Planes flying into the famous LAX airport may notice the iconic Hollywood sign, a sparkling signifier of Tinseltown that reigns from the hills of Hollywood. The sign is set to be renovated with 400 gallons of fresh paint applied by 10 workers ahead of its 100th birthday. But, just below the illusive twinkling lit stratosphere of a City of Angels (and dreams) lies a struggling land that is starting to resemble an Oscar-worthy, gritty crime drama more than the fantastical La La Land.
Pockets of popular streets from Inglewood to North Hollywood, Venice to Downtown Los Angeles, are filled with tents and makeshift homes. Fentanyl overdoses are surfacing at Hollywood high schools. The highways and certain streets are lined with despicable amounts of trash. People are running rampant with disrespect and inconsideration for their fellow neighbors — and it shows in their driving, workplaces, and… politics.
“We’re trying to dig our way out of a hole,” said Rick Caruso, Los Angeles Democratic Mayoral candidate.
It was the one thing he and his opponent, Karen Bass, could agree on at Debate Night Los Angeles, an evening of informative questioning of candidates for LA Mayor and County Sheriff roles mirroring the presidential elections. The night was sponsored by KPCC, the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Urban League, Loyola Marymount, FOX 11, and Univision 34.
The debate, filmed live at the Skirball Cultural Center on Wednesday (Sept. 21), started with Los Angeles County Sheriff candidates, Robert Luna, a retired Long Beach Police Chief, and Alex Villanueva, the current LA County Sheriff. The one-hour debate was followed by Caruso and Bass.
Homelessness In LA
One big topic of the night was the continuously growing homeless population, currently at 69,140+. Latino and Hispanic communities make up nearly 43% of the population in Los Angeles County when those who identify as White Hispanic (20.4%) and other Hispanic (22.2%) are combined. Unfortunately, the amount of homeless Latinos and Hispanics now closely resembles these numbers at 44.5%, as reported by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).
Those who identify as Black or a person of African descent represents 7.9% of Los Angeles County, but make up over 34% of the homeless population, according to a report from NHS LA.
Honestly, both Caruso and Bass had considerable solutions to the homeless crisis, ranging from providing more housing — although the pathway there was intricately unique — to providing resources, including mental health assistance and employment opportunities.
The candidates did disagree on campaign tactics and on Bass receiving a scholarship from USC. However, they did agree that Los Angeles as we know it is in a heap of trouble.
Watch Caruso And Bass Debate:
Integrity In Question
This was demonstrated earlier in the night when the debate between the two running candidates enlisted with the potential power to enforce protection over the county were immersed in inquiries about scandals.
Villanueva has been entangled in allegations of allowing his department to operate like a corrupted gang. Luna, on the other hand, faces criticism for his relationship, or lack thereof, with Black communities. At one point, Villanueva deflected when he was questioned about saying “Black people are inherently prone to criminality” by showing racist images that circulated in Luna’s department.
Crime In LA
Beyond this, the second major topic of the night was the rise in crime. Assault crimes rank highest in Los Angeles at 18,619 cases reported in 2021. Robbery is second at 8,054 cases, followed by rape, at 1,998, and murder, at 351. The solutions thrown around in the debate included the suggestion of increasing police presence, cleaning up LAPD corruption from within, police reform, and community reinvestment.
Watch Luna And Villanueva Debate:
The Los Angeles County General Election takes place on Nov. 8, 2022.
