some people take to heart timeless wisdom. some people need to experience foolishness firsthand.
san francisco government leaders, sadly, are in the second category. as a result, their residents will continue to suffer in this “dark age” of politics.
thieves destroy communities. the san francisco castro district’s quality of life was recently impacted by out of control shoplifting.
the safeway store, due to theft, has reduced its hours and will close at 9pm. in other communities, safeway stores are open till midnight.
elected official, supervisor rafael mandelman, whose district includes the market street safeway, said the store “is one of the few affordable grocery options for people living in and around the castro.” sfchronicle
supervisor mandelman is seeking to “man” up on this issue. he has taken the lead and is seeking answers from those in charge. in his inquiry, he needs to be transparent as to the responses he receives from other officials. if they speak of contempt for the residents, he needs to let the public know. if they say that they are not going to do anything, he needs to let the public know. he must provide the public the unfiltered responses he receives. if he is unsatisfied as to what is being done concerning the problem, as an official, he must start holding those in charge accountable.
store hours lost is something that has additional consequences. less hours means less employment available and less worker income. less hours open means no tax revenue generated when the store is closed.
these politicians are creating “retail deserts.” some neighborhoods will simply not be serviced because stores cannot make profit. residents will be forced to travel to obtain their necessities.
projecting this problem out further, as many people have fled traditional housing to gated communities, the retail business models will likewise shift to membership store formats where shoplifting can be controlled. while stores such as costco and sams club are wonderful, there are few of them and do not serve the interest one one needing a bar of soap or a roll of toilet paper.
be well!!
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