1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:01,480 Speaker 1: Welcome. 2 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 2: It is verdic was center, Ted Cruz ben Ferguson with 3 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 2: you and center the entire world and certainly in the 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:11,720 Speaker 2: United States. The focal point is the wildfires that are 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 2: happening out in Los Angeles. It is not just catastrophic. 6 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 2: It looks like a war zone. A nuclear disaster has 7 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 2: gone off in the Palisades, where all of these homes 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 2: are just gone. You see these houses on the beach, 9 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,319 Speaker 2: they are gone, and our hearts go out to the 10 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 2: people there. But there also is a reality that much 11 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 2: of this was caused by the politicians that didn't do 12 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,559 Speaker 2: their basic job, and that's why so many people are 13 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 2: angry right now in California. 14 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: Well, we are in the midst of one of the 15 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: worst disasters in our nation's history. What is unfolding right 16 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: now in Los Angeles is truly heartbreaking and horrific, And 17 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: you and I are recording this at eleven PM on Thursday. 18 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: As of now, more than nine thousand homes and structures 19 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: have been damaged or destroyed in the Palisades and eaten fires. 20 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: Five people that we know of have died, and the 21 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: officials are saying the death toll is likely to be 22 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: higher and at least one hundred and thirty thousand residents 23 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: are right now under evacuation orders. And these fires have 24 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: the potential to be the single costliest wildfire disaster in 25 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: American history. And they are raging as we speak. 26 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 3: It is. 27 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 1: A hell on earth. And so let me start by 28 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: saying what I know our listeners are doing, what our 29 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: family is doing, which is just lifting up the people 30 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: of California and prayer, lifting up those who are in 31 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: harm's way, lifting up those who are seeing their families endangered, 32 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: their homes potentially burned to the ground. The utter horror 33 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: of what is unfolding there is just stunning. You know, 34 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: Heidi is a native Californian and and her entire extended 35 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: family lives out in California. And we've been, Heydie and 36 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: I've both been reaching out to friends of ours who 37 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 1: who live there, who who are dealing with this and 38 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 1: and and it is it is horrific, I'll say. At 39 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: the same time as we're reaching out to to friends 40 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: of ours who are there, they're they're number one dealing 41 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: with with this tragedy, but number two, they're angry. 42 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 4: Uh. 43 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: They are angry at specific policy decisions that played a 44 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: real part in causing this disaster, and that undeniably made 45 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: it worse. And you know, when when a disaster is unfolding, uh, 46 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: it is easy to take shots at the political leadership, 47 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: and and I want to be I'm hesitant to do so. 48 00:02:55,919 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: But in this instance, there were multiple decisions may by 49 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 1: the state of California, made by the mayor and the 50 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:08,519 Speaker 1: city government of Los Angeles, multiple decisions that unquestionably played 51 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: a significant role in making this disaster much much worse, 52 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: and that the elected officials were warned over and over 53 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: and over again, do not do this, or people will 54 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 1: die from more wildfires. And they did anyway, And I'll 55 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: tell you that that anger. The residents there are understandably frustrated. 56 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: They're frustrated with policies that are not prioritizing protecting their homes, 57 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: their families, keeping them safe. And that's the most basic 58 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: obligation of government is to protect you and keep you safe. 59 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: Well, let's talk about the facts, because I do love 60 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:54,839 Speaker 2: that on this show. I think we try to give 61 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 2: people information and factual information that they can take and 62 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 2: have real conversation about it with their family and their friends. 63 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 2: And there were multiple warning signs here, A big warning 64 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 2: sign came from the insurance companies. They started pulling out. 65 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 2: Insurance companies knew that fires were likely in the Palisades. 66 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 2: It's coming from a local report. There's a list of 67 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 2: cancelations made by State Farm in California last summer one thousand, 68 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 2: six hundred and twenty six policies they canceled in Pacific 69 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 2: Palisades five hundred and eighteen, in Malibu six hundred and 70 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 2: sixty five, in bel Air Beverly Hills six hundred and 71 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 2: ninety eight. And then the residents were worried and concerned 72 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 2: because they were getting these cancelations. Now, there was two 73 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 2: reasons why this happened. There was regulation over regulation, and 74 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 2: the insurance companies were not allowed to raise their prices 75 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 2: in California in these areas, for example, and they knew 76 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 2: they had to drop their customers because they saw what 77 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 2: was happening specific in LA in these areas. In twenty 78 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 2: twenty one, if you were an unvaccinated firefighter, you were fired. 79 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 2: In twenty twenty three, the policy was if you're a 80 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 2: white male, we don't want you. It is very clearly 81 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 2: stated by the fire department. And now they're saying in 82 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 2: twenty twenty five, not only do we not have enough firefighters, 83 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 2: but the insurance companies were also saying, you guys have 84 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 2: set yourself up for a disaster which we knew could 85 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 2: happen and has happened in the past. 86 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 1: Well, listen, California has historically been subject to wildfires, and 87 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: some of that is geographic and has to do with 88 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,359 Speaker 1: the basic geography that's been true in California for a 89 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: long time. But then there were policy decisions that have 90 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: made this much worse. So on the question of insurance companies, 91 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: here's the headline from the Los Angeles Times in April 92 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty four, California exodus of home insurance companies continues, 93 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: and Times reports two more insurers are pulling out of 94 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: California's troubled homeowners insurance market, straining a marketplace that has 95 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: already seen the pullback of several other companies that have 96 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 1: cited increased costs related to wildfire risks that problem, and 97 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: the two companies