Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is under fire for her absence during the city’s battle with catastrophic wildfires fueled by unprecedented windstorms. The mayor was in Ghana on a taxpayer-funded delegation to attend the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama as fires ravaged the city and forced over 80,000 residents to evacuate.
The fires, worsened by the most severe windstorm in Los Angeles since 2011, stretched the city’s emergency response capabilities thin. Local reports revealed that the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) struggled with insufficient resources, including running out of water in critical areas.
Criticism of Bass intensified when it emerged that her administration had implemented significant budget cuts to the LAFD.
- $20 Million Cut: Bass reduced the department’s budget by nearly $20 million for the current fiscal year, including $13 million allocated for operating supplies and larger reductions to salaries.
- Proposed Cuts: Bass had initially sought to cut $23 million from fire services, a move critics now say hampered the department’s ability to respond effectively to emergencies.
Elizabeth MacDonald of Fox Business highlighted these budget cuts as a contributing factor to the department’s struggles during the wildfire crisis.
Residents and local leaders have voiced outrage over Bass’s absence during the disaster. Calls for her resignation have grown louder, with critics accusing her of neglecting her responsibilities as mayor during a critical time.
While the mayor has yet to provide a detailed explanation for her decision to attend the Ghana trip amid such a crisis, her office has faced mounting pressure to justify the budget cuts to the LAFD and address the city’s preparedness for natural disasters.
Bass’s absence and fiscal decisions have drawn comparisons to other high-profile leadership controversies, raising questions about priorities and accountability in managing public safety during emergencies.