Los Angeles governance faces fierce criticism as Mayor Karen Bass’s decision to cut fire department funding by $17.6 million sparks outrage amid raging wildfires.
At a Glance
- LA Fire Department budget reduced by $17.6 million despite ongoing wildfire crisis
- Over 4,000 acres burned in LA due to three large fires, with 70,000 people evacuated
- Mayor Bass criticized for being in Africa during the crisis
- Fire department’s total budget remains at nearly $820 million
- Homelessness spending prioritized over fire department funding
Budget Cuts Ignite Controversy
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faces intense scrutiny over her administration’s decision to cut the fire department’s budget by $17.6 million. This reduction comes at a time when the city is grappling with multiple devastating wildfires, raising questions about the priorities of city leadership. The fire department’s budget for 2024-2025 now stands at $819,637,423, down from the previous year’s allocation.
The budget cut has sparked outrage among residents and officials alike, particularly as the police department’s budget saw an increase of $126 million. This disparity in funding allocation has led many to question the city’s priorities during a time of crisis.
BOMBSHELL: Los Angeles’s Democrat Mayor Karen Bass CUT the LAFD’s budget by nearly $20 MILLION months before fire destroyed massive parts of LA.
“The Los Angeles Fire Department had its budget cut by a staggering $17.6 million this financial year, records show — as fire crews… pic.twitter.com/fFkyEHbohL
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 8, 2025
Wildfires Ravage Los Angeles
The city is currently battling multiple large-scale fires, including the Pacific Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, and Hurst Fire. These blazes have collectively burned over 17,000 acres, forcing the evacuation of at least 70,000 residents. The Pacific Palisades neighborhood alone saw 30,000 residents evacuated due to that 2,900-acre fire alone.
The severity of the situation led California Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency. The fires have resulted in at least five deaths and the destruction of over 1,000 buildings, marking them as some of the most destructive in the city’s history.
Mayor’s Absence and Criticism
Adding fuel to the fire of public outrage, Mayor Karen Bass was out of the country in Africa when the wildfires began. This absence during a critical time has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, including former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso and Dr. Pat Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times.
Caruso and others have blamed Bass for mismanagement leading to the fires getting out of control. The situation has even drawn the attention of high-profile figures like Elon Musk, who criticized Bass as “utterly incompetent.”
Budget Priorities Questioned
The controversy surrounding the fire department’s budget cut is further amplified by the city’s spending priorities. For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was allocated $837 million, about 65% of the $1.3 billion budget for homelessness. This allocation has raised eyebrows, especially given that an analysis revealed about half of the homelessness budget went unspent.
As Los Angeles grapples with this crisis, the debate over budget allocations and emergency preparedness is likely to intensify. The city’s ability to respond effectively to future disasters may hinge on the lessons learned from this current predicament and the subsequent policy decisions made by city leadership.
