MY TAKE: MAYOR'S BAD DECISION COMPROMISED FIRE DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSE TO LOS ANGELES MASSIVE WILDFIRES

It is evident that the city Mayor's misplaced priorities proved very costly to thousands upon thousands of highly-taxed city residents who lost their most prized real estate possession and everything in it, not to mention the effects on the lives of those people and on their priceless memories and dreams. Broken pieces and shattered lives -- the kind of disaster that has been grossly exacerbated by a bad choice made between political ideology and common sense public service.

The unmitigated impact of the numerous raging wildfires scattered throughout the expansive City of the Angels that greeted the New Year of 2025 is to a large part due to the $17.6 million cut made by Mayor Karen Bass and her Council from the budget originally allocated to meet the Los Angeles Fire Department's operational needs, training programs, emergency preparedness, etc.

That decision apocalyptically spelled the epic failure that was explicitly warned about by no less than the Fire Chief herself, Kristin Crowley, as recent as December 4, 2024 in a memo that asked for the reinstatement of the diverted funds. Result: the Pacific Palisades reservoir was empty and no water came out of hydrants when it was most needed! Horrific is too mild a description for this circumstance.

My heart goes out to the those affected by this unprecedented catastrophe. May God's grace, mercy, love and comfort guide and provide for each man, woman and child as they process in their hearts and minds what just happened and as they attempt to deal with the aftermath of the unspeakable tragedy that has befallen their lives.

So, where did the money go? According to Fox News Digital review of the LA County budget much of it went to fund such programs as "Gay Men's Chorus", "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion", "Housing for Transgender Homelessness", "Drug Addicts and HIV Syringe Exchange", etc., etc.

Something is terribly wrong here. I find it extremely disturbing. But I'll leave it up to the readers to speculate what that is exactly.

In the meantime for a sense of peace and assurance of help, strength and direction I recommend turning to God in prayer: "The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you." (Psalm 9:9-10 ESV)