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Justine Bateman calls for Gavin Newsom to be removed amid LA fires 'before something worse happens'

15 January 2025 at 10:51

Justine Bateman is calling for Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Los Angeles officials to be removed from office.

The actress insisted Newsom be removed after sharing a video of the California governor saying he wants to work with President-elect Donald Trump on fighting the fires.

"I really want other CA voters to see the lack of sincerity, the dismissiveness, the dedication to pretentiousness, and the dereliction of care for the citizens of California," Bateman wrote on X.Β 

"He has always demonstrated this. In every video. You cannot trust this kind of person with any role, and especially not one upon which our wellbeing depends," she added. "Gavin Newsom needs to be removed, before something worse happens here."

CALIFORNIA FIRES: ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM

She also called for LA Mayor Karen Bass to be removed, writing, "Her irresponsibility and apathy towards the people of Los Angeles is reprehensible. Leaving the country days after being notified of weather conditions that everyone who lives in LA knows are prime disaster fire conditions is unforgivable. This on top of her knowing that efforts to mitigate maximum damage had not been done at all. We cannot wait for another calamitous demonstration of her ineptitude. She must be removed."

Bateman, known for her role on "Family Ties," has been outspoken regarding her views since the fires began. The filmmaker continues to share her criticism on social media and appeared on Fox News' "Jesse Watters Primetime."

"I'm pretty pissed, and I think a lot of people in Los Angeles are pissed," Bateman said on Jan. 9.

"If you are going to run a city or run a state, you have to take care of the basics, and that's to make sure that your fire and your police department are well-funded," she added.

PATRICIA HEATON SAYS LA FIRES PROVE β€˜WE CAN’T JUST RELY ON GOVERNMENT'

WATCH: JUSTINE BATEMAN CALLS OUT LA OFFICIALS OVER RESPONSE TO CALIFORNIA FIRES

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Bateman explained the importance of "rehearsed" planning in order to minimize the consequences of natural disasters. The actress noted Los Angeles' current leadership was "incapable" of planning for these major events.

"If you can't cover the basics, get out of our city. You are useless to us. You are a liability, and you have destroyed people's lives because you didn't do your job," she said.Β 

"You didn't do what you were hired for. You didn't do what we pay you for." Bateman called for the officials to "resign out of shame and responsibility for the people whose lives you've destroyed right now."

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The LA Fires began Jan. 7 with the Palisades Fire. Fierce Santa Ana winds have been largely blamed for turning the fires sparked last week into infernos that leveled entire neighborhoods around the nation's second-largest city, where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.

The Southern California fires remain hard to control amid the current high winds, but firefighters are making progress and the fires have not spread very much over the past couple of days.

Altogether, the fires in the Los Angeles area have burned roughly 63.5 square miles (164 square kilometers) and damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 structures, leaving 24 dead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Wall Street Journal calls on Gov. Gavin Newsom to loosen environmental regulations for all Californians

15 January 2025 at 10:45

The Wall Street Journal argued that California Gov. Gavin Newsom should waive environmental regulations for all Californians, not just victims of the fires in Los Angeles.

The paper's editorial board said Newsom should use the same logic behind waiving environmental regulations to aid in the rebuilding of Los Angeles to help make life easier for Californians in general.Β 

"California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday waived the state’s environmental laws in areas affected by the fires to expedite rebuilding," the editorial board wrote in an article published Tuesday.Β 

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM

"Wonderful, but that raises a question: Why not ease regulations for all projects if the rules are such a barrier to development?" The Journal asked.Β 

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that a review be conducted to weigh any potential environmental effects before a building permit is approved. Another state law, the California Coastal Act, focuses on development as it relates to "the preservation of sensitive coastal and marine habitat and biodiversity."

Both laws were halted on Sunday for those who tragically lost their homes after Newsom signed an executive order to suspend the environmental review process.

NEWSOM SUSPENDS CA ENVIRONMENTAL LAW TO ELIMINATE β€˜ROADBLOCKS’ FOR WILDFIRE VICTIMS REBUILDING HOMES

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"California's environmental laws also delay and inflate costs of needed public works, when they don't kill them," The Journal wrote.Β 

"If Mr. Newsom agrees that the state's environmental laws are a problem, why doesn't he at least try to reform them?" the editorial board asked.Β 

"The reason is Democrats in Sacramento are beholden to the green lobby, which opposes most development and uses the laws to extort businesses," The Journal wrote. "It's nice of Mr. Newsom to ease permitting so L.A.'s affluent can rebuild. Perhaps he's worried they might leave if it takes too long or costs too much to rebuild. Moonscape neighborhoods wouldn't look good if he runs for President in 2028, or when the Olympics comes to town the same year."

Houses along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway in California burned down in a monstrous fire that destroyed more than 10,000 homes and structures beginning on Jan. 7.Β 

California's onerous environmental regulations have become a target of criticism amid the crisis, with some even suggesting they served as a contributing factor to the spread of the wildfires.Β 

Fox News' Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.

California congresswoman surprises CNN anchor with take about LA fires: 'Lot of conspiracies out there'

15 January 2025 at 09:30

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., suggested to a surprised CNN anchor on Tuesday that local authorities purposefully allowed homes in Los Angeles’ Altadena neighborhood to be ravaged by wildfires in recent weeks.Β 

"We need to find out the facts β€” a full-scale investigation on what went wrong. I and the CBC, the Congressional Black Caucus, for example, are curious about who decided to sacrifice Altadena, a historically Black community in the LA County area," she told CNN's Sara Sidner.

"There is no reason why only 2/5 of the folks who had their houses burned down were insured, and why companies are leaving California in droves, as well as other disaster-prone states," the lawmaker, who represents the 37th Congressional District based in LA County, added.

ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM

State Farm, for example, canceled over 72,000 home and apartment policies in the months prior to the devastating LA wildfires that started, leaving thousands of residents perplexed and desperate following the loss of their homes.

Los Angeles Fire Insurance expert Richard Giller told Fox News Channel recently that state policy is to blame for these canceled policies, as lawmakers refused to allow insurance companies to increase premium costs for residents in the wake of ever-more destructive fires.Β 

As a result, insurance companies have written fewer claims, canceled claims, or even left California entirely. "So the insurance companies tried to seek approval for rate increases and the California Department of Insurance and the insurance commissioner decided, you know, they didn’t want homeowners to pay more money … It all came to a head with seven of the 12 largest insurance companies pulling out of the state," Giller told FNC.

Seemingly taken aback by the lawmaker's claims, Sidner asked, "Congresswoman, did you just say sacrifice Altadena? I mean, are you suggesting that this was done somehow on purpose to hurt Altadena? There are a lot of conspiracies out there."

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The representative clarified she wasn’t suggesting that anyone committed arson, but she mentioned other decisions made ahead of the fire that she deemed suspicious.

"But what we do know is that power was shut off in Altadena. What we do know is that residents were not given adequate time to leave their homes," she said, noting that some folks she talked to said they were not given enough warning ahead of time to get back home and save the lives of their own pets.

Sidner attempted to explain why the power was off, stating that officials told the news network they "were worried it was going to create more fire danger."

"And that is why the pumps werenβ€˜t working to get the water into the hydrants," the anchor added.Β 

The congresswoman acknowledged the response and replied by stating the need for local lawmakers to see reconstructing these fire-ravaged areas through an "equity lens."

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