1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:02,040 Speaker 1: Can't. I am six forty. 2 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 2: You're listening to the John Cobel Podcast on the iHeartRadio app. 3 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 3: This is why you came, right, Give us something good 4 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 3: and then we'll be happy. 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 2: That's right. Well, you it doesn't matter who's here. You'd 6 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 2: still be reading the news every fifteen minutes. 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 4: Oh maybe not. 8 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: You know. 9 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 2: We are here from one until four and then after 10 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 2: four o'clock. If you miss anything, you can hear the 11 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 2: podcast John Cobelt Show on demand also on the iHeartRadio app. 12 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 2: In a moment, I have one question quiz, so be ready. 13 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:37,919 Speaker 4: I hate quizzes. 14 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: It's one question. 15 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 4: I know. It's just I'm so bad at quizzes. 16 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: It's taking a guest. Oh no, I thought you were 17 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: like an A. 18 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 4: Plus student And it depends I was a. 19 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: Girl in the front row with your hand up all 20 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: the time. 21 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 4: Yeah, it just depends. 22 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 1: Okay, well this is it is a math question. 23 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 4: Oh forget it. 24 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: So what I told you. 25 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: Right after the fire happened and they started talking about 26 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 2: recovery LA stronger moving forward. I said, the recovery is 27 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: going to be a big botch if Karen Bass is 28 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:19,279 Speaker 2: in charge of it, because she and her staff brought 29 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: you here all right. Remember you had city hall management, 30 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 2: fire department management, the DWP more than management. That whole 31 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 2: place is ridiculous, and they brought you all the conditions 32 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 2: that led to this devastating fire. We had an attorney 33 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 2: on yesterday for some of the palisadess residents who explained 34 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 2: in further detail what the DWP did to create this 35 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 2: fire situation. Not only did they have and they didn't 36 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 2: supply hardly any water, they also supplied power lines that 37 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 2: fell on the brush when a power pole snapped, and 38 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 2: that started a second large fire at the top of 39 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 2: the Palisades up in the hills there twelve hours later. 40 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 2: Listened to yesterday's show and you'll get all the details. 41 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 2: The question is, though, if we're in recovery mode, how 42 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 2: quickly are we recovering? So I'm going to play your 43 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 2: story from Channel seven in a moment, but I want 44 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 2: to do the quiz first and deborn. Eric, you can 45 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 2: give us your your guess. It's been two months, seventy 46 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 2: five days after the Palisades fire. How many permits do 47 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:39,679 Speaker 2: you think have been issued for homeowners to rebuild? Two hundred? 48 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 2: Eric says two hundred twenty four four permits have been issued. 49 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 2: Here's the details from ABC seven Carlos Grnda. 50 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 5: We want to get going the Palisades rebuilding residents. 51 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: At this City Council committee hearing held on the West Side, 52 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: we're here to discuss how to move forward. 53 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 6: The blessing here is that we have been given an 54 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 6: opportunity to show the world how you do disaster relief 55 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:09,679 Speaker 6: and rebuilding effectively. 56 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 5: But the Department of Building in Safety toll the committee. 57 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 5: So far it has approved just four permits. Council Member 58 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 5: Tracy Park, who represents the Polis Aides, says that's not acceptable. 59 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 7: You know, when I hear in a committee meeting like 60 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 7: we had today that only four permits have been issued 61 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 7: and we're on day seventy five post fire, that is 62 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 7: concerning to me. And I don't think it is necessarily 63 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 7: a lack of interest in rebuilding. I suspect it is 64 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 7: indicative of systemic issues that we need to continue to 65 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 7: focus on. 66 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 5: Mayor Karen Bass hired a private consulting firm to oversee 67 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 5: the recovery effort. The contract with Haggardy Consulting is ten 68 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 5: million dollars, and some council members say that raises questions. 69 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,119 Speaker 8: We have city departments who know how to do this recovery, 70 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 8: who have been involved in recovery efforts of the past, 71 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 8: and yet they can't be afforded the opportunity to hire 72 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 8: the personnel that they need. But we can give a 73 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 8: ten million dollar contract to an outside agency to help 74 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 8: write a report for us. 75 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 4: For me, just is it's obscene. 76 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 5: Some worry the city is in such a delicate financial 77 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 5: situation it could make the recovery efforts and even dealing 78 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 5: with routine city services that much more difficult. The city 79 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 5: is facing a budget deficit of one billion dollars next year. 80 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:27,359 Speaker 7: The loss of business and tax revenue is going to 81 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 7: impact us. I mean, we are looking at hundreds of 82 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 7: billions of dollars in economic losses overall here. And I 83 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 7: don't think there is any real easy way to sugarcoat this. 84 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: It's a mess. 85 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 2: Karen Bass, Ricruso, Ricaruso, Karen Bassu with Karen Bass running things. 