NEWS REVUE

LA Inferno, A Demo Debacle

This was published in Santa Barbara Current.

LA Inferno, a Demo Debacle

“Pacific Palisades wildfire is most destructive in LA history” (AP)

From Joe Portman on X

Every year, it’s the same story. California burns, and fingers are pointed in every direction, climate, drought, winds.

California isn’t unique in its forests. In fact, there are countries with denser, larger, and even more flammable forest ecosystems that somehow manage to avoid this level of devastation. Take countries like Finland, Sweden, or Canada, places with massive forests, harsh winters, and dry summers.

Why California?

Two words: forest management.

For decades, California’s approach has been one of neglect. Overgrown brush, dead trees, and poor preventative measures are essentially tinder waiting for a spark. Add bureaucratic red tape and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

They’ve chosen to treat wildfires as a political talking point instead of a preventable crisis. Instead of rolling up sleeves and cleaning up forests, we get excuses, finger-pointing, and hand-wringing.

Email from a subscriber:

The mayor AWOL in Africa? The fire chief said diversity is her top priority? Empty fire hydrants and reservoirs? The state sent firefighting gear to Ukraine ? A governor who refuses to acknowledge and change forest management policies?

The Crisis (Mis)Management Duo

“LA Mayor Karen Bass cut fire department funding by $17.6M—months before wildfires turned city into hellscape” (NY Post)

Fiddling while LA burns.

What did they do with the bread instead?

Let’s see…

“LA Fire Dept Blew Seven-Figure Sums on DEI Before Deadly Fires” (The National Pulse)

Here’s the problem: DEI won’t save your house. But if siphoning funds needed for emergencies into “diversity, equity, inclusion” makes you feel better… well, maybe one day you’ll be able to get a brain transplant.

Oh, and some of the bread went here…

“LA water and power officials are highest-paid city employees” (Washington Examiner)

Eight of the top 10 highest paid city employees work for the LA Department of Water and Power.

This being California, they’ll probably get a raise.

“Stone-faced LA Mayor Karen Bass refuses to answer questions about absence as wildfires rage across her city” (NY Post)

Soon to be ex-mayor (or should be).

Angelenos might have elected Rick Caruso in LA’s last mayoral race. He knows, he cares, he’s here. But the priorities of most Angeleno voters—to their detriment—are gender and color over qualification and expertise.

“Shocking moment LA's woke mayor Karen Bass refuses to apologize to distraught residents for catastrophic oversights on fire budget” (Daily Mail)

“FIRE THIS DUMBASS NOW,” one user raged on X, saying Bass was “going all Joe Biden, not knowing what she’s saying!”

LA Mayor Karen Bass blunders her way through fire warnings on ‘the big one’ — and directs people to get help ‘at URL’ (Daily Mail)

Embattled LA Mayor Karen Bass has been ripped as the most “incompetent politician in America” after she managed to botch a fire emergency information website address by pointlessly telling locals to just visit “URL” — even while admitting the deadly firestorm is “the big one.”

No shit, Sherlock.

“California Assemblyman Explains How State Has Mismanaged Fire Prevention Policies As Wildfires Rage” (Daily Wire)

“Our governor has been obsessed with holding a special session to ‘Trump-proof’ CA, when he should be focused on FIRE-PROOFING our communities."

Can you imagine if Governor Gruesome was running the whole nation?

“Gov. Newsom passes the buck to ‘local folks’ when asked about hydrants running out of water during Pacific Palisades fire” (NY Post)

“Look, the local folks are trying to figure that out,” Goofy Gav told CNN when asked why hydrants ran out of water.

No Harry Truman, he.

From the Oval Office to the Harry S Truman Library in Independence, Missouri

“Trump calls on Gavin Newsom to resign as deadly LA fires devastate California: ‘This is all his fault!’” (NY Post)

It appears Goofy Gav was intent on saving the fish. In particular, smelt.

It sure does. The stench of mismanagement is everywhere.

Ohh, but let’s blame climate change!

Actor James Woods believed he had lost his house to the inferno and later discovered it was intact. In response to “climate change” fanatics on X, he wrote:

“This fire is not from 'climate change,' you ignorant asshole. It's because liberal idiots like you elect liberal idiots like Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass. One doesn't understand the first thing about fire management and the other can't fill the water reservoirs."

Or combatting crime, it appears…

“L.A. Hit with Hydrant Crime Wave Prior to Current Fires” (Media Research Center)

Hundreds of L.A. fire hydrants have been stolen from the ground over the past two years, with the surge in thefts appearing to peak last June.

“Catalytic converters, bronze statues, copper wire: Nothing is safe from theft in Los Angeles. And as of the last couple years, you can now add fire hydrants to the list,” LAist reported at the time:

“Hollywood mansions ‘uninsurable’ as wildfires leave $50bn trail of destruction” (The Telegraph)

When insurance companies won’t take your money, you know there’s a problem.

And the biggest problem is this: The only insurance against poor leadership is smart voters. In LA, apparently, they’re hard to come by.