On the Issues

Let’s get real about where we are at: the present system, and the politicians who built it to suit their interest, is not working. It has to be pulled from its roots. 

Over 5 years ago, Los Angeles voters were asked to raise taxes on themselves to give politicians and bureaucrats the resources to tackle homelessness. Voters acted. Citizens did their part. What did they get in return from the politicians and bureaucrats? Failure. Only a handful of beds have been built. And the crisis has since exploded. 

The way this problem gets worse is to put once again our faith in the politicians and system that has utterly failed us. Today we are facing a crisis in our city that has broken every record, and continues to worsen. 

We need a real plan, and real action. Now.

Declare a State of Emergency

Let’s finally call the homelessness crisis what it is, an emergency of epic proportions that deserves a true FEMA-level response that comes with federal, state, and local coordination and funds to quickly house those who are living on our streets. No more wasting precious time allowing thousands to suffer while politicians and bureaucrats fight over failed policies that have produced just a handful of shelter beds. We must demand help from federal and state governments immediately, and we must demand assistance in getting people off the streets and into housing and addiction treatment centers today.

The last homeless count for the City of LA placed the unhoused population at roughly 42,000 souls. That is the size of 92% of incorporated cities, towns and villages in the US.¹ Imagine the population of an entire town being homeless and the Mayor and City Council NOT declaring an emergency. It’s unfathomable, and unacceptable. But here in Los Angeles it is everyday life.

Declaring a State of Emergency will give us the ability to expedite sheltering decisions by creating a single point of accountability in the Mayor and getting City Council politics out of the way. We can’t solve this problem with 15 career politicians catering to the loudest special interests — we need a single point of accountability who answers only to the voters. Rick Caruso has the fortitude to tackle these problems head on and focus on them until the job is done.  He won’t fixate on what office to run for next. Rick Caruso will Clean Up LA.

On Day One, Rick will:

• Declare a State of Emergency.  Declare a State of Emergency that won’t end until we Clean Up LA. Rick will activate the Emergency Management Department to immediately begin work on activating emergency powers, funds, and plans.
• Demand State and Federal Response.  Demand assistance from the Governor, State Legislature, and Federal government in providing emergency funding, shelters, and case workers to help our veterans and others who need assistance with mental health or addiction treatment.
• Stop the City Council from Standing in the Way.  Prevent the City Council from micromanaging decisions relating to shelter or housing siting, funding, or other decisions that prevent people from getting shelter.
• Elevate a Citywide Homelessness Coordinator.  Immediately, through Executive Order, create a Department of Homeless Housing and appoint a Citywide Homelessness Coordinator to manage all City efforts, including those of the Police and Fire Departments, Emergency Management Department, Housing Department, Sanitation Department, and other agencies to immediately begin focusing all efforts on Cleaning Up LA and getting people housed, fed, into treatment, and off our streets.

Cut Waste and Demand Accountability Once and For All

In 2016, politicians persuaded Angelenos to tax themselves to help create more housing for the homeless. All told, Proposition HHH created upwards of $1.2 billion for housing projects. What did the politicians and bureaucrats get done in the past 6 years with all that money after promising over 10,000 new units of housing? 18 projects for a total of 1,142 rooms. On top of that, the average cost per room is an outrageously wasteful $700,000. We need to stop the waste and demand accountability and real results. 

On Day One, Rick will:

• Conduct a Top to Bottom Audit of Waste.  Direct staff to perform a top to bottom audit of how the previous administration and City Council wasted hundreds of millions of dollars and create policies to prevent that from ever happening again.
• Cut Wasteful Projects.  Immediately cancel all contracts for housing projects that have not been built and begin the process to limit per unit costs to come in under $350,000 by ensuring we utilize modular housing, shipping containers,  and other innovative and cost effective methods that can reduce timelines and provide dignified housing.
• Appoint Real Construction Experts.  Fire all members of the HHH Oversight Committee and appoint new members with strong backgrounds in finance, construction, and auditing and ensure that all new contracts for projects are vetted for cost efficiency and speed.
• Request Outside Investigation.  Request the State Controller to immediately conduct a full investigation of all construction contracts related to homeless housing and root out waste and fraud.
• Demand Accountability. Deliver real time reporting of homelessness and a strict accounting of every dollar spent – and results. Rick’s plan will be to deliver real-time report cards down to the neighborhood level, including goals, dollars spent, and outcomes.

