Bass has long path to rebuilding public confidence post-LA fires – Washington Examiner
A recent poll revealed a meaningful decline in public confidence in Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass following devastating fires that impacted the city. Only 19% of residents rated her response to the crisis as “excellent” or “good,” a sharp decline from 37% earlier in the year. The fires led to massive destruction, affecting thousands of homes and businesses, and public scrutiny has intensified regarding Bass’s actions leading up to the disaster. Concerns include the lack of water supply availability from the Santa Ynez Reservoir and budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department before the fires erupted. Bass has faced criticism for her absence during the crisis, having been abroad while the disaster unfolded, and there are allegations of deleted messages about her response. An online petition calling for her resignation has gathered over 179,000 signatures. Analysts indicate that the fires have severely damaged Bass’s political standing, complicating her attempts to regain public trust.
‘Wounded’ Bass has long path to rebuilding public confidence in leadership post-LA fires: Poll
According to a new poll, public confidence in Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has hit a new low over a month after massive fires devastated her city.
Just 19% of Los Angeles residents rated the mayor’s response to the fires as excellent or good, per a survey from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times. That number is a sharp drop from a January poll sponsored by the conservative Los Angeles-based media firm Madison McQueen, which found 37% approved of her handling of the fires.
Both surveys reflect a precipitous decline in goodwill toward Bass after a March 2023 poll showed half of Angelenos approved of her job performance.
The survey results come as Bass faces mounting scrutiny over her actions leading up to the fires, which many residents believe contributed to the disaster that destroyed thousands of homes and affected nearly 2,000 small businesses in January.
Questions persist about why the Santa Ynez Reservoir, a 117-million-gallon water storage complex that is part of the Los Angeles water supply, sat empty and out of commission when the fires broke out, as well as why the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget was cut shortly before the crisis occurred. The fires have become a significant political challenge for Bass, complicating her efforts to regain public trust.
The Berkeley poll surveyed 5,184 registered voters in Los Angeles County from Feb. 17 to Feb. 26.
Viral footage of Bass left speechless when questioned about the fires, and criticism of her presence in Ghana when the crisis sparked has fueled public frustration. A Los Angeles Times investigation published last week added to the scrutiny, revealing accusations that the mayor deleted text messages about her initial response.
An online petition calling for Bass to step down as mayor has amassed over 179,000 signatures from “residents of Los Angeles and concerned citizens.”
“Water supplies have been severely strained, billions of taxpayer dollars have been misallocated or left unaccounted for, and countless lives have been lost. Families have been displaced, homes destroyed, and livelihoods shattered—yet Mayor Bass has been absent from the frontlines, choosing to travel abroad while her constituents suffer,” the petition states. “We call on our fellow Angelenos and all concerned citizens to stand with us in holding Mayor Bass accountable. It is time for a change.”
Mark DiCamillo, director of the Institute of Governmental Studies poll and a longtime California pollster, said Bass has “been wounded” in the aftermath of the wildfires.
“Clearly, the effect of the fire is damaging her image, and it’s drawing all this real strong negativity in certain quarters,” he said.
NEWSOM AND BASS SCRAMBLE TO PREVENT THEIR CAREERS FROM GOING UP IN SMOKE
Steven Maviglio, a Democratic political consultant based in Sacramento, previously told the Washington Examiner he believed it could be difficult for Bass to salve her political career.
At the time, the mayor’s office slammed “staggering” misinformation surrounding the crisis, saying that “hurricane-force winds and unseasonably dry conditions drove these firestorms.”
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