Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s Noah Goldberg giving you the latest on city and county government.
At her official campaign launch Dec. 13, Mayor Karen Bass told Angelenos that they face a simple decision.
After speaking about the Palisades fire, federal immigration raids and the homelessness and affordability crises, she turned to the primary election next June.
“This election will be a choice between working people and the billionaire class who treat public office as their next vanity project,” Bass told a crowd of a few hundred people at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College.
Attendees take their picture against a “photo booth” wall at Mayor Karen Bass’ reelection campaign kickoff rally.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
In one sentence, without uttering a single name, the mayor appeared to be taking a shot at three different men. Was she talking about President Trump? Mayoral hopeful Austin Beutner? Her previous opponent, the billionaire developer Rick Caruso?
Or how about all of the above, suggested Bass’ campaign spokesperson, Doug Herman.
The billionaire class certainly includes Caruso, who self-funded his 2022 campaign to the tune of more than $100 million. It also includes Trump, who the New York Times estimated could be worth more than $10 billion. Though the mayor is not running against Trump, she likes to cast herself in opposition him. And Beutner, a former Los Angeles schools superintendent, was once an investment banker, Herman pointed out.
Beutner confirmed to The Times that he is not a billionaire. To the contrary, Beutner said, he drives a 10-year-old Volkswagen Golf.
Herman said Angelenos don’t care if Beutner has billions or just a lot of millions.
“Whether you’re a billionaire or multimillionaire is not really important to someone having trouble getting by and playing by the rules,” Herman told The Times.
“I’m trying to find the polite…