Greuel v Garcetti: A Live Mayoral Debate Moderated by KCRW’s Warren Olney

With two weeks before the runoff election for mayor of Los Angeles, candidates Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel sought to distinguish their positions and records from each other in a debate co-presented by Zócalo and KCRW at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

The subjects at hand were education, setting priorities in the face of a gaping deficit, and life in Los Angeles. The moderator was Warren Olney, host of KCRW’s “To the Point” and “Which Way, LA?” The debate was being aired live for a special edition of “Which Way, LA?” in front of a capacity crowd, with audience members also listening in an overflow space nearby.

After opening statements from both candidates, Olney opened the debate with a challenge: How do the candidates expect to change Los Angeles’ underfunded school system without direct power over the LAUSD superintendent and Los Angeles School Board, and without control over school funding? When mayors make an issue of schools, Olney asked Greuel, “Are you excessively politicizing education?” (Read more here.) 

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CityWatch

5-13-13