Link to the homeless article!
A persisting problem in San Francisco is the increasing rate of homeless people, dating back to the late 70's, attributed to the quick deindustrialization, consequently resulting in a loss of jobs, rapid increase in housing prices and the loss of social welfare programs. This issue has only gotten worse since then, leaving San Francisco streets filled with 'tent cities'.
After a quick trip to California and New Mexico, Donald Trump told reporters that San Francisco and their rising homeless population is in violation to environmental rules as a result of the amount of needles ending up in the ocean...
“They’re in total violation — we’re going to be giving them a notice very soon...They have to clean it up. We can’t have our cities going to hell.”Trump detailed the effects of waste in storm sewers and needles polluting the ocean, and using the EPA as a threat to San Francisco. In response, San Francisco mayor, London Breed, said how Trump's comments were ridiculous and untrue, stating how the sewers in San Francisco are, "...one of the best and most effective in the country, that ensures that all debris that flow into storm drains are filtered out at the city’s wastewater treatment plants.". In addition, Ms. Breed included how in response to the rising homeless population, the city will be adding 1,000 shelter beds by next year, building more affordable housing and easier access to mental health and drug addiction services.
Though Trump's accusations regarding the sewer were false, his regards to needles and the overwhelming amount in San Francisco is true. In August 2018, the Public Health Department retrieved 164,264 needles, showing the sharp increase in heroin use in the city. In addition to the needles, the amount of feces in the streets require a clean up crew, resulting in more available toilets for people. As well has the homeless population increased 17% since 2017, being at 8,011 unsheltered individuals. Although suspicion around the intent behind Trump's claim have to do with how Trump seems to be more worried about how homeless people may look to others, rather than the actual homeless people.
- Why do you think Trump is threatening San Francisco with the EPA, and talking devotedly about the negative impacts a rising homeless population has when he pulled the U.S out of the Paris Climate Agreement?
- He has also made it quite clear how he doesn't really care much about the environment when looking at his lax rules on water and toxic air pollution...
Steven Yarmolinsky
ReplyDelete1. In my opinion, the increasing number of homeless people in San Francisco is a result of poor city and state-wide legislation, particularly, distributing clean needles to homeless drug users, in hopes of reducing the spread of AIDS. These needled are now ending up in the ocean, and Trump is appeared to be fed up with the dirtiness of the city as a whole. Also, it is a blow to Trump's ego when he brings foreign leaders to San Francisco, and they see homeless people in tents next to the freeway.
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ReplyDeleteTrump claims that San Francisco's homeless population is causing ocean pollution as used needles flow into storm sewers and into the Pacific. In comparison to his interest in environmental protection, Trump seems much more interested in retaliating against a state that he is unpopular in. His lack of popularity in California has eliminated the Republican party’s California delegation in the House.
ReplyDeleteTrump has criticized the problem of homelessness in San Francisco, and rightfully so. In recent years, SF has turned into a city overrun by a homeless population that, despite much talk, has yet to be full heartedly addressed. Trump is threatening with the EPA to try and rally the city into real action and past the talks that have been going on for years. Trump acknowledged this as such a big issue as he pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement in order to redirect criticisms from himself to another issue, something he has grown quite good at throughout his presidency.
ReplyDeleteSan Francisco has seen its streets and parkways overrun with homeless population in recent years. His attacks and threats of the EPA seem hopeless and a jab at attempts to scare the city. In the city's defense, because San Francisco is a liberal city, many homeless people migrate towards it for the advantages it seems to offer. - Matthew Pilch
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteTrump highlighting how San Francisco is doing allows him to distribute blame away from advocates of change in the Paris Climate Accords. San Francisco has become one of, if not the liberal stronghold of our country. If Trump is able to shine light on the fact that liberals are creating waste all while not caring for individuals, it allows him to validate his withdrawl.
The increasing homelessness problem in San Francisco has only worsened because of a lack of legislation to help the problem. San Francisco allows the homeless population to keep growing and leaving trash and needles on the street. Legislation must be passed in order to clean the streets of San Francisco, and improve homeless people's lifestyles.
ReplyDeleteTrump seems to take very inconsistent stances on climate change. While he pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement, he now expresses concern for needles from homeless people living in San Francisco becoming debris in the ocean. I think that his policy positions are highly influenced by a personal bias based on his experience as a businessman. While the homeless issue in San Francisco needs to be addressed, it should be addressed by giving the homeless population more support and opportunities to escape homelessness. The mayor of San Francisco made it clear that the San Francisco sewage does not let needles into the sewage, there could be programs set up to educate the homeless on the dangers of drugs or rehab programs set up. There are many alternative ways to deal with the homeless issue in San Francisco.
ReplyDelete1. Trump seems to be able to see how pollution may damage and sully our oceans, but not the climate change that the Paris Agreement is trying to fix. Trump's various words and actions have shown that he isn't a firm believer in the negative effects of climate change. As a result, he is unable to see past the negative economic impacts the Paris Climate Agreement may have in order to fix the environment. Instead, he's focusing on more obvious examples that have a direct, tangible impact, like the needles that are being dumped in the ocean.
ReplyDeleteEthan Gardner
ReplyDelete1. I think Trump polls very unfavorably in California, especially in San Francisco, and is looking for a way to criticize it wherever he can. Especially when it comes to environmental impacts, something the state of California tends to be very adamant about, Trump will look for any way possible to put down the California. His dislike of the liberal ideologies present in California probably caused him to focus so heavily on this issue, which it seems like he would care nothing about.
By pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, Trump basically said that our country didn't need to join an international agreement to reduce global warming because our country was doing fine on its own. In an attempt to continue this, Trump might be inclined to want to improve the environment in his own country. Trump started in California not only because San Francisco is very notorious for their homeless population, but because he is far removed, both ideologically and physically, from California and therefore won't necessarily feel the effects of what he is doing and saying. Trump is trying to preserve the country after pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement in order to prove that pulling out was the correct decision.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think Trump is threatening San Francisco with the EPA, and talking devotedly about the negative impacts a rising homeless population has when he pulled the U.S out of the Paris Climate Agreement?
ReplyDeleteTrump is threatening San Francisco with the EPA, despite pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement because of his general hatred for San Francisco. San Francisco is very liberal and anti-Trump, so he dislikes them and tries to punish them and criticize them for disliking him. He also wants to attempt (not so successfully) show hypocrisy with liberals by showing that they do not care for the environment because they pollute the city with needles and feces, allowing him to avoid environmental issues because of the fallacy "the other side is bad as well".