On Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D-CA) delivered a State of the City address.
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00:00Thank you. Thank you everyone. Thank you so much. Thank you. And thank you,
00:10Council President Harris Dawson. I know you have been president for a while, but
00:16let me congratulate you on your presidency to the council. To the Los
00:21Angeles Fire Department Honor Guard, thank you so much for the presentation
00:27of colors. And to the Los Angeles police officers, Carr and Rocha, for that
00:33wonderful redemption of the national anthem. Thank you for joining us here in
00:40these chambers, and thank you always for your heroic efforts.
00:46Madam City Attorney, Mr. City Controller, City Council President, City Council
00:58President Pro Tem, members of the City Council, City Commissioners, Department
01:05leaders, distinguished guests, and to the people of Los Angeles, and to members of my
01:11family. There are so many members of my family here. Please stand. Members of the Bass family.
01:17And our guests from Japan.
01:23Thank you. Thank you for always supporting me, always being there with me. And thank you
01:30for joining me today as we continue to turn the page for our city. In preparing for
01:38today, I reflected on my predecessors, who addressed our city during times of civil
01:45unrest, recession, earthquakes, and pandemics. And no matter what our city faces, L.A. never,
01:54ever gives up. L.A. always rises, always rises.
01:59Yesterday, many of us gathered with our families for Easter. Today, however, many
02:12Angelenos will gather to mourn the loss of Pope Francis. On behalf of the City of Los
02:18Angeles, I want to offer the condolences of our city to Archbishop Jose Gomez. We come to that
02:27together, and now in these chambers, just over a hundred days after a natural disaster, a firestorm
02:37that also reminds us of how the world can change in an instant. The aftermath of this disaster
02:45weighs on our city, which already had huge challenges before us. We feel it every day. The strain of the housing crisis, the tragedy of the
02:57homelessness crisis. We worry about public safety and the unpredictability of our streets. We worry about a changing climate
03:07climate that brings increasing weather extremes. And we worry about rising costs and economic uncertainty.
03:15But I want you to know that I see it. We are not here to gloss over difficulties. We are here to make them heads on and to make real change.
03:27Today, I want to talk about and confront what isn't working, investing in what is, and delivering results. First of all, we must reform how our city works, and we must rebuild a city that works better for everyone that calls L.A. home.
03:53In January, we saw thousands of Angelenos evacuate for them from their homes in Silmar, in Hollywood, in Brentwood, in Encino, in Sherman Oaks, and of course, in Palisades, where tragically 12 people lost their lives.
04:20Thousands lost their homes, a traumatic loss, not just of property, but of memories, of sanctuary, of community. Our city and county firefighters heroically answered the call.
04:39Firefighters from around the state, the country, and even around the world joined in that fight. Let us all thank our firefighters. Freddy Escobar.
04:50Chief Villanueva.
04:53Chief Villanueva.
04:57After the fires were out, Angelenos, with resilience and resolve, asked, how can we rebuild our homes, and when can we go home?
05:10When can we go home? Because home is at the heart of healing, and that has been the North Star of our recovery efforts, to get people home.
05:25So I want to acknowledge some heroes in that effort who are here today. Larry Vane of Pali Strong, Mariam Tsar of the Pali Recovery Coalition, and Sue Cole of the Pacific Palisades Community Council.
05:42All three. All three. All three have been working from day one to make sure that the community of the Palisades is in the forefront of the recovery effort.
05:55To Kevin Chin, who, despite having stage four cancer, single-handedly fought the flames and saved people's lives.
06:08Larry, Larry, Marion, Sue, Kevin, please stand so we can congratulate you, applaud you, and thank you again.
06:26Now, Councilwoman Park. I'm not sure I need to say more than that.
06:46Councilwoman Park, let me thank you for your leadership, for your support, for standing up for your constituents every day.
06:55You push the city, the county, the state, and the federal government to do more, and to do it faster, and to get the job done on behalf of Palisades.
07:08Please stand. Please stand.
07:10She has been in the Palisades, at fire stations, at recovery centers every day. She has been on the ground, making sure we cut red tape and provide comfort. And so again, we thank you, Councilman.
07:36Today, in reporting on the state of our city, I report to Los Angeles that the recovery in the Palisades is on track to be the fastest in California history.
