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Karen Bass, the first black woman elected mayor of Los Angeles, outlined her vision Thursday to reform scandal-plagued City Hall and solve an out-of-control homelessness crisis.
A day after her historic victory over billionaire developer Rick Caruso, Bass appeared before supporters in the sunny courtyard at the headquarters of a women’s charity group, where she let slip some relief that the contest was over. “It was a tough campaign,” said Bass, a Democratic congresswoman. He takes office on Dec. 12 as the City Council grapples with a racism scandal that led to the resignation of its former president and calls for the resignation of two more members. More than 40,000 people are homeless and there is widespread concern about crime that has ranged from daytime robberies on the city’s sidewalks to thefts at luxury stores. Homeless encampments littered with trash and rusting trailers can be found in nearly every neighborhood of the nation’s second-largest city. With a beaming smile, Bass struck a tone of unity, with a multi-ethnic crowd of executives and supporters lining up behind her who broke into chants of “Karen! Karen!” “No matter who you voted for, no matter who you are or where you live, I will be mayor for you,” she said, saying she wants to earn the trust of those who supported her opponent, Caruso. “The crisis we face affects us all and we all need to be part of the solution,” he added. In a seven-minute speech filled with optimism and light on specifics, Bass echoed her main themes from the campaign — getting the homeless off the streets and into shelters, reversing rising crime rates and developing affordable housing working class families. She describes herself as a coalition builder who will mobilize “all the resources, all the skills, the knowledge, the talent of the city.” He will replace embattled Democrat Eric Garcetti, who will complete two uneventful terms with his nomination to be US ambassador to India stalled in the Senate – apparently over sexual misconduct allegations against a former top Garcetti adviser. Bass — a former state assembly speaker who was on President Joe Biden’s short list for vice president — topped more than $100 million in Caruso’s campaign spending, arguing she was the best choice to heal a troubled city of nearly 4 million. Caruso, a former Republican who became a Democrat shortly before entering the race, represented a shift to the political right. He argued that Bass and other longtime politicians were responsible for leading the city into multiple crises. “It is time for change and time for urgency,” he said. “We will solve the homeless problem. We will catch and respond promptly to crime. And Los Angeles will no longer be unaffordable for working families,” he said.
