Op-Ed: Los Angeles mayor shows elected’s how to lead on homelessness

By: Marvin McCoy

I think if I were much younger and lacking in emotional maturity, my first initial thought would be to blow fire and blow smoke up my nose at the idea that newly elected Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, is putting her money where her mouth is by putting homeless people in hotels. room in the city of Inglewood.

Homeless camp on 4th Street off the 110 freeway exit. (Credit: 2UrbanGirls)

Should I be offended by the fact that Karen Bass, traditionally known as a Sacramento or DC Democrat, whose ignorance and lack of experience working in local government is making good on her campaign promise to address the homelessness crisis? in a way that local elected officials, not just in Inglewood or Los Angeles County, have openly ignored because they lacked real solutions or the political will to do so?

As a resident of Inglewood, as you are 2UrbanGirls, I expect much more from our Mayor James T. Butts and the city council, because it seems that despite the false narrative that Inglewood’s elected officials try to paint, there is a significant portion of residents of ours living below the federal poverty line are far more than a medical emergency or financial hardship away from homelessness and/or financial ruin.

Although elected officials would like you to not know these facts, the numbers never lie and if you were to actually drive around the city, the number of homeless people that are taking over our city is in stark contrast to the Disney image World of our city, that mayor. Butts portrays.

Thank you @CulverCityGov for supporting Los Angeles as we face this crisis together. https://t.co/M4vZsCE916

— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) January 6, 2023

I kindly ask that you and your readers review the City of Inglewood’s annual CBDG / HUD report, where Inglewood officials readily admit that homelessness is a growing problem and that they are in fact seeking to secure federal funding for it. hired a homeless services coordinator.

2UrbanGirls you are an avid watcher of the weekly Inglewood City Council meetings. How many times have you heard tenants call into meetings asking for rent and housing assistance, only to be turned away, given inconsistent information, or reprimanded by the mayor for even suggesting that poverty and gentrification happening in inglewood?

With that being said any expert will tell you that the only way to address a problem is to first admit a problem exists and unfortunately Chairman Butts natural tendency is to lie, even though the truth has come back to bite him ass.

I mean that was inevitable, right?

We appreciated @MayorOfLA @KarenBassLA and CD11 Councilor #TraciPark joining our outreach team this morning to support the launch of #InsideSafe in Venice. Working together, we will help our homeless neighbors off the streets and into stable housing! pic.twitter.com/8dScxgTZVf

— St. Joseph Center (@StJosephCtr) January 3, 2023

Isn’t Mayor Butts’ recent narrow victory to avoid a runoff against political newcomer Fredrisha Dixon a clear indication that he doesn’t enjoy the same popularity he once did?

I mean, the favorable situation faced by Mayor James Butts when Karen Bass took over Inglewood was as predictable as the brutal chaos that had occurred in Bakersfield, CA with Republican Kevin McCarthy securing the mayor’s post.

It means that chaos begets chaos, and the mere idea that this elected body has foolishly followed Mayor Butts into pretending that poverty and homelessness were a non-existent problem created a perfect storm for one of the many lies they have told the residents of Inglewood and beyond. come back to bite them in the ass.

In closing, should I be offended that Karen Bass is using every means at her disposal, even if it means sheltering the most vulnerable homeless people, especially those on the brink of potentially deadly storms arriving here in the greater county area of Los Angeles this week, at hotels in Inglewood?

Was it not Jesus who said that only the sick know that they need a doctor?

Are you telling me I should be offended by Mayor Bass for doing the job that got her elected?

Is it her fault that Inglewood’s elected officials deserve to provide the same care or concern for their most vulnerable residents as Karen Bass has in the less than two months she’s been in office or maybe it’s just us painfully ignored the fact that by words, deeds and actions they never cared about the most vulnerable in our city?

As Michael Jackson said, they really don’t care about us.

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