May 22, 2026
"He’s A Show Horse, I’m A Work Horse” Our Conversation With LA Mayor Karen Bass
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RSS Feed Mayor Karen Bass says she’s holding down two jobs right now: by day she’s focused on her current job as mayor of Los Angeles, but after hours, she’s working non-stop on her re-election campaign. It’s the final stretch before the primaries on June 2nd., and according to the most recent poll numbers, Bass is leading the pack. However, former reality star Spencer Pratt is making headway, right behind the mayor at 22 percent. Bass says she takes nothing for granted, and with President Trump’s recent endorsement of Pratt seemingly welcome news for a very liberal leaning city, the mayor says she is working hard to secure another 4 years on the job.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Welcome everyone to this very special episode of Amy and TJ. Because we have a special guest. We have the privilege and honor to have current LA Mayor Karen Vass, who is running for her primary election in a matter of weeks. Some might even call it Day's June second. Mayor, Bess, thank you for joining us on the podcast.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: Well, thanks for having me on.
00:00:26
Speaker 1: How are things going? New poll numbers just came out. You're at thirty percent, You're above the pack. How are you feeling going.
00:00:34
Speaker 3: Into January, going into June second.
00:00:37
Speaker 2: I'm feeling fine.
00:00:38
Speaker 4: I'm feeling fine, excited.
00:00:40
Speaker 2: I'm counting the days.
00:00:42
Speaker 4: But you know, the wonderful thing about California is that people can vote today. You don't even have to go anywhere. Tous fill out that form handed to your postal work.
00:00:54
Speaker 5: Okay, now, now I may have asked, there's no way, really, you're gonna avoid our runoff. You're going to end that's right, Yeah, Okay, so you're going to end up who you got. Have you done an interview in the past days or weeks that the name Trump or Spencer Pratt didn't come up? No? No, I have not. Well, in some way, do you prefer that their names come up together.
00:01:21
Speaker 4: Well, you know it is. It is definitely interesting. This is not a Trump city, that is for sure. So yes, mathematically, there's no way. There's a lot of people running and so hitting fifty percent with a lot of candidates in the race, that's that's not possible.
00:01:37
Speaker 2: What is possible, of.
00:01:38
Speaker 4: Course, is that I come in strong on June two and take it all the way.
00:01:44
Speaker 5: In no memory, what Madame Mayor, is there are is there an advantage?
00:01:48
Speaker 4: Though?
00:01:48
Speaker 5: I know you're not going to say I'd rather have this candidate or that one, But if you're running one on one against the Republican in Los Angeles that has the lean in your favor, does it not?
00:02:00
Speaker 2: Well? Yeah it does. But you know what though, didn't we think that before?
00:02:04
Speaker 4: Didn't we say there is no way this could happen in our country?
00:02:09
Speaker 2: No way? And it didn't happen once, it happened twice. So I don't.
00:02:14
Speaker 4: I don't think light of any candidate.
00:02:19
Speaker 2: Stranger things have happened.
00:02:21
Speaker 1: That's fair, Mayor bas may I ask, what was your honest, genuine, immediate reaction when you heard President Trump basically endorse Spencer Pratt?
00:02:34
Speaker 2: Well, I mean I was like, oh wow, okay, I mean thanks a lot.
00:02:40
Speaker 4: Interfering in Los Angeles is not exactly, you know, welcomed at all.
00:02:46
Speaker 5: Oh come on, maybe you said hell yeah, didn't you.
00:02:52
Speaker 4: Let me Let me just tell you that there are Republicans here. There are Republicans here, and we've had Republican mayors before. I think the thing is is that you know you can have mood schisspe shifting, all right, and we've been surprised before. I mean, I remember being excited when Trump got in the race against Hillary. I was excited because I said, well, great, we're going to have a woman president and it's going to be Hillary.
00:03:22
Speaker 2: Click. And I think a.
00:03:23
Speaker 4: Whole lot of us said that and felt that and then and then what happened is we lowered our guard because we didn't think we needed to worry.
00:03:32
Speaker 1: Right, all right, So what is your biggest obstacle to becoming or at least maintaining your role as mayor of Los Angeles?
00:03:40
Speaker 3: What's your biggest obstacle that you're facing right now?
