The Governance Failures That Fed the Los Angeles Wildfires

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

After news broke last week that wildfires were tearing through Los Angeles, I checked in on Bill and Cindy Simon, longtime friends of my wife and me who live in Pacific Palisades. Bill is the son of William Simon, the investor and philanthropist who served as Treasury secretary under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. By the time we spoke, the Simons had evacuated their home and checked into a hotel in neighboring Santa Monica. Around half of the houses on their block had burned to the ground, along with the Catholic church at the end of the street, the town library, the village theater and two large grocery stores.

Posted by BellRinger at 01:34 PM | 49 COMMENTS | permalink

Comments

... The Governance Failures That Fed the Los Angeles Wildfires ...

Yeah, the failure of the GOP to do anything about climate change.

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-01-15 01:39 PM

GO ---- YOURSELF YOU ------- MAGAT SCUM

#2 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-01-15 01:41 PM

Ah yes, climate change is fake. These huge changes in the weather are...magic!

The insanely abnormal winter drought is...magic!

Sorry but the reservoir isn't enough to stop the fire. Convenient that your author left that out.

And filling the reservoir magically during an extreme drought isn't possible.

Jeff, you are one of the dumbest posters on this site.

#3 | Posted by Sycophant at 2025-01-15 01:46 PM

Jeff is a cretin for sure. He doesn't understand the problem. He just thinks he can attack liberals without any critical thinking skills. That's why I call him a reactionary parrot. He regurgitates the talking points of the right winged media and the leadership team of his party without any critical thinking of the matter behind it. SSDD.

#4 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-01-15 01:54 PM

"
#3 | POSTED BY SYCOPHANT AT 2025-01-15 01:46 PM | FLAG: "

You spend most of your time biting ankles. That alone makes me smarter than you.

I posted this opinion piece because I viewed it as pretty balanced.

Your only response was a personal attack.

#5 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 01:59 PM

Sycophant,

The last time California built a water reservoir was 1979. This state spends far more accommodating illegal immigrants that it does on forest and water management.

#6 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 02:01 PM

You spend most of your time biting ankles. That alone makes me smarter than you.
I posted this opinion piece because I viewed it as pretty balanced.
Your only response was a personal attack.

#5 | Posted by BellRinger

Sycophant,
The last time California built a water reservoir was 1979. This state spends far more accommodating illegal immigrants that it does on forest and water management.

#6 | Posted by BellRinger

Someone has to fact check you because your idea of "Balanced" is completely Fact Free.

Well Jeff, California didn't have a major drought from the late 70's until about 2007. So there wasn't a huge need for a reservoir.

The new reservoir plan started in 1996 however. This isn't the 50's. The easy sources of water are all already tapped. So this one required a lot more planning.

So a new reservoir is insanely expensive, there are very few sites to build them, and there is huge competition for the water. It likely won't lower water prices.

In fact, the new potential sites are so rare, that the new reservoir IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ------- STATE. It would have NO effect on the wildfires.

Fact Checked into Oblivion Again. We done here?

#7 | Posted by Sycophant at 2025-01-15 02:35 PM

This state spends far more accommodating illegal immigrants that it does on forest and water management.

#6 | POSTED BY BELLRINGER

Benefits and services provided to illegal aliens in California in 2022 amounted to $22 billion. But they contributed 8 billion.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, California spends approximately $37 billion annually on water management, with the majority (84%) coming from local water bills and taxes, while the state contributes around 13% and the federal government contributes 3%

Last I checked $37 billion > 14 billion

But do carry on with the lie of the day.

#8 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-01-15 02:36 PM

"So a new reservoir is insanely expensive, there are very few sites to build them, and there is huge competition for the water. It likely won't lower water prices."

Don't you just love how all these experts in water management suddenly emerged from under the rocks like scorpions. Look at how much they care about California suddenly!

According to recent reports, California has allocated over $82 million in Proposition 1 desalination grants to support 20 different desalination projects across the state, with several currently under construction in cities like Antioch, Camarillo, and Santa Monica; this funding is aimed at expanding water supplies through desalination initiatives.

#9 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-01-15 02:39 PM

Don't you just love how all these experts in water management suddenly emerged from under the rocks like scorpions. Look at how much they care about California suddenly!

#9 | Posted by donnerboy

This is why Google is our friend. We can go check what the experts are actually saying.

Jeff doesn't do that. He goes off his vast knowledge of water management from 4Chan memes and Sean Hannity.

