“Everyday my motivation is what can I do to help our community and what can I do to make people lives better.”

By Bella Johnson, Staff Writer for UNSUGARCOATED Media

In episode 28 of UNSUGARCOATED with Aalia, host Aalia Lanius discusses the idea of “humanity over politics”’ with former Beverly Hills Mayor, John Mirisch. Mirisch also served as a Beverly Hills Council Member, worked as an executive at Paramount Pictures, saw international distribution for IMAX, and has devoted the last several years to public service. 

During Mirisch’s first term as mayor, he formed the Sunshine Task Force, aimed at making Beverley Hills into a model for local government transparency and public transportation. Mirisch is a firm believer that local government, when done right, is the best form of democracy. 

“I still after all these years don’t consider myself to be a politician. I look at what I’m doing as public service and I’m doing it, not because it’s something I ever wanted to do but in a sense it’s something I felt I had to do for my community,” Mirisch tells Aalia during the candid conversation.

Mirisch, a city native, felt for a long time that Beverly Hills wasn’t content with a lot of what was going on. Although things are still not perfect, he approaches everyday with a focus on improving the lives of citizens despite their political affiliation. He references himself as a “communitarian”, cutting across traditional party boundaries to support the idea that as long as inclusivity exists, local governments should be able to make decisions to support their community best. 

“There are money interests that sometimes put cash above community and profits above people. I just think, in all due respect to our capitalist system, ultimately it needs to serve people and we need to take care of each other,” Mirisch said.

Aalia commented on the power of Mirisch’s value on helping the most vulnerable in a community, saying that “I love it when you say that because I’m all about making money but there’s a limit. . .even the Rockefellers and JP Morgans of the world have understood after so much wealth you have to think about your legacy and what you’re giving back to the community.”

Mirisch’s time in Sweden and as part of the entertainment industry helped influence his outlook. He recognizes his time in Sweden as teaching him with their own strong sense of social responsibility and his time in the film industry as emphasizing that “we all have our own stories and it’s important for us to listen to each other and appreciate each other’s stories.”

Both Mirisch and Aalia emphasized the negativity created through partisanship and the reality that one fiscal view does not mean you are anti-humanitarian, and rather it is important for everyone to be in support of community and individual success than devotion to a particular party. 

In terms of the pandemic, Mirisch has had to deal with the struggle that people have become frustrated about all the rules when these rules “aren’t a matter of freedom, but rather a matter of public safety,”. He has also appointed a covid task force and worked directly with police and other council members to protect the community. 

During a time of increased economic struggle and insecurity, Mirisch emphasizes the lack of support from the government on support for individual people, particularly when it comes to issues like housing and 30 million individuals facing eviction. “If anything, the goal needs to be to lift up and expand the middle class,” Mirisch said, while explaining how housing, medical care, and other basic rights must be affordable for individuals. 

Aalia, who also preaches humanity over politics, is in agreement with Mirisch, believing governments need to focus on vulnerable individuals who need help as well as the improvement of opportunities and connections in communities. 

As Mirisch says in the podcast, “This notion of party is unfortunately used to divide us. . . it doesn’t mean giving up the choices that we make but it does mean respecting people and looking at people as equals.”

A successful community stems from everyone receiving necessary access to resources and support. Redefining the political system to focus on the interests of the individual, rather than corporations, allows for healthy growth and unity.  Check out the FULL episode to check out this conversation that explores this topic UNSUGARCOATED! 

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To stay connected with John Mirisch, check out his Instagram: @johnmirisch

To stay up to date with UNSUGARCOATED Media, visit UNSUGARCOATEDMedia.com and follow us on Instagram: @unsugarcoatedmedia. Stay connected with Aalia on Instagram: @aalia_unsugarcoated, as well as on Clubhouse and LinkedIn.