L.A. Karen Bass went to Sacramento to ask the state for money to bail out Los Angeles.
L.A. Karen Bass and Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Councilman Bob Blumenfield, Councilman Adrin Nazarian, and Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, chair of the budget committee, traveled to Sacramento on March 24 to ask for nearly $2 billion. Prior to the Palisades Fire, the City was already on track for an estimated $1 billion deficit.
After meetings with Governor Gavin Newsom and other members of the legislature. Bass told City News Services that “Meetings were productive.” Members of the State Assembly sent a letter breaking down Bass’ request:
* $638 million for protecting city services under budgetary strain and addressing liability costs;
* $301 million would serve as a loan to cover disaster recovery expenses pending Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement;
* $750 million would serve as another loan to support the city’s effort in upgrading the electric power grid ($700 million) and funds to incentivize electric upgrades and appliances, as well as to upgrade the traffic signal system in the Pacific Palisades ($50 million);
* $56.5 million to aid in fire safety and fire suppression measures such as brush clearing, fire department equipment/vehicles, and to help reconstruct a decommissioned Palisades reservoir;
* $72.8 million for several projects to support workers and residents through the operation of another one-stop rebuilding center, waiving permitting fees, hiring Angelenos for fire clean-up and other recovery work, interim library and recreation/park activities, and to provide emergency housing vouchers; and
* $75.5 million for public assistance measures via Project Roomkey and non-congregate shelters
Exactly what money could be used for the Palisades?
The $700 million to update the electric power grid (no money specified for undergrounding. Residents were told that a new substation needed to be built before undergrounding could happen.) and $50 million to upgrade the Palisades traffic signal system.
Pacific Palisades traffic lights include: Allenford, Capri, Amalfi, Will Rogers, Brooktree, Chautauqua, Drummond, Carey, Monument, Swarthmore, Via de la Paz, Temescal, Bowdoin, El Medio, Bienveneda, Marquez, Marquez Place, Palisades Drive, Los Leones and Vons turnoff. There are two traffic lights in Santa Monica Rustic Canyon.
With the exception of Bowdoin and the Canyon lights, all are located on Sunset Boulevard. The three traffic lights on PCH, are Caltrans’ responsibility.
There are 22 traffic lights in Pacific Palisades, which means it will be about $2.3 million per light–unless this means that Sunset, which was rated an F in street grades, and was slated to be repaved, will be part of the project to upgrade the traffic signal system.
An Army Corp Engineer told this editor that city streets will have to be repaired because of the heavy truck traffic on them. Many streets were in extremely bad shape before the fire.
Money was also requested to reconstruct a decommissioned Palisades reservoir.(Readers, do you know which decommissioned reservoir this would be? Or is this money to replace the Santa Ynez reservoir cover?)
Money for hiring Angelenos for fire clean-up (private contractors have had problems with the County seeking work with debris removal), providing emergency housing vouchers and waiving permit fees.
I guess Mayor Bass and the Councilpersons for the City of L.A. have not heard of DOGE – do you think there is any fraud, waste, or abuse of funds in Los Angeles? Maybe clean-up your own backyard before begging our bankrupt State for more.
This is definitely not enough. First, all the things you detailed are correct and necessary. Second, they fire department needs to be ramped up on overdrive. And third, we need 50 of those water dropping planes, not 2.
Given that the LA Fire Department harmed us, rather than helped us, during the fire, I’d say we should abolish them completely. We don’t need coffee drinkers giving us fake reassurances while doing nothing and getting in our way, blocking roads and taking selfies when private citizens and private contractors are fighting fires. The savings would be enormous, enough for us to get dozens of Caruso’s private fire brigades on call to actually come and fight fires when they arise.
The firefighter at 23 and 69 have put out so many fires in our area. I don’t blame them. I do blame whoever was in charge. Damning is a photo someone sent me last night of the Methodist Church burning on January 8, with firetrucks on the street – supposedly no water. Why was Palisades High School Pool not used to fill tanks? Why were not all of the pools used in town by trucks to fight fires? Firefighters have to follow a chain of command–whoever was in charge should be held accountable.
Sue