Solve the Shortage of Emergency Shelter Beds

With over 44,000 people on the streets, we need shelter beds and we need them now. With a Homeless Emergency declared, we can immediately begin to deploy shelters and housing options in places that make logical sense and cut through the red tape that has hampered the response thus far. Rick won’t wait for some bureaucrat to tell him why he can or can’t get people off the streets. With an Emergency Declaration the Mayor will have that decision making power, not the City Council. 

On Day One, Rick will:

• Build 30,000 Shelter Beds in 300 Days.  Set a goal and plan to create an additional 30,000 shelter beds in his first 300 days. With an additional 30,000 beds, we will have enough beds to quickly and effectively get large amounts of the unhoused population off the streets, out of encampments, and into service and treatment programs. Hundreds of potential locations for shelters exist and we know based on numerous audits and studies that publicly and privately owned land exists that can be immediately utilized for shelter purposes and we will work from day one to do that.
• Coordinate Supportive Services.  Ensure that all aspects of the plan for more beds work seamlessly with additional mental health, job training, permanent housing, and relocation efforts to ensure no one is warehoused in a shelter, but rather, temporarily located in a safe, clean, and dignified environment to get them the care they need. We can all agree – a bed in a shelter is more humane and dignified than sleeping on the street.
• Take Back our Parks and Public Spaces.  Ensure the plan respects the safety of our schools, parks, and other sensitive areas. While we must move quickly to create more beds, we can’t do so at the risk of anyone’s safety or security. Shelters will be located in appropriate places and with appropriate notice to surrounding neighborhoods. When building new shelters, Rick will maintain a commitment to the communities in which those shelters are built to ensure they are safe and clean.
• Share the Burden.  To be clear, no one will have a veto over where shelters go and we must ensure all parts of the city bear the burden to ensure we work through this problem as a city. I won’t allow any one part of the city to become a central location for shelters, rather we will ensure that shelters are equitably spread out.
• Focus on Countywide Solutions.  Lastly, we MUST look at locations outside our city, such as unincorporated LA County and other locations with lower land costs and population density. A bed is a bed, whether it’s in San Pedro or Palmdale, so every option must be on the table.

Address Mental Health and Addiction Head-On

In 2019 the LA Times found that more than 76% of the homeless population had substance abuse or mental illness issues. This was contrary to the 29% reported by LAHSA, the Homeless Services bureaucracy.  The good news is we don’t need a report or newspaper article to tell us what we already know: drugs and mental health issues are ravaging our homeless population and every police officer in skid row will tell you, the dealers and criminals are preying on the homeless as a disposable source of customers. We must intensify efforts to crack down on illicit drug manufacturing and dealing that makes our mental health crisis worse. WE MUST END THE CYCLE. 

To make matters worse, the City of Los Angeles has NO health department or mental health service streams. We must rely on the County, where resources must be shared with 87 other cities. As the largest population of LA County — and also the largest contributor to property tax rolls — it’s time we created our OWN MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION TREATMENT DEPARTMENT to fund and implement critical services that our residents need. 

Rick will move to immediately start the process of creating a City of Los Angeles Health and Human Services Department to focus on our unhoused mentally ill and addicted population.

As mayor, Rick will work with the State and County to ensure we can:

• Create a Department of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment.  Rick won’t wait for the County or the failing bureaucratic process as we know it to deliver the services those suffering on the street need. As Mayor, Rick will create a City-run Department focused on mental health and addiction services, the primary mandate of which will be speed. 
• Hire 500 Mental Health and Addiction Caseworkers.  Hire and allocate the largest mental health and addiction treatment workforce this state has seen to get people treatment quickly and efficiently. Rick’s goal will be to have 500 people on the streets working to intake those who need help the most.
• Compel People Suffering Mental Illness into Care.  Amend laws to make conservatorships for the homeless population streamlined and accessible. It is truly a travesty that someone as cognizant and aware as Britney Spears can be in a conservatorship, but a homeless person slowly killing themselves with a brutal meth addiction can’t be compelled into treatment. 
• Create a Mental Health Justice Center.  Create a Mental Health Justice Center to ensure anyone who is compelled into treatment is treated fairly and evaluated in a timely manner to ensure that once their addiction treatment is complete, they can rejoin society with job training, continued free mental health services, and addiction treatment.
• Have Mental Health Workers Respond to 911 Calls.  Hire mental health first responders to join our Police and Fire units on calls to ensure those with mental health issues are treated humanely and without unnecessary use of force incidents
• Fight Fentanyl and Opioid Abuse.  Deploy a large-scale and properly trained police effort to rid our streets of fentanyl and other highly addictive and dangerous drugs. For too long we have let dealers and criminals run rampant within homeless encampments and skid row, creating a largely unfettered and hospitable environment for drug dealing and manufacturing.

