Los Angeles Mayor Cut Fire Department Budget Ahead Of Wildfires

Los Angeles Mayor Initiates Major Fire Department Budget Adjustment amid Changes

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass cuts fire department budget by $17.5 million, then jets off to Africa while the city burns.

At a Glance

Mayor Bass slashed LAFD budget by $17.5 million, prioritizing homeless funding
Massive wildfires erupted, forcing 70,000 evacuations and destroying 1,000+ buildings
Bass criticized for being in Ghana during crisis, labeled “utterly incompetent” by Elon Musk
LAFD budget cuts resurface as off-duty firefighters called to combat three massive wildfires
California faces insurance crisis as insurers flee due to wildfire-related costs

Liberal Logic: Slash Fire Budget, Increase Homelessness Spending

In a move that can only be described as peak liberal insanity, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass decided to play Russian roulette with the city’s safety by slashing the fire department’s budget by a whopping $17.5 million. Because who needs firefighters when you can throw more money at the homeless problem, right? It’s not like California is known for its wildfires or anything.

The sheer brilliance of this decision became painfully apparent when multiple wildfires erupted around the city, forcing 70,000 residents to evacuate and destroying over 1,000 buildings. But hey, at least the homeless population got their share of the pie – all $1.3 billion of it. Nearly half of that homeless funding went unused, according to a city comptroller study. Talk about fiscal responsibility!

Where’s Waldo? I Mean, Mayor Bass?

As Los Angeles burned, one question was on everyone’s mind: Where in the world is Mayor Karen Bass? Well, ladies and gentlemen, while her city was quite literally going up in flames, our esteemed mayor was living it up in Ghana, celebrating a presidential inauguration. Because nothing says “I care about my constituents” like partying in Africa while your city faces its most destructive wildfires in history.

“It’s all about leadership management, that we’re seeing a failure of, and all these residents are paying the ultimate price for that.” – Rick Caruso

Rick Caruso, an LA developer and apparently one of the few people left in the city with common sense, didn’t mince words when it came to Bass’s absence. He suggested reporters start asking why the mayor was out of the country during a crisis. Even Elon Musk chimed in, labeling Bass as “utterly incompetent.” When you’ve got both businessmen and tech moguls agreeing on something, you know you’ve royally screwed up.

The Great California Exodus: Insurance Edition

As if things couldn’t get any worse, California is now facing an insurance crisis. Insurers are fleeing the state faster than residents during a wildfire evacuation, all thanks to the skyrocketing costs associated with these infernos. Seven of the 20 most destructive California wildfires have occurred in the last five years. The 2018 Camp Fire alone caused $10 billion in damage. But sure, let’s cut the fire department’s budget. What could possibly go wrong?

In a stunning display of bureaucratic double-speak, Bass called this budget fiasco a “reset.” Yes, you read that right. Apparently, in liberal la-la land, endangering lives and property is now considered a “reset.” I wonder if the families who lost their homes in these fires feel “reset” too?

The Silver Lining (If You Can Call It That)

In a twist of irony that would be laughable if it weren’t so tragic, Bass’s budget proposal did include an increase for the Emergency Appointment Paramedic Program. Because when you’re cutting the fire department’s ability to prevent fires, you might as well beef up the medical response for all the resulting casualties, right? Oh, and let’s not forget the generous $2.5 million allocated for new equipment and technology updates. I’m sure that’ll come in handy when the next inferno threatens to engulf the city.

As Los Angeles continues to burn and its residents flee both the fires and the incompetence of their leadership, one thing is clear: This is what happens when you prioritize virtue signaling over public safety. Maybe next time, instead of jetting off to Africa, Mayor Bass could stick around and learn a thing or two about actually governing a city. But let’s not hold our breath – that might be dangerous with all the smoke in the air.