that are being reported, Tokyo Marine America 98 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: Insurance Company and Transpacific Insurance Company, submitted filings to the 99 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: California Department of Insurance saying that they will not renew 100 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,359 Speaker 1: twelve five hundred and fifty six homeowners policies with a 101 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 1: premium value of eleven point three million dollars starting July first, 102 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 1: also not being renewed, or one thousand, six hundred and 103 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: twenty four dwelling fire and liability policies with the premium 104 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: value of one point seven million, typically sold to owners 105 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 1: of rental properties, as well as personal umbrella coverage. So 106 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: what are the policies that have exacerbated it? And I 107 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 1: really would put them into three different categories. Number one, 108 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: the management of public lands and forest management, and we're 109 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: going to talk about that quite a bit more. Number 110 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: two water policies and and and California's insane policies on 111 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: on handling water that that that sadly are making this 112 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: crisis much much worse. And number three policies directly impacting 113 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: firefighters and and in particular, uh, the City of l 114 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: A's decision to slash the firefighter budget despite being warned 115 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: that would significantly increase the risk of real harm from 116 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 1: a catastrophic, uh catastrophic fire and and and so let's 117 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: let's break these down. Uh, let' let let's break these down. 118 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: Let's talk about each of the three. So first let's 119 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: start with with public lands and and and the management 120 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: of forests. Uh, if you look at what is happening 121 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: in California, and these are there are federal policies that 122 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: significantly limit what what happens on on federal forest lands, 123 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: and then there are state policies in California that exacerbate this. 124 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: Here's one story for NBC News in October of twenty twenty, headline, 125 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: Decades of mismanagement led to choked forests. Now it's time 126 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: to clear them out, fire experts say, and it begins 127 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: with a quote. Forest management is a lot like gardening. 128 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: You have to keep the forest open and thin, said 129 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 1: Mike Rogers, a former angele's National Forest Supervisor. This is 130 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: an ongoing problem. And I want to actually dive in 131 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: a little bit to a story from the BBC again 132 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: in October twenty twenty that the title is US West 133 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: Coast fires. Is Trump right to blame forest management? And 134 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 1: here's what the BBC and the BBC consistently leans hard left, 135 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: and this is in October twenty twenty. It says President 136 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: Trump has sought to highlight forest management rather than climate change. 137 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: Is the key factor explaining the wildfires burning across California, Oregon, 138 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:13,720 Speaker 1: in Washington States. When asked during a visit to California 139 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 1: about the role of climate change, mister Trump said, I 140 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: think this is more of a forest management situation. So 141 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: BBC says, who manages the forests first most forests in California, 142 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,679 Speaker 1: Oregon and Washington isn't the responsibility of the state authorities. 143 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: In fact, their share of forest land is small. In 144 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:37,960 Speaker 1: California state, the federal government owns nearly fifty eight percent 145 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: of the thirty three million acres of forest according to 146 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: the state governor's office. The state itself owns just three percent, 147 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: with the rest owned by private individuals or companies or 148 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: Native American groups. So let me start by saying, listen, 149 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:56,319 Speaker 1: the federal government the forest that the federal government controls, 150 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: you end up having much poorer forest management than you 151 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: then when you have forest in private hands, they typically 152 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:12,719 Speaker 1: invest significantly more in cleaning out underbrush, in in limiting 153 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: the risk actively as the as the expert I quoted 154 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: there said, it's like gardening, clearing out the dead wood, 155 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: clearing out the underbrush that becomes like kiddling and causes 156 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 1: fires to spread more quickly. 157 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 3: So. 158 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: For example, Scott Stevens, a leading authority on wildfires at 159 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: the University of California, has for some years questioned forest 160 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: management priorities in the state. He's pointed to the large 161 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: number of dead trees left standing due to drought and 162 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: disease as a serious fire risk that needs to be addressed. 163 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 1: Professor Stefan Door Wildfire's experts at Swansea University, highlights the 164 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: modern practice of total fire suppression at the expense of 165 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: a allowing limited fires to burn and create fire breaks 166 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,440 Speaker 1: for centuries, This is a quote from this professor. For centuries, 167 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: Native American peoples would burn parts of the forest that 168 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: would thin out more flammable vegetation and make forests less dense. 169 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 1: But the emphasis has been on putting out any fires. 170 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,479 Speaker 1: And with climate change, this has now created a tinderbox 171 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 1: of vegetation. And let me just say, for Democrat politicians, 172 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: their answer to any crisis is they just say climate change, 173 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: climate change, climate change. Well, that doesn't absolve the elected 174 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: officials of the responsibility to put policies in place that 175 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: keep people safe. And California consistently has put in place 176 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: policies that make it the forest fires bigger, make them 177 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: spread more quickly, make them harder to stop. And also 178 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:59,559 Speaker 1: federal law, and I will point out when I can 179 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: tell you this week in the Senate Senate Republicans we 180 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: had an extended discussion this week among Senate Republicans about 181 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:13,679 Speaker 1: responding to this by addressing the federal rules and laws 182 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: governing federal forests, which which every time we try to 183 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:25,559 Speaker 1: change to address the problems, you end up having Congressional 184 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: Democrats oppose those changes. And I'm hopeful that this will 185 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 1: be an impetus to say we need to move towards 186 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:38,319 Speaker 1: sensible policies, that the kinds of policies that are implemented 187 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:41,959 Speaker 1: on privately held land that reduce the risk of fires 188 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: in the first place. 