California City Councilmember Nithya Raman posted on X about this week’s water main break in West Hollywood, attributing infrastructure failures to decades of neglect and pledging proactive investment as mayor. The post, which includes video of the incident, drew immediate online criticism, with many users questioning her record as a sitting councilmember responsible for city governance.
The video shows flooded streets along the Sunset Strip, with Metro buses and a white van partially submerged in muddy water amid signs of a large sinkhole. In the clip, Councilmember Nithya Raman stands on the street describing the scene, saying, “We’re out here in West Hollywood, where an 110-year-old DWP water pipe just burst, flooding Sunset Boulevard, flooding businesses and homes and hundreds of cars. Creating a massive sinkhole.”
She explains that she is there with Councilmember Chelsea Byers, who has been showing her around, and that they have been “talking to business owners and residents who’ve been impacted.” Raman adds that the rupture will result in “thousands of dollars of cost, insurance claims that people have to file,” with “dozens of employees at beloved local restaurants who are fearing that they may have to go without pay, and business owners worried about covering payroll.” She states, “We cannot, as a city, keep governing from crisis to crisis. We have to plan for the inevitable.”
The accompanying post text states that infrastructure failures like “this week’s water main break in West Hollywood are the result of decades of neglect” and that “as mayor, I will proactively invest in infrastructure.”
Commenters Push Back on Councilmember’s Critique
Many users focused on her current role in city government. One commenter wrote, “You’re literally on the city council. You are part of the government that is failing.”
Another stated, “You are an elected LA CITY Councilwoman! WTF are you blaming everyone else for? You’re one of the reasons our city is in *expletive*!!!”
A third replied, “Hahaha she says as a sitting part of the administration dedicated to infrastructure. What do you do all day, girlfriend??”
Others echoed similar points with comments such as “You’re already part of this failure” and “This scammer acts like she’s not been leading city government for 5 years.”
Raman’s post and the ensuing online discussion add to the ongoing conversation about Los Angeles infrastructure and city governance. As her mayoral campaign continues, the water main break has become another flashpoint in debates over planning and accountability.
