I live in LA. I didn't mind Bass being elected. Garcetti was a disgusting woke nightmare.I knew Caruso would lose after speaking to someone on his campaign. He was rudderless despite his immense wealth. But our city is still a complete hellhole. The metros are a bit safer under her. Cops are everywhere as are burly looking safety ambassadors. But there are encampments all along Sunset and Hollywood Blvd. A few months ago, I saw a guy pull down his pants and poop as he was on his phone. A tour bus drove buy and I wondered what in the world they must be thinking for the fake glamo city that we've become. Many on City Council are made up of literal Marxists, which is preferred to closeted ones. City council almost voted a rent moratorium, again, because of the Palisades fire. That this would again hurt small landlords doesn't hit them. And I receive official City emails and they are all for getting rid of single family homes. And, of course, big developers and the Marxists scold us for NIMBYism. Funny how that work. And the road diets continue so we get to see the working class drive their aging vehicles while bikes costing more than the cars whiz buy. And most public schools are still absolutely terrible. But at a conference of CA tech bros, that is okay because they will just brain drain the rest of the world.
Here's one reality the Palisades Fire has rather exposed. It's not just high housing cost that is creating the homelessness situation or even NIMBYism (which has become a convenient excuse). The people who have been displaced by this (whether because their home was destroyed outright or because it was left standing but isn't inhabitable till repaired from smoke damage) are not out in the streets taking craps in full view of everyone else. Instead, it would appear that the fire victims found new temporary places to live elsewhere.
Certainly, this fire only worsens the housing crunch (which is why there is such an imperative to rebuild and do so quickly). But it rather demonstrates that high housing costs are generally not the reason why you have people living in the streets. A lot of homelessness is related to mental illness and drugs as well as larger economic factors (for those who are choosing to live unsheltered).
It seems to me that the city is expected to help everyone who comes here. We simply don't have the resources to clothe, feed, bathe, shelter, and provide mental healthcare for every homeless person who finds LA a convenient place to go. In the Mayor's defense, when she was campaigning, she didn't say "I will solve this problem." She said she would take steps to make it better that others had refused but that the city alone couldn't solve it and it wouldn't be resolved overnight.
Here's another reality that the fires have exposed (and I've shared this with some conservative friends of mine). Angelenos are a kind and generous people. And while most of us are extremely individualistic, we are community oriented in response to natural disasters. It's why you can put some really bad bond and tax measures on the ballot loaded up with all sorts of bad things (in the fine print) and they'll mostly pass. Because they appeal to people's generous spirit.
Trust me I am fully aware. My father was a social worker in the juvenile system. Long hours and little pay. It was heroic though looking back accomplishing little. Twenty years ago, NPR interviewed a guy saying non profits needed to pay more. Thinking of my dad, I sensed something wrong but open to it. Now I see it unleashed collusion between power hungry politicians and developers. Below is an excerpt from an association trying to protect small landlords and developers. I am neither.
Local officials in both the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County on Tuesday, Feb. 18, will consider wildfire-related eviction moratoriums that would place significant financial burdens on rental housing providers.
City of Los Angeles: The City Council is reviving an eviction moratorium -- despite it failing last week.
L.A. County: The Board of Supervisors will consider a countywide eviction moratorium that would apply to all 88 cities in Los Angeles County.
Both measures would strip property owners of essential rights while ignoring existing relief funds meant to assist tenants in need. We need your voice to stop these proposals.
These eviction moratoriums are terrible policy. They sound great on paper but they wind up bankrupting some of the most vulnerable. People who rely on rental tenants for their income are forced to house others for free.
Not all opinions are correct, not all opinions are true. If Democrats could learn from cause/effect, they might still be relevant. But they don't. Instead of saying, "whoops, we made a mistake" and turning around, they double down on failure (in order to hang on to "power"). Progressivism is a brain wasting disease. Acknowledging truth is not in the party's platform. It's too bad.
Are you aware of the mayor’s response to this situation? It’s so obvious that she should not be the mayor of the 2nd largest city in the country! She’s a good person but not qualified for mayor. She’s a diplomat. LA will not recover given her incompetence
I am because I live in LA and I was born and raised here. I would acknowledge that her communications department has been s**t. That's on her. But that's politics. Substantively on policy, her responses have been good.
