Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was caught off guard Wednesday when Sky News reporter David Blevins confronted her with questions regarding the deadly wildfires sweeping through Southern California.
Bass, who just returned from a high-profile trip to Africa for the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, remained silent while Blevins asked questions that challenged her leadership and her decisions.
“Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning? Do you regret cutting the fire department budget by millions of dollars madame mayor?” Blevins asked Bass as she stared at the reporter. “Have you nothing to say today? Have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today?”
‘Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent whilst their homes were burning? Do you regret cutting the fire department’s budget?
@skydavidblevins questions the mayor of LA, Karen Bass, as she faces backlash regarding the California wildfires.https://t.co/Nkz8onjC7V pic.twitter.com/WwRwp6Imqz— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 8, 2025
Blevins fired a total of 10 questions at Bass, who provided no answers. The wildfires have resulted in five fatalities and the evacuation of tens of thousands, with more than 1,000 structures destroyed. The city said that Bass pushed for significant reductions to the fire department’s budget in the 2025 fiscal year, initially proposing a $23 million cut, with $17.6 million ultimately being approved.
It was also reported that officials at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) received exorbitant salaries funded by taxpayers just before the city’s fire hydrants failed during critical firefighting efforts against widespread blazes. As firefighters battled uncontrollable fires that have razed hundreds of structures, many of the city’s fire hydrants, managed by LADWP, unexpectedly ran dry.
Bass already addressed the public.
“Make no mistake, Los Angeles will rebuild stronger than ever,” Bass said.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/X/Skynews)
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