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THE FRED REPORT - It would really be terrific if the people who were elected would actually know what they were doing---because based on the events of at least the last 10 years it's clearly a bridge too far. Asking Karen to exhibit the leadership qualities needed to be a successful Mayor is like asking her to be the lead dancer in the Bolshoi Ballet--she has failed at the former and has no chance at the latter.
Running a city should be politically agnostic----providing essential services--police, fire, sanitation, public schools, maintenance of roads and all other services that apply to every citizen regardless of their political affiliation and economics. Candidly I've had enough of the far left and the far right. Ughhh!!! Under wishful thinking, I want candidates who are willing to meet in the middle. Common sense solutions for the issues that are desperately needed in our city from bringing businesses back to getting the homeless off the streets. The Beatles had a song "Come together"--isn't it time for that? The only qualities necessary to run for office should be intelligence, ability and common sense and the need for all of us to work together to improve the quality of life for all Angelinos. Aspiration, inspiration, innovation and leadership are qualities that need to be in the forefront. Race, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation are private and should be celebrated and characteristics to be proud of. . That said they should be irrelevant to hold office and let me be clear, the "warmth of collectivism" is a race to mediocrity (not politically correct but totally true). If you don't believe that ask any outstanding professional athlete to share their salaries with those who have less ability.
The loudest voices in this city do not speak for the exhausted majority--who sadly do not vote. ULA was passed by only 25% of the electorate due to Nithya Ramen proudly misleading her constituents and others to vote for it; and how has that worked out? The number of current city building projects is 25% of what they were in 2015. Anyone who has a basic understanding of economics understood the dire consequences that would result from that referendum's passage. Candidly, the unions should be infuriated--how many jobs were lost, not to mention the tax revenues the city did not receive. There are 2 million registered voters in the city. When Nithya (DSA) was elected she received about 32,000 votes. Eunisses Hernandez is another City Council member (DSA) who was elected with 16,000 votes. Now her claim to fame is that she’s always against police funding and has advocated for defunding the police. Yet when she held a community event that required extra police protection, she had no problem reaching out to the police and that cost the city an extra $135,000 in police overtime. Put another way--it’s ok when I need it--other times you are on your own. These two city council members who were collectively elected with less than 60,000 votes have outsized voices and there is no real leader to push back. Neither have ever signed a check and been responsible for a bottom line. I would bet that 98% of the people in LA not only do not want the police defunded but would want to hire more to make the city safer. Furthermore, I question the character if both of these individuals--from Eunisses hypocrisy about the police to Nithya betraying Karen by running against her for Mayor. It's no wonder the city is woke and broke.
The city needs a voice and individual to bring us together and make the city work. We have amazing sports teams, remarkable cultural institutions, and a remarkable, wonderful diverse population---all ill served by our current officeholders and please don't get me started on the losers of Metro!! As I've written before, the citizens of Los Angeles are great--our political leaders SUCK!!!
(Fredric D. Rosen is a retired businessman and former CEO of Ticketmaster, where he led the company for 16 years and transformed it into the world’s leading ticketing service. He has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, offering leadership across both private enterprise and charitable initiatives. With decades of experience in business and civic engagement, Rosen brings a seasoned perspective to issues at the intersection of commerce, culture, and community.)
PS---Check out Adam Miller for Mayor
PPS…If you travel to NYC, see the Broadway Play “GIANT”. Totally relevant for the times we are living in.
