“Experience… there’s nothing like experience and getting out there,” said Riverside Mayor William “Rusty” Bailey MPP ’99, speaking during a recent visit to UCLA Luskin about the most important thing for someone seeking a career in public service. The “Meet the Mayor” event on March 1, 2018, involved a talk about Bailey’s career as a prelude to a Q&A discussion about California economic policy that took place in the California Policy Issues class taught by Michael Dukakis, visiting professor of public policy and former governor of Massachusetts, and Daniel Mitchell, professor emeritus of management and public policy. The mayor and Dukakis talked about issues that included pension and criminal justice reform, as well as the competitive relationship between policy and politics. “When you don’t use your power, people forget that you have it,” Bailey said about his recent move to veto a contract brought before him by the Riverside City Council — a break in tradition from his predecessor, who never used this power. Public service, the mayor added, is not a career sector for applicants solely seeking greater wealth, but instead must remain a path for qualified employees who actively pursue what is best for the communities they serve. Bailey even offered his own office as a location for interested students to seek an internship to acquire more experience in politics and policy. The next morning, Bailey joined other UCLA Luskin alumni and students at the monthly First Fridays coffee mixer in downtown Los Angeles. — Aaron Julian

View a Flickr gallery from the classroom visit: