Whos really to blame for the LA wildfire? Donnie or Gavin Newscum who diverts water from its natural path into the ocean and refuses to do any sort of wildfire/forestry management because of faulty woke ideology?

[West]

1 hour ago, robosmith said:

It doesn't take bravery to look at the truth. It is COWARDICE to POST LIES.

Until you post the Dems saying DEI is their top priority, all you got is LIES.

Just cause you live in denial doesn't make it lies

[robosmith]

Just now, West said:

Just cause you live in denial doesn't make it lies

Until you post the EVIDENCE, there is NOTHING to deny cause you have to PROVE your ALLEGATIONS FIRST.

[User]

37 minutes ago, robosmith said:

Until you post the EVIDENCE, there is NOTHING to deny cause you have to PROVE your ALLEGATIONS FIRST.

The evidence has been posted, but you are a coward and hide from me. 

[Venandi]

In the fullness of time I think all aspects of this tragedy will come under pretty close scrutiny.

Personally (and it's just me BTW), I'm interested in the impact that a 7 million dollar reduction in overtime funding had on the readiness of air assets prior to a known high risk time period. Some will likely argue that the time between the implementation of cuts and their effects manifesting is too short to be relevant but that's probably not the case for the aviation unit where the impact might have been immediate... time will tell.

Self serving political rhetoric and partisan posturing in this case is not going to be received well by voters... it's not a path I would be choosing to walk. I'll leave that to the Herbs and Robos of the world.

Here's a piece from CNN that touches on budget cuts and recruiting FWIW. I'm sure there will be lots more to come... the Chiefs personal priorities and the impact of them on departmental priorities will certainly be part of that process IMO:

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/12/us/fire-department-los-angeles-wildfires/index.html

The "focus on inclusion" portion of the article's content is extracted below:

The LAFD has historically had mostly White, male firefighters, Hudley-Hayes said.

Crowley is the LAFD’s first woman and LGBTQ person to serve as chief, according to her bio.

In her bio, Crowley lists her priorities as “creating, supporting, and promoting a culture that values diversity, inclusion, and equity while striving to meet and exceed the expectations of the communities.”

Hudley-Hayes credits Crowley with establishing the department’s Office of Equity and Human Resources last year. Since she became chief in 2022, there are more Black, Latino, Asian and female firefighters in each recruitment class, Hudley-Hayes said.

Hawkins, however, said the department still struggles with diversity and how it treats Black firefighters. The LAFD is roughly 11% Black, he said.

Black firefighters continue to face low levels of promotions and often don’t receive adequate training for their positions, leading to low retention rates, Hawkins said.

“The treatment of African Americans in the fire department has been horrible,” Hawkins said

 

Actor James Woods suggested that Crowley prioritized DEI over ensuring fire hydrants had enough water.

“She took over and she put on her bio that her priority … is inclusion, diversity and equity …,” Woods said on Fox News.“And somebody forgot to fill all the reservoirs, I guess, with water because when I was getting smoke alarms there was a fire truck parked in front of my house, but they couldn’t pump any water because there was none.”

On Friday, the Los Angeles Times reported that a nearby reservoir was undergoing repairs and was empty at the time of the fires, further hampering firefighting efforts.

Hours later, California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for an independent investigation into the problems with the water supply for firefighters battling the blazes.

“The ongoing reports of the loss of water pressure to some local fire hydrants during the fires and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir are deeply troubling to me and to the community,” Newsom wrote in a letter, which he posted on X.

Scott Jennings, a CNN political commentator, also condemned the efforts to diversify the fire department.

“We have DEI, we have budget cuts and yet I’m wondering now, if your house was burning down, how much do you care what color the firefighters are?” Jennings said on CNN’s Abby Phillip’s News Night.

Johnny Gray, president of the Los Angeles County Stentorians, which strives to promote diversity in the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said DEI is important to ensure there is fair representation of firefighters of all ethnicities, genders and backgrounds.