86 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 2: And by the way, you notice the only two council 87 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 2: people speaking out in support of the homeowners who are 88 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 2: suffering has been Tracy Park and Monica Rodriguez. The only 89 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 2: one who've been critical of everybody in government running these 90 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 2: various departments looking for explanations. Now, how do you I'm 91 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 2: confused here. The Department of Building in Safety said they've 92 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 2: approved only four permits they've had. 93 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: What do they do all day? 94 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 4: Oh? 95 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 3: John, they must be very busy going through all the paperwork. 96 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 4: And you know it's a lot. 97 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 2: Just four permits have consumed the last eleven weeks. What 98 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 2: is that a permit every two weeks roughly? 99 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: Oh? 100 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 4: You know what. 101 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 3: It's the people who lost their home's fault. They're feeling 102 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 3: out things incorrectly or they're doing something wrong. 103 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 2: We're going to come to that. I bet I bet 104 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 2: you eventually you're going to hear some of these. They're 105 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 2: going to be sources at the Department of Building and 106 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 2: Safety who are going to blame the Palisades owners the 107 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 2: same way we played that of one of Bass's underlings 108 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 2: blaming the Palisades owners for not doing the proper brush clearance. 109 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 2: Remember ye that they're living in a fire prone area 110 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 2: and you know they should have known this was coming. 111 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 2: So I suspect that's what most people in city Hall, 112 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 2: in these various agencies think. I'm sure they have a 113 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 2: day to day hostility towards the homeowners who got burned 114 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,919 Speaker 2: out and they find this whole situation to be just 115 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 2: a big burden on them. They're forced to do work 116 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:34,239 Speaker 2: that they don't want to do, that they don't do well. 117 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:36,919 Speaker 2: And then people are now going to be complaining. The 118 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 2: Palisades homeowners are going to be yelling at them for 119 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 2: the next seven years. 120 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: And they don't like that. They're used to sitting in. 121 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 2: Their little hovels or better yet, they're at home in 122 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 2: their bathrooms and fuzzy slippers, and now they've got to 123 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 2: do work. You know, they're used to laying on the 124 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:57,719 Speaker 2: sofa with a bowl of popcorn and their cats, watching 125 00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 2: daytime television. 126 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 4: And they be laid off soon. 127 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 2: Well, then what's going to happen exactly, which brings us 128 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 2: to Haggardy Consulting. Now they're getting ten million dollars. What 129 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 2: are they doing with ten million dollars? Because la is 130 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 2: broke and as Tracy Park pointed out, we're just going 131 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 2: to get broker and broker because the revenue is falling 132 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 2: substantially in every every source of taxation is dropping, sales tax, 133 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 2: property tax, you name it, the mansion tax. They're actually 134 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 2: thinking of suspending the mansion tax. That five and a 135 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 2: half percent extra tax on homes that sell over five 136 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 2: million dollars. They because there's a lot of people in 137 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 2: the Palisades, they can't they can rebuild their home, but 138 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 2: they sell it, they got to pay five and a 139 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 2: half percent, and so they want some kind of pause here. 140 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 2: You want to give away five and a half percent 141 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 2: after the fire and give it to the people who 142 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 2: were incompetent at handling the fire. I mean, I can't 143 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 2: imagine how furious the people in the Palisades are. 144 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 4: Oh and I'm sure the DWP is going to be 145 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 4: raising rates as well. 146 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: Well. Yeah, because because. 147 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 4: They're going to have so many lawsuits. 148 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: They got to pay for the water to fill up 149 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: that reservoir. 150 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 4: Exactly. 151 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 2: Jessica Rodgers, you may have heard her quote and she 152 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 2: says the blessing here and I thought this is a 153 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:33,599 Speaker 2: bizarre quote. She's president of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association. 154 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 2: I guess she's trying to be positive. The blessing here 155 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 2: is we've been giving an opportunity to show the world 156 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 2: how you do disaster relief and rebuilding effectively. That's not 157 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 2: going to happen. The disaster reef and rebuilding is not 158 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 2: going to be effective. It's going to drag on for many, 159 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 2: many years because Karen Bass and all the city workers 160 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 2: that predate her in downtown Los Angeles are lazy and 161 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:06,319 Speaker 2: incompetent and stupid. And I used to say this years ago, 162 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 2: and people would say, oh, could you do that? 163 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 1: How could you say that? It's like, what, It's obvious. 