Burning Away the Last of Our Fog: California Has Had It

It is 10:25pm on Wednesday, January 8th. I have been glued to the television nearly all day, watching my state burn, watching Los Angeles crumble.

The firestorm of the century hit the Los Angeles area yesterday and it rages on even as I tap these keys. No, it is not a fire. It is a firestorm. Record high winds up to 100mph combined with peak drought conditions and near 0% humidity create what officials have been calling “extreme fire behavior.” The perfect storm.

I live in Orange County, where fire has thankfully been kept at bay so far by our incredible emergency crews. The winds yesterday were fierce, unlike anything I’ve seen here before. Some gusts truly took my breath away. Watching the flames race across the hills of Malibu and Pacific Palisades, I could only imagine how horrific it would be to add flames to that.

I guess what I’m trying to say is - Los Angeles is a hellscape right now. Southern California is in extreme danger. Every single person I’ve talked to is fed up and outraged.

And our so-called leaders have been completely absent. Quite literally, in fact.

As 30,000 Santa Monica residents were under evacuation orders, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was busy attending the Presidential inauguration…of the Ghanian President. In Ghana. Which is in Africa. Which is nowhere near Los Angeles.

Despite having a two-day warning of this extremely rare weather event, Bass didn’t land at LAX until noon on Wednesday. Today. A full 24 hours after the fires began.

In an incredible moment that should - and probably will - end Bass’ political future, Sky News caught up with her as she exited her flight. The reporter asks her repeatedly if she thinks she should apologize for her absence. She remains silent for nearly two minutes, staring ahead, not acknowledging the reporter at all. Her first moments back on California soil, no one has heard a peep from her mouth since the chaos started, and she doesn’t even have a single word of comfort or encouragement or explanation to the people of Los Angeles through that reporter.

It was a pathetic display of cowardice and callousness.

Likewise, our carefully coiffed Governor gave us his best imitation of a feckless dimwit, showing up to “help” and view the fires, hands stuffed in his back pockets like some kind of kid hanging out at the senior class bonfire. In a later press conference, he had no blame or concern for Bass’ absence or the anemic resources. He instead spent his time scolding residents for not evacuating when told.

The LA Fire Chief and other department heads held a press conference that looked like a cavalcade of bedraggled, clueless, frightened women and a few men of the same measure. It was the least inspiring or comforting crisis management presser I’d seen in a long time.

Not determined to let the Los Angeles County leadership be the only useless idiots in the room, President Joe Biden (remember him?) swooped in from Coachella, where he was set to dedicate two Native American monuments alongside Gavin Newsom.

Oh, you didn’t think they showed up because they were worried, did you? They were already here.

Anyway, here’s what Biden closed down southern California airspace for - a few minutes of looking confused while Fire Chief Inclusivity explains maps to him and a few minutes of mumbling. No questions.

This is what I’ve been watching for two days straight now - this endless parade of weak, cowardly, hubristic politicians who say nothing that means anything, do nothing that helps anyone, and then stare in our faces and call our complaints “right-wing talking points.” Not one of them can get on the front lines and fight a fire. I get that. But the least they can do is lead. A leader is present, calm, ACCOUNTABLE.

We’ve seen the exact opposite from our supposed leaders. They have been absent in both mind and body, and Californians feel it. I’m hearing it from everyone I talk to, in person and online. The frustration is palpable and bipartisan. Everyone has had it.

EVERYONE HERE HAS ABSOLUTELY HAD IT.

Angelenos and Californians in general have no confidence in their leaders. Our laws haven’t protected us. Our politicians won’t let our police protect us. The gun-control nuts won’t even let us protect ourselves. Even still, crime and chaos has invaded every community in the state. There has been no rescue coming from Sacramento, only punishment for the good people here.

People are watching their homes burn. Their communities are still under threat. Some have lost everything because of an insurance boondoggle that has been totally manufactured by the state. Simultaneously they are seeing they Mayor partying in Africa on the taxpayer dime; the President interrupting airspace for photo-ops; the governor scolding residents as their property burns.

It all just feels like a kick in the teeth and we are sick of it.

I can’t stress enough how pervasive this feeling is right now. Remember how it felt like the entire culture shifted overnight after Trump’s election? That’s how this feels.

It’s like that.

This very well may be an event that changes how Californians relate to their political class for the foreseeable future. You can feel it in the air.

Maybe it’s just the embers.

But maybe it’s a spark.

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