Friday 12 August 2022 01:34 PM Rick Caruso says he'll protect Hollywood if elected L.A. Mayor trends now
L.A. mayoral candidate Rick Caruso has vowed to create a designated office within city hall with the sole purpose of protecting Hollywood if he is elected, bringing music to the ears of the stars who have endorsed him.
Caruso, a billionaire former Republican real estate tycoon, made the promise in an interview with The Ankler this week.
He is running against Democrat Karen Bass in the November election on a platform of tackling crime, homelessness and bringing an end to a steady stream of 'career politicians' who he says have ruined the city.
Part of his plan if elected is to create an office within his office that is dedicated to protecting Hollywood.
'I'm going to have a separate office within the mayor's office that's just going to focus on the entertainment industry.
'We have to have the cost of doing business for the entertainment industry, frankly, all businesses, but the entertainment industry to be lower in the city of Los Angeles,' he said.
Rick Caruso with Gwyneth Paltrow, one of the many stars to have endorsed him in his campaign to become L.A.'s next mayor
'I'm going to work very closely with Hollywood, because this town is Hollywood.
'And, instead of shipping the greatest industry we have in this city out of this city, I want to bring it back in this city.'
Caruso, 63, also insisted that he is pro-choice despite suggestions to the contrary from Democrats including Hillary Clinton and Planned Parenthood.
He said his faith as a Catholic had been 'weaponized' against him.
'I'm going to work very closely with Hollywood, because this town is Hollywood
The abortion controversy stems from a 2007, a Los Angeles Magazine profile of him in which the reporter said he 'opposed abortion in most cases'.
Speaking to The Ankler this week, Caruso said it represented his views at the time but doesn't now, that he had 'evolved' and that he has 'always been pro-choice'.
'My comments were about, maybe, how I felt at the time. Has my feeling evolved on abortions? Of course, it's evolved on abortions. And we want to have leaders that do evolve.
'But I've never been against the woman's right to choose. And that's been used against me and it's a falsehood, and I'm glad you've given me the opportunity to clean that up.
'What's been so disappointing to me is that, my religion, being a Catholic, just like our president, and just like Nancy Pelosi being a Catholic, has been weaponized against me because of pure politics. This is what you call insider Washington politics being used against me. I am a Catholic. I love my faith. But I also have free will. And, I make decisions based on what I think is best.
Caruso is running against career politician Karen Bass. She has the backing of the White House and Hillary Clinton
Caruso is running on a platform of tackling crime and cleaning up the city, where homelessness is spiking
'I have always been in pro-choice. I have never been against a woman's right to choose. And I remain pro-choice. I also live with a very strong and smart wife of 37 years and a very strong and smart daughter who's 22.
'I would no more ever try to tell them what to do with their body or how to make decisions on their life,
