Prop C: Taxing big businesses to help SF homeless
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Solving the homeless problem in San Francisco has proven as challenging as finding the cure for a rare disease. Now several homeless advocacy groups and some CEOs are supporting Prop C, which would raise business taxes for homeless services.
It would help collect $300 million a year, nearly doubling what the city now spends on homeless services.
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Tracey Mixon was born and raised in San Francisco. She's an outspoken supporter of Prop C. She's got a job, she makes it a point to tell me she doesn't use drugs, and yet she is homeless, living in a shelter with her 8 year-old daughter.
"I see all of these buildings being built everyday but I can't afford to live in any of them, even with the subsidies, I still can't afford to live in any of them," complained Mixon.
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On Tuesday, a few tech workers who admit they have contributed to the housing crisis are standing behind the measure, which would tax big corporations. The monies would go to build more public housing, pay for temporary housing, shelter beds and more mental health services.
"These companies are receiving more money from these tax breaks and to be able to allocate a tiny portion of this, to doing something that really does a massive step for homelessness," said Sam Heft-Luthy, a production manager at a tech company.
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The amount is not so "tiny" -- one-half of 1 percent which could bring in $300 million a year.
State Senator Scott Wiener is not opposed to taxing big corporations. Still, he's against the measure, saying it lacks the proper safeguards.
2018 VOTER GUIDE: A look at all the California propositions
"Prop C will nearly double what we spend on homelessness without any kind of process to craft this measure and to put structure around how it will be spent," explained Wiener.
Mayor London Breed, the city's gatekeeper, has not been involved in structuring Prop C. She, too, opposes the measure.
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