Los Angeles has elected a new mayor who is soft on crime and devoted to instituting progressive principles. Karen Bass will not solve the drug-crime-homeless problem in the City of Angels, so the quality of life for regular folks will continue to drop.
LA is similar to New York, where minority voters largely elected soft-on-crime Governor Kathy Hochul.
Democracy is not a panacea. It can work against the common good. That's what we are seeing in this country right now.
African-American voters put Hochul over the top and Bass as well. There are different priorities in poor neighborhoods than in affluent ones, obviously. There is a deep suspicion of the police and White conservatives. This has been going on since 1776.
The truth is that public safety is not as important to beleaguered Americans as government payments. Democrats champion the welfare state - Republicans do not. So, it is very difficult to change hearts and minds even if a murderous drug gang controls your neighborhood.
Our system of checks and balances is working as Republicans in the House will now block the madness of the progressive Biden administration. But among the poor and disenfranchised, we can expect little change. They will continue to vote as they always have.
Enjoy the weekend. New column Sunday noon.
