In the aftermath of the devastating fires that have scorched communities across Los Angeles, one thing is abundantly clear: our city is in desperate need of leadership. As we struggle to pick up the pieces, there’s a haunting truth that we must confront: the leadership we currently have — Mayor Karen Bass — is part of the problem, not the solution.
The recent fires are not just another disaster. They are a wake-up call for a city already crippled by homelessness, housing shortages, rising crime, and infrastructure decay. They are a wake up call that identity politics and misplaced progressive agendas actually kill people and destroy lives. The devastation of these fires has touched lives in unimaginable ways, and recovery is not just about rebuilding homes and businesses. It’s about restoring a sense of security, hope, and trust in the leadership of this city.
Let’s be straight forward about it: When Karen Bass was elected mayor she was not qualified at all but she fit the mold that democratic leadership wanted. Rick Caruso was running as a qualified candidate but someone outside the democratic establishment. As the race grew close the Democratic party, fueled on their mission of identity politics, sent Biden, Kamala, Newsom and finally Obama to LA to endorse her for fear that someone actually qualified for the job would upset their hold on CA politics. They pledged that she would be the one to steer Los Angeles out of its current state of disarray. Yet in her first year, the city has faced crisis after crisis, with little evidence of a cohesive plan or strategy to tackle the deeply entrenched problems we face. In the case of the fires, it’s clear that there was less than no preparation for this inevitable catastrophic event. We needed a mayor who could rally the city’s resources, coordinate an effective response, and inspire the public to endure the tough months ahead. Most importantly we needed someone who was not pushing forward a progressive agenda at the cost of human life. Up until this catastrophe the progressive left said that any opposition to their misguided policies was racist and political. Now we see that in fact it’s life and death and led to the greatest natural disaster in American History.
In times of tragedy, the people of Los Angeles need a leader who can move with speed, precision, common sense and resolve. They need someone who can take emergency actions quickly, unite the public, get agencies and resources mobilized, and ensure that those affected are supported through every phase of recovery. This requires a proactive, hands-on approach — a level of urgency that, quite frankly, has been completely absent from Bass's administration.
How could the people affected by these tragedies ever unite behind a mayor who cut funding for firefighting. How could they unite behind a mayor who hired her friend, the head of PGE that was responsible for burning down Paradise and the tragedies in Napa and Sonoma to run DWP. (the department that left the palisades reservoir dry for a year) How could they unite behind a mayor that never prepared a plan for an inevitable disaster! How can a city unite behind a mayor putting unqualified people in critical positions: Example: Randall Winston - Infrastructure, Let’s not forget that Los Angeles has faced firestorms before. We know the destruction, the displacement, and the long-term rebuilding required. Yes the winds were strong, but they were expected and Bass telling us that it was all unavoidable is ignorant, insulting and frankly disgusting. I have a business in Napa Valley and am extremely educated on fire having lived through 2017, 2020 and being a founding member of the Pritchard Hill FireWise Association. Bass and Newsome telling anyone that this was all unavoidable is a bold faced lie.
Unfortunately, Bass has proven to be unqualified, inept, incompetent and negligent. Her record to date has been marked by delays, indecision, woke and identity politics prioritized over common sense. She is tone deaf to it all, sipping drinks at a cocktail party across the world as her city burned. Smiling through press conferences about devastation and human tragedy. Fumbling through meetings with Trump and other officials and contradicting herself (or lying) to the very people she serves. The job is simply well-beyond her capabilities on any level. When fires ravaged Malibu in 2018, the city worked quickly to mobilize support. In 2020, during the California wildfires, we saw a similar level of collaboration. But now, with Bass at the helm, the response is abhorrent. fumbled, and infuriating.
This isn’t just about political ideology. It’s about capability. Leadership is not just about policy proposals and speeches — it’s about executing those plans with clarity and confidence when the people are counting on you the most. And right now, there’s a void. I should also point out that I have a Winery in Napa and lived through the 2017 and 2020 Fires there, so I am extremely educated on fire prevention, mitigation, hardening and preparation to combat them. With this knowledge there is no other way to describe what happened in the Pacific Palisades other than it was an abject failure across the board.
Without bold, decisive leadership, the recovery from this latest disaster will be almost impossible and unnecessarily painful for many Angelenos. What we need is a mayor who will take immediate action to ensure that resources are allocated efficiently, that people get the help they need, and property taxes waived. permitting roadblocks eliminated, aid distributed and that every neighborhood receives the attention and care it deserves. It’s not just about containing the fires; it’s about containing the emotional and psychological devastation they leave behind.
The people of Los Angeles deserve more! They deserve leadership that is capable, unwavering in its resolve, and visionary in its approach to recovery. The city needs a leader who can stand tall in the face of disaster, not one who stumbles and embarrasses herself clinging to her job.
If Los Angeles is ever to truly recover from the fires — and from the many crises it faces — we need a REAL LEADER
IF SHE TRULY CARED ABOUT THE PEOPLE SHE WAS ELECTED TO SERVE SHE WOULD RESIGN AND GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE TRAGEDY OF HER MAKING. .
By Stephen McPherson
