Mitch O’Farrell is bad for Los Angeles

From the LA Times to your neighbor, everyone seems to know a way Mitch has failed our district

Mitch has failed to address homelessness

Mitch O’Farrell has been in office for over 8 years. In that time, homelessness has increased at a rate higher than the rest of the city–by 73%, our streets have gotten dirtier and less safe, and large parts of our district face the very real threats of worsening climate and displacement.

There is no greater symbol for the failure of Mitch O’Farrell’s time in office than the fence that remains around Echo Park Lake. After spending years failing to build trust with the community, Mitch wasted more than $2 million in taxpayer dollars by ordering the forced removal of unhoused individuals from Echo Park led by the LAPD, which led to the needless arrests of hundreds, the wanton arrests of journalists, and next to no one receiving pathways to permanent housing. In fact, several folks displaced from Echo Park have since died. More than a year later, a fence blocks easy access to the lake while Mitch continues to brazenly lie about the entire incident (meanwhile, Kate has a plan for improving Echo Park Lake).

Mitch voted against the universal pandemic eviction moratorium

Echo Park Lake is sadly not the only major moral and policy failure for which Mitch O’Farrell has been responsible. During the pandemic, Mitch was the deciding vote killing a universal eviction moratorium, which would have protected thousands in our community from eviction and health impacts. Kate helped craft that measure with legal aid and tenants’ rights organizations while working for Mike Bonin. Almost immediately afterward, Mitch took his betrayal of our community even further and lied about that vote.

Mitch has ignored the needs of our community

Mitch has also repeatedly shown his lack of courage and progressive values on issues of climate and livability. Mitch has killed bike lanes on Temple and Fletcher, while all major roads in CD13 are included on the city’s High Injury Network. Mitch’s plan for redeveloping Hollywood Boulevard actually excluded such basic necessities as public bathrooms (whereas Kate has a real, community-centric plan for transportation and neighborhood livability).

Time and again, Mitch has ignored the needs of the community, going so far as to even lie to us about what he’s done. And until now, he’s gotten away with it. Kate is running for City Council to stand up to Mitch’s betrayal and bring our priorities to City Hall.