It also helps build trust with the community when they know there are firefighters who look like them and understand them, he said.

“It’s very important that we do reflect the community that we serve,” Gray said. “We are going inside these folks’ homes. There are different cultures, different ways of handling different situations and if you’re not diverse in your fire department you might not know how to handle it or how to talk to someone.”

 

Edited January 13 by Venandi

[NAME REMOVED]

 

As many Americans are doing nothing but casting blame, I take solace in the fact that Canadians are doing their part to help out.

[User]

24 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

As many Americans are doing nothing but casting blame, I take solace in the fact that Canadians are doing their part to help out.

Casting blame?

One of the first things you did on this forum was post a bunch of garbage to attack and mock James Woods while he was evacuating and in fear of losing his home. 

 

[NAME REMOVED]

1 hour ago, User said:

Casting blame?

One of the first things you did on this forum was post a bunch of garbage to attack and mock James Woods while he was evacuating and in fear of losing his home. 

 

He didn't lose his home. He went on the news, crying like a 10 year old school girl, and blaming the mayor, Democrats, and the Governor. Quite a departure from most of his neighbours, that actually helped each other.  

I find it amusing that you are always ranting about the LGBTQ community, yet you lick James Woods arsehole.   Just come out of the closet. I will not judge you.

Edited January 13 by DUI_Offender

[User]

6 hours ago, DUI_Offender said:

He didn't lose his home. He went on the news, crying like a 10 year old school girl, and blaming the mayor, Democrats, and the Governor. Quite a departure from most of his neighbours, that actually helped each other.  

I find it amusing that you are always ranting about the LGBTQ community, yet you lick James Woods arsehole.   Just come out of the closet. I will not judge you.

Note, I said at the time he had fear of losing his home. I know his was one of the few that survived. 

Even now, you still mock him as he faced this devastating fire. 

What is with you leftists in trying to attack people with criticisms of being gay? You are a sad pathetic person. 

[Deluge]

On 1/8/2025 at 9:03 PM, DUI_Offender said:

Not another word salad topic

That's for myata and the rest of the saladcrats. 

This is a legit concern. California's been f*cking up ever since the democrats seized power. 

[Nationalist]

9 hours ago, Venandi said:

In the fullness of time I think all aspects of this tragedy will come under pretty close scrutiny.

Personally (and it's just me BTW), I'm interested in the impact that a 7 million dollar reduction in overtime funding had on the readiness of air assets prior to a known high risk time period. Some will likely argue that the time between the implementation of cuts and their effects manifesting is too short to be relevant but that's probably not the case for the aviation unit where the impact might have been immediate... time will tell.

Self serving political rhetoric and partisan posturing in this case is not going to be received well by voters... it's not a path I would be choosing to walk. I'll leave that to the Herbs and Robos of the world.

Here's a piece from CNN that touches on budget cuts and recruiting FWIW. I'm sure there will be lots more to come... the Chiefs personal priorities and the impact of them on departmental priorities will certainly be part of that process IMO:

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/12/us/fire-department-los-angeles-wildfires/index.html

The "focus on inclusion" portion of the article's content is extracted below:

The LAFD has historically had mostly White, male firefighters, Hudley-Hayes said.

Crowley is the LAFD’s first woman and LGBTQ person to serve as chief, according to her bio.

In her bio, Crowley lists her priorities as “creating, supporting, and promoting a culture that values diversity, inclusion, and equity while striving to meet and exceed the expectations of the communities.”

Hudley-Hayes credits Crowley with establishing the department’s Office of Equity and Human Resources last year. Since she became chief in 2022, there are more Black, Latino, Asian and female firefighters in each recruitment class, Hudley-Hayes said.

Hawkins, however, said the department still struggles with diversity and how it treats Black firefighters. The LAFD is roughly 11% Black, he said.

Black firefighters continue to face low levels of promotions and often don’t receive adequate training for their positions, leading to low retention rates, Hawkins said.

