As I write this, fires are ravaging Los Angeles. They are destroying homes, businesses and iconic structures. And they are barely – if at all – being controlled by firefighters and other relevant services.
Is this just a fact of nature, or is anyone to blame? And, if so, who?
Here are excerpts from two articles published by London’s Daily Mail that might give you an insight into the answer to those questions.
The first, from an article by Steven M. Lepore:
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stood stone-faced and refused to answer a reporter’s question for two full minutes after being out of the country while killer wildfires raged through her city.
Furious Los Angelinos have blasted their mayor for traveling to Ghana while the city burns, despite having ample warning about ‘critical’ weather conditions in the days before.
Bass flew out to attend the West African country’s presidential inauguration on Tuesday, after meteorologists warned that a ‘recipe for fire’ was on track to strike LA.
‘Do you owe your citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning?’
‘Do you regret cutting the fire department by millions of dollars, Madam Mayor? Have you nothing to say today?’
Bass tried to cut the LA Fire Department’s budget by some $23million in 2024 but settled for $17.6 million in cuts.
‘Elon Musk says that you’re utterly incompetent, are you considering your position? Have you absolutely nothing to say to citizens who are dealing with this disaster? No apologies for them?’
‘Do you think you should’ve been visiting Ghana while this was unfolding back home?’
The second, from an article by Bethan Sexton:
Megyn Kelly has accused Los Angeles‘ female fire chief of ‘focusing on diversity’ instead of planning for disaster.
The former Fox journalist slammed Kristin Crowley for prioritizing DEI training over preparing for wildfires.
Her comments come as the City of Angels has been engulfed a series of deadly blazes, which have so far killed two people and blitzed through more than 11,800 acres.
‘In recent years LA’s fire chief has made not filling the fire hydrants top priority. but diversity,’ she fumed on The Megyn Kelly Show. ‘Diversity is at least among the top priorities for the Department.’
She referenced an interview in which Crowley expressed her desire to boost the number of women and LGBTQ+ people in the fire service.
‘Who gives a s**t if the fire chief is gay I’m sorry but who gives a flying fig about who she likes to sleep with can you fight the f**king fires madam that’s the relevant question,’ Kelly continued
Is that truly the way of things? Is there human responsibility here?
Does the responsibility lie with a Mayor who underfunded the fire department and then jaunted off to Africa when this horrific situation was imminent?
Does it lie with a Fire Chief who is more invested in DEI “wokeism” than effective firefighting?
You have the information. You decide.
