How many homes have been rebuilt in California after the wildfires that destroyed so many? Actual figures are sketchy and suspect. If one listens to Governor Newsom’s press flying monkeys, homes are springing up like weeds due to his altruism and brilliant policies. Other sources produce wildly varying statistics. I suspect this Legal Insurrection article provides the most accurate information: 

Less than a year after 6,822 structures burned in the Palisades fire, the first rebuilding project has reached the finish line in Pacific Palisades: a two-story showcase home in the 900 block of Kagawa Street.

The Los Angeles mayor has come under fire over a seemingly misleading update about the first home to be rebuilt after the deadly Palisades Fire.

Karen Bass, 72, announced Friday that the city has issued its first certificate of occupancy for the reconstruction of a property in Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood ravaged by fires last January.

She hailed the certificate as an ‘important moment of hope’ in a statement obtained by the Daily Mail, which heralded LA’s commitment to ‘expediting every aspect of the rebuilding process, until every family is back home.’

But Bass failed to note that the newly constructed home on Kagawa Street was not a rebuild from the blaze – as the demolition project began before the Palisades Fire erupted.

Thomas James Homes applied for a permit to demolish the one-story single-family home and its attached garage in November 2024, LA building and safety records revealed.

Although city records show the residence was impacted by the fire, the property was declared ‘non-eligible’ for the wildfire project.

Graphic: X Post

Bass also declared it only took a year to miraculously accomplish that mighty feat. Only a year. Why has it taken so long? Bureaucratic red tape, permits required to apply for permits, fees, assessments, you name it, the soul-destroying foot dragging of California bureaucracy.

At a meeting in California shortly after the fires, President Trump promised to remove all federal permitting issues and demanded that LA Mayor Karen Bass do the same. She said she would; she didn’t.  

Graphic: X Post

In the meantime, more than $7 billion in federal aid has been sent to California since January, but that wasn’t nearly enough for Newsom.

Newsom formally requested an additional $34 billion from Congress earlier this week – down from his initial $40 billion ask in February – and met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to push for the additional funds. [sjip

“Today, I had productive meetings with leaders on both sides of the aisle who agreed that recovery funding is vital, while federal officials from the Trump administration turned their backs on survivors by refusing to even meet with us,” Newsom said in a statement. 

“President Trump’s promise to ‘take care’ of survivors was clearly a lie,” the governor charged. “He isn’t here for the people of Los Angeles, just like he isn’t here for everyday Americans. 

“That’s not just disrespectful, it’s a disgrace – and it’s time for him to wake up and do his job.”

Graphic: X Post

The White House was not impressed:

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Post that “Newscum has no idea what he’s talking about,” using Trump’s derisive nickname for the Golden State governor.  

“President Trump’s historic leadership following the LA wildfires led to the fastest hazardous debris removal operation in history,” Jackson said. “This has played a critical role in helping communities recover from tragedy. [skip]

The White House spokeswoman argued that Trump “expedited” the wildfire recovery process, while Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass “made the disaster worse than it needed to be.” 

“They drained the Santa Ynez Reservoir and failed to prepare to utilize pumps and aqueducts. Then, they slowed the recovery process with permit approvals dragging on despite the President’s tremendous efforts to help the overall process,” Jackson said. 

Congressional leaders also weighed in:

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who along with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has been leading an ongoing congressional investigation into the LA fires, noted ahead of Newsom visits that Palisades residents have alleged billions of dollars in past federal support for wildfire preparedness and recovery in California  “have been wasted.” 

“I encourage him to publicly share exactly how the state has used the billions in tax dollars it has already received over the past decade that were intended for wildfire preparedness and recovery, and that witnesses on the ground allege were wasted,” Scott said in a statement.  

Sadly, that’s the kind of encouragement Democrat politicians like Newsom never take to heart. Their policies cause disasters and make them worse, and when they demand others clean up their messes they sound just like Gavin Newsom.

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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.