Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced severe backlash on Wednesday after it was revealed that she reduced the city’s Fire Department budget by $17.6 million just before devastating fires ravaged the area. The mayor allocated funds for the city’s massive homeless population, but much of that money went unused, according to a report.
This budget reduction was the second largest in Bass’ fiscal budget for 2024-25, city records show. Interestingly, this cut wasn’t even as drastic as Bass had originally intended. She had planned to decrease the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget by a staggering $23 million.
For the fiscal year 2023-2024, LA had set aside $837 million for the fire department, which is a surprising 65% of the $1.3 billion intended for the homeless, according to Fox News. A study by the city comptroller revealed that nearly half of the funds allocated to homelessness went unused.
The budget cut to the fire department was the second most significant reduction in the entire budget, as shown in a graphic shared by LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia.
The issue resurfaced as the LAFD made an unusual request for off-duty firefighters to help combat three major wildfires spreading throughout the city. The fires, fueled by 100 mph winds from the Santa Ana winds, began on Tuesday and grew rapidly, forcing mass evacuations. The fires are now the most destructive in LA’s history, with at least 70,000 people ordered to evacuate their homes.
Rick Caruso, the LA developer who ran against Bass in the 2022 mayoral race, blamed the failure of leadership for the disaster. “It’s all about leadership management, that we’re seeing a failure of, and all these residents are paying the ultimate price for that,” Caruso said.
Adding to the criticism was the fact that Bass was thousands of miles away in Ghana when the fires broke out. As reports surfaced that LA’s fire hydrants were running dry during the fires, Caruso directly accused the mayor of being absent and unable to respond as the city was under siege by flames. “I think you should start asking … Why don’t you call the mayor, who is out of the country, and ask her? Get an answer from her,” Caruso told Fox LA.
At the time the fires worsened, Bass was in Ghana, 7,400 miles from Los Angeles, attending the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama.
America First Works President Ashley Hayek tweeted, “Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is on a taxpayer-funded trip to Africa as part of a Biden administration presidential delegation WHILE HER CITY IS BURNING TO THE GROUND.” She called the situation “INSANE.”
Elon Musk also weighed in, calling Bass “utterly incompetent” in response to the crisis.
Bass eventually returned to Los Angeles on Wednesday, where she met with California Governor Gavin Newsom amid the destruction. Fires were still raging across the city.
As Bass landed, she was confronted by a Sky News reporter who repeatedly asked her if she regretted slashing the Fire Department budget, traveling to Ghana, or if she had any apology for the citizens of LA. “Madame Mayor, have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today who are dealing with this disaster?” asked reporter David Blevins, but Bass remained silent, staring straight ahead.
Some residents of Los Angeles are demanding accountability. One evacuee, furious and frustrated, told Fox News, “We have questions. I know where I am, but I don’t know where my mayor was when this was happening.”
She continued, “I’m born and raised in Los Angeles, I spend my life worrying about when the earthquakes come, when the Santa Ana Winds come. I plan my trips around this. For someone to be in charge of my town… where were you?”
At least five lives have been lost, and over 1,000 buildings have been destroyed due to the three fires. The Pacific Palisades Fire, burning in the northwest part of the city, has spread over 15,000 acres. The Eaton Fire, to the northeast, grew from about 2,000 acres to over 10,000 acres, and the Hurst Fire, to the north, has reached 500 acres.
{Matzav.com}