Opinion and Commentary By Donna Westfall – January 10, 2025
August 6, 1945 – Imagine seeing the devastation of Japan after the nuclear bomb destroyed Hiroshima. Now fast forward to January 7, 2025 and look at the pictures of Pacific Palisades, California. Not much difference.
Hiroshima 1945
Pacific Palisades fire 2025
INCOMPETENCE
Governor Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass have a lot in common. It’s called INCOMPETENCE. A month before the fire, LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley warned that $17.5 million in budget cuts would affect fire fighting efforts. While there was sufficient water to fight these fires, two things happened that were unexpected. 1.) Some of the fire hydrants in Pacific Palisades went dry, and 2.) Someone’s personal drone collided with one of the Super Scooper planes. They scoop up 1,500 gallons of ocean water then drop them on active fires. That plane landed safely, but was taken out of action.
My husband, Doug, is a drone flyer. There are strict rules about flying drones. The individual that put his drone up was clearly in the wrong and most likely will face prosecution.
Newsom spent $24 billion on the homeless with less than stellar results, but where were his priorities in fighting fires, preventing looting and saving homes and lives and about $50 Billion taxpaying dollars? Is there any wonder why more and more people are leaving our state? Shouldn’t he resign?
What about insurance? Insurance companies have been dropping policies and not issuing policies. Shouldn’t our Governor have had a say in something of that magnitude?
At the very least, let’s hope that voters suspend supporting these politicians and get some in office with more common sense, business sense and most important that the constituents and residents of this once great state have to be the priority.
WATER and FIRE HYDRANTS
Remember it’s not just one fire in Pacific Palisades. After that fire started, another one started in Alta Dena. My mother was a health food nut and used to buy raw milk from Alta Dena Dairy. This was during the 1950’s and 1960’s. That dairy was frequently in the news and would get sued numerous times until 1999 when they stopped producing raw milk.
It wasn’t just Pacific Palisades on fire it’s multiple fires all over LA County. There should have been adequate water due to all the rains and snow melt. Meanwhile, there was no water coming out of some of the fire hydrants. WHY? Was it because of a power outage?
LOSS OF LIFE, PROPERTY AND TAXES
10 dead and climbing.
92 wildfires. Ninety-two! But of those six are major. Winds galore. The Santa Ana winds are sometimes called Devil Winds. They are strong, extremely dry winds. While living in LA, we never enjoyed the days with Santa Ana winds.
Four days into this disaster. 10,000 homes lost, businesses lost, churches lost, schools lost. Over 30,000 acres burning.
GROSS INCOMPETENCE
What was the LA Mayor doing in Ghana? Upon her return Mayor Bass gave a very weak response to her critics. Nonsensical in my opinion. She talked about saving lives and saving homes. Clearly a travesty on both accounts.
She was part of a delegation sent by Pres. Biden to go to Ghana to attend the inauguration of it’s new President. Why didn’t she come back immediately? Should she resign?
Again, until California voters start changing their ways, we can probably expect more bad news in our future.
