There are a number of officials and influential people in Los Angeles who contribute to the problems causing the riots, fires, attacks on law enforcement and destruction of property. From California Gov. Gavin Newsom on down. From political officials to influencers to media.
One of the main officials contributing to the lawlessness is Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. She is soft on the lawbreakers. She is against the enforcement of laws against illegal immigration. She is against ICE. She excuses lawbreakers.
Mayor Bass has not taken a tough stance. I hope she sees the need and does so.
While one official alone may not cause or solve the current violent outbreak, there is no question that a strict law-and-order mayor could play a vital role in stopping the lawlessness and returning things to normal on the streets of Los Angeles.
An example of a law-and-order mayor keeping things straight in his/her city is right here in Alabama. The state's capital had a long-serving law-and-order mayor in Emory Folmar. He was the 54th mayor of Montgomery, serving for 22 years, the longest consecutive tenure in the city's history. He had been a decorated veteran of the Korean War, earning the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
He was known as a tough law-and-order mayor. He often (maybe always?) packed a pistol. He would go to the scene of crimes, traffic problems and wherever law enforcement was needed.
When Folmar first ran for city council, he used a campaign photo of himself that strongly resembled Sheriff Andy Taylor from "The Andy Griffith Show." It worked.
I remember once being delayed on a Montgomery street. (Can you imagine?) When I got to the area causing the problem, there was Mayor Folmar with sleeves rolled up, pointing down into a ditch, talking to the workers below. An hour later, I came back by (I should have taken another route, but I forgot). There was Mayor Folmar, still there and still pointing and talking to the workers. Public relations or hands-on management – how about both?
Thursday, I put a one-sentence post on Facebook. It said: "If Los Angeles had a Mayor like this, they would not have the lawlessness."
It included the official photo of then-Mayor Emory Folmar.
The post immediately began getting a lot of likes and comments.
Emory Folmar died in 2011 – 14 years too soon to witness the City of Angels become the City of Lawbreakers. He would use a stronger term.
If LA (Lower Alabama) kept things safe and orderly with a law-and-order mayor, then LA (Los Angeles) could do the same.
Jim' Zig' Zeigler's beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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