#10 | Posted by Sycophant at 2025-01-15 02:45 PM

Re 8.

And I didn't even include the cost of forest management in California. But there is no doubt now that they need to spend more. The costs have been increasing every year now. Because the danger of extreme wildfires has been increasing every year now.

These added costs are because of climate change and the increase in extreme weather events.

#11 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-01-15 02:46 PM

Jeff doesn't do that. He goes off his vast knowledge of water management from 4Chan memes and Sean Hannity.

Posted by Sycophant at 2025-01-15 02:45 PM | Reply

Just like the issue with regarding the Flynt Michigan lead poisoning problem. He thought that he knew exactly what was wrong too. Funny thing that.

#12 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-01-15 02:50 PM

"This is why Google is our friend."

Apple Intelligence is my friend atm. It is a "Good Guy AI".

It can generate a report for me with links and executive summaries in seconds. It has been extremely accurate so far.

Google also uses AI but I don't really trust them as much any more.

I think that posers like vistard and Roboson use Grok. Which is a "Bad Guy AI".

This is what my "Good Guy AI" says about Grok.

Based on current information, Grok AI, developed by Elon Musk's xAI, is considered to have the potential to be a "bad guy" AI due to concerns about its tendency to spread misinformation, generate biased content, and lack proper moderation controls, particularly when trained on the often-unfiltered data of Twitter (now X), which can lead to inaccurate or harmful responses.

#13 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-01-15 02:54 PM

" Well Jeff, California didn't have a major drought from the late 70's until about 2007. So there wasn't a huge need for a reservoir."

Setting aside the increase in population.

Rolling blackouts and brownouts happen in that state But, gotta prioritize the Delta Smelt over the citizens.

#14 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 02:55 PM

A 117 million gallon reservoir has been down right when dire warnings were being issued. Hydrants were empty when the fire raged.

That's great mitigation management according to lefties whose sole existence is to deflect any accountability for their team.

#15 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 02:58 PM

No, California did not prioritize the delta smelt over its citizens, and claims to the contrary are false. However, the delta smelt is a critically endangered fish that is an important indicator of the health of California's San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary.
Explanation
Some politicians have claimed that water was diverted from California residents to protect the delta smelt, which would have made it harder to fight wildfires. However, this claim is false.
The delta smelt is a small, silvery fish that is nearly extinct. It is a key indicator of the health of the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary, which is a vital part of California's water system.
The delta smelt is critically endangered due to water quality, habitat loss, and the introduction of nonnative species.

JEFF LIES YET AGAIN.

#16 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-01-15 03:00 PM

abc7.com

former LADWP official told ABC News that access to the reservoir may have helped early on in the firefight, but it would not have been enough to fight the fire.

"It could have made some difference in supporting the pressure loss early on, but it would not have lasted the whole fire," Martin Adams, who recently retired after 40 years of working at LADWP, most recently as General Manager, told ABC News.

"It might have helped for a little bit, but it wouldn't have been the be-all end-all," Adams said.

JEFF TALKING OUT OF HIS HINEY AGAIN

#17 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-01-15 03:04 PM

"Rolling blackouts and brownouts happen in that state ... "

No longer due to energy shortages.

But a proactive protective measure during extreme wind events.

#18 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-01-15 03:07 PM

JEFF TALKING OUT OF HIS HINEY AGAIN
#17 | POSTED BY LAURAMOHR

He's a Trumper. All he knows how to do is repeat the lies and misinformation he's been given.

#19 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-01-15 03:10 PM

" Well Jeff, California didn't have a major drought from the late 70's until about 2007. So there wasn't a huge need for a reservoir."

Setting aside the increase in population.

Rolling blackouts and brownouts happen in that state But, gotta prioritize the Delta Smelt over the citizens.

#14 | Posted by BellRinger

Same old, same old for Jeff.

Ignore when planning started for the new reservoir.

Ignore the recent droughts causing water issues rather than population growth.

Ignore the cost, water rights fights, and potential location of a reservoir.

Ignore that a new reservoir won't change water prices.

Ignore that the reservoir would not effect fire hydrants or fire fighting.

Change the topic to energy and a fish.

Jeff, you truly are an idiot and a liar.

#20 | Posted by Sycophant at 2025-01-15 03:12 PM

That's great mitigation management according to lefties whose sole existence is to deflect any accountability for their team.

#15 | POSTED BY BELLRINGER

I am betting they question your expertise and knowledge of water and forest management in California because of your biased input on these matters and because of your constant lies and exaggerations.