Remove Tent Encampments Permanently & Enforce Quality of Life Laws

For far too long encampments have grown because of a lack of a clear and concise effort by the Mayor and City Council to build the shelter and service network. As a result, neighborhoods have been overrun with RVs, tent encampments that look like disaster zones, and human waste is now something we must all watch for as we try to enjoy our parks and beaches. Restrictions on sleeping in public areas are in place for the safety of everyone involved. Existing laws are not being enforced, and ensuring those quality of life rules are abided by is step number one.

Within 1 year of being mayor, Rick will:

• Deploy 500 New Sanitation Workers to Clean the Streets. Hire 500 new sanitation workers to clean the streets and parks. After years of neglect, we need to deep clean our City. Rick will make it a top priority to reclaim our neighborhood assets and ensure they are accessible to all.
• Offer Job Opportunities to Move People off the Street. Create a job training apprenticeship program with local labor and trade unions to train and employ those who want a job. We won’t just take people off the streets, but we will help those who want and need a job to make a living and take care of themselves and their families.
• Stop New Encampments. Ensure encampments don’t spring back up. As long as there are shelter beds available, street encampments, no matter how small or large, will not be tolerated. We cannot allow the idea of living on the street to be an alternative to accepting a dignified and humane shelter bed.

Pursue Creative Solutions that Work, Not Costly Ones That Don’t

This crisis took decades of neglect and constant inattention to create and no matter how hard we push, the current set of tools we have just aren’t enough to quickly undo decades of mismanagement. That’s why Rick will demand creativity and efficiency in addressing this crisis and Rick will not tolerate the status quo or answers that say “because that is how we do it” from bureaucrats and politicians. As a builder, Rick knows firsthand what it takes to be creative, compassionate, and relentlessly focused on results and he will utilize those skills and experiences to think outside the box and get the job done.

As mayor, Rick will:

• Quadruple Tiny Homes.  Quadruple efforts to build inexpensive cabin/tiny home communities at a fraction of the current cost. No more costly undergrounding of electrical or sewer lines unnecessarily. We will build them fast, cheap, and with dignity and humanity.
• Convert City–owned Property to Shelter.  Immediately draft plans to convert every city owned property either into affordable housing or temporary shelter. We’ll partner with the private sector to lower construction costs and create incentives to get the jobs done faster and under budget.
• Continue and Expand Homekey and Roomkey. Project Roomkey and Homekey were COVID-initiated programs to deliver fast housing solutions to those experiencing homelessness. They worked, and Rick will move to double down on what worked with or without the impetus of a pandemic. 
• Acquire New Land for Housing.  Utilize the City’s borrowing power to purchase land for permanent housing and shelter needs. The City’s borrowing power is immense and with the right business mind at the helm, we can easily and quickly purchase land, lease it to developers to cover the debt financing, and immediately incentivize fast construction of housing and shelter. By eliminating the carrying costs for the private sector, we can spur new development very quickly.

Prevent People from Becoming Homeless

No matter how much we focus on those on the street, we will never truly address the problem of homelessness unless we also focus on preventing those on the fringes from falling into homelessness as well. There must be more options for those who are one or two missed paychecks away from losing their homes. 

As mayor, Rick will:

• Expand Emergency Rental Assistance.  Create emergency loans and rental assistance to prevent homelessness. Studies have shown that micro loans are highly effective tools in combating homelessness and poverty and far more cost effective then other intervention programs. Providing low cost or no cost loans for those who just need a helping hand, not a hand out, will stop families and individuals from falling into homelessness
• Establish Mobile Resource Centers  Establish mobile resource centers that can quickly and effectively find those who are in need of various services but lack transportation options. These units will patrol neighborhoods on the lookout for those who need resources and ensure they are given access to whatever programs they need or qualify for.

Solve LA’s Long-term Affordable Housing Crisis

Economic hardship is the #1 cause cited for newly homeless, and the housing affordability crisis in LA and across the state continues to worsen.  Housing costs in Los Angeles are sky high and growing exponentially. The cost-per-door is outpacing the cost of single-family homes or most market-rate housing. Homelessness starts rising when median rents in a region exceed 22% of median income and rises more sharply at 32%; in LA, the median rent is 46.7% (half of median income).  