07:56And we're not just moving fast to move fast. We know the faster we can rebuild, the faster we can heal.
08:11We still have a long way to go. And for those who have lost a home, each and every day is a day too long, right?
08:21We want to be fast, we want to be safe, and we want to be resilient. So let me just tell you, we have issued permits to rebuild twice as fast as after the Camp and Woosley fires.
08:36We restored water nearly a year and a half faster than after the Camp fire. And we restored power in just two months. Los Angeles, I assure you, rebuilding is underway.
08:51Our sweeping emergency orders are slicing through red tape and unlocking innovation. And so today, I'm announcing three new actions, Miriam, you're going to be happy.
09:11To expedite the planning process and make planning easier to rebuild, I am establishing a self-certification program to reduce redundancy in the permitting process.
09:30We will launch an initiative to start using innovative AI technology to accelerate and support the city's permit process.
09:40Now, if successful, we will take both of these new initiatives citywide to accelerate building everywhere.
09:55Folks from the Palisades and our Councilwoman, finally, I call on the Council to pass an ordinance to waive all plan check and permit fees so Angelenos can get home.
10:10These actions build on the support the city has provided thus far.
10:23Our disaster recovery center, which we opened in January, has helped nearly 10,000 households replace vital documents and obtain recovery services.
10:37This sends a signal of hope to Palisades residents while delivering results.
10:43People also lost jobs. I think about the housekeepers, the caregivers, the servers, the gardeners, the teachers who worked in homes, restaurants and small businesses.
10:56This is why we opened four impacted worker and family recovery centers across the city.
11:03These centers have provided financial assistance, business assistance and other services for people, regardless of which fire they were impacted by.
11:15The impacts are citywide.
11:24Air pollution and smoke damage also cause displacement around the city.
11:30So recovery has been all hands on deck.
11:33And I want to thank the county,
11:36Supervisor Holly Mitchell.
11:38I want to thank the county for its partnership in debris removal.
11:48And we continue to stand in solidarity with those affected by the fires in Altadena, in Malibu and elsewhere in the county.
11:57And I also want to thank the White House and our federal partners, FEMA, the EPA, the Army Corps of Engineers.
12:05So I want to take this opportunity to introduce another one of our heroes, Colonel Swenson of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
12:14The councilwoman and I weren't sure we would recognize you outside of your Army Corps of Engineers uniform.
12:30Let me just say that the colonel has become a hero in this city and in the Palisades,
12:36because he has led the effort that has contributed to us having the fastest recovery so far in California history.
12:46The Army Corps of Engineers has already cleared 500 properties in the Palisades area,
12:52which means people can start rebuilding today.
12:56And to our governor, Governor Newsom, and our state agencies,
13:06we want to thank you all for your support.
13:09You have moved mountains to remove hazards and restore hope.
13:14Philanthropy has stepped up in a big way, too,
13:17with support coming from long-standing major institutions and from everyday Angelenos.
13:24So first I want to thank Coach JJ Reddick, not just for leading the Lakers to the playoffs,
13:30we thank him for that, too, but also for leading L.A. Strong Sports.
13:36I want to thank Steadfast L.A. and Palisades stakeholder organizations
13:42for creating and joining us in creating this public-private partnership
13:48that will fund, redesign, and rebuild the Palisades Recreation Center.
13:53That's right.
14:00Our youth who still feel the trauma from the pandemic were traumatized again by the fires,
14:08but this initiative will help them heal.
14:12So please join me in giving thanks for all of the generosity from individual people
14:17and from our philanthropic community.
14:27So home isn't just a structure. It's a feeling.
14:31If Los Angeles is going to work for the people who call it home, then home has to feel safe.
14:38That's why public safety is at the core of our work.
14:42From the beginning of my administration, we have led a comprehensive approach to safety.
14:49I said we would work to rebuild the ranks of the LAPD to protect our communities,
14:56and I want to thank Councilman Lee and Councilwoman Rodriguez for your staunch advocacy for public safety.
15:04And I'm pleased to report that we have hit a four-year high of applications to join the LAPD.
15:19But the frustrating part is that the city's broken system now stands in the way of actually hiring those applicants.
15:29So that's why—you know it's coming, Malaika—that's why I appointed a new head of the personnel department with a clear directive.
