It has been almost two months since the Greater Los Angeles Wildfires began, including the historically destructive Palisades and Eaton fires, which we covered for nearly three weeks as firefighters struggled to contain and control them.
The final death toll in the Palisades fire was 12, and the Eaton fire claimed 17. The two fires consumed about 14,000 buildings, and the total expected damage and economic loss are estimated to be between $250 billion and $275 billion. This includes damage costs, loss of life, healthcare, business disruptions, and other economic impacts.
Now, in a move that is too little and too late, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is using his emergency powers to actually do something useful: Rolling back environmental rules preventing the clearing of dry brush.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tapped into his emergency powers Saturday to roll back environmental regulations so that the state can speed up wildfire prevention projects, including clearing flammable brush out of forests, following criticism from President Trump.Newsom, 57, suspended the enforcement of regulations in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act and streamlined the process for government entities to clear up potential fuel for wildfires.“This year has already seen some of the most destructive wildfires in California history, and we’re only in March,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’re taking action with a state of emergency to fast-track critical wildfire projects even more.”“These are the forest management projects we need to protect our communities most vulnerable to wildfire, and we’re going to get them done.”
The fact that President Donald Trump suggested he do this during his first term, and reiterated it again during his presidential visit to the disaster area, has not been forgotten.
The social media response to Newsom’s move has not been kind.
Laughably, the USAID-paid propaganda machine that is Politico asserts that the move is to prevent finger-pointing at Democrats…who completely dominate the state.
But his emergency declaration is an implicit acknowledgement that the state’s actions so far have not been enough to prevent partisan finger-pointing and blame laid at the feet of Democrats who run the state.Newsom’s headline-grabbing action comes as he appeals to the Trump administration and congressional Republicans for nearly $40 billion in federal disaster aid to help rebuild Los Angeles after January’s devastating wildfires.
As Newsom revs up for a 2028 presidential run, perhaps he has decided that his best play is to mimic Republican policies?
At least the governor is using his emergency power for something useful. As we recall, Newsom bitterly clung to his COVID emergency powers for the better part of three years. He declared a state of emergency on March 4, 2020, officially ending on February 28, 2023. This period allowed him to exercise broad executive powers to manage the pandemic response, including issuing lockdowns, mandates, and directing state resources.
The result? COVID is now an endemic disease that we will all likely experience regularly. So, eat well, exercise, take vitamins, and get lots of sunshine.
Hopefully, the clearing of dry brush will help prevent another epic disaster. Perhaps now Newsom can start working on dealing with the state water infrastructure issues, which are no less problematic.
Maybe I should suggest this to him during his podcast????
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