You think your job is tough?
Within the first six months of her term, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has faced the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strike and the teachers’ strike. She moved more than 14,000 unhoused Angelenos inside, relocating people from encampment tents into motels. She’s given hefty raises to police, hiking the starting pay for new recruits by nearly 13 percent and providing four year-to-year increases of 3 percent to each officer’s base wage while boosting retention pay and health care benefits.
She’s also taken the helm of the board of the city’s Metro system, the nation’s second-largest transit system, as it undergoes a huge expansion. And she pledges to make the 2028 Olympics car-free.
How has she been so productive — and remained so passionate and compassionate — despite the many challenges of big-city governing?
To find out, listen to the latest episode of How to Really Run a City, the podcast Bloomberg Cities Network has singled out as one of the best in the biz. Each episode is co-hosted by former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter, and Citizen co-founder Larry Platt, who invite a wide range of inspiring guests to explore the “mystery and mastery of urban leadership” — with plenty of banter and humor thrown into the mix.
Then, stay tuned for our next episode, featuring Little Rock, AK, Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. and Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code For America and author of Recoding America: Why Government is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better.
For now, have a listen, tell us what you think of Mayor Bass’s wisdom, and let us know who you’d like to hear on future installments — email us at podcast@thephiladelphiacitizen.org.
