If you think the homeless problem in San Francisco is out of control, go down to Los Angeles. I did a tour of their downtown the other day with L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, and it looked like the slums of Kolkata.

Blocks and blocks of shanty shacks, tents and shopping carts. And on the skyline, 15 construction cranes — high-rise condos and office buildings going up right in the middle of it all.

Sound familiar?

The official estimate pegs the chronically homeless population in Los Angeles at about 12,500. Ridley-Thomas said it is more like double that number and wanted to know how we were handling the challenges of our 6,000 homeless. I had to say: “Not very well.”

I suggested he take a look at our Navigation Center and see about replicating it on a larger scale, but I’m not sure even a city of centers could handle the wave of homeless people that has hit L.A.. It makes our Division Street look like Pacific Heights.

But the most devastating thing the supervisor told me was that while L.A. is only about 9 percent African American, 50 percent of the homeless population is black.

All three GOP presidential contenders — Ted Cruz, John Kasich and Donald Trump — will grace the Republican state convention in Burlingame that starts April 29.

Cruz, who was first to RSVP the party’s invitation, will headline the Saturday night diner, which has long been thought of as the top slot. Kasich was the second to accept and will speak Saturday afternoon.

Trump was the last to confirm, so he wound up as the opening speaker on Friday afternoon, which for years has been thought of as the bottom tier because folks are just arriving.

For my money, Trump will actually wind up the winner in the deal. For one, given the time difference with the East Coast, a Friday afternoon appearance best serves the weekend news shows.

By the time Cruz hits the stage, the shows will all be booked up.

Plus, as the opening act, the Donald gets to set the tone and the agenda for the weekend.

State Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte says that in all likelihood California will be the deciding state in whether Trump or Cruz will have enough votes to claim the high ground at the big showdown in Cleveland this summer.

The trouble is, Brulte doesn’t think that most people understand that we are not a winner-take-all state. Under California’s rules, the delegate wins are decided by each of our 53 congressional districts, with three delegates awarded to each district.

If you are looking for some new restaurants to try out, I have a couple of suggestions.

For starters, Waxman’s in Ghirardelli Square. I’d never heard of pork meatballs, but they have them and they are great. Toss in a kale salad, something I wouldn’t touch ordinarily, and you have a great meal. The portions were so big that I didn’t get beyond the appetizers. A relaxing place, but be warned, no tablecloths.

While you are there, check out the square itself. It’s been totally redone.

Another place you might want to check out is Cala, on Fell Street right across from the old school district headquarters. It’s a Mexican restaurant for Pac Heights Millennials. When it comes to food, I’m not very adventurous, but I took the plunge and really enjoyed it. I had the rock fish wrapped in a collard green-type leaf, with beans. You put the beans and all the various sauces in a tortilla, roll it up, take a bite and watch it all squirt out of the bottom.

So be careful of what you wear.

Movie time: “Miles Ahead.” This bio of jazz great Miles Davis’ “lost years” is as dark and disjointed as Davis must have been back then. The plot centers on the adventures of a drug-warped Davis, hanging out with a freelance writer trying to write a story for Rolling Stone. It would’ve been better off as a comedy.

“The Boss.” Good, silly fun with Melissa McCarthy playing Donald Trump in drag. The story makes no sense, and the characters are stretched to the limits of reality. For example, McCarthy’s love interest is Peter Dinklage, who stands about 4½ feet tall and weighs about 100 pounds. But you will laugh.

I heard a great line the other day: “This year’s presidential race is a classic case of elect-ile dysfunction.”

If you are up early Monday, come join me at Lotta’s Fountain at the intersection of Kearny, Market and Third streets for the annual earthquake commemoration. It’s at 4:30 a.m.. Apparently Mayor Ed Lee can’t make it, and all of the original survivors have passed on.

Guess I’m the next best thing.

Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com