In just about every discussion we’ve had or every broadcast we’ve produced over the last few years, we have implored the public to take a strong look at San Francisco, CA.
While larger metropolitan cities in the United States all seem to have bounced back after the Covid shutdown phase, San Francisco seems to be sputtering out a pittance of small re-openings in some of the more boutique neighborhoods while the larger tax base has abandoned ship. For instance, a net migration out of San Francisco left that city’s federal income tax base more than $8 billion—or 20 percent—smaller between 2020 and 2021 alone. Further, out of nowhere seems to be an exploding population of homeless, fentanyl deaths, and even more closures years after the rest of the country is back open for business. The most architecturally unique Nordstrom Department store closed up, and in its wake is a thriving night-time fentanyl market.
In an extraordinary coincidence, on the same day masked protestors successfully shut down traffic along major highways including the Golden Gate Bridge, London Breed, San Francisco’s mayor, is in China negotiating deals on how to work with business interests in cities like Shenzen to bring life back into the weakened and brittle City By The Bay.
Displaying professionally crafted signs for the media to capture perfectly-framed shots for all outlets to regurgitate conveniently distracts attention from Mayor Breed’s trip to China.
Here’s hoping she’s a good negotiator and there’s some success to her trip because there is no shortage of abandoned and empty office buildings, hotels and even labs for Chinese investors to occupy. But what will she be negotiating?
Maybe they can set up a Jollibee or two at Fisherman’s Wharf, once the most touristed area in the world, now a respite for homeless camps and coyotes. Unfortunately, the Jollibee hype seems to be dead in the water.
There is a rich and robust history of Chinese culture influencing San Francisco, so this impending partnership seems to be the continuation of an ongoing colorful and vibrant relationship.
Who knows. Maybe I’m wrong. But I don’t think it would hurt San Franciscans to bone up on their Mandarin or Cantonese or take a good look at Chinese culture and practices and adopt them into their lives, like right now.
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