>> A WEALTHY MAN IN SILICON VALLEY IS CALLING OUT
HOMELESS PEOPLE BECAUSE HE'S TIRED OF HAVING TO LOOK AT
THEM, AND NOW HE IS GETTING CRITICISM ON THE INTERNET.
JUSTIN THE FOUNDER OF COMMANDO.IO ñ
SAYS THAT THE REAL PROBLEM WITH THE EFFECT OF THE HOMELESS ñ.
I WILL READ YOU EXCERPTS FROM HIS OPEN LETTER TO GIVE YOU A
SENSE OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE UPSET WITH HIM.
>> I LOVE THAT.
I DON'T HAVE A MAGIC SOLUTION, BUT I DO HAVE ONE AND
IT IS
GET THEM OUT OF HERE.
>> IT'S OKAY BECAUSE THEY ARE RIFFRAFF.
IF HE SAID THE HOMELESS SITUATION IN SAN FRANCISCO
IS OUT OF CONTROL, WE ALL HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT,
THAT WOULD'VE BEEN WELL RECEIVED, RIGHT?
IT'S NOT LIKE ANYONE IN SAN FRANCISCO DOESN'T REALIZE
THAT THE HOMELESS SITUATION IS OUT OF CONTROL.
YOU CAN BE THE BIGGEST LIBERAL IN THE WORLD AND SAY WE
HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
THE WHOLE EARNED STATUS, HE SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE THERE.
>>IT MAKES THE ASSUMPTION THAT EVERYONE THAT IS HOMELESS
IN SAN FRANCISCO IS LAZY.
THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GO TO SAN FRANCISCO, YOU CAN SEE IT,
IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.
A LOT OF THEM HAVE MENTAL ISSUES, ADDICTION ISSUES,
SO TO ACT AS THOUGH YOU GUYS ARE ON ON EQUAL FOOTING AND
THEY MESSED UP, SO THEY DESERVE THE SITUATION THEY ARE IN
IS BEYOND INSENSITIVE.
IT'S JUST IGNORANT.
>> ALL THAT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN BAD ENOUGH IF HE WOULD'VE SAID
I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SEE THEIR STRUGGLE AND THEIR DESPAIR.
OH, I'M SORRY, WERE THEY BOTHERING YOU?
THEN IT BECAME LIKE AN ONION PIECE.
IT WAS SO OVER-THE-TOP.
>>I THINK IT'S THE
RIFFRAFF THAT DOES THAT.
THAT IS A LINE OUT OF ROCKY HORROR.
OH, THE PEASANTRY.
THE LINE ABOUT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SEE THE DESPAIR AND THE
PAIN, ALL OF THAT COULD HAVE BEEN INSIDE OF AND THAT IS
WHY I AS THE OWNER OF COMMANDO.
IO ARE SETTING UP A HOMELESS SHELTER BECAUSE NO ONE
SHOULD HAVE TO SEE THAT, INCLUDING THEM.
INSTEAD IT IS JUST ñ LET'S GET THEM AWAY.
HE IS TREATING THEM LIKE THEY ARE RADIOACTIVE WASTE.
THAT IS TERRIBLE, THEY ARE PEOPLE.
>>I THINK WHERE THIS GOES WRONG ñ FIRST OF ALL THIS GUY YOU
COULDN'T BEAR TO BE IN A ROOM WITH THIS GUY.
HE IS THE GUY WE SHOULD DEPORT.
>> WHAT DO THEY DO?
>>APPARENTLY SOME SERVER MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
>> OH, IT'S NOT UNDERWEAR?
THE SERVER THEN, THAT
MAKES MORE SENSE.
HE SAYS THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY NO LONGER FEEL SAFE.
OKAY, FAIR COMMENT.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT WE LIVE
IN A FREE WORLD SOCIETY.
YES, BUT WE HAVE NEWS FOR YOU, WE HAVE 1000
CHECKS AND BALANCES ON THAT FREE MARKET SOCIETY.
THE KOCH BROTHERS WANT THERE TO BE TWO.
WE WANT THERE TO BE 1500.
BERNIE SANDERS WANTS THERE TO BE 1 BILLION.
THAT IS A DEBATE.
