Criticism Aims at Welsh Billionaire’s Misguided Drug Enforcement Campaign in San Francisco
Welsh billionaire Michael Moritz is facing criticism for a poster campaign launched by Together SF, an organization he funds, which calls for stricter enforcement of laws against drug users and dealers on San Francisco streets. The campaign seeks to eliminate open-air drug markets and advocates for more city-sponsored recovery programs. However, some individuals have labeled the campaign as misguided.
Born in Cardiff, Sir Michael moved to the United States after graduating from Oxford in 1974. He amassed his fortune by investing in tech start-ups like Google and PayPal. Critics online argue that the Together San Francisco project shames drug and Narcan (a brand of anti-opiate drug naloxone) usage while advocating for the criminalization of impoverished individuals.
In response to the campaign, alleged graffiti artists defaced over 10 right-wing, pro-police “Fentalyfe” street posters. The vandals claimed that, under the cover of night and aided by the Frisco fog, they painted messages such as “Narcan saves lives,” “cops kill people,” and messages against Mr. Moritz.
In February, Sir Michael wrote an article for the Financial Times criticizing San Francisco’s ban on plastic straws while allowing plastic needles. He argued that the city experienced more deaths from drugs than from COVID-19 between 2020 and 2022. He also contended that addressing the city’s problems would be futile without effectively tackling drug-related issues. Sir Michael highlighted the impact of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which he claimed turned many blocks of the city into “zombie zones.”
San Francisco journalist Christopher Cook, a 30-year resident of the city, acknowledged the existence of issues and problems on the streets related to fentanyl, homelessness, and drug addiction. However, he disagreed with the narrative promoted by Sir Michael and the campaign group, stating that blaming a handful of progressive supervisors and local legislators for the nationwide crisis was misleading.
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Cook criticized the billionaire for being a major funder of what he referred to as a reactionary movement. He argued that the benefits received by homeless individuals were barely sufficient to keep them alive, and throwing them in jail would only lead to higher overdose rates. Cook proposed expanded treatment on demand in the streets along with fully supportive housing, emphasizing that shelters were often unsafe and left people to fend for themselves.
Cook identified homelessness as a systemic problem in America and attributed significant changes in San Francisco to widespread gentrification, displacing thousands of people. The soaring housing costs, with basic apartments renting for $2,000 to $3,000 a month, have made it unaffordable for working-class individuals to live in the city.
Critics argue that the ad campaign, despite calling for funding to address substance abuse, attacks City Hall and the very people who support expanding treatment. Together San Francisco and Michael Moritz’s allied groups advocate for increased police presence and policing of street issues, including arresting users and forcing them into treatment.
Cook emphasized that drug addiction and the homelessness crisis were not one and the same, and blamed Sir Michael for directing blame toward the wrong sources. He suggested that critics should be willing to pay higher taxes to fund drug treatment programs.
Together SF and its sister group, Together SF Action, are nonprofit organizations striving for better governance from elected officials. Their website states that they refuse to passively witness rising homelessness, unmanageable housing costs, a drug epidemic, and failing schools. Together SF Action was established to unite and empower individuals who are tired of being told that these issues are too complex to solve.
Sir Michael and Together SF have been contacted for comment.