The ex-land use commissioner said rampant drug use and business closures could destroy city
Joel Aylworth on San Francisco ‘doom loop’ tour: Doesn’t take much to see the worst of the city
Former San Francisco police officer Joel Aylworth reacts to the city’s ‘doom loop’ tour giving tourists a firsthand look at the worst parts of the California city.
San Francisco land use commissioner Alex Ludlum, the creator of the "doom loop" walking tour which went viral online before getting canceled, resigned in a scathing letter to Democratic Mayor London Breed.
"I regret that my attempt to bring attention to the deplorable street conditions & rampant criminality in my neighborhood has been misconstrued as a mockery of suffering individuals," Ludlum wrote in a letter that was shared by the San Francisco Chronicle.
"Satire is a poor way to address the grave issues we face as a city," he added.
San Francisco land use commissioner Alex Ludlum, the creator of the "doom loop" walking tour which went viral online before getting canceled, resigned in a scathing letter to Mayor London Breed. (Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The former commissioner was reportedly identified after refunds for his "doom loop" walking tour, which was designed to show off downtown San Francisco in all its "doom and squalor," revealed his email to the public, per the San Francisco Chronicle.
But Ludlum refused to apologize for his criticism of "wide-ranging policies that permit an organized & malicious element to thrive in San Francisco," he wrote. "The unchecked drug dealing is plainly the root of our current problems."
"As long as the open-air drug markets continue their daily operations, we will continue to witness the misery of suffering addicts, the withdrawal of pedestrians and office-workers, the ongoing closures of small businesses, and the stagnation of our rich cultural life," Ludlum said. "All of downtown will suffer until the markets are closed."
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But Ludlum refused to apologize for his criticism of "wide-ranging policies that permit an organized & malicious element to thrive in San Francisco," he wrote. "The unchecked drug dealing is plainly the root of our current problems." (Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
The former commissioner, who was appointed by Breed to the Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure, addressed the mayor directly: "As Mayor, I hope you will continue to address these dire issues, and will have my full support in doing so."
"The decision to organize and publicize the tour was a mistake and a deep error in judgment," Breed spokesman Jeff Cretan told the Chronicle. "We are working every day to address the city’s challenges, and our focus remains on doing the work to move this city forward."
The original advertisement for the "Doom Loop Walking Tour" in San Francisco described the event as an "expert tour through all of the worst of San Francisco," and was signed, "SF Anonymous Insider."
A counter campaign to the "doom loop" tour of San Francisco called, "We Love SF," was created to battle the "negative publicity" about the city, according to CBS News Bay Area.
Mayor London Breed proclaims "The Flaming Lips Day" at Stern Grove festival on August 20, 2023 in San Francisco, California. ((Photo by Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images))
Breed and Ludlum did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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Jeffrey Clark is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. He has previously served as a speechwriter for a cabinet secretary and as a Fulbright teacher in South Korea. Jeffrey graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 with a degree in English and History.
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