So You Want To Be The Mayor...

“The Mayor of Los Angeles and the City Council should partner with the School Board, all involved being elected by the voters to do right by the next generation of students”

- Alex Gruenenfelder Smith

With $22.5 million of his own funds invested in his campaign, Rick Caruso has plenty to spend on campaign workers to harass Los Angeles voters. I have received my share of unsolicited texts from the developer. Curious to find out where his view aligned with mine, I replied to one of these texts with a question. The response came back right away. The campaign worker could not give me an answer but I should send an email to info@carusocan.com.

Knowing that I would want to write about this race, I sent five questions that were based on subjects that I have covered in my blogs. While not softball questions, I do not think that they were overly complex. They were certainly issues that any person contemplating a run for the mayor of the second-largest city should have considered.

While I did receive a confirmation that my message was received, my questions were never answered by Caruso or his campaign. These same inquiries were sent to all 12 candidates who will appear on the ballot, but none of the top-tier candidates bothered to respond. In fact, answers were only received from two candidates.

Mel Wilson pledges to “respect the school district’s independence,” which is essential for any candidate that I am considering. He also had some very thorough ideas about how the city and the LAUSD can work together. I was, however, concerned that he does not seem to recognize the real harm that charter schools have brought to impoverished communities and hope that this is something that he will research further. He also indicates that councilman John “City Staffer B” Lee should only face consequences if he is charged and convicted of a crime.

If elected, Alex Gruenenfelder Smith would be the “first mayor in our city's history to [have served] on a neighborhood council.” This service shows a long-term commitment to improving our city that gives him an edge in how I will vote. Like Wilson, he also commits to working with the LAUSD while respecting the independence of the district. He also takes a stronger stance on the case of Lee.

It is unfortunate that these are the only two candidates that I can compare in this important race. The decision on whom to vote for should be based on facts and stances on the issues, not who can send the most text messages or buy the most commercial time. If these 12 candidates want to be mayor, they should be willing to answer questions.

The candidate order was determined by when their response was received.

• During Antonio Villaraigosa’s tenure, he attempted to take control of the school district in a similar way to how New York’s mayor is responsible for that city’s school system. This would have removed the elected school board. As mayor do you commit to respecting the school district’s independence?

Alex Gruenenfelder Smith: The School Board in Los Angeles is controlled by the voters and directly elected. The mayor's powers are very clear, and I am disturbed by candidates who wish to put their political ambitions over the will of the people. Though I would like to work with LAUSD to advance my agenda, I will never work to usurp their authority and instead preserve their independence. I have a huge problem with mayoral candidates who wish to expand the scope of the office in order to expand their own power.

Mel Wilson: Yes, I respect the school district’s independence. As Mayor I will have multiple crises to manage, implementing my accountable community public safety plan to make LA safe again. Housing our unhoused neighbors, creating affordable workforce housing, making LA business-friendly, investing in LA’s children and youth, and tackling climate change. I have no interest in taking over LAUSD. I will work with Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, the LAUSD Board, parents, teachers, and administrators.

The growth of union-run Pilot schools and LAUSD Charter schools in impoverished communities have made progress with students' aptitude and graduation rates. Also, the Partnership for LA schools, which included 19 of the previously lowest-performing LAUSD schools, has made great gains and is an example of how friendly collaboration can do. I will be a collaborative partner and a nudge for excellence when it comes to educating our children and youth.

• How do you see the city supporting the school district’s mission? What types of partnerships do you envision between the city government and the school district?

Alex Gruenenfelder Smith: The city needs to be doing more to partner with the School Board in order to ensure that high-quality education is provided to our city's students. I grew up going to public schools here in Los Angeles, so I know firsthand their strengths and their shortcomings. The Mayor of Los Angeles and the City Council should partner with the School Board, all involved being elected by the voters to do right by the next generation of students, to make sure that kids are caught up on material after the pandemic and that we can level the educational playing field.