00:03:44
Speaker 4: Well, I think making sure that people turn out to vote, and again not just take this election for granted. Oh she's got it. I don't need to worry about it, or I'm mad at everybody. I'm not voting for anybody. I mean, those two things people not going to vot are people making grand assumptions. And I say that, and I do admit to being a little paranoid about it, because I remember how I felt several years ago when I didn't worry about it either. So but to me, it is all about continuing to address the city's largest problems that are of most concern to Angelino's and number one is homelessness and getting people off our street.
00:04:24
Speaker 2: Number two is safety and crime.
00:04:27
Speaker 4: And we've had a spike in burglaries in the San Fernando Valley and I'm happy to say that they believe they have captured the culprits just two days ago, and that should stop increasing our police department. And you know that two days after the election, two days we have the US Open in Golf for Women. We're gonna have golf clinics in our sixteen public golf courses where we're going to promote golf with girls. Four days after the US Open for Golf starts the world and the first game is here. So my mind is on a lot of things. I have to obviously do my day job. My evening job is campaign. I got to get past June second, but I have to keep my eyes on June fifth, in June twelfth, and then we get you know, in the World Cup last thirty plus days. Now eight games are played here, but we plan to have watch parties and festivals all thirty plus days. So there is a lot ahead and those have to be safe and they have to be profitable to our neighbors. The other thing is is that I know people will be worried about ice, and so we have to make sure that people feel safe at the World Cup events. So it's an opportunity to recoup some of what hit us so bad economically because.
00:05:51
Speaker 2: Of the ice raids.
00:05:52
Speaker 4: We have businesses ready to go under because their workers don't want to come in, nor their customers. And we have an opportunity to have fan fest in those areas that have been hard hit economically and give a boost in revenue.
00:06:05
Speaker 5: Madam Mayor, you have a lot coming up, and you mentioned homelessness, you mentioned crime. Those are look, you have local folks who are focused on those issues. But is this still this is La Do you still consider this a national race to a certain degree, and whoever is going to be in that spot a national leader, given all that is coming to your city, given how much how many people you have there, So there's a lot more. We're sitting here in New York talking to you. But why is it that folks in New York, Chicago, Memphis, Miami, wherever else need to be paying attention to this race?
00:06:39
Speaker 4: Absolutely? Number one, our cities are so joined, so many people live in both cities and in business from New York in Los Angeles and vice versa is huge. I was just in New York, you know, a few weeks ago, So I think our two cities in particular are tied.
00:07:00
Speaker 2: Though.
00:07:01
Speaker 4: This is a national race because Los Angeles is the nation's second largest city, the entertainment capital of the world. I mean, we have a lot that impacts the entire nation. Just think about our port for a minute. Forty percent of the goods for the entire country comes through the ports, the largest port in the Western hemisphere. So if you think about the city just on its own, that makes it national.
00:07:32
Speaker 2: It is of national significance.
00:07:34
Speaker 4: It was the last time Iran, and I think every mayoral race is paid attention to in the city.
00:07:40
Speaker 1: And you mentioned all of the issues that Los Angeles faces, from homelessness issues, crime, wildfires. You face a significant amount of criticism for the handling of those deadly wildfires last year. Do you think that criticism was fair? And what changes have you made because of what did you learn from that situation?
00:08:02
Speaker 4: Well, we've made a number of changes. First and foremost, we changed the leadership at the fire department, not just the chief, but a number of other leaders. There were a lot of recommendations that came out after the fire, and we have implemented those recommendations. I think one of the most important things is being way more aggressive on preventing fires and making sure that people when they rebuild, they rebuild in a way that is more resilient, more fire resistance.
00:08:31
Speaker 5: We can talk about changes in policy all day long, but how much do you think it still is dogging you just the fact that you were out of town, even if you weren't out of pocket, you were out of town when all of that course happened. I know you've been answering those questions a lot, and we understand, but do you think still that thing is in people's minds and your opponents keep hitting at that and it's having an impact.
00:08:52
Speaker 4: Well, I think it is in some people's minds, but I can tell you from polling there's a lot of other issues that are in people minds.
00:09:00
Speaker 2: And the number one is hopeless. This number two is safety.
00:09:05
Speaker 4: Number three, which kind of blankets overall is affordability. And so that's why I fast tracked forty two thousand units of housing, because when it comes to affordability, there's only so much you can do locally because of the macro factors.
00:09:21
Speaker 2: Are we going to have tariffs? Are we going to be in another war?
00:09:24
Speaker 4: Those factors you know way in But what I have done is addressed housing, and housing is the number one driver for the city being so expensive.
00:09:34
Speaker 2: We're tied in those.