15:40Stop the bureaucratic madness. Overhaul the system.
15:51How's that for pressure?
15:53And get officers hired and on our streets.
15:57And I look forward to working with Chairman McOsker of the Personnel and Hiring Committee
16:03to reform this process citywide. The hiring process needs to be reformed.
16:09And you will lead the effort.
16:13We also created a first-of-its-kind Office of Community Safety, which works to prevent crime and reduce violence across the city.
16:22The office works with trained and trusted intervention workers.
16:26They have built trust with the community and are uniquely qualified to stop gang violence and stop cycles of retaliation.
16:35They are an essential part of our crime-fighting strategy.
16:40Now, we've also brought in a new chief, Chief McDonnell.
16:44Chief McDonnell and I—
16:50Chief McDonnell and I stand together in reporting good news—violent crime and property crime are down in Los Angeles.
17:05And this is the result of a comprehensive approach to safety.
17:11Last year, homicides fell by 14 percent.
17:16Gang-related homicides in communities most impacted fell by 45 percent.
17:22The number of shooting victims fell 19 percent, and we've intensified safety efforts on Metro.
17:37We have cracked down on organized retail theft.
17:40We're addressing copper wire theft through public safety efforts and new solutions like solar streetlights.
17:47And we are acting boldly around MacArthur Park to bring crime down in a united effort with Councilwoman Hernandez.
17:57Angelenos, we are turning the corner on crime in Los Angeles, and we will not go back.
18:12Because at the end of the day, public safety is about so much more than statistics.
18:23It's about whether people feel secure where they live.
18:27It's about whether they feel safe at home.
18:30So if you are a police officer—and let's start with our Chief McDonnell, please stand.
18:42If you are an interventionist, if you have worked toward making public safety in Los Angeles safer, please stand.
18:53Thank you, thank you, thank you for your work, all of you.
19:04The homelessness crisis is a humanitarian crisis, and it affects everyone.
19:10Those without a home and those who worry about what they see outside of their home.
19:17We have made significant progress, but we still have much further to go.
19:22So first of all, I want to thank Councilmember Rahman, Chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee.
19:30I thank you for your leadership, and as the chair, she leads the way.
19:43That's right, you can give her a round of applause. She deserves it.
19:48Now partnership is so important, partnership here in this room and throughout the county and all 88 cities in it.
19:57But in the wake of the county's decision to withdraw from Lhasa and audits confirming what we already know, the system is broken.
20:07It must be transformed.
20:10However, I'm concerned that there is the potential danger of going backwards into silos.
20:16And frankly, just creating new bureaucracy is not in and of itself transformational.
20:22Moving forward, we must make sure we have a comprehensive and regional approach.
20:29And the city of Los Angeles is ready to continue down the road of reform and solid, meaningful partnership.
20:46Year after year, the broken system allowed the crisis to grow.
20:51In 2016, voters approved Measure HHH to build 10,000 units of housing.
20:58At the time, LA had about 25,000 unhoused residents.
21:03But by the time I took office, less than two and a half years ago, that number had grown to more than 46,000 unhoused Angelenos.
21:15On my first day in office, I declared a state of emergency on homelessness, specifically to inject disruption and change to fix the broken system.
21:27This includes systematically confronting old, outdated policies that actually stop people from being housed.
21:38Listen to this.
21:40People living in a tent, people who had nothing, actually had to prove that they were poor before they were eligible for housing.
21:50So I want to know, how do you prove no income?
21:54How do you prove nothing?
21:57So we fought, and Washington removed that barrier.
22:01Here's another one.
22:10If veterans, veterans, heroes who fought for our country, received disability checks, they were told they made too much money and were not eligible for veteran housing vouchers.
22:25So we mobilized.
22:27We took more than 50 mayors to Washington, D.C., and we fought, and Washington removed that barrier.
22:40The result is, for the first time, we have secured housing vouchers for every homeless veteran in L.A.
22:59We built a partnership with U.S. Vets, the Greater L.A. Realtors and Apartment Association.
23:05In fact, even Stevie Wonder has joined the call.
23:08So now I call on all Angelenos who have rental properties.
23:14Be a patriot.
23:16Take a voucher.
23:18House a veteran.
