Mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti spoke out about his plans to improve South Los Angeles on Saturday, May 11, at a candidates forum at Angeles Mesa Elementary School in South L.A.

The forum, organized by the South Los Angeles Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (SLAANC), was supposed to engage a debate between Garcetti and his opponent, Wendy Greuel, along with city attorney candidates Mike Feuer and Carmen Trutanich. But Greuel and Trutanich did not attend.

Garcetti was animated as he addressed his audience, which was comprised mainly of Neighborhood Council members and local residents. His platform points all echoed the potential of neighborhood turnaround.

“We’ve got a hinge of history where this city has to decide which way it goes,” said Garcetti. “It doesn’t matter where you live you deserve good city services….We’re going to turn this from a big city into a great city once again.”

After saying he was sorry for being the only mayoral candidate in attendance and disclosed that it was the third or fourth debate in South L.A. that Gruel has not participated in, Garcetti addressed why he cares. He said the forum was important to him not just to pay his respect, but also to talk about his agenda to improve South L.A., if elected.

He kicked off the forum with a personal touch, sharing that his family has deep roots in South L.A. He said his grandparents raised his father in a home around the corner from where the forum was held and his relatives were humble, hard workers.

“My grandmother was a meatpacker who woke up early every morning at 4 a.m. and did an eight-hour shift,” said Garcetti. “And then came back home to make sure there was food on the table for when her children came back from school.”

Garcetti said since South L.A. helped his own family lead a more successful life, he wants to help its current residents experience a more “livable” community.

With a vision influenced by the improvements he made in District 13, Garcetti said he wants to improve the street-level beauty because it is good for business, transit riders and residents. He comically referenced how he successfully transformed the community Atwater Village in District 13, which was previously struggling.

“You didn’t shop or eat there [Atwater Village]…the only store that was doing well was a casket store,” said Garcetti. “So literally, the business was dead.”

The forum later allowed audience members to ask their own questions about Garcetti’s policies. Harvey Spotts, a resident of Rancho Cucamonga, asked Garcetti how he plans to get citizens working in the Los Angeles area as opposed to resident immigrants or guest workers.

“Boys need to see men going to work every day and coming home tired,” Spotts said. “That will stop them from gang banging.”

Garcetti said that too often he sees people come back from war or jail without jobs available to them. He said he wants to “ban the box” on job applications that asks if an applicant has ever committed a felony, and wants to ensure that workers are not missing opportunities if they do not speak Spanish.

After also asserting his plans to better control medical marijuana dispensaries, Garcetti concluded with his plans to make city government more accountable by working directly out of South L.A. regularly.

“I don’t want to be a mayor who is just stuck in City Hall and then coming out for press conferences,” said Garcetti. “What I want to do is come to South L.A. and work…because people need to see and know that the mayor is in their community. It starts from the top.”

Sukey Garcetti, Eric Garcetti’s mother, attended the event and said she was proud of her son’s campaign efforts and his message at the forum.

“I am proud,” said Mrs. Garcetti. “It’s been a great Mother’s Day weekend.”