“The treatment of African Americans in the fire department has been horrible,” Hawkins said

 

Actor James Woods suggested that Crowley prioritized DEI over ensuring fire hydrants had enough water.

“She took over and she put on her bio that her priority … is inclusion, diversity and equity …,” Woods said on Fox News.“And somebody forgot to fill all the reservoirs, I guess, with water because when I was getting smoke alarms there was a fire truck parked in front of my house, but they couldn’t pump any water because there was none.”

On Friday, the Los Angeles Times reported that a nearby reservoir was undergoing repairs and was empty at the time of the fires, further hampering firefighting efforts.

Hours later, California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for an independent investigation into the problems with the water supply for firefighters battling the blazes.

“The ongoing reports of the loss of water pressure to some local fire hydrants during the fires and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir are deeply troubling to me and to the community,” Newsom wrote in a letter, which he posted on X.

Scott Jennings, a CNN political commentator, also condemned the efforts to diversify the fire department.

“We have DEI, we have budget cuts and yet I’m wondering now, if your house was burning down, how much do you care what color the firefighters are?” Jennings said on CNN’s Abby Phillip’s News Night.

Johnny Gray, president of the Los Angeles County Stentorians, which strives to promote diversity in the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said DEI is important to ensure there is fair representation of firefighters of all ethnicities, genders and backgrounds.

It also helps build trust with the community when they know there are firefighters who look like them and understand them, he said.

“It’s very important that we do reflect the community that we serve,” Gray said. “We are going inside these folks’ homes. There are different cultures, different ways of handling different situations and if you’re not diverse in your fire department you might not know how to handle it or how to talk to someone.”

 

Huh...

One of my sons just passed the firefighters' boot camp in Texas. He said there was a young woman in the group but that she left after a few days when she realized she couldn't handle the physical requirements.

[Venandi]

52 minutes ago, Nationalist said:

Huh...

One of my sons just passed the firefighters' boot camp in Texas. He said there was a young woman in the group but that she left after a few days when she realized she couldn't handle the physical requirements.

I've seen lots of guys ring out of physically demanding courses too.

Fitness is certainly required but once that's proven, mostly it boils down to being a mental game.

I was never the biggest, fastest, smartest, or toughest... never quite made that legendary Robo standard of excellence but despite that, I was always standing among the survivors at the end wondering where all the Robos had gone and why they were the first ones to tap.

After a while you get a better read on that stuff.

I posted the link because someone here was saying prove that the fire chief had DEI priorities. She did. The question is did her personal priorities negatively impact departmental ones, to what extent did that happen (if it did), and what (if any) impact did it have on operations. 

And yes... I think there will be a few questions asked when this is over. Don't you?

Edited January 13 by Venandi

[Deluge]

On 1/11/2025 at 9:11 PM, gatomontes99 said:

How about the deputy fire chief saying it in a promo video?

 

That lesbian puts race first. What a surprise. 

[Nationalist]

15 minutes ago, Venandi said:

I've seen lots of guys ring out of physically demanding courses too.

Fitness is certainly required but once that's proven, mostly it boils down to being a mental game.

I was never the biggest, fastest, smartest, or toughest... never quite made that legendary Robo standard of excellence but despite that, I was always standing among the survivors at the end wondering where all the Robos had gone and why they were the first ones to tap.

After a while you get a better read on that stuff.

I posted the link because someone here was saying prove that the fire chief had DEI priorities. She did. The question is did her personal priorities negatively impact departmental ones, to what extent did that happen (if it did), and what (if any) impact did it have on operations. 

And yes... I think there will be a few questions asked when this is over. Don't you?

Of course I do. DEI is a misbegotten ideology brought forth by screaming twits who either don't understand merit...or can't compete based on merit. However, when merit is ignored, what is produced is quite obviously substandard. In the case of people who do not pass the physical requirements of a firefighter, lives are endangered including the substandard DEI hire's own life.

