Column: Bass Fires the L.A. Fire Chief, but Her Own Smoldering Political Crisis is Far from Over
A Firing Long Overdue?
After Pacific Palisades was torched while a reservoir sat empty and fire hydrants ran dry, the fire chief didn’t even wait for the body count before accusing the mayor of underfunding the Los Angeles Fire Department. And now the mayor, stumbling through the worst two months of her political career, has settled that score. On Friday, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass fired LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley.
A Questionable Management Style
Aside from Crowley’s management of the department and handling of the crisis, she was "politically insubordinate," said Fernando Guerra, founding director of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles. "If you can’t figure out that wasn’t the time to make those statements, I can’t trust you to figure out other things."
A Political Crisis Unfolds
The firing looks like an act of political desperation as much as a take-charge moment by Bass. And the City Hall fires that keep springing up, sparked by Bass blunders, signal that the door has now swung wide open to challengers in next year’s mayoral election. Is businessman Rick Caruso going to give it another try after losing to Bass the last time around? Is Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who is increasingly critical of Bass, primed to pull together a coalition of moderate business interests and exhausted taxpayers?
A Growing Perception of Vulnerability
The perception is that there is "blood in the water," said Jaime Regalado, former executive director of the Pat Brown Institute. "And there are a lot of sharks out there in politics. They’re smelling some blood and they’re smelling some vulnerability."
A Long List of Missteps
The growing list of missteps includes photos of Bass at a cocktail party in Ghana on January 7, while the Palisades began to burn. Then there was the saga of Bass naming political ally Steve Soboroff as the Palisades rebuilding czar, followed by her refusal to answer questions about how much he was being paid and by which nonprofits. The fee, it turned out, was $500,000 for three months. Shortly after everyone’s head exploded, the mayor backpedaled, and Soboroff ended up agreeing to serve as a volunteer.
A Question of Leadership
Bass has considerable strengths, and she’s demonstrated that by putting together a long and successful career in healthcare, the nonprofit world, and later as a state legislator and congressional representative. But being mayor of a huge city like Los Angeles is a different beast, said Regalado, partly because the challenges are immense and power is shared with the City Council. Bass needed to quickly figure out how to lead, given the diffuse power structure, but Regalado said he’s beginning to agree with critics who think "she’s been a slower study than she needed to be."
A Rebound is Uncertain
It’s questionable whether the firing of the fire chief will have the intended effect of a rebound for the mayor, said Sara Sadhwani, an assistant professor of politics at Pomona College. "It’s questionable whether or not this action is going to have the intended effect of a rebound for the mayor, because firefighters are heroes in this moment, despite everything."
Conclusion
The political crisis is far from over for Mayor Karen Bass. The firing of the fire chief may be a necessary step, but it’s unlikely to stem the tide of criticism and calls for accountability. As the city continues to grapple with the aftermath of the Palisades fire and the political fallout, one thing is clear: the door has swung wide open to challengers in next year’s mayoral election.
FAQs
- What led to the firing of LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley?
- Accusations of underfunding the LAFD, poor management of the crisis, and political insubordination.
- Who will replace LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley?
- The position has not been officially announced.
- What are the implications of the firing for Mayor Karen Bass?
- The firing may be seen as an act of political desperation, and it may not stem the tide of criticism and calls for accountability.
- What are the challenges facing Mayor Karen Bass?
- She must navigate the aftermath of the Palisades fire, address concerns about her leadership and management, and contend with growing criticism and calls for her resignation.
