In the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass seemed to be on the brink of political oblivion.
However, she is now endeavoring to regain her political footing by advocating for the rioters protesting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Ever since the onset of the protests, instigated by black-clad anarchists hurling bottles at police officers over ICE raids on illegal immigrants with criminal records, Bass has been a whirlwind of activity. Some of the individuals being apprehended by ICE in Los Angeles are hardened murderers. Yet, the protestors are demanding the dissolution of ICE, and Bass is advocating for a halt to the raids.
One cannot help but wonder if Bass had displayed the same level of commitment towards the homeowners in the Pacific Palisades, perhaps more of them would be in the process of rebuilding their lives.
It is a surreal spectacle to witness Bass and her fellow Democrats rallying behind the riots, or as they prefer to call them, "mostly peaceful protests," as if their mishandling of the border crisis had not contributed to their defeat in the last election. This agenda is mirrored in the media coverage, which seems to be fixated on stories about ICE, many of which are patently false.
According to Breitbart, on Thursday, Bass propagated a false news story, one of several baseless rumors being circulated by Democrats, claiming that ICE agents had made an appearance at Dodger Stadium. When the story was debunked, she was questioned by anchor Elex Michaelson of local Fox affiliate KTTV. Instead of setting the record straight, Bass pointed the finger at President Donald Trump, accusing him of creating "chaos" in Los Angeles.
Bass asserted that she had "absolutely no tolerance" for violence against police officers and the vandalism of public buildings. However, she echoed the rioters' sentiment that the violence would only cease once the ICE raids were halted. "This chaos needs to stop and it can only stop out of the White House," Bass told Michaelson, thereby shirking her responsibility for maintaining law and order in her city and echoing the rioters' demands.
The narrative being spun by the mayor and the local media is that people are avoiding downtown Los Angeles due to fears of being apprehended by ICE agents. However, the reality is that people are avoiding the area due to the city's escalating homelessness crisis, which has transformed the city streets into a reflection of a Third World country, and the rampant crime that has even infiltrated the so-called "safe" areas.
Earlier this month, I found myself at a stop light in Beverlywood, near our temporary residence, with my children in the car, when a homeless man approached my window and began pounding on it. The only reason we were in Beverlywood was that we had been displaced by the fire, a fire that broke out while Bass was overseas, a fire that ravaged even the most affluent areas due to a lack of firefighters, water in the hydrants, and police to coordinate evacuations.
The homelessness crisis has engulfed Los Angeles. The city spends more on services for the homeless than it does on firefighting, despite the fact that many of the fires are started by the homeless. Bass's efforts to address the issue have been largely ineffectual.
The common thread between the homelessness crisis and the ICE controversy is that in both instances, Bass and the Democrats seem to be more concerned with catering to individuals who have no legal right to reside in the city, at least not in the manner they have chosen. As the residents of the Palisades learned the hard way, the last people who matter are the legal residents, particularly homeowners, who work hard to afford their mortgages and taxes and receive little in return when it truly matters.
However, it seems that the electorate in Los Angeles may have a short memory. The Palisades Fire is viewed as an issue that affected the "rich," and the ICE agents are seen as representatives of Trump, who remains a favorite target of elected Democrats.
Bass, Governor Newsom, and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) have concluded that opposing Trump is more beneficial to their political careers than cooperating with him, despite the state's staggering budget deficit and the $40 billion needed for fire relief. Newsom has been vocal in his assertion that Trump's decision to federalize the California National Guard to quell the riots, when he and Bass refused to do so, was "illegal."
Even after a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit unanimously dismissed his arguments, Newsom continues to hold this stance. He is now blaming Trump for the spread of wildfires across the state, deflecting attention from his own shortcomings.
Bass has adopted a similar approach, using the riots and her opposition to Trump to mask her failures and the fact that what was once America's most beautiful city has become uninhabitable.
Judging by the attention she is receiving, her strategy appears to be working. She is still planning to run for reelection next year, and, astonishingly, she may win.
Meanwhile, amidst the ruins and the riots, Los Angeles is still slated to host the 2028 Olympics. Don't bother asking the mayor about the progress on that front. I'm sure she'll find a way to blame Trump for any issues.
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