Some of my reaction to this is simply because I’m a New Yorker, and watched what happened with NYC through the Wagner, Lindsey, Beame, Koch, Dinky and then Giuliani administrations. (Yes, in NYC he was known as “Dinky” – and the city itself, in the pages of the Daily News, was “Dinkyland.” Every time you ever saw a pictrure of him in the paper the man looked absolutely baffled – which, as it turned out, he was. Talk about being in over your head…)

Anyway, amusing as the history is, and decrepit and annoying as NYC and its bums became (and you only think you’ve seen decrepit and annoying in San Fran: it just simply isn’t big enough to be the mess NYC is capable of being) Giuliani cleaned it – and them – up in about six months. It is entirely possible.

One thing to recognize right away about this is that if they have homes, and they have access to help, then they aren’t “homeless:” they’re bums. You cannot fix a problem if you’re so damn politically correct you don’t recognize it.

“Panhandling, public drunkenness and street loitering are still an unpleasant reality downtown.” You just simply don’t tolerate it: you put them in the tank every time you see them, and after being there half a dozen times a month, they quit, because it isn’t rewarding, being in the tank.

“…a majority of those on the streets are not homeless.” Same in NYC. So they’re either going somewhere specific, or they’re home, or they’re in the tank: no fourth option. The lesson will get home if you push it there. No panhandling, no loitering, no BS.

“But, they ask, can’t someone stop the panhandling? And, given all the programs and services, is it unreasonable to ask those who are being given supportive housing to start making some effort to be self-sufficient?” No, it isn’t. But, oh happy San Francisco flower children, realize how wrongly you’ve phrased the question: you don’t ASK ‘em: you TELL ‘em.

“We understand very clearly that we need to take a close look at what is happening on the streets,” Kayhan said. “We are currently holding meetings on that,” – Forget the meetings. Giuliani’s approach was to take a walk.

“We can’t get the Board of Supervisors to pass a code of conduct for themselves,” he said, “let alone for the homeless.” Well, yeah. That’s a problem. We can’t on a national basis with congress or the senate, either.