Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Nithya Raman went to war Tuesday night in a blistering mayoral debate that exploded into a public brawl over crime, homelessness, police staffing and who voters should blame for Los Angelesspiraling deeper into chaos.
For 90 combative minutes inside the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center, the two women hammered each other as frustrated residents groaned, booed and shouted through some of the night’s ugliest exchanges.
The debate,hosted by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Associationand moderated by FOX 11’s Phil Shuman, packed 189 people into the room with another 421 watching online.
And even though celebrity mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt never made it onto the stage,he still managed to dominate parts of the night.
Raman was booed at least nine times, especially while defendingher opposition to expanding Los Angeles’ anti-camping law, known as 41.18, and during fiery clashes over police funding.
Bass repeatedly tied Raman to the worsening conditions many Angelenos say they now see daily: sprawling encampments, open drug use, rising disorder and slow city response.
“It is completely unacceptable for there to be encampments near schools,” Bass told the crowd after pressing Raman over her votes against expanding anti-camping restrictions.
Raman fired back that Los Angeles has spent years shuffling homeless people from block to block while failing to build a functioning system.
The tension boiled over when Bass accused Raman of attacking failures tied to departments she already helps oversee as chair of the City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee.
“I don’t know why you diminish yourself, because you are one of the most powerful members of the council,” Bass said.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
