Nice weather only goes so far…
Does anyone remember the Pacific Palisades Fires of just a handful of weeks ago? I certainly do.
Anyone recall Pres. Trump warning back in late January that if the bureaucracy got in the way of rebuilding, permits would be delayed for as much as six to 18 months (as seen in the video below). For what it’s worth, it’s been almost exactly three months since the first fire broke out (Jan. 7, 2025).
I even asked online why the Santa Ynez Reservoir sat empty for almost an entire year before anyone noticed. BTW, said reservoir is only two miles from LAFD Station 23 and less than 100 yards from an LA County maintained fire break/hiking trail… and no one noticed it was empty?
Interestingly enough, I also remember ex-member of CPUSA (Communist Party USA) and ex-member of the Cuban Marxist terrorist training group, Venceremos Brigade (as noted by the IndependentSentinel.com), LA mayor Karen Bass claimed she would streamline and simplify the bureaucratic nightmare that is California under the Democrats; specifically, to get out of the way when it comes to Angelinos rebuilding their homes.
Bass promised the people of Los Angeles that both the city and county would be “slashing regulations” and “expediting everything”… supposedly.
Soooo, how’s that going? Glad you asked.
Of the nearly 7,000 homes destroyed in Los Angeles County, a whopping FOUR rebuild permits have been approved.
As reported by Snejana Farberov of the NY Post (emphasis mine);
The city of Los Angeles has approved the first four permits to rebuild homes in the wealthy enclave of Pacific Palisades that were either fully destroyed or partially damaged by the devastating January wildfires.
This comes as residents are beginning to prep their properties for rebuilding. The Instagram account, palisadeshq, walks viewers through this process.
It starts with a contractor who will be responsible for clearing the lot. At least 6 inches of topsoil within the ash boundary needs to be removed.
Any home that is to be rebuilt needs to have a permit. The first few permits issued have been touted as a major milestone in the city’s recovery by Mayor Karen Bass and the L.A. Department of Buildings and Safety, but local leaders and residents were quick to criticize the slow pace of the permitting process, with one city councilmember saying it was “concerning” that only four permits had been issued as of March 24, more than two months after the fires.
The first permit was issued by the city on March 5, clearing the way for homeowners to fix up their wrecked properties in the star-studded Pacific Palisades neighborhood, where some 6,800 homes either burned to the ground or were seriously damaged by the Palisades fire.
Bass said on Friday that so far, some 1,000 property owners have not opted in or out of the government-run debris-removal initiative.
Failing to have all the debris removed could result in a lien being attached to a property.
Trump calls out Bass to her face.