Rick Caruso is right: LA needs public-private partnerships if it is going to turn around. There are simply things the city can’t do on its own.

Whether that’s because of poor leadership, or incompetence, or budget shortfalls, the city of LA has been run so badly for so long that it seems to have forgotten how to do basic things.

The private sector is still vibrant and strong in California. That’s where innovation and investment happen. It’s where people with the most skills go to pursue their dreams.

Public service can be noble — but the public sector isn’t providing good service.

Caruso’s idea is to use the private sector to fill gaps where the city is failing. And he should know: That’s the story of how he saved the Palisades Village Mall when almost everything around it burned down.

A former water commissioner, Caruso knew that the public sector wasn’t prepared. So in addition to building his mall out of fire-resistant materials, Caruso also invested in private firefighters. 

When the inferno swept through, and the reservoirs ran out of water, Caruso had a fleet of water tankers at the ready.

They helped save the mall — and some of the surrounding properties.

As Caruso has explained in the California Post, the purpose of public-private partnerships is not to replace city services. Nor will it let the city off the hook for its responsibilities. 

Partnerships exist to add onto what the city is already doing (or supposed to be doing). Many public schools already have these kinds of arrangements, with parents forming nonprofit organizations to fundraise for additional enrichment activities like art and science.

Some on the hard left flinch every time they hear the word “private.” They want government to do everything — even if government does it badly, or not at all.

But “private” doesn’t have to mean “profit.” The partnerships Caruso is talking about are with nonprofit organizations in the public sector.

Many of them exist to serve the public. They just aren’t controlled by politicians. 

Let’s face reality. We have poor choices for mayor. And while there may be some changes for the better after this election, many politicians are happy with the status quo.

Change is needed — urgently. But it’s going to have to come from outside of government. 

Take the energy of the private sector, and put it to public use.

Because we need new ideas. And this one works.

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