Could a Venture Capitalist in Chief Finally Fix San Francisco’s Toxic Politics?

Twice in the last month, Mark Farrell, the Thayer Ventures co-founder, former San Francisco mayor and surprise front-runner in November’s mayoral race, has found himself confronting a familiar scene: thieves pilfering items from his local Walgreens as he shopped, undeterred by the shop’s protective shielding around its goods.

“That happens daily,” said Farrell, shaking his head as he recalled the memory on a recent early Monday morning. “We should be locking up criminals, not deodorant.”