---
[ ARCHIVE ](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive)
# Ten Things You Didn’t Know about LA’s New Mayor
May 27 2013
Written by Zocalo Public Square.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
IT’S GARCETTI - A week ago, City Councilman Eric Garcetti became the mayor-elect of Los Angeles. Two weeks ago, Garcetti visited Zócalo’s green room and answered questions that no other journalists ventured to ask, including what he would do for Zócalo.
Here is what he said:
**Q: What was your first car?**
A: It was a Ford Torino wagon, white with wooden trim. It was the station wagon I grew up in—I don’t want to say I was born in. It was sold by my parents when they upgraded to a Caprice Classic station wagon, and then they bought it back from the guy they sold it to, to give to me as my first car.
**Q: Obama said he has only two colors of suits, gray and blue, in order to eliminate choices. What suit colors do you have?**
A: Oh my gosh. I’ve got blue suits, I have gray suits, I have black suits. And I believe I have, like, a brown suit. Twice as many choices but half as many suits.
**Q: What animal fills you with terror?**
A: I think it’s the chupacabra. I don’t know if it’s out there, but if it is, that frightens the heck out of me.
**Q: What has been the most bruising campaign you’ve ever experienced personally?**
A: The first campaign that was the most bruising, and highly unsuccessful, was to create veloways with my uncle. They would have been bicycle lanes along the freeways. Probably would have been a really bad idea for asthma and health to have bike lanes alongside five-lane freeways. But it was bruising. I almost never recovered. It’s a wonder I’m in politics.
**Q: How often does your father, former Los Angeles district attorney Gil Garcetti, get correspondence intended for you?**
A: All the time. My dad gets requests for potholes to be filled.
**Q: Does he pass them on?**
A: Yes. Now he’s just getting to the point where he’s getting introduced as “dad of” rather than me being introduced as “son of.”
**Q: What do you do to clear your mind?**
A: Play the piano.
**Q: What was your worst subject in school?**
A: Drawing, for sure. Just terrible.
**Q: Can you assess Mayor Villaraigosa’s tenure in 140 characters or less?**
A: Would you like me to type it? \[*Takes interviewer’s laptop and types the following:*\]
Dared to dream, made us safer, investing in young people and set the bar high. Will go down as one of the best.
**Q: What’s hanging on your living room walls?**
A: A lot of family pictures. A collection of children’s sketches for the campaign, like campaign posters. We don’t even ask for them; they just keep coming. And a TV that hardly gets watched.
**Q: Most important final question: If you’re elected mayor, what can you do for Zócalo?**
A: What can Zócalo do for *me*? All kidding aside, I’ve always been a huge Zócalo fan. I believe civic conversation needs to be elevated. You’ve been doing it, but you will have a partner at City Hall. But all Zócalo employees must still pay their tickets.
*(This interview was conducted by, and posted first at, [ZocaloPublicSquare.org ](http://ZocaloPublicSquare.org%20)… connecting people and ideas.)*
*-cw*
CityWatch
Vol 11 Issue 43
Pub: May 28, 2013
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
Last Name
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33349-l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up)
### [L.A. County Faces a Government Shake-Up](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33349-l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up)
WESTSIDE - Currently larger than 40 states in terms of population with roughly 10 million residents, Los Angeles County…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/voices/33346-before-we-ask-god-to-judge-us-the-jewish-people-must-judge-ourselves)
### [Before We Ask God to Judge Us, the Jewish People Must Judge Ourselves](https://www.citywatchla.com/voices/33346-before-we-ask-god-to-judge-us-the-jewish-people-must-judge-ourselves)
Yom Kippur demands more than personal repentance. At a defining moment for Jews everywhere, it asks whether we have tru…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/voices/33372-the-greater-israel-delusion-may-undo-israel)
### [The Greater Israel Delusion May Undo Israel](https://www.citywatchla.com/voices/33372-the-greater-israel-delusion-may-undo-israel)
ANNEXATION - The vision of “Greater Israel” draws on maximalist readings of biblical verses, especially Genesis 15:18–2…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/world-watch/33366-israels-political-map-is-being-redrawn)
### [Israel’s Political Map Is Being Redrawn](https://www.citywatchla.com/world-watch/33366-israels-political-map-is-being-redrawn)
NETANYAHUISM - The next Israeli election may be about something larger than Benjamin Netanyahu. For the first time in a…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33347-la-stop-the-war-on-cars-they-arent-going-away)
### [LA, Stop the War on Cars. They Aren’t Going Away](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33347-la-stop-the-war-on-cars-they-arent-going-away)
LA TRANSPO - For anyone traversing the San Fernando Valley, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: Los Angeles is sp…
---
## [ ARCHIVE ](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive)
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)### [Early Intervention and Jobs are Key to Stemming Chronic Homelessness in Los Angeles](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)
### [Tucker Carlson and Gay Rightwinger Blame California Wildfires On Hiring LGBTQ People](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/18755-tucker-carlson-and-gay-rightwinger-blame-california-wildfires-on-hiring-lgbtq-people)
### [Anti-LGBTQ Veep Just Can’t Stop Talking about Mayor Pete](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/17690-anti-lgbtq-veep-just-can-t-stop-talking-about-mayor-pete)
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)### [NEWS PULSE: ‘Corrupt System’ Reason for Not Voting in 2018 … Majority Wants More Than Two Parties](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)### [Dead Dog Set on Fire … Sparks Fears for Strays in Los Angeles](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)