Los Angeles fires: Mayor Karen Bass cut fire department's budget by almost 20 million dollars

The heartbreaking Los Angeles wildfires have left at least 2 dead and more than 1,000 structures destroyed. Meanwhile, the latest information revealed that the Democratic mayor of the city, Karen Bass made significant cuts to the budget of the local Fire Department (an action that does nothing to alleviate the situation).

Adding to this, Bass has received criticism as she was on a trip to Ghana when extensive areas of the city began to be affected by a large fire.

Elon Musk called Bass a "totally incompetent" person, and Rick Caruso - a real estate bigwig who is running for mayor in 2022 - noted the mayor's absence and indicated that the city looks like a "third-world country."

Likewise, Richard Grenell - Trump's presidential envoy for special missions - pointed to the absence of truthful coverage by the establishment media (which had failed to mention the event):

"The national media hasn't even mentioned that Karen Bass is in Africa while our city is literally burning to the ground."

$17.5 million cut

The final approved budget for the Los Angeles Fire Department included a cut of $17.5 million (with $13 million earmarked for reductions in operating supplies and significant salary adjustments). These adjustments were part of a proposal submitted by Bass in April 2024, which reduced the department by $23 million.

According to records, the department's budget was reduced from $837 million in the fiscal 2023-2024 period to $819 million for the current cycle.

Bass did allocate $2.5 million to upgrade equipment and improve the department's technology. Also, the reduced budget includes an increase in funding for the Emergency Appointment Paramedic Program, noting that a large portion of the department's operations are related to medical emergencies.