A progressive woman who lives in San Francisco took to Twitter over the weekend and questioned Democrat leadership in the city.
Pointing out the city has one party rule, San Francisco native Michelle Tandler noticed the massive shortfalls of politicians who claim to care about the downtrodden. She also noted the United Nations deemed conditions some of the worst in the world.
"In January, United Nations Special Rapporteur Leilani Farha visited Oakland and San Francisco as part of a fact-finding mission about housing and expressed shock and horror at the living conditions of homeless residents in one of the wealthiest societies in the world," San Francisco Curbed reports. "Farha’s presentation made only a few direct references to the Bay Area, in the same breath as cities like Belgrade, Mumbai, Lisbon, Buenos Aires, Delhi, Mexico City, and Santiago, where she visited 'overcrowded shacks,' 'damp abandoned buildings,' 'unrecognized settlements,' 'half-demolished homes,' and even entire neighborhoods where residents live in 'complete darkness during the daytime.'"
"The report recounted experiences in various impoverished communities around the world, including violent mass evictions, garbage piles, and teeming rodent populations," the article continues.
Tandler's entire thread is worth a read.
What do progressives stand for, exactly?
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
I thought it was about making things more fair.
About standing up for the little guy.
About human rights, equality (equity?), compassion.
San Francisco (to me) looks like the least compassionate city on the planet.
I've been a registered democrat for 18 years.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
I grew up in a Progressive family and went to a Progressive school, and have mostly Progressive friends.
Yet what I see in SF - if this what Progressive stands for - I want the opposite.
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Yesterday I went for a drive in the rain.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
This is what is happening in San Francisco right now.
I am sorry to force readers of this thread to bear witness to this, but I think it's important to acknowledge what we are all ignoring. pic.twitter.com/Fv0vnRGMCU
I just finished the book San Fransicko.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
If you care about San Francisco - if you care about cities - if you care about America, give it a read. https://t.co/baUt74l0yE
You have to wonder, with the funds we have as a city, state & nation - is this situation... on purpose?
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
We saw what SF was capable of when pandemic hit. We had testing sites up in days. Hotels converted into shelter. Funds flowing.
Yet here we are...
Is this nefarious?
So here are my questions to Progressives --
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
+ What do you stand for?
+ What do you believe?
+ What are your strengths as a political group?
+ Weaknesses?
+ What are the biggest "wins" of progressives in SF?
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
+ What are progressives most proud of here?
+ Who are the strongest public servants of the progressive party?
+ Why do you think we should continue on this path?
Thought experiment -- what would San Francisco look like if Republicans were in charge?
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
If moderates ran things?
If we had two party rule instead of one?
We probably have more "Black Lives Matter" signs up than any city in the nation.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
40% of our homeless people are Black.
Do their lives matter...?
Or is this just about virtue signaling and moral grandstanding?
The #1 "advocate" for the homeless, Jennifer Friedenbach - called in to say "Vote no on black lives don't matter!"
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
She is the head of @TheCoalitionSF -- and has for decades fought against shelters - saying they warehouse people. She is for "housing first".
Well - here we are.
I'd also like to know why the loudest voices right now against changing our approach are all white progressive women.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
We have Kate Chatfield from the DA's office, Jennifer Friedenbach from COH, Hilary Ronen of D8.
All yelling about defunding the police.
What is this about?
Many people in SF came here to "change the world".
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
They start companies, fight for causes they believe in, recycle & compost, invest in "green" products.
This is all wonderful, but what about the humanitarian crisis in our backyard?
One of my friends recently woke up to find a homeless person sleeping on the front step of her multi-million dollar home. I asked her what she did.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
"We closed the blinds."
I think this is such a metaphor for what's going on here.
San Francisco is turning its head.
I am just so confused.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
If Progressives believe in big government then why aren't they doing the bare minimum - the minimum that even F.A. Hayek spoke of in "The Road to Serfdom" in 1944?
He is a famous Libertarian, and believed in providing food, shelter & clothing pic.twitter.com/5F79fbeHh0
I get messages almost daily from ppl who say they are afraid to speak up for fear of professional ramifications.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
Some say they are even afraid to like my tweets.
I'm afraid to ask questions about the vaccine on Twitter...
What kind of "freedom" do we stand for out here?
We're more worked up over gerrymandering than we are about people dying in our streets.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
My friends in SF read article after article about Trump - and don't even know who their supervisor is.
Since when did local politics become so "pedestrian" so as to not warrant attention?
I've been tweeting about SF for about two years now.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
For a long time people kept asking me what my "goal" was. That question died down a while ago. Perhaps it's become clear?
In case it isn't - my goal is to inspire civic engagement & interest in local politics.
We have some of the most educated people in the world living here.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
We have some of the wealthiest most productive companies in human history.
We have beautiful homes, views, nature, weather...
This should be a beacon of liberalism. This should be a city on a hill...
I have a hunch it has something to do with political tribalism...
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
Mark Twain wrote, "To lodge all power in one party and keep it there is to insure bad government and the sure and gradual deterioration of the public morals.”
Is this what's happening here...?
What does it look like to be "radically moderate"?
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
What does it mean to put political tribalism aside & work together?
Is it possible?
What does it look like to study the other side? To challenge your beliefs?
This week I'm doing a lot of thinking, writing & reading.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
My friends are posting on Instagram from their luxury hotels in Mexico & ski resorts. I put them all on mute.
Something called to me this week to hunker down.
I've been driving in the rain and thinking...
I *think* it's something about moderate values or moderation.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
Perhaps it's about balance, or a "middle path".
Civil society? Civic duty? Civilization?
Free thinking? Contrarian thought? Discourse?
My mind is swirling a bit. Could use some help & insight.
— Michelle Tandler ?? (@michelletandler) December 26, 2021
I'm clearly quite upset about what I'm seeing in my backyard - both here in SF - but also more broadly in our country.
If you have any ideas, or you relate - please do share.??
Thank you for reading.
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