Los Angeles is burning, and my heart genuinely goes out to those whoāve lost everything. Forget politics for a secondāgood people are hurting, and they need our support. But hereās the thing: we canāt ignore the reasons behind this disaster. Weāll never fix the problem if we donāt face it head-on. So, letās break it down.
Homeless Encampments: A Ticking Time Bomb
I've spent years reporting on the Homeless problem in California, and the number of fires in homeless encampments has doubled since 2020. Last year, L.A. saw a jaw-dropping 13,909 encampment fires. Compare that to just seven fires back in 2018. Meanwhile, California has poured $24 billionāyeah, billionāinto solving homelessness, and as usual, you get more of what you subsidize. To make matters worse, most of that cash is unaccounted for. Seriously, where did it go? According to CBS, by 2021, 80% of L.A.ās fire outbreaks were tied to encampments.
Nature Mismanagement: Playing with Fire
Californiaās ālet nature beā crowd wonāt even let you trim a branch, but hereās the deal: fire is part of natureās cycle. If we donāt clean up dry brush and dead trees, natureās gonna handle it with wildfires. Trump called this out back in 2019, but Newsom didnāt listen. And now weāre paying the price.
Oh, and letās not forget the Santa Ana winds. Theyāre blowing at nearly 100 mph this year, turning the whole region into a giant tinderbox. But what do officials blame? Climate change. Letās unpack that.
Blame Game: Climate Change or Bad Policy?
Whenever something goes wrong, Californiaās leaders cry āclimate change.ā But hang onāthis yearās winds arenāt even close to the record. In 2011, gusts hit 167 mph. And this winter? Not the driest. That record goes back to the late 1800s. Newsflash: Southern California is a desert. Always has been.
Instead of addressing water mismanagement, L.A. imports water from hundreds of miles away, forcing upstream communities to ration theirs. Meanwhile, the rich in San Francisco and L.A. water their massive lawns and lecture the rest of us about conservation. Hypocrisy much?
Firefighters Spread Thin
L.A. doesnāt even have enough firefighters to tackle these blazes. Mayor Karen Bass (yes, her name is Karen) cut the fire departmentās budget by $18 million. And instead of using the remaining funds to hire and train more people, they launched a āDiversity, Equity, and Inclusion Bureau.ā Because, you know, flames care about workplace equity.
They also fired firefighters who didnāt get vaccinated. Great timing, right? And hereās the kicker: in 2022, L.A. donated extra firefighting gear to Ukraine. Now theyāre scrambling for resources. You canāt make this stuff up.
Insurance Nightmares
As if things couldnāt get worse, many Californians are losing their fire insurance. Homeowners whoāve had policies for decades are getting dropped because the wildfire risk is too high. Why? All the reasons we just covered. And Californiaās overbearing regulations are driving insurers out of the market. Brilliant.
Sanctuary Cities: Billions Spent on the Wrong Priorities
While California burns, the state is spending billions to coddle and attract illegal migrants. Sanctuary cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco have become havens, offering free healthcare, education, and housing assistance to undocumented immigrants. All this while essential services like fire protection and water management are underfunded and mismanaged. Imagine redirecting those billions to actually fix the stateās infrastructure and protect its residents. But noāCaliforniaās leadership prefers virtue signaling over real solutions.
Leadership Matters
This mess is the result of poor leadership, plain and simple. Bad policies, misplaced priorities, and a refusal to take responsibility have left Californians vulnerable. If we donāt demand better from our leaders, this will keep happening. Elections have consequences, folks. Itās time to wake up.