189 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 2: You look at that part and then you go back 190 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 2: to the local policies as well, and you combine those 191 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 2: two together, and this was a perfect storm for a 192 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 2: massive catastrophic failure. You look at what they decided to do. 193 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 2: And let's go back to one of the biggest stories 194 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 2: that's come out of this, and that is it the 195 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 2: LA Fire Chief Chris and Crowley warned the mayor Karen 196 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 2: Bass last month that the seventeen million dollars that she 197 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:18,599 Speaker 2: cut for the department's budget. Quote, severely limited the department's 198 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 2: capacity to prepare, for, train for, and respond to large 199 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 2: scale emergencies, including wildfires. This is data December the seventeen, 200 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four. Now you put what you just said 201 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 2: about all this vegetation and all of this debris and 202 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 2: brush and everything that's kinneling up in the hills and 203 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 2: knowing that these Santa Ana wins come through, and then 204 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,680 Speaker 2: you combine that with what was just said there locally, 205 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:52,319 Speaker 2: this was a federal disaster and also a local disaster combined. 206 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: Well, that's right, and that's another major cause. So the 207 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 1: Democrat mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, was a very 208 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:05,320 Speaker 1: liberal Democrat. She slashed seventeen million dollars from the fire 209 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: department's budget, and in December of twenty twenty four, the 210 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: fire chief wrote a memo to the Board of Fire Commissioners. 211 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: And here's what the memo says, Quote, the Los Angeles 212 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: City Fire Department is facing unprecedented operational challenges due to 213 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 1: the elimination of critical civilian positions and a seven million 214 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: dollar reduction in overtime variable staffing. 215 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 5: Hours. 216 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: These budgetary reductions have adversely affected the department's ability to 217 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: maintain core operations such as technology and communications and infrastructure, 218 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: payroll processing, training, fire prevention, and community education. In addition 219 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: to these impacts, the reduction in V hours has severely 220 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: limited the Department's capacity to prepare, for, trained for, and 221 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: respond to large scale emergencies including wildfires, earthquakes, hazardous material 222 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: in incidents, and large public events. Uh And it goes 223 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: on to say, the report provides in depth analysis of 224 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: these cascading impacts, underscoring the critical need for resource restoration 225 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: to ensure operational readiness, firefighter safety, and the delivery of 226 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: high quality public service. So Mayor Karen Bass was warned, 227 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 1: she was warned publicly and explicitly, and she slashed the budget. Anyway, 228 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: that that is a deliberate decision, and it's a decision 229 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: that that that that sadly is having catastrophic consequences. 230 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 2: You listen to also what was said by Rick Caruso. Rick, 231 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 2: there was a there was an election there, a local 232 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 2: mayor election, and Barack Obama came in heavy. Democrats came 233 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 2: in heavy. 234 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: They made sure that Rick. 235 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:55,119 Speaker 2: Who is many have described him as extremely competent loss 236 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 2: to kieren h I mean to Mayor Karen is she's 237 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 2: being called now who I think it's pretty clear now 238 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 2: has proven just how utterly incompetent she is. But Rick 239 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 2: called into the local Fox eleven there as the wildfires 240 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 2: are raging on, and this is what he said about 241 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 2: what's happening. 242 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 3: My heart goes out obviously that the people with their 243 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 3: homes and I'm watching the small businesses around us go 244 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 3: up in plains. You know, this is people's livelihoods, so 245 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 3: it's devastating. But what is most concerning to me is 246 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 3: our first responders, in our firefighters who are trying to 247 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 3: battle this. There's no water in the palace, there's no 248 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 3: water coming out of the fire hydrants. This is an 249 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 3: absolute mismanagement by the city. Not the firefighter's fault, but 250 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 3: it's by the city. And I'm going to be very honest. 251 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 3: We've got a mayor that's out of the country, and 252 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 3: we've got a city that's burning, and there's no resources 253 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 3: to put out fires. So if you look at your pictures, 254 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 3: you don't see the firefighters there because there's nothing they 255 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 3: can do, and it looks like we're in a third 256 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 3: world country here, and we've got a lot of tough 257 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:10,199 Speaker 3: questions that we need to ask the mayor and the 258 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 3: city council and our representatives and the county representatives. Why 259 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 3: didn't you work to mitigate this? What was your brush 260 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:22,199 Speaker 3: mitigation program? I heard you earlier talking about it's been 261 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,000 Speaker 3: dry because it hasn't been rained. That's not the biggest 262 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 3: problem here. The brush up in these hills that are 263 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 3: controlled by the city in the county. I would beg 264 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:39,680 Speaker 3: you that if they haven't been handled, mitigated, pruned, removed 265 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:43,639 Speaker 3: for probably thirty or forty years, this was a disaster 266 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:49,639 Speaker 3: waiting to happen. And what's predictable is preventable, And who's 267 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:52,120 Speaker 3: paying the price or all of these people in their 268 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 3: homes and their businesses tonight. 269 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:56,439 Speaker 1: One of the things I want to underscore is is 270 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: what Rick Ruso said there about brush mitigation. That is 271 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:05,360 Speaker 1: a step and it is not being done in California, 272 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:09,679 Speaker 1: and that is substantially increasing the risks the magnitude. Uh 273 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: and and nevertheless, the elected officials refuse to prioritize mitigation 274 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:21,680 Speaker 1: and prevention strategies. But on top of that, so why 275 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: does the city slash seventeen million dollars from the fire department, 276 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: particularly when when the mayor is warned this, this will 277 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 1: limit our ability to fight wildfires. Well, look, there there 278 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 1: is a growing problem with with radical left wing politicians 279 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: who prioritize their own political agenda overdoing their damn job. 280 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: And we see it. Look, we see it with George Soros, 281 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: district attorneys that that that let that release violent criminals, 282 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: that don't want to prosecute murderers and rapists, that that 283 