23:20For years, the de facto policy of the city and the county rigidly overprioritized permanent housing to the extent that people were just left on the street while housing was being built.
23:43Well, I don't care how fast you build.
23:46We cannot build fast enough to leave people on the streets until the projects are completed is unacceptable.
23:57It's unacceptable for people to live in squalor on our streets.
24:02This is Los Angeles.
24:04So we must invest in long-term, interim housing.
24:10Inside Safe represents a major change.
24:13Instead of waiting on expensive new housing to be built,
24:17we tapped L.A.'s supply of underused motels to bring people inside immediately.
24:30Inside Safe has cleared thousands of tents outside of schools, storefronts, and homes citywide.
24:38But given that, we know that motels alone are not financially sustainable.
24:46We must invest in long-term, interim housing.
24:50Places where people can stay safe and receive comprehensive services to rebuild their lives while we build housing that Angelenos need.
25:01We are already proving new models for immediately making housing available at much lower costs.
25:14L.A. for L.A. led by Sarah Dousseau.
25:17L.A. for L.A. is the public-private partnership that I announced from this podium last year.
25:26L.A. for L.A. is helping us acquire existing buildings.
25:31We have already master-leased a building in Koreatown that has housed nearly 60 Angelenos who were part of Inside Safe.
25:40The strategy of L.A. for L.A. is to experiment with new, less expensive financing models
25:46and acquire vacant properties which will be faster than relying on building new properties.
25:53But you know what? After all of that, we must figure out how to prevent people from ending up on the streets in the first place.
26:05And if we don't, we'll have more of the same.
26:15Again, 25,000 Angelenos on the street in 2016 exploded to 46,000 in 2022
26:25because every day more people were falling into homelessness than being lifted out of it.
26:31The problem is there are few, if any, research-tested programs actively preventing people from losing their homes.
26:41The Mayor's Fund connects people in danger of becoming homeless with resources that will help them stay housed,
26:50whether it is food and health care assistance to ease financial burdens so people can pay their rent,
26:56or legal assistance to avoid evictions.
27:00The Mayor's Fund is able to reach out to help every Angeleno facing eviction.
27:07But this is because of action taken by the Council, led by Councilmember Rahman,
27:14to require that the city be notified of every eviction filed.
27:21That's a partnership.
27:23The Council passed the ordinance, the Mayor's Fund is implementing it,
27:29along with many other organizations to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place.
27:44So we had the Mayor's Fund program analyzed by Loyola Marymount University,
27:49and during the six-month study period alone, the Mayor's Fund connected 31,000 Angelenos with resources to help them stay housed.
27:59And I know that there are some people here who were able to stay in your homes because of the Mayor's Fund,
28:05along with some of the caseworkers who helped keep people housed.
28:10Will you please stand to be recognized? Where are you?
28:15There you are.
28:26And I want to acknowledge the CEO of the Mayor's Fund, Conway Collis.
28:31Now, is confronting homelessness expensive? Of course it is.
28:43And we are working to lower costs and make sure that valuable tax dollars are being well spent.
28:50But leaving people on the street comes at an enormous human cost.
28:56Last Thursday, I was at an encampment that had existed since before the pandemic.
29:02More than 25 RVs lined the street, with more than 41 Angelenos in tents up and down the block.
29:11I met a veteran.
29:13I met a family who had clearly just been evicted because all of their household items were on the street in front of their tent.
29:21I saw a child, maybe the same age as my one-year-old grandson, I think, who just left.
29:28I saw that child in a dirty stroller.
29:34And his sibling was standing next to him, hiding her head because she didn't want to be seen.
29:42What's going to happen to that child?
29:45But I'm happy to say that they're all inside now.
29:49And for me, housing these folks, saving lives, and ending encampments that have been there for years and years, that is worth the cost.
30:00Because the cost of leaving an encampment on the street impacts everyone around.
30:05Small businesses pay the price when their entrances are blocked.
30:10People lose their jobs when restaurants lose customers.
30:14Residents feel safer when encampments are removed and people are housed.
30:19The LAPD will report that crime is down at locations where encampments were removed and people were housed.
30:27And just last week, Chief, the fire department shared that nearly a third of fires in Los Angeles, a third of fires, involve someone who is homeless.
