Milt Harris ——Bio and Archives--January 1, 2026

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The California wildfires have been a disaster since before they started, during their peak, and continue to be a disaster nearly a year later. Prior to igniting, the underbrush was not adequately cleared, creating fuel for the impending catastrophe.

During the fires, the response to extinguishing them was uncoordinated and chaotic. Since then, California's bureaucracy has led to delays in permitting and rebuilding. To say that red tape has hindered the rebuilding process is a significant understatement. The hopes and dreams of nearly every resident and business owner remain trapped in the corridors of state and local authorities.

Inept Mayor Karen Bass, combined with bungling Governor Gavin Newsom and the DEI hiring of then fire chief Kristen Crowley, formed a perfect storm of incompetence that doomed areas like the Palisades and Eaton. Those fires burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed thousands of structures.

As the smoke was still clearing, the blame game began immediately. In February of this year, Mayor Karen Bass fired Crowley from her position as LAFD Fire Chief. Officially, this was attributed to her perceived lack of preparedness for the Palisades Fire. However, many, including Crowley herself and various critics, believed the dismissal was retaliation for her outspoken criticism of budget cuts and for failing to alert the Mayor about the fire risk based on a prepared stance, which fueled the controversy surrounding her termination.

So, the battle lines were drawn. While Bass officially cited leadership and operational failures, Crowley and her supporters alleged the termination was political retaliation for her public honesty regarding budget cuts. In addition, Bass stated that Crowley inadequately staffed the operation by........

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