Mayor Karen Bass declared that the city of Los Angeles “cannot afford to accept the homelessness crisis,” in her second government report, in which she urged private initiative and philanthropists to join in. finance and help solve the problem of 46,000 homeless people.
At the same time that she received praise for her fight against homelessness, the mayor was also criticized at the end of her State of the City speech, in which she highlighted that the city “is stronger because we have made changes and have altered the status quo”.
The Olympic Games and the Soccer World Cup
He reminded the dozens of people gathered in the Municipal Council Chamber of the visit of a delegation to Paris, in order to learn about the background to the 2024 Summer Games, because in 2028 Los Angeles will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. , as well as the Soccer World Cup, in Inglewood and Los Angeles, in 2026.
The program Inside Safe
“We refuse to hide the fact that we have 46,000 people,” he said regarding the approximate homeless population. “We will not hide people, but we will house them.”
The mayor stated that when a disaster occurs, the initial phase to people and the Inside Safe program “has been rescuing Angelenos from the streets and offering immediate stability and shelter.”
“Inside Safe is our proactive rejection of a status quo that left homeless Angelenos waiting and dying outside in camps until permanent housing was built.” [en 47 vecindarios diferentes]”he added.
46,000 homeless people
Results from the 2023 Los Angeles County homeless count show a 9% increase, reaching an estimated 75,518 people; while at the city level, an increase of 10% was recorded, with an estimated 46,260 homeless people.
On housing for the homeless, “Ms. Bass offered a lot and has done very little of what she has offered,” criticized Chamba Sánchez, an associate professor of politics in the Los Angeles Community College District. “I think she has a very superficial program [Inside Safe] where he puts people off the streets into a hotel, but then they continue living on the streets. “There is no long-term approach.”
“Too much money is spent every year; Now we have already approved Proposition 1 and it will be a lot of expense and too much fraud in the way they control the funds, but the problem is not fixed,” Sánchez added. “Personally, I am progressive, but I voted for the other man [Rick Caruso]who had more freedom of decision and was not tied to anyone to make the decisions that should be made in Los Angeles.”
They spent millions more
In recent weeks, local officials have expressed concern that the city has spent more than $289 million this fiscal year.
Revenue is lower than projected, and the city must also budget for raises that have been approved or are anticipated, for approximately 75,000 unionized employees, including rank-and-file officers and senior members of the Los Angeles Police Department, drivers buses and other city workers. .
In January, city council members, sensing looming financial problems, ordered all city departments to fill only essential positions going forward.
Additionally, members of the City Council’s personnel committee have discussed a proposal to eliminate nearly 2,000 vacant positions still on the city’s books.
“We are at a very important moment because we have a fiscal problem in the economy of Los Angeles and California,” said Councilwoman Mónica Rodríguez. “We will have to work together and see what we can do in this process and in the future of Los Angeles to serve the people, [particularmente] to homeless people.”
The councilwoman did not answer why the city overspent money, nor did she clarify whether there will be cuts in services for Angelenos, once they discuss and approve the fiscal year 2024-2025 budget, before July 1.
“We are going to go through a very difficult time in our city,” acknowledged Councilwoman Nithya Raman (District 4). “We are going to have a very tight situation with the budget.”
Spending plan
Bass’s proposed spending plan for the 2024-25 fiscal year, which begins July 1, will be released later this month before being sent to the full City Council for review. The previous 2023-24 budget was nearly $13 billion.
According to a 60-page report by City Chief Administrative Officer Mat Szabo, Los Angeles faces an overall deficit of $467 million, which includes $289 million overspent by the LAPD – primarily for overtime pay. extras- and the Fire Department (LAFD)
Thousands want to be police officers
The mayor explained that, in the midst of a national and local police hiring and retention crisis, she and the council forged a new contract specifically designed to reduce the downward trend in officers.
As a result, in August 2023, a total of 1,048 candidates applied to be part of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), already considered the largest number of applications since September 2020. In January of this year, another 1,200 people applied his desire to enter the ranks of law enforcement authorities.
“My budget for next year maintains our LAPD staffing goals,” said Bass, sending a signal to current officers and community partners that we support them and “that public safety “It is a priority for this administration.”
The mayor also mentioned that the search for the next chief of the Los Angeles police is essential, for which she is meeting with rank-and-file officers, business organizations, community leaders and community members to ask them directly what they want to see in the next chief. of the order of the city.
“My number one job is to keep Angelenos safe, and that’s what we will do, and we will do it together,” he said.
Salary increases for workers
Mayor Bass also highlighted her upcoming budget proposal and her efforts to ensure city workers receive fair wages.
In August 2023, at least 11,000 workers – from garbage truck operators, shuttle drivers and mechanics at LAX, to unionized custodians and parking attendants – went on strike for one day. It was the first work stoppage of city workers in 40 years.
However, the negotiated contract package of wage increases and increased benefits for tens of thousands of workers will cost the city $304 million more in the next fiscal year, and more than $1 billion extra in 2028.
Facts and unsaid
Bamby Salcedo, executive director of The Translatina Coalition, noted that Mayor Karen Bass has mentioned that she will include all communities, including LGBTQ people.
“We hope so, but so far we haven’t seen many results,” Salcedo said. “We hope it is inclusive of the trans community.”
Councilman Kevin de León, (District 14), stressed that, at the end of the day, the most important thing is the well-being of Angelenos, particularly the most vulnerable.
He was referring to those who live in the most humble areas of the city and the homeless.
“The humanitarian crisis that we are facing is a great challenge… It is a stain and a shame that so many people suffer street conditions, living in a city as rich as the city of Los Angeles,” De León explained. “In short, the people right now want concrete facts, not words.”
It will take years
Jaime Regalado, professor emeritus of Political Science at Cal State University Los Angeles (CSULA), told La Opinión that, with Karen Bass “we are in good hands as a city” because she has a lot of support in the Los Angeles Council, she has broad respect and good will, and for his work “he deserves an A.”
“It is an impossible job for any mayor of a big city,” he warned, before Bass’s speech, about the state of the city.
“15 or 20 years ago they gave additional powers to the mayor, but we still have a format of a strong Council and a weaker mayor.”
Due to the above, Regalado, former executive director of the Pat Brown Institute, a nonprofit public policy center, highlighted that the fact that Bass has declared a state of emergency [en diciembre de 2022] On the issue of the homeless, “she was able to make the console play with her and receive the support and the eight majority votes she needed.”
Continuing to have the majority on the city council is what Regalado calls “Karen Bass’s coalition of support for her public policy priorities,” he added. “That’s really significant, and it’s something that’s not normally talked about or mentioned.”
In addition to the great support she has on the Council, and even among members who wouldn’t necessarily vote with her all the time, “she has a lot of respect and goodwill, and that is very, very important,” Regalado said.
“In the face of homelessness, many different things are needed at the same time that Bass is trying to do: placing people in public or private housing units, agreements with the public and private sectors, and community nonprofit organizations to find places.” where there are possible housing units and even build temporary housing units and that communities can advocate for their acceptance.”
He added that “that is something difficult. “So it will take years to right that situation in the city and county and help those who are physically ill and those who are mentally ill, while they are still on the streets or in tents or in temporary shelters.”