HTLA: What Does LA's Mayor Even Do?

Episode 22

Brian De Los Santos  00:00

All righty, y'all. Today we're diving into more city politics. But don't worry, I'll make it fun. [music in] I promise you're gonna learn something cuz I did, too. Let's start this off with a question. What do you think the mayor of LA actually does? It's one of those things you probably learned in middle school, but you might need a refresher. I know I needed one. This is How to LA, helping you understand this city in every episode. I'm Brian De Los Santos. The mayor's job is kind of unique. They work with a lot of departments, but they don't hold absolute power over any of them. And with elections coming up on November 8th, which is just a few weeks away, voters are gonna have to decide who will carry this position for the next four years. Congresswoman Karen Bass is running against real estate developer Rick Caruso. [music out] Both of them have stated all sorts of plans for what they will do to make the city better.

Karen Bass  00:58

[audio clip] It is very clear that we need a new direction. We have an emergency! 40,000 people on our streets.

Rick Caruso  01:04

[audio clip] My plan is clearly to call a state of emergency, take the authority in the mayor's office, bring a team of the best and the brightest... [duck under]

Brian De Los Santos  01:11

But really, regardless of who wins, what can an LA mayor really do about some of the most important issues affecting us?

Zack  01:19

[street ambi] It's a great question. I'm not really sure. Uh...

Michael  01:21

[street ambi] I feel like the mayor is like the director of a set.

Chris  01:23

[street ambi] Dude, I am the worst person to ask about this. I couldn't tell you too much. I'm not very educated on the subject.

Brian De Los Santos  01:29

A lot of people like Zack, Michael, and Chris there, don't know what the mayor actually does, even though it's one of the most powerful positions in the city.

Fernando Guerra  01:38

The mayor is the symbolic leader not only for the city, but the county and the region. He sets the tone and the priority of what city government is going to be doing.

Brian De Los Santos  01:50

[music in] To help explain what the mayor does and the power they have to make change, we brought in Fernando Guerra. He's a professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University. What specific things would upcoming mayor be responsible for?

Fernando Guerra  02:05

The number one thing is the budget. Every institution has a, like a mission statement or a vision statement, which is very flowery and talks about what they aspire to be. But what they are, is what their budget says they are. [music out]

Brian De Los Santos  02:21

The mayor also appoints commissioners to governmental departments, including the police chief. It sounds like a lot of power, and it is. But Guerra says it's somewhat less power than other cities, and that's on purpose.

Fernando Guerra  02:33

We purposely fragmented power in Los Angeles. The progressive movement really wanted to decentralize and get away from the centralized power of cities on the East Coast, New York, Chicago.

Brian De Los Santos  02:47

The mayor of LA, unlike New York, does not have control over the school board, the health department, the transportation department.

Fernando Guerra  02:54

But the mayor of LA should be as powerful as the mayor of New York, depending on who their allies on the city council are, etc.

Brian De Los Santos  03:02

[music in] Let's look at some real life examples. One thing I know really got me this summer was that hot ass heatwave that went over 100 degrees for days.

News Anchor  03:13

[audio clip] Residents being warned to stay indoors, protect young children, the elderly, and pets as temperatures soar into the triple digits.

News Anchor  03:21

[audio clip] Triple digit temperatures will roast much of the region possibly breaking some records.

Brian De Los Santos  03:28

[music out] Well, that was intense. And we know that climate change is only gonna make things worse. The city is trying to combat climate change by reducing car usage and substituting it with public transportation or biking and walking.

Bryn Lindblad  03:41

On average in LA, someone dies once every three days from traffic violence.

Brian De Los Santos  03:46

That's Bryn Lindblad, the deputy director of Climate Resolve, a nonprofit focused on greener transportation and urban heat. One of the programs they advocate for is Vision Zero. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced initiative a few years back. It's supposed to help reduce traffic fatalities.

Bryn Lindblad  04:01

The idea [ ] Vision Zero is that we can design our streets to be safer. We put in infrastructure to make bicyclists and pedestrians safe.

Brian De Los Santos  04:10

The mayor- They don't have total control over the Department of Transportation, but they can appoint people to the metro board who can prioritize these type of changes.

Bryn Lindblad  04:18

They appoint four board members there on a body of 13. That's pretty significant.

Brian De Los Santos  04:23

[music in] But what about another urgent issue that's at the center of the mayor's race? Homelessness.

Jack  04:29

I mean, definitely like, homelessness is a big issue for sure.

Zack  04:34

Obviously, the homelessness...

Michael  04:35

[street ambi] I would love to see something done with like the homeless population.

Brian De Los Santos  04:39

That's Jack, Zack, and Michael, who we met in Silver Lake. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than one in five of all homeless people in the US live in LA County. Both Bass and Caruso are running on a platform of ending homelessness. Rick Caruso, for example, wants to build more shelters. But can the mayor even do that [music out] on their own?

Fernando Guerra  05:00

He could initiate the process. He could argue for it, but he would still need the council and the bureaucracy to go along.

Brian De Los Santos  05:09

Caruso also says he wants to declare a state of emergency which he can do, but Guerra says that even if it's declared, the state of emergency would still be limited in funding, and he'd still have to get the city council on board. For her part, Karen Bass wants to provide more social services to address the causes of homelessness, like addiction and mental health. But again, Guerra says that this may not be in her power to control.

Fernando Guerra  05:34

The major budgets for mental health, for probation, drug addiction, etc. sits at the county. They are really responsible, and those are funded by the state and the feds.

Brian De Los Santos  05:48

One thing the mayor does have a lot of power over is policing. The mayor proposes the city budget, including the police budget, and also appoints the chief of police, which has to be approved by the police commission and city council. Different people we spoke to said that they would like to see less investment in policing. But it doesn't seem like either Bass or Caruso intend to spend less.

Fernando Guerra  06:09

Both candidates are not for the, defunding the police. They both believe in the accountability of the police, want to continue to adhere to all the reforms that people have spoken about.

Brian De Los Santos  06:21

[music in] Okay, let's break down what we just learned. Whether you care about climate change, homelessness, or police reform, the mayor is an important figure in addressing all those problems, even though they may not have total control over how it gets done. It's also important for them to be vocal promoting values, especially when there's conflict. For example, Garcetti spoke up against racism in LA when Nury Martinez was caught on tape making racist remarks with other council members. So you gotta get out there and vote for the mayor. But remember, they're not the only important official in the race. Stay in the know on all the candidates up for election this fall. We have a lot of information on all this stuff in our Voter Game Plan website. Check it out on LAist.com/vote. It's a one stop shop for everything you need to know about voting in LA County. Our newsletter will have a link too. Go subscribe at LAist.com/HowToLA. Phew! Alright, that was a flashback to my middle school years and learning all the fun stuff of politics. Oh, we hope we helped you a little bit. From LAist Studios, this is How to LA. I'm your host, Brian De Los Santos.

Brian De Los Santos  07:34

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. All right, stay cute LA. [music out]