Exclusive | Spencer Pratt torches Mayor Bass for axing street repair programs as potholes plague Los Angeles

Spencer Pratt criticized Mayor Karen Bass over worsening potholes in Los Angeles and promised to restore a $100 million repair program he said City Hall gutted. Pratt said the city diverted a $100 million federal grant from street repairs to other priorities, including homelessness programs such as Inside Safe. He argued that tax money meant for infrastructure should be used to fund functioning roads. Pratt also claimed Bass had $400 million available for Inside Safe while failing to provide requested funds for public safety. Bass attributed reduced street maintenance funding to deficits and rising labor costs. Reports showed pothole complaints rising sharply, with deferred maintenance degrading street conditions. The As-Needed Haul Truck Program previously helped keep repairs moving but was halted by city officials.

"“The infrastructure of the city is everyone's priority,” Pratt told The California Post. “We pay taxes. That money was meant for infrastructure.” Pratt pointed to a $100 million federal grant he said the city diverted from street repairs to other priorities, including homelessness programs like Bass' Inside Safe initiative. If elected, Pratt said he'll shift money away from homelessness spending and put it back into city infrastructure."

"“She has $400 million sitting in an account for Inside Safe, the same $400 million she didn't tap into when the fire chief asked for $17 million to keep Angelenos safe,” Pratt said. “There should be money there for infrastructure so we can actually have functioning roads.” Pratt has increasingly framed the pothole problem as evidence that Bass and City Hall have lost touch with working families."

"A report by Crosstown in January showed that the number of reports about potholes in Los Angeles hit 6,707, a 49% jump from the month prior. The report cited recent rains but also noted that “years of deferred maintenance have degraded the condition of Los Angeles streets.” Drivers have complained citywide about potholes damaging vehicles as road conditions worsen."

"The city's As-Needed Haul Truck Program - which employed dozens of minority workers - played a central role in keeping street repair projects moving up until three years ago when it was halted by city officials. “We were working six days a week consistently,” said Kenyatta Cole, a multigenerational truck driver whose "

Read at California Post