00:09:35
Speaker 4: Areas as well.
00:09:37
Speaker 2: But New York has.
00:09:39
Speaker 4: Done something that I hope to emulate that La did not do. You know, you have far more homeless people in New York, but you ninety seven percent of your homeless people are in shelters because you invested twenty twenty five years ago in building up temporary housing for people to stay in for a year, a year and a half half, get their lives back in order, and then move on to permanent So that's something that New York did that I hope.
00:10:07
Speaker 2: To emulate here. We did not do that.
00:10:09
Speaker 4: We just stayed rigidly focused on, well, you have to have a house, you have to have an apartment. And what happened is that homelessness on the street metastasized because we did not plan for it. So those are the changes that I have been making because the entire reason Iran, I actually enjoyed Congress. The entire reason Iran was to bring about change in the city away from problems that have existed for thirty plus years. And we've been leading that change. We've been implementing things, getting people off the street. We have the first decline in homelessness that we've had and I don't know, I can't find any record where homelessness went down. Homelessness was only going up.
00:10:54
Speaker 2: In our city.
00:11:04
Speaker 5: No matter, you said something that jumped out at me. You said you enjoyed Congress.
00:11:08
Speaker 1: I question mark, question mark.
00:11:13
Speaker 5: So my question now is what do you think of what's happening to that body right now? From jerrymandering, from people being censured, people resigning, what do you think of that institution right now? Even the shutdowns? Just give me an idea of that body right now, if you think you'd still enjoy being in Congress.
00:11:30
Speaker 4: I don't know that I would still enjoy it right now. I think it has really gone in directions that I would have never imagined.
00:11:39
Speaker 2: And of course I missed my friends.
00:11:41
Speaker 4: I talked to them all the time, so I do have a close sense of what is going on, and it's not pretty.
00:11:47
Speaker 1: I'm curious too, because obviously we talked about all of the issues and that wildfires are just among them. But certainly your closest opponent, Spencer Pratt, has made most of his campaign success based on that wildfire or tragedy, the fact that he lost his home. He wasn't happy with how Los Angeles prepared for it and dealt with the aftermath of it. What do you think is that the reason why Spencer Pratt is at twenty two percent? What do you think he is giving or offering Los Angeleans that you aren't.
00:12:20
Speaker 4: Social media AI, I mean, of course we're in social media, but crazy artificial intelligence, but you know, we'll see. I mean, he is a celebrity. I think continuing to be a celebrity as his goal. I think he's more of a celebrity now than he was at the Hills, And I mean, I think that's his focus. And I think we're a celebrity culture and he's entertaining people, and so I think that that always gets it above substance. I'm about substance. I'm about change. That's what I've been doing for three and a half years. That's what I plan to do for another four years.
00:12:59
Speaker 5: Is there no space or room that you kind of give for because some would applaud like this regular everyday guy decides to get into politics and he is least getting his message out and that seems like something that should encourage other everyday, regular citizens to get into politics. But what are you seeing?
00:13:18
Speaker 4: You?
00:13:18
Speaker 5: Do you not take him at his word that he is genuinely upset about something and he has gotten involved and wants to do something about it.
00:13:26
Speaker 4: I think he wants to be famous and more.
00:13:32
Speaker 5: My question was longer than your answer.
00:13:34
Speaker 1: Okay, but do you believe that is ultimately who you will be facing off against in November?
00:13:41
Speaker 2: I honestly don't know.
00:13:43
Speaker 4: I mean, you know, the polls go back and forth, so I don't I honestly don't know.
00:13:49
Speaker 1: Is there is If you could wake up tomorrow and fix one of the many problems.
00:13:54
Speaker 3: Plaguing in your community. What would you solve overnight?
00:13:58
Speaker 4: Oh?
00:13:58
Speaker 2: Holdless this, there's no question. I don't care what poll you're talking about. I don't care what poll you're talking about.
00:14:05
Speaker 4: The number one issue in our city is homelessness, affordability, crime, the price of housing.
00:14:13
Speaker 2: Those are the top issues.
00:14:16
Speaker 4: Those are the issues that I have dedicated the last three and a half years toward changing, and we have made change in every single area. There has never been a time in LA where red tape was slashed and eliminated as much as I have done in my time and more to come. Working with the entertainment industry. I've been involved with the entertainment industry for years, years before I ever thought about running for office. I did the first tax credits in Sacramento. I was Speaker of the House in my last term in Sacramento and we got the tax credits done in the middle of the Great Recession. I went on to Congress and worked on the entertainment indu industry from the intellectual property side, and so coming here working with the industry bringing production back.
