Ah, Los Angeles—where the priorities are as hot a mess as the wildfires raging through the city. In a dazzling display of fiscal mismanagement, Mayor Karen Bass has slashed the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) budget by a staggering $17.6 million. Yes, you read that right. During wildfire season, in a city infamous for its infernos, the fire department is asked to do more with less. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department gets a cool $126 million bump. You can almost hear the sound of priorities burning along with the neighborhoods.
To add a cherry on top, this cut isn’t some bureaucratic blunder—it’s part of Bass’s planned 2024-25 budget. Initially, she proposed hacking away $23 million from the LAFD, but she graciously reduced it to $17.6 million, as if that’s supposed to feel like a gift. City Controller Kenneth Mejia’s data confirms what we all feared: the fire department is caught in the crossfire of “progressive” budgeting, left to beg for resources during one of the worst fire seasons in recent memory.
And if you’re wondering whether this budget tightening is paying off elsewhere, think again. Mayor Bass decided to hop on a plane to Ghana for a presidential inauguration while her city burned—literally. Her absence wasn’t lost on Angelenos, who were busy evacuating their homes and watching entire neighborhoods go up in smoke. But hey, she did manage to tweet some platitudes from afar, urging residents to “stay vigilant and stay safe.” Thanks, Mayor. Real boots-on-the-ground leadership there.
Meanwhile, firefighters are scrambling. The LAFD is issuing desperate calls for off-duty personnel, and some crews are reportedly running out of water while battling these monstrous blazes. Let that sink in: a fire department in one of the world’s most fire-prone cities is being forced to fight flames with empty tanks and an empty wallet. It’s like sending soldiers to war without ammunition—completely absurd, yet here we are.
Rick Caruso, billionaire real estate developer, called into LA local news:
“This is like a third world country… there is no water coming out of the fire hydrants. LA Mayor Karen Bass is on a foreign trip to Ghana.”pic.twitter.com/iOjXPkWcko
— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) January 8, 2025
This crisis lays bare the consequences of reckless budgeting. Los Angeles has always been a city on the edge, surrounded by tinder-dry wildlands just waiting for a spark. Cutting resources during wildfire season is akin to throwing gasoline on the flames—except, apparently, that gasoline is the LAFD’s operating budget.
This is the most damning video of a politician being questioned during a disaster that I’ve ever seen. This @SkyNews reporter just absolutely shredded the incompetent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. It’s truly a work of art. 👏👏👏pic.twitter.com/goqy5tXlbm
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 8, 2025
Bass’s defenders might argue that fiscal challenges necessitate tough choices. Fair enough. But let’s talk about priorities. While fire crews struggle, the city somehow found $126 million to fatten the LAPD budget. Public safety is critical, but let’s not pretend these allocations reflect thoughtful planning. Instead, they reveal a leadership more concerned with optics than outcomes—more interested in headlines about crime reduction than ensuring residents don’t lose their homes to uncontrollable wildfires.
What’s next? Another round of budget cuts for paramedics? Maybe pothole repairs will become “community-funded” projects? At this rate, Los Angeles might want to consider a GoFundMe for emergency services.
As flames consume more of the city, Bass’s budgetary choices aren’t just a crisis of leadership; they’re a glaring symbol of misplaced priorities. Los Angeles deserves better than social media platitudes and absentee governance. It needs leaders who understand that public safety begins with proper funding—before the city burns to the ground.