[Nationalist]

21 minutes ago, Deluge said:

That lesbian puts race first. What a surprise. 

sigh...this person in the clip needs to get in shape.

[NAME REMOVED]

The L.A. Fires Have Nothing to Do With DEI

 

By Shaun Harper

January 13, 2025 3:30 PM EST

Harper is University Professor and Provost Professor of Education, Public Policy, and Business at the University of Southern California, where he holds the Clifford and Betty Allen Chair in Urban Leadership.

Elon Musk, conservative journalists and commentators, and numerous others on social media are blaming the L.A. fires on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts despite providing no evidence to verify their claims. During a time at which fire suppression and disaster recovery ought to be the highest priorities, DEI attackers are recklessly seizing this opportunity to advance an agenda that ultimately aims to further divide Americans. I live in Los Angeles. We don’t need more disinformation about DEI, especially right now.

Scientists have demonstrated how the Santa Ana winds and dry grounds are principally responsible for the devastation of the fires. Instead of acknowledging the relationship between the fires and climate change, conservatives are blaming individuals whose representation and strategic efforts make the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) diverse.

 

For instance, Karen Bass, our city’s first woman and second Black mayor, has been erroneously criticized for cutting the fire department’s budget by 17%. The inaccurate claim on Fox News, as well as on social media, is that Bass and LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley reduced the budget and redirected those funds to DEI initiatives. The truth is that while Mayor Bass’ first 2024-25 budget proposal called for a 2.7% reduction in spending at the LAFD, the department’s operating budget ultimately increased by 7% when $53 million in pay raises for firefighters and $58 million for new fire trucks and other department purchases were later approved by the Los Angeles City Council.

 

more: https://time.com/7206543/the-los-angeles-fires-have-nothing-to-do-with-dei/

 

James Woods, Elon Musk, and FOX News, three of the worst offenders, when it relates to disinformation, should never be believed. I find it disgusting, that these people will not even wait until the fires are contained, and have done everything to impede the firefighting effort, by casting blame, rather than helping the situation.

The fact that the World's richest man, is impeding efforts rather than using his finances for helping the situation, or donating to worthwhile causes, is disgusting.  

Edited January 13 by DUI_Offender

[User]

1 hour ago, DUI_Offender said:

James Woods, Elon Musk, and FOX News, three of the worst offenders, when it relates to disinformation, should never be believed. I find it disgusting, that these people will not even wait until the fires are contained, and have done everything to impede the firefighting effort, by casting blame, rather than helping the situation.

The fact that the World's richest man, is impeding efforts rather than using his finances for helping the situation, or donating to worthwhile causes, is disgusting.  

You were the one who started off with mocking and attacking James Woods when he was in fear of losing his home. 

Elon Musk has been sending a ton of Tesla Cyber Trucks all over the area with food, water, and WiFi for the Firefighters. 

So, before you mindlessly attack Musk for not doing anything, educate yourself better next time. 

[SpankyMcFarland]

Climate change is making home insurance less profitable in many US states, not just Florida and California. As this article points out, some consequences will be hard to avoid: fewer mortgages and fewer homes in riskier areas. 
 

Quote

As climate change makes disasters more frequent and severe, the insurance industry is in tumult. Losses have been spreading beyond states that have been ravaged by hurricanes and wildfires, like Florida and California, and into places like Iowa, Arkansas, Ohio, Utah and Washington. Even in the Northeast, where homeowners insurance was still generally profitable last year, trends are worsening.

 

Quote

 

A shaky insurance market threatens the entire economy. Without insurance, banks won’t issue a mortgage; without a mortgage, most people can’t buy a home. With fewer buyers, real estate values are likely to decline, along with property tax revenues, leaving communities with less money for schools, police and other basic services.

 

It’s hard to see how individual states can cope with this problem by themselves. 
 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/13/climate/insurance-homes-climate-change-weather.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Edited January 18 by SpankyMcFarland