A socialist city councilwoman led opposition to an ordinance, supported by the incumbent mayor she is running against, that would have cleaned out a homeless camp in a neighborhood where violent incidents have occurred.
Democratic Los Angeles Councilwoman Nithya Raman was one of for “no” votes on a motion by Councilwoman Traci Park to declare an anti-camping zone in Venice, the California Post reported. Residents of the area blasted Raman, who is challenging Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, over the vote in a story by KTTV, a Los Angeles-area TV station.
“It was absolutely crazy. I watched a guy get shot and killed across the street,” one resident told KTTV reporter Matthew Seedorf.
“These are individuals that have been offered alternatives again and again and again and are choosing to remain encamped on our streets,” Park, a Democrat, who represents the area in the City Council, said during the KTTV segment.
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Police responded to 40 calls about the encampment in the last year, including for assaults, FoxLA.com reported.
“This is who she is. Councilmember Raman opposes the law prohibiting encampments next to schools and has voted against hundreds of cleanups,” Bass’ office said in a statement to FoxLA.com. “This is just another example of her taking us backward.”
“This part of 41.18 duplicates laws we already have to regulate camping and, at best, succeeds in moving homelessness around a neighborhood,” Raman responded.
California’s homeless population increased 60% since 2015, despite billions of funding being provided to cities like Los Angeles by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) who defeated an incumbent council member in 2020, announced her challenge to Bass Feb. 7.
“Over the last few months in particular, I’ve really begun to feel like unless we have some big changes in how we do things in Los Angeles, that the things we count on are not going to function anymore,” Raman told the Los Angeles Times.
Despite Raman’s no vote, the motion passed by an 11-4 vote.
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