But the rising tide of crime in progressive cities has proved too much even for the coffee behemoth. Citing safety issues, Starbucks is closing stores in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland, and its hometown of Seattle. Each of these cities has a radical prosecutor dedicated to non-prosecution of even serious crimes, such as George Gascon in L.A. and Larry Krasner in Philly. The next time you can’t get a good cup of coffee in one of these cities, consider whom you voted for in the district attorney’s race.
In the modern history of cities, the usual barometers of urban neighborhood well-being are not coffee shops but drugstores, which serve as general depots for everything from toiletries to food to school supplies. As it happens, drugstore chains are closing in the same progressive cities where the same progressive prosecutors refuse to protect them from rampant shoplifting and looting. Walgreens has shuttered more than ten stores in San Francisco, where Chesa Boudin administered his distinctive brand of non-prosecution until he was recalled. RiteAid is closing more than 50 stores, and CVS is closing hundreds of outlets across the United States (though some of these closures are a response to deteriorating economic conditions).
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