California’s jewel city of San Francisco is a place of neighborhoods, each with its own distinctive features and characteristics. The city is also a physical contradiction in terms. Its lovely neighborhoods of Pacific Heights and Marina contrast sharply with the homeless-filled Tenderloin and SOMA districts.
One place where denizens of these divergent neighborhoods have come together since 1972 to “Advocate for a healthy city” is the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods (CSFN).
Thanks to long-time fellow advocate for a better world and dedicated member of CSFN for sending to the Just Vote No Blog the link to one of CSFN’s YouTubes, this one featuring another long-time fellow advocate.
The YouTube dated November 19, 2024, Chris Bowman on 2024 Election, is filled with his usual great insights. However, the segment this JVN post would like to highlight is Chris’ spot-on description of various labels ascribed to politicians’ governing philosophy (37.00).
Why does it matter? San Francisco, a Republican bastion until around 1964, today is solid left-of-center Democratic. Which is fine, since that is what the city’s voters voted for. But the point of these notes from an expatriate is that what San Francisco calls “moderate” would be viewed in, say, Florida, as socialist, and leftward from there.
So, here are Chris Bowman’s thoughts on the matter, paraphrased best as possible:
Moderate: A leader that wants government to live within its means, without substantially raising taxes.
Conservative: A leader that wants government downsizing, by reducing expenditures and government involvement.
Liberal: A leader that wants economic growth, which increases the tax base, and allows for expenditures on social projects.
Progressive: A leader that wants to raise as much taxes as possible and spend as much as possible on social projects, even if that entails taxing the rich out of existence [or taxing the rich into exile].
Comparison between a liberal and a progressive: A liberal wants a very well-fed goose that can lay lots of golden eggs. A progressive is OK with cutting up the goose to produce a rich stew.
In conclusion, pay no mind to labels San Francisco politicians adopt for themselves, or what labels the media ascribes to them. Pay close attention to what they advocate.
Picture: San Francisco’s beautiful Marina. More like this on bcx.news, Arts, Literature, Photography, Events.
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