Writer Dorothy Parker says that Los Angeles is not a city but "72 suburbs in search of a city." Eric Garcetti governs a complex network of almost 4 million inhabitants distributed in more than 300 neighborhoods where the glamor of Hollywood coexists with a growing number of homeless people.

An urban planner by profession, he was one of Joe Biden's campaign managers and also dedicated himself to acting. For two years, he played the mayor of Los Angeles in The Closer and Major Crimes before taking on the same role in real life.

Garcetti arrives on time and smiles throughout the interview. The press officer clarifies that he does not need an interpreter because he speaks Spanish. His parents have Spanish, Mexican and Russian origin, a heritage quite similar to the territory he has managed since 2013.

A few days before landing in Buenos Aires to participate in the C40 summit, he closely followed the resignation of Nury Martínez, president of the Los Angeles City Council, for having made racist comments. In dialogue with LPO, he assures that it is not imperative to lower taxes to attract investment.

An urban planner by profession, he was one of Joe Biden's campaign managers and also dedicated himself to acting. For two years, he played the mayor of Los Angeles in The Closer and Major Crimes before taking on the same role in real life.

During the pandemic it was thought that people and cities were going to "come out better of the pandemic," What happened in Los Angeles?

It is better in many aspects, such as in Public Health. If we look at the number of jobs created, Los Angeles grew very quickly compared to other US cities. It is a contradiction: on the one hand, we have inflation, but on the other hand savings have grown and we are at historically low levels of unemployment.

LPO/ FERNANDO PEREZ RE

Our cities are going through a crisis of faith. There is trauma, literally from lost lives, and also a spiritual trauma. Hopefully we can find an inspiring future. If there is a recession in the next two or three years, everything will be very difficult in our cities. Many people do not need to live in cities, especially professionals. I understand it. Anyway, we have enough people in Los Angeles.

There is a crisis of spirit, we need to find our common values, our common sense and our common principles.

Downtown Los Angeles was historically an area without much soul. How did you get it back? What role did the Broad Museum play?

There are many investments Downtown. Historically it was a place to work but not to live in. The vision of a 15 minutes city helped transform downtown. Now it is a place where people can work, have their home and also have fun.

In Los Angeles we reduce corporate taxes by 15% while raising the minimum wage for workers. In general, one thing or the other is done in the United States, but we did both. The results are the best evidence that both can go hand in hand.

The Broad is amazing. It attracts many people from Los Angeles and the world, as new hotels (Conrad y Omini), our Music Center, new theaters, shopping malls and the culinary level do too. Our culinary level is probably the best in the United States. But we need more security, many people do not feel safe, there are many guns and we also have mental health and homelessness problems. We are working hard to establish new solutions for homelessness, we started working with mental health vans that go throughout the city. When a person calls 911, he or she is not only served by officers or firefighters, but also by doctors and people who can take care of everything. It is a critical part of Downtown development.

The reduction of taxes is one of the main issues debated in the world. You explained that many people, especially professionals who work remotely, are free to choose the city they want to live in. Sometimes they seek to be in contact with nature, but also places with low taxes. Is it possible to reduce tax burdens while local states must take on more and more tasks?

In Los Angeles we reduce corporate taxes by 15% while raising the minimum wage for workers. In general, one thing or the other is done in the United States, but we did both. The results are the best evidence that both can go hand in hand.

LPO/ FERNANDO PEREZ RE

What do yo mean?

We are growing faster than any other city in America. Not only taxes are important, also regulations are. During the pandemic we found a way to reduce bureaucracy in the gastronomic sector. We started with a program called "LA al fresco" because the city has an incredible weather, perfect for eating outside. However, other cities with less benign climates had more outdoor restaurants than Los Angeles.

Not only taxes are important, also regulations are. Many entrepreneurs told me that they do not want to be in California or Los Angeles because the regulations are very restrictives. We are changing the culture to attract more investment.

We enable outdoor spaces for free. That shows that we need to change attitudes as leaders and government officials. Taxes are important, but many entrepreneurs told me that they do not want to be in California or Los Angeles because the regulations are very restrictive. We are changing the culture to attract more investment.

The next presidential election is a long way off, but I still want to ask you what you think will happen to Joe Biden.

I was one of his campaign managers and I hope that Joe Biden will run in 2024. What he achieved in two years is impressive. I am talking about the Legislation for the recovery after the pandemic, the infrastructure legislation, the climate change legislation and the technological competition with China. Approving two of these pieces of legislation would already have been something incredible, but having approved all four pieces of legislation is something incomparable.

Now the mid-term elections are closer and we need to achieve a majority in both chambers. I hope that Biden will run in 2024, and if he doesn't, I hope we find a person who can continue with these concrete actions. Words are not enough. In the United States, politics is broken, so it is a miracle that these four bills have passed.

Days ago the president of the Los Angeles City Council, Nury Martínez, resigned after racists statements were leaked. Why is racism still a problem in America?

It was very sad for me, for the city and for the local government to listen to her words. My city is stronger right now. Racism exists in extremes. But in the neighborhoods, at the local level, African-Americans, Latinos, LGBTQ groups are very important. My message is let's take action and unite against racism.

LPO/ FERNANDO PEREZ RE