MELISSA: ONE OF THE MOST
INNOVATIVE CITIES IN AMERICA IS
STRUGGLING WITH ONE OF THE
OLDEST PROBLEMS OUT THERE,
HOMELESSNESS.
ON NOVEMBER 6, VOTERS IN
SAN FRANCISCO WILL CAST THEIR
BALLOT ON A TAX PLAN DESIGNED TO
SOLVE THEIR ISSUE.
PROP C WOULD IMPOSE A CORPORATE
TAX ON BUSINESSES WITH OVER
$50 MILLION IN REVENUE AND USE
IT TO FUND THE CITY'S HOMELESS
FACILITIES AND SERVICES.
HERE IS SALES FORCE FOUNDER,
CHAIRMAN AND CEO, CO-CEO, PARDON
ME, MARK BENIOFF.
ONE OF THE TECH EXECUTIVES
BACKING THE MEASURE.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
I WAS READING AN OP-ED YOU WROTE
ABOUT IT.
>> THANK YOU.
MELISSA: I KNOW YOU FEEL A MORAL
OBLIGATION AS SOMEBODY IN THE
STATE WHO HAS PROFITED A LOT BUT
I WONDER WHY YOU THINK MORE
MONEY IS GOING TO HELP THIS
PROBLEM?
>> YEAH, THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS
CRISIS OF HOMELESSNESS IN
SAN FRANCISCO.
IF BEEN TO SAN FRANCISCO
RECENTLY, YOU WALK OUR STREETS,
IT'S A TERRIBLE SITUATION.
MELISSA: YEAH.
>> IT HAS GOTTEN A LOT WORSE.
I KNOW YOU HAD THAT EXPERIENCE
YOURSELF.
WE HAVE THE STORIES PEOPLE
LIVING HERE IN SAN FRANCISCO.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING HOW DO WE
SOLVE IT, BUT IT WILL TAKE A LOT
MORE MONEY TO DO IT.
I TELL YOU WHY I KNOW THAT.
FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WE'VE
BEEN BUILDING PROTOTYPE
SHELTERS.
UNLIKE HERE IN SAN FRANCISCO YOU
IN NEW YORK YOU HAVE GOT
SHELLERS IN PLACE.
THAT MEANS 65,000, MEN, WOMEN,
ESPECIALLY YOUR CHILDREN, THEY
HAVE A PLACE TO GO EVERY NIGHT
IN NEW YORK CITY.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT HERE IN
SAN FRANCISCO.
WE DON'T HAVE SHELTER IN PLACE.
THERE IS NO SUCH LAW.
SO WE HAVE TO BUILD SHELTERS
PRIVATELY.
LET ME TELL YOU WE HAVE BUILT
SHELTERS.
FOR WOMEN-LED FAMILIESES, 1200
HOMELESS FAMILIES IN
SAN FRANCISCO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO
TAKE HUNDREDS OF THEM OFF THE
STREETS BUT IT TAKES ABOUT 35 TO
$50,000 PER FAMILY TO MAKE THAT
HAPPEN.
ALL-IN, THAT IS ABOUT
$40 MILLION.
THIS MONEY THIS, IS CRITICAL TO
MAKE THIS HAPPEN BECAUSE WE GOT
TO DO IT.
THAT IS WHY I'M SPORTING
PROPOSITION C.
MELISSA: I HEAR YOU.
I DON'T WANT TO RUN OUT OF TIME.
THE PROBLEM IS, SEEMS LIKE ONE
OF THE THINGS YOU GUYS ARE DOING
CREATING A MAGNET FOR PEOPLE TO
COME TO THE CITY, BE HOMELESS,
NUMBER ONE, IT IS NOT A HOSTILE
ENVIRONMENT.
EVERYBODY TALKED ABOUT SEEING
PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREET OPENLY
SHOOTING UP.
ALSO WHEN I LIVED IN
SAN FRANCISCO, A LOT OF PEOPLE
SAID THIS IS A LIFE-STYLE
CHOICE.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE
OUTSIDE AND WANT TO LIVE THERE.
IT'S A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
I'M NOT SAYING THEY WANT TO BE
THERE.
I'M SAYING THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE
IN SAN FRANCISCO SAY TO YOU,
THERE IS PEOPLE ALL OVER THE
SIDEWALK.
