To the editor: I am damn tired of all of the blaming that is going on surrounding the epic and tragic fires in and around Los Angeles.
First, many folks blamed L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. Then they blamed the city’s Department of Water and Power. The L.A. fire chief jumped in and blamed budget cuts. Of course, President-elect Donald Trump and the right can’t help themselves, so they blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom and California progressives. The left blamed climate-change deniers.
All the while, fires were still raging and people are still suffering. Enough!
Jim Dragna, Carpinteria
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To the editor: Hurricane-force winds blowing embers like a blast furnace are what burned Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Yes, water in the Santa Ynez Reservoir above the Palisades would have been useful, but it probably would have made little difference.
As far as blame is concerned, we have only ourselves. We have had good scientific evidence for decades of our impact on the climate. We have known the remedies required but have ignored the experts and continued in our consumption of fossil fuels.
Our firefighters have responded like a well-oiled machine. Watching the balletic air attack has been awe-inspiring. The dedication and expertise of the boots on the ground give me hope for humanity.
I continue to hope the electorate will move to prioritize the impact of our actions on the planet.
John Sherwood, Topanga
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To the editor: As for the critiques of Bass, I’d have more sympathy for her if she’d been in Ghana on vacation.
But somehow and for some reason, Bass was in Ghana on government business. That raises the question: Leaving aside the pre-fire warnings that she evidently ignored before she left, what city interests was Bass serving by traveling to Ghana for the inauguration of that country’s new president? And how were they more worth her time, apparently, than local business?
So, as we judge Bass on her performance handling the fire, let’s not also forget to judge her for her decision to go to Ghana.
Todd Piccus, Venice
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To the editor: As the fires subside and the nonstop finger-pointing continues, when is some elected official going to address the elephant in the room?
There are plenty of solutions, and they all cost money — lots of money. It’s like no elected official can utter the “t” word — taxes. And no taxpayer wants to admit there isn’t enough money to fund even a portion of what experts say L.A. needs.
This is like a game of chicken where neither side will admit reality first, thus giving permission to the other side to react. But we all will live with the outcome.
Jeff Heister, Chatsworth
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To the editor: I wish my boss accepted as many excuses for my failures as Bass and her staff have given for theirs.
Cindy Stewart, Mar Vista
