Mark Keckeisen

Neighborhood: Brentwood

Job: Architect/Real Estate Developer

Age: 61

What do you think are the top issues facing Los Angeles and why?

The top issue facing L.A. is very similar to the issue that’s facing almost all big cities in this country--it's the unions that dominate financial structure. The unions elect the city council and they elect the mayor and if you don’t get their endorsements it’s really hard to get elected. So there’s a quick pro quo “you get me in and then I'll take care of you.” So the unions are well compensated and they’re very difficult to fire, and they’re very difficult to get fair pay and run the whole thing. They’re also an extremely large percent of the budget so it’s very difficult to get things done. 

“It’s hard to get anyone on the city council that isn’t endorsed by the unions and if you are, you won’t get re-elected. Probably the best way to do this is to get someone in there, once they get in, who wants to make change.” 

What could the new mayor, Eric Garcetti, do to address your top priorities? 

Well, he’s already off to a pretty good start because he wasn’t endorsed by the unions, Wendy Gruel was and she lost, probably because some people didn’t think she ran a good campaign. The problem is, the mayor has far less power than the other fifteen members of the city council, that’s just the way the government is set up here. It’s real hard to get things done without the city council’s cooperation, so it’s a big challenge. 

“LA Unified is, if not the worst run school district in the country, it's must be in the bottom 10 percent.”

Did you vote in the May election? Who did you support?

Yes, Garcetti. 

Do you have any concerns or issues as an architect that you would like the new mayor to address? 

Well, I’m more of a real estate developer. I design and build my own stuff. I would like to see them get away from this green movement. Everybody has rights and the ability to complain about things except the guy that wants to build the thing.

Email Giulia Sagramoso here.