Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and the Democrat-run government of California caused insurance companies to cancel many of their fire insurance policies — with many residents of Pacific Palisades losing their policies just before the wildfires. As Breitbart News has reported for years, many insurance companies have stopped selling new policies in California “because of the increased risk of wildfires and the rising costs of construction in the state — and because the state’s regulators will not allow it to price new policies based on future anticipated risk, only on historical risk.” State Farm, the largest insurer in California, said this week that it will stop issuing new home and business policies, partly due to the risk of wildfires and the cost of construction. (Allstate quietly followed soon after.) While the left might blame climate change, the real reason is state policy. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara — who authored the state’s own “Medicare for All” proposal — won’t let insurance companies charge higher premiums for the growing risks that climate change activists say are on the way (and that skeptics blame on poor forestry). The Wall Street Journal notes that California is the only state that requires insurance companies to set premium prices based on past risks, not on future ones. The intention — to give Lara the benefit of the doubt — is a noble one. Homes are already absurdly expensive in California, as is the cost of doing business. Keeping insurance premiums down is a nice idea. But when prices are so low that they make insurance unprofitable, companies leave or collapse. That means Californians may struggle to find insurance — and, ironically, may be forced to pay more for it, as the supply of policies shrinks. That is basically how California functions: our government creates laws and regulations that theoretically aim at some inspiring social goal, but which, in practice, make that goal impossible to achieve. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has used their precious time and funds to attend LGBTQ Pride events and to hold Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training seminars under the leadership of its first female chief, prompting backlash as the department struggles to fight devastating wildfires. The fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades area “ran dry” as firefighters attempted to put out the raging flames on Wednesday, with the Los Angeles Times reporting that “scores” of them “had little to no water flowing out” on Wednesday morning. “The LA Fire Dept passed a ‘racial equity plan’ to end ‘systemic, institutional, and structural racism’ in LA,” Libs of TikTok wrote on X, along with a 2021 LAFD “Racial Equity Plan” that includes a chart to tally the races of each employee. In November 2022, shortly after then-Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) appointed Kristen Crowley as the first female and first openly LGBTQ fire chief, they announced the launch of the LAFD’s own DEI Bureau, “focused on ensuring a safe, diverse, and inclusive workplace for all.” “We believe in, and are committed to, justice in Los Angeles — and we focus an equity lens on every aspect of our work,” Garcetti said at the time. “The Bureau of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will help to ensure that our progress is permanent and we’re always moving forward with a city government and institutions that reflect and value our diversity.” According to the department’s 2022-2023 budget, they spent a staggering $1 million on DEI policies. “Los Angeles Fire Department celebrated in a pride parade. The Police Chief handed out pride flags to attendees. She is hailed as the first female and LGBTQ chief and says her priority is DEI,” the conservative influencer wrote on X. “Your tax dollars pay for this.” The current mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass (D), who was on a trip to Ghana when the fires engulfed large portions of the city, also cut nearly $20 million from the city’s budget for fire services for the current fiscal year, Breitbart News reported. @patrician Let's see, water off, roads blocked. Apparently that worked so well in Maui they decided to try it in California. Things that make you go hmm. I just read they were planning to make Los Angeles a smart city by 2028. Didn't they want a smart city for Lahaina but the people wouldn't give up their homes? President-elect Donald Trump believes the wildfires that have wreaked havoc on Los Angeles County could be the most costly – in terms of money – in the history of the United States. “The fires in Los Angeles may go down, in dollar amount, as the worst in the History of our Country,” Trump wrote. “In many circles, they’re doubting whether insurance companies will even have enough money to pay for this catastrophe.” He then blasted President Joe Biden and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA). “Let this serve, and be emblematic, of the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden/Newscum Duo. January 20th cannot come fast enough!” he added. “NO WATER IN THE FIRE HYDRANTS, NO MONEY IN FEMA. THIS IS WHAT JOE BIDEN IS LEAVING ME. THANKS JOE!” he wrote in one post, referencing reports of hydrants running dry. He slammed Newsom just after 2:00 p.m. ET for failing to contain some of the blazes. “As of this moment, Gavin Newscum and his Los Angeles crew have contained exactly ZERO percent of the fire. It is burning at levels that even surpass last night. This is not Government. I can’t wait till January 20th!” he wrote. In a post earlier Wendesday, Trump declared that Newsom was to “blame” for the disasters for not signing “the water restoration declaration put before him.” Trump contended the declaration “would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way.” A Pacific Palisades reservoir was closed when wildfires swept through the area and devastated the community, officials told the Los Angeles Times. The Santa Ynez Reservoir is connected to the Los Angeles water supply system, and authorities said it was shut down for repairs at the time the fires erupted, “leaving a 117 million gallon water storage complex empty in the heart of the Palisades,” the newspaper reported on Friday. The news comes as people are questioning why firefighters ran out of water as they tried to save structures and communities from the blaze that has wreaked havoc across the Los Angeles area. “Department of Water and Power [DWP] officials have said that demand for water during an unprecedented fire made it impossible to maintain any pressure to hydrants at high elevations,” the report noted. The outlet reported on Wednesday that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) cut almost $20 million from the city’s budget for fire services for the current fiscal year. It also said Bass was on a trip to Ghana when the fires broke out. @patrician They have cut the LA county fire budget for each of the last 3 years, inspite of the LA Co fire chief explaining the negative impact and objections to these budget cuts. @davedave Dave Hodges did a segment about a county supervisor giving a press conference. He said what she said isn't important, his point was what she was wearing, an upside down cross. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) CEO Janisse Quiñones had knowledge that the Santa Ynez Reservoir was offline, and that fire hydrants were not working, according to a recent report. Insiders with the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFP) reportedly told the DailyMail that Quiñones, who was hired in May on a $750,000 salary, is “being blamed” by the LAFD for leaving the Santa Ynez Reservoir in the Pacific Palisades disconnected as wildfires began in the Los Angeles area. Additionally, Quiñones is also being blamed by LAFD for leaving fire hydrants broken for several months, according to the outlet. “Sources” told the outlet that since being hired “at LADWP, Quiñones oversaw the shutdown and emptying of a reservoir in the Pacific Palisades during brushfire season.” Prior to her current role, Quiñones has worked for Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) as a senior vice president between 2021 to 2023. The electric company “went bankrupt over liability for several massive wildfires in California,” according to the outlet.
California Rules Caused Insurance Companies to Cancel Policies Before Wildfires:
Report: Los Angeles Fire Department ‘Prioritized DEI Over Saving Lives’:
Trump: Los Angeles Fires Could Be Most Costly in U.S. History:
Officials: Pacific Palisades Reservoir Was Closed and Empty When Los Angeles Wildfires Erupted:
Report: L.A. Water Chief Knew Fire Hydrants Not Working, Reservoir Offline:
