Reply #23: Newsom is right on this [View All]

any attempt to characterize him as somehow conservative or unsympathetic to issues of human dignity is ignoring the whole of his record and issues he's championed. I criticized him a lot when I thought he lacked focus and interest in SF issues, but some time ago, Ronn Owens was going on and on about all the things Newsom did that he disliked, I realized that I liked Newsom more than most SF mayors.

i think street people have a terrible life in general and there should be resources to solve that, and there should be more. i don't think that is the problem this measure is supposed to fix. it's simply trying to fix the belligerent behavior among people that use our sidewalks and yell and let their dogs do whatever, unleashed and uncontrolled in many parts of the city.

however i understand the argument that says this measure doesn't necessarily accomplish this. i do understand the police position that they need a law supportive enough for them to make enforcing against bad behavior practical. i don't know what that law would be and if it's better than the sit/lie measure --which for all its exclusions, doesn't seem all that bad to me.