- Within less than a week of the fire, she issued a comprehensive executive order to make all rebuilds subject to one application with 30 day review and mandatory approval of compliant plans (and waiving the electronic hookup requirement).
- She got a one stop shop opened for permitting with all the city departments for building so victims can actually rebuild.
- She got all the disaster relief agencies under a single roof.
- Every time there has been a problematic state law or state agency slowing the rebuild, she's gotten Governor Newsom to sign an executive order under the Emergency Powers Act suspending it.
- She lit a fire under the asses of her city department heads to get the Palisades reopened about a day and a half after the fire was completely out. Get the roads reopened, clear the hazards, allow people to get back to their homes without interruption (the residents didn't want it reopened and she acquiesced to what they wanted, which is fine, it's called democracy and she's a liberal who is sensitive to the feelings of fire victims - they are suffering)
- She's been avoiding disputes with Trump and the GOP so that she can get money and federal help coming in without interruption.
- We are already seeing lots cleared of debris (I saw photos of Lahaina currently where most homes are still piles of rubble), power back on.
- She's been pro-active helping the workers and closed businesses, which could have an even larger impact on the city.
My father was a duly sworn police officer who worked 4 straight days and nights of the 1992 Riots, dodging rocks, bottles, Molotov cocktails, and bullets. He also survived the 1961 Bel Air Fire and the 1965 Watts Riots. We also survived Northridge Earthquake in 1994 (my folks survived the Sylmar Earthquake in 1971). Trust me when I tell you, we WILL rebuild the Palisades and LA WILL recover from this tragedy.
I wish I had faith in Bass’s ability to lead and deliver. I don’t think she knows what she’s doing. she brought in reinforcements and even that blew up in her face. I’m hoping I’m wrong
I live in LA. I didn't mind Bass being elected. Garcetti was a disgusting woke nightmare.I knew Caruso would lose after speaking to someone on his campaign. He was rudderless despite his immense wealth. But our city is still a complete hellhole. The metros are a bit safer under her. Cops are everywhere as are burly looking safety ambassadors. But there are encampments all along Sunset and Hollywood Blvd. A few months ago, I saw a guy pull down his pants and poop as he was on his phone. A tour bus drove buy and I wondered what in the world they must be thinking for the fake glamo city that we've become. Many on City Council are made up of literal Marxists, which is preferred to closeted ones. City council almost voted a rent moratorium, again, because of the Palisades fire. That this would again hurt small landlords doesn't hit them. And I receive official City emails and they are all for getting rid of single family homes. And, of course, big developers and the Marxists scold us for NIMBYism. Funny how that work. And the road diets continue so we get to see the working class drive their aging vehicles while bikes costing more than the cars whiz buy. And most public schools are still absolutely terrible. But at a conference of CA tech bros, that is okay because they will just brain drain the rest of the world.
Here's one reality the Palisades Fire has rather exposed. It's not just high housing cost that is creating the homelessness situation or even NIMBYism (which has become a convenient excuse). The people who have been displaced by this (whether because their home was destroyed outright or because it was left standing but isn't inhabitable till repaired from smoke damage) are not out in the streets taking craps in full view of everyone else. Instead, it would appear that the fire victims found new temporary places to live elsewhere.
Certainly, this fire only worsens the housing crunch (which is why there is such an imperative to rebuild and do so quickly). But it rather demonstrates that high housing costs are generally not the reason why you have people living in the streets. A lot of homelessness is related to mental illness and drugs as well as larger economic factors (for those who are choosing to live unsheltered).
It seems to me that the city is expected to help everyone who comes here. We simply don't have the resources to clothe, feed, bathe, shelter, and provide mental healthcare for every homeless person who finds LA a convenient place to go. In the Mayor's defense, when she was campaigning, she didn't say "I will solve this problem." She said she would take steps to make it better that others had refused but that the city alone couldn't solve it and it wouldn't be resolved overnight.
