Is anyone surprised that politics and second-guessing are erupting even as fires rage in the Los Angeles area and funeral arrangements have yet to be made?
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been accused by some critics of being out of the country at the time of the fire.
President-elect Donald Trump blamed California Governor Gavin “Newscam and the Los Angeles crew” for this horrific inferno.
Various TV personalities also criticized budget cuts for the Los Angeles Fire Department, the size of Cal Fire’s workforce, and diversity in hiring.
steve lopez
Steve Lopez is a California native who has been a columnist for the Los Angeles Times since 2001. He has won more than a dozen national journalism awards and was a Pulitzer finalist four times.
Let’s start with Bass, a former U.S. congressman who visited Ghana late last week as part of the U.S. presidential delegation.
Generally speaking, I have no problem with the mayor of Los Angeles, a world-class international city, traveling the world. Especially if it aims to foster economic and cultural relationships that benefit Los Angeles.
Basu was attending the inauguration of Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama. This was a nice gesture, but it wasn’t an important mission. She resigned Saturday and City Council President Marquise Harris Dawson took over. As the Times reported, it came two days after the National Weather Service warned of ferocious winds and extreme fire danger coming after months of drought.
A house caught fire on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on Wednesday.
(Wally Scully/Los Angeles Times)
A historic, wind-driven fire had destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades by the time the mayor returned Wednesday. Bass and several other public officials said she was in touch and helping manage the response to the firestorm while she was away.
Rick Caruso, who lost to Bass in the mayoral race two years ago, immediately jumped in, saying, “The mayor is out of the country and the city is on fire.”
Admittedly, the timing was bad, but as far as I know, no one responsible for the Eaton Fire in the San Gabriel Valley has left the country and is still burning through parts of Altadena and Pasadena.
As for Bass, I think second-guessing is fair, even if this doesn’t reach the level of Sen. Ted Cruz, who is leaving Texas for the holidays in 2021 (and who also wishes she hadn’t left town.) ) in calm Cancun while his state is devastated by an ice storm.
But few in Los Angeles or beyond imagined this level of devastation. Would things have played out differently if the bus had been in Los Angeles the whole time?
From center left, President Biden, Governor Gavin Newsom, and Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) attended a briefing on the fire.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
If you watch the daily press conferences, there is no shortage of people in charge.
In fact, it always drives me a little crazy when I see public servants taking turns saying essentially the same thing over and over again at events like this. First the city officials, then one or two county officials, then the police chief and sheriff.
They keep telling us there’s a theme here, that we’re all speaking with the same voice. That’s actually a concept I can bring to life.
As the fire raged, a dozen other people stood there like statues, waiting their turn at the microphone to tell us, “We are under unified command,” or acknowledge the federal government’s presence. Why not just have one person bring you the latest information instead of all the people who are doing it? Employee: “Flew out from Washington DC with team”
These are press conferences and people doing their jobs are not news.
And as if the public servants deserved a pat on the back for responding to such a devastating and life-altering disaster, Governor Newsom and President Biden answered the phone and promised support. Could you please stop showing off your gratitude? Is a disaster occurring?
Turning to Caruso, he cited the low water pressure that hampered firefighting efforts and said of the mayor, “Our leadership has been terrible, resulting in billions of dollars in damages. She wasn’t here. , because I didn’t know what I was doing.”
Going forward, it is essential to thoroughly consider preparedness and disaster response. This also applies to many other policy issues, such as how, where, and whether to rebuild. How to properly staff public safety departments. and how to adapt to the growing evidence that we live with the ever-present dangers associated with topography, extreme weather events, and climate change. Not to mention the earthquake faults that carve the landscape from the mountains to the sea.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the Eaton Fire on Wednesday.
(Jason Almond/Los Angeles Times)
So let’s talk about everything. But as adults, can we do that without using an epic disaster as a political piñata?
Former Fox anchor Megyn Kelly claimed that “in recent years, L.A. Fire Chief” Christine Crowley has made diversity hiring a top priority over restocking fire hydrants.
Thank you, Megan Kelly, this is a reminder to never put gas bags near fire.
CNN contributor Scott Jennings also mentioned diversity, equity, and inclusion, saying, “As a public policy issue in California, the fire department’s main focus these days is on DEI programs and budget cuts.” .
Asked by a CNN host if the Los Angeles Fire Department was responsible, Jennings replied:
“No, I’m blaming the Democrats who run the state.”
I would like to suggest that climate change deserves some responsibility and that the Republican Party is led by someone who thinks it’s a hoax.
But the smoke is still rising, and given all that has been lost and all the hard work to move forward, petty partisanship is a distraction and a detriment at this point.
steve.lopez@latimes.com
Source link