YOU CAN'T WALK AROUND, WHO ARE
YOU TO SAY THEY SHOULDN'T BE
THERE.
IT IS, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT PROBLEMS AND NONE OF
THOSE ARE SOLVED WITH MONEY.
>> WELL, THAT IS JUST NOT TRUE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT, CLINICALLY
NOT TRUE.
OUR UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IN
SAN FRANCISCO WE HAVE THE
CLINICAL STUDIES TO SHOW YOU
WHEN YOU GIVE HOMELESS PEOPLE A
HOME, THEIR LIFESTYLE DOES
CHANGE.
IN FACT WE'VE PROVEN THAT OVER
AND OVER AGAIN AS WE TAKE
HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND
FAMILIES OFF THE STREETS.
BUT IT IS CRITICAL FOR MY
BUSINESS THAT THIS HAPPENS,
BECAUSE HOMELESSNESS IS BECOMING
A MATERIAL PROBLEM FOR SALES
FORCE.
YOU KNOW, MELISSA, SALES FORCE
IS THE LARGEST BUSINESS IN
SAN FRANCISCOS THE LARGEST
EMPLOYER, WE'RE THE LARGEST TECH
COMPANY, WE'RE WORTH
$100 BILLION.
SAN FRANCISCO HAS CREATED
HUNDREDS OF BILLION DOLLARS OF
MARKET CAPITALIZATION BUT WE
HAVE GOT TO DEAL WITH THIS
ISSUE.
MELISSA: WHY DON'T YOU BUILD THE
SHELTERS.
IF YOU MADE THAT MUCH MONEY, WHY
DON'T YOU BUILD THE SHELTERS?
>> I AM BUILDING SHELTERS.
PHILANTHROPY CAN ONLY GO SO FAR.
WE NEED HALF OF 1% TO TAKE THIS
HAPPEN.
I'M SUPPORTING PROPOSITION C.
THIS IS CRITICAL FOR OUR PEOPLE
HERE.
ST. FRANCIS, OUR NAMESAKE
PATRON, GIVING TO RECEIVE.
LET ME TELL YOU IN SAN FRANCISCO
WE NEED PROP C, WE NEED TO
GENERATE MONEY TO BUILD
SHELTERS, GET PEOPLE OFF THE
STREET.
MELISSA: LET ME ASK YOU, A
FORMER MEMBER OF THE
SAN FRANCISCO POLICE COMMISSION.
HE WAS ON LAST NIGHT, RIGHT NOW
BETWEEN 1 1/2, $2 BILLION ARE
BEING SPENT PER YEAR ON THE
HOMELESS PROBLEM.
>> THAT IS NOT TRUE.
MELISSA: SO, HOWEVER MUCH MONEY
YOU'RE SPENDING, IF YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT --
>> YOU SHOULD PROBABLY TALK
SOMEBODY ACTUALLY DOING
SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
MELISSA: WHAT DO YOU THINK
NUMBER IS?
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NUMBER IS?
>> CITY SPEND 300 MILLION A YEAR
ON HOMELESSNESS, ONLY
$50 MILLION ACTUALLY ADDRESSES
HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL.
REST COMES THROUGH PRIVATE
PHILANTHROPISTS LIKE ME.
IF WE'LL ADDRESS THIS, WE NEED A
BIG SURGE EVER FINANCES TO BUILD
SHELTERS, BUILD MENTAL HEALTH
TREATMENT, BE TO BUILD AT
DICTION CENTERS, THE STREETS ARE
BECOMING THE ADDICTION CENTERS.
THE STREETS ARE BECOMING THE
MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTION.
THAT HAS TO STOP.
THIS IS SERIOUS ISSUE.
MELISSA: DO YOU THINK IF YOU LET
PEOPLE SHOOT UP ON THE STREET IN
PUBLIC WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
IF SOMEBODY WOULD OUTLAW THAT OR
ENFORCED THE LAW WOULD THAT MAKE
A DIFFERENCE?
>> THIS IS CRISIS OF EQUALITY IN
SAN FRANCISCO.
WE HAVE 70 BILLIONAIRE.
WE GENERATED HUNDREDS OF
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
COMPANIES.
MELISSA: I HAVE, WE'LL GET
ROLLED OVER END OF THE SHOW.