164 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 2: It's like looking up in the sky and saying, wow, 165 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 2: the sky is blued today. It's obvious. And now here's 166 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 2: a test case. Four permits. What did I tell you 167 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 2: yesterday about after the fire Lehana? It's now I think 168 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 2: a year and nine months. You know how many homes 169 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 2: have been rebuilt? Six So we've got four permits in 170 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 2: seventy five days in Hawaii. Six homes in a year 171 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 2: and nine months. This is this is the way the 172 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 2: government is. This is the bureaucracy. They make it impossible 173 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 2: and complicated, and they're lazy and they're stupid. And I'm sorry. 174 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 2: You're going to see You could say, oh, you're being mean, 175 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 2: your stereotyped thing. Bryst like, okay, okay, you see what happens. 176 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 4: You're not being very positive. 177 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 3: Didn't a moist pine collar call in last week and 178 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:08,840 Speaker 3: say that you're not positive. 179 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 2: Yes, yes he did, I'm not positive. Okay, well I'm 180 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,439 Speaker 2: looking for something to be positive about. 181 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 1: La Strong. 182 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 7: Was that? 183 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: Yeah? Whooao Li Strong. 184 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 2: We're going forward shouting out stupid slogans, doesn't build homes. 185 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 2: When we come back, we're gonna tell you the story 186 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 2: of Ricardo Lara cal Fart Lara as he's done around here. 187 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 2: He's the insurance commissioner. He is getting a lot of 188 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 2: heat because he went to Bermuda instead of attending a 189 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 2: legislative hearing on the insurance industry. And they only have 190 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 2: two or three of these a year, and he decided 191 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 2: not to show up because he went to Bermuda because again, 192 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 2: you stay here, you got to deal with the La fire. 193 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 2: You gotta deal with the Altadena fire. And you know, 194 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 2: everybody's upset. They're getting their insurance canceled. The insurance companies 195 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 2: aren't paying off for the fires. You know, State farms 196 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 2: jacking up the rates. Other companies are pulling out. Oh 197 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 2: that's a lot of work, This is a pain in 198 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,959 Speaker 2: the ass. How about we go to Bermuda. Turns out 199 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 2: he's gone on a lot of trips and it's not 200 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 2: unusual for him not. 201 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:26,320 Speaker 1: To show up. We'll talk about it coming up. 202 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 9: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 203 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:31,959 Speaker 9: six forty. 204 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 2: Welcome Moistline Friday eight seven seven Moist eighty six. You 205 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 2: want to get in on it eight seven seven Moist 206 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 2: eighty six, or use the talkback feature on the iHeartRadio app. 207 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:48,959 Speaker 2: Cal part Lara Ricardo Lara, who went from being an 208 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:54,440 Speaker 2: idiot legislator in Sacramento introducing bills where he wanted to 209 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 2: require all cows to wear a large device on their 210 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 2: backs so when they fart, the device would capture said 211 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 2: fart and the methane and then they could recycle it 212 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 2: or bury it or I don't know what this was 213 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 2: to slow down climate change. Swear to God, this guy 214 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 2: ends up being the insurance commissioner. And what do you 215 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 2: know when you have a guy who's such an idiot 216 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 2: that he gets a bill passed to regulate cow farts 217 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 2: and to require cows to wear some complex device on 218 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 2: their backs. You put them in charge of the insurance industry. 219 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 2: You think it's going to turn out, Well, well it 220 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 2: hasn't because insurance is so effed up and talking about 221 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 2: it in any detail, it gets really dry and poor. 222 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 10: It. 223 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 2: However, I know just from personal experience, almost everybody is 224 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:01,319 Speaker 2: angry about their insurance in this state. Its extremely expensive. 225 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:06,119 Speaker 2: It's going up like crazy, not only homeowners insurance, car insurance, 226 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 2: fire insurance, earthquake insurance, all of it. And we've had 227 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 2: all these fires and disasters. And I don't know if 228 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 2: you noticed. This week they expanded the fire maps. The 229 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 2: fire maps now that cal fire put out cover a 230 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 2: much larger geographical area, which means more and more of 231 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 2: you are going to get whacked with bigger fire insurance bills. 232 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,680 Speaker 2: By the way, I can't believe the price of car insurance. 233 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: Geez. 234 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 2: My wife called me over a couple of nights ago 235 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 2: and she goes, look at this, and I was in shock. 236 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:41,120 Speaker 4: It's crazy how expensive it is. 237 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 2: She handles all the bills and sometimes I go wild 238 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 2: in between keeping track of what those kind you know 239 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 2: what insurance costs? 240 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: Oh my god, what the hell is going on? 241 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 4: And it comes up and you haven't been in an accident, right? 