The Race for Los Angeles: Mayor Karen Bass Sits Down With Mimi Brown

Mimi Brown (0:05)

Thank you so much for joining us on Front Page today. How are you?

Karen Bass (0:09)

I'm doing just fine and thank you for having me.

Mimi Brown (0:11)

Absolutely. So, okay, we're going to get into some of the issues facing Los Angeles in the upcoming election. But before we do, I wanted to have a little fun. That's okay. Okay. I know you're born and raised in LA. Sure. You spent decades in public service.

But I want to see how LA you really are, if that's okay. Okay. So no thinking, just the first answer that comes to mind, just a little fun. Okay. All right.

Fox Hills Mall or Culver City Mall?

Karen Bass (0:43)

Fox Hills Mall.

Mimi Brown (0:45)

Yeah.

Karen Bass (0:45)

Yes.

Mimi Brown (0:46)

Why?

Karen Bass (0:47)

Because that's what it was always known as. But then when they decided they wanted to change it and branded something else, oh no, it's known in the community as the Fox Hills Mall.

Mimi Brown (1:00)

Absolutely. That's what we will always call it.

You know you're from LA when?

Karen Bass (1:06)

You know you're from LA when you know where the Staples Center is.

Mimi Brown (1:09)

The Staples Center.

Karen Bass (1:10)

The Staples Center.

Mimi Brown (1:11)

Which is technically right behind us, right?

Karen Bass (1:14)

Exactly right.

Mimi Brown (1:15)

Okay. I love that.

Karen Bass (1:17)

And some people might call it crypto. You're from LA if it's the Staples Center.

Mimi Brown (1:23)

Okay. I think I know the answer to this, but I'm going to ask anyway. Old school R&B or West Coast hip hop?

Karen Bass (1:29)

Well, for me, it's old school R&B.

Mimi Brown (1:32)

I thought so. I thought so.

Okay. And so because we're in LA, we know that traffic can be a little bit overwhelming. So name a street or something, a freeway that someone may avoid during rush hour traffic.

Karen Bass (1:47)

The 405

Mimi Brown (1:49)

The 405?

Karen Bass (1:49)

Yes. The 10 also, but the 405

Mimi Brown (1:53)

Yes. The 405 is probably backed up now. It starts really early, right?

Karen Bass (1:57)

Well, there used to be rush hour. I don't think there's rush hour anymore.

Mimi Brown (2:00)

It's rush day. It's rush day.

Okay. And then someone tells you they can get from Santa Monica to the valley in 20 minutes. Are we believing them?

Karen Bass (2:11)

Yeah. If they're taking metro.

Mimi Brown (2:14)

That's a good one.

Karen Bass (2:15)

Okay.

Mimi Brown (2:15)

They're taking metro. Okay. I didn't. I didn't. I did not expect that one. All right. And Mayor Bass, I want to end with a little wisdom.

A legendary West Coast philosopher, and one of the greatest thinkers of our time once said, and I quote, with so much drama in the LBC, it's kind of hard being.

Karen Bass (2:36)

You're talking about Snoop.

Mimi Brown (2:37)

Yes.

Karen Bass (2:38)

I am talking about Snoop. LBC is Long Beach. So. Good.

Mimi Brown (2:42)

Yes. Absolutely. Who am I talking about? I'm talking about Snoop.

Well, thank you for playing.

Karen Bass (2:49)

I appreciate that.

Mimi Brown (2:49)

Thank you for playing. All right. Well, Mayor Bass, we are down to the final days before the election.

Karen Bass (2:55)

Thank goodness.

Mimi Brown (2:57)

I was going to say, how are you feeling? But that tells you.

Karen Bass (2:58)

I'm feeling, no, I'm feeling great. There's so much love out there and so much energy out there, but that doesn't mean that I'm not tired. Yeah. Because, you know, I am running a campaign, but I'm also running the nation's second largest city.

Mimi Brown (3:13)

Absolutely.

Karen Bass (3:14)

And I'm chairing the Metropolitan Transit Authority Board. So I have three full-time jobs. That makes the sister tired.

Mimi Brown (3:22)

I'm sure it does. You know, I want to ask, is this time around, you've never lost an election.

Karen Bass (3:27)

That's right.

Mimi Brown (3:27)

You have been in public service for years. Does this time around feel just a little bit different for you?

Karen Bass (3:32)

Yes, but let me be clear. I have been in public service my entire life, but not as a politician.

My roots are in the medical field, taking care of our community, who are most vulnerable, whether it was in the NICU, the newborn ICU, with one and two pound babies, or whether it was working at County General Emergency Room, with gunshot wounds, stab wounds and car accidents, or running community-based organizations. I decided as a child, I wanted to devote my life to serving the city where I was born and raised. And I ran for office. This is a tough election, but my last election was extremely tough, as well. What is different now is that the mood of the nation is so sour, because the onslaught that we have experienced from this administration, $8 a gallon gas, food that is really expensive. Both of those things are outside of the control of a mayor. But what is in control, because affordability is our number one issue, and that is housing. And I have overseen the building of more affordable housing in the last four years that's been built in many, many, many years before that. Did you know there's 10,000 units of affordable housing ready right now for people to occupy?