30:41An ambulance ride costs thousands and so does a night in the emergency room.
30:46Multiply that by the number of encampment incidents every year.
30:51And it's clear that the cost of doing nothing is not just inhumane, it is also financially unsustainable.
31:11So we're taking action and making change.
31:14And after years of increasing homelessness, we are finally reversing that trend and homelessness is down.
31:21And that includes a 10% reduction in street homelessness and a 38% reduction in makeshift structures and tents.
31:33We are moving thousands more people from the streets before we took office.
31:38And more Angelenos are being moved into permanent housing than ever before.
31:44Now, all of this comes as nationwide, homelessness went up by 18% but not in Los Angeles.
31:53Now, I will all wish, I know we all wish, that we could just focus on reductions in homelessness and crime,
32:07and on the fastest recovery in our state's history.
32:12But the reality is, our city faces a more than an $800 million deficit.
32:22Cities like ours are going through challenging economic times across the nation.
32:27Turmoil and uncertainty from Washington and a slowing economy are causing lower revenue projections to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
32:40Liability settlements have tripled from backed up lawsuits during the pandemic and uncapped damages.
32:48Combined with personnel costs and, of course, the fires and rebuilding altogether, Los Angeles, we have a very difficult budget to balance.
32:59Since January, I've been in active conversations with our partners in labor to find solutions to address a worsening economic outlook.
33:10We identified new revenue to offset costs.
33:14We reduced funding for the mayor's office.
33:17We further eliminated ghost positions.
33:20And we postponed some capital projects.
33:25But now, I would like to take a minute to address our city workforce directly.
33:30Make no mistake.
33:32You are the city's greatest asset.
33:35Every single day, you come to work in dedicated service to the people of Los Angeles.
33:42And often in challenging working conditions.
33:45You help Angelenos, and you help make our city better every day.
33:51But I want to be straight with you.
33:53My proposed budget, unfortunately, includes layoffs, which is a decision of absolute last resort.
34:03The city attorney and I will be in Sacramento this week to meet with legislative leaders and advocate for resources
34:11while also working to manage the increasing liabilities.
34:17So let me assure our hard-working public servants that I will never, ever stop fighting for you.
34:33Now, we're also taking steps to make our city run in a more efficient manner.
34:38We're going to consolidate departments, rebuild our reserves, and reorganize structures with the number one goal of improving services for Angelenos.
34:49I was proud to have supported new labor contracts approved by the council that invested in our workforce.
34:56But now, it is time to work together again, so we can balance this year's budget and create a foundation for long-lasting and long-overdue fiscal stability.
35:09I will make sure the city does its part.
35:12I want to be clear the departmental changes contained in this budget proposal must only be the beginning because we must have fundamental change starting now and moving forward.
35:27For example, upgrades or maintenance to a single street can involve the Board of Public Works, the Department of Transportation, the Bureau of Engineering, the Bureau of Street Services, the Bureau of Street Lighting, the Bureau of Sanitation, and the DWP.
35:46Building housing can involve the Planning Commission, the Planning Commission, the Planning Department, the Department of Building and Safety, the Bureau of Sanitation, the Bureau of Engineering, the Fire Department, the Housing Department, and the DWP.
36:01This is a broken system.
36:04And to turn LA around, we have to fix this.
36:16I agree with the controller that we should move forward to implement a multi-year budget and to amend our charter.
36:24We are doing work to plan capital projects over the long run through the city's first-ever capital improvement plan established under my executive order.
36:36This week, we will be announcing the executive director of the Charter Reform Commission as well as the first appointees with the goal of standing up the commission before the end of this month.
36:54The state of our city is this.
36:59Homelessness is down.
37:01Crime is down.
37:03These are tough challenges.
37:06And they show that we can do so much more.
37:10We still have a long way to go.
37:12We need a citywide turnaround.
37:15And we need a fundamental overhaul of city government to deliver the clean, safe, and orderly neighborhoods that Angelenos deserve in the place they called home.
37:29And to reverse decades of failure on homelessness.
37:34So my pledge is to continue making change.
37:37And I ask the city council and every Angeleno to join in turning our city around.
37:43We are building a city ready to lead.
37:54Not just for today, but for tomorrow.