#21 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-01-15 03:12 PM

see, I think Archie Bunker knew what was coming......

www.youtube.com

#22 | Posted by eberly at 2025-01-15 03:14 PM

" former LADWP official told ABC News that access to the reservoir may have helped early on in the firefight, but it would not have been enough to fight the fire."

Mitigation. Wildfires happen. The state government was woefully underprepared with their mitigation.

#23 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 03:43 PM

" Jeff, you truly are an idiot and a liar.

#20 | POSTED BY SYCOPHANT AT 2025-01-15 03:12 PM | FLAG: "

And you are an --------. No way that state can't build a reservoir, with all of the annual mountain snow melt in 45 years. That's absurd.

Quit defending the indefensible.

#24 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 03:46 PM

Quit defending the indefensible.

#24 | POSTED BY BELLRINGER

What he said made sense.

Stop believing in the indefensible.

#25 | Posted by Zed at 2025-01-15 03:47 PM

They certainly have the tax revenue for it. But housing illegal aliens and spending ridiculous sums for the DEI programs is WAY more important than investing in wildfire mitigation.

#26 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 03:48 PM

But housing illegal aliens and spending ridiculous sums for the DEI programs is WAY more important than investing in wildfire mitigation.

#26 | POSTED BY BELLRINGER

You have to work to be this dense; you have to make the mission personal.

These same things have happened in Texas, recently. MAGA TEXAS, and in my own neck of the woods.

The fact that they do makes your posturing asinine.

#27 | Posted by Zed at 2025-01-15 03:52 PM

I posted this opinion piece because I viewed it as pretty balanced.

It is very balanced. Basically the fires have nothing to do with climate change and are entirely the fault of Democrats.

#28 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-01-15 03:52 PM

" Hydrants were empty when the fire raged."

Tell us you don't understand water systems without using those specific words.

More to the point, how many systems do you know which can fight fires on every street on the block?

Dumfuqs gotta dumfuq, apparently.

#29 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-01-15 03:53 PM

"No way that state can't build a reservoir"

The five dollar answer to a five billion dollar question.

#30 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-01-15 03:58 PM

I want to hear something about the MAGA failure to provide new resevoirs in Texas.

We had posters nearly burned out when Bastrop County went up. Almost the entire freaking Texas county

The MAGA government in Texas was told FOR YEARS that we would have fires like that, and why.

#31 | Posted by Zed at 2025-01-15 03:59 PM

I want to hear something about the MAGA failure to provide new resevoirs in Texas.

That's (d)ifferent.

#32 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-01-15 04:30 PM

JUST IN - 200 artworks by Hunter Biden allegedly worth "millions of dollars" destroyed in Los Angeles fires

. Basically the fires have nothing to do with climate change and are entirely the fault of Democrats.
#28 | POSTED BY REDIAL A

Does anyone have a single data point that says "climate change" caused/created the fires? Too humid? Too hot? Too much wind (2011) There isn't a single data point that indicates climate change had anything to do with this. But lets say there was one, why wouldn't you prepare for the worst case EVERYTIME?

DialAgain, idk about ALL Democrats, but certainly choices made by certain Democrat politicians. There were other Counties under the same duress that faired well.
I believe if they had prepared better both long term (SantaYnez, fire breaks) and short term (days before wind event), prepositioned, it would be hard to criticize.
But they didn't. They didn't fix the res (just a cover, is that really reason to drain it, for a year??) , they didn't preposition, they didn't even have someone in charge locally.

Finally still to be investigated, but as I have stated 80% of wildfires are human started, and most of those humans are homeless. Indications are that these fires currently burning were started by homeless. LA has a big homeless issue, this more than likely related.

This is a crisis of cascading catastrophes.

Yesterday CalFire was removing growth on the 405, Why? Why was there so much foliage right near the freeway (fire hazard by itself)

Last night forces were prepositioned, and everything went fine. Sure fires started, but were quickly extinguished even though environment was worse.

As it should have been initially. Too bad 12,000 structures needed to burn down to get this lesson across.

#33 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-01-15 04:40 PM

how many systems do you know which can fight fires on every street on the block?

There was a wildfire in Waterton-Glacier park a few years ago. It took the combined efforts of firefighters from 5 cities to save one historic building from the fire, and that was with air support and a freshwater lake 300 yards away.

#34 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-01-15 04:40 PM

" Jeff, you truly are an idiot and a liar.

