems, they're merely interested in running on them.
3
@Jim Nah. I've lived in San Francisco for most of my life. It's a beautiful city! It is multicultural, eclectic, possessed of a park that is the rival of any in the United States, and it has many distinct and colorful districts, each with their own charm and history.
Homelessness has been a problem in California for nearly a hundred years, and in San Francisco since 1849. This isn't something new, or a problem engendered by Democrats. In fact, if there is a political party to blame for homelessness as it is now, it is Republicans for cutting funding to state mental institutions to the point where the majority of those who should be institutionalized are on the streets. The first to go down that road was governor Ronald Reagan, who passed a law forbidding volunteer work at state institutions, and succeeding Republican governors chipped away at it too, because 'gummint bad.'
This is ever the way of Republicans: trash the system while in office, then blame Democrats for the system being broken.
8
It's not just Trump alone; a Republican Party talking point is to blame all urban ills on the Democrats who politically control many of the largest cities.
30
I surf San Francisco all the time, and have been for years.
I've never seen a needle at Ocean Beach, despite seeing many in other parts of the city. San Francisco has one of the best wastewater treatment facilities of any US city. First, all sewage is treated at a standard far above the required minimum. Second all wastewater from the storm drains is treated for bacterial contamination and all solids (like needles) are removed. Third, they have a recapture system that significantly reduces overflows during periods of heavy rainfall.
I have far more problems with earaches and sinus infections surfing in the town of Pacifica (population 40,000) to the south. In Pacifica, leaky septic tanks from local residences tend to overflow during periods of high rainfall. This isn't a problem in San Francisco due to the city's excellent wastewater treatment.
Of course, science doesn't matter to this administration. The city could present all this information to the administration and he will just ignore it and pursue another unwinnable attack on our community to fire up his base.
310
@Snake6390
I live in Sausalito, and in 30+ years living in and around SF I have seen a few abandoned crack pipes and nary a needle on the sidewalk.
We do have an issue with homelessness and addiction. Too bad Trump is focused on the issues they cause OTHER people and not the homeless and addicted themselves.
He could help them, instead he uses them as a pawn to play against CA liberals. What partisan hogwash. No leadership on sight from trump on these real issues. Just like Baltimore—blame,
shame, but do nothing.
35
@Snake6390 I live next to and surf Ocean Beach and have also never seen a needle at the beach. There is very little trash for an urban beach which is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and habitat for endangered western snowy plover.
The annual California Coastal Cleanup Day in September 21st this year. Volunteer and see for yourself that cigarette butts, straws, and plastic film may be present here and there, but not needles.
4
@Snake6390 I live in Pacifica and while some of the high bacteria in Linda Mar Beach is from what you mentioned, most of it is actually natural runoff from San Pedro Creek into the ocean. Lots of animal excrement which no one has an easy answer on how to clean up.
All of the other surrounding beaches such as Rockaway and Sharp Park have excellent water quality.
2
Those are some pretty big percentage increases since '17. Could it be that Trump is more concerned about what those increases say about him and his tenure to date? Could it be that his motive in all this is to hide the reality and place fault on anyone but him? Someone should remind him that the buck stops at the top.
56
Trump continues to use his power to punish his perceived enemies, most of which are American institutions, officials, and now whole States. He is a dictator in plain site and should be removed from office.
310
@Patti seconded.
The law is not Trump’s personal cudgel.
60
But he believes, he really believes it is—he’s that dumb, and that evil.
I just don’t know if I can take another year of this, God forbid another four years. I’m not sure the country could withstand it.
9
President Trump's comments about homelessness were made at his Silicon Valley fundraisers, indicating there is money available to better combat this problem. One of the solutions is more housing linked with treatment services for people suffering from chronic mental illness and addictions.
68
People suffering from narcissistic personality disorder will do anything and everything to discredit or punish those whom they perceive to be critical of them. Total Trump tactics.
398
The way this administration rolls, perhaps they are considering additional uses for detention camps.
Trump doesn’t care about homelessness, he is trying to score points with his base against large cities that vote Democratic.
150
@Patricia
I'm also worried homeless people are going to be rounded up and placed in concentration camps. Last week while surveying an encampment in Los Angeles someone from the administration said: "Don't worry, we haven't started rounding people up yet."
This moment feels like the beginning of politicizing the homelessness problem
9
@Concerned Citizen
Really? I don't suppose you've seen pictures of Trump's immigrant concentration camps have you? They're filthy, cold, little food and what food there is is bad, few if any showers, some aluminum foil for blankets, and the "blessed" recipients get to sleep on cold concrete. Yeah, that's a great improvement. But it would keep the homeless out of sight of the wealthy, something Trump would like.
1
His rhetoric and ‘executive’ styled decrees are dividing states and creating a civil discourse that is coarse and unpatriotic. As a Republican, it further could be seen as apostasy. Republicans were ( are ?) believers in states’ right and decentralized government ( except when it is campaign fodder?).
72
@Suburban Cowboy Vote for the Democrat in 2020.
4
Does anyone really believe Trump cares about the homeless or the environment? Please. He said earlier this week he was acting out of concern for the possible effects of homelessness on nearby real estate values.
438
You can say that again.
16
@Edmund
Absolutely! I'd like to know how many (and which) of his friends own property in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities he has made a recent target of his nonsense.
6
@Andy Jo
He has friends?
17