San Francisco considers a measure to screen welfare recipients for addiction
The Democratic mayor of San Francisco is pushing a March 5 ballot measure that would require single adults on welfare be screened and treated for illegal drug addiction or else lose cash assistance
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Democratic mayor of San Francisco is pushing a pair of controversial public safety proposals on the March 5 ballot, including one that would require single adults on welfare be screened and treated for illegal drug addiction or else lose cash assistance.
Mayor London Breed also supports a ballot measure that would grant police more crime-fighting powers, such as the use of drones and surveillance cameras. In November, she'll face cranky voters in a competitive reelection bid.
San Francisco is in a struggle to redefine itself after the pandemic left it in economic tatters and highlighted its longstanding problems with homelessness, drugs and property crime. Opponents say both ballot measures are wildly out of step with San Francisco's support for privacy and civil liberties and will only hurt the marginalized communities the city prides itself on helping.
But Breed, the first Black woman to lead San Francisco, said at a January campaign stop that residents from poorer, Black and immigrant neighborhoods are pleading for more police, and recovery advocates are demanding change as more than 800 people died of accidental overdose last year — a record fueled by the abundance of cheap and potent fentanyl.
