LOS ANGELES (KNX) – Although he’s one of the front runners in the race for mayor of Los Angeles, businessman Rick Caruso has never held a political office before.
Caruso told KNX In Depth he sees it as an advantage.
“We’ve had people in that office that have done it before and have failed miserably, and that’s why we’ve got the problems we have,” he said. “So I think what people are looking for is a fresh point of view. I think people are looking for executive skills. We’ve had legislators in the office. The legislation skills are not skills that transfer to being a mayor.”
He added that he believes his background and skillset as a businessman can help to make a difference in Los Angeles.
“I built my business on figuring out how to lead, get people motivated, reach across the table, reach across the aisle and find common ground,” he said. “I couldn’t have built my business without it and I’m gonna bring that same skill set to city hall.”
Caruso said his ‘day one’ priority is tackling the homeless crisis by declaring a state of emergency and changing the “current approach.”
“There’s a lack of leadership, and there’s also 15 different council districts. They’re approaching the problem differently and you just can’t solve a problem that way,” he said. “And so the state of emergency is to bring the powers to solve these problems into the mayor’s office. I want to be held accountable, put together a team, work with the individual council offices but have a cohesive, strategic plan to solve the problem.”
Listen to Caruso’s full interview in the audio above.
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