Virtually the entire town of Pacific Palisades, my home, has been destroyed by the recent fire. The fact that Pacific Palisades and so much of Los Angeles is in ruins is all one needs to know to conclude that Los Angeles’ and California’s leaders were grossly negligent. This simply cannot happen in a modern, wealthy, highly taxed, American city set to host the next Olympic Games.
Allowing Pacific Palisades’ sole reservoir to sit empty awaiting a minor repair for close to a year is but one of many examples of neglect already identified. A severely under-resourced Los Angeles Fire Department, with staffing at the same level as the 1960s yet subjected to additional budget cuts this year, is another.
The question now is whether these same negligent leaders should be trusted with the rebuilding of Pacific Palisades and the other fire-damaged parts of Los Angeles. The…
