Something has been in the air in San Francisco for more than a year now — and for once, it’s not fog or hype about what’s next in tech. Instead, it’s clarity. After years of national headlines portraying the city as a symbol of dysfunction, San Francisco is quietly undergoing a course correction rooted not in ideology but in common sense. We’ve witnessed investments in law enforcement, a successful tax cut measure to support both small and large businesses, and, most recently, an end to the practice of distributing drug paraphernalia on our streets.
Let’s be honest: Starting about a decade ago, San Francisco was partially responsible for paving the road to some of the challenges now seen across other progressive cities, like Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle. In the name of compassion, we overlooked the consequences of unchecked policies. We subsequently watched addiction and mental illness take hold of many city centers across the country.
The loudest voices weren’t always the wisest — and sometimes they set the tone. The policies led to an exodus of businesses from progressive cities. For example, in June, the San Francisco Business Times reported that between 2018 and 2024, the Dallas area experienced a significant influx of corporate headquarters, gaining 100, while the San Francisco Bay Area lost 156.
Thankfully, that chapter has ended. A new movement is rising — not anti-progressive but post-performative. And it’s gaining ground quickly.
We’ve recently seen San Franciscans demand increased public safety to restore a basic sense of public order. In March 2024, San Francisco voters passed Proposition E, which gave our officers more tools to investigate crimes, including the use of drones. People want to feel secure on public transit or walking in their neighborhoods. Public safety is not a left-right issue. It’s a local one, and the city is responding with efforts to fully staff the police department. We’re seeing the results as well, with a 60-year low in homicides in 2024, along with substantial reductions in other crimes — including auto burglaries, now down so significantly (to a 22-year low) that local glass repair shops are reporting a massive drop in customers.
There’s also a stronger consensus around the importance of the business community. In fact, San Franciscans passed Proposition M last November, providing tax relief for small businesses, the hospitality sector and major employers. The city needs businesses to succeed; they provide jobs and fund essential services, including those rooted in progressive values. This shift in public sentiment comes after a five-year population exodus from the city, particularly during the early stage of the pandemic. Fewer residents and businesses partially contributed to the $800 million tax deficit the city recently had to surmount in budget preparations. The shift also comes from a more organized and unified business community in the city, one that historically was more fractured and partisan.
Equally noteworthy: Mayor Daniel Lurie recently ended the city’s policy of giving out free drug paraphernalia in the streets. We can’t keep pretending that enabling addiction in public spaces is compassionate. It’s cruel — to the unhoused, to families, to workers and to visitors. Harm reduction without accountability often results in only harm.
This new San Francisco is still proudly Democratic — but it’s a Democratic city rooted in realism, not rhetoric. One that prioritizes residents first. One that recognizes the importance of public safety, economic growth and civic stability. One that understands you can support the vulnerable without sacrificing the safety of the whole.
Others are watching — especially Los Angeles, which is facing many of the same challenges, albeit more pronounced. If San Francisco shows how a progressive city can course-correct without abandoning values, LA will have a blueprint to follow. Portland is listening. Seattle is stirring. The pendulum is swinging, and San Francisco can prove that it doesn’t have to swing to extremism. It can land in the realm of reason.
This San Francisco comeback is a work in progress that began over a year ago. It may not be loud or flashy, but it’s real. It’s being built block by block, decision by decision, by residents and leaders who love this city and are ready to defend it — not just with ideals but with action. Other cities are watching. That’s real progress. That’s the future of a truly progressive city.
