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MY P.O.V. - There’s a reason so few big-city mayors end their time in office with glowing headlines or spotless records. The job is relentless. The expectations are high. The resources are limited. And the crises never stop coming.
From potholes and public safety to housing, transit, inequality, and climate disasters—mayors are blamed for it all, even when the root causes lie far beyond their reach. They operate in a pressure cooker of public scrutiny, intergovernmental gridlock, and deep structural inequality. And unlike state or federal leaders, they can’t afford to punt tough decisions down the line.
That’s why those who lead well under these conditions—who show courage, competence, and clarity—deserve real credit. And right now, few exemplify that kind of leadership more than Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Since taking office, Mayor Bass has been tested by overlapping emergencies: a homelessness crisis decade in the making, wildfires driven by climate change, and a rising tide of fear and confusion unleashed by aggressive, unsanctioned federal immigration raids. These aren’t routine governance problems. They are defining tests of leadership—where the stakes are high, the solutions are complex, and the margin for error is razor thin.
And yet, Mayor Bass has not just endured—she has led.
Rather than shrinking from the challenge, she has taken ownership. Within months of her swearing-in, she declared a state of emergency on homelessness and launched Inside Safe, a citywide effort to transition people from encampments into housing. She broke through bureaucratic bottlenecks, cut red tape, and mobilized resources from across departments to meet one of the most visible and emotionally charged issues in the city.
Was it perfect? Of course not. No one seriously expects a decades-old crisis to be solved overnight. But for the first time in years, there was an urgency. There was coordination. There was accountability. And most importantly, there was action.
Then came the ICE raids—sudden, aggressive, and deeply damaging to the social and economic fabric of Los Angeles. Families were separated, workers disappeared from job sites, and entire communities were thrown into fear. What should have been a moment for coordinated policy became a spectacle of chaos. And while federal officials largely dodged responsibility, Mayor Bass stepped in.
She didn’t just denounce the actions—she fought to protect her residents. She convened city departments, legal aid groups, and community leaders to respond. She reminded Angelenos that their city values all people, regardless of status. In doing so, she showed what moral leadership looks like in a moment of uncertainty: calm, clear, and unafraid.
It’s worth remembering that mayors are often constrained by forces outside their control. They can’t print money. They don’t set immigration law or environmental policy. And they often inherit long-term problems created by decisions made years—or even decades—earlier. What they can do is lead. They can build coalitions. They can respond decisively. They can be honest about what’s working and what isn’t.
Mayor Bass has done exactly that.
In our current political climate, it’s easy to fall into cynicism. Easy to assume all politicians are the same. Easy to demand perfection and overlook progress. But the truth is, effective leadership rarely looks glamorous. It looks like long meetings, tough negotiations, and quiet moments of resolve when no one is watching.
It looks like doing the work—every single day—even when the headlines aren’t kind and the results take time.
Karen Bass didn’t run for the mayor to burnish her resume. She did it because she understands this city—its people, its struggles, and its potential. Her background as a community organizer, legislator, and bridge-builder gives her a rare ability to listen, to govern, and to bring people together in pursuit of common good.
No mayor will ever please everyone. The job is too hard, the problems too big. But we should judge our leaders not by whether they avoid criticism, but by whether they show up in the hard moments—and fight for what matters.
By that measure, Mayor Bass is not just meeting expectations—she’s exceeding them. She is proving that serious, principled, courageous leadership is still possible in American politics. And for that, she deserves our respect and support.
(Mihran Kalaydjian has over twenty years of public affairs, government relations, legislative affairs, public policy, community relations and strategic communications experience. He is a leading member of the community and a devoted civic engagement activist for education spearheading numerous academic initiatives in local political forums. Mihran is also the President of Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure of TCCI)