37:57From downtown to the valley, from the port to the airport.
38:02We are investing in jobs, housing, and opportunity.
38:07Because the cost of living keeps going up, it's harder and harder to put food on the table, gas in the tank, and pay the bills.
38:16Tariffs and trade wars will make this worse and make things more expensive.
38:21But we are fighting here in LA to create better paying jobs.
38:26Trade and trade wars are also causing instability all across the supply chain that is at the heart of our economy.
38:36The Port of LA is the nation's number one port.
38:40And one in nine people in our region have a job connected to the port.
38:46Just think, 40 percent, 40 percent of all U.S. goods come through our port, Mr. Soroka.
38:53We will strategize.
38:56Gene Soroka.
39:01We will strategize with you and fight for you to protect our longshore workers, truckers, manufacturers,
39:09business owners, big and small.
39:12And make no mistake, we will protect every Angeleno.
39:17No matter where you are from.
39:19No matter when you arrived in LA.
39:22Because we know how much immigrants contribute to our city in so many ways.
39:29And we will always stand strong with you.
39:59Thank you. This is LA. New investments are coming to LA like the recently announced Rams Village,
40:13which will be built on nearly 100 acres and be home to the team's headquarters and training
40:19facilities, along with new housing, workspaces, and a first-of-its-kind entertainment center
40:26for the Valley. We appreciate the team's increasing investment in LA, and I want to thank Councilmember
40:33Blumenphil for his leadership and perseverance in making this happen.
40:44Council President Harris Dawson is leading the change to revitalize Crenshaw Boulevard
40:50with Destination Crenshaw, an open-air people's museum.
41:00It will have more than 100 installations of public art by artists from South LA. This will dramatically
41:08repair, revitalize, and sustain the Crenshaw Corridor and center it as a must-see exhibition
41:15for art consumers from around the world.
41:25LAX is a national economic powerhouse, John Ackerman. Raise your hand.
41:36And I want to make sure when LAX makes investments, it invests in the rest of LA, too.
41:42That is why we have broken new ground in contracting and construction at the airport.
41:49So the latest round of $5 billion in investment prioritizes LA jobs and LA businesses. In fact,
41:58this investment includes 13 first-time-ever prime contractors. This is an example of how we will
42:07continue to build businesses and build LA despite tough times. We will get it done.
42:21Last year, from this podium, I called for the need to invest and modernize our convention center,
42:28and I am proud to report today that with the Council's vote two weeks ago, we are well on the way.
42:42If we are going to bring downtown back, if we are going to bring tourism back, we can't sit back
42:48and hope for something to happen. We must compete to win. Right now, conventions are going elsewhere.
42:55With a new convention center, we will attract thousands of business travelers, business travelers
43:02with expense accounts, who will book hotel rooms, buy souvenirs, and visit our vibrant neighborhoods.
43:11And we must compete for those jobs, and we have to win back, first and foremost, our foundational
43:19industry, the entertainment industry. We have to win back our entertainment jobs.
43:33I renew my call to the state to triple the film and TV tax credit.
43:40When I was Speaker of the Assembly, along with Assemblymember Paul Krekorian, we passed the state's
43:53first production tax credit. But you know, we didn't keep up. And other states and other countries are now
44:00taking our good middle-class jobs. But we will continue to advocate in Sacramento for the tax credit.
44:07But LA, Angelinos, we also have to do our part right here. So going forward, we will make it easier and more
44:15cost effective to film on city property. And we will also streamline the permitting process to make it
44:23easier to film in LA. So to our leaders in Sacramento, and to our local industry leaders here, I say, let's bring Hollywood back.
44:39Now, you know, we have to fight for our future. But we all have to want it. We all have to believe in it.
44:58Because a great city isn't just built by policy or investment. It's built by the people who show up for it,
45:06and show up for each other. As the 2028 Games approach, I know Councilmember Harada is working
45:15hard to make downtown ready for the Olympic Games. Councilmember Hernandez is working with the
45:23community to welcome Olympic baseball at Dodger Stadium. Councilmember Padilla is preparing for the
45:31Pentathlon, which will be held at the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area. Councilmember Price is working
45:40to welcome the USC Sports Center. And Councilmember Nazarian will welcome squash players to the East Valley.