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:55,720 Speaker 1: that come in and say we're not going to keep 284 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: your family safe. And we see it. So maybe maybe 285 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,119 Speaker 1: Los Angeles had no choice. They had to cut the 286 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 1: fire department because they just had no money to spend 287 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: on anything. Well, you know what they were spending on. 288 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 1: They were spending thousands of dollars on things including a 289 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:19,679 Speaker 1: quote midnight Stroll transgender cafe and a quote gay men's 290 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: chorus acquire. So they're spending money on that. In twenty 291 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,440 Speaker 1: twenty four, the same year they slashed seventeen million from 292 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,640 Speaker 1: the fire department, Los Angeles spent one hundred thousand dollars 293 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 1: on the midnight Stroll transgender cafe. They also spent money 294 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:40,919 Speaker 1: on fourteen thousand dollars for the Gay Men's Chorus of 295 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: Los Angeles, and one hundred and seventy thousand dollars for 296 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:53,399 Speaker 1: quote social justice art worker investments. So those are the 297 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 1: priorities that the Democrat mayor has rather than hiring firefighters 298 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: to protect their citizens from the from the wildfires that 299 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: are endangering their homes and their families. It is it's indefensible, 300 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: and it's not like this was a surprise. She was 301 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 1: repeatedly warned and she disregarded those warnings. 302 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 2: One of the local things that I saw that really 303 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:22,359 Speaker 2: and it goes back to the warnings that was that 304 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 2: went viral. It said, and this is basically like an 305 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 2: open letter from the Assisztens says, they didn't they didn't 306 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:32,680 Speaker 2: clear dead trees and brush, They did no forest management. 307 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 2: They refused to do controlled burns. They destroyed dams intentionally, 308 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:41,120 Speaker 2: They refused to fill reservoirs, They pushed water into the ocean. 309 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 2: They chose smelt fish over humans. And then they went 310 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 2: with Dei, the gay fire chief, prioritize a three year 311 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:55,360 Speaker 2: plan which she described with much pride in interviews for diversity, 312 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 2: equity inclusion. Having the top three people in the fire 313 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 2: department began make no mistake. The fiery destruction of people's 314 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 2: homes and lives in Malibu is a direct result of politics, 315 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,880 Speaker 2: and the politicians in charge in Los Angeles and California 316 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 2: are all Democrats. When you see that going viral among 317 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:18,400 Speaker 2: Democrats in California and them talking about it this way, 318 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 2: they seem to understand, this is what cost them their homes, 319 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:29,959 Speaker 2: their businesses, is that they put ideology and dei ahead 320 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,920 Speaker 2: of public safety. And now the chickens are coming home 321 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:33,439 Speaker 2: to roost. 322 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 1: Look, that's absolutely right, and let's focus a little more 323 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 1: on LA's policy. So, as you said, the top three 324 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 1: officials in the LA Fire Department appointed by the mayor 325 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 1: are all lesbian women, and they're all named Kristen. It 326 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: is almost like a Saturday at Live skit if Saturday 327 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: at Live was willing to make fun of such things. 328 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: But those are the top three officials. They're they're highly compensated, 329 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: and and and let me draw a distinction, by the way, Look, 330 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: there are incredible heroes right now in the LA Fire 331 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,359 Speaker 1: Department who are risking their lives and and and there 332 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:17,639 Speaker 1: are firefighters who are doing extraordinary courageous things right now 333 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,640 Speaker 1: to to to keep Californian safe and we are grateful, 334 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 1: we are praying for their safety right now. But at 335 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: the same time, uh, it is it is only right 336 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:30,879 Speaker 1: to ask, are there policies that are put in place 337 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: by government that have made this worse? Because because we 338 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: should be asking what can we do to prevent this 339 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:39,760 Speaker 1: next time? What can we do to minimize the risk 340 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: next time? What can we do to to to keep 341 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: people safe the next time? And I want to play 342 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 1: in particular, uh a clip from from one of those 343 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:56,119 Speaker 1: appointed leaders of the California Fire Department. Uh where where 344 00:22:56,200 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: where she says straight up that that the ability to 345 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: rescue people from fires is not her priority. But play 346 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: the clip for us. 347 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is a part of that three year plan 348 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 2: that the fire chief laid out. It was a three 349 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 2: year plan for diversity, equity and inclusion. So the second 350 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 2: command of the Los Angeles Fire Department is the Assistant Chief, 351 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 2: Kristen Larson, And this is what she said about her 352 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 2: role and her job and bringing more women on. 353 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:30,920 Speaker 6: You want to see somebody that responds to your house, 354 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 6: your emergency, whether it's a medical call or a fire call, 355 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 6: that looks like you. It gives that person a little 356 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 6: bit more ease knowing that somebody might understand their situation better. 357 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 7: Is she strong enough to do this? 358 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:43,880 Speaker 6: Or you couldn't carry my husband out of a fire, 359 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,879 Speaker 6: which my response is he got himself from the wrong place. 360 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 6: If I have to carry hm out of a fire. 361 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:54,959 Speaker 1: That's I got to say that that sentence. You couldn't 362 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 1: carry my husband out of a fire, My response is 363 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:01,159 Speaker 1: he got himself in the rong place. If I have 364 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 1: to carry them out of a fire, that is a 365 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:10,399 Speaker 1: stunning abdication of basic responsibility. She says, well, well, you 366 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:12,359 Speaker 1: want to see a firefighter who looks like you. No, 367 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 1: I want to see a big dude who can get 368 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 1: my ass out of a burning building and save my family. 369 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:22,440 Speaker 1: Look like like the idea. You know, she is admitting 370 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,200 Speaker 1: right there that they are hiring firefighters who are unable 371 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 1: to carry someone out of harm's way. And and it 372 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:35,399 Speaker 1: is it's the same arrogant contempt as I said that 373 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: we see from George Soros prosecutors where that are not 374 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: doing their basic job because politics matters more to them, 375 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 1: that than doing the basic services of keeping people safe. 376 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: That that that that Americans rightly expect from their government. 