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MY P.O.V. - I think sometimes, amongst the relentless barrage of bad ideas coming from Los Angeles City Hall, we lose touch with the inherent common sense we all share that allows us to live together in these modern tribes we call cities.
In a democratic society, no one gets everything they want, and if everything goes well, the best we can hope for is to live together in mild disappointment and content. There is always the prospect of “next time” when we can return to the ballot boxes in the hope of getting more of what we want.
Unfortunately, we live in Los Angeles, where our municipal government seems bent on destroying every last hope for a quality life in favor of some dystopian future where we will own nothing and be grateful for it. As many times as I have believed Mayor Bass to sink to the lowest possible level of constituent disdain, she has always proved me wrong.
The recent fire disasters should be enough to run her out of office but, being the latest determined architect of our City’s slow “death by government,” she has once again shown us how dedicated she is to our common demise. As if losing one’s house and worldly possessions due to the incompetence of the Los Angeles government is not enough, Bass it turns out, had already twisted the knife before she plunged it into the backs of Pacific Palisades fire victims.
With the help of former LA Fire Chief Crowley, $1,351,401 was escheated from the Fire Hydrant Installation and Main Replacement Fund and reallocated to one of the City’s magic pots of gold they call the reserve fund. For those who don’t know, the reserve fund is basically another source of millions of taxpayer dollars that can be used for any and every ill-conceived project that our LA City overlords force upon us.
So what does this mean for the people of the Palisades who are trying, without any substantial help from their government, to rebuild their lives and homes? It means they will have to pay for their own fire hydrants at the cost of almost $1,000 per resident before they are allowed to rebuild, even if the hydrants in that neighborhood sustained no damage in the fires.
Rather than properly funding the LAFD or helping residents rebuild, they all thought a better use of our money would be to fund their “Just Say Hello” campaign. Under the redundantly named Civil Rights, Human Rights and Equity department, that campaign will receive a substantial amount of the department's approximate $9,000,000 budget.
Luckily, we have Capri Maddox Captaining that rudderless ship to spend the money, beginning with her yearly salary of about $300,000 plus $100,000 worth of benefits. What could possibly warrant such a salary for a useless position in a useless department? Standard LA government procedure of course. The rest of the budget will undoubtedly be whittled away on bus stop advertisements and overpaid under-qualified staff made up of friends and family.
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Apparently, they believe it costs money to be able or willing to say hello to our fellow Angelenos, a lot of money. Enough money, in fact, that could, for example, fund more police officers, fire fighters or the repair of the fire trucks and hydrants that were sitting idle and in disrepair while the Palisades and Alta Dena burned down.
The responsibility of a functional municipal government is to focus on the day-to-day quality of life issues facing their residents; preventing crime, fixing infrastructure, protecting the working middle class and public spaces. Without that, a city cannot thrive.
Bass and our DSA council members (or as I like to call them, Democratic Sociopaths of America) are committed to destroying the pursuit of happiness in exchange for an Orwellian DEI future for all. We can no longer afford to sit back and watch city hall throw spaghetti on the wall to the tune of billions of dollars, while hoping that it sticks.
Instead of “just saying hello,” why don’t we try “just saying goodbye” to Bass and the remaining city council members who have not yet been indicted. Let’s instead, shut down the corrupt nepotistic nonprofits funded by millions of taxpayer dollars only to deliver next to nothing in the form of valuable services. And let’s instead, try electing public servants in 2026 who see government service as a privilege and duty rather than an inconvenience or an opportunity for personal political gain.
Here is a link to a video on the fire hydrant fee: Spencer Pratt Video
Here is a tweet from the owner of the LA Times:
Dr. Pat Soon-Shiong on X: "Our hearts go out to those who have lost their homes and are seeking shelter. Fires in LA are sadly no surprise, yet the Mayor cut LA Fire Department’s budget by $23M. And reports of empty fire hydrants raise serious questions. Competence matters... Follow @latimes for live" / X
(Mark Dutton is a lifelong musician, music producer, writer, and investigative journalist. After leaving college in his third year as a psychology major, he spent three decades touring the world and creating music with top artists. A sharp political observer since childhood, Mark now focuses his passion on reforming City Hall and holding power to account. As a contributor to CityWatchLA.com, he blends cultural insight with investigative reporting to spotlight issues affecting everyday Angelenos.)
