'TYRANNY OF THE MINORITY': CEO of San Fransisco's Gump's blasts California's leaders in full page newspaper ad

On Sunday, the owner of a 165-year-old San Francisco luxury department store called out city and state leadership for their “destructive” and “failed public policies” that have made the city “unlivable” in an open letter.

Gump’s CEO John Chachas took out a full-page ad in The San Francisco Chronicle, writing, "An Open Letter to Governor Newsom, Mayor Breed and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors: Gump's has been a San Francisco icon for more than 165 years. Today, as we prepare for our 166th holiday season at 250 Post Street, we fear this may be our last because of the profound erosion of this city's current conditions."

 

"San Francisco now suffers from a ‘tyranny of the minority’ —behavior and actions of the few that jeopardize the livelihood of the many,” he continued. “The ramifications of COVID policies advising people to abandon their offices are only beginning to be understood. Equally devastating have been a litany of destructive San Francisco strategies, including allowing the homeless to occupy our sidewalks, to openly distribute and use illegal drugs, to harass the public, and to defile the city's streets."

Chachas added, "Such abject disregard for civilized conduct makes San Francisco unlivable for its residents, unsafe for our employees, and unwelcoming to visitors from around the world."

"San Franciscans deserve better than the current condition of our city. Gump's implores the Governor, the Mayor, and the City Supervisors to take immediate actions, including cleaning the city streets, removing homeless encampments, enforcement of city and state ordinances, and returning San Francisco to its rightful place as one of America's shining beacons of urban society."

"As San Franciscans, we will continue to support the compassionate efforts of helping those in need. But we believe failed public policies must be abandoned and a renewed focus must be brought to restore the city we all love."

The city has gotten so dangerous that earlier this month, federal employees in the city were told to work from home.

Additionally, Nordstrom previously announced it was closing its downtown locations, AT&T and Cinemark closed their flagship locations. Old Navy, Whole Foods, and T-Mobile also shuttered while Westfield surrendered San Francisco Centre, the city’s biggest mall to its lender. Park Hotels & Resorts also announced it had stopped making its mortgage payments and turned over the Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55 to the bank.

In 2021 during an interview with Fox and Friends, Chachas called out the city’s leadership for the rise in "rampant crime.