EXCLUSIVE:Karen Bassis about to make some history, again.
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And then theres that matter of a certain history making Vice President and a certain convicted felon.
LA Mayor Karen Bass, ParisGetty Images
What does that mean to you as both the mayor of LA and as an individual?
MAYOR KAREN BASS:Well, first of all, it is an incredible source.
I am very excited about it and humbled by it.
A torchbearer carries the Olympic flame over a building along the Seine River during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Bernat Armangue – Pool/Getty Images)
I mean, were on the verge of a Black female president.
So, I think its just an exciting time.
Im always interested in young people feeling as though that they can do anything.
We reported onTom Cruiseswooping down.
Besides your own flag handover role, what else are we going to see?
And then I think on the con, I dont know what is the con you know.
MAYOR BASS:Perhaps how they did their opening ceremony.
I think we would focus more on the athletes.
I dont think its a con or a criticism, just something we would choose to do.
How will you use that influence?
And I will tell you that I want to see the game take place and benefit the entire city.
DEADLINE:How so?
I want all of Los Angeles cooking, electric and involved.
DEADLINE:Inside and outside the venues then?
MAYOR BASS:Yes, because were so fortunate in LA to have so many venues.
So, the Griffith Observatory could be one place for people.
We have the BMO Stadium.
We have Exposition Park.Oh, my goodness, we are so fortunate.
Little Armenia, Little Bangladesh.
DEADLINE:Governor Newsom recently signed a new order based on the Supreme Courts ruling about homelessness and encampments.
Talking to people, I hear a lot: Oh, God, we cant have an Olympics.
Theres all these people on the street.
What would you say to those people?
So, for the first time in many years, weve actually had a decline in street homelessness.
What I dont think works is just telling people to move along.
We can make the development of soundstages much easier.
We can expedite things.
Then down the line when the economy is better I want us to consider a local tax credit.
DEADLINE:For real?
All these other states once again, are beating us and its slowing our local industry.
DEADLINE:And, lets be honest, the city has become too damn expensive for many.
We see that with the working homeless.
LA has become unaffordable.
This is a problem for everyone.
Also, I really want to see at the convention an incredible celebration of President Biden.
And by the way, let me just say a word about our incoming vice president, Tim Walz.
I served with him in Congress for eight years.
I think the Vice President made a wonderful selection.
MAYOR BASS:(laughs) Of course.
