NewzLOS ANGELES (AP) — To voter Roy Lyons, Los Angeles has been losing luster for years. A homeless crisis endures despite billions of dollars of spending. City Hall’s budget keeps swelling — as do the taxes needed to support it.
As the retired insurance broker from the Sherman Oaks neighborhood ponders his pick in the upcoming mayoral election, he’s leaning toward the unpopular incumbent, Mayor Karen Bass, over her fellow progressive Democrat Nithya Raman, a little-known city council member who is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. She endorsed Bass before changing her mind and entering the race. Neither choice gives him confidence about the future.
“Is this the best we can do?” asked Lyons, a Democrat, who attended a recent candidate forum. “I don’t think either one shines.” If Bass wins the Nov. 3 election, it will be because she was able to persuade voters like Lyons to give her a second chance after a rough first term that included the deadly Palisades Fire, which ignited when she was out of the country and caught the fire department unprepared.
Nearly three weeks into mail voting, only 5% of ballots have been returned, according to ballot tracking firm Political Data Inc. On a recent sunny afternoon as he dropped of his ballot in the Studio City neighborhood, Kim Hansen said his vote for Raman represented what he considered the “least worst” option. “I don’t like either of them,” said Hansen, a piano player who isn’t registered with a party.
“I still wish there was somebody really good to vote for.” City Hall struggles with the basics The campaign is unfolding as the city contends with myriad urban ailments. In the latest data released in July, homelessness increased in the city, dealing a setback to Bass. Residents are dealing with climbing rent and housing costs, rising utility bills and buckled streets and sidewalks.
Hollywood jobs have been fleeing for years for cheaper filming locales, and the restaurant industry has been shaken by mounting closures. In August, the candidates sparred over their support for street food vendors versus brick-and-mortar restaurants. Meanwhile, the 2028 Olympics are on the horizon, raising questions about the public face the city will present to the world.
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