Mayor Lurie Closes the Homeless Bar – Latest News
Bravo to San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who’s ending a ridiculous metropolis program that spent $5 million a yr to supply booze to homeless alcoholics.
It seems like an insane concept to start with, however the unique thought behind the “Managed Alcohol Program” (MAP) appears to have been that maintaining homeless people drunk would keep them from going by means of withdrawal and heading to emergency rooms.
It was by no means a good concept to present homeless people more of the very factor that stored many of them homeless — and to supply incentives for different alcoholics to hit the streets.
The program solely served 55 people — at an average bar tab of $454,000 for every homeless alcoholic.
Lurie’s transfer is sweet for San Francisco — and good for the homeless, who need help getting sober, not help staying drunk.
In the background, there’s a severe debate about what varieties of providers to supply homeless addicts. Needle exchange applications, for instance, might permit homeless people to remain hooked — however might additionally shield them from lethal illness.
Regardless, San Francisco has taken these applications too far. Under Lurie’s predecessor, London Breed, San Francisco ran open-air “safe use” areas, the place addicts might get high beneath metropolis supervision.
There is a level at which tolerance is an excessive amount of. The metropolis shouldn’t be enabling habit. And taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bar tab.
Lurie’s resolution to finish MAP is one other hopeful signal of reform He has a long technique to go earlier than he has fixed San Francisco’s issues. He remains to be dealing with a $1 billion price range deficit, for instance.
But Luriehas put the curiosity of residents first. He has additionally taken a average tone in disagreements with the federal authorities, main to raised outcomes.
Mayor Lurie has proven easy common sense in axing this “alcohol for alcoholics” program — a high quality seen far too not often amongst our native leaders.
