LA mayor under fire: Broken travel pledge ignites backlash
Before taking office, the Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass pledged not to travel abroad. However, Bass was out of the country when devastating fires broke out, specifically in Ghana. Now, she faces a wave of opposition and has lost the trust of many voters.
Before Karen Bass became the first female mayor of Los Angeles, she candidly expressed her views on a potential downside of the position, primarily highlighting the lack of international travel.
As the "New York Times" recalls, Bass, in her previous role as a member of Congress and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, spent decades travelling and working on U.S.-Africa relations. But after taking office, she was expected to change her habits.
In one of the interviews, Bass assured that if elected mayor, she would reside in Los Angeles and not travel abroad. "The only places I would go would be Washington, Sacramento, San Francisco, and New York," Bass stated. Today, the media and voters remind her of those words. The "New York Times" describes it as a "spectacularly broken promise."
When a series of deadly and devastating fires erupted in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday, the mayor was returning home from Ghana in West Africa. She had gone there on 4th January to attend the inauguration of Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama.
Bass returned to LA on Wednesday, the day after the fires broke out. Upon her return, she refused to answer a Sky News reporter’s question on whether she owes the residents of Los Angeles an apology for her absence.
During the press conference, Bass explained that she was "in constant contact" with those directing the firefighting efforts and that she chose the "fastest way back" (she flew back on a military plane). She also clarified that she immediately went to Pacific Palisades upon returning to the country.
LA Mayor has repeatedly broken her promise
As noted by the "NY Post," the mayor has repeatedly broken the promise made before the elections. Before going to Ghana, she was also in Mexico, where she participated in the inauguration of President Claudia Sheinbaum, and she visited France three times.
Political opponents and voters criticise Bass for her trip to Ghana and budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
According to American media, in 2023, Bass, as the mayor of Los Angeles, earned over £250,000. Her term ends in 2026, but conservatives are calling for the criticised mayor to resign now.
