How the radical Left turned America's cities into “slums” | Michael Shellenberger interview

San Francisco is situated at the heart of America’s tech boom. Yet according to this week’s guest, much of the city looks like a slum. Homelessness is rampant. Drug use is soaring and violent crime continues to rise. To find out what is happening to America’s most progressive cities Steven Edgintin is joined by the environmentalist and best-selling author Michael Shellenberger.

[jacquescousteau]

I’ve lived in San Francisco for thirty seven years, I raised a daughter here. Thank God she left in 2007 for college. I’m an old man now - seventy five - . This city is a surrealistic nightmare . All my friends have left this dump in past two years. There’s no laws ! I’m stuck. The stress is overwhelming …

[meisterlymanu]

In Finland, they built a huge shelter and eliminated homelessness. But those who use it must rehabilitate, and take the low level job being offered to them at the end of their stay.

[ThePdeHav]

As a dual citizen, I’ve enjoyed living in California for three long periods of my life. There’s a phenomenon that blights the welfare of homeless down on Skid Row. It’s called Poverty Pimping. LA County allocates $2Billion on the homeless but little of this money reaches them. Corruption is rife. Charities don’t wish to solve the problem because without the homeless their coffers dry up.

[a.azazagoth]

The fact that people are flocking out NYC, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland really demonstrate how little the elected officials have done to make the population feel safe and thriving. The last 4 years have given criminals more rights than the victims of crime. It’s absolutely insane!

[mickyday]

I’ve been to San Francisco many times and have watched its decline over the years. I don’t plan to return as a result of what it has become.

[PInkW]

I lived in California for 56yrs.
I left in Jan of 2018.
In California I was borderline homeless
In Texas I’m rich.

[VoxLesPaul]

Every presentation I've seen from Shellenberger is thoughtful, articulate, logical and well reasoned. He's a true intellectual.

[syddog]

I visited LA in 2018 and I was shocked by the amount of tents and crazy people wondering around everywhere. I've never seen so many marquee cars, Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Ferraris etc, but never seen so many homeless people either.

[robertuchman]

Someone who performs heinous crimes gets set free but someone who speaks vocally on any of the social media platforms gets chastised or imprisoned

[sdmytrenko]

Lived in SF for 33 years but retired to another state in 2013...Went back a few years ago and was shocked how the city was now unsafe...told "don't park your car in the city it will get broken into" saw a guy in an alley deficating and shocked! Thanks for this article.

[connorisawsome]

Here in Canada we are experiencing all these problems in Toronto and especially Vancouver. All of the reasons this guy talks about apply to our situation as well. I live in Toronto and I started seeing homeless encampments in the city parks in 2020. (I honestly don't recall seeing encampments before 2020, but that's just my experience) It's getting worse all the time. The homeless are getting more aggressive, more entitled and more belligerent and there's way more of them then before. We're not as bad as San Francisco, but man oh man are we heading there. I'm planning on moving back to the country soon. I know where this is going.

[massspectrician]

This was a very well conducted interview. Nice to see a media company doing a proper job, for a change.

[albatross]

A friend was telling me that due to the criminal element, not many are using mass transit to get into NY city. The vehicle traffic has caused traffic jambs and the criminals are now going up to cars stuck in traffic and robbing them at gun point, but the honest citizen can not legally possess a gun in NY city. Never give up your guns, never give up your rights.

[lalaboards]

2 nd gen LA here . Born and raised in Hollywood . What the Democrats have done and how they did it is unforgivable . Our city officials are in the pockets of the drug cartels . They cry climate change when they can’t even keep their own Cities clean .

[fallout]

Its not the 'radical' left I'm afraid, its just the left. These types of 'progressive' policies have been tried again and again and I struggle to find even one example of where they have led to anything remotely good...

[saradustyrose]

Trust me I was an addict but now I'm not. I was a liberal but now I'm not. Poverty is Poverty.

[willardmusick]

Open drug scenes vs. homeless camps a much better description as to what's going on. Our mindset is so sloppy now, we're generally OK with this.

[maryannerazzo]

As a native San Franciscan my heart breaks whenever I drive down nearly any street. There are vagrants and drug addicts in even some of the more affluent neighborhoods. The average citizen lives in fear of a vicious and mean-spirited backlash from the “progressive” far left, many of whom wouldn’t go near either a homeless encampment or even a black neighborhood. They are a real toxic presence in the City.

[anitapaily]

All thanks to his former boss Soros. I am Amazed that Americans are so indifferent and keep voting for the same party election after election. I guess they deserve what they voted for.

[noahmosher]

I work at a non-profit organization with recovering drug addicts, and I've heard many times that they couldn't quit until the judge told them they could either go to rehab or jail.