242 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 5: No? 243 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 4: Yeah? 244 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: No. 245 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 2: In fact, when I get into minor bumps, we paid 246 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,439 Speaker 2: out of pocket. Yes, there's no point in reporting it, 247 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 2: you know, Between the deductible and and your premiums going up. 248 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 2: You know, I'd be better off just driving the car 249 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 2: to a lake, which is. 250 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:12,559 Speaker 4: Why you need to take mass transit. 251 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:16,439 Speaker 1: Oh, what was that latest disaster today? 252 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 2: Didn't diet a truck and a metrorail collide. I forget where. 253 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 2: I just saw a headline. To me, it was just 254 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 2: another day. Was yeah, well, so we're gonna play you 255 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 2: report here because cal fart Lara skipped off to Bermuda 256 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 2: rather than talk to the legislature about the insurance situation 257 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 2: in the state. A lot of people in the Palisades 258 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 2: had their insurance pulled and they end up in the 259 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 2: Fair Plan, which is the state run plan. And the 260 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 2: Fair Plan will only cover you up to three million dollars, 261 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 2: which doesn't go very far in the Palisades obviously, and 262 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 2: I don't know what the proportion is for homes that 263 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 2: are that don't cost as much. But there a few 264 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 2: weeks ago there was going to be a hearing and 265 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 2: an assemblyman on the commit Insurance Committee, David Tanjepa, he's 266 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 2: a Republican from Fresno. He's on the Insurance Committee, Tanjeepa, 267 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 2: and he had said this publicly. I really believe we 268 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 2: need a larger sense of urgency for the issues we 269 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 2: see today. It's dire. If we look at the California 270 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 2: Fair Plan, listen to this. We barely have three hundred 271 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 2: and fifty million dollars to cover four hundred and fifty 272 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 2: billion dollars in assets the people who have homes insured 273 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 2: under the Fair Plan. Those homes are worth four hundred 274 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 2: and fifty billion dollars in total. What the Fair Plan 275 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 2: has in its bank account is three hundred and fifty million. 276 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:08,440 Speaker 1: That's less than one percent. He says. 277 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 2: We need leaders in the state, especially the Insurance Commissioner, 278 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 2: being here to go to every single meeting because every 279 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 2: single California is going to feel this. And of course 280 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 2: Lara skipped out on a hearing to go to Bermuda 281 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:29,479 Speaker 2: to speak at a conference. And Lara has been criticized 282 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 2: as well because it took him a long time to 283 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 2: try to come up with a new plan to stabilize 284 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 2: California's insurance market. Because since twenty twenty three, seven of 285 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 2: the twelve largest insurance companies have either limited their policies 286 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 2: or stopped providing policies. They pulled out either completely or partially, 287 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 2: and he's supposed to come up with through regulations, but 288 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 2: he's not showing up for meetings. When he finally showed 289 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 2: up for a meeting, they wanted to know why it 290 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 2: took you so long, and Lara replied, well, could I 291 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 2: have moved quicker? 292 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 1: Absolutely? Well, but why didn't you? 293 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 2: He's getting scolded by the legislators for taking way too 294 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 2: long to come up with a plan because the insurance 295 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 2: situation is a disaster. Oh could I have done better? Absolutely, 296 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:35,920 Speaker 2: but you didn't. You didn't do better. You failed. Why 297 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 2: because you're cal fart, Lara. You're not qualified to do this. 298 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 2: And maybe for years and years nobody knew who the 299 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 2: insurance commissioner was. Maybe it didn't matter, but now insurance 300 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 2: is extremely expensive. 301 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:51,119 Speaker 1: A lot of people can't get it. 302 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,359 Speaker 2: You've you've had these these fires because of the incompetence 303 00:17:55,560 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 2: of Karen Bass and Genie Kinoniez and Kristin Crowley and 304 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:04,359 Speaker 2: the city council all the rest the county leaders. You 305 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:10,120 Speaker 2: know in Altadena, not to mention the fires in Northern California. 306 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 1: Insurance. 307 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:13,160 Speaker 2: If you read an insurance company, would would you write 308 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 2: a fire policy here? Would you write a fire policy 309 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 2: in the Palisades. The reason that Palisades Insure the insurance 310 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 2: company pulled out of the Palisades. They knew the reservoir 311 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 2: was empty, they knew two of them were empty. They 312 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 2: saw that the brush clearance was simply not done. They 313 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,439 Speaker 2: fly drones over the Palisades and they said, oh, this 314 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:39,879 Speaker 2: doesn't look good. They got out of there. All right, 315 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 2: we come back eighty seven. We have to go to 316 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 2: San Francisco because nobody, nobody down here is going to 317 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,879 Speaker 2: report on it. Stephanie Sierra, she's gonna She did a 318 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 2: long story on Ricardo Lara taking not just the trip 319 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 2: to Bermuda and he was supposed to be at a hearing, 320 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,360 Speaker 2: he took a series of taxpayer funded trips, skipped out 321 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,679 Speaker 2: on a series of meetings. So cal fart Lara, like 322 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 2: Karen Dass, would rather travel out of the country than 323 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 2: do their jobs while everything's burning. That's coming up next. 324 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 9: You're listening to John Cobel's on demand from KFI AM 325 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 9: six forty. 