Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s fight to win a second term in office faces a new challenge. On Monday, former LAUSD superintendent Austin Beutner announced his candidacy for L.A. mayor.
Beutner, who served as a deputy mayor under the administration of Antonio Villaraigosa, told KNX News’ Craig Fiegener that while he did vote for Bass in 2022, L.A. is adrift under her leadership.
“City Hall has ground to a screeching halt,” he said. “You can’t get anything done. The spending on homelessness, the program called Inside Safe, the mayor’s signature program. The city of Los Angeles has spent almost half a billion dollars on that with no accounting. There are estimates that about 1,500 people, plus less, have been ultimately helped by that program. Back in the envelope, that's $300,000 per person. That's not sustainable.”
When asked if he would’ve kept LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley following the Palisades Fire disaster, Beutner said scapegoating is not leadership.
“I think the buck stops with the mayor,” he said. “The mayor is the maestro of public safety in Los Angeles. Why were fire trucks broken? Why was a reservoir taken off the line? Why did hydrants, why were they broken? Those are questions when asked before the crisis. That's what's called being prepared for a crisis. We weren't prepared. It's clear.”
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Beutner received national attention during the pandemic as he led LAUSD through the 2020 pandemic, receiving both praise and blame for decisions over masking and remote learning policies. He ultimately left the job, saying that he needed a break. Now, he said he's rested and ready for the mayor's gig.
“Seven days a week, 15-hour days, and the relentless pressure of a pandemic, you need a break,” he said. “I'm taking a break. I understand what work is like in City Hall, and I'm firmly committed to working seven days a week, 15-hour days, if that's what it takes to make sure we get the job done.“
Mayor Bass spoke with Fiegener about Beutner’s candidacy, saying she’s ready for a “robust conversation.”
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