Responsibility crisis: How California leadership failed families with LA fires

The tragedies of Los Angeles’ caller fires are suffocating and intolerable to wrapper my caput astir arsenic a born-and-raised California ma who evacuated our everlastingly location astatine 4 a.m. connected Jan. 8. 

I’m heartbroken. I’m livid. I’m praying. I’m blameworthy of emerging unscathed (so far). I’m vigilantly searching for answers portion preparing for the adjacent circular of "Particularly Dangerous Event" winds. My ain kids are asking maine terrifying questions, and I’m answering with a faked "everything volition beryllium OK for everyone" assurance that lone parents cognize however to do. 

How did California enactment fail families truthful egregiously? They traded the time-tested worth of work for bare trends of "diversity, equity and inclusion."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass (AP/Getty)

I don’t judge successful politicizing tragedies – particularly of this magnitude – but unfortunately, immoderate tragedies are exacerbated by governmental motives and actions (or rather, inactions). With immoderate estimates of damages to beryllium upwards of $250 cardinal and 24 guiltless radical dormant arsenic of this writing, NOW is the clip for america to beryllium vigilant successful asking questions and readying solutions for our children’s future. 

CALIFORNIA’S POLITICIANS DIDN’T START THE FIRES. THEY MADE THEM WORSE

I’ll recap conscionable immoderate of California and Los Angeles’ documented priorities for taxpaying citizens implicit the past respective years: 

• Putting tampons successful boys’ bathrooms astatine K-12 schools successful the sanction of "inclusion"
• Touting "Drag Queen Story Times" for children astatine nationalist libraries
• Prohibiting controlled burns and proven wood absorption to "protect wildlife"
• Terminating hundreds of competent firefighters and archetypal responders who refused the COVID vaccine
• Reducing indispensable instrumentality enforcement officers via "Defund the Police" initiatives
• Diverting 95% of grounds statewide rainfall (2023-24) to travel into the water alternatively than decently storing it successful reservoirs
• Prioritizing LGBT activism, sexuality and sex implicit merit erstwhile hiring for main information positions

IN LA, YOU CAN SMELL THE SMOKE AND FEEL THE RAGE. CALIFORNIA CAN CHANGE. IT STARTS NOW

Were fires inevitable fixed the conditions? Of course. But, a deficiency of work from leaders partnered with DEI-driven priorities failed to mitigate carnage – arsenic shamelessly showcased by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and adjacent the feline who allegedly oversaw the county-wide exigency alert strategy erstwhile it repeatedly alerted 10 cardinal radical to "Evacuate Now" by mistake. ("I’m truthful sorry, I messed up," I heard him accidental connected the radio. At slightest helium admitted it, dissimilar others.) 

My ain teens person a amended consciousness of work and impending consequences than our elected and appointed officials. According to credible reports, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power antecedently drained the city’s second-largest reservoir adjacent Pacific Palisades and failed to notify region oregon metropolis occurrence departments. 

Mayor Karen Bass abandoned the metropolis nether her ticker and traveled to Africa despite National Weather Service warnings of unprecedented and unsafe occurrence conditions connected Jan. 3. 

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Years of fund cuts successful areas that warrant precedence – including Newsom reportedly slashing implicit $100 cardinal from occurrence preparedness successful 2024 – proceed to deplete resources and exacerbate imaginable decimation, similar we’re experiencing now. 

Major fires are not unexpected successful California. By each evidence, our leaders astatine the apical are making irresponsible choices not rooted successful hindsight, existent events oregon fact-based projections. As a ma who perpetually reminds my kids to deliberation ahead, I americium infuriated.

As parents, we tin clasp leaders accountable successful nationalist forums and telephone connected our representatives to revisit and reverse failing policies. But, much importantly, we indispensable rise our children to recognize the seriousness of responsibility, worth merit and fearfulness consequences. 

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The "there’s nary incorrect oregon right" parenting mentality has got to stop. The "you bash you" doctrine successful schools indispensable end. The obsession with abandoning merit-based standards and skills successful acquisition and the workplace – to cheque boxes based connected sexuality, sex and perceived inequalities – indispensable die. Responsibility and accountability are the bedrock for maintaining a free, functioning, and harmless society. (It’s 1 of our foundational principles for creating PragerU Kids.)

California leadership failed families. Blatant irresponsibility and DEI-focused priorities are present proven accomplices to physical, intelligence and spiritual demolition for hundreds of thousands – with nary extremity successful sight. Not connected this California mom’s watch. Teach the kids earlier it’s excessively late. 

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