The devastating fires in Los Angeles are one of the most harrowing examples of natural disaster in our recent collective memory. But to what degree was all of this devastation truly natural ?
That isn’t to say there is some grand conspiracy behind all of this, but rather to suggest at least some of this conflagration could have been mitigated under the right leadership and policy proactiveness. Democrats in California will likely assign blame to the ever-present specter of climate change, but in truth, much of what has occurred in their state these past few days was exacerbated by their own inaction and inefficiency.
The sheer size and scope of the destruction is staggering. The images and videos we are seeing, particularly out of the Pacific Palisades, resemble what Hell might look like – communities consumed by fire, tornadoes emerging out of the flames San Francisco is about 30,000 acres
Thus far, twenty-four people have also lost their lives. To what extent was this an inevitability of fate and a Mother Nature, we are told, that is increasingly ruthless?
The Failures (i) Leadership California has been run by Democrats for the past 30 years, with a few exceptions Inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama
She had previously promised not to go abroad despite the risks already being apparent change.org petition
Gavin Newsom on 'Meet the Press' on Sunday NBC via YouTube As for Newsom, a political protégé of the former four-term governor Jerry Brown, he’s been in the top job in California since 2019. Throughout his tenure as executive, many have criticized his leadership on issues ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to this very issue of fire prevention and management. He’s had very public disputes with returning President Donald Trump as well, who is set to return to office in a week’s time. Trump, at the end of October, warned of California’s poor water management on The Joe Rogan Experience
(ii) Inadequate Water Management Los Angeles’ water is managed by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), which in turn is managed by Janisse Quiñones (who was nominated by Mayor Bass
And yet, when crisis struck, a crucial 117-million-gallon reservoir was empty fire hydrants ran dry a formal investigation an interview that has been circulating on X
(iii) DEI Policies Aside from Quiñones, other unelected recipients of criticism have included leaders of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). Some have pointed to the fact that many of the department’s top officials are lesbian women having finished in the top 50 out of 16,000 applicants on the 1998 firefighter’s exam a controversial video
(iv) Multiple Causes Many have also pointed out that not all of these fires emanated from the same source. A video went viral Other videos intentionally set reports of fires being set in an organized fashion
(v) Legislative and Budgetary Mismanagement But the legislative and budgetary malpractice on the part of California’s political class may be the biggest culprit of all, in terms of turning this disaster into the catastrophe that continues to ravage the Palisades and beyond. Reportedly, not only did Bass slash the fire department budget by $17.6 million to the scorn of her fire chief more than $100 million $50 million to “Trump-proof” the state
Voices of Critique On the most recent episode All-In podcast, Chamath Palihapitiya
“Multiple bills, AB 2330 AB 1951 AB 2639 the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Sb 103 Musk donates several Cybertrucks to provide backup power during the wildfires. Photo courtesy Altadena Mountain Rescue Team Elon Musk has been understandably critical of California for some time, famously relocating from California to Texas in 2020 “overregulation, overlitigation, and overtaxation,” According to those on the ground deployed Cybertrucks
These points lead us to two key questions:
Are Democrats driven by a genuine desire to help people, or by a commitment to enforce a rigid orthodoxy, regardless of the consequences? Can we trust Democrats—or the broader left—to be adequate executives of a state as complex and unforgiving as California? Economic Impact The task of rebuilding Los Angeles will be immense, something in the vicinity of what rebuilding after a small war might cost. Hundreds of billions of dollars in damages California’s insurance regulations
California Democrats’ unrealistic, anti-free market approach to insurance regulation cost many their insurance coverage just months before their homes were destroyed look to Florida
Future Preparedness While these fires may not have been entirely preventable, it is indeed worth asking the extent to which lives and property might have been saved had leadership taken proactive steps to fortify Southern California against the inevitable calamities to come. California’s inept policymaking and execution should serve as a lesson for the rest of America and Europe as well—progressive policies sound nice, but at what cost?
How much time and focus can be spent on DEI and similar secondary objectives without taking something away from the primary objective which, in this case, is to save lives and property? Time and again, Democrats appear more focused on choosing the curtains and lampshades than ensuring the structural integrity of the building. It’s time they got back to the basics, focusing on the true “north star” objectives rather than hyper-liberal side quests.
The ineptitude that turned this disaster into a catastrophe reflects the broader political winds that led to Trump’s re-election against California Democrat Kamala Harris. While the fires will (hopefully) have subsided by the time Trump resumes his presidency on January 20th, he can help Americans avoid future devastation by demonstrating what great leadership looks like, and why Democrats should not be trusted to lead, in California or anywhere else.
Michael J. Hout
Editor-in-Chief | Liberty Affair