BUT HE THINKS BECAUSE HE HAS MONEY, HE HAS POWER,
GENTRIFICATION, I GET TO DO IT.
I GET TO SEND EVERYONE OUT AND PUT THEM INTO THE SITE LINE
OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE LESS MONEY THAN I DO.
>> I THINK THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THIS IS ABOUT THE
DIFFERENT BUBBLES OF PEOPLE LIVE IN, THOUGH IN THIS BUBBLE
THERE ARE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE EARNED IT.
A LOT OF THESE GUYS WORK SUPERHARD.
THEY WORK 80 HOURS, A HUNDRED HOURS, BUT THAT DOESN'T
MEAN THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE RIFFRAFF OR DIRTBAGS.
IN 2013 THE CEO OF ANGEL HACK CALLED THEM DEGENERATES AND
SAID THAT THEY HAVE TO REALIZE THAT IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE
IN THE CIVILIZED PART OF TOWN.
TO BE FAIR TO HIM, HE THEN LATER SAID THAT WAS THE WORST
MISTAKE OF HIS LIFE WHICH IS A GREAT RESPONSE TO SAYING
SOMETHING TERRIBLE.
AND THEN HE LOOKED INTO WHAT CAN WE DO CONSTRUCTIVE ABOUT
THE HOMELESS PROBLEM IN SAN FRANCISCO AND FOUND OUT YOU
GIVE THEM HOMES.
SALT LAKE CITY IS MORE LIBERAL THAN THE REST OF UTAH, THEY
DID THIS PROGRAM THAT SURPRISED ME.
ANA AND I COVERED IT ON THE SHOW.
IT TURNS OUT THAT BUILDING HOMES WHERE THEY CAN HAVE A
REASONABLE, SAFE PLACE TO LIVE ACTUALLY COST THE
GOVERNMENT LESS MONEY THAN OTHER ISSUES.
IT WORKS WELL AS LONG AS THEY ARE CLEAN ENOUGH, SAFE
ENOUGH THAT PEOPLE WILL COME BACK TO THEM.
NOW THEY ARE THINKING THAT MAYBE THEY SHOULD DO THIS IN SAN
FRANCISCO.
LOOK, I GET IT.
YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ACCOSTED.
I HAD FRIENDS THAT WERE SPIT ON BY HOMELESS PEOPLE IN SAN
FRANCISCO.
I HAVE BEEN THERE WHERE HOMELESS GUYS HAVE COME AT
ME.
>>YES, THEY ARE AGGRESSIVE AND PERSISTENT.
>>IT'S BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
>>ABSOLUTELY.
THAT IS A DECENT HUMAN BEING I WOULD THINK.
BUT GOING BACK TO THE SALT LAKE CITY STORY, OF COURSE
PEOPLE HAVE THIS NEGATIVE KNEE-JERK REACTION TO IT.
WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HOMES IN
THAT AREA IS THEIR PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP.
IF YOU TAKE HOMELESS PEOPLE AND PUT THEM IN HOMES, YOU GIVE
THEM AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE THEY CAN FIND JOBS THEN YOU
WON'T SEE PEOPLE ON THE STREETS ANYMORE.
PROPERTY VALUES WILL THEN GO UP.
IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYONE.
>> BACK TO THAT TURNING POINT, YEAH, I AM SYMPATHETIC TO THAT.
BUT EARNING IT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO LIVE WHERE YOU WANT.
IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO SEND OTHER PEOPLE TO LIVE
WHERE THEY MIGHT NOT WANT TO LIVE.
>> HOW MANY MINUTES OF RESEARCH INTO HIS BACKGROUND WOULD
YOU HAVE TO DO TO FIND A GOVERNMENT LOAN ALLOWED HIM
TO GO TO COLLEGE WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO MAKE HIS FIRST COMPANY?
DO YOU THINK HE HAD ANY HELP FROM THE SBA?
>> I'VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU, IN SILICON VALLEY EVERYBODY
HAS INVESTORS.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, IT'S A GOOD SYSTEM.
SOMEBODY HELPED YOU.
BUT IT'S NOT LIKE I DID IT ALL IN MY OWN.
IF YOU DID THAT MEANS YOUR DAD WAS REALLY RICH.