Rick Caruso, who’s in a tight race with U.S. Rep. Karen Bass to be Los Angeles’ next mayor, rejected the idea that he’s a “con”His pre-campaign move to the Democratic Party as well as his $100 million campaign spend.
Instead, the billionaire developer called for the “divisive” language of L.A. Democrats like the recently resigned council president Nury Martinez and questioned Bass’ ability to lead. “Unfortunately, she needs to learn how to act like a mayor,”In an interview with, Caruso stated that. “Leadership requires character, integrity and humanity in how you treat and talk about other people.”
Caruso seemed to be lumping Bass with Martinez, and two other council members caught on tape using racist language about other politicians in the City. “We’ve had enough bad talking in the city. We’ve seen vile language come from three council members recently,”Caruso stated. “Using words like that are divisive, and there’s no place for it in the mayor’s office.”
Caruso largely sidestepped his late party switch from longtime Republican to Democrat — which Bass has made a central argument against his candidacy. “The ‘con’ part of it is trying to create a new image of who he is, as a Democrat, just because he registered as a Democrat three weeks before starting his campaign,”Bass spoke in an interview last week.
With final balloting ahead on Tuesday, Caruso has closed in on U.S. Rep. Karen Bass’ lead, with the race now in a dead heat, according to at least one recent poll.
Caruso also spoke out about his views on other issues facing the city such as homelessness and affordability. He also talked about his support for the entertainment industry.
What are your plans to tackle the city’s homelessness problem?
This is the No. 1 problem. It is a problem because our leadership, including Karen, has done a horrible job managing it. It’s actually gone up 80% since she’s been in office. We need to build more shelters and housing. It’s very clear that some programs are working, even down on Skid Row. They need to be scaled up. It all starts with respecting people with dignity, compassion, and being open to their needs, regardless of what they may be.
How do you make affordable housing more affordable?
So that every Angelino has access to affordable housing, we need high-density housing. We have hard-working people in good jobs who still can’t afford to buy a home. We need to change the affordability equation in the area. I have the skills to make it happen. I’m a builder. I can streamline the permitting process and get things moving. Modular homes for one-bedroom are available starting at $60,000 per unit. Let’s use innovation and technology.
What do you think about the “United to House L.A.”The so-called ballot proposal, “Mansion Tax,”On the ballot
I’m against it. It has done a horrible job managing taxpayer money. We are one the most taxed cities in America. There is so much waste and so little need. To say we’re going to create another tax without having accountability of where the money is currently going makes no sense to me. Let’s get our business in order. We might revisit the matter if we have to borrow money. But I don’t think we do. We have a lot of capital. What’s been lacking is the will to make smart decisions.
What would you do if you had the capital?
We had Measure HHH a few years back. Everyone agreed to pay a tax of a billion dollars to help build 10,000 housing units within 10 years. Six years later, we now have less than 1000 units, with an average price of $700,000.00 per unit. It’s insane that we’re going to add another tax when we can’t even manage the tax we imposed a few years ago. I want to do an audit, find out why there’s so much waste, and why there’s so much cost.
You’ve stated that you’re pro-police and would like to increase the number of officers. What would you do?
Yes. In 2019, the council approved defunding police. We’re now 880 officers short in the city of what is budgeted. Officers are leaving the city at an alarming rate because of defunding and low morale. It’s one of the reasons why we have crime spiking out of control throughout the city. We need more officers on the streets. In 2001, I was the president of the police commissioner. We also did community policing. Officers were always on the streets. The crime rate drops when officers are visible.
How will you support the entertainment sector?
I’m a big fan of the entertainment industry and have been for decades. Los Angeles needs more content. We need to streamline the approval process. There must be more jobs that are above and below the line. One of the challenges in Los Angeles for below-the-line workers is that it is very hard to be able to afford to live in L.A. That’s why I am focused on building more affordable housing, so people can actually live and work here.
What do you say to Rep. Karen Bass who called you a partisan? “con” because of the money you’ve spent on your campaign and your recent switch to the Democratic Party.
Leadership is about character, integrity, and humanity. We’ve had enough bad talking in the city. We’ve seen vile language come from three council members recently. She must learn to behave like a mayor if she wants the office of mayor. Leadership is important. Using words like that are divisive, and there’s no place for it in the mayor’s office.
