If the last week was any indication, Mayor Karen Bass starts her tenure with the wind at her back. A clear indicator came when her campaign promise to declare a state of emergency on homelessness made its way through the City Council and was embraced by a body normally reluctant to relinquish power. Council members’ approval provided the mayor with expanded control over the city’s response to the homelessness crisis.
That early win for Bass reflects a political reality highlighted by a new poll of city voters: The mayor has more support than does the council, and a plurality of voters believe she can address the city’s problems with homelessness and housing. …
The California Community poll, conducted Nov. 28 to Dec. 12, was sponsored by three community organizations — the Los Angeles Urban League, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality and the Center for Asians United for Self-Empowerment — and was developed in consultation with Times reporters and editors. CONTINUED
Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times
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