Visitor's impressions of SF (San Francisco: appointed, hotel, house)

[modernist1]

This morning I was walking around downtown taking care of some errands. A woman stopped me and asked me for directions to her hotel. I wasn't in a hurry and offered to help. We started to chat, she told me that she was originally from the north of Spain, but now lived in Florida. She explained that she'd been attending a conference at the Moscone Center, but that morning had managed to find three hours or so to take a quick tour of the city. I asked her how it was, she looked a little perplexed, and said she had mixed feelings. I thought she was going to say how a few hours on a tour bus was no way to see a city, but she went on to say how disappointed, shocked, she was by the disparity of wealth, the number of disenfranchised etc. If she'd been an American suburbanite who'd never left the burbs (she seemed like a savvy traveler), or had just arrived from some more egalitarian country (than these United States), it would have seemed less poignant. As it was I thought it was telling.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by modernist1

This morning I was walking around downtown taking care of some errands. A woman stopped me and asked me for directions to her hotel. I wasn't in a hurry and offered to help. We started to chat, she told me that she was originally from the north of Spain, but now lived in Florida. She explained that she'd been attending a conference at the Moscone Center, but that morning had managed to find three hours or so to take a quick tour of the city. I asked her how it was, she looked a little perplexed, and said she had mixed feelings. I thought she was going to say how a few hours on a tour bus was no way to see a city, but she went on to say how disappointed, shocked, she was by the disparity of wealth, the number of disenfranchised etc. If she'd been an American suburbanite who'd never left the burbs (she seemed like a savvy traveler), or had just arrived from some more egalitarian country (than these United States), it would have seemed less poignant. As it was I thought it was telling.

How so?

[comingbacktocali]

if she were a savvy traveler then i'm sure she has seen her fair share of the same thing in other cities, no?

[modernist1]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

How so?

Because here was a woman who had obviously traveled, was hardly parochial (within a few seconds of talking to me she was able to identify me as British, even though I've lived here decades), she's spent time in the US, the gap between rich and poor Stateside wouldn't necessarily come as much of a surprise in itself, and yet, here in San Francisco, will all its proclaimed beauty, the strongest impression was that disparity.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by comingbacktocali

if she were a savvy traveler then i'm sure she has seen her fair share of the same thing in other cities, no?

So what are you saying? That because she's from Spain (?!) then SF must be especially bad? Did you think you were telling us something we didn't know?

Still not getting your drift.

[modernist1]

It has little to do with her coming from Spain (see my first post) and more to do with someone having different points of reference. The drift is it's a reminder of how bad things are.

[shooting4life]

Originally Posted by modernist1

It has little to do with her coming from Spain (see my first post) and more to do with someone having different points of reference. The drift is it's a reminder of how bad things are.

Various liberal policies promote income inequality.

Among the problems with that view, one is particularly surprising: The income gap between rich and poor tends to be wider in blue states than in red states. Our state-by-state analysis finds that the more liberal states whose policies are supposed to promote fairness have a bigger gap between higher and lower incomes than do states that have more conservative, pro-growth policies.
Stephen Moore and Richard Vedder: Liberal Blue States Have Greater Income Inequality than Conservative Red States - WSJ

Plus the opinion of a woman seeing an urban area known to be a destination for the destitute because of the benefits that are provided for three hours is probably not worth much.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by shooting4life

Our state-by-state analysis finds that the more liberal states whose policies are supposed to promote fairness have a bigger gap between higher and lower incomes than do states that have more conservative, pro-growth policies.
.

You have me curious. Which "red", pro-growth policy states are economic leaders? (I'm not arguing. I am really just asking. You apparently have looked this up.)

[modernist1]

You could argue that the very brevity of her visit and the impressions she came away with might be of significance.
I don't disagree that liberalism often serves the status quo, and changes nothing. The other day talking to an Asian visitor about the plethora of panhandlers in the City, and the apparent tolerance of them, he remarked that San Franciscans were perhaps 'too kind'. That 'kindness' doesn't seem to have done much good. Either, you go all the way (to the Left), and raise local taxes, to create generous shelters, amenities for the homeless, or you take the hard approach (the Right), and discourage people from expecting handouts. The middle way seems the cruelest of all.

[shooting4life]

Originally Posted by modernist1

You could argue that the very brevity of her visit and the impressions she came away with might be of significance.
I don't disagree that liberalism often serves the status quo, and changes nothing. The other day talking to an Asian visitor about the plethora of panhandlers in the City, and the apparent tolerance of them, he remarked that San Franciscans were perhaps 'too kind'. That 'kindness' doesn't seem to have done much good. Either, you go all the way (to the Left), and raise local taxes, to create generous shelters, amenities for the homeless, or you take the hard approach (the Right), and discourage people from expecting handouts. The middle way seems the cruelest of all.

If you put out cat food every night you will get cats coming to your house every night until you stop putting out food. People are not any different. We think we are more enlightened than the other creatures that live with us, but at our basic functions we are the same.

It is the whole, give a man/teach a man how to fish thing.