Los Angeles Mayor Criticized Over Response to Major Fire
14/01/2025
Bass refuted accusations that he was running 'bad management' by stating that under his administration, the fire department's budget actually increased by seven percent overall. -REUTERS
LOS ANGELES: As thousands of firefighters work hard to extinguish the raging fires in Los Angeles County, political pressure on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is mounting.
As of Sunday, more than 110,000 signatures had been collected through a petition in Change.org demanding his resignation, Xinhua reported.
Started by a user known as "Frustrated Californian", the petition accuses Bass of "poor management" as well as showing little leadership during this crisis. The petition also questioned his whereabouts in Ghana for a diplomatic visit on January 7, when the fires started.
The city's preparation and distribution of resources, including water supply shortages and insufficient funding, have also been criticised.
Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) chief Kristin Crowley criticized the $17 million budget cut in an interview with CNN on Friday, saying warnings about a lack of resources and funds have been voiced over the past three years.
However, Bass refuted the allegations by stating that under his administration, the fire department's budget actually increased by seven percent overall.
City Administration Officer Matt Szabo backed Bass's statement by insisting that emergency resources remain fully funded despite cuts in other areas.
The Los Angeles Times newspaper on Sunday reported that the criticism of the Democratic mayor was not very fair given that the municipality's budget is under pressure with various demands including public health, social services, housing crisis, drought, earthquakes, and wildfires and more against scarce resources.
Bass had previously proposed a 2.7 percent (US$23 million) reduction in the LAFD budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, mainly by limiting the purchase of new equipment.
However, he and the City Council later approved an increase in firefighters' salaries of US$53 million and an additional US$58 million for the purchase of new fire trucks and equipment, bringing the increase in the overall LAFD budget to more than seven per cent.
While the overall budget increased, several areas within the department experienced reductions, including a US$7 million cut in overtime pay, which affected radio training, pilot training, and bush clearance inspections that are essential to reduce fire risk.
However, rising costs including overtime pay and pension contributions have put pressure on the city's finances.
Critics worry that while the increase in workers' wages is important, it could lead to further shortages in operations.
Observer groups and representatives of the fire department warned against pressure on the budget, especially as the emergency needed additional resources.
Ongoing major fires, including the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires, continue to reveal the city's level of preparedness in the face of emergencies.
Such rampant and unprecedented fires have exposed weaknesses in Los Angeles' water infrastructure.
Firefighting efforts were affected by low water pressure and dry fire hydrants stemming from the unusual need to use too many fire hydrants simultaneously.
Former Los Angeles Department of Water and Energy (DWP) Manager Martin Adams pointed out that local water systems are not designed to support large-scale firefighting operations like this, and raises the question of what kind of future investment is needed in water infrastructure.
As the 71-year-old Bass held his post for two years, critics also blamed the previous administration on insufficient investment in decades of water infrastructure and firefighting and for failing to adapt the system to rising weather risks.
Experts recommend upgrading water storage systems and water pressure zones in hilly areas to reduce the risk of wildfires in the future, but these investments require significant financial allocation.
