Much to the elation of those calling for the government to provide things for them, political science has made a breakthrough in San Francisco. Turns out, all that’s needed to provide the population with free clothes, medicine, food, and entertainment isn’t high taxes (though there’s still plenty of that if you’re honest and working), it’s an absence of law enforcement. If nobody’s coming to cart you off when you rob a store blind, what’s the difference, right?
The frequency of shoplifting incidents has become so common in the destitute city of San Fran that it cannot accurately be tallied. Over the past five years, 17 Wallgreens Pharmacies have been forced to shut down operations due to the sheer loss of revenue, while the remaining 53 locations reportedly spent 35 times the rate on security compared to locations elsewhere, according to the chain’s regional vice president. Why Wallgreens in particular? The wide range of products offered from cosmetics, food, over-the-counter medication, and other necessities is no doubt the driving cause.
And while measures had been taken to combat theft, the use of locked cabinets and security glass had, predictably, been met with claims of racism – as if a legal reclassification of theft is race-based. In 2014, Proposition 47 – also deceptively named the “Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act”, was passed into law by the state’s voters. As one privy to the California news-cycle might have noticed since then, the state has hardly become safer or better of in any meaningful metric. The reason? One among many stands out. The prop made any and all “non-violent” thefts a misdemeanor if the total value of the pilfered products was below $950.
All thieves need now is a calculator and a comfortable pair of (probably stolen) walking-shoes to make multiple trips to stay under that $950 threshold.
And who, pray-tell, would you conclude is the most affected by these brain-dead policies? The chain stores? A bit, sure. But they have insurance and can operate elsewhere. Without a doubt, the residence – many of whom are members of the very poor and “marginalized” communities CA’s representatives like to pretend they are helping. If all your neighbors are robbing your local pharmacy, you’d be foolish not to do the same: you’d be buying what you need at a loss, after all. You would, of course, then be left with no local pharmacy as it becomes red-ink to operate in your neighborhood.
On top of that, the BLM-inspired defunding of police policies – rhetoric that is celebrated in Stan Fran – makes it even less likely that ordinary people who are robbed will receive justice. Eventually, with no stores around, the only way to stay on top is to have what someones had a few minutes ago, like a scarcity football.
If Prop 47 was the gas, then BLM was certainly the match.
