Clean For Xi But Not For Thee: Democrats Hastily Clean Up San Francisco Ahead Of Chinese Visit
San Francisco Cleans Up for Presidential Visit
California Democrats were in a frenzy last week as they hurriedly spruced up San Francisco ahead of the highly anticipated state visit between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The New York Times likened the scene to teenagers frantically cleaning up after a wild house party before their parents arrived.
The city’s main thoroughfare, Market Street, saw maintenance workers resurfacing sidewalks and installing plywood over empty tree wells. A long-neglected plaza was transformed into a vibrant skateboard park and outdoor cafe, complete with pingpong tables, chess boards, and potted plants. Elsewhere, decorative crosswalks and new murals were painted, graffiti was wiped away, trash was cleared, and scaffolding was removed to showcase a refurbished clock tower at the Ferry Building.
So why the sudden cleanup after years of neglect? The answer is simple: Xi Jinping’s arrival. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, which began on Saturday, attracted 21 world leaders and 30,000 attendees to the Golden City. Governor Gavin Newsom of California admitted that the swift cleanup effort was prompted by the presence of these “fancy leaders” coming to town.
Gavin Newsom just admitted that they only cleaned up the streets of San Fran because “fancy leaders” were coming to town.
The reality: They were always capable of this but they don’t care about your safety. They care about the safety of the elite. You’re expendable to them. pic.twitter.com/BPedyEjn3q
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) November 13, 2023
While government officials focused on power washing transit stations and clearing homeless encampments in prominent areas, residents couldn’t help but wonder why it took so long for leaders to address the deteriorating conditions in one of California’s largest cities.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed assured the public that cleanup efforts would continue even after the conference concluded, stating, “We will continue to do everything we can to maintain cleanliness in our streets.”
There is not enough discussion about this.
They managed to clean up San Francisco using existing budgets in just a matter of days to prepare for Xi’s visit. No one can explain why they couldn’t have done this a long time ago.
— AG (@AGHamilton29) November 12, 2023
San Francisco’s homeless population was entirely cleared out for Xi Jinping.
The government can easily fix our cities overnight. It just doesn’t want to.pic.twitter.com/tBGmWCbwtX
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 12, 2023
San Francisco finally fixed the homeless crisis. All it took was a visit from a world dictator.
Before Xi: After: pic.twitter.com/2WimoNHC49
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 12, 2023
For years, San Francisco has symbolized the decline of America due to deteriorating health and safety conditions. Rampant crime and homelessness have left residents exposed to hazards, while the city remains prohibitively expensive to live in. Instead of prioritizing efforts to clean up, the city’s Board of Supervisors has focused on leftist activism. In a controversial move, they approved a plan to distribute slavery reparations of $5 million per person to individuals who were never slaves, funded by residents who never owned slaves.
In an article titled “Can San Francisco Save Itself From the Doom Loop?” published by The Wall Street Journal, the city’s downward spiral was highlighted. Downtown San Francisco now lags behind other major urban centers in economic health, with retailers like Nordstrom and Banana Republic closing their downtown stores. The owner of the city’s largest mall even decided to hand it back to the lender rather than continue making debt payments.
Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter covering culture, health, and wellness. His work has been featured in various publications, including The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. Tristan graduated from George Washington University with a major in political science and a minor in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at [email protected]. Sign up for Tristan’s email newsletter here.
Why did it take a presidential visit for San Francisco to address the deteriorating conditions in the city?
Cleans up for a presidential visit, prompting questions about the city’s neglect and priorities. Mayor London Breed assures residents that cleanup efforts will continue even after the conference concludes.
Last week, California Democrats and city officials in San Francisco went into a frenzy as they hastily spruced up the city ahead of the highly anticipated state visit between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The New York Times likened the scene to teenagers frantically cleaning up after a wild house party before their parents arrived.
The main thoroughfare of San Francisco, Market Street, saw maintenance workers resurfacing sidewalks and installing plywood over empty tree wells. A long-neglected plaza was transformed into a vibrant skateboard park and outdoor cafe, complete with ping pong tables, chess boards, and potted plants. Decorative crosswalks and new murals were painted, graffiti was wiped away, trash was cleared, and scaffolding was removed to showcase a refurbished clock tower at the Ferry Building.
The sudden cleanup efforts raised questions among residents about why it took so long for leaders to address the deteriorating conditions in one of California’s largest cities. Many pointed out that government officials focused on power washing transit stations and clearing homeless encampments in prominent areas, but neglected the overall cleanliness of the city.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California acknowledged that the swift cleanup effort was prompted by the presence of “fancy leaders” coming to town for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. This admission only further fueled the frustration among residents, who felt that their safety and well-being should have been a priority regardless of the visit.
While government officials promised that cleanup efforts would continue even after the conference concluded, critics questioned why these efforts couldn’t have been initiated earlier. It became apparent that the city had the capability to clean up San Francisco using existing budgets in just a matter of days, raising the question of why it hadn’t been a priority before.
The cleanup efforts also shed light on the issue of homelessness in San Francisco. Many residents noticed the sudden absence of the city’s homeless population during Xi Jinping’s visit, prompting accusations that the government was more concerned with presenting a sanitized image to the world rather than addressing the underlying issues of poverty and homelessness.
Mayor London Breed attempted to address these concerns, assuring the public that cleanup efforts would continue even after the conference concluded. She emphasized that maintaining cleanliness in the city was a priority, and steps would be taken to ensure that San Francisco remained a welcoming and vibrant place for both residents and visitors.
As the dust settles after the presidential visit, San Francisco continues to grapple with questions about its neglect and priorities. While the rapid cleanup efforts were a welcome change for some, the underlying issues of homelessness and neglect of certain neighborhoods remain unresolved. The city must now demonstrate a long-term commitment to addressing these issues, rather than resorting to temporary fixes for high-profile events. Only then can San Francisco truly be considered a thriving and inclusive city for all.
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