#20 | POSTED BY SYCOPHANT AT 2025-01-15 03:12 PM | FLAG: "

And you are an --------. No way that state can't build a reservoir, with all of the annual mountain snow melt in 45 years. That's absurd.

Quit defending the indefensible.

#24 | Posted by BellRinger

Jeff, the new expert on collecting snow melt, is here to correct us all!

...and ignore all the facts presented...

Typical Jeff.

JEFF, YOU STUPID HACK. DO YOU THINK THE CURRENT SNOW MELT JUST DISAPPEARS? IT ALREADY RUNS OFF INTO SACREMENTO AND SAN JOAQUIN RIVERS WHICH ARE ALREADY BEING TAPPED FOR WATER RESERVES. AND THE SNOW MELT HAS BEEN DECREASING. BETTER YET, THE RIVERS BEING FED ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE AND WHERE THE NEW RESERVOIR IS BEING BUILT.

AND THE RESERVOIR WOULDN'T EFFECT THE FIRE FIGHTING EFFORT. IT'S 450 MILES AWAY.

You are a god damn idiot who refuses to look up even the most basic facts. People like you shouldn't be allowed to vote.

#35 | Posted by Sycophant at 2025-01-15 04:48 PM

They certainly have the tax revenue for it. But housing illegal aliens and spending ridiculous sums for the DEI programs is WAY more important than investing in wildfire mitigation.

Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 03:48 PM | Reply

You don't know what you're talking about as per the usual. Your desperation to pwn the liberals is not surprising. Take the L and move on.

#36 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-01-15 04:53 PM

Sycophant,

I could eff you up with one arm tied behind my back. That runoff goes into the Pacific. Every year. Typing in caps doesn't make you more cocksure. It makes you pathetic. You are a partisan liar. And it's a shame. You seem fairly intelligent. And you waste those smarts with fealty to a team, lying and being an ankle biter.

#37 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 04:53 PM

Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 04:53 PM | Reply

Nice projection there.

#38 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-01-15 04:59 PM

Laura Mohr,

I don't bite ankles. I ring bells and clean clocks. Yesterday I made Twoothy cry. It was glorious.

#39 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 05:11 PM

I don't bite ankles. I ring bells and clean clocks. Yesterday I made Twoothy cry. It was glorious.

Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 05:11 PM | Reply

No wonder you voted for Trump. You sound just like him. A mouth breather who thinks they are tough and an intellectual when you don't know how to poor pissss out of a boot with the instructions written on the heel. You are clueless and you don't even know it.

#40 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-01-15 05:15 PM

That runoff goes into the Pacific.

Are you suggesting that California stop all water flow into the Pacific?

#41 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-01-15 05:17 PM

" Are you suggesting that California stop all water flow into the Pacific?

#41 | POSTED BY REDIAL AT 2025-01-15 05:17 PM | FLAG: "

No. I'm suggesting that a state that has seen its population more than double since its last reservoir was built is doing things wrong.

#42 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 05:34 PM

" 40 | POSTED BY LAURAMOHR AT 2025-01-15 05:15 PM | FLAG: "

I make Chuck Norris look like a wimp.

#43 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 05:34 PM

BullBringer has enough experience and information to be able to parrot rightwing talking points like they're his opinions.

He's the ultimate Trump wannabe.

#44 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-01-15 05:52 PM

seen its population more than double since its last reservoir was built

Now that everyone is leaving California and moving to Texas and Florida the problem should correct itself.

#45 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-01-15 06:08 PM

BullBringer comes from a place of ignorance.

His comments are no more than repeating what conservatives media says.

He's not too bright.

His best role is posting stupid shht and receiving responses.

He was the 2024 winner of Eberly's coveted, "most responded to poster".

#46 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-01-15 06:20 PM

Jeff's a reactionary parrot. Someone who will regurgitate the talking points fed to him by the right wing media and the leadership of his party. Without any critical thinking nor intellectual honesty. It's sad but thems the facts.

#47 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-01-15 06:43 PM

I own all of you. Yesterday I made Twoothy cry with minimal effort.

#48 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 07:02 PM

I own all of you. Yesterday I made Twoothy cry with minimal effort.

Posted by BellRinger at 2025-01-15 07:02 PM | Reply

You don't even own a functioning brain system. How could you own us??

#49 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-01-15 07:25 PM

Drudge Retort Headlines

Mike Johnson Vows to Hold Aid to California Hostage (112 comments)

Trump Defense pick Pete Hegseth Grilled on Women in Combat Comments (61 comments)