Indy Digest: Jan. 13, 2025
As the fires continue to burn in Los Angeles, the crazy finger-pointing continues to get even crazier.
Yes, a lot of things clearly should have and could have been done better before the fires, and there are a lot of questions that need to be answered in the coming weeks. We’ll have more on that below.
However … some people are going to insane lengths to try to place an absurd amount of blame on politicians they don’t like. In last Thursday’s Digest, I wrote: “Despite despicable attempts by the president-elect and other right-wing sources to blame the fires on Gavin Newsom and DEI hiring, among other things, there is one reason, and one reason only, why they’ve been so intense: Climate change.”
I then went on to answer questions by using the words of experts from trusted news sources regarding the question of why some fire hydrants in Pacific Palisades ran out of water (it was almost certainly inevitable given the massive amount of water firefighters needed), whether the LA Fire Department’s budget was cut (yes, although it’s complicated); and whether criticism of Mayor Karen Bass is appropriate (perhaps it is).
Well, this Digest pissed off some readers.
One emailed: “Go woke … go broke … Cancelling.” I responded and asked what was woke in the piece. I didn’t get a response.
Another wrote: “You keep looking to defend these liberal politicians simply because they are Democrats. At the end of the day, the mayor and her team are ultimately responsible. Cutting a dime from LAFD is unconscionable. With less administrative staff whom she cut there was less oversight and accountability. … You really need to be more objective and if not, please drop the ‘independent’ part of your name of your publication.”
This comment struck me as particularly strange, because I did say the mayor and her team perhaps bore some responsibility. It also strikes me as bonkers to say Bass and co. are “ultimately responsible,” as if they single-handedly caused climate change and the accompanying lack of recent rain. (This reader has also apparently missed the many times in which this publication has criticized Democrats for wrongdoing.)
Folks, these fires are awful. The destruction and despair they’ve caused are unfathomable. It would actually be comforting if we could point a finger at someone, or a group of people, and say, “Yep! It’s their fault!”
But that’s not the case. All of us have contributed to climate change, and all of us therefore bear some responsibility.
To repeat a portion of Los Angeles Times scribe Gustavo Arellano’s column that I quoted last Thursday: “Let’s blame ourselves collectively, above all. We’ve long known our paradise can disappear in an instant, yet act surprised, again and again, when it does. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us.”
—Jimmy Boegle
From the Independent
A Celebrated Career: Geoffrey Newman’s Memoir ‘Better to Cry Now’ Traces a Life of Breaking Barriers, Overcoming Obstacles and Finally Finding Acceptance
By Haleemon Anderson
January 13th, 2025
Palm Springs resident Geoffrey Newman’s memoir is a history ride through an era of great upheaval in America.
The Violent, Wild West: Netflix’s ‘American Primeval’ Miniseries Fizzles After a Great Start
By Bob Grimm
January 13th, 2025
When American Primeval clicks, it really sparks, and it’s not afraid to go dark and bloody—but it also meanders, and the ending feels like a last-ditch effort to create something feel-good.
CV History: Early Settlers Struggled to Bring an Adequate Water Supply Into the Palm Springs Area
By Greg Niemann
January 11th, 2025
When John G. McCallum, the first non-Indigenous settler of Palm Springs, wanted to develop a village in the mid-1880s, he knew more water was necessary. The McCallum Ditch was built—but then came a massive drought.
More News
• The city of Palm Springs has compiled a list of local resources for people who need assistance due to the L.A. fires; it also includes some details on how locals can help. For example, the Palm Springs Animal Shelter has this message for evacuees: “If you’ve evacuated to the Palm Springs area with your pets, we’re here to help. We’re offering essential supplies like pet food, leashes, bowls, crates, beds, and puppy pads—available while supplies last.” (Learn more at www.psanimalshelter.org.)
• As for some of those aforementioned “things (that) clearly should have and could have been done better before the fires” and the “questions that need to be answered in the coming weeks”: Rental prices in L.A. are surging—and a lot of this can be considered price-gouging. LAist reports: “LAist spotted one Zillow listing for a furnished home in Bel Air that was posted Saturday morning at $29,500 per month. That’s a nearly 86% price hike from September 2024 according to the listing’s price history, which shows the home previously listed for $15,900 per month. When an LAist reporter called the listing agent, Fiora Aston with Compass, she said dozens of prospective tenants who’ve lost homes to the fires have been contacting her about this and other listings on L.A.’s Westside. When LAist asked why the advertised rent for the Bel Air home had risen so sharply, she said she was getting another call and hung up. … Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in connection with the Palisades Fire, which has already destroyed an estimated 5,000 structures in upscale neighborhoods near L.A.’s coastline. The governor’s emergency declaration includes a ban on price gouging, which is defined as any price increase of more than 10% compared to pre-disaster prices.”
• Regarding the empty fire hydrants in some parts of Pacific Palisades: It appears the problem was worsened because a reservoir in the area has been dry due to repairs for nearly a year. The Los Angeles Times says: “Officials said that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been closed since about February for repairs to its cover, leaving a 117-million-gallon water storage complex empty in the heart of the Palisades for nearly a year. The revelation comes amid growing questions about why firefighters ran out of water while battling the blaze, which ignited Tuesday during catastrophically high winds. The Times reported early Wednesday that numerous fire hydrants in higher-elevation streets of the Palisades went dry, leaving crews struggling with low water pressure as they combated the flames. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered an independent investigation of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power over the loss of water pressure and the empty Santa Ynez Reservoir, calling it ‘deeply troubling.’ … Had the reservoir been operable, water pressure in the Palisades would have lasted longer on Tuesday night, said former DWP general manager Martin Adams, an expert on the city’s water system. But only for a time.“
• Also from the Los Angeles Times is this piece headlined “Inconvenient truths about the fires burning in Los Angeles from two fire experts.” What could possibly be done to stop, slow or lessen future fires? The story says: “Respected by fire agencies across the country, (Jack) Cohen and (Stephen) Pyne have found their straight-talk admonitions often disregarded or dismissed. Sensitive to losses and suffering, both said they are motivated by the belief that magnitude of destruction this week in Los Angeles and Altadena is not a foregone conclusion. … Experts attribute widespread devastation to wind-driven embers igniting