I am so tired of hearing the inmates of Los Angeles and New York City whine about their self-created problems.
I have absolutely no sympathy for these dumps because they regularly elect the very same people who, by their municipal malpractice, make these issues worse. They have done this for decades. Crime, medieval public sanitation, homelessness, and poverty make these cities unlivable for average citizens. Yet, what do L.A. and NYC Dem elected officials focus on? Bread and circuses.
It is reminiscent of my hero H.L. Mencken’s quote that, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”
Two of the latest examples of the aforementioned political shtupping are the mayor of Los Angeles declaring war on homelessness and the mayor of New York City begging wealthy residents not to leave.
Karen Bass, a new Dem woke mayor, recently took over Los Angeles. The city has nearly 42,000 homeless, according to figures from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. That figure was up 1.7% from the 2020 count.
However, Bass reverts to leftist form, “My mandate is to move Los Angeles in a new direction with an urgent and strategic approach to solving one of our city’s toughest challenges and creating a brighter future for every Angeleno.” Uh, it’s not new. It’s very old hat. What does Bass want to do? Throw money at the problem by renting hotel and motel rooms for the homeless.
One problem, and I say this as a guy who ran homeless shelters for five years, homelessness is not a problem of housing. It is a problem of bad decision making, usually involving addiction, by individuals. Those bad decisions eventually render them unable to house themselves. Thus just moving the homeless around like pawns is a Potemkin Village solution. No matter where they perch, bad habits will make their homelessness perpetual unless the problem is dealt with at its core, which is the behavior of the homeless. Bass is doing quite the opposite.
However, Los Angeles voted for this new mayor, her homeless campaign, and its inevitable failure. Ergo, they can stick their whinging over this self-inflicted wound.
New York’s Mayor Eric Adams seems to have amnesia. He has recently said, “It’s about stop dividing our city, to continually attack high-income earners. Where 51% of our taxes are paid by 2% of our earners. That blows my mind when I hear people say, ‘So what if they leave?’ No, you leave!…I want my high-income earners right here, in this city.” Oh by the way Eric, thanks for that Randian admission on the 2%. He’s also beseeching the Biden administration for homeless money.
Nearly 10% of New Yorkers earning over $750,000 fled the state in 2020, according to The City, an NYC publication. Why are they leaving?
Fox: “New York City is one of the most expensive places to live and do business in the U.S. because of its high tax rates. According to a 2022 analysis by WalletHub, New York City has the highest tax burden in the nation.” Adams’ whining neglects to mention that Dems like him enacted policies that drove out the successful in the first place. The obvious remedy? Lower taxes. Think a Dem mayor is going to do that? Exactly.
MORE NEWS: The “Conveniently Timed” Port Strike Resolution: Christmas Is Saved, And So Is Kamala’s Campaign
So until Los Angeles gets off the woke wagon and addresses homelessness in a realistic manner and New York City lowers taxes thus making Gorham more livable for high earners, they will get precisely what they claim they are fighting against. But then, the mayors likely know this already.
Voters elected the people who are presiding over these citywide dog and pony shows. Until voters get hip and elect others of a completely different political outlook L.A. and NYC will get more of the same. Voters there seem to want it that way. That’s why they deserve whatever befalls them. And then some.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.