Residents Sign Petition Amid Crisis
The fallout from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s handling—or mishandling—of the devastating wildfires sweeping through the city has reached a fever pitch. Nearly 100,000 residents have signed a petition calling for her immediate resignation, citing “gross mismanagement” during one of the most destructive disasters in LA’s history. With at least 16 lives lost, over 36,000 acres scorched, and more than 12,000 homes and structures destroyed, the numbers paint a grim picture. Tragically, these figures are expected to rise as the fires rage on and rubble is searched for more victims.
Bass’s leadership—or lack thereof—has come under intense scrutiny. Her absence during the early days of the crisis, as she jetted off to Ghana for a taxpayer-funded diplomatic trip, left many Angelenos feeling abandoned. Despite prior warnings of extreme fire risks, Bass prioritized the photo-op over crisis management.
Her return only compounded the damage, marked by a calamitous press conference where she fumbled basic communication, mispronounced words like “heroism,” and awkwardly spelled out “U-R-L” instead of providing an actual web address for critical fire relief information. It was a performance so dismal, it drew comparisons to President Biden’s notorious verbal gaffes.
LA Mayor Karen Bass refuses to answer and freezes when a reporter asks her if she regrets cutting the Fire Department’s budget by nearly $20 million and being in Africa during a devastating wildfire pic.twitter.com/BlLUri98zR
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 8, 2025
But it’s not just optics fueling the outrage—it’s policy. Bass slashed the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget by over $17 million in the previous year, redirecting funds to other priorities like homelessness initiatives. A leaked memo reveals she even considered cuts as high as $49 million just a week before the fires began. The result? A fire department left underfunded and underprepared to combat the largest wildfire crisis the city has ever faced.
Bass’s decisions had real-world consequences. LAFD Fire Chief Kristin Crowley confirmed that budget cuts directly impacted their ability to respond effectively. Crowley’s emotional admission that reduced funding hindered their preparedness struck a chord, even earning public praise from Khloé Kardashian, who blasted the mayor on social media: “Mayor Bass, you are a joke!”
Breaking: Los Angeles Fire Department chief @LAFDChief Kristin Crowley is pressed repeatedly if the leadership of Los Angeles failed her fire department as it tries in vain to stop the wildfires.
An emotional Crowley tries to dodge but then admits, "Yes." pic.twitter.com/EYNUEDbPq3
— Andy Ngo ️ (@MrAndyNgo) January 10, 2025
The criticism from Kardashian and other high-profile figures like Elon Musk and James Woods has amplified the petition’s reach, pushing it past the 100,000-signature mark. The petition demands Bass’s resignation and a full, transparent investigation into the failures that left Los Angeles so vulnerable. It calls for accountability in disaster preparedness, resource allocation, and leadership during times of crisis.
The situation is a stark reminder of Bass’s political trajectory. Once seen as a rising star in Democratic politics and a potential VP pick for President Biden, Bass’s tenure as mayor has revealed glaring deficiencies in her ability to lead under pressure. Her prioritization of political optics and ideological initiatives over basic governance has left Angelenos paying the price—literally and figuratively.