One of the strangest outcomes from an otherwise predictable primary last week came in the most progressive big city in America. In a series of voter initiatives, San Francisco’s overwhelmingly liberal electorate took positions that veered sharply to the right on matters including crime, taxes, housing and drugs. Voters went beyond mirroring the statewide electorate – and seemed to be channeling conservative bastions such as Orange County.
At the urging of their Democratic Mayor London Breed, voters approved, 55 percent to 45 percent, a measure that expands the San Francisco Police Department’s powers, reduces the power of the civilian-oversight commission, reduces use-of-force incidents that officers must report and allows the use of public-surveillance cameras and facial-recognition software.
They also approved, 58 percent to 42 percent, a measure that requires welfare recipients with drug addictions to participate in treatment programs. Voters overwhelmingly toughened up ethics laws for city officials, rejected a tax increase, returned Algebra 1 to eighth grade and supported a housing-construction bond. Although with closer results, voters reduced taxes for certain real-estate transactions as a way to promote housing production.
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As news reports point out, voters chose almost the entire slate of moderates (at least by San Francisco standards) in Democratic central committee races – thus piloting a rightward turn throughout politics in a city where progressives have often dominated.
For years, progressives have emphasized their unusual ideological priorities at the expense of nuts-and-bolts governance.
As a result, San Francisco has become the state’s poster child for open-air drug markets and homeless encampments, rising retail crime (and resulting store shutdowns) and poor public schools. On the latter point, city schools had eliminated eighth-grade algebra over concerns about racial equity rather than educational performance.
It’s not clear whether these reforms will change much. We believe the police measure goes too far in reducing accountability and allowing the use of surveillance.
Nevertheless, voters clearly had enough. Although San Francisco is unique, its election results offer a warning for Democrats who control much of California. If a strong rightward backlash can occur there, it can happen anywhere.