Speak Out: California wildfires spark debate over leadership and fire prevention policies

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The economy

The economy grew by 256,000 jobs in December. Trump is inheriting a vibrant and broadly structured, growing economy. This could all be reversed by his intending deportation plans and the broad tariff plans.

Paved paradise

The solution to these California wildfires destroying property and killing people is concrete everything. Pave paradise.

'Real wages'

In answer to this: "Since 1978, the average American income has only gone up 24%. You do realize that over 46 years, that would be less than a percent increase per year! Check your sources. Thanks!" That is "real wages" adjusting to inflation. The real issue is that the corporate CEOs income, which used to be around 40 times the people working in the factories, is now 300-500 times higher. So that means the corporate management incomes over the past 40 or so years have skyrocketed while the regular employees have barely kept up with inflation.

Last laugh

The Democrats along with a weaponized prosecuting attorney and judge got their victory of Trump being a convicted felon. However, Trump will be president on Jan. 20 and will have the last laugh! A forthcoming appeal will correct this miscarriage of justice!

California vs. North Carolina

Biden spoke yesterday in California saying that the federal government will be responsible for the cost of the destruction of the wildfires 100% for 180 days. Where was his commitment for North Carolina?

Sickening hypocrisy

The hypocrisy is sickening! Prosecutors of President Trump beat their chests saying “no one is above the law” while at the same time seeing nothing wrong with the current person in the White House, Biden, getting rich off of a pay-to-play scheme with his son in charge, his son found guilty of breaking the law and then his daddy pardoning him. What a total double standard. But history will most likely label him as the most inept president this country has ever had, so his legacy can’t be “pardoned." If only the new administration can fix what it’s been left with, which is a total mess.

Felon president

It’s official, we now have a convicted felon who will serve as president of the United States. Thank you, MAGA!

Middle squeezed

The buzz now says Californians will see the light of the woke denial of reality. I say nothing changes except many fire-affected people will be negatively impacted one way or another. The wealthy and poor will be left standing. The middle has all along been given clues to skedaddle, but this is the final clue that California doesn’t want you.

Biden's statements

At today's 1/10/25 news conference, Biden stated that he (Biden) could have beaten Trump and that Kamala Harris could have also beat Trump. Sad!

FEMA is working

Only 15% of us North Carolina residents who were eligible for FEMA aid have actually applied. That’s a fact. Ya’ll need to stop posting lies on Facebook and saying that FEMA is slow-rolling recovery efforts. The only thing slow rolling recovery is my fellow citizens here in North Carolina.

FEMA in North Carolina

President Biden promised no expense spared for a six-month federal response to the fires. But people in western North Carolina who are homeless from flooding after last fall’s hurricane report that FEMA is ending their hotel vouchers during frigid winter weather.

Wise elders

People who have lived more than 25,000 days have seen and know a lot of things. When they criticize and scrutinize Trump's actions it's not political, it's due to the fact they have seen and know a lot of things after living 25,000 days. The elders are wise.

California fires

Leadership in California and Los Angeles are being criticized as hundreds lose homes, businesses, schools and more in destructive wildfires. They built a major metropolitan area in a desert on a tectonic fault. They do risky things.

Buy Greenland

Trump recognizes the value of Greenland in its abundance of minerals that is needed today and in the future for American high-tech companies. Buying Greenland is no different than the other land purchases made by the US government. Good to now have a proactive-thinking president!

Governor Trudeau

Trump referring to Justin Trudeau as governor and that Canada should be the 51st state was the last straw that Canadians needed to voice their "no confidence" in Trudeau's ruling government. That Trump is a sly fox!

Fire prevention

How would Pacific Pallisades look now if even the minimum of fire prevention had been given?

High humidity

I almost feel guilty living in a high humidity area.

A failure in leadership

Democratic Gov. Newsom and Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Bass both cut their respective budgets concerning fire protection and fire prevention policies. The blame for the billions in lost property from the wildfires rests squarely with these two incompetent officials! Taxpayers will be paying for Newsom and Bass' failures for years to come!

Reagan column

Michael Reagan stated in his op-ed that Mayor “Bass recently cut $17 million from the city’s fire department budget.” However, the fire department budget grew “more than 7% compared to the prior fiscal year” according to the city’s financial analysts. Some seem to be comfortable stating untruths if it helps political agendas.

Hurting the middle class

Middle-income residents' homes have been sacrificed on the altar of wokeism. California doesn’t want you anymore, don’t you get it? The high-income wealthy from other areas of the country will be buying these lots for pennies on the dollar and building new modern homes. Wildfire prevention will be top-notch from now on. Hit the road middle class.

Pete Hegseth

If the current Republican senators vote in favor of Hegseth to be the next secretary of defense, then we know that the Republican Party of Lincoln, Eisenhower and Reagan is no longer.