Incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reelection bid is gaining momentum as the Los Angeles Mayor emphasizes that a leadership change right before the 2028 Olympics would impose a significant burden on the city. In an exclusive interview with The Korea Daily on March 11, ahead of the June primary, Mayor Bass expressed a fierce determination to continue her work, stating she is finally ready to “fix the system” from the ground up.
Evaluating Three Years of Progress and the Reelection Bid
Reflecting on her past years in Los Angeles City Hall, Mayor Bass described the mayoralty as the greatest honor and the most difficult challenge of her life. “The primary reason I ran in 2022 was to solve the homelessness crisis,” Bass said. For the first time in years, the city has seen a consecutive two-year decline in street homelessness and a significant reduction in large-scale encampments.
Beyond housing, the Mayor pointed to a decrease in crime rates and the implementation of a fast-track system for housing construction as key milestones. While she has expanded police recruitment, she cautioned that the upcoming wave of retirements within the LAPD means the city cannot afford to be complacent regarding public safety.
Addressing Infrastructure and Quality of Life in Koreatown
A major point of discussion involved local grievances in Koreatown, specifically illegal dumping and deteriorating road conditions. Mayor Bass admitted to the administrative limitations that have slowed progress but vowed immediate action.
“The trash issue in the city is something even I find intolerable,” Bass remarked. She announced that the Clean Streets Initiative—a data-driven program for real-time monitoring and eradication of illegal dumping—will be fully operational within two weeks. Regarding road repairs, she noted that compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has increased costs and timelines, but insisted that budget constraints will not be an excuse for failing to improve residents’ quality of life.
Tackling the Root Causes of Homelessness
Mayor Bass argued that her experience in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. makes her the only candidate capable of navigating the complex legislative landscape required to end homelessness. She criticized decades of welfare cuts that pushed people into the streets.
“We discovered policies that were unintentionally worsening homelessness,” Bass explained. She cited a rule where veterans’ medical benefits were counted as income, disqualifying them from housing vouchers. After 18 months of advocacy, she successfully amended these regulations, allowing 3,000 previously stalled vouchers to be utilized.
The Importance of the Korean American Community
Mayor Bass concluded by reaffirming that the Korean American community in Los Angeles is a pivotal partner in the city’s future. Having once lived in Koreatown herself, she noted the area’s “immense development” and urged Korean Americans to take an active seat at the policy-making table.
“LA is home to the world’s largest Korean diaspora,” Bass said. “The voice of the Korean community is a vital engine that will shape the future of Los Angeles.”
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