326 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:33,439 Speaker 2: Part of the reason the insurance industry is so screwed 327 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 2: up here in California, there's a number of reasons. There 328 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:42,120 Speaker 2: are a lot of natural disasters in this state, and 329 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 2: part of it is we have an incompetent legislature, an 330 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 2: incompetent boob. Who's the commissioner. His name is Ricardo Lara, 331 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 2: so old cal fart. Lara was the subject of a 332 00:19:55,600 --> 00:20:00,160 Speaker 2: story ABC seven Bay Area a reporter named Stephanie Cara. 333 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:05,159 Speaker 2: This is about Ricardo Lara going on a series of 334 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 2: taxpayer funded trips. We've told you about how he ran 335 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,680 Speaker 2: off to Bermuda recently instead of appearing at a Senate hearing, 336 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:14,680 Speaker 2: and he has skipped out on a number of meetings 337 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 2: so he could bounce around. He ain't. Karen bass I 338 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:19,640 Speaker 2: don't know if they had the same travel agents. Now, 339 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 2: this is a long report, so we're probably going to 340 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 2: have to play this in sections and see where it 341 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 2: takes us. 342 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 6: As California's insurance crisis HiT's a breaking point, the state's 343 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 6: top insurance boss is nowhere to be found. During the 344 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 6: legislature's first insurance briefing of the year, a Senate Committee 345 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:38,399 Speaker 6: hearing in the wake of the LA. 346 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:42,120 Speaker 11: Flyers, Michael Martinez here on behalf of Insurance commission Ricardi Lota. 347 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 4: So where's the commissioner? 348 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 6: Turns out he was at a conference in Bermuda with 349 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 6: insurance executives to give a fifteen minute speech. Lada did 350 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 6: the same thing in March twenty twenty three and twenty twenty. 351 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 8: Four, Karen behalf of Insurance commission Ricardo Laura. 352 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 6: Missing another assembly insurance here also while he was on 353 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 6: the islands in Bermuda. Yet weeks later, the Commissioner was 354 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:09,200 Speaker 6: able to make a legislative study tour in the UK 355 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 6: for eight days, and he wasn't laid for his climate 356 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 6: presentation to the Central Bank of Uruguay later that month, 357 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:19,920 Speaker 6: and he definitely did not miss his flight to Honolulu 358 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,120 Speaker 6: the following week for a policy training. Public records show 359 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 6: taxpayers picked up his four star hotel bill. And this 360 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 6: didn't just happen once or twice, but at least seven 361 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,719 Speaker 6: other times. We found the Commissioner was absent from insurance meetings, 362 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:37,440 Speaker 6: some while traveling abroad or across country. During his first 363 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 6: year in office, Commissioner Lada missed two insurance hearings while 364 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 6: on trips to DC and to Florida. Now in between 365 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 6: those two trips, he took another six thousand dollars trip 366 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:52,199 Speaker 6: to Paris for an economic development conference. Taxpayers picked up 367 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 6: that bill. 368 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 4: And as we found out. 369 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 6: This trend continued from twenty twenty one to twenty twenty two. 370 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 6: Records show Commissioner Lada was absent for the only two 371 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:05,400 Speaker 6: Senate insurance hearings held that year, according to his schedule, 372 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:09,160 Speaker 6: he had prior engagements. Same story. The year after that, 373 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:12,399 Speaker 6: in March twenty twenty three, the Commissioner was absent for 374 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 6: the first Senate insurance hearing of the year. 375 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 2: Why. 376 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 4: Record show he was on a taxpayer. 377 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 6: Funded trip to Toronto for a United Nations conference on 378 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 6: sustainable finance. Unclear if there was any relevance to California insurance. 379 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,440 Speaker 2: Hells, that's right, it stops sustainable finance. 380 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,399 Speaker 1: What does that mean? It doesn't mean anything. What a 381 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 1: load of craps. 382 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 2: What these the scam these scammers, They create these conferences, 383 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:43,719 Speaker 2: and if they use the word sustainable, that's supposed to 384 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:48,159 Speaker 2: justify all these politicians and lobbyists and grifters and schemers 385 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 2: to spend taxpayer money to fly there and enjoy all 386 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 2: the food and the booze and the hookers. Mike, by 387 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,880 Speaker 2: the way, I've been taking notes. He's got to Uruguay, 388 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 2: the uk DC, Florida, Paris, Toronto, and Honolulu. 389 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 4: You know, I love to travel too, John, Right, maybe 390 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 4: I need to get his job. 391 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 1: Maybe you should run for insurance commitment. 392 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:13,120 Speaker 4: And then I'll get all these trips. 393 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: How bad could you be for free? For free? There 394 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: you go work for free? So how about that? 395 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 2: And this is all by the way, she was listing 396 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:27,360 Speaker 2: the trips he took when he missed Senate committee hearings 397 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 2: on insurance. And he's the commissioner, and we got a 398 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 2: thousand problems with insurance. My god, DC, Florida, Toronto, Honolulu, Uruguay, Uruguay, 399 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 2: the UK. And this last trip that he took to Bermuda, 400 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 2: he only spoke for fifteen minutes. 