by Emily Crane at New York Post
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced scorching criticism Wednesday as it was revealed she cut the city’s Fire Department budget by $17.6 million ahead of this week’s devastating fires – and was traveling thousands of miles away in Ghana when the flames broke out.
The budget cut was the second largest in Bass’ 2024-25 fiscal budget, city figures show – and it wasn’t even the gutting she wanted.
If she had it her way, the LAFD budget would have been slashed by $23 million.
Her budget cuts resurfaced as the LAFD issued a rare plea asking off-duty firefighters to join the battle against three massive wildfires burning across the city, which were kicked up Tuesday by 100 mph Santa Ana winds and have proceeded to grow by the hour.
At least 70,000 people have been ordered to evacuate from their homes as the fire has become the most destructive in the city’s history within just a day.
“It’s all about leadership management, that we’re seeing a failure of, and all these residents are paying the ultimate price for that,” said Rick Caruso, an LA developer who lost the city’s 2022 mayoral race to Bass.
Amid reports that LA fire hydrants have run dry as firefighters battle the flames, Caruso said Bass was directly to blame – and called her out for being literally absent as the city burned.
“I think you should start asking…
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