In the televised debate for the Los Angeles mayoral candidates held on May 6th, incumbent mayor Karen Bass faced off against two challengers on issues such as crime, housing, and revitalizing Hollywood.
The debate, hosted by NBC 4 and Telemundo 52, featured Bass’s challengers, media entrepreneur and former reality show host Spencer Pratt – whose home was destroyed in a fire, and city planner and councilwoman Nithya Raman.
Despite the Los Angeles Police Department reporting a decrease in overall crime rate, the female host pointed out that citizens still feel unsafe. She said, “We have seen a series of home burglaries in San Fernando Valley again, and on May 6th, federal authorities arrested at least 18 individuals involved in drug trafficking, calling the operation ‘Save MacArthur Park’.”
Pratt also stated that he has spoken with “thousands of mothers” who are afraid to walk the streets. He characterized the city’s public safety issues as “incredible” and called for intervention from federal agencies like the FBI, DEA, and CDC.
Regardless of the crime statistics reported by LAPD, Pratt emphasized that it does not reflect the true feelings of the people on the streets. He emphasized that people reporting crimes and feeling unsafe on the streets are two different issues.
Bass mentioned the shortage of police personnel and the current budget only allowing for the hiring of 512 officers, which she deemed insufficient. She stated, “I have been working hard to increase the number of officers. Unfortunately, I have not received the support from the city council, including regrettably, my colleague next to me (Raman), who has voted against hiring more officers multiple times.”
She also highlighted that Los Angeles is losing officers due to reasons like natural attrition and lack of competitive salaries.
In response, Raman explained that she voted against “a contract that gave the police union a raise beyond what the city could afford”, which resulted in a $1 billion budget deficit last year and cutbacks in basic public services.
The candidates were also asked about their views on the California law requiring the construction of high-density housing near public transportation centers and the delays in implementation in Los Angeles.
Raman advocated for affordable high-density housing promoted by the state government. She criticized the city government for not taking enough responsibility to address housing needs and accused Bass of opposing these mandates from the state government.
Bass disagreed with the state’s requirement to allow high-density housing in all residential areas. She mentioned that neighborhoods like Sherman Oaks do not want their communities disrupted by state mandates.
Pratt suggested that once homeless encampments are cleared, there would be enough space for developing high-density housing.
“We have plenty of places to build without constructing seven-story buildings without parking spaces in single-family residential neighborhoods,” he said. “Once I clear out all the addiction users sleeping next to vacant buildings, I will have 40 blocks, and we will have a lot of space for high-density developments.”
He also stressed that new housing units should have “some style” and look better than the “prison box-like buildings” Raman advocated for.
All three candidates agreed on the need for more measures to revive the film and television industry.
Asked if Los Angeles is ready for Hollywood’s revival, Pratt responded with a definite “no,” pointing out that other states offer more favorable tax breaks. He emphasized the need for a mayor who can negotiate with the governor for unlimited tax breaks.
Pratt attributed the decline in the Los Angeles film and television industry and the disappearance of Hollywood to Bass and Raman. He claimed that these two politicians have inflicted damage on Hollywood surpassing a thousandfold.
He mentioned that now producers even have to pay gang members to ensure the safety of filming on the streets of Los Angeles. Additionally, despite the city’s efforts to revitalize the film and television industry, addicts still loiter on the streets because the city has not implemented mandatory treatment policies.
Bass noted that the city government has expedited the permit process, established exclusive coordination services for the industry, and reduced filming costs with some rates cut up to 70%. She mentioned her advocacy for entertainment industry tax breaks policies during her tenure as the California Assembly Speaker from 2008 to 2010.
“We still have a long way to go, but because of the policies I have pushed, we are indeed making progress,” said Bass.
Raman pointed out that her husband has been a longtime film and television scriptwriter, and she is very aware of the urgent need to keep Hollywood in Los Angeles.
She emphasized that the mayor’s role should be the strongest advocate for policies like unlimited tax breaks and ensure these policies are sustained for years to attract production companies to invest in Los Angeles. She also stressed the need for the city government to reduce bureaucracy and avoid unnecessary obstacles for production teams filming in Los Angeles.