Former LA Mayor Richard Riordan Supports Jeb Bush and Blasts Donald Trump in Pasadena Talk

Visitors and patients at the Pasadena Recovery Center were treated to candid conversation with former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan. His Wednesday afternoon visit was a part of the facility’s Speaker Series.

Nearly a hundred people listened as Riordan talked about the lessons he learned as Mayor from 1993 to 2001. Riordan gave insight on some of the tough decisions he had to make during a turbulent time in Los Angeles’ history.

“A good leader makes mistakes and makes them with confidence,” he said. He encouraged the crowd to be good leaders. The pillars of his speech came from his 2014 memoir “The Mayor: How I Turned Around Los Angeles after Riots, an Earthquake, and the OJ Simpson Murder Trial.”

After his final term as Mayor, then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him as California’s Secretary for Education in 2003. Riordan is retired now but continues to work in education. He serves on the board of directors of the Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools.

It’s a group that manages charter schools; 13 middle and high schools in Los Angeles. He is also a founding board member of the LEARN school reform effort and of Better Educated Students for Tomorrow, an after-school program.

At 85 years old Riordan has ruled out the possibility of running for public office again.

“It’s fun to talk about,” he jokes. Despite being retired he remains opinionated as to what it will take for the Republican party to win the White House. “I do think that all my beliefs are what the republicans have to show today to be elected.“ You have to show good social conscious as well as good fiscal knowledge.”

Riordan is often remembered as Los Angeles’ last Republican Mayor. During the Q&A portion of his speech he was asked about the GOPs top candidates vying for the presidency. “Jeb Bush I like the best, he’s a good human being,” he said. “He has sympathy towards others, and he showed that as governor of Florida.”

Riordan had some tough words for current GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. “He is a joke. He doesn’t have any sympathy for anybody. If he can solve a problem that puts more money in his pocket, that’s what he’s going to do.” He is urging the candidates to stick to the issues.

“Republicans are killing ourselves by not tackling the social issues that are out today… Marijuana, abortion… things like that.”

Despite the fact that former President Bill Clinton wrote the foreword to Riordan’s memoir—-Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton wasn’t spared from his criticism. The questions about her emails while she was Secretary of State will continue to haunt her campaign. “I don’t think there’s any chance Hillary Clinton will be President of The United States. I think people have lost confidence in her, they think you can’t trust her.” I think there are other candidates that will do better by the Democrats than she will,” he said.

He also took questions on homelessness and substance abuse. Actress and Treatment and Recovery Advocate, Mackenzie Phillips asked him what was his position on legalization.

“I think that people overlook that marijuana today is five times stronger than it was 10 years ago. It leads young people to go on from there to cocaine to heroin and other addictions. It’s already having a horrible affect on society. If it’s legal you’ll have people marketing it to everybody and if you think it will make things perfect. It never will.“

He concluded his talk with an inspirational quote from his book followed by a book signing. ”Any person can be a leader, they only need courage. The courage to make decisions and the courage to admit their mistakes,” said Riordan.

“We’re very excited to have a former Mayor here,” said Michael Bloom, Owner of Pasadena Recovery Center. His family founded the facility in 2000. The 98-bed, drug and alcohol treatment facility was also the site for the reality show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. It aired from 2008 to 2012 on VH1. Bloom says the Speaker Series was created after the reality show.

“Having current events like this keeps Pasadena Recovery Center in the consciousness of those in the drug and alcohol treatment world and also in the community,” Bloom said.

The previous speakers range from celebrities to the White House Drug Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske nicknamed the “Drug Czar.” Bloom says Riordan was selected because he shares the facility’s commitment to saving lives and rebuilding families. “His interest in education…he’s such a philanthropist… he has some similarities to my father. He represents a father figure, someone I wanted to learn more about,” said Bloom.

The date for the next Speaker Series hasn’t been announced yet but Bloom says they plan to bring in some of their Alumni to give words of encouragement. For more information on the Pasadena Recovery Center Speaker Series visit their website at pasadenarecoverycenter.com