Last week California Assemblyman Carl DeMaio sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump asking him to issue an Executive Order directing a federal investigation into the LA fires.
“A number of alarming revelations indicate gross negligence by California state and local officials contributed to the severity of this disaster – and we simply cannot trust California politicians to do a proper investigation and provide honest answers to the public,” warns DeMaio.
While the ATF is looking into the cause of the fires, in his letter to President Trump, DeMaio outlines a larger federal investigation involving multiple federal agencies to look at a variety of examples of gross negligence including:
Regulations prohibiting proper brush management
California politicians have enacted insane regulations that make it hard for property owners to clear defensible space around their homes – and both state and local agencies have utterly failed to adequately clear brush on public lands. (Suggested Lead: Department of Interior – Wildland Fire Program)
Inadequate water for firefighting
The nearest reservoir to the Pacific Palisades fire was kept bone dry and fire hydrants ran out of water for firefighting. (Suggested Lead: Federal Emergency Management Agency)
Failure to provide adequate insurance
Many fire victims have inadequate fire insurance coverage because of recent policy cancellations. With the losses mounting from these fires, California’s insurance industry could now be pushed into financial collapse. While state politicians blame “climate change” for the insurance problems, industry experts say state government policies – including rampant inflation in California and high cost of housing repairs – are the real drivers. (Suggested Lead: Department of Treasury – Federal Insurance Office)
Failure to shut off power utilities
Even though strong winds were predicted days in advance of the fire, the government-run utility department failed to shut off power and video captured power lines sparking fires hours after the emergency began. (Suggested Lead: Department of Energy – Office of Inspector General)
Failure to properly staff fire department
Local politicians have chronically underfunded and understaffed their fire departments – while terminating firefighters over vaccine mandates and diverting mission-oriented training resources to wasteful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. (Suggested Lead: Federal Emergency Management Agency)
In the letter DeMaio says a federal investigation is needed because “Newsom has dismissed criticisms – and worse, he has a pattern of being disingenuous and dishonest with the public on a wide-range of failings of his administration.”
DeMaio is also requesting that the US Senate and US House of Representatives hold public hearings into the LA fires.
About Assemblyman Carl DeMaio
Assemblyman Carl DeMaio is a member of the California State Assembly representing District 75 which includes the communities of Fallbrook, Bonsall, Valley Center, Ramona, Poway, Scripps Ranch, Santee, Lakeside, Alpine, Julian, Borrego Springs, Pala, Jamul, Pine Valley, Pauma Valley, and Bonita.