The reason for this is simple: building in Los Angeles isn’t just expensive, it’s designed to incentivize building high-cost luxury housing over affordable housing. Los Angeles has one of the longest entitlement processes in the country, with most projects taking upwards of 24 months. This timeline creates massive holding costs for builders and, when combined with fees, labor laws, and environmental review challenges, typical projects get delayed for years. This creates a perverse system where the only housing worth building is the most expensive kind, which in turn drives up rents across the board. The solution is obvious: we must build more housing, of all types, in all neighborhoods, in a smart and community-appropriate way. Rick won’t tolerate creating more density in places that can’t support it, but he will advocate for more density and height in corridors where it is appropriate. 

As mayor, Rick will:

• Leverage City’s Borrowing Power for Housing. Draft legislation to enable the use of the City’s borrowing power to purchase and carry land costs for affordable housing projects with unit counts over 100.
• Waive Fees on Affordable Projects. Immediately direct the creation of legislation to waive or eliminate all fees for projects that agree to 30% affordability ratios for unit counts and sign covenants that restrict rental rates for 30 years.
• Expand Housing with Services. Establish permanent supportive housing coupled with specific services offered, such as counseling PTSD, mental health and addiction services.
• Establish Rapid Re-housing Program. Establish a rapid re-housing program that is built to move fast to re-house those who need it.
• Cut Down on Frivolous Lawsuits Stopping Housing. Mandate the disclosure of CEQA challenge payments by labor unions, environmental groups, and any other groups who regularly use CEQA challenges to unfairly and disingenuously leverage development projects. Mandate a $15,000 application fee for all CEQA challenges to reduce frivolous CEQA challenges that impede sensible development.
• Expand Section 8. Reduce or eliminate all fees and regulations for Section 8 housing voucher projects where 75% of units or more are dedicated to Section 8 voucher recipients. Work with the federal government to triple the allocation of Section 8 housing vouchers in Los Angeles and simultaneously create more incentives for landlords to accept them.

Approach the Problem from A Regional Lens

We know homelessness is not just a City of Los Angeles problem, but one that impacts all cities in the Southland. That is why we must work with other cities and jurisdictions to share the costs, burdens, and solutions equally. There is no reason why cities large and small can’t band together to create joint assistance programs that ignore invisible city limits and stop incentivizing the dumping of homeless people across city lines like trash that no one notices. 

As mayor, Rick will immediately:

• Spearhead Regional Task Force.  Create a regional task force of neighboring cities to develop joint plans collectively fight this crisis and provide each member value information on proven techniques, insights, and strategies
• Create Joint Assistance Authority.  Create a joint assistance authority to immediately be able to transfer resources and data across city lines without delay or red tape and ensure city limits don’t prevent much needed aid from reaching those who need it.
• Expand Data Sharing.  Provide data sharing and intelligence sharing on drug trafficking trends, illicit substance manufacturing, and other criminal elements to ensure we stamp out the drug epidemic ravaging our unhoused and housed populations.

Cancel Costly and Handicapping Legal Settlements that Only Make the Problem Worse

Los Angeles has been a magnet for lawyers looking to make a quick buck with costly lawsuits that our grossly incompetent City Attorney quickly settles rather than fight. Year after year, whether it’s the Lavan decision or the Mitchell Settlement, time and time again, the City chooses to settle frivolous lawsuits brought on by high powered litigation lawyers motivated by legal fees rather than the wellbeing of the homeless. These lawsuits have cost millions of dollars and completely tied the city’s hands behind its back in terms of how it can address this crisis. 

As mayor, Rick will:

• Not be Afraid to Veto What Won’t Work. Rick will not hesitate to veto any settlement brought forth by the City Attorney and City Council relating to homelessness that pays a single penny to lawyers or activists; veto any settlement that does not provide the City with MORE tools to fight homelessness; and veto any settlement that increases the rights of the homeless over the rights of law abiding citizens trying to provide for themselves and their families.
• Examine and Fix Legal Barriers. Immediately move to cancel or dissolve any previous settlements and re-litigate all settlements that have narrowed the City’s policy choices.

