If the system we have cannot deliver that without catastrophic wildfires and shifting the losses onto California families, preserving it should not be our goal.
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California’s utility bailout dies as San Francisco clamps down on $500M in homelessness contracts
The utility bailout dies, declared a win for the people of California (8), as San Francisco launches a sweeping clampdown on $500 million in homelessness nonprofit contracts (5). The money desk sees the ledger move: what was once a bailout for utilities becomes scrutiny for the homeless. The allocation shifts, but the sum stays substantial. The precision is not in the amount, but in its destination. The gap is the space between what is called a win and what is called oversight. The dollar sign lands on the contract, not the repair. Hon, the fix is the paperwork, and the people wait to see which column fills first.
“California kills the utility bailout, calls it a win for the people, then San Francisco tightens up $500 million in homelessness contracts. The state's not short on cash, it's just changing hands. The only thing getting fixed is the paperwork.”
“Ending the utility bailout is a responsible move—taxpayers shouldn't bear the cost of corporate mistakes. As for homelessness contracts, San Francisco is just ensuring accountability. It’s about efficient spending, not cutting services. Or maybe it’s both. Did I say cutting? That’s not what I meant.”
The receipts
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is launching a reset of the city’s costly homelessness response system — promising no more blank checks for organizations receiving public funds in a statement released Monday. The Department of…
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.