Things aren’t going so well with Karen Bass’s rebuilding of L.A. after the worst fires in the history of the city. Sure, she’s got the “we’re in this together” speechifying down. But sadly for L.A., speeches don’t get things done.
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This week we found out that the Los Angeles mayor’s office has only managed to get four building permits pushed through her city’s sausage making machine. Seventy-two are in the queue. The multimillionaire named to be the sherpa by which all things are rebuilt, has been allowed to fade into the sunset.
“Recovery czar” Steve Soboroff, supposedly Bass’s rebuilding point man, complained as he left his 90-day stint that he may have had responsibility but none of the power to get things done. He was seldom brought into the mayor’s loop on her plans to “help” rebuild. He was, in short, window dressing. Better she put Rick Caruso in charge and get out of his way. But the pint sized socialist couldn’t bring herself to call in real capitalist expertise. Instead, she brought in her multimillionaire builder and then didn’t give him authority to act. He didn’t fight for it, either.
What a complete waste of time and opportunity cost.
We know things are worse now because Karen Bass put herself in charge. And it’s really tough to fill L.A.’s tank when the mayor’s standing on the hose.
When she got back into the country and saw the devastation from the conflagration her city wasn’t prepared to fight, Bass gave her rah rah speeches and vowed to rebuild. During the meeting with President Donald Trump he encouraged her to exercise her emergency powers to get things rebuilt quickly.
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Let’s go to the tote board, folks.
Before he even met with Bass, President Trump had dropped federal regulation after federal regulation, and turned on water supplies. Afterwards, the EPA finished clean up of both fire sites on day 28 of its 30 day deadline.
The feds cleaned up 9,201 properties, removing paint, pesticides, lithium-ion batteries from cars, asbestos, propane tanks, and other hazardous material. Another 4,400 properties will be cleaned up in Phase 2 of the EPA process.
Karen Bass got four permits through her own planning department. Four.
Bass has opened a dedicated permitting center and waived some discretionary plan reviews for homes built by their original plans. A measure to get a 30 day assessment of a plan allowing architects and engineers to self-certify their projects and start construction immediately, with city inspections, was passed by the L.A. City Council one week after the fires started…and then ignored by Karen Bass. She ordered a study on the program that has been used successfully in nearby Bellflower as well as in San Diego and New York.
“Stakeholders,” who don’t include fire victims, are concerned that people who just lost their homes won’t try to fireproof and seismically shore up the houses they already shored up before they burned down.
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And, the city that cut back fire department spending to give more money for the “homeless” industrial complex, now claims it doesn’t have enough money to expand funding for the planning department to, you know, help citizens rebuild their own burned down homes. Maybe Bass can redirect to the Palisades a few of those free housing planners designing homes for the drug tourists who came to California to get free homes.
Indeed, homeless housing is the top priority in La Jefa’s budget over public safety. As a reminder, public safety comprises fire and police.
The L.A. budget is reported to be $1 billion short. The L.A. city budget claims it has more than 3,134 temporary positions from grants, for other programs but apparently not for its building department. It sounds like retired architects, builders, and others should step up to help out. That is, if they still live in the city that keeps pricing out retirees.
As expected, Angelenos are discovering the hard way that leftist socialistas know only how to tear things down, not build things up.
Karen Bass isn’t up to the task.
There are plenty of big events coming guaranteed to distract her from rebuilding. She’s facing down the calendar as the world descends to come to the FIFA World Cup this July, the NBA Finals in 2026, and the Olympics in 2028.
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And all she’s done is produce four stinkin’ permits.
More L.A. fire coverage:
Stunner: Why Was Pacific Palisades Reservoir EMPTY? It Gets Worse.
Now Karen Bass’s Pants Are on Fire, Too
Incompetence Is Why Fire Insurance Companies Have Fled California
You’ll Never Guess Who L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Blames for Her Ghastly Fire Response
L.A.’s Water Bureau Protects Itself Better Than It Protected Fire Victims
How Much Art Went Up in Smoke in the LA Fires? Billions Worth.
Editor’s Note: Karen Bass could take a few lessons from President Trump to rebuild her city. President Trump is leading America into the “Golden Age” as Democrats try desperately to stop it. Karen Bass has always been on the side of stopping independence and individuality. As a socialist she knows nothing else.
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