Los Angeles
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Having relatives visit from the Midwest last week, this editor tried to be a great hostess and find activities that even my 94-year-old mom could enjoy.
In years past, one of the first places to take tourists was the Venice Boardwalk. It was a nice stroll with assorted kinky items for sale, interesting people, and lunch easily accessed at one of the local restaurants.
But, two elderly women were viciously attacked in April, putting one into the hospital. At the time, “The Los Angeles Police Department is alerting the Venice community to these crimes to emphasize the importance of personal safety. Residents are encouraged to be aware of their surroundings and notify the police of any suspicious activity or persons loitering in this area.”
The suspect, 29, was taken into custody a few weeks later, so surely it must be safe to go to Venice, now?
And then on May 11, in Venice, a man, 25, was stabbed multiple times and taken to a hospital.
Councilwoman Traci Park after the women were assaulted said there are “unstable and potentially dangerous” people roaming the streets and said Los Angeles “is getting a bad reputation.” You think?
This woman survived a brutal attack in Venice.
Venice CROSSED OFF.
I used to take visitors to Hollywood to Grauman’s Chinese Theater: everyone likes looking at the hand and footprints and viewing the sidewalk stars. We’ll just jump on the metro . . .wait, a man, 40, stabbed a security guard and then was fatally shot by a guard in Hollywood on May 7.
I found a crime map for Hollywood and between May 4 and May 9, there were 25 crimes reported that included theft, assault, robbery burglary, arson and a shooting. https://spotcrime.com/CA/Los%20Angeles/Hollywood
Then the Metro announced there were four violent crimes last week resulting in death or injury–phew, dodged that one.
Hollywood CROSSED OFF.
The Santa Monica Promenade used to be a popular tourist destination, but after the mentally ill ran out REI and Philz Coffee, the city has lost its luster. About 40 percent of the shops are vacant and when you see people talking to themselves on the street – people who live here – know it’s best to walk to the other side of the street, because the vagrants might be having an episode – and many carry knives.
Santa Monica, CROSSED OFF.
Well, my mom used to like to shop in Culver City, but on May 8, a man, 35, was arrested for stabbing a woman in a Culver City parking lot.
Culver City, CROSSED OFF.
Mom is a master gardener and we’ve made numerous trips downtown to the flower mart in years past, but now it is a sewer hole filled with encampments, tents and garbage. I didn’t want relatives snapping a photo of people defecating on the street to share on Facebook.
Downtown, CROSSED OFF.
The fam and I went to The Price Is Right, where the stage is constantly vacuumed, there were snacks, security was good and everyone was happy and cheerful.
We followed that with a trip to the Farmer’s Market, where we ran into four guys who lived in Santa Monica, who preferred the Fairfax area, because they didn’t have to worry about the druggies shooting up or possibly being stabbed at an outdoor table.
The Grove, adjacent to the Farmers Market, was clean, and there were security officials around, and everyone felt safe as we watched the dancing fountains in the middle of this shopper’s mecca.
There was a bit of violence to report. Two toddlers tried to smash the same bubble, during a class, and collided. Luckily there were more bubbles and nary a tear was shed.
Now, it appears the city of Los Angeles faces a $467 million deficit, with a revenue shortfall of $180 million below projections and unexpected spending of about $289 million. What to cut, oh what to cut?
Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, self-described police and prison abolitionist, suggested that LAPD funding be reduced, and that money go to afterschool programs and street services.
Inside Safe, Mayor Karen Bass’ signature program is requesting $185 million.
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez said, “I have a really hard time stomaching this idea that we will, again, sign up for what we just experienced and went through the same frustrations of entrusting these resources. We absolutely need a plan because it (Inside Safe) has not served the greatest amount of people with the amount of money that we have.” Ya, think?
During the 2026 World Cup, eight games will be played in Los Angeles starting that June.
Bass has said, “Los Angeles has quite the lineup of world class events coming to our city in the next few years—we are ready to welcome the world to Los Angeles to experience the diverse food, culture, and natural beauty that defines our city.”
Ahh, yes, L.A.’s culture of stabbings and homeless encampments and traffic. (Only those with a death wish will take the Metro.)
Mayor Bass, you have two years to make the town safer and sweep up the poop (and that doesn’t mean trying to pass off porta-potties with artwork on them as outdoor museums).
Then, a mere two years later, the 2028 Olympic Games will appear. Hopefully no one will try to steal the torch as it goes through the streets or use it to set off propane tanks under the freeways or to light up broken down, illegally parked RVs.
Regarding diverse food, do you know if those taco vendors, that occupy sidewalks and are largely unpermitted and not checked by public health, are using horse meat? The vendors have no sinks to wash hands or cutlery, and now there’s an outbreak of hepatitis A on the streets.
Now that’s an L.A. souvenir a tourist won’t find in a gift shop.
