As predictably as the arrival of the seasons, San Francisco decided to jump into the debate over North Carolina’s new privacy law less than 48 hours after it was signed. Rather than commenting on it or criticizing the message, the city elders decided to punish North Carolina by banning any official government travel to the state except in cases where it can’t be avoided.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said in a statement Friday he doesn’t want any city workers to travel to North Carolina unless necessary in wake of its legislation which blocks anti-discrimination for gay, lesbian and transgender people. “We are standing united as San Franciscans to condemn North Carolina’s new discriminatory law that turns back the clock on protecting the rights of all Americans including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals,” Lee said in the statement. “Effective immediately, I am directing City Departments under my authority to bar any publicly-funded City employee travel to the State of North Carolina that is not absolutely essential to public health and safety.”

Thus far there hasn’t been any official response from Raleigh as to how the heartbroken citizens of the Tarheel State will get over this devastating loss.

It’s no surprise that a single city had to do this via executive fiat. If this type of initiative had any legs outside of the City by the Bay they wouldn’t have even needed to do it. The state of California already took up legislation banning such travel earlier this year but it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Of course, that bill was geared more toward Indiana, but would be inclusive of any states or cities which the Left Coast deemed insufficiently politically correct.

The funny thing is that when it comes to their own actions on the “transgender” bathroom issue, even San Francisco didn’t pass a law nearly as intrusive as the Charlotte ordinance. Theirs only mandates the inclusion of “gender neutral” bathrooms, locker rooms and showers which anyone can use, rather than insisting that men be allowed to use any single-gender women’s facility the way it was supposed to happen in Charlotte. The reason for the irony here is that the San Francisco legislation, while still falling somewhat under the You Will Be Made to Care doctrine, at least provides for privacy while making allowances for those looking for more non-conformist facilities. Had the mayor of Charlotte gone the same route they likely wouldn’t have faced the type of backlash they saw from the Governor’s office and various citizen groups and churches.

How much effect will this travel ban have on the North Carolina economy? Well, somebody might have to cut back on their office coffee budget this year to make up for it, but not much beyond that. This is just the SJW making the same noises they always do when they wrest control of an entire city. From establishing sanctuary city status for illegal alien felons to shutting down the last gun shop within the city limits, San Fran is just going to be San Fran. It’s a dog bites man story.