00:15:07
Speaker 2: To the city.
00:15:08
Speaker 4: That's why I will have a rally in a couple of hours with IATSEI. The entertainment industry knows how close I've worked with them.
00:15:15
Speaker 2: And slashing prices.
00:15:16
Speaker 4: It used to cost one hundred thousand dollars to film at one of our iconic locations. I slashed that by seventy percent. So that is what is getting at the day to day Angelinos, not what you see on social media per se. I don't think we need to be entertained. I think we need to continue fighting for and succeeding in bringing change to our city.
00:15:43
Speaker 5: What is the I hate to be alarmist and the word danger. I guess what is the risk not just to Los Angeles, but maybe to the country as a whole. Given how much how many international eyes are going to be on Los Angeles over the next couple of years between World Cup, you got Olympics right after that. What is the threat if we don't have a Karen Bass and we have someone who is going to be learning on the job, who is good at social media, who is good at really what do you think is a real threat. It's not just a policy thing, but this has the potential to change people's impression of Los Angeles for years to come, and maybe even the nation. What is the bigger threat? How can you put that into contract?
00:16:25
Speaker 4: I think I think I have You know, Spencer Pratt is not my only opponent, you know, I have the city council woman who has been in city all twice as long as I have and has not been able to affect change because she can't work with anybody. I have the support of the council. She is not able to get the endorsement of one of her colleagues. Anne has not been able to affect change. So if she were to win, I think we would have more of what we saw from her over the last few years.
00:16:58
Speaker 2: Which is not much.
00:17:00
Speaker 4: Other opponent whose goal in life is to be famous and more famous. I'm focused on the city that I was born and raised in and the city that means everything to me and to the world, and I want our city to shine. So coming into this job at this point in time and thinking you're going to pull all of this off, I think would be a major, major danger and threat to the.
00:17:24
Speaker 3: City and mayor vas.
00:17:26
Speaker 1: You have obviously become a national, international name being the mayor of Los Angeles. Is there something that people get wrong about you that you want to set the record straight about. Certainly, when you become the name you've become, you're going to have a lot of incoming, a lot of clickbait. Is there anything you want to correct, how you want to set the record straight. We have a little experience with this, so just thought it would be an interesting question to ask you set the record straight for us?
00:17:55
Speaker 4: Well, I mean, I think that all of us that face this want people to know who we actually are versus the caricatures that are made of us. And that fact, you know, for me, I've been in public service my entire life, not as an elected official. That's just the latest stage of my life.
00:18:16
Speaker 2: You know.
00:18:16
Speaker 4: I started in the medical field. I was a nurse taking care of premature babies. I worked in the emergency room at County General Hospital in the trauma area. My patients were homeless. The fact that I am a workhorse and not a show horse, so I don't go around with cameras following me everywhere. But what I do go around doing in this city day in and day out, is working on behalf of Angelina's That's what I want people to know about me.
00:18:43
Speaker 5: And last thing you said, you didn't even know who Spencer Bradt was before because you don't watch it Everard wait that you're you're not a reality show kind of lady, But you gotta tell surely survivor Love Island something You've got to have one reality show with that you watch.
00:19:01
Speaker 2: I'm sorry you have an Oh, well.
00:19:05
Speaker 5: What do you do?
00:19:06
Speaker 1: What do you do when you actually have downtime? We don't think there is probably much. But if you have a moment to turn on the TV or put on a podcast, what is it that you lean to or listen to or watch to unwind?
00:19:21
Speaker 2: Yeah? No, and I do.
00:19:23
Speaker 4: I love old sitcoms, old sitcoms that are not real, socially focused, not focused on crime. One of my favorites is The Neighborhood with Cedric, the entertainment Love Love Cedric.
00:19:37
Speaker 2: You know, it's a nice, wholesome show.
00:19:40
Speaker 4: You know because if you ask me what I watch on TV, it's the news. You can ask me about newscasters, but don't ask me about actors.
00:19:48
Speaker 2: And especially no reality.
00:19:50
Speaker 5: Shows really, no Traders, no Love Island, no Temptation Island, none of that.
00:19:56
Speaker 2: I don't understand that, I really do.