Here's another reality that the fires have exposed (and I've shared this with some conservative friends of mine). Angelenos are a kind and generous people. And while most of us are extremely individualistic, we are community oriented in response to natural disasters. It's why you can put some really bad bond and tax measures on the ballot loaded up with all sorts of bad things (in the fine print) and they'll mostly pass. Because they appeal to people's generous spirit.
Trust me I am fully aware. My father was a social worker in the juvenile system. Long hours and little pay. It was heroic though looking back accomplishing little. Twenty years ago, NPR interviewed a guy saying non profits needed to pay more. Thinking of my dad, I sensed something wrong but open to it. Now I see it unleashed collusion between power hungry politicians and developers. Below is an excerpt from an association trying to protect small landlords and developers. I am neither.
Local officials in both the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County on Tuesday, Feb. 18, will consider wildfire-related eviction moratoriums that would place significant financial burdens on rental housing providers.
City of Los Angeles: The City Council is reviving an eviction moratorium -- despite it failing last week.
L.A. County: The Board of Supervisors will consider a countywide eviction moratorium that would apply to all 88 cities in Los Angeles County.
Both measures would strip property owners of essential rights while ignoring existing relief funds meant to assist tenants in need. We need your voice to stop these proposals.
These eviction moratoriums are terrible policy. They sound great on paper but they wind up bankrupting some of the most vulnerable. People who rely on rental tenants for their income are forced to house others for free.
Good post Max, I didn't know any of that.
Thank you!
Thank you! I appreciate your defense. I don't like how easy it is to see public officials as one-dimensional.
I will share to fb and x friends.
Thank you! I appreciate you.
California needs a huge time-out from Democrats.
Not all opinions are correct, not all opinions are true. If Democrats could learn from cause/effect, they might still be relevant. But they don't. Instead of saying, "whoops, we made a mistake" and turning around, they double down on failure (in order to hang on to "power"). Progressivism is a brain wasting disease. Acknowledging truth is not in the party's platform. It's too bad.
Forever I will believe your points were given to you to write and paid for from USaid.
Are you aware of the mayor’s response to this situation? It’s so obvious that she should not be the mayor of the 2nd largest city in the country! She’s a good person but not qualified for mayor. She’s a diplomat. LA will not recover given her incompetence
I am because I live in LA and I was born and raised here. I would acknowledge that her communications department has been s**t. That's on her. But that's politics. Substantively on policy, her responses have been good.
- Within less than a week of the fire, she issued a comprehensive executive order to make all rebuilds subject to one application with 30 day review and mandatory approval of compliant plans (and waiving the electronic hookup requirement).
- She got a one stop shop opened for permitting with all the city departments for building so victims can actually rebuild.
- She got all the disaster relief agencies under a single roof.
- Every time there has been a problematic state law or state agency slowing the rebuild, she's gotten Governor Newsom to sign an executive order under the Emergency Powers Act suspending it.
- She lit a fire under the asses of her city department heads to get the Palisades reopened about a day and a half after the fire was completely out. Get the roads reopened, clear the hazards, allow people to get back to their homes without interruption (the residents didn't want it reopened and she acquiesced to what they wanted, which is fine, it's called democracy and she's a liberal who is sensitive to the feelings of fire victims - they are suffering)
- She's been avoiding disputes with Trump and the GOP so that she can get money and federal help coming in without interruption.
- We are already seeing lots cleared of debris (I saw photos of Lahaina currently where most homes are still piles of rubble), power back on.
- She's been pro-active helping the workers and closed businesses, which could have an even larger impact on the city.
My father was a duly sworn police officer who worked 4 straight days and nights of the 1992 Riots, dodging rocks, bottles, Molotov cocktails, and bullets. He also survived the 1961 Bel Air Fire and the 1965 Watts Riots. We also survived Northridge Earthquake in 1994 (my folks survived the Sylmar Earthquake in 1971). Trust me when I tell you, we WILL rebuild the Palisades and LA WILL recover from this tragedy.
I wish I had faith in Bass’s ability to lead and deliver. I don’t think she knows what she’s doing. she brought in reinforcements and even that blew up in her face. I’m hoping I’m wrong