The exceptional Heather Knight reports for the New York Times that as SF starts to roll out a more vigorous strategy for sweeping inhumane homeless encampments, they're finding complications: unhoused who refuse offers of shelter (up to 2/3ds, says Breed) and drug crimes. 

Southern California pols are split over the impact of the recent SCOTUS decision allowing cities to enforce no-camping laws. LA Mayor Bass is worried LA's less aggressive approach to clearing encampments will result in neighboring cities sending their homeless to the City of Angels. Long Beach Mayor and Orange County Supes say Grants Pass adds a needed tool to their homeless plan. The LA Daily News reports. 

Behind the scenes, Sacto appears to be following SF's example and getting more aggressive about alleviating the suffering at homeless encampments. The Sacramento Bee's exceptional "Reality Check" series explores.

SF's Mayor London Breed has started offering SF homeless people a free bus ride outta town. Other big-city CA mayors worry that such aggressive actions may simply "shoo" the homeless to nearby cities with slower and more calibrated approaches than SF. Breed notes that SF's homelessness population is increasingly swelled by visitors from other cities. SF Chronicle reports.

A statement from the mayor’s office said the city’s “street response will consist of offers of support on a daily basis, targeted encampment resolutions, and coordinated efforts to prevent re-encampments and new areas from being encamped.” The exceptional SF Standard reports.

Tom Wolf (twitter/x@twolf) is one of the Bay Area's most articulate observers of the homelessness crisis--as well as being a recovery advocate and director of West Coast Initiatives for the Foundation For Drug Policy Solutions. He is formerly homeless and in recovery. He says the recent SCOTUS decision as well as Newsom's homelessness directive daylight the flaws in our historic approach to homelessness. From the excellent TheVoiceSF website.

They say children are the future, and so are bond repayments. Californians already rejected a school construction measure in 2020. This November they may once again answer “no” to a tax hike for the next generation.  Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers' Assn daylights the disturbing data on Prop 2 in the Orange County Register: Prop 2’s $10 billion bond plus interest equals $18 billion, the union prices are 25-30% above market rate, and school districts will tax homeowners to pay the matching fund requirement.

We know this has happened to you. You're killing some time on your phone, scrolling through some local headlines, maybe clicking on a story . And after reading one sentence, you think: "this is b.s." The BBC provides a helpful 7-point guide to identifying precisely what type of b.s. that is.

Supe Ellenberg may wave away Newsom's enjoinments regarding our homeless neighbor's well-being as "not helpful," but the Governor's argument is rooted in a focus on the welfare and security of the unhoused.  The LA Times reports.