00:20:00
Speaker 5: Madame Mary wanted to end on at least enough beat, a happy comical note at least you got a lot going on out there. Thank you for the time, because we know it's limited, and we are keeping a close eye like the rest of the country and the world is watching, and we've been following you, of course since your time in Congress. So it's just good to reconnect with you, all right. Thanks so much, thank.
00:20:17
Speaker 2: You, thank you, saving you great. Talk to you, yes,
Speaker 1: Welcome everyone to this very special episode of Amy and TJ. Because we have a special guest. We have the privilege and honor to have current LA Mayor Karen Vass, who is running for her primary election in a matter of weeks. Some might even call it Day's June second. Mayor, Bess, thank you for joining us on the podcast.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: Well, thanks for having me on.
00:00:26
Speaker 1: How are things going? New poll numbers just came out. You're at thirty percent, You're above the pack. How are you feeling going.
00:00:34
Speaker 3: Into January, going into June second.
00:00:37
Speaker 2: I'm feeling fine.
00:00:38
Speaker 4: I'm feeling fine, excited.
00:00:40
Speaker 2: I'm counting the days.
00:00:42
Speaker 4: But you know, the wonderful thing about California is that people can vote today. You don't even have to go anywhere. Tous fill out that form handed to your postal work.
00:00:54
Speaker 5: Okay, now, now I may have asked, there's no way, really, you're gonna avoid our runoff. You're going to end that's right, Yeah, Okay, so you're going to end up who you got. Have you done an interview in the past days or weeks that the name Trump or Spencer Pratt didn't come up? No? No, I have not. Well, in some way, do you prefer that their names come up together.
00:01:21
Speaker 4: Well, you know it is. It is definitely interesting. This is not a Trump city, that is for sure. So yes, mathematically, there's no way. There's a lot of people running and so hitting fifty percent with a lot of candidates in the race, that's that's not possible.
00:01:37
Speaker 2: What is possible, of.
00:01:38
Speaker 4: Course, is that I come in strong on June two and take it all the way.
00:01:44
Speaker 5: In no memory, what Madame Mayor, is there are is there an advantage?
00:01:48
Speaker 4: Though?
00:01:48
Speaker 5: I know you're not going to say I'd rather have this candidate or that one, But if you're running one on one against the Republican in Los Angeles that has the lean in your favor, does it not?
00:02:00
Speaker 2: Well? Yeah it does. But you know what though, didn't we think that before?
00:02:04
Speaker 4: Didn't we say there is no way this could happen in our country?
00:02:09
Speaker 2: No way? And it didn't happen once, it happened twice. So I don't.
00:02:14
Speaker 4: I don't think light of any candidate.
00:02:19
Speaker 2: Stranger things have happened.
00:02:21
Speaker 1: That's fair, Mayor bas may I ask, what was your honest, genuine, immediate reaction when you heard President Trump basically endorse Spencer Pratt?
00:02:34
Speaker 2: Well, I mean I was like, oh wow, okay, I mean thanks a lot.
00:02:40
Speaker 4: Interfering in Los Angeles is not exactly, you know, welcomed at all.
00:02:46
Speaker 5: Oh come on, maybe you said hell yeah, didn't you.
00:02:52
Speaker 4: Let me Let me just tell you that there are Republicans here. There are Republicans here, and we've had Republican mayors before. I think the thing is is that you know you can have mood schisspe shifting, all right, and we've been surprised before. I mean, I remember being excited when Trump got in the race against Hillary. I was excited because I said, well, great, we're going to have a woman president and it's going to be Hillary.
00:03:22
Speaker 2: Click. And I think a.
00:03:23
Speaker 4: Whole lot of us said that and felt that and then and then what happened is we lowered our guard because we didn't think we needed to worry.
00:03:32
Speaker 1: Right, all right, So what is your biggest obstacle to becoming or at least maintaining your role as mayor of Los Angeles?
00:03:40
Speaker 3: What's your biggest obstacle that you're facing right now?
00:03:44
Speaker 4: Well, I think making sure that people turn out to vote, and again not just take this election for granted. Oh she's got it. I don't need to worry about it, or I'm mad at everybody. I'm not voting for anybody. I mean, those two things people not going to vot are people making grand assumptions. And I say that, and I do admit to being a little paranoid about it, because I remember how I felt several years ago when I didn't worry about it either. So but to me, it is all about continuing to address the city's largest problems that are of most concern to Angelino's and number one is homelessness and getting people off our street.
00:04:24
Speaker 2: Number two is safety and crime.
