How One Billionaire’s Crusade against Homelessness Became Trump’s Playbook
Among the many frustrations that drove Joe Lonsdale from California, his home state, where he’d made a fortune launching the software company Palantir, was an afternoon seven years ago when his wife returned home shaken and out of breath. She’d taken their toddler for a walk on Market Street in San Francisco’s downtown, he recalled, and had been accosted by a group of homeless people, who…
Joe Lonsdale, a self-made billionaire, found himself disgusted by the homelessness crisis in San Francisco after witnessing an incident involving his family. He was dismayed by the city's zoning codes and "wokeism," which he believed prevented development and raised housing costs. Lonsdale attempted to engage with local officials and friends, but his conservative views were met with disdain.
To make a difference, he moved his family to Texas and founded the Cicero Institute, a think tank focused on implementing market-based solutions to social issues. Over time, Cicero's controversial policy proposal to criminalize homelessness gained traction and was adopted by the Trump administration. The Cicero Institute has influenced various policies across the country, making Lonsdale a significant figure in politics and social issues.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