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1 https://www.statista.com/statistics/241695/number-of-us-cities-towns-villages-by-population-size/

2 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-07/homeless-population-mental-illness-disability

3 https://www.capolicylab.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Health-Conditions-Among-Unsheltered-Adults-in-the-U.S.pdf

4 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-07/homeless-population-mental-illness-disability

5 https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=4558-2020-greater-los-angeles-homeless-count-presentation.pdf

6 https://www.lahsa.org/news?article=726-2020-greater-los-angeles-homeless-count-results

As President of the Police Commission, Rick cut crime, fought corruption and stood up to political pressure to force real reform. He came to the presidency at a time of great turmoil for the LAPD with the Department operating under a federal consent decree. Caruso restored public trust in the LAPD, especially among Black, Asian and Latino Angelenos. Rick oversaw a 30 percent reduction in crime, fought for community policing and police accountability and stood up to political pressure when he hired Chief William Bratton, who is remembered as the most transformational figure in the history of policing in the City of Los Angeles.

Don’t Defund the Police, Invest in Making Them Better

There is no doubt that our police force can do better, but the attacks on rank-and-file officers must stop. The men and women of the LAPD risk their lives on a daily basis. Rhetoric about “defunding the police” makes no sense when you consider that murders are skyrocketing and LA is the most under-policed big city in America. Yes, we need to invest in more training, both to reduce unnecessary use of force incidents and to eliminate any elements of unconscious bias. But when an emergency strikes, we all want our first responders to arrive quickly and to save lives, and we need to show our support for them with respect and gratitude, along with a constant and firm demand for excellence, fair treatment, and world class professionalism. 

As Mayor, Rick Will:

• Restore the LAPD’s Budget that our cowardly City Council defunded and expand the number of patrol officers with more hiring, civilianization of non-essential sworn positions, and a commitment to more training and diversified recruitment. 
• Return to Community-Based Policing. As Bill Bratton showed us, community-based policing is the way to reduce crime and restore trust. Rick will make sure the LAPD returns to community-based policing with more senior lead officers working hand in hand with community groups and neighborhood leaders to build trust and ensure the communities who need it the most have police officers who reflect their values and demographics. Police officers who know their neighborhoods will also help fight homelessness – by being able to create early warning systems so that encampments don’t get out of control. 
• Put 1,500 New Officers on the Street. The LAPD is the smallest big city police force per capita in the US and that must change. Rick will add 1,500 officers to our force before the end of his first term. Rick’s administration will apply for every federal and state grant there is and even demand more direct funding from the Biden administration and Governor Newsom to expand and strengthen our police force and ensure they are trained properly and engaged with the communities they serve.

Address the Crisis of Gun Violence

Gun violence is out of control in Los Angeles.  The city recorded 397 murders in 2021, the highest total in almost 15 years — and a 53% increase from 2019 levels.¹

In one year, homicides, car theft, and robberies at gunpoint are all up by double digits². More than half (54%) of the city’s shootings were related to gang violence, and homicides of the homeless increased 22%. “Robberies with a firearm increased 21% citywide last year, with LAPD’s central bureau logging the largest increase of 37%.”³

It’s no surprise that with the additional 1.17 million firearms registered in California during the pandemic that many of those guns are falling into the wrong hands or being used by people who have no training or respect for the weapons they purchased. We must address this systemic issue. And we need to go further than addressing the ‘supply’ side of gun violence; we need to address the ‘demand-side’, too – and do more to focus on repeat offenders and high-crime areas. 

As Mayor, Rick Will:

• Crack Down on Gun Trafficking and illegal manufacturing of “ghost guns” and 80% rifles that are flooding our streets with untraceable and illegal high-powered rifles that are weapons of war.
• Expand the LAPD Gun Unit and insist on a more coordinated approach to gun violence with partnerships with ATF, the FBI, and Homeland Security. 
• Employ ‘Precision Policing’ Strategies to concentrate resources around the worst offenders and high-crime areas to address the ‘demand-side’ of the problem. It’s worked elsewhere – for example, in New York, the NYPD’s shift to a surgical form of “precision policing,” in which law enforcement focuses resources on a small number of individuals² who are thought to be the primary drivers of violence. 
• Expand Laws Around Safe Storage of weapons in homes with real penalties if violated, especially in homes with children. Eight children died last year due to improperly stored guns and we must do more to ensure gun owners are trained in effective and safe storage and face real consequences if those rules are not followed.
• Get Guns Out of the Hands of Domestic Abusers. We will double down on efforts to take guns away from those deemed too much of a risk to own them, such as the Armed and Prohibited Persons System (APPS) program which gives local authorities a way to remove firearms from individuals who’d lost their right to bear them because of violent crimes, serious mental health issues or active restraining orders.