00:04:27
Speaker 4: And we've had a spike in burglaries in the San Fernando Valley and I'm happy to say that they believe they have captured the culprits just two days ago, and that should stop increasing our police department. And you know that two days after the election, two days we have the US Open in Golf for Women. We're gonna have golf clinics in our sixteen public golf courses where we're going to promote golf with girls. Four days after the US Open for Golf starts the world and the first game is here. So my mind is on a lot of things. I have to obviously do my day job. My evening job is campaign. I got to get past June second, but I have to keep my eyes on June fifth, in June twelfth, and then we get you know, in the World Cup last thirty plus days. Now eight games are played here, but we plan to have watch parties and festivals all thirty plus days. So there is a lot ahead and those have to be safe and they have to be profitable to our neighbors. The other thing is is that I know people will be worried about ice, and so we have to make sure that people feel safe at the World Cup events. So it's an opportunity to recoup some of what hit us so bad economically because.
00:05:51
Speaker 2: Of the ice raids.
00:05:52
Speaker 4: We have businesses ready to go under because their workers don't want to come in, nor their customers. And we have an opportunity to have fan fest in those areas that have been hard hit economically and give a boost in revenue.
00:06:05
Speaker 5: Madam Mayor, you have a lot coming up, and you mentioned homelessness, you mentioned crime. Those are look, you have local folks who are focused on those issues. But is this still this is La Do you still consider this a national race to a certain degree, and whoever is going to be in that spot a national leader, given all that is coming to your city, given how much how many people you have there, So there's a lot more. We're sitting here in New York talking to you. But why is it that folks in New York, Chicago, Memphis, Miami, wherever else need to be paying attention to this race?
00:06:39
Speaker 4: Absolutely? Number one, our cities are so joined, so many people live in both cities and in business from New York in Los Angeles and vice versa is huge. I was just in New York, you know, a few weeks ago, So I think our two cities in particular are tied.
00:07:00
Speaker 2: Though.
00:07:01
Speaker 4: This is a national race because Los Angeles is the nation's second largest city, the entertainment capital of the world. I mean, we have a lot that impacts the entire nation. Just think about our port for a minute. Forty percent of the goods for the entire country comes through the ports, the largest port in the Western hemisphere. So if you think about the city just on its own, that makes it national.
00:07:32
Speaker 2: It is of national significance.
00:07:34
Speaker 4: It was the last time Iran, and I think every mayoral race is paid attention to in the city.
00:07:40
Speaker 1: And you mentioned all of the issues that Los Angeles faces, from homelessness issues, crime, wildfires. You face a significant amount of criticism for the handling of those deadly wildfires last year. Do you think that criticism was fair? And what changes have you made because of what did you learn from that situation?
00:08:02
Speaker 4: Well, we've made a number of changes. First and foremost, we changed the leadership at the fire department, not just the chief, but a number of other leaders. There were a lot of recommendations that came out after the fire, and we have implemented those recommendations. I think one of the most important things is being way more aggressive on preventing fires and making sure that people when they rebuild, they rebuild in a way that is more resilient, more fire resistance.
00:08:31
Speaker 5: We can talk about changes in policy all day long, but how much do you think it still is dogging you just the fact that you were out of town, even if you weren't out of pocket, you were out of town when all of that course happened. I know you've been answering those questions a lot, and we understand, but do you think still that thing is in people's minds and your opponents keep hitting at that and it's having an impact.
00:08:52
Speaker 4: Well, I think it is in some people's minds, but I can tell you from polling there's a lot of other issues that are in people minds.
00:09:00
Speaker 2: And the number one is hopeless. This number two is safety.
00:09:05
Speaker 4: Number three, which kind of blankets overall is affordability. And so that's why I fast tracked forty two thousand units of housing, because when it comes to affordability, there's only so much you can do locally because of the macro factors.
00:09:21
Speaker 2: Are we going to have tariffs? Are we going to be in another war?
00:09:24
Speaker 4: Those factors you know way in But what I have done is addressed housing, and housing is the number one driver for the city being so expensive.
00:09:34
Speaker 2: We're tied in those.
00:09:35
Speaker 4: Areas as well.
00:09:37
Speaker 2: But New York has.
00:09:39
Speaker 4: Done something that I hope to emulate that La did not do. You know, you have far more homeless people in New York, but you ninety seven percent of your homeless people are in shelters because you invested twenty twenty five years ago in building up temporary housing for people to stay in for a year, a year and a half half, get their lives back in order, and then move on to permanent So that's something that New York did that I hope.