401 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:49,040 Speaker 4: He could have done that by zoom. 402 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:51,639 Speaker 1: Does zoom work in Bermuda? 403 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 4: Probably? 404 00:23:54,920 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 1: Maybe the Bermuda triangle got in the way. 405 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 2: I mean, if he had to do something, I mean, 406 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:07,479 Speaker 2: I mean just zoom and project it on a screen 407 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:12,119 Speaker 2: up on stage. He doesn't have to fly to Bermuda 408 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 2: for fifteen minutes. And the state senators they don't understand 409 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:22,880 Speaker 2: the insurance industry. You know, they vote based on how 410 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 2: much bribe money that they get from the insurance companies. 411 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 2: Nobody's representing the public there. It's supposed to be Lara 412 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 2: representing the public. We know what the politicians are going 413 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 2: to do because they're getting campaign checks. 414 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 3: You know what's really irritating about insurance is we pay 415 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,920 Speaker 3: so much money, as you were talking about righteous car insurance. 416 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,159 Speaker 3: We pay so much money and then when there is 417 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:48,159 Speaker 3: a car accident, or an accident or a fire, then 418 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 3: all of a sudden the rates get raised or insurance 419 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:54,160 Speaker 3: companies can't afford anymore to ensure us. 420 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:56,679 Speaker 4: Well, then why are we bothering to pay for insurance? 421 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 2: I know, I mean, look at the people in the palisade. 422 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 2: There's a hard cap on the Fair Plan. People are 423 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 2: in the Fair Plan, which is the state run plan, 424 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,199 Speaker 2: only because the other insurance counties kick them out right, 425 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,399 Speaker 2: So what are we supposed to do? How are people 426 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:14,960 Speaker 2: supposed to live in this state? Because we have a 427 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 2: half thundered fire department. We have the DWP that left 428 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:21,680 Speaker 2: two major reservoirs empty. 429 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:27,200 Speaker 1: We have a mayor who flew to Africa. What's with all. 430 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 2: This flying around? He's going to Uruguay. She's going to Africa. 431 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 2: She went to Africa for a cocktail party. He went 432 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 2: to Bermuda for fifteen minutes of a speech, fifteen minutes. 433 00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 2: I mean, because it's not about the cocktail party with 434 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 2: the Ghanian president, it's not about speaking before the insurance industry. 435 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 2: It's about they want to live the high life while 436 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,640 Speaker 2: they're in office. When they get out of office, all 437 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:07,120 Speaker 2: this disappears, and they're very sad and depressed because right 438 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 2: now they're living off us suckers, and you people keep 439 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 2: voting for these greedy morons. Karen Bass loved being a 440 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:23,600 Speaker 2: congresswoman for ten years because of the travel. She traveled 441 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 2: to Africa a lot. She decided that was going to 442 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:30,199 Speaker 2: be her area of focus. Why what that had to 443 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 2: do with the constituents back in La Nothing. But you know, 444 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:36,360 Speaker 2: everybody's got their favorite part of the world they want 445 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:39,919 Speaker 2: to visit, and hers is Africa. You know, if I 446 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 2: could get the company here to pay for you know, 447 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 2: six trips to Italy, I'd do that. Yeah, I got 448 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,159 Speaker 2: Italy every two months. If they wanted to pay, I'd like. 449 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,160 Speaker 4: To go back to Dubai and finish my trip. 450 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: Well, wait till I tell you about the Dubai story. 451 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:55,119 Speaker 1: Oh no, oh, yeah, I got a battle story. You 452 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:57,399 Speaker 1: saw that. I've known about it for long before the 453 00:26:57,440 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 1: story came up in an email. 454 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 4: I guess I wasn't on the email. 455 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,880 Speaker 2: No, no, actually I don't put you on the email. 456 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:07,679 Speaker 2: All right, let's play more of this. 457 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:11,640 Speaker 6: We found out this trend continued from twenty twenty one 458 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:15,440 Speaker 6: to twenty twenty two. Record show Commissioner Ladda was absent 459 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:18,720 Speaker 6: for the only two Senate insurance hearings held that year, 460 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:23,000 Speaker 6: according to his schedule, he had prior engagements. Same story 461 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 6: the year after that, in March twenty twenty three, the 462 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 6: Commissioner was absent for the first Senate insurance hearing of 463 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:29,400 Speaker 6: the year. 464 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 5: Why. 465 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:33,200 Speaker 6: Record show he was on a taxpayer funded trip to 466 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 6: Toronto for a United Nations conference on sustainable finance. Unclear 467 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 6: if there was any relevance to California's insurance market, but 468 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,240 Speaker 6: taxpayers paid for his three night long stay. Then, on 469 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 6: May tenth of that year, he missed the next Senate 470 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 6: insurance hearing. Unclear why his schedule shows he was working 471 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 6: that day. 472 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,160 Speaker 1: He travels a lot, He's everywhere, but in his chair. 