Californians have finally had enough and pushed back hard on ultra-progressive politics. San Francisco residents voted to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin, and this has me wondering if this is a sign of things to come.
Boudin was viewed by Democrats as being an up-and-coming star. He campaigned against mass incarceration and cash bail, and promised to de-emphasizing prosecuting drug and property theft cases. Under his philosophy, if someone were to break into your home, steal your property, steal your car, or steal your bicycle, they would not be prosecuted. It wasn’t long into his reign that prominent Democrats in San Francisco realized the quality of life in their city had badly eroded. Folks in San Francisco, one of America’s great cities, can’t even go about their daily lives without fear of being carjacked, robbed, beaten up, or otherwise.
We’re starting to see more residents and media outlets rise up and speak out against progressive politicians refusing to go after criminals. Even though progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Kranser was re-elected, he too is facing a movement to recall him.
After the recent mass shooting on Philadelphia's famous South Street, the Philadelphia Inquirer is talking to business owners who are fed up with the crime. Their stories are telling, especially in the aftermath of the burnout contests that happened in New Orleans on Sunday and the breakdown in law enforcement. The word ‘fear’ is thrown around a lot as crimes across the country go unpunished. There's fear of retaliation from offenders, and fear of retaliation from progressive politicians against business owners who complain, but more people are saying enough is enough.
What’s happening in San Francisco and Philadelphia is the result of cities embracing progressive policies under the auspices of criminal justice reform. Do law abiding citizens really just have to take it on the chin and just accept whatever comes their way? As we’re seeing, the answer is, no, they do not. But it's going to take a collaborative effort from the business community, neighborhood associations, and others to prevent the horror stories that took place in Philadelphia and in the Bay Area.
As I always say, we talk about San Francisco and the other big liberal cities a lot because what starts there always ends up here. Will New Orleans be the next great city to shake itself free of the curse of progressive policies? One can hope!
