Thread by @ShellenbergerMD

A lot of San Franciscans & people who love the city have rightly criticized its drug, crime & homeless crisis, I included

Well, now's our chance to support SF leaders like Mayor @LondonBreed when they do the right thing.

Please consider thanking her

https://twitter.com/LondonBreed/status/1479246212662382596

I literally wrote the book on San Francisco's problems and agree we must keep pressure on the city's leaders.

But we also must encourage policymakers when they take positive steps in the right direction, particularly when doing so is risky, which it is:

michaelshellenberger.substack.com/p/progressives…

This is not complicated. This not nuclear engineering.

There is literally a "How to Shut Down an Open Drug Scene" check list (below)

Breed is taking action on the first two: build a political consensus & open a linkage center

Many others are in place

https://twitter.com/ShellenbergerMD/status/1479248512176902145?s=20

The ONLY thing that stopping the closure of the open drug scene in the Tenderloin neighborhood is lack of political will.

EVERY CITY THAT SHUTS DOWN AN OPEN DRUG SCENE DOES SO WITH POLICE. FULL STOP

There is no exception. None.

The staff at @TheCoalitionSF @HarmReduction @DrugPolicyOrg & radical Left academics like @alexhkral have been lying to the policymakers, journalists, and the people about law enforcement for decades.

Their big lie? That the use of law enforcement backfires. It's total bullshit.

Second biggest lie? "Portugal solved the problem by legalizing drugs"

Total bullshit

Me: "What happens if I shoot heroin in public in Portugal?"

Head of Portugal's Drug Policy Program: "You would be arrested and brought to the police station."

https://twitter.com/shellenbergermd/status/1415345836913922054

The debate in San Francisco right now is over precisely the question of the role of police in arresting addicts using drugs openly and open air drug dealing

ALL OF THE EVIDENCE IS ON THE SIDE OF USING THE POLICE TO SHUT DOWN DRUG DEALING & OPEN DRUG USE

michaelshellenberger.substack.com/p/progressives…

TO YOU WHO SAY "Oh I'm not going to read all of that"

HERE IT FREAKING IS IN FOUR WORDS:

"Police dispersing tactics (compulsory)"

NO EXCEPTIONS IN ANY EUROPEAN CITY

To all of you who are like, "The problem isn't solved" — are you kidding me? You thought it would be already?

I'm the most impatient person I know on this issue. I'm incredibly frustrated. But then support the mayor! Don't just sit there and throw rocks!

https://twitter.com/Leeny/status/1479253190461714432?s=20

If you're like, "Oh, it took her too long" or "She won't follow through on that" please ask yourself: WHAT ARE YOU DOING OTHER THAN BEING PART OF THE PROBLEM?

People's lives are on the line here. SF allows an unregulated foreign corporation to kill two people a day. Let's move!

You can't be on this web site in three or six or nine or 12 months complaining that the situation hasn't changed if you're not even willing to give a huzzah to Mayor @LondonBreed when she's done the right thing.

We need to stop looking around and expecting someone else to fix this. People who know that we need a practical and humane mix of law enforcement AND services based on what has worked in the past need to speak up and step up. Saving civilization is not automatic

/END RANT 😠