SANTA MONICA, Calif. — A large, controversial banner displayed along the Third Street Promenade calling for the resignation of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has sparked strong reactions from passersby and city officials alike. On Thursday, April 24, 2025, Santa Monica Closeup spoke directly with John Alle, the property owner responsible for displaying the sign.
Alle, a longtime property and business owner in Santa Monica, said the banner was independently funded and conceived by a group of local stakeholders, though he clarified that it does not represent the formal stance of the Santa Monica Coalition, which he co-founded. “This is my building,” Alle stated, “and the banner was authorized and funded by myself and a group of 15 to 20 individuals who do business in Santa Monica. It’s not officially part of our Santa Monica Coalition agenda.”
The banner features a family photo of Mayor Bass and poses the question: "Do you think she cares about yours?" According to Alle, the display is intended to highlight what he views as failed leadership in both Los Angeles and Santa Monica, particularly in response to the recent Palisades Fire and ongoing public safety issues downtown.
Alle, who manages and owns properties in neighborhoods across Los Angeles including Skid Row, MacArthur Park, and Pico Union, said he personally warned Mayor Bass about the risks of traveling internationally just days before the wildfire. “I told her there were going to be serious winds,” he recalled, pointing to a conversation just before she departed for Ghana. “I said, 'If those fires get out of hand, we could lose the commercial core of LA.'”
He further criticized the city's emergency preparedness, citing failures related to water pressure, empty reservoirs, and inactive fire hydrants. “The lack of coordination and inadequate infrastructure response contributed to unnecessary loss,” Alle claimed, citing conversations with visiting firefighters and LA-based emergency personnel.
The banner, he said, is a continuation of similar public messaging campaigns, including earlier signs criticizing public officials such as former Mayor Sue Himmelrich, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, and County Health Director Barbara Ferrer. Those campaigns, Alle asserted, helped force resignations and changes in leadership.
Much of Alle’s frustration centers on the perceived disconnect between elected leaders and the lived realities of taxpayers and property owners. He expressed concern over rising crime, the city’s approach to homelessness, underfunded police patrols, and what he describes as poor transparency and accounting in both LA and Santa Monica governance. “The homeless count is being misrepresented,” he said. “We volunteered for the count. It started at 8:00 a.m., but most encampments settle after midnight and break up before sunrise.”
Alle also questioned the occupancy of Getty House, the official residence of LA’s mayor. “Taxpayers didn’t elect a family to live there. They elected a mayor.”
Looking forward, Alle emphasized the group’s intention to hold public officials accountable through continued advocacy, audits, and further displays. “This is a call to action. Fires are year-round now. Winds are constant. Leadership must reflect that urgency.”
Alle confirmed that additional banners are planned in the coming weeks, as his group continues to spotlight what they view as systemic failures across city and county agencies. For now, the banner stands as a public expression of frustration—part protest, part plea for urgent reform.
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