Mel Wilson: The City of LA and LAUSD have the opportunity to work together on a wide range of issues impacting the health of students, families, neighborhoods, and the Los Angeles economy. The City and LAUSD can partner on school safety, increased lighting near schools, emergency planning, and response, sharing facilities, internships, job training, and appointing students to City commissions to encourage student engagement. Hiring high school students with part-time jobs, recruit and hire high school graduates to work for the City.

Develop strategic advocacy plans, go to Sacramento and Washington D.C. to fight for operating and capital funds to improve compensation, retrofit, and construct buildings and other facilities for LA schools.

In addition, finding ways to expand and support collaboration and mutual understanding between youth and our public safety officers. LA City’s newly formed Department of Youth Development. The City and LAUSD can work together with job training programs, matching students with newly developed skills to jobs that are available in the City, other government agencies, and the private sector.

• How would you strengthen the neighborhood council system?

Alex Gruenenfelder Smith: I am the only neighborhood council member in this race, as District 1 Representative for the Echo Park Neighborhood Council. I am the Co-Chair of our Planning and Land Use Committee, as well as a member of our Reimagining Public Safety Committee. I know firsthand what is broken about our neighborhood council system, and Step One must be to hold our elected officials accountable to their demands. Electing the first mayor in our city's history to serve on a neighborhood council would send an important message about their importance, and I know from my experience touring neighborhood councils to introduce my campaign just how vital they feel it is to be connected to the mayor's office. Our neighborhood council system isn't working, and it's going to take leadership at the very top to get it to act as it should: as an important, people-powered advisory body to our city government.

Mel Wilson: I would increase neighborhood councils' allocation of annual funds. Appoint a Deputy Mayor with the full-time responsibility to liaison between the community and the Mayor. Get regular updates on important issues that are presented by Neighborhood Councils to my Deputy Mayor.

Attend Neighborhood Councils annual alliance meetings and their budget advocate meetings every six months. Implement some of the Neighborhood Councils advisory recommendations and make Neighborhood Council priorities that were not yet implemented.

• Meetings of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council are regularly attended by a staff member from our City Councilperson but I can’t remember the last time a representative from the mayor’s office attended. The mayor did not even attend when we held a candidate forum during the last election cycle. Do you commit to having staffers interact with each of the neighborhood councils on a regular basis?

Alex Gruenenfelder Smith: I can absolutely commit to my staffers coming to visit the neighborhood councils. We are lucky on the Echo Park Neighborhood Council to occasionally have a representative from Mayor Garcetti's office stop by, but this must not be a rarity. As Mayor, representatives will consistently attend and report back to me, and I will make visits periodically myself. We must strengthen our neighborhood council system and show respect to those putting in the work.

Mel Wilson: I absolutely commit to having my Mayor’s Office staffers interact with each of the neighborhood councils.

• With the conviction of Mitch Englander and the indictments of José Huizar and Mark Ridley Thomas, ethics is a major issue for our city. Councilperson John Lee was also a participant in the trip to Vegas that landed his former boss in jail. Lee is widely suspected to be “City Staffer B” as named in Englander’s indictment. If this is true, then he attempted to obstruct justice by backdating a check to make it appear that he had paid for a portion of this trip himself during the appropriate time frame. Do you agree that Lee should face the same consequences as Huizar and Ridley Thomas and be removed from his seat on the City Council?

Alex Gruenenfelder Smith: I have read a lot about the "Staffer B" allegations and their relation to Councilmember John Lee. If these are true, he must be removed from the council and sentenced for his crimes. It's outrageous that our city suffers from so much corruption, and that it takes so long for justice to be done.

Mel Wilson: The Mayor, City Councilmembers, and City staff are not exempt from being held accountable for breaking the law. I believe one is innocent until proven guilty. If the U.S. Attorney or the FBI has evidence that will convict Lee, any City employee, and any members of the public, I agree Lee should face the same consequences.

Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for students with special education needs and public education. He is an elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and serves as the Education Chair. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him “a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles.” For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.