473 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 6: Yet, the state told us Commissioner Ladda's rigorous meeting schedule 474 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:01,959 Speaker 6: is a key part of his commitment to protecting consumers 475 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:05,359 Speaker 6: and safeguarding the integrity of the insurance market. I asked 476 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:07,680 Speaker 6: the chair of the Senate Insurance Committee about it. 477 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:09,359 Speaker 4: Were you surprised by that? 478 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:12,719 Speaker 11: What's your response to these repeated absences? 479 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 10: Well, I have to say that I have had many 480 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:19,199 Speaker 10: hearings where he is present and many times. You know, 481 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 10: the legislature has its own calendar. 482 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:23,920 Speaker 11: And when you say many, I just looked at all 483 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:26,400 Speaker 11: of the meetings that took place since he was elected 484 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 11: in twenty nineteen, and he had only appeared for the 485 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,160 Speaker 11: informational hearings to two of them, and one of those 486 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:34,359 Speaker 11: two times was via zoom. 487 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:36,880 Speaker 10: Well, I've been chair of the Insurance Committee for six 488 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 10: years and unfortunately we had two years in betrained where 489 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 10: we we're not allowing people to come and present in person, 490 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 10: and so there's many times where he did present via zoom. 491 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 6: Video recordings from the Senate website show LATA only joined 492 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 6: those hearings via zoom once. 493 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 10: Oh, inter, thank you so much for taking the time. 494 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 6: In January twenty twenty four, and that hearing was the 495 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 6: first one hosted after the governor signed an executive order 496 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 6: calling a LADA to do more to address the insurance crisis. 497 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 6: Record show after that, he attended. 498 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 2: That was Senator State Senator Susan Rubio, who's involved in 499 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 2: her own scandal on the side, which is not worth 500 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:18,800 Speaker 2: getting into. But do you realize she said, I've seen 501 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 2: him many times at the hearings, and it turned out 502 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 2: it was twice in person and once over zoom and. 503 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 4: Look, he can do zoom. He could have done zoom 504 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 4: in Bermuda. 505 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 2: And that's considered many many And I'm just one more thing. 506 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 2: I started by quoting a Republican assemblyman, uh, and let 507 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 2: me let me get his thing back up here because 508 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:55,240 Speaker 2: this this is important to know named uh Tanjeepa, right, remember, yeah, 509 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 2: here it is Assemblyman David Tanjeepa from Fresno. He was 510 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 2: the one who said, basically, the California Fair Plan is 511 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,400 Speaker 2: broke because they only have three hundred and fifty million 512 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 2: dollars they got to cover four hundred and fifty billion 513 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 2: dollars in assets. After he said that publicly, he was 514 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 2: taken off the committee by the Democratic Speaker Robert Reavis. 515 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 2: Reavis got rid of a number of Republican assembly people, 516 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 2: kicked them off committees when they publicly told the truth. 517 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 2: It happened to Carl Demayo from San Diego. He came 518 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 2: out and told us that story. Well, David Chandangeepa was 519 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 2: another one. He started speaking out about the insurance industry 520 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 2: and Revis cut off his head. 521 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 1: That's it. 522 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 2: You don't get to be on a committee if you're 523 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 2: going to tell the truth in public. This is what 524 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:44,760 Speaker 2: you have with one party rule. All right, we got 525 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 2: more coming up. 526 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 9: You're listening to John Cobels on demand from KFI AM 527 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 9: six forty. 528 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 2: Coming up after two o'clock, we're going to talk to 529 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 2: Michael Monks from KFI News. We've gone through all the 530 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 2: true mednis problems going on here in La A lot 531 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 2: about the fire. There's only been four permits issued for 532 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:11,360 Speaker 2: the people in the Palisades. But what is the La 533 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 2: City Council doing. They're a proving motions to protect illegal immigrants, 534 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 2: trying to protect them from ice. That's what they're doing. 535 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 2: They're serving illegal aliens, not serving US residents. 536 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 1: It's so crazy. 537 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 2: I've got to just single at Stephanie Sierra, she's a 538 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:39,040 Speaker 2: reporter for ABC seven in the Bay Area, that's KGO Television, 539 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:41,720 Speaker 2: who did a terrific report and I think we played 540 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 2: about two thirds of it because it's very very long, 541 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,960 Speaker 2: not even half Well, I want to condense some of 542 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 2: the rest of the report because I have a transcript here. 543 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 1: Just in the interest of time. 544 00:31:55,280 --> 00:32:00,360 Speaker 2: She went after Ricardo Lara, the insurance Commissioner, because well, 545 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:04,719 Speaker 2: the trigger that was him going to Bermuda to give 546 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:08,120 Speaker 2: a fifteen minute speech instead of going to a Senate 547 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:11,160 Speaker 2: hearing on the insurance. 548 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 1: Industry a couple of weeks ago. 549 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 2: And this is after you have this insurance disaster that's 550 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 2: all over the state and you have the La fire disaster. 