LA Fires Show Liberal, Socialist Policies Have Failed – Again.

by Gary IsbellJanuary 27, 2025 https://www.tfp.org/la-fires-show-liberal-socialist-policies-have-failed-again/?PKG=TFPE3528

LA Fires Show Liberal, Socialist Policies Have Failed—Again

In 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant tasked Colonel B. S. Alexander from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with assessing California’s water supply. Eventually, some 1,200 dams were built to manage what is both vital for California’s farming and the state’s most elusive resource.

However, managing water was only part of the equation that made California habitable and profitable. Aside from water, fire also threatened.

Over the twentieth century, California waged a meticulous war against wildfires, taming nature’s fury. It created land-management agencies to clear excess timber, cultivated fire-resistant forests to withstand the Santa Ana-fueled fires and promoted projects that bolstered mountain economies and public coffers.

Sheep and cattle were brought into public lands, transforming grazing into an unorthodox solution for brush control. Firebreaks were carved into the earth like scars, and robust infrastructure ensured that sparks did not turn into infernos. Back then, politicians took seriously their mandate to act for the common good.

Eternal and Natural Law: The Foundation of Morals and Law

Enter leftist policies. That system is now in disarray.

The four recent fires in Los Angeles have exposed the disastrous consequences of foolish socialist policies and woke priorities.

Despite warnings about the growing risk of wildfires, the region’s leadership has neglected to invest in fire prevention and squandered vital resources, instead promoting LGBTQ+ and environmental initiatives.

Environmental red tape has hamstrung California’s ability to manage its forest floors effectively for years. Regulations intended to preserve the natural ecosystem intact have instead created a disaster waiting to happen. Leaves, debris and dead trees accumulate in the forest floor, providing ample fuel for wildfires when the ferocious Santa Ana winds inevitably arrive.

Proper forest management, including controlled burns and debris clearing, can significantly mitigate the risk of catastrophic fires. The wise use of fire can save California from fire.

However, leftist environmentalists and lawmakers resisted these measures, leaving taxpayers to pay the price when fires strike. Adding insult to injury, Governor Gavin Newsom cut spending on wildfire and forest resilience by $101 million months before the recent fires.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley harshly criticized city leaders: “Let me be clear. The $17 million budget cut and elimination of our civilian positions like our mechanics did and has and will continue to severely impact our ability to repair our apparatus,” adding that more than 100 fire apparatuses are already out of service.

California’s infrastructure is crumbling under the weight of political theater masquerading as woke progress.

Perhaps the irony of California’s ambition lies in its juxtaposition—a state with the fifth-largest economy in the world cannot protect its citizens while championing environmental and immoral initiatives. Sacrificing the immediate needs of its populace for aspirational, high-profile projects is no longer a mark of vision; it has become a glaring failure of governance.

From forest management and electrical generation to water resources, California needs authentic leaders who will invest in actionable, evidence-based policies rather than pander to woke environmentalists and the Alphabet mob.

The Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires should serve as a wake-up call for Los Angeles and California. The lives lost, homes incinerated, and communities shattered are not just the result of natural forces; they are the product of deeply-rooted moral failures. Addressing these issues will require a return to order by prioritizing principles in governance over political optics.

Governor Newsom laments that the fires are being politicized. Fire is a reality of nature, but a proper response is a deliberate choice. The heartbreaking events in California stem from years of misguided leftist policies crafted by self-serving politicians. Voters have the power to rewrite this narrative by voting out socialist politicians and holding those in charge accountable. The question is, will they act before the next wildfires ignite?