Existing property owners have too much control to prevent new construction. Consciously and subconsciously they restrict new construction to boost property values. IMO most of SF's problems can be traced back to this. And it's a vicious cycle. Once you're in debt up to your eyeballs for your home, you do not want to see the problem fixed. SF city doesn't want it fixed either because they want more property tax dollars.

Of course there are other problems too but they would be easier to solve with cheaper property prices. California should tax property at their current market values instead of purchase price. This would fix the tax sort fall and put downward pressure on property prices.

That’s the housing crisis, yes. While related, it is not an excuse for shit in the street and high crime.

They could probably improve tourism by providing mental and homeless help outside downtown. Maybe break even or profit. No political will apparently.

Nah.. housing crisis causes the poor to have nowhere to go. It's the root cause.

Yes, SF has lots of high paying jobs and smart people, but don't kid yourself, that's a very small slice of the 1M people who live in SF.

Just hang around outside a public school in SF when it lets out. The vast majority of people who live in SF are middle to lower class in terms of income.

Why do you think there is so much hate for tech in SF? Because most people who live in SF have zero contact with tech workers, but they hear all the stories of throwing money around their city.

See where some of the money goes yourself:

https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2018/san-francisc...

Good intentions, bad government, as usual... Sadly... as usual

Things make more sense when you take a look at the post-WW2 black population growth in the Bay Area compared to the rise in interest in "local control" growth policy and the timing of some famous "Progressive" votes like the Freeway Revolts: https://i.imgur.com/6F0gP4l.png

I certainly can't speak to _intentions_, but I can observe the result of how basically every decision taken since the '60s has worked to maintain the segregation that used to be legal at the time: http://www.radicalcartography.net/index.html?bayarea

Not enough of a balance in local politics? Republicans and Democrats are both shitty sides of the same coin, so there's a reason they're 50/50 in most stable places.

Massive corruption and socialist policies. But, I repeat myself.

Huge wealth disparity.