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I wish I could remember who, but someone I recently corresponded with through American Thinker told me about a book called Bureaucratic Bombs by J.B. Morris, which detailed a collection of “true stories from America’s self-serving city”—so I immediately bought it and read it.

The beginning of the book includes a number of quotes from media personalities, politicians, and federal workers, one of which was particularly striking, from Jay Leno: “Obama said if you are having trouble with the Obamacare website you can apply by mail. Only the federal government would develop a website that is slower than the mail.”

“Only the government” is quite a condemnatory observation, and here’s the latest example, from Joel Pollak’s new item at Breitbart News: “L.A. Sends Brush Clearance Notices to Palisades Property Owner — After Building Burned Down”.

Pollak reports that Larry Larson, owner of a 47-unit apartment complex that burned down almost four months ago, just received a “brush clearance” warning from the Los Angeles Fire Department, reminding the landlord that uncleared brush is a fire hazard and making sure properties are clear of dead brush is a “year-round” responsibility. And, “The LAFD also notified the building manager, separately, of the need to renew the building’s fire prevention certification.”

Only the government could be so slow, inefficient, and incompetent that they spend tax payer dollars to print up the notices, pay for postage, and dispatch manpower to remind private sector workers to remain compliant with bureaucratic rules and regulations.

Only the government would send out brush clearance notices months after one of the most devastating fires in American history.

Only the government would have the audacity to demand responsibility while it remains the epitome of irresponsibility.

Predictably though, it gets worse: Larson revealed that his property burned “largely due to the lack of water” in the city fire hydrants. Remember that whole scandal? Sure the fire hydrants didn’t have any water in them, causing thousands of people to lose their homes and investments, with total economic losses to be around $250 billion, but at least the department was inclusive and breaking DEI barriers!

LA might not have water coming out of their fire hydrants, but they do have the first gay, female fire chief!

Fight fire with inclusivity! pic.twitter.com/MCTbC4heye

— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) January 8, 2025

Just wait until Larson gets the noncompliance fines next, and has to pay to hire a lawyer to get them waived. Weaponized incompetence will be the death of us all.

Image generated by AI.