I’ve lived in Los Angeles most of my life. I grew up riding the bus all over the city—watching street artists paint murals on Melrose, listening to buskers at the Third Street Promenade, spending afternoons on the Venice Boardwalk, seeing movies in Westwood, and exploring the long stretch of Ventura Boulevard.
In the LA of the 1990s, you didn’t have to be wealthy for the city to belong to you. My dad was a social worker, my mom was grinding through her Ph.D., and we lived in a modest apartment. But with a bus pass and some curiosity, you could go anywhere. Every neighborhood felt possible.
In 2018, after six years away, I thought I was returning to that same city of possibility. But possibility gave way to exclusion. Median home prices had doubled since 2012—from about $400,000 to $730,000—while wages lagged far behind. Our unhoused population had risen from around 25,000 in 2012 to over 42,000. Sidewalks in too many neighborhoods were lined with tents, and streets were crowded with RVs where people were living in crisis. Police response times were measured in hours, not minutes.
Now, in 2025, the median home price has hit $1.1 million. Despite $1.3 billion per year (10% of our annual budget) in our tax dollars, the number of unhoused is still over 44,000, and we’ve seen thousands of businesses and families leave the city. Tourism—once one of our greatest economic engines—remains nearly 10% below pre-pandemic levels, and we’ve lost over $200 million per year in tax revenue as a result.
City Hall’s only answer seems to be finding new ways to cut budgets and lower expectations. But I’ve spent my career helping businesses generate revenue. I know that if we want a city that works, we have to grow it again. We must attract businesses, create good jobs, and bring in more visitors—because more revenue means better services, cleaner streets, safer neighborhoods, and more opportunity for everyone.
That’s why my plan is built like a flywheel—six connected drivers that build on each other and keep the momentum going:
- Housing Affordability – Our Six Point Housing Acceleration Plan to build 50,000 units per year legalizes more housing where it’s safe and sensible, speeds up permitting from 18 months to 60 days, and puts public land to work so working families can afford to stay here.
- Homelessness – To reduce street homelessness by 90% in 5 years, we’ll build Safe Haven Communities - secure, service-rich shelter campuses where people experiencing homelessness have access to meals, healthcare, addiction treatment, case managers, and job training—while being connected directly to permanent housing. We'll restore compassion and order to our streets.
- Public Safety – Fully staff the LAPD, get officers back on the beat, add unarmed mental health crisis teams, and guarantee 7-minute response times. When you call, someone shows up.
- Cleaning Up the City – From fixing potholes to graffiti removal, “Clean LA Zones” will keep every neighborhood functional and beautiful, and create public spaces we’re proud of.
- Open for Business Again – To enable small businesses, walkable neighborhoods, and bring 100,000 high-paying new jobs into our city, we'll replace our gross receipts tax with a fair profits-based system, streamline permitting for small businesses, and actively recruit employers in tech, logistics, green infrastructure, and film.
- Tourism as Civic Growth – Attract 55 million tourists every year by making LA safe, clean, and connected—bringing hundreds of millions back into our neighborhoods.
This is the Los Angeles we can build—safe, clean, affordable, and brimming with opportunity.
Each flywheel driver builds on the last and feeds the next. Housing affordability reduces homelessness. Safe Haven Communities restore order to our streets so businesses and tourism can flourish. Public safety keeps neighborhoods vibrant and inviting. Clean, functional streets make our city more attractive to investors, families, and visitors. Business growth fuels tax revenues. Tourism brings the world to our doorstep, infusing neighborhoods across LA with spending that supports local jobs, small businesses, and cultural life. The momentum compounds—building growth, opportunity, and quality of life for all Angelenos.
If you believe Los Angeles can work again—for everyone—then join me. Donate today. Let’s get this flywheel turning and build the future this city deserves.
I’ve lived in Los Angeles most of my life. I grew up riding the bus all over the city—watching street artists paint murals on Melrose, listening to buskers at the Third Street Promenade, spending afternoons on the Venice Boardwalk, seeing movies in Westwood, and exploring the long stretch of Ventura Boulevard.
In the LA of the 1990s, you didn’t have to be wealthy for the city to belong to you. My dad was a social worker, my mom was grinding through her Ph.D., and we lived in a modest apartment. But with a bus pass and some curiosity, you could go anywhere. Every neighborhood felt possible.
In 2018, after six years away, I thought I was returning to that same city of possibility. But possibility gave way to exclusion. Median home prices had doubled since 2012—from about $400,000 to $730,000—while wages lagged far behind. Our unhoused population had risen from around 25,000 in 2012 to over 42,000. Sidewalks in too many neighborhoods were lined with tents, and streets were crowded with RVs where people were living in crisis. Police response times were measured in hours, not minutes.
Now, in 2025, the median home price has hit $1.1 million. Despite $1.3 billion per year (10% of our annual budget) in our tax dollars, the number of unhoused is still over 44,000, and we’ve seen thousands of businesses and families leave the city. Tourism—once one of our greatest economic engines—remains nearly 10% below pre-pandemic levels, and we’ve lost over $200 million per year in tax revenue as a result.
City Hall’s only answer seems to be finding new ways to cut budgets and lower expectations. But I’ve spent my career helping businesses generate revenue. I know that if we want a city that works, we have to grow it again. We must attract businesses, create good jobs, and bring in more visitors—because more revenue means better services, cleaner streets, safer neighborhoods, and more opportunity for everyone.
That’s why my plan is built like a flywheel—six connected drivers that build on each other and keep the momentum going:
- Housing Affordability – Our Six Point Housing Acceleration Plan to build 50,000 units per year legalizes more housing where it’s safe and sensible, speeds up permitting from 18 months to 60 days, and puts public land to work so working families can afford to stay here.
- Homelessness – To reduce street homelessness by 90% in 5 years, we’ll build Safe Haven Communities - secure, service-rich shelter campuses where people experiencing homelessness have access to meals, healthcare, addiction treatment, case managers, and job training—while being connected directly to permanent housing. We'll restore compassion and order to our streets.
- Public Safety – Fully staff the LAPD, get officers back on the beat, add unarmed mental health crisis teams, and guarantee 7-minute response times. When you call, someone shows up.
- Cleaning Up the City – From fixing potholes to graffiti removal, “Clean LA Zones” will keep every neighborhood functional and beautiful, and create public spaces we’re proud of.
- Open for Business Again – To enable small businesses, walkable neighborhoods, and bring 100,000 high-paying new jobs into our city, we'll replace our gross receipts tax with a fair profits-based system, streamline permitting for small businesses, and actively recruit employers in tech, logistics, green infrastructure, and film.
- Tourism as Civic Growth – Attract 55 million tourists every year by making LA safe, clean, and connected—bringing hundreds of millions back into our neighborhoods.
This is the Los Angeles we can build—safe, clean, affordable, and brimming with opportunity.
Each flywheel driver builds on the last and feeds the next. Housing affordability reduces homelessness. Safe Haven Communities restore order to our streets so businesses and tourism can flourish. Public safety keeps neighborhoods vibrant and inviting. Clean, functional streets make our city more attractive to investors, families, and visitors. Business growth fuels tax revenues. Tourism brings the world to our doorstep, infusing neighborhoods across LA with spending that supports local jobs, small businesses, and cultural life. The momentum compounds—building growth, opportunity, and quality of life for all Angelenos.
If you believe Los Angeles can work again—for everyone—then join me. Donate today. Let’s get this flywheel turning and build the future this city deserves.
