It’s hard to find a reasonable person who thinks Los Angeles is in a better place now than it was a few years back. The city was hit hard by the pandemic and took some drastic measures. There were mandatory masks, curfews, and restrictions on businesses, which only grew more intense. Schools remained closed for quite a while, making an already struggling school district even worse. Many people chose to leave the area, seeking relief from prolonged lockdowns, a rising homelessness crisis, and the steep cost of living.
This mass departure was so significant that Los Angeles County lost more residents than any other county in the United States from 2020 to 2025.
Then came the situation with Pacific Palisades, easily one of the most stunning parts of the city, which was devastated by fire. The Palisades fire, linked to an alleged arsonist, showcased the weaknesses in the city’s governance. An empty reservoir, meant for maintenance, was delayed—understandably, perhaps, but still problematic. The fire department seemed underprepared for the intense winds that followed. There were supposed to be thirteen high-priority fire and water management projects slated for the area, but only one was completed by January 2025. To top it all off, around 20% of the fire hydrants malfunctioned during the emergency response.
And to add to the chaos, Mayor Karen Bass happened to be out of the country, in Ghana, while her constituents were struggling. It’s ironic, isn’t it, that the same people who supported her for re-election now have to deal with these failures?
Kamala Harris backs Karen Bass amid failures
Bass faced backlash for “watering down” her report on the fire’s aftermath, a disaster she could have prevented, or at least mitigated.
So, it wasn’t surprising when Kamala Harris, the former Vice President, chose to endorse Bass over her challengers, Spencer Pratt and leftist candidate Nitya Raman, during the mayoral race.
“Mayor Karen Bass is the leader Los Angeles needs right now. She has accomplished what many said was impossible: reduced homelessness for the first time in history in two years, reduced crime to levels this city hasn’t seen since the 1960s, and refused to back down when the federal government went after her neighbors,” Harris stated.
However, many who’ve recently visited Los Angeles can attest that homelessness hasn’t diminished significantly. Sure, some numbers might suggest otherwise, but a drive through downtown, Venice, or Hollywood contradicts those claims. Yes, crime statistics show a drop, but that could also be due to how poorly crime is reported and recorded in Los Angeles. Plus, crime reduction is happening in various major cities, partly because of stricter federal actions, including immigration policies.
When it comes to immigration enforcement, Bass has pushed back against it. So, maybe making the city safe isn’t her top priority; instead, it seems she wants to keep her far-left supporters happy.
It’s understandable that Harris, whose administration opened the southern border and faced criticism for it, would stand by her. One telling indicator of a city’s decline is simply the number of people choosing to leave.
In just five years from 2020 to 2025, Los Angeles saw nearly 100,000 people relocate. That’s about 2.4% of its population. It appears that ineffective governance is pushing entire communities away. But then again, Harris’s track record isn’t exactly stellar either. This could be viewed as a telling sign of the Democratic Party’s current situation.
