San Francisco has undergone a beautification project to clean up the city in preparation for the APEC Conference. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference will bring in an estimated $55 million and over 20,000 people. The week-long event will feature heads of state and executives of companies from all over Asia. President Joe Biden is scheduled to make an appearance at the event to speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Such an event is very important to the image of the United States, not just the state of California. The level of importance attached to the APEC conference makes the beautification project absolutely necessary.
Residents of the city on the bay say that homeless encampments and open-air drug markets are simply being pushed to other neighborhoods in the city, such as the Tenderloin. The BART subway system is being cleaned more often as are major parts of the streets that the conference will be adjacent to. This beautification project will not require any new funding, which begs the question… why can’t the city maintain a high level of order and cleanliness year-round? Mayor London Breed and the rest of the Government of San Francisco don’t have an appropriate answer for the issues that plague the city daily.
SOURCES:
San Francisco cleans up streets ahead of APEC conference – YouTube
San Francisco clears drug addicts and homeless out of downtown ahead of Biden and Xi Jinping summit
Before World Leaders Arrive, San Francisco Races to Clean Up – The New York Times
Here’s how SF beat out other major US cities to host APEC
San Francisco attempts to clear homeless from areas near APEC Summit, straining shelter system – CBS San Francisco
APEC San Francisco: Strip Clubs, Pot Shops Hope for Boost