Crack Down on Property Crime – Create Consequences not Excuses

The endless headlines around “smash and grab” robberies around the holidays only highlighted the lack of any real consequences for those who deliberately flout our laws. We all see, feel, and know firsthand that property crime is not being adequately enforced. We’ve all seen our neighbors’ homes burglarized or have had our cars broken into, or worse yet, stolen. We need to make sure there are consequences and fair repercussions for those who break the law. 

Just a snapshot of how bad it’s gotten, specifically, when it comes to car theft: “the last quarter of 2021 brought more stolen car reports than any time in the past 12 years” ⁴.

As Mayor, Rick Will Advocate for and Implement:

• Fixing Prop 47. This proposition went too far – the $950 minimum for felony charges per incident needs to be brought back to a sensible level. We can all agree that stealing a $900 handbag or watch shouldn’t be an offense for which someone is released from custody within hours of being arrested without consequence. 
• Prosecuting Misdemeanors. Rick will immediately make it mandatory for the City Attorney to prosecute misdemeanors. Having an elected City Attorney shouldn’t mean they can selectively enforce some laws and not others. Criminals should know that any crime, whether a misdemeanor or felony, will be prosecuted.
• Advocating for Reform at the State and County Levels, especially around juveniles and those with mental health or addiction issues. Rick believes in second chances, and we should invest more in rehabilitating our offenders both during and after incarceration. Prison should not be a place for criminals to hone their skills or become hardened. Prison should be a place where we do all we can to rehabilitate those who have lost their way, not lock them and forget about them until they are released.

Address Link between Mental Health and Crime

The data doesn’t lie: we know that those suffering from mental health and addiction are more likely to commit crimes and are more likely to be victims of crimes. The homelessness crisis is one reason why we’ve failed to take on this connected problem; but we can do more to build a system that recognizes and does better to address the clear link between crime and our broken mental health system. 

According to publicly available LAPD crime data, there is a trend of rising crime involving the mentally ill in the City of Los Angeles. Crimes involving the mentally ill have increased 338% from 2010 to 2018.⁵

As Mayor, Rick Will:

• Build and Grow Alternative Response Systems. The deployment of support that’s especially geared towards managing and de-escalating mental health crises will allow for a more appropriate crisis response and will free up our officers to do the work they were trained to do. In the State of California, the tragedies associated with deploying police officers to respond to an acute mental health crisis are well documented. Rick believes in protecting families, individuals suffering mental health crises, and officers from negative outcomes they’re poorly equipped to prevent. 
• Have Mental Health Workers Respond to 911 Calls. Hire mental health first responders to join our Police and Fire units on calls to ensure those with mental health issues are treated humanely and without unnecessary use of force incidents 
• Transform Juvenile Detention Centers into Mental Health Justice Centers. In recognition of the disproportionately high rates of diagnosable mental health issues amongst incarcerated juveniles and adults, addressing the root cause of individuals’ incarceration could significantly improve public safety and reduce the high costs of incarceration. Mental health justice centers would serve those inside and outside of the criminal justice system and would provide a wide array of treatment options (short term and long term), with a focus on treating and rehabilitating individuals to prevent crimes before they’re committed, as opposed to using punishment as a deterrence mechanism. 

Expand Prevention Programs that Work

Evidence shows that violence prevention programs work. To maximize success, we need to equip communities with evidence-based, comprehensive, trauma-informed approaches that address the multiple factors that impact violence. Perhaps most importantly, any effective program has to help those most affected by violence – children, youth, and families. 

As Mayor, Rick Will:

• Double the Number of Gang Prevention Workers. Dedicating resources to gang intervention agencies that deploy peacemakers throughout Los Angeles will increase public safety and community wellbeing, especially in communities of color. Rick believes in listening to local citizens, community leaders, and the experts on the field. 
• Increase Reentry Programs and Half-way Houses. Lack of quality housing options stands in the way of many formerly incarcerated individuals looking to reenter society. The scope of quality should not be limited to room and board, but rather include considerations about ex-offenders’ risks and needs and the need for consistent development, monitoring, and readjustment of individualized release plans. Rick believes in setting everyone – with the disposition to do their part – up for success, and treating ex-offenders as multi-faceted individuals is crucial to improving public safety for all. 
• Expand Youth Prevention and Afterschool Programs. Rick believes in tackling societal issues at the root and taking collective responsibility for building and implementing holistic solutions, especially as it relates to our young people. Programs that reduce the risk of joining a gang by addressing the youth at the individual, family, and peer levels, while increasing protective factors against gang joining, are proven methods to prevent at-risk youth from engaging in violent behaviors or substance abuse later on.

