Fed Up SF Deli Owner Tries To Shame Mayor Ed Lee Into Solving Homeless Problems
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- A San Francisco deli owner says disturbing images of heroin use, and homelessness in broad daylight have him so fed up, he's challenging the mayor to do something about it using his social media page.
The homeless are turning San Francisco's sidewalks into their base camps, but some are shooting up in broad daylight.
Some users don't even realize they're on camera. Others couldn't care less.
"It's on the side of absurdity that it's just ignored," deli owner Adam Mesnick said.
Mesnick has been shooting the pictures of what he calls neighborhood decay outside his deli in SoMa, and is sick of seeing needles on the streets nearby.
So, he decided to tag the mayor in every picture he posted to Twitter.
"The idea behind tagging the mayor was to get attention from the government in regards of the state of the streets," Mesnick said.
"I haven't seen the pictures, but I understand why they would try to send me a message to document, they're trying to say can we do something more, better," San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said.
Posting the pictures to social media has not acted as any kind of a deterrent, and Lee says he can't force anyone into a shelter or to leave the street unless they want to.
"I don't think we have the answer. I don't think society as a whole knows what that answer is," Lee said.
Lee did say more navigation centers are part of his plan to get people off the streets.
Mesnick wants more than that. He wants the city to let small business owners know their voice is being heard.
"As a resident, as a business owner, you can only tolerate so many complaints. It's not a place I'd take my niece or my mom. We deserve better," Mesnick said.