Spencer Pratt criticized Mayor Karen Bass’ proposed $14.85 billion budget, claiming she’s overlooked essential city services while pouring money into a failing homelessness system.
“With record revenues, I don’t see any solid plans for infrastructure like roads, sidewalks, parks, or streetlights,” noted Pratt, a mayoral candidate.
He pointed out that there’s no strategy in place to address the $129 million owed to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
The budget allocates roughly $778 million for homelessness initiatives, including about $104 million for the Inside Safe program, which aims to relocate individuals from encampments to hotels.
“She’s just wasting money on this failed ‘Inside Safe’ program,” Pratt stated.
“It’s really like a death sentence for L.A.,” he added.
The remainder of the budget, approximately $670 million, is directed towards various transitional housing solutions such as tiny home villages, bridge home shelters, rental motels, and services related to outreach and hygiene for camps.
Bass defended her strategy, suggesting it would ease the burden on emergency services.
“Removing people from the streets will lead to fewer emergency calls,” she explained.
However, Pratt dismissed that notion, connecting the spending to what he regards as poor leadership at City Hall.
“I’m not a politician. I’m just a husband and father,” he said. “I witnessed my home burn down because the system failed.”
His campaign, shaped by frustration following the Palisades fire, emphasizes perceived government failures.
“I got tired of just talking,” Pratt remarked in a recent Joe Rogan interview. “I thought, ‘Okay, let’s take action and go for this job.'”
He has consistently criticized the city’s management of homelessness, infrastructure, and emergency readiness while focusing on accountability and restoring quality of life.
Pratt referenced the fire response as a pivotal moment, labeling the lack of readiness as “criminal mismanagement.” He observed, “The empty reservoir was just madness,” he told Logan.
He argued that the homelessness issue spans well beyond traditional areas, highlighting deteriorating conditions across the city.
Pratt claimed that Skid Row has grown vast enough to be considered a part of “Los Angeles” and voiced concerns about increasing instability in his own neighborhood.
His worries also extend to public safety.
The budget does provide for the hiring of 510 police officers; however, officials clarified that these hires mainly replace retirees rather than expand the workforce. Projections indicate the LAPD’s personnel could decrease from about 10,000 in 2020 to around 8,555 by 2027.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League backed the mayor’s financial plan.
“The Mayor’s balanced budget supports public safety and funds the hiring of new officers to ensure timely responses to 911 calls,” the union stated.
Yet, Pratt contends that the situation indicates a system under pressure.
The budget retains the Los Angeles Fire Department’s funding mostly static, with only 40 new positions planned until voters consider future funding measures in November.
Last year, the city committed $898 million to the fire department; while this year’s $940 million budget sounds substantial, it still lacks significant staffing enhancements.
This topic was largely overlooked during the mayor’s budget presentations, only emerging towards the end when reporters raised concerns post-Palisades fire.
Bass insisted that the fire department is adequately funded.
“We know the department has the resources it needs for an emergency like before,” she affirmed.
Beyond public safety, the budget mostly sustains existing city services and includes an addition of about 170 street repair workers alongside $36 million for sidewalk upgrades, prevented layoffs after the previous year’s budget crisis.
City Administrator Matt Szabo described the budget proposal as a move toward stability, albeit acknowledging that not all previously cut services have been restored.
“We’re making steady progress toward stability,” Szabo noted.
The budget is now slated for consideration by the City Council, involving weeks of public discussions and potential revisions.
For Pratt, though, his stance is clear. He believes that the city is ramping up spending without actually addressing its core issues. “It’s a death sentence for L.A.,” he remarked.
