Spencer Pratt wants to be the mayor of Los Angeles. Yes, really. On Monday’s episode of Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, the reality-TV-alum-turned-candidate laid out his platform. It is simple. He wants to arrest people who smoke weed in front of children. Even Maher. Pratt promised to crack down on public drug use near schools, parks, and daycares, framing it as a return to basic societal standards.
“I care about safety, the lights being on, potholes,” Pratt said. He is not pitching grand policy. He wants the basics. If you light up a blunt near a swing set, Pratt claims he will personally see to your arrest. It is a pitch for frustrated parents. He remembers a different LA. Growing up, he claims, nobody smoked joints in front of five-year-olds at the park. Now, it is commonplace. He wants consequences.
Maher tried to push him on the actual job requirements. Does the mayor of a major metropolis need to understand solar power? Maher thinks so. Pratt disagrees. He plans to delegate the complicated stuff. His focus remains on the streets. “We need to get all the naked drug addicts off of the sidewalks, and then I can worry about solar panels,” Pratt shot back. It is a blunt, populist message.
The two clashed over how California is run. Maher, no fan of the state’s heavy-handed bureaucracy, complained about excessive regulations and the stagnation of one-party rule. He warned Pratt about the entrenched special interests waiting for him in City Hall. You cannot buy a hot dog in this state without three inspections. Pratt shrugged it off. His campaign website insists this is not a political run, but a “mission” focused on crisis leadership.
Technically, California law already bans smoking cannabis in public, especially within 1,000 feet of schools or youth centers when kids are around. But enforcement is another story. Pratt is betting that voters are tired of the lawlessness. The nonpartisan primary is Tuesday. Pratt faces incumbent Karen Bass and a crowded field. The top two advance. We will see if voters buy it.
