Staff Reports
San Francisco is experiencing a steep decline in its status as a glittering, thriving coastal gem, all thanks to the so-called “progressivism” that is dominating the city. It seems that the city has been driving itself into madness for some time, with all its efforts at course-correcting turning out to be futile. The city’s downhill slide into dysfunctionality and danger is more evident with each passing day, as can be seen by the coddling locals are giving to out-of-control criminals, the attack on merit in education, and the shut-down of major brick-and-mortar retail locations.
The streets of San Francisco are now littered with drug paraphernalia and human waste and an ever-increasing number of individuals describing the city as an increasingly dangerous place to be. As the residents struggle to keep up with the downward spiral of the city, local leaders launch a multimillion-dollar ad campaign to bring back tourists, but it seems like an exercise in foolishness. A recent report reveals that the owner of two of the city’s most extensive hotels has stopped making mortgage payments and plans to abandon the properties, leading to another sign of disinvestment in heavily-hit downtown San Francisco.
The ownership group has announced that “San Francisco’s path to recovery remains clouded and elongated by major challenges,” a polite way of saying that the city’s future looks bleak. The city’s woes are further compounded with the closure of Nordstrom, a signature brick-and-mortar location in the heart of San Francisco, worsening the regrettable downward spiral in what was once the country’s prime location. With these major investments closing down, San Francisco is likely to lose its status as the country’s nicest and richest city.
The spiral of decay is profound, and the owners of the Westfield San Francisco Centre mall are giving up the property, adding to deepening real estate pain in the city, struggling to bring back workers and tourists after the pandemic. The mall is the city’s largest shopping center and features the historic Emporium department store dome, which has been painstakingly restored for the mall’s 2008 opening. However, the management of the mall will soon be transferred to a receiver, and the ownership is only cutting its losses, walking away from a massive investment and defaulting on payments.
These developments aren’t happening by accident. Unfortunately, San Francisco’s left-wing government has implemented extremely harsh COVID policies alongside extremely lax crime policies, contributing to these disastrous outcomes. As California Governor Gavin Newsom attacks conservative leaders by running around to red states, he overlooks the fact that under his leadership, California has lost population for the first time in state history. His shadow campaign for president is simply painting him as a wanton disaster who presided over the state’s downward spiral, while Florida under Governor Ron DeSantis is thriving, becoming the fastest-growing state for the first time in 2022.
Exclusive: Westfield stopped paying its $558 million mortgage and is surrendering its namesake SF mall, the biggest in the city, to lenders in the wake of Nordstrom's planned closure and plunging foot traffic (down ~42% from 2019) and sales (down ~1/3) https://t.co/APqyrnojkQ
— Roland Li (@rolandlisf) June 12, 2023
San Francisco’s sad state of decline clearly highlights the result of terrible, destructive “progressive” public policies. As San Francisco becomes a hollow shell of its former self, residents and visitors may soon have to abandon what was once the country’s nicest and richest city.
Source: Townhall
