Developer Rick Caruso tested the waters of the San Fernando Valley business community Friday morning and found a highly receptive audience for his campaign for mayor.
Not the Caruso is running for mayor any more than Zev, Wendy, Jan, Austin, Kevin, Alex or Eric but he did outline his views on the state of the city and what he might do about all that’s wrong if he did jump into the race to succeed Antonio Villaraigosa in 2013.
The venue was the United Chambers of Commerce of the Valley awards breakfast held at the Marriott Hotel and while many political staffers were in attendance, the only officeholder who showed was Dennis Zine. who promised to make sure the billionaire developer got an Antonio bobblehead after Caruso quipped he doesn’t speak for the current mayor and in fact doesn’t speak for him but was sure he was a terrific guy (Antonio.mp3)
Caruso offered a vision of a liveable city with vibrant safe neighborhoods built around pedestrian-friendly cores, sort of like the highly successful shopping centers he has built like the Grove on the Westside and the Commons in Calabasas.
He opposed putting people underground in the planned subway to the Westside as as waste of money and incomprehensible given the climate, when so much more could be achieved to ease congestion by trains down freeways and trolleys on thoroughfares and other lower costs modes of transportation
LAUSD’ is is too big too succeed and should be broken up, youth programs expanded, gangs given gangs should not be tolerated.
It was a strong performance before a friendly audience. For the record, here’s most of what he had to say:
It’s best to hear about what can actually be done. Yes, the school district need to be smaller but then so does the City of L.A.
This guy wants to break up the City in order to manage it.
He talked about increasing spending on firemen police and EMT’s but failed to discuss how he would acquire that money.
I did not hear anything NEW and if he is a DEVELOPER – I think we need a GRASS ROOTS person.
NO VOTE for the Developer.
This guy wants to break up the City in order to manage it.
He talked about increasing spending on firemen police and EMT’s but failed to discuss how he would acquire that money.
I did not hear anything NEW and if he is a DEVELOPER – I think we need a GRASS ROOTS person.
NO VOTE for the Developer.
thanks ron for making the audio available for those of unable to attend in person.
caruso’s comments were on point regarding things should be done better.
i think most importantly, we should be focused on core services. pick up my trash, fix the streets, take the bad guys to jail, and put out the fires. education is a huge issue for the future of our city, too—although not under control of City.
If the those dumb valley business people, especially if they have anything to with VICA, support Caruso, I’ll definitely oppose him.
WE all need to accept we’re not going to get the perfect candidate. Having said that Caruso has done more for the city and has been successful in his own right. He’s a people person and knows how to dialogue with people and comes up with solutions. He’s done more for the underpriviledged and low income families but isn’t media whore wanting publicity. He had the guts to get rid of a Failure of a Chief with Bitter Bernie. So far he has been the only one who isn’t afraid to say the truth and go after the Mayor and politicians. I haven’t heard not one of the other candidates for Mayor saying a word against them openly.
So why was he a coward like Zev to not run against the Mayor when they could have made a difference. We want someone new like Kevin James, uncorrupted by city politics.
I’m not considering an outsider who didn’t have the leadership or balls to run, last time. Didn’t want to step on political toes of Antonio. Now look what happened. No, he’s a political coward and obviously not an independent leader. If you think you have something to offer, you don’t wait because of Villargosa.
I’ll take Kevin James over Rick Caruso, but we need to work on Kevin’s attitude toward Redevelopment.
Don’t forget about Caruso – He has been on the other side of Cities taking advantage of them, with cooperation of corrupt elected officials as he did in Glendale.
Caruso is a lot like Tim Leiweke of AEG.
He was able to get Glendale to “give” him the land to build his Americana at Brand with a very favorable “profit sharing” agreement that allowed Caruso to keep up to a 12% return on retail before any “sharing” kicks in.
Then Caruso ran to the Glendale City Council and used them (again with their full cooperation) to abuse the power of Eminent Domain to get additional land for Nordstrom’s.
Someone who sucks off the taxpayers dollars for his own private gain should not be rewarded with keys to the City.
OMG now your criticizing Caruso for not holding to what you think YOUR timetable should be. How weak!!! I really like and support Kevin. I love the fact he was a prosecutor. However, I like Caruso having the guts to stand up to city hall when no one else has time and time again. To say he was afraid of The Failure of a Mayor is naive and ignorant. Jim, you keep posting the same story leaving out the fact that the Owner of the Hotel in Glendale in the end wanted more money. He was greedy so to blame Caruso is not true. If the Owner wanted his so called “Historic” hotel in tact why did he give in at the end? You posters want a robot perfect human being to run. I bet most of you sit on your asses and are do nothings but criticize and complain. I can count a handful of active citizens who actually give a shit and take the time to do something. Ron is one of them.
Oh Pleeeze, the hotel owner was greedy but Caruso is a developer for charity. Next you’ll say he is Mother Teresa or the newly saintified Pope.
another crook and liar
I am going to listen to these comments. However, just reading the titles gives me a good case of deja-vu!!!
More importantly, no mention of the city’s inability to fund its pension obligations, eh? No mention of how he plans on dealing with DWP’s bo$$…
Caruso definitely does not understand transportation. The subway to the westside, despite its cost, IS the logical piece needed in a regional system for the future. Running a fucking little trolly around some plastic fake shopping area does not mean Caruso has the foggiest comprehension of LA’s transportation needs. His thoughts are regressive — and ill-informed.