45:49And thanks to Councilman Magaskar's work and relationships, Team Croatia will be headquartered
45:56in San Pedro, and maybe a few other things.
46:07We hope Councilwoman Hutt will host Team South Korea in Koreatown. And you, Councilwoman Jaroslawski,
46:15you will be gearing up for thousands of athletes to be housed at the Olympic Village in UCLA.
46:28So working to unite and prepare the city is our former City Council President, Paul Krekorian.
46:36Now, he is now the Executive Director for the Office of Major Events. And I want to thank you for
46:47making sure that the Olympic flags, the Olympic flag and the Paralympic flag are here in the City Council
46:54chambers. Thank you, Paul.
46:55When I think about these games, I think of icons like Anita de France. She is a trailblazing Olympic
47:08medalist who helped organize the 1984 Games for LA. And she has been an IOC member since 1986. And thanks to
47:19Anita and former Mayor Eric Garcetti and LA 28's Casey Wasserman, we will now be only the third city in
47:28history to host three Olympic Games.
47:37But most of all, most of all, the games are exemplified by people like Arielle Middleton.
47:46Arielle was introduced to sports at five years old. Where are you? Where are you, Arielle? Is she here with us?
47:54Well, I'm going to talk about her anyway. She was introduced to sports at five years old. And since then,
48:02she has participated in water polo, volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, shot put,
48:11and discus. She's a Play LA athlete, a city program that provides access to sports at our rec center,
48:21and it's powered by the Olympic and Paralympic movements. She didn't let her challenges get in
48:28her way. So at 16 years old, she became one of the youngest members of the 2024 US Paralympic team,
48:38and she won a silver medal in Paris.
48:48She exemplifies the opportunity and inspiration to young people that city initiatives like Play LA
48:56and the Olympic Games provide. She is what the LA Games are all about. Now, 2028 is right around the
49:04corner, but we are only 15 months away from welcoming the world for the World Cup. We want people not just
49:12to see our stadiums. We want them to see the real LA. Our neighborhoods from East LA to Pico Union to South
49:20LA, from Watts to Woodland Hills, from Eagle Rock to Encino, from San Pedro to Sylmar, and we want our city to be at its best.
49:31So this is why I am calling on all Angelenos to come together to prepare our city to welcome the world.
49:40Let's come together and do this.
49:50So this Saturday, we will launch Shine LA to show the spirit of our city coming together.
49:57Every single month, we will bring Angelenos together side by side to unify and beautify our neighborhoods,
50:06improving communities and parks, planting trees, painting murals, and so much more.
50:14I invite all Angelenos to join us on Saturday. So we'll be in South LA, Boyle Heights, Echo Park, West LA,
50:24the valley, the harbor area, and we'll kick it off with a community celebration in Hollywood with more
50:31than 40 organizations there. And thanks to the partnership with Councilman Soto Martinez,
50:38we will all begin to show our love for LA. We have one goal.
50:45Love LA. We will show our love for each other, just like the spirit that we all felt in October. Remember
50:53October, when we celebrated our Dodgers winning the World Series just across the street. That's the kind
51:01of spirit that we need. So join us. And to join this movement, you can visit lamayor.org and sign up today,
51:11this coming Saturday and every month until we welcome the world next July for the World Cup.
51:19This is about pride. It's about choosing to believe in our city again and proving it with action.
51:28Block by block, we will come together to be stronger, more unified than ever before. And that matters,
51:36especially in a world that seems to seek constantly to divide us against each other with each and every
51:46day. So Angelenos, this is about you. This is about all of us. It's about choosing to believe in each
51:55other again and the future of the city that we love. Because this is a city of dreams. So let me,
52:02let me tell you a story. Leading up to the 1984 Olympics, we were in the midst of the worst recession
52:11in 40 years. The world doubted us. And yes, maybe we doubted ourselves too. But Los Angeles delivered the
52:21most successful Olympic games in history. We didn't just host the world. We redefined what was possible.
52:37Because the games at its best are more than sport. They are a stage for courage, for potential,
52:46for dreams. So LA, let's go win. Let's win on the world stage, yes. But let's especially win here at
52:55home. We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to each other. But most of all, we owe it to the next generation
53:05of Angelenos. Thank you for the honor of being your mayor. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.