Blueprint Briefing: Week of 8/18/2025

The Miscreant of the Mission struck again.

In the Mission District, a 47-year-old homeless man with a long record of arrests has been causing chaos—assaulting people with bottles, vandalizing cars, harassing local businesses, and even allegedly setting fires. He has been arrested at least four times in the past two months. He has been previously released back to the streets under these conditions: show up for a future court date and check in with staff from the Pretrial Diversion Project. It’s unclear (though not likely) if he met any of these conditions. You can read more about his story (and how it reflects a broader problem in our city) here.

Public transit can't exist without public safety.

For the first time since the pandemic, San Francisco’s public transit system is showing real signs of life. Ridership is climbing, weekend service is strong, and MUNI Metro numbers are inching back toward pre-pandemic levels. That’s good news—not just for riders, but for the entire city; a healthy, functioning transit system is a critical component of San Francisco’s recovery. But as we celebrate this progress, we can’t ignore the reality: for too many San Franciscans, taking MUNI still doesn’t feel safe. And until that changes, we’ll never fully rebuild trust in our transit system or get SFMTA’s finances back on track. You can read more here.

Enough politics and virtue signaling - it’s time to get rid of inactive commissions.

San Francisco has always prided itself on being a city of civic participation. That’s the theory behind our commission system—commissions are supposed to open the doors of government to everyday citizens, give them a seat at the table, and provide oversight over powerful city departments. But here’s the irony: the more commissions we create, the murkier accountability has become. Instead of clarity, we get confusion about who’s actually in charge—our elected officials, or the unelected commissioners who oversee department heads. You can read more on our dysfunctional commission system here.