Los Angeles Mayor faces criticism for overseas trip, budget cuts as wildfires rage
As the most destructive fire in Los Angeles area history rages, Mayor Karen Bass faces criticism over the timing of an overseas trip and budget cuts made months ago that affected the city바카라 게임 웹사이트s fire department.
For a second consecutive day, L.A. residents awoke to an inferno that has claimed at least five lives and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. Firefighters and first responders are struggling to contain five fast-moving wildfires that have scorched over 25,000 acres and destroyed nearly 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures.
The Palisades Fire erupted around 10:30 a.m. PT on Jan. 7, while Bass was in Ghana attending the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama as part of a U.S. presidential delegation. The trip, by the White House earlier this month, coincided with the fire바카라 게임 웹사이트s rapid expansion, fueled by intense winds that temporarily prevented aerial firefighting efforts.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles had issued numerous warnings about dangerous weather conditions, including destructive windstorms, in the days leading up to the fire, said Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the agency.
바카라 게임 웹사이트This is an event that had exceptionally long lead times, not only of the powerful windstorm that we anticipated but also the potential for a particularly dangerous situation, red flag warning, fire weather conditions,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Cohen said.
Rick Caruso, a real estate developer and former mayoral candidate, criticized Bass for her absence, saying, 바카라 게임 웹사이트This is an absolute mismanagement by the city and I바카라 게임 웹사이트m going to be very honest, we바카라 게임 웹사이트ve got a mayor that바카라 게임 웹사이트s out of the country and we바카라 게임 웹사이트ve got a city that바카라 게임 웹사이트s burning.바카라 게임 웹사이트
바카라 게임 웹사이트This was a disaster waiting to happen and what바카라 게임 웹사이트s predictable is preventable and who바카라 게임 웹사이트s paying the price is all these people and their homes tonight,바카라 게임 웹사이트 .
Timelapse video below shows wildfires rapidly spreading in southern California
On Thursday, Bass emphasized the 바카라 게임 웹사이트unprecedented바카라 게임 웹사이트 nature of the fires and defended her leadership during the crisis. She insisted her 바카라 게임 웹사이트number one focus바카라 게임 웹사이트 is protecting lives and saving homes.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Rest assured when that is done, when we are safe, when lives have been saved and homes have been saved, we will absolutely do an evaluation to look at what worked, and what didn바카라 게임 웹사이트t work, and to correct 바카라 게임 웹사이트 or to hold accountable 바카라 게임 웹사이트 anybody, department, individual, etcetera,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Bass said.
바카라 게임 웹사이트But my focus right now is on the lives and the homes.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Bass in 'constant contact' with teams
It is unclear when Bass was informed about the fires and decided to return to California.
But on her return Wednesday, Bass was confronted at the airport by a reporter, who asked if she owed Angelenos an apology for her absence during the fires.
A stone-faced Bass refused to answer as the reporter followed her down the gangway.
Bass had left Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson as mayor pro tempore in her absence.
At a news conference Wednesday morning, Harris-Dawson acknowledged the work of the first responders doing 바카라 게임 웹사이트heroic work in the face of grave danger.바카라 게임 웹사이트
바카라 게임 웹사이트Last night was one of the most devastating and terrifying nights that we바카라 게임 웹사이트ve seen in any part of our city, at any part of our history,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he said.
On Wednesday night, Bass told reporters she had been in 바카라 게임 웹사이트constant contact바카라 게임 웹사이트 with local, federal, and county officials marshaling the response to the fires as she made her way back to the United States.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I took the fastest route back which included being on a military plane which facilitated our communications. So, I was able to be on the phone the entire time of the flight,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Bass said, adding she also had phone access during her commercial flight 바카라 게임 웹사이트like most people do.바카라 게임 웹사이트
바카라 게임 웹사이트I was on the phone on the plane almost every hour of the flight. So, although I was not physically here, I was in contact with many of the individuals that are standing here throughout the entire time when my flight landed, immediately went to the fire zone and saw what happened in Pacific Palisades.바카라 게임 웹사이트
CNN reached out to her office asking if they considered delaying her trip to Ghana due to the weather conditions.
LAFD budget cuts
Bass has sought to assure residents that cuts to the fire department바카라 게임 웹사이트s annual budget have not impacted the city바카라 게임 웹사이트s current ability to address the fires.
In June, Bass approved a budget of nearly $13 billion that included a $17 million reduction in the for 2025. L.A. Fire Chief Kristen Crowley noted in a report the funding deficit has affected the department바카라 게임 웹사이트s 바카라 게임 웹사이트ability to maintain core operations,바카라 게임 웹사이트 including training and response to large-scale emergencies.
The report also highlighted that the department had been unable to perform required brush clearance inspections to mitigate fire risks, and residential inspections for fire safety compliance were reduced.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Ultimately, loss of funding impairs the Department바카라 게임 웹사이트s ability to mitigate wildland fires and other hazards effectively,바카라 게임 웹사이트 the report stated.
At a news conference Thursday morning, Bass insisted that the budget cuts have not hindered the LAFD바카라 게임 웹사이트s ability to fight the wildfires. 바카라 게임 웹사이트I think if you go back and look at the reductions that have been made, there were no reductions that would have impacted the situation we were dealing with over the last couple of days,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she said.
바카라 게임 웹사이트It바카라 게임 웹사이트s important to understand that we were in tough budgetary times. Everybody knew that, but the impact of our budget really did not affect what we바카라 게임 웹사이트ve been going through over the last few days.바카라 게임 웹사이트
California Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman, whose district includes the Pacific Palisades, said on CNN Thursday the budget cuts 바카라 게임 웹사이트relate to money that바카라 게임 웹사이트s going to be spent in 2025 and were chiefly for training.바카라 게임 웹사이트
바카라 게임 웹사이트These cuts, I think, will be reversed, and should be, and they were perhaps ill-advised,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he said. 바카라 게임 웹사이트But they바카라 게임 웹사이트re not a reason why the Palisades have suffered 바카라 게임 웹사이트 this was money to train people in 2025.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Now that Bass has returned to California, she said her focus will remain on coordinating the response to the fires and preserving life and property. 바카라 게임 웹사이트We will begin the process of rebuilding. We will have critical resources available to ensure the residents of our communities are not fighting these battles alone,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she said.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Make no mistake, this board and this county will continue to do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our residents as we look forward to the path of recovery.바카라 게임 웹사이트