00:10:07
Speaker 2: To emulate here. We did not do that.
00:10:09
Speaker 4: We just stayed rigidly focused on, well, you have to have a house, you have to have an apartment. And what happened is that homelessness on the street metastasized because we did not plan for it. So those are the changes that I have been making because the entire reason Iran, I actually enjoyed Congress. The entire reason Iran was to bring about change in the city away from problems that have existed for thirty plus years. And we've been leading that change. We've been implementing things, getting people off the street. We have the first decline in homelessness that we've had and I don't know, I can't find any record where homelessness went down. Homelessness was only going up.
00:10:54
Speaker 2: In our city.
00:11:04
Speaker 5: No matter, you said something that jumped out at me. You said you enjoyed Congress.
00:11:08
Speaker 1: I question mark, question mark.
00:11:13
Speaker 5: So my question now is what do you think of what's happening to that body right now? From jerrymandering, from people being censured, people resigning, what do you think of that institution right now? Even the shutdowns? Just give me an idea of that body right now, if you think you'd still enjoy being in Congress.
00:11:30
Speaker 4: I don't know that I would still enjoy it right now. I think it has really gone in directions that I would have never imagined.
00:11:39
Speaker 2: And of course I missed my friends.
00:11:41
Speaker 4: I talked to them all the time, so I do have a close sense of what is going on, and it's not pretty.
00:11:47
Speaker 1: I'm curious too, because obviously we talked about all of the issues and that wildfires are just among them. But certainly your closest opponent, Spencer Pratt, has made most of his campaign success based on that wildfire or tragedy, the fact that he lost his home. He wasn't happy with how Los Angeles prepared for it and dealt with the aftermath of it. What do you think is that the reason why Spencer Pratt is at twenty two percent? What do you think he is giving or offering Los Angeleans that you aren't.
00:12:20
Speaker 4: Social media AI, I mean, of course we're in social media, but crazy artificial intelligence, but you know, we'll see. I mean, he is a celebrity. I think continuing to be a celebrity as his goal. I think he's more of a celebrity now than he was at the Hills, And I mean, I think that's his focus. And I think we're a celebrity culture and he's entertaining people, and so I think that that always gets it above substance. I'm about substance. I'm about change. That's what I've been doing for three and a half years. That's what I plan to do for another four years.
00:12:59
Speaker 5: Is there no space or room that you kind of give for because some would applaud like this regular everyday guy decides to get into politics and he is least getting his message out and that seems like something that should encourage other everyday, regular citizens to get into politics. But what are you seeing?
00:13:18
Speaker 4: You?
00:13:18
Speaker 5: Do you not take him at his word that he is genuinely upset about something and he has gotten involved and wants to do something about it.
00:13:26
Speaker 4: I think he wants to be famous and more.
00:13:32
Speaker 5: My question was longer than your answer.
00:13:34
Speaker 1: Okay, but do you believe that is ultimately who you will be facing off against in November?
00:13:41
Speaker 2: I honestly don't know.
00:13:43
Speaker 4: I mean, you know, the polls go back and forth, so I don't I honestly don't know.
00:13:49
Speaker 1: Is there is If you could wake up tomorrow and fix one of the many problems.
00:13:54
Speaker 3: Plaguing in your community. What would you solve overnight?
00:13:58
Speaker 4: Oh?
00:13:58
Speaker 2: Holdless this, there's no question. I don't care what poll you're talking about. I don't care what poll you're talking about.
00:14:05
Speaker 4: The number one issue in our city is homelessness, affordability, crime, the price of housing.
00:14:13
Speaker 2: Those are the top issues.
00:14:16
Speaker 4: Those are the issues that I have dedicated the last three and a half years toward changing, and we have made change in every single area. There has never been a time in LA where red tape was slashed and eliminated as much as I have done in my time and more to come. Working with the entertainment industry. I've been involved with the entertainment industry for years, years before I ever thought about running for office. I did the first tax credits in Sacramento. I was Speaker of the House in my last term in Sacramento and we got the tax credits done in the middle of the Great Recession. I went on to Congress and worked on the entertainment indu industry from the intellectual property side, and so coming here working with the industry bringing production back.
00:15:07
Speaker 2: To the city.
00:15:08
Speaker 4: That's why I will have a rally in a couple of hours with IATSEI. The entertainment industry knows how close I've worked with them.
