What happened: The Biden administration urged hundreds of government employees in San Francisco to stop coming to work at the Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building due to safety concerns.
• The 18-story building, which houses various federal agencies and former House speaker Pelosi's office, sits adjacent to the city's Tenderloin district, a notorious haven for drug-addled vagrants and other violent criminals.
• Pelosi reportedly raised concerns about the safety of the building's tenants, including members of her staff, in a recent meeting with the U.S. attorney's office.
What they're saying: "In light of the [disgusting and unsafe] conditions at the [Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building] we recommend employees … maximize the use of telework for the foreseeable future," wrote Cheryl Campbell, the Health and Human Services assistant secretary for administration, in an August 4 memo.
• The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that the building named after Pelosi "has long been a locus of some of the city's most intractable problems."
• "Dozens of dealers routinely plant themselves on, next to, or across the street from the property, operating in shifts as users smoke, snort, or shoot up their recent purchases," the Chronicle reported. "The property's concrete benches are an especially popular site for users to get high, socialize, or pass out."
• "The safety of workers in our federal buildings has always been a priority for Speaker Emerita Pelosi, whether in the building or on their commutes," Pelosi spokesman Aaron Bennett said in a statement. "Federal, state, and local law enforcement—in coordination with public health officials and stakeholders—are working hard to address the acute crises of fentanyl trafficking and related violence in certain areas of the city."
Crucial context: The same day Campbell's memo went out, President Joe Biden called on federal agencies to "aggressively execute" plans to return employees to the office after years of working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, which cost taxpayers $144 million to construct, is absolutely hideous.
Bottom line: San Francisco and other major cities run by Democrats are overrun with crime and drug-addled vagrants because Democrats are more concerned about being nice to criminals than they are about protecting the lives and livelihoods of law-abiding citizens.
Go deeper: Bleeding Heart of Darkness: My Journey to the Left Coast