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¹ [link]

² Deadly shootings involving LAPD officers were up 142.9%, homicides increased 11.8% and motor vehicle thefts also rose 13.3% last year compared with 2020. [link]

³ Jan 2022 [link]

⁴ https://xtown.la/2022/01/26/crime-rate-los-angeles2021/

⁵ https://xtown.la/2019/08/16/the-growing-presence-of-mental-illness-in-crime-data/

The Cleanest, Most Transparent Mayoral Administration in History

Why are homelessness and crime out of control in Los Angeles?

The last three years have seen more councilmembers, staff, bureaucrats, and high-level commissioners arrested and indicted than anyone can remember. Three different councilmembers have been arrested, one is currently serving house arrest, and two are awaiting trial. We’ve heard salacious tales of wiretaps, cash hand offs in casino bathrooms, sex workers, and even bizarre plots involving councilmembers trying get phony degrees for their family members.  

City Hall has turned into an ethical swamp, where lawmakers behave as if laws don’t apply to them and corruption runs so rampant, even the most brazen and unbelievable acts have become commonplace and unsurprising. Career politicians have failed us. We need real leadership, and we need to restore faith and trust in our government.

As mayor, Rick will:

• Work for $1 a year as Mayor. Rick isn’t a career politician and he isn’t running for Mayor because he needs another job like all these other candidates. Rick is here to work for you, his only special interest is to ensure we can CLEAN UP LA.
• Refuse contributions from corporations or lobbyists. Unlike the other candidates for Mayor, Rick won’t accept campaign cash from corporations or lobbyists doing business with the City.
• Appoint an independent ethics czar on day one to advise on all issues and ensure City business is conducted to prevent any conflicts of interest.
• Won’t meet with lobbyists. Special interests can’t cut the line – and won’t be allowed in City Hall.
• Publish the Mayor’s official calendar on a daily basis so everyone can see who Rick meets with and what Rick’s official activities are, including all travel within or outside of the City.
• Place all his business holdings in a blind trust. Rick will immediately separate himself from all formal business activity and run the cleanest, most ethically uncompromised administration in the City’s history based on the best ethical practices.

Root Out Corruption in Contracting and Development

We’ve seen the headlines over and over again. Councilmember arrested for bribery while approving lucrative development contract. DWP Commissioner arrested for bribery for approving a high dollar City contract. The corruption at City Hall truly has become commonplace and expected. It’s no wonder nothing gets done and our problems continue to worsen, self-enrichment seems to be the only motivating factor there. 

Here in Los Angeles, we have to start by recognizing that pay-to-play politics is at its worst when it comes to land use and development corruption. That’s why we need tougher laws around transparency, reporting, and ultimately removing the tools that allow these corrupt actors to leverage people for bribes or self-gain.

As mayor, Rick will:

• Draft legislation to remove the City Council from ALL land use decisions. Developers and their representatives bribe councilmembers because they need their support to get large out of character developments approved. None of these council members are experts in land use, planning, or environmental issues yet they wield enormous power in projects that are extremely technical and impactful. We don’t need them involved. We need technical professionals reviewing these applications and we need revamped zoning laws that make it clear what can and can’t be built, with no exceptions.
• Bar commissioners from meeting with lobbyists. Rick will mandate that all appointed commissioners be barred from meeting in secret with any applicants, lobbyists, or others who stand to gain from their actions. All conversations with these applicants on items before their commissions must be done in open session, in public view, and with notes and minutes being taken to ensure accurate records. We don’t need any city business taking place in dark rooms with no public accountability. As the saying goes, sunshine is the best disinfectant.
• Draft legislation that forces councilmember transparency. Rick will push legislation to mandate that council members and their staff publicly report their schedules, meetings, texts, and emails with all applicants, lobbyists, and others who stand to gain from city actions. The City Council has been a hotbed for corruption and we need to stamp it out. We must demand transparency and accountability from them immediately. We also need tough penalties for those who don’t adhere to these rules. Hefty fines need to be in place to ensure these bad actors face real consequences for breaking the public’s trust.

