It Happens All the Time

I have lived in Los Angeles for more than four decades. I slept in a van the night following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which killed 57, injured more than 9,000, and caused over $13 billion in property damage. Some have published economic losses as high as $50 billion.

View of Los Angeles from Runyon Canyon

I was no different from many Angelenos. Wildfires and mudslides in our coastal and hillside neighborhoods were an inconvenience met with indifference. We saw them as a consequence of living with gorgeous views. Wildfires and mudslides could not have been much of a concern for those who bought and lived in high-risk communities. To claim otherwise would be obtuse, especially for those who owned properties without homeowner's insurance. That is like driving a car without insurance, even if the state lawfully allows it.

I live among Progressives—people who claim to care about the environment, inclusiveness, and equality. I voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the last presidential election. I voted for Mayor Karen Bass when she ran to become the mayor of Los Angeles. I hate Mr. Donald Trump. I am very comfortable using the word “hate” to describe how I feel about him. It is the most polite word available.

My politics align neither with MAGA nor Progressives. My politics align with civility, humanity, and equality, in that order. Like many Angelenos, my mental wellness has suffered since last Tuesday, January 7. As I am typing this, parts of Los Angeles County have burned to an area larger than the city limits of San Francisco. If you are more of an East Coast person, that is more than twice the size of Manhattan, New York. Other than hazardous air quality and one false evacuation warning alert, I should be okay.

I am not okay. While some Angelenos are living with the same indifference we have carried in the past, most—even those far from the fires—are frayed. Life goes on, right? I don't blame them. Mainstream media has been relentless in describing these neighborhoods as ultra-wealthy and filled with celebrities. It is true. It is also not true.

When I read about Ms. Paris Hilton, I rolled my eyes. When I read an interview with Mr. Mel Gibson, I was struck by how plainly he spoke. He said what he lost was material. His family—the people he loves—are safe. What burned, including the house, can be replaced. He sounded like a person with millions at his disposal and a clear hierarchy of what matters.

Then there is the gentleman in his 70s who lost his home—a rental—in the fire. He worked an early morning shift in a grocery store bakery, finishing at 11 a.m., to supplement his Social Security. He will not find another rental nearby—or even in neighboring communities—at the rent he paid under rent control. There are hundreds, thousands, more like him.

I love Los Angeles. I have lived most of my life here. I am also ashamed of our failure to provide basic human dignity to over 70,000 unhoused people living in the county before the fires. I read that some shelters and support centers for victims of the fire are turning away donated items and volunteers because they are at capacity. Even before the fires, there were more than 70,000 people in need of shelter, water, food, hygiene products, and clothing. Their suffering and indignity remain unheard.

On IG Stories, I unglued about Mayor Karen Bass’s negligence in preparing high-risk areas and providing adequate warnings to residents—allegedly. Negligence that results in deaths? That is negligent homicide. Involuntary manslaughter in California. I do not understand those calling for her resignation.

Resignation is an exit. An easy one. Too easy. I do not want reviews of what happened. I do not want a recall. I want a criminal investigation. If that investigation concludes there is sufficient evidence for involuntary manslaughter for each death caused by the fires, she should be charged—along with others whose negligence contributed to the scale of the fires and the resulting deaths.

Economic losses could reach $275 billion. Estimated insured property losses are about $30 billion. The fires are still burning. The two main fires—Palisades and Altadena—are areas where some homes are covered by the state’s FAIR Plan. As of January 10, the plan held only $377 million to pay claims. It remains unclear how much of the $30 billion falls under the FAIR Plan, but many expect a significant share does.

It is more than houses and businesses. There are schools, roads, electrical lines, gas pipes, water systems, and sewers. The basics. Rebuilding will not be possible without federal aid. President Joe Biden has opened the flow of federal funds. Will President Trump keep it open? He has been invited, but has not scheduled a visit to the devastated areas. Republicans are already signaling that federal funds should not be provided unless changes are made. Changes to what—water management, disaster preparation, wildfire response, environmental protections?

The first fire broke out on Tuesday. By Thursday morning, it was painfully clear that we would need federal aid. I worried that Mr. Trump would demand that local law enforcement cooperate with federal agencies in identifying, locating, and deporting unlawful immigrants as a condition for receiving federal funds when he takes office on January 20. I worried about this when he won the election. One disaster—an earthquake or a fire—can place us at his mercy. Our Sanctuary status has long been a thorn in his side.

I have not been shy on the point that existing immigration laws should be enforced. Mr. Trump and I differ on how. He supports federal agents entering schools and workplaces without cause, stopping people in public spaces without cause, even deploying troops domestically to identify unlawful residents.

It has already started in California. Last week, El Centro Border Patrol conducted Operation Return to Sender. Agents detained people outside a Home Depot and a gas station near Bakersfield, even stopping vehicles on Highway 99 and asking for papers. It is estimated that 80 to 180 people may have been detained. With no local agency involved, there is no transparency—how many, where they were taken, how they are being treated. Do they have legal representation? You know my plan to carry my U.S. Passport Card instead of a California-issued ID starting January 20? I am not waiting. It is already in my wallet.

Would President Trump provide aid while California is preparing to spend $50 million in taxpayer funds to challenge his policies in court, including $25 million to fight deportations?

Immigration laws should be enforced—but not through mass hunts. Like any other crime, enforcement should begin with cause. No one should be stopped simply because they do not look American.

I am a pragmatist. Do we wait until demands are made? Perhaps negotiations are already happening behind closed doors. If we are forced to reconsider our Sanctuary position, the first step should be cooperation when unlawful residents commit crimes for which deportation is already permitted under the law. While that occupies federal agencies, can we buy time for those who have built lives here? People should know what is coming so they can prepare.

Unlike fires, we can warn people. Some may need to liquidate assets. Some may relocate to another Sanctuary city—Chicago or New York. Some may repatriate. They will need time.

It happens all the time. We think we can save everyone. We cannot. Rainbows and unicorns are comforting, but they do not fund recovery. Do we abandon burned communities for unlawful residents? Do we abandon unlawful residents to rebuild burned communities? I hope it does not come to that. But this is Mr. Trump, so anything is possible, and we must prepare for that possibility.

_____

More essays:
Can We Please Return to Civility?

I Am Not Alone. I Am a Party of One.

Hunger

Be a Parent, Not a Pimp

This Crazy World We Live In

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