The San Francisco Experience

San Francisco is looking to re-name 44 of its' 114 schools. The move was prompted by a review of existing names for slavery links, genocide perpetrators, colonialists, white supremacists etc.  9 US Presidents' names would be stripped from our schools including, Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt.  Even Senator Dianne Feinstein would lose her place of honor and our Spanish Colonial historic roots expunged. But San Francisco's schools are still closed to in person learning and many, even in woke San Francisco, feel this is a bridge too far. Has the cancel culture run in to a brick wall in the City by the Bay ? 

The Wolverine Watchmen, a Michigan based militia group, plotted to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer, try her for treason, storm the State Capitol in Lansing with 200 men and foment a civil war.  The FBI arrested the 13 plotters several days ago and charged them with terrorism, conspiracy to kidnap and weapons charges after tracking them on Social Media. Michigan has been a hotbed of militia activity for many years;  even Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols the Oklahoma City bombers who killed 168 people had ties to a Michigan militia. Private militias often back up law enforcement as we saw over the Summer during riots in Minneapolis, Kenosha and Louisville, or even the Border Patrol on the Mexican border. They occupy a gray area in the law and are usually allied to right wing groups. Why Michigan ?

The quickening pace of the destruction of California's forests by wildfire is staggering. In the last 3 months four million acres of our 33 million acres of forest have burned. That's 12%. From 2000 to 2019 4 million acres burned and before that it took 66 years - 1933 to 1999- to burn 4 million acres. The exponential increase in the burn rate is an existential threat to the Golden State. Yet we still do not have an overarching strategic plan to bring the wildfire menace under control. The same old opponents to efficient management of our forests are still dragging their feet. California needs an immediate change to bring in stakeholders like the healthcare industry and emergency services to come up with a broad plan not beholden to narrow but noisy interests. 

Who are the Proud Boys and why did Joe Biden and Chris Wallace give them oxygen at the Presidential debate ? A right wing group the Anti-Defamation League calls Alt-Lite, with a Disney film inspired name wasn't deserving of mention. But they are now part of the 2020 presidential campaign.  What do they believe ? What is White Supremacy ? And what about Executive Order #13950 Combatting Race and Sex Stereotyping, dated 9/22/2020.  Listen to today's podcast for answers.

Deceit and Dirty Money is Jim Herlihy's debut novel written in the late 1990's - a simpler and gentler time before 911, Global financial crises, cell phones, the internet and electric cars. Set in San Francisco, this financial thriller with classic San Francisco Noir overtones, satirizes the City's social elite. Jim also gives an insider's explanation of the writing process and how  he developed his unique voice and writing style.

California experienced its' smallest net population growth in 2019 - 87,000 or 0.2%, the smallest net increase since 1900. The 2020 net increase is likely to be even smaller.  Are the unaffordable housing costs, high taxes and  high cost of living, to say nothing about wildfire air pollution and last in the nation Covid re-opening finally starting to bite ? A host of online websites offer one stop shopping Exit California packages.  Are we reaching a breaking point ?  Meanwhile Texans warn newly transplanted Californians: " Don't California my Texas." Is the bloom off the Golden State's rose ?

San Francisco's homeless population numbers approximately 24,000. It breaks down into three discrete segments, namely one third mentally ill, one third economic casualties and one third drug users and addicts. Today's podcast focuses on the drug users and addicts. The City Journal and Erica Sandberg in particular has written a detailed account of the Harm Reduction drug culture in San Francisco. Her  chilling account of how they facilitate drug use and abuse among the homeless on our streets is shocking.  And it is all in the name of misguided compassion.