Angelenos are facing increasing threats to public safety and a lack of affordability. As a CEO and community builder, Rick is uniquely positioned to lead our city through these challenges. Women, minority and small business owners have been disproportionately impacted by these failures, and Covid has created further setbacks. LA is also a city rich in talent, creative capital and diversity. Rick’s vision is to create a city that WORKS for all Angelenos. As Mayor, Rick will implement a robust and targeted policy agenda that supports our communities, leverages our unique assets, brings industries together, and creates opportunities for all Angelenos to thrive.

Make LA Work for Women

Women owned businesses are the backbone of our local economy. Los Angeles is home to one of the largest number of women-owned businesses in the country, but since the pandemic, there has been an exodus of women from the workforce, especially women of color, mothers and caregivers. It’s clear: in order for our City to thrive, women must thrive. As women across the country face attacks on their fundamental rights, LA also has an opportunity to lead with an ambitious agenda that is centered around women.

On day 1, Rick will

Appoint a Deputy Mayor (DM) focused on Women & the Economy to ensure there is a dedicated individual inside the Mayor’s office fighting to ensure women are a center focus of the administration. The DM will work  with key city departments and county agencies to address policy priorities that support and extend opportunity to women across the city.

Market LA as a City that Protects Women’s Freedoms.  As CEO of the City, Rick will fight to attract and retain companies here on the premise that we are a city that supports women’s rights. He will champion our city as a safe place for women to build businesses and access to quality reproductive healthcare. Rick’s vision is for LA to be the leader in the number of women-owned businesses and products created in the city. He will also leverage the power of the bully pulpit to push forward solutions at all levels that support women’s right to choice.

Commit to Gender Parity in Administration via commissions, department and staff leadership.

Let’s Make LA Work for Women

“As the CEO of the Latino Restaurant Association, an organization with over 900 business owners, I am excited to endorse Rick’s economic agenda to support women throughout Los Angeles. This is a clear vision and comprehensive plan to help women recover from the last few years. It is time we have someone leading our city with a proven track record of fulfilling their promises. Rick is this leader and will meet the moment with urgency”

Lilly Rocha, CEO, Latino Restaurant Association

“During Covid, my business came to a grinding halt, and like many working mothers and small business owners, I experienced a lot of stress around if I would need to completely shut down. Rick, and his entire team, took a genuine personal interest in my business and gave me the flexibility I needed to weather this storm.  This is the exact kind of empathetic, hands-on Mayor we want running the City.”

Rachel Huntington, Owner, Bonjour Fete

“The LA Chamber is proud to support Rick’s economic policy for women in the economy.  This ambitious plan will remove barriers for women-owned businesses, especially in the areas of procurement, and allow for increased opportunities. Women – especially women of color – are the backbone of our economy and have been particularly devastated by the pandemic.  By acknowledging the unique challenges women face, Rick has developed a comprehensive plan that will create an ecosystem where women can truly flourish.”

Maria Salinas, CEO, LA Chamber of Commerce

“Women across Los Angeles want a Mayor who will actually fulfill their promises to create more equality and opportunity. By committing to appointing a Deputy Mayor for Women in the Economy, Rick is clearly establishing how he will structurally create accountability and deliver on his plans to create an environment where women are strongly represented and paid, and given excellent access to opportunities, including contracting with city entities. We look forward to working with a Caruso administration to make sure these priorities become reality.”

Tracy Hernandez, Founding CEO, LA BizFed

“As a small business owner, mother and life-long Angeleno, I am looking for a Mayor who will be relentless in fighting for women, particularly Latinas. Rick’s economic plan for women is progressive and the exact kind of approach we need to ensure women business owners are set up for success. I share his vision for LA to be the most welcoming city for women entrepreneurs.”

Christy Vega, Owner, Casa Vega Restaurant

“Women’s success is our economy’s success.  Until we provide access to more affordable childcare, women will never be able to fully participate in our economy.  This is why I support Rick’s economic plan for women: it offers specific solutions to help address our childcare crisis in our City through a variety of approaches. As a mother and owner/administrator of multiple childcare facilities in LA, I believe his solutions will truly make a difference in the lives of women and their families.”

Stephanie Caspian, Ed.D. Executive Director, Maple Tree Academy

“Rick’s multi-faceted approach to creating a city that celebrates women is a breath of fresh air. As a mom and  founder of a non profit that focuses on transforming communities through public art, I see daily the struggles women face and the untapped opportunity. Rick understands this and has already demonstrated how he will lead and ensure women thrive. I support his bold vision.”

Carmen Zella, CEO & Founder, Now Art LA