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Dear Mayor Newsom,
As a long-time resident of San Francisco, having grown up in this fair city I take great pride in being able to say I am from here, albeit not native as I moved here when I was six-years-old. Now, 31 years later, I’m glad to see my city back on track in terms of tourism. I’ve noticed many European tourists especially and was even told by an SFPD airport officer that foreign travel is back to pre-9/11.
The unfortunate thing, and the reason for my letter, is I am ashamed to see the condition of Powell Street between Union Square and Market. I usher at a theater off of Union Square and walk down to Powell Street station after my shift to catch the train home any where from 9:30-10:00pm some evenings and what I have seen is appalling and embarrassing as a San Franciscan. I am all for cleaning up our city streets in the Tenderloin as I have heard you mention in the media but shouldn’t we as a top tourist destination put our best face forward to our fine guests that come to visit this beautiful city?
I have witnessed very aggressive panhandling to the point where a tourist that is walking at a fast pace away from the panhandler repeatedly telling them they can’t help the panhandler. The street is dirty and there are at least 3 panhandlers on each block until you get to the cable car turn around where even more panhandlers/homeless people are grouped together and rather imposing.
That doesn’t even touch on Powell Street Station, which if I weren’t from here I would be rather scared to enter at night. When you are at the top of the escalator before heading into the station, there may be someone at the top asking you for money or trying to sell you a Street Sheet, and there are always at least one or two more panhandlers at the bottom of the escalator. On top of the panhandling, it is dark at the bottom of the escalator and it doesn’t look to be kept up but that could be because of the part that has been fenced off for quite some time. It doesn’t look good.
Then there are the panhandlers or people milling about the station while you either are trying to get change for the MUNI or purchase a BART ticket. One should feel safe pulling out their money to purchase a ticket for the train. To be honest, I have felt safer in New York City’s subway system doing the same because the station agent’s booth is so close and visible to the machines.
Even I who am from here feel unsafe trying to get home but am thankful that I know my surroundings and know to be on my guard. I love this city and want people who come to visit to fall in love with San Francisco and return again and again. We need to show our guests a nice, clean, and safe place and Powell Street is sometimes the first street these visitors walk on after they have taken BART from SFO and to their hotel. In the end it makes business sense to keep Powell Street clean and safe to keep those tourist dollars coming in.
Best regards,
Robin
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