377 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,400 Speaker 2: Well, and then you have another breakdown that's happening within 378 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:58,640 Speaker 2: this breakdown, and I just want to highlight it because 379 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:01,679 Speaker 2: you go back to hiring. Many of the same issues 380 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:03,639 Speaker 2: that we're talking about here with the Fire Department have 381 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 2: also affected the Los Angeles Police Department. And local Channel 382 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 2: five in La KTLA had this report. Now, this is 383 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,440 Speaker 2: a one of the reporters you're gonna hear first then 384 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:20,400 Speaker 2: talking to one of I guess her neighbors, and this 385 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:25,440 Speaker 2: woman is describing hundreds of thieves that are ransacking homes, 386 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 2: abandoning abandoned during the fires, with zero police presence to 387 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:33,400 Speaker 2: stop them. And a lot of this, they now say, 388 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 2: is going back to the same policies that we've seen 389 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 2: allowing for massive looting of stores and stealing of things 390 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 2: at Walgreens and cbs that are under one thousand dollars. 391 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 2: Because there are activists that have been put in charge 392 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 2: of the DA's office and in the police department, just 393 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:51,439 Speaker 2: like in the fire department. And now what you're seeing 394 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 2: is this. 395 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:53,320 Speaker 7: It was wild. 396 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,040 Speaker 8: Would we just starting seeing all these cars pull up 397 00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 8: doors open, groups men running up our street going up 398 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:03,640 Speaker 8: to the doors of these houses, and we weren't sure 399 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:06,160 Speaker 8: what was going on. I'm thinking, are these people here 400 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:09,440 Speaker 8: to help my neighbors? I hope so, and I left, 401 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 8: and then my husband talked to the police and said, 402 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 8: what are those guys doing. These guys don't live here, 403 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:18,440 Speaker 8: get them out. My next door neighbors said his quote, 404 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 8: there were like one hundred people that came up on 405 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 8: scooters and were trying to get into any and all 406 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:25,000 Speaker 8: houses on the street. 407 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,120 Speaker 9: And did you physically see police officers stopping them. 408 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 8: I didn't, but it's not to say that they weren't. 409 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:34,119 Speaker 8: It was so incredibly chaotic, and I was so worried 410 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 8: about my big family and getting them out of our 411 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 8: old tinder box of a house that I was just 412 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 8: focused on them first. 413 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:44,960 Speaker 2: This is when you know you've lost society in your city. 414 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 2: I mean, when Los Angeles Women is reporting that quote 415 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:50,439 Speaker 2: hundreds of thieves are ransacking their homes and getting out 416 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,680 Speaker 2: of dozens and dozens of cars with no police presents 417 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 2: to stop them. And then you see that with the 418 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 2: policies that we're now hearing about. Now you understand why 419 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 2: so many people are so angry. 420 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:06,879 Speaker 1: Look when politicians put their own radical politics ahead of 421 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:12,399 Speaker 1: doing their basic job, these are the consequences and I 422 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:16,680 Speaker 1: will say, I want to play another clip, a clip 423 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,439 Speaker 1: from Adam Carolla, because you might say, well, maybe the 424 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 1: policies that the Democrat politicians have put in place in LA, 425 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:27,160 Speaker 1: maybe they're not that bad. Listen to this first hand 426 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: account that Adam Carolla describes. 427 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:33,400 Speaker 10: Geez, I want to talk about my white privilege so badly. 428 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:39,080 Speaker 10: I graduated North Hollywood High with the one point seven GPA. 429 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 10: I could not find a job. I walked to a 430 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 10: fire station in North Hollywood. I was nineteen. I was 431 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 10: living in the garage of my family home. My mom 432 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,080 Speaker 10: was on welfare and food stamps. And I said, can 433 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 10: I get a job as a fireman? And they said no, 434 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:56,680 Speaker 10: because you're not black, Hispanic or a woman. We'll see 435 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,680 Speaker 10: in about seven years. And I went to a construction 436 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:02,399 Speaker 10: site in Dug Ditches and picked up garbage for the 437 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:05,359 Speaker 10: next seven years. I got a letter in the mail 438 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 10: sent to my father's house saying, your time has come 439 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:11,840 Speaker 10: to do the written exam for the LA Fire Department. 440 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:14,720 Speaker 10: I took it and I was standing in line, and 441 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 10: I had a young woman of color standing behind me line, 442 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,479 Speaker 10: and I said, just out of curiosity, when did you 443 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 10: sign up to become a fire man because I did 444 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 10: it or a person seven years ago. And she said, Wednesday, 445 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 10: that is an example of my white privilege. 446 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 2: It's Wednesday. This is him telling the story. And again 447 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 2: this is all about. 448 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 1: That's his own story, his own direct experience. So LA 449 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: is openly directly discriminating. They're discriminating based on race, They're 450 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 1: discriminating based on sex. And listen, I'll tell you what 451 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,960 Speaker 1: when I go. So you know, I've visited a number 452 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: of firehouses and thanked firefighters in Texas and met with them, 453 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 1: particularly in the wake of disasters, to go go meet 454 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:02,720 Speaker 1: with them, and I'll tell you the firefighters you see 455 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 1: in Texas are almost all big dudes that are like 456 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 1: capable of carrying carrying bodies out of a fire, rescuing 457 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: people that are really large and really strong. And that 458 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 1: apparently is you know, such thing about what you just said. 459 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 2: They My dad said when when he was young, and 460 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 2: we had this conversation the other day police, he said, 461 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 2: firemen had a fireman test. If you couldn't carry someone 462 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 2: down a stairwell who was in a wheelchair, you weren't qualified. 463 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:35,960 Speaker 2: That was the standard back in the day. It didn't 464 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 2: matter if you're a black or white, or a man 465 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 2: or a woman. You had to be able to do 466 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 2: that because that was what they described as one of 467 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 2: the worst case scenarios. 468 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 1: And by the way, I'll tell you a personal story. 469 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: So my mom, as you know, is ninety and she 470 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:51,719 Speaker 1: lives in a high rise here in Houston. She's up 471 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 1: on the twenty sixth floor and the power went out 472 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 1: in her building and so they had to evacuate the building. 