551 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,640 Speaker 2: He's supposed to speak before the Senate. He doesn't. He 552 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:24,800 Speaker 2: goes to Bermuda, and he does it on purpose because 553 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 2: they're all Democrats, so they let him get away with 554 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 2: going on these trips and missing all these hearings. He 555 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 2: hasn't shown up many and then when they talked to 556 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:39,680 Speaker 2: Senate Democrat who's the chair woman of the committee, Susan Rubio, 557 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:43,800 Speaker 2: she lies and says, oh, I've seen him here many times. No, 558 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 2: he's only gone twice since twenty nineteen, and once on Zoom. 559 00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 2: He misses most of the meetings. In fact, I got 560 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:58,640 Speaker 2: a transcript of Stephanie Sierra's report, and she obtained and 561 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 2: analyzed hundreds of public records detailing Ricardo Larra's expenses. Since 562 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 2: twenty nineteen, he has made forty six trips across the 563 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 2: country and all over the world. 564 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:17,640 Speaker 1: You want to hear a list. 565 00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 2: Singapore, Cape Town, South Africa, Dublin, Costa Rica, Chile, Egypt, Tokyo, Glasgow, Scotland, Dubai. Hey, 566 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 2: he hit a lot of the places you went, Yes, 567 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:35,200 Speaker 2: you ever traveled with him? I know he also went 568 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:38,520 Speaker 2: to Arizona, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, d C. 569 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:43,760 Speaker 2: And Connecticut. Why is he going to all these cities 570 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 2: around the world when he oversees the insurance industry in California? 571 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:55,560 Speaker 2: What the hell's in Cape Town, Dublin, Chile. They're all 572 00:33:55,640 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 2: quote work related trips, but a significan chunk of the 573 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 2: records are missing, according to Stephanie Sierra, and the state 574 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:09,879 Speaker 2: can't provide the records. The records they do have, it's 575 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:16,920 Speaker 2: not cheap. Now to compare to other insurance commissioners in Illinois. 576 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 2: The insurance commissioner who just stepped down in the entire 577 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:26,200 Speaker 2: year of twenty twenty two, he only spent six hundred 578 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:29,320 Speaker 2: and eighty dollars on travel. Six hundred and eighty dollars 579 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 2: during the first six months of Commissioner Lari's term, his 580 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:38,720 Speaker 2: trips cost taxpayers thirty three thousand, three hundred and thirty 581 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:46,080 Speaker 2: six dollars. Was that like sixty times but the Illinois 582 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:49,759 Speaker 2: commissioner spent He got an all expense paid week long 583 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:56,120 Speaker 2: trip to Bogata, Columbia for an LGBTQ political leaders conference. 584 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 4: Okay, so what does that have to do with insurance? 585 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:00,240 Speaker 1: Ricardo is gat. 586 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:03,800 Speaker 4: Okay, what does that have to do with insurance? 587 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:07,280 Speaker 1: Well, he's a political leader. 588 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 2: He got a flight at a five star hotel stay 589 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:17,240 Speaker 2: in New York City for Pride Fest, where his schedule 590 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:24,440 Speaker 2: included a vip rooftop event with DJ Kitty Glitter. The 591 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 2: four day trip did not list any insurance related meetings 592 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:28,360 Speaker 2: on his schedule. 593 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:29,600 Speaker 4: Well, there you go. 594 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,240 Speaker 1: Did we pay for that? It said in all expenses 595 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:37,360 Speaker 1: paid week long trip. Did I assume we paid the expenses? 596 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 9: What? 597 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:46,600 Speaker 2: Nobody wanted? To answer Channel SEVENS questions in San Francisco, 598 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,200 Speaker 2: he had took twenty one trips with the National Association 599 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 2: of Insurance Commits. E eleven of them were funded by NAIIC, 600 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:09,719 Speaker 2: So we pay for a lot of trips and then 601 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:13,280 Speaker 2: there's all these other trips that the insurance, this insurance 602 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:14,920 Speaker 2: commissioners group pays for. 603 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:19,200 Speaker 3: Well, instead of you know what, instead of that insurance 604 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:22,439 Speaker 3: commissioners group paying for some of these trips, why don't 605 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:26,160 Speaker 3: we put that money and UH and give us back 606 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:26,720 Speaker 3: our money? 607 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 1: Yeah? 608 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:29,280 Speaker 4: Right, give the insurers money back. 609 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:31,600 Speaker 1: Or maybe he could stay home. 610 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:37,360 Speaker 2: And work on this insurance disaster that he's partly responsible for. 611 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:43,800 Speaker 2: Ricardo Lara cal Fart Larra, what'd you think was gonna happen? 612 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:49,040 Speaker 2: But people voted for him because he was a Hispanic 613 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:54,640 Speaker 2: gay Democrat. So at the jackpot, on on the UH, 614 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 2: on the woke diversity machine. But is he a good 615 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:04,720 Speaker 2: insurance commissioner? No, because insurance companies are fleeing the state 616 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 2: and there's no money in the state insurance plan to 617 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:11,960 Speaker 2: cover all the claims that are coming. Where are they 618 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,919 Speaker 2: going to get the money? The state is seventy six 619 00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:20,760 Speaker 2: billion dollars in deficit. Keep voting the way you're voting 620 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:24,320 Speaker 2: when we come back. Speaking of Hey, you've been listening 621 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:26,920 Speaker 2: to the John Cobalt Show podcast. You can always hear 622 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:29,640 Speaker 2: the show live on KFI AM six forty from one 623 00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:32,200 Speaker 2: to four pm every Monday through Friday, and of course 624 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:34,960 Speaker 2: anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app.