Leaving San Francisco

Think "Leaving Las Vegas" starring Nicholas Cage, except the 'actors' here are the real thing - 'chronic inebriates' costing the city about $13 million annually in ambulance costs alone. It's not necessarily a 'homelessness' problem.

1 minute read

August 24, 2009, 11:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid

San Francisco metro columnist, C.W. Nevius, is well-know for reporting on hard-to-solve urban issues like poverty, blight, and crime. Here he reports on one person who "has cost San Francisco at least $150,000 the past year."

"Kenny Walters' job is to get drunk.

Recently Walters, who came from Arizona a year and a half ago, was curled up in the fetal position on the sidewalk near Masonic and Haight. "Basically he comes out here and drinks himself to this point every day," police Officer John Andrews said.

He said he gets $953 a month in Supplemental Security Income for disabled and aged citizens and pays $650 a month for a hotel room in the Tenderloin under the city's Care Not Cash program."

FULL STORY: Chronic drunks' treatment costs S.F. big bucks

Saturday, August 22, 2009 in San Francisco Chronicle

Government / Politics Social / Demographics California San Francisco Poverty Alcoholism Health Care Costs View More

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