473 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 1: And and my mom has limited mobility. She uses a walker, 474 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: so there was no way she could go down the stairs. 475 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 1: That was impossible. And so Houston firefighters carried my mother 476 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:16,719 Speaker 1: down twenty six flights of stairs. And I mean it 477 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 1: was and they were just doing their job. But it 478 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 1: wasn't because she was my mom. They were helping all 479 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: the residents down. That was just what firefighters do. And 480 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: I you know, I actually sought out those firefighters and 481 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: thank them because it really looked my mom was scared. 482 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: That's a traumatic experience, and you know, firefighters, that's a 483 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 1: core part of the job is being able to. 484 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 5: Do that, all right. 485 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:41,280 Speaker 2: And I also think it's important for us to talk 486 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 2: about the other aspect of this, and that is about 487 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 2: the water. Gavin Knewsome. He made this an issue. He 488 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:54,360 Speaker 2: was obsessed with water and fish and all of this kumbayism, 489 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 2: and he had press conferences about it. And now that's 490 00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:59,960 Speaker 2: coming back to Hauntum as well. 491 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: There's no doubt the water policies have greatly exacerbated the 492 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: problems with wildfires and the ability to fight the wildfires. 493 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:14,480 Speaker 1: And listen, LA right now is facing a drought and 494 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 1: at the same time, California is dumping massive quantities of 495 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: fresh water into the ocean. They're wasting it. Here's here's 496 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 1: what Donald Trump said yesterday when he came. He was 497 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: he was, he was in the Senate. He met with 498 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: with me and all the Republican senators. We spent about 499 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: two hours with him. And what he said is he 500 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: said he said that Gavin Newsosen wanted to protect it 501 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: essentially worthless fish, called a smelt, but didn't care about 502 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:43,960 Speaker 1: the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. 503 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 1: I will demand that this incompetent governor allowed beautiful, clean 504 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:51,200 Speaker 1: fresh water to flow into California. He is to blame 505 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:54,000 Speaker 1: for this. Now, let's lay out the facts that go 506 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 1: behind this. So California's main water hub is the Sacramento 507 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:03,960 Speaker 1: San Joaquin River Delta and among other things, the state 508 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:07,840 Speaker 1: of California has been refusing to provide sufficient water to 509 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,280 Speaker 1: California farmers, and as I said, they're dumping it in 510 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: the Pacific Ocean instead. And the reason they're doing so 511 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 1: is because of because of a fish, a fish called 512 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: the Delta smelt. And so Trump, when he was president, 513 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: wanted to divert supply to the farmers, and in response, 514 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 1: environmental groups argue that it would hurt the population of 515 00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: Delta smelt, small fish that were once crucial to California's 516 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 1: ecosystem but has since been rendered effectively extinct. So trump 517 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:50,080 Speaker 1: first promise, and this is from the New York Post. 518 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 1: Trump first promised to redeffect redirect California's northern runoff south 519 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: to benefit farmers when he was running for president in 520 00:32:57,960 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen, and he made good on the promise in 521 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:05,959 Speaker 1: with a federal memorandum that redirected millions of gallons of 522 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 1: water he said was otherwise needlessly flushed into the ocean. 523 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:13,840 Speaker 1: So that's what Trump did in twenty twenty. Well, what 524 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:17,640 Speaker 1: did Gavin Newsom do? He sued the federal government to 525 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 1: stop that water from going to California farmers. Days later, 526 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: Newsom's administration sued to block Trump's move, and he succeeded 527 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:31,240 Speaker 1: in limiting the amount of water that can be pumped 528 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: from the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta. This is and now 529 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: we're facing the enormous frustration of people in Los Angeles 530 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 1: when they don't have the sufficient water to fight these wildfires, 531 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: and yet Gavin Newsom continues to fight for not directing 532 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: water anywhere other than fixing these problems. 533 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 2: You listen to Governor Newsom and bragging about not only 534 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 2: what you describe, but bragging about tearing down dams to 535 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 2: save fish because woke activists said you got to do it. 536 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 2: This is again the consequences of actions. Here is Gavin 537 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 2: Newsom cheering on how brilliant his idea was when he 538 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:25,920 Speaker 2: did it largest damn. 539 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:28,640 Speaker 4: The mobile projects in US history. 540 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:31,840 Speaker 7: And one of the most significant, if not the most 541 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 7: significant water restoration projects bringing back salmon and steelhead into 542 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:38,600 Speaker 7: this space. 543 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 4: That this project could not have happened without extraordinary partnerships 544 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 4: with tribal nations and of course our partners and the 545 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 4: North and Oregon just finished the celebration or the Secretary 546 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:54,240 Speaker 4: of the Interior and our tribal council and tribal leaders. 547 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 4: And I could be more proud as a Californian, and 548 00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 4: I could be more proud as a prob because my 549 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 4: kids and their great grand kids, we'll have the opportunity 550 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:05,240 Speaker 4: to see something that well has been here since time 551 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:08,440 Speaker 4: immemorial and it's about damn time. 552 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:09,359 Speaker 5: To food at this time. 553 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:13,959 Speaker 1: That's not you and me characterizing what he did. That's 554 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: in his own words saying how incredibly proud he is 555 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:22,680 Speaker 1: of quote the largest damn removal project in US history. 556 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:26,759 Speaker 1: That's a policy decision he made. Now what are the 557 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 1: consequences of this? Give a listen to to Gavin Newsom 558 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:34,680 Speaker 1: being asked about LA not having water in its fire hydrancy. 559 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:37,880 Speaker 1: Here was his answer, during this crisis. 560 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:40,520 Speaker 5: What is the situation with water? Obviously in the palisage 561 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:41,760 Speaker 5: ran out last night in the hydrants. 562 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:43,759 Speaker 10: I was turned the firefighter in this block they left 563 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:45,040 Speaker 10: because there were no water in the hydrant. 