Los Angeles mayor cut fire budget by $17 million months before wildfire: Report
India TodayThe Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, has come under severe criticism for cutting the budget allocation for the fire department as the massive wildfire rages uncontrollably, destroying thousands of homes across vast acres in Pacific Palisades and nearby areas, forcing over a lakh residents to evacuate. Mayor Bass slashed the fire department budget by more than $17 million last year, as she directed more resources toward addressing homelessness. For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Los Angeles allocated $837 million to the Los Angeles Fire Department, accounting for roughly 65 per cent of the $1.3 billion budget designated for homelessness initiatives, Fox News reported. However, Bass brushed off questions about the fire department budget and lack of water supplies and claimed that the fire budget had topped last year.