After the massive increase in crime and drug addiction, the city of San Francisco appears to be more willing to embrace conservative policies. Democratic Mayor London Breed introduced two proposals, one regarding drug testing welfare recipients and the other issuing law enforcement more surveillance powers. On Tuesday night, voters approved both propositions.
As of Wednesday, 63% of San Francisco residents approved of Proposition F, which would require welfare recipients to submit to mandatory drug screenings.
Recipients with drug addiction disorders would have to accept treatment to receive cash assistance, putting more responsibility on them, Breed said. Treatment includes a 12-step program, residential care, individual counseling and replacement medication, according to ABC7.
“We want people to seek treatment and many people do, but the reality is others are not willing or able to do so,” Breed said in a statement. “We are also sending a message that we are a city that offers help but not a city where you can just come and do whatever you want on our streets.”
Addiction is complicated and there are no easy paths, but fentanyl is so deadly that we need more tools to get people into treatment.
Prop F is part of that change.
We can't just keep giving people money to overdose and die on our streets — we have to do more.
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) March 6, 2024
Residents with young children and those over 65 will not be required to partake in the mandatory drug screenings.
The city’s Human Services Agency will be responsible for enforcing the policy.
Prop F has passed in San Francisco. This is a step in the right direction to hold people accountable, get them into treatment, and defund the drug dealers. #recovery @LondonBreed pic.twitter.com/6m4ikbtoMs
— T Wolf 🌁 (@Twolfrecovery) March 6, 2024
Charley Goss works for a landlord association and voted for Proposition F and more police surveillance.
“There’s a lot of drug abuse on our streets and it manifests itself on lots of issues from public safety to quality of life,” Goss said.
The proposition has been criticized by progressives, who call the measure “too far right” for San Francisco, referring to it as inhumane and claiming that it would force many out of public housing.
San Francisco resident and city government worker Bernice Casey voted against Proposition F and more police surveillance. “People who are receiving aid should not be drug tested, and I think the police need more accountability, not less,” said Casey.
In reality, the left doesn’t see that leaving impoverished people with untreated drug addictions is inhumane. According to Breed, more than 800 San Francisco residents died last year due to drug overdoses.
Around 5,590 people are participating in the city’s cash assistance program, receiving up to $712 if they have stable housing.
