I was born in California and have been blessed to call the Golden State my home for my entire life.  It’s a beautiful place to live.  Having resided in the greater L.A. area, I have been 50 miles from both sun-kissed beaches and snow-covered mountains; indeed, if I wanted to, I could visit both in the same day!

California was the envy of the rest of the country.  When I would travel, people would hear I was a Californian and ask me questions: “Have you seen any movie stars?”  “Do you live on the beach?”  “Does everyone really wear shorts in the winter?”  I would laugh and tell them that most of the stories are myths (except California girls being beautiful — that one is true!).

I used to love and be proud to be from this state, which is why it pains me so much over the last few days to see so much of it burning to the ground.  The historic city of Los Angeles resembles something out of a disaster movie or the videogame DOOM.  Within hours, iconic locations have been burned to ash; the flames have consumed the homes of both the rich and famous and everyday Americans.

And where was our mayor?  Well, she was off in the nation of Ghana, even though the state was under a natural disaster warning.  No sooner had the fires started than the city ran out of water to fight them, with videos emerging of powerless firefighters helplessly driving past burning homes.

As shadow and flame engulf the city, the corruption of the political system is coming to light.  KFI AM 640 and many of its talking heads, like Tim Conway, Jr. and John Kobylt, are interviewing people and breaking down the policies that led to the greatest disaster the city has ever known.

The city last year approved cutting the LAFD’s budget by $18M, which hit overtime hardest.  “The reduction ... has severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires,” Chief Kristin Crowley wrote in a memo Dec. 4, 2024.

According to the memo, the Los Angeles Fire Department used “v-hours” (variable overtime hours) to cover pilot training required by the Federal Aviation Administration and staffing for helicopter crews during wildfire operations.

Add to that, as Megyn Kelly revealed, that the LAFD fire chief has been obsessed with DIE hiring and training at the expense of training for things like...well, firefighting, expressing her desire to see more women and LGBT members join the department.

Now, I am not opposed to diversity; living in California, one is surrounded by a vibrant melting pot of people and cultures.  But hiring and training for the LAFD should not be based on the color of your skin or whom you sleep with — it should be skill and talent to fight fires.  If that corresponds to more POC and LGBT members, that is fine.

Now photos have come out in the Daily Mail showing the LAPD acting like Ubers, driving celebrities around the city so they can access the homes they had to evacuate.  I’m sorry — the city is burning down, and the LAPD has time to drive a celebrity home to grab a shirt or check the roof?

I have been thinking a lot about a line from the movie Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, where Lex Luthor says to a politician, “Do you know the oldest lie in America, Senator?  It’s that power can be innocent.”

This feels particularly evident now.  Politicians all over L.A. and California are trying to deflect, pass the buck, and blame others for what caused the fire, trying to make this an act of God or something unavoidable.  However, this fire is the direct result of the bad policies that have ruled California for decades now.

L.A. ran out of water due to bad environmental policies.  We don’t have enough firefighters due to budget cuts, and the firefighters we do have are not getting the training they need due to that underfunding.  The city and state leaders are more concerned with rubbing shoulders with celebrities and leaders in Washington, D.C. than governing the people who elected them.

Calls are already coming in for L.A. mayor Karen Bass to resign, and anger is starting to rise up in those who lost everything in their lives in the fire, including many celebrities who have deep pockets come election time.

As I look out the window and see the smoke in the distance, I drum my fingers against my desk and think how Lex Luthor was right: the oldest lie in America is that power can be innocent.

Byron Lafayette is a journalist and author.  He currently serves as editor-in-chief for VH News.  Follow him on X/Twitter at @ByronLafayette.

Image via Pixabay.