564 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 9: Here local folks are trying to figure that out. I mean, 565 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:51,120 Speaker 9: just when you have a system that it's not dissimilar 566 00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:53,840 Speaker 9: to what we've seen in other extraordinarily large scale fires, 567 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:56,680 Speaker 9: whether it be pipe of electricity, or whether it just 568 00:35:56,719 --> 00:35:59,680 Speaker 9: be the complete overwhelm of the system. I mean, those 569 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,040 Speaker 9: it's are typical for two or three fires, maybe one fire. 570 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:05,120 Speaker 5: You have something at this scale. But again that's going 571 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 5: to be determined by the local. 572 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:09,000 Speaker 1: Not my problem to local people. 573 00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:11,280 Speaker 2: And he literally as he's saying this, threw his hands 574 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:13,399 Speaker 2: up in the air on national TV, like this is 575 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 2: this is this is I guess below my pay grade. 576 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,800 Speaker 2: You asked the local officials. Not my problem as the governor. 577 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:22,640 Speaker 1: So local folks are going to figure that out. Not 578 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:28,399 Speaker 1: my job. Without taking any responsibility for his decisions. He's 579 00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:33,080 Speaker 1: literally sued the federal government to block money going to 580 00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:36,400 Speaker 1: Californians and and bragged about how proud he is of 581 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:39,560 Speaker 1: the largest damn removal in US history. 582 00:36:40,239 --> 00:36:40,359 Speaker 3: Uh. 583 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:43,799 Speaker 1: And and by the way, you know, he's also trying 584 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 1: to put all the blame on local officials. And I 585 00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:48,920 Speaker 1: agree the local officials had policies in place that that 586 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:50,600 Speaker 1: that had a significant consequence. 587 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:51,640 Speaker 3: Uh. 588 00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:56,840 Speaker 1: But but I'll tell you also, so did Gavin Newsom. 589 00:36:56,880 --> 00:36:59,360 Speaker 1: You know, we talked a minute ago about firefighters and 590 00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:06,279 Speaker 1: Karen Bass slashing slashing the budget for the fire department. Well, 591 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:11,000 Speaker 1: last year Gavin Newsom veto to bill that would have 592 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 1: let cal Fire, the statewide fire agency, retain seasonal firefighters 593 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:21,440 Speaker 1: to help with staffing shortages, and his veto forced the 594 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:26,360 Speaker 1: layoff of thousands of seasonal firefighters. This is from Kate Sanchez, 595 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:32,440 Speaker 1: who is a California assembly woman, and goes on to 596 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:35,520 Speaker 1: say his veto forced the layoff of thousands of seasonal 597 00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:40,480 Speaker 1: firefighters who he never replaced displit despite his promises. This 598 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:43,480 Speaker 1: is negligence of the highest orders. And I want to 599 00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:47,120 Speaker 1: read to you. So this is September twenty second, twenty 600 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:49,399 Speaker 1: twenty four, so not very long, just a few months ago. 601 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:54,319 Speaker 1: Office of the Governor quote to the members of the 602 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:57,920 Speaker 1: California State Assembly, I am returning Assembly Bill two five 603 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:00,880 Speaker 1: three eight without my signature. The bill will, among other things, 604 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 1: require the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection CalFire to 605 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:08,640 Speaker 1: employ seasonal firefighters through the use of an employment list. 606 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:11,840 Speaker 1: This bill would also require the Department of Human Resources 607 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:14,560 Speaker 1: to coordinate with the State Personnel Board and any other 608 00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:17,440 Speaker 1: relevant state agency to take the necessary actions to allow 609 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:21,279 Speaker 1: CalFire to employ seasonal firefighters for longer than nine months 610 00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:25,880 Speaker 1: in a consecutive twelve month period, increasing calfire's capacity is 611 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:28,759 Speaker 1: an important objective, and with the introduction of the sixty 612 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:32,120 Speaker 1: six hour workweek for firefighters, my administration will need to 613 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:35,400 Speaker 1: hire more than two thousand new year round firefighters. Note 614 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:39,760 Speaker 1: that California assembly woman said he didn't do that significantly 615 00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:44,040 Speaker 1: increasing the department's capacity in the off season. This bill 616 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:54,400 Speaker 1: is therefore unnecessary, so he vetoes hiring more firefighters, just 617 00:38:54,600 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 1: like the mayor of Los Angeles. Did I want you 618 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:03,000 Speaker 1: to listen to this exchange? 619 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 5: Uh? 620 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:05,000 Speaker 1: This exchange? 621 00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:05,319 Speaker 5: When? 622 00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 1: When when Gavin Newsom is confronted by a woman uh 623 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:17,560 Speaker 1: asking for for for answers about his his disastrous policies, 624 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:19,319 Speaker 1: give a listen to this exchange. 625 00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:21,560 Speaker 8: Governor, you got a second. 626 00:39:22,719 --> 00:39:24,719 Speaker 5: Governor, Governor, I live here. 627 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:27,240 Speaker 9: Governor, that was my daughter's school. 628 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:27,720 Speaker 8: Governor. 629 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:29,520 Speaker 3: Please tell me what you're gonna do. I'm not gonna 630 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:30,360 Speaker 3: hurt on my promise. 631 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 9: I'm literally talking to the President right now to specifically 632 00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:36,400 Speaker 9: answer the question of what we can do. 633 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:37,279 Speaker 5: For you and your daughter? 634 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:39,359 Speaker 3: Can I hear it? Can I hear your call? 635 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:40,680 Speaker 1: Because I don't believe it. 636 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:45,520 Speaker 5: I'm sorry, there's literally I've tried five times. That's why 637 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:46,600 Speaker 5: I'm walking around to make that. 638 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:48,520 Speaker 3: Why is the president not taking a call. 639 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:51,040 Speaker 5: Because it's not going through. Why I have to get 640 00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 5: self service. 641 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:53,520 Speaker 3: Let's get it, let's get it. I want to be 642 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:54,720 Speaker 3: here when you call the president. 643 00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:58,120 Speaker 9: I appreciate I'm doing that right now, and it's to 644 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:00,960 Speaker 9: immediately get reimbursements into into assistance and. 645 00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:03,680 Speaker 5: To help you build a devastating four yar. I'm so sorry, 646 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:08,799 Speaker 5: especially for your daughter. I have four kids. Everyone who 647 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:11,280 Speaker 5: went to school there, they lost their homes. 648 00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:13,400 Speaker 2: They lost two homes because they were living in one 649 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:14,200 Speaker 2: and building another. 650 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:17,120 Speaker 8: Father, please tell me, tell me what are you going 651 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:18,040 Speaker 8: to do with the president. 652 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:21,400 Speaker 5: Right now? We're getting we're getting the resources to help rebuild. 653 00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:24,240 Speaker 3: Why is there no water in the hydrants? Governor? 654 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:26,160 Speaker 5: That's all? Literally? 655 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 3: Is it going to be different next time? 656 00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:30,520 Speaker 5: It has to be has to be of course. 