In his first year as Mayor, on Monday, May 12th, the Honorable Eric Garcetti talked about jobs and his economic development initiatives with Los Angeles Times columnist Patt Morrison. During the 2013 Los Angeles mayoral race, Eric Garcetti promised to create 20,000 jobs, provide job training that connects skilled workers with hiring employers, and cut governmental red tape to make doing business in Los Angeles easier. During the conversation, Garcetti touted Los Angeles's strengths while acknowledging that there are plenty of areas for improvement, including regional economic development, budget shortfalls, and city operations.
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"So in many ways, I think the reflection of the last 20 years - at least for me as a native Angeleno, fourth generation - is that pivot for us into becoming a different city that wasn't just a stay-out-of-our-way, but we realized government was getting in the way when we wanted it not to, with things like the highest gross receipts tax in the County of Los Angeles that literally was chasing jobs and I believe still does chase jobs away from the city, to those things when government was supposed to be there and we were nowhere to be found. We did the opposite of what we were supposed to do. We got in your way when you didn't want us to; we didn't help when you needed us. And so, the last year has really been about a re-envisioning. Can we make government do the opposite, help you when you need our help and get out of the way when you don't want us to be around?"

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To read the conversation in its entirety, click here for the transcript.