00:15:15
Speaker 2: And slashing prices.
00:15:16
Speaker 4: It used to cost one hundred thousand dollars to film at one of our iconic locations. I slashed that by seventy percent. So that is what is getting at the day to day Angelinos, not what you see on social media per se. I don't think we need to be entertained. I think we need to continue fighting for and succeeding in bringing change to our city.
00:15:43
Speaker 5: What is the I hate to be alarmist and the word danger. I guess what is the risk not just to Los Angeles, but maybe to the country as a whole. Given how much how many international eyes are going to be on Los Angeles over the next couple of years between World Cup, you got Olympics right after that. What is the threat if we don't have a Karen Bass and we have someone who is going to be learning on the job, who is good at social media, who is good at really what do you think is a real threat. It's not just a policy thing, but this has the potential to change people's impression of Los Angeles for years to come, and maybe even the nation. What is the bigger threat? How can you put that into contract?
00:16:25
Speaker 4: I think I think I have You know, Spencer Pratt is not my only opponent, you know, I have the city council woman who has been in city all twice as long as I have and has not been able to affect change because she can't work with anybody. I have the support of the council. She is not able to get the endorsement of one of her colleagues. Anne has not been able to affect change. So if she were to win, I think we would have more of what we saw from her over the last few years.
00:16:58
Speaker 2: Which is not much.
00:17:00
Speaker 4: Other opponent whose goal in life is to be famous and more famous. I'm focused on the city that I was born and raised in and the city that means everything to me and to the world, and I want our city to shine. So coming into this job at this point in time and thinking you're going to pull all of this off, I think would be a major, major danger and threat to the.
00:17:24
Speaker 3: City and mayor vas.
00:17:26
Speaker 1: You have obviously become a national, international name being the mayor of Los Angeles. Is there something that people get wrong about you that you want to set the record straight about. Certainly, when you become the name you've become, you're going to have a lot of incoming, a lot of clickbait. Is there anything you want to correct, how you want to set the record straight. We have a little experience with this, so just thought it would be an interesting question to ask you set the record straight for us?
00:17:55
Speaker 4: Well, I mean, I think that all of us that face this want people to know who we actually are versus the caricatures that are made of us. And that fact, you know, for me, I've been in public service my entire life, not as an elected official. That's just the latest stage of my life.
00:18:16
Speaker 2: You know.
00:18:16
Speaker 4: I started in the medical field. I was a nurse taking care of premature babies. I worked in the emergency room at County General Hospital in the trauma area. My patients were homeless. The fact that I am a workhorse and not a show horse, so I don't go around with cameras following me everywhere. But what I do go around doing in this city day in and day out, is working on behalf of Angelina's That's what I want people to know about me.
00:18:43
Speaker 5: And last thing you said, you didn't even know who Spencer Bradt was before because you don't watch it Everard wait that you're you're not a reality show kind of lady, But you gotta tell surely survivor Love Island something You've got to have one reality show with that you watch.
00:19:01
Speaker 2: I'm sorry you have an Oh, well.
00:19:05
Speaker 5: What do you do?
00:19:06
Speaker 1: What do you do when you actually have downtime? We don't think there is probably much. But if you have a moment to turn on the TV or put on a podcast, what is it that you lean to or listen to or watch to unwind?
00:19:21
Speaker 2: Yeah? No, and I do.
00:19:23
Speaker 4: I love old sitcoms, old sitcoms that are not real, socially focused, not focused on crime. One of my favorites is The Neighborhood with Cedric, the entertainment Love Love Cedric.
00:19:37
Speaker 2: You know, it's a nice, wholesome show.
00:19:40
Speaker 4: You know because if you ask me what I watch on TV, it's the news. You can ask me about newscasters, but don't ask me about actors.
00:19:48
Speaker 2: And especially no reality.
00:19:50
Speaker 5: Shows really, no Traders, no Love Island, no Temptation Island, none of that.
00:19:56
Speaker 2: I don't understand that, I really do.
00:20:00
Speaker 5: Madame Mary wanted to end on at least enough beat, a happy comical note at least you got a lot going on out there. Thank you for the time, because we know it's limited, and we are keeping a close eye like the rest of the country and the world is watching, and we've been following you, of course since your time in Congress. So it's just good to reconnect with you, all right. Thanks so much, thank.
00:20:17
Speaker 2: You, thank you, saving you great. Talk to you, yes,