Los Angeles was ruined on purpose, it has been a solid BLUE Democratic Town for over 24 years (almost a quarter of a century) but the Democratic clubs across LA keep a tight fist on their “sheep”, anyone who objects or even dares ask a question as to why something is happening in LA is immediately thrown out of these clubs and ostracized, just like a cult. The local paper, the Los Angeles Times is a propaganda piece for the Democratic party of Los Angeles, Hollywood Will not hire you if they find out you’re not in the “cult”. So like Rome, Los Angeles will burn.
My best advice – move before you or a family member are seriously injured because the LA Dems are not change. it’s an illness.
Sue—you’re absolutely right! We live in what has become a fetid cesspool. We pay more taxes than anywhere else in the country. And our government pisses it all away.
Infuriating, heartbreaking and dangerous. Newsom, Bass and Gascon should all resign in shame! Who has the wisdom, courage and energy to lead us out of this sticky trap?!
Well done Sue ! I am going to Farmer Market !!
Another GREAT ONE SUE!! I laughed out loud! You know, when I wasn’t thinking about moving to somewhere safer, like Tijuana! Keep up the good work!
You could have gone to the beach and watched the sun set…….
CA has for too long elected anti-Americans and put in place a voting system designed to keep said anti-Americans in office.
CA will continue to elect anti-Americans who will continue to pass laws and ordinances that further the destruction of our society (and the west) by passing laws (and ignoring laws) that make it easier for criminals and bureaucrats and office holders – but I repeat myself – to flourish at the expense of common sense and functioning society.
CA anti-Americans will continue to bring about the destruction of our city and state, their actions super-charged by the anti-Americans running the Federal government and their many office holders and agencies, staffed by “career” anti-Americans.
CA will proudly be the poster child for the “fall of America” witnessed, daily, by those who live here with our eyes open and brains functioning.
CTN will continue to pose “questions” from time-to-time in quaint articles that everyone knows the answers to (see above) that, when answered with opinions challenging the sad and sick state of the city and state and nation, are sure to result in…
…more of the same polices, election results, and increased anti-Americanism because we just can’t seem to “vote” for people and policies that make any sense at all.
And, saying so, will surely label said speaker as a “threat to America.”
Bravo
The sand proves a problem for 94 year olds–who can navigate on even pavement . . .which meant I had to find other alternatives than the Palisades–wonder when we’ll get our sidewalks fixed.
Sue
Wonderful reporting Sue. What a shame that this is what Los Angeles has become under the current government leadership. Relatives used to want to visit our beautiful towns, but not anymore. As a native of Los Angeles I am utterly appalled. I was shocked that voters by the smallest margin voted for yet another bloated ballot measure to address the rampant homeless issues when we have seen how every bill before it that passed, the funds were grossly wasted while nothing on the streets changed, it only to get worse. We as tax payers have a right to live in safe neighborhoods and to have our streets cleaned of the insanity that has destroyed Santa Monica and Los Angeles in general. Enabling this to go on with clean needle programs and allowing tents all over our streets and parks, etc. is not the answer! We have to vote out all those in government who are ineffective. I was anti-Caruso in the Mayoral election, but now I wonder if I did not waste my vote on Bass. Could he have done a better job, or was it just big talk? We will never know. But it’s as bad as ever right now. Gascon, let’s not even go there! He has to be voted out as step one! Let’s start to move out this dead weight in government with our voting power and get people in who will do the tough job and clean up our streets. Bipartisan is the only way to get this done. Vote for who will most probably do the hard work for change.
Good job, Sue….Thank you. Perhaps Bass, Newcome, and Gascon should be given a copy of this. Let them know what the people are thinking.???? Thank you for all your good work AND your sense of humor from time to time….
We do have a problem here yes, and as far as I can see so does everybody else in this country and most others so I think the local blaming is pretty lame. This problem has been building for many years and is the result of too many people in societies that keep pushing all problems under the rug. We could fill all our jails even more than we have already and still the problem will exist. There is too much inequity, too much lack of empathy, too much lack of responsibility, too much inattention to real education for everyone, too much lack of real health care, too much lack of mental health care – well I could go on and on. We are currently a greedy, everyone for himself, consumer society and so is an awful lot of the world.
So now there is this great push for Autocrats and so we have them everywhere at everywhere – some are dumb and some are smart but all are awful. As the human race faces the most incredible future of possibilities we are mired in fear, blame, anger and tribalism. So since we are also facing existential crisis of a damaged planet we are going to behave as we usually do and ignore the real problems and possible solutions and start eating each other instead. Bravo human societies you are repeating the cycle that history has shown in the past. Will we surevive it? Well some will I am sure.
Meantime if anyone has any actual solutions instead of blaming complaints it would be lovely to hear from them. We need to be smarter monkeys for once.
How about accountability for the dollars that are spent? That’s what the L.A. Alliance is trying to do, to make sure the dollars spent are actually going where they were intended.