The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
San Francisco's current $6.6 billion budget - the largest in city history - dwarfs the annual spending of some small states and pays for everything from police officers to art exhibits to solar panels. But its size comes at a price: If you own a home, run a business or spend money in the city, you probably pay more in taxes than you would elsewhere because most things - from houses to beer - cost more here.
and
-- Compared with 10 other cities and counties, San Francisco spends more than double per capita on public health and fire, up to three times as much on human services, and about one-third more on police.
-- The police and fire departments both have voter-required minimum staffing levels. Firefighters enjoy a shorter workweek than many of their peers in other agencies and are guaranteed wage parity with police officers, making their pay rates higher. Both rules drive up overtime costs.
Theft through majority voting.