Mr C is a Wealthy Business Man. He got Tax Credits for the City of Los Angeles which is fine but not when the City is BROKE and never give the store away for Donations-Stupid Dumb.
Tax Credits have nothing to do with the day to day operations for the W Hotel,except lower or eliminate (mostly eliminate) taxes that pay for City Serivices.
If Mr C provides developers with incentives and tax credits that business just got WELFARE and the Citizens a TAX INCREASE or Bankruptcy.
@Anonymous on June 11, 2011 10:25 AM
Let me try to make this as simple as possible. Caruso should have tried to make a deal with the Hotel owner without the assistance of the government.
If he the Hotel owner was “greedy”, I assume that means that the price was too high. But that is between Caruso and the Hotel owner. If Caruso thought it was too high, then he could have walked away.
That is what is called free market capitalism and what Republicans like Caruso should understand.
In the end, Caruso paid the Hotel owner $16 million. Why didn’t he just come to an agreement without involving the government?
Reading these comments tells me certain folks are afraid of this guy. If he runs, he’ll be the most exciting candidate running.
He’s bolder and more articulate than either Zev or Garcetti. He’s an outsider who has some city experience.
If he runs, he’ll definitely be a contender.
Jim is right.
I think greed is when you pocket the tax advantages, and fail to give back to your community.
Remember that LAND DEAL with the City out there where LADWP was to buy land and the Mayor’s friend wanted to buy it first then resell it back to the City.. that’s greed. that’s corruption. I mean the idea Villaraigosa could have his BEST PAL buy land then before the ink is dry sell it for twice the price.
Jim is right.
I think greed is when you pocket the tax advantages, and fail to give back to your community.
Remember that LAND DEAL with the City out there where LADWP was to buy land and the Mayor’s friend wanted to buy it first then resell it back to the City.. that’s greed. that’s corruption. I mean the idea Villaraigosa could have his BEST PAL buy land then before the ink is dry sell it for twice the price.
There is nothing to be “scared of” if Caruso runs for Mayor. Caruso will have to stand on his record as a Developer. He was a Republican who supported George W Bush and it is now reported that he will be switching parties for this “non-partisan” Mayoral race (if he even runs).
But whether he switches parties or even runs for Mayor, he has sided with the Supreme Court in their 2005 Kelo decision to allow the use of Eminent Domain for a non-public use – Anyone can see that a Nordstroms high end department store is not a public use.
But Caruso ran to the Glendale City Council to get them to use Eminent Domain to theaten a private property owner to force him to sell to Caruso on Caruso’s financial terms.
So in Caruso crooked mind, that is a “good thing” and yet someone defending their own small business property is “greedy”??
Caruso has a warped sense of free market competition. He already has the advantage by being a Billionaire and politically connected, yet seeks government help against a much smaller player (the Hotel owner in Glendale).
Caruso doesn’t care about basic constitutional protections unless he is in trouble, then he would scream for help.
He hoodwinked the Glendale City Council to give him the land for the Americana for a profit sharing agreement which, as reported in CubedLA, he hasn’t paid on yet.
He also did a similar deal in Thousand Oaks.
So you might like Caruso thinking he is a smart businessman, but the taxpayers are paying the price for his profits as he sought Corporate welfare from them.
So whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or an Independent, there is nothing to be scared of from Caruso entering the Mayoral race, just keep an eye on your wallet if you are a taxpayer in LA.
Exciting? Like our ‘Failure Antonio?” Caruso is not an outsider. He’s been on city commission’s, and very much involved as one of the politically connected to the “Vote for Sale, LA Council Members.” Caruso, running to Glendale City Council to use Eminent Domain to enrich himself on a non-public project, paints a big enough picture of his intentions and his character, which commands no respect from me.
Let Caruso remain a developer, instead of electing and crowning him “King” of Los Angeles. I choose democracy for our city!
I could care less of someone’s party affiliation. If their track record has been to enrich themselves on the taxpayer dollar, and crush the littlest person. I won’t support or vote for them.
David Barron
OMG let all the whussies complain about Caruso when they don’t know all the facts. All your showing is he is a very strong contender and from all the people I’ve been hearing talk about the Mayor’s race he’s the best contender so far. So the more you cry out he’s a developer get your facts straight. Caruso had more accomplished for this city and has helped more people in low income communities then you know.
@Anonymous on June 14, 2011 11:19 AM
To the Caruso employees and PR people, the facts are out in the open and fully reported.
There is no need to call names, just look at the facts and the numbers, they don’t lie.
The facts of what he did in Glendale are out there. You can’t re-write history.
The Hotel Owner was not the bad guy, Caruso was and you know. Either Caruso comes up with a price that is satisfactory or he walks away. He struck a deal to put Nordstroms hi-end retail department in the location where the Hotel and Henry building were located.
Then he ran to the City government to have them force the hand of the Hotel owner. Those are the facts. That was dishonorable on Caruso’s part.
The majority of the public and the Nation is opposed to the US Supreme Court decision in Kelo regarding the use of Eminent Domain for private individuals.
Read Sandra Day O’Connor dissenting opinion in the Kelo case.
And look at the facts in Glendale with the Americana, how the land was handed over.