657 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:32,760 Speaker 3: What are you going to do to fill the hydrants? 658 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:34,839 Speaker 1: I would fill them up personally, you know that. 659 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:37,880 Speaker 3: I literally I would fill up the hydrants myself. 660 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:39,759 Speaker 1: But would you do that? 661 00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:42,040 Speaker 5: I would do whatever I can, But you're not. 662 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:45,880 Speaker 3: I see the do you know there's water dripping over there? Governor? 663 00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:47,560 Speaker 3: There's water coming out there. 664 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:49,320 Speaker 5: You can use it. I appreciate it. 665 00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:52,440 Speaker 9: I'm going to make the call to address everything I 666 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:54,600 Speaker 9: can right now, including making sure. 667 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:56,839 Speaker 3: People to make sure you can. Can I have an 668 00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:59,160 Speaker 3: opportunity to at least tell people you're doing what you're 669 00:40:59,200 --> 00:40:59,919 Speaker 3: saying you're doing. 670 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:02,360 Speaker 9: You did somebody have a contact? 671 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 3: Can I have your contact right now? 672 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:08,279 Speaker 2: Nothing like ducking into your suv and then saying, oh, 673 00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:09,960 Speaker 2: I got to take a phone call with the president. 674 00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:13,600 Speaker 2: You move on, lady. I hear what you're saying, but 675 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:15,880 Speaker 2: you move on. One of the most shocking parts that 676 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:18,799 Speaker 2: exchange this center was the fact that both people involved, 677 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:21,560 Speaker 2: the lady who lived there is her child's school has 678 00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:25,080 Speaker 2: burned to the ground, and Gavin Newsom are both admitting 679 00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:25,800 Speaker 2: there will. 680 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:26,760 Speaker 5: Be a next time. 681 00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 2: And you know that this is the next time, and 682 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:32,879 Speaker 2: you know that you deal with these fires. Why did 683 00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:34,640 Speaker 2: you make all these decisions? 684 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:40,640 Speaker 1: And it's over and over again, repeated decisions, and he's 685 00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:45,080 Speaker 1: accepting no responsibility. He was warned about the consequences of 686 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:48,680 Speaker 1: those decisions, and yet he doesn't change them. The mayor 687 00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:52,239 Speaker 1: was warned and she doesn't change them. And look, his 688 00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:54,680 Speaker 1: first reaction when the woman comes up is to lie 689 00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:56,200 Speaker 1: to her, Oh, I'm on the phone with the president 690 00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:58,719 Speaker 1: right now, and I gotta give the woman credit, it's 691 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:00,720 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's you know, the old trick, pretending 692 00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:02,080 Speaker 1: to be on a phone call. And she's like, great, 693 00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:04,080 Speaker 1: can I listen. He's like, oh, well, I'm not actually 694 00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:07,719 Speaker 1: on the phone, but but but I'm trying. Like it 695 00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:13,080 Speaker 1: is a horrific natural disaster, a horrific crisis. Although I 696 00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:18,560 Speaker 1: say natural disaster. We're getting also multiple reports of summer 697 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:22,239 Speaker 1: all of these fires having having originated from arson. We 698 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:24,400 Speaker 1: don't know the full details of that. And and so 699 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:27,000 Speaker 1: it may turn out that that that that that that 700 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:30,160 Speaker 1: these fires are not entirely natural in their origin. That 701 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:33,040 Speaker 1: we will find out more, hopefully in the days ahead. 702 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:40,440 Speaker 1: Uh and and but but regardless, better forest management and 703 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:45,840 Speaker 1: mitigation could reduce the risks of these fires, and yet 704 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:52,840 Speaker 1: the politicians in California refuse to do it. Investing in firefighters, 705 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:56,120 Speaker 1: putting the priority of doing their job, and putting sufficient 706 00:42:56,160 --> 00:42:59,200 Speaker 1: resources there could make a real difference, and yet the 707 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:03,680 Speaker 1: politician actively refuse to do so, both the mayor and 708 00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:09,920 Speaker 1: the governor and ensuring their sufficient water could make a 709 00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:14,840 Speaker 1: real difference in fighting these forest fires. And yet the 710 00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:19,320 Speaker 1: elected politicians repeatedly refuse to do so and brag about 711 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:25,160 Speaker 1: how proud they are of these policies. I hope, I 712 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:30,000 Speaker 1: hope on the federal government that this prompts a serious 713 00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:34,440 Speaker 1: reconsideration of the policies of what are allowed on federal 714 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:37,920 Speaker 1: forest lands. I know President Trump wants to see that happen, 715 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:42,120 Speaker 1: and we will see whether our Democrat colleagues in Congress 716 00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:45,080 Speaker 1: are willing to work to get that done or if 717 00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:48,680 Speaker 1: they will continue to double down on the same failed 718 00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:52,760 Speaker 1: policies that are endangering people's lives and costing people's lives. 719 00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:54,680 Speaker 1: And I just want to close where we started. Listen, 720 00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:57,640 Speaker 1: we are praying for the people of California who are 721 00:43:57,680 --> 00:44:00,839 Speaker 1: living through hell right now. We are praying for the 722 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:04,879 Speaker 1: firefighters and police officers and first responders, and by the way, 723 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:08,520 Speaker 1: just ordinary citizens and churches and charities who are coming 724 00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:12,200 Speaker 1: together and helping each other. And I will say, you know, 725 00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:16,239 Speaker 1: in the wake of any disaster, you see people come 726 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:19,759 Speaker 1: together and help each other. And that's an amazing, powerful thing. 727 00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:23,879 Speaker 1: But at the same time, we need to ask are 728 00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:27,760 Speaker 1: their policies that caused this disaster or made it worse? 729 00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:33,399 Speaker 1: And are their policy changes that can reduce the risk 730 00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:36,360 Speaker 1: of another tragedy like this in the future, And Sadly, 731 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:41,080 Speaker 1: the answer to those questions is unquestionably yes, and I 732 00:44:41,080 --> 00:44:43,080 Speaker 1: think for that reason, a whole lot of people in 733 00:44:43,080 --> 00:44:48,200 Speaker 1: California are understandably and justifiably furious right now. 734 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:51,040 Speaker 2: No doubt about it. Prayers for everyone affected. We're going 735 00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:53,080 Speaker 2: to keep you updated on this story. We're going to 736 00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:56,320 Speaker 2: keep following the facts so that you're armed with the facts, 737 00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:59,400 Speaker 2: so you know why this is happening, how this is happening, 738 00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:02,000 Speaker 2: anything else that we talked about in the show. Don't 739 00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:04,960 Speaker 2: forget hit that subscriber auto download button. I'll keep you 740 00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 2: updated on the days in between. We do the show Monday, 741 00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:09,920 Speaker 2: Wednesday and Friday, so download my podcast, the Ben Ferguson 742 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:12,160 Speaker 2: Podcasts for that as well in the Sina and I 743 00:45:12,239 --> 00:45:15,280 Speaker 2: will see you back here on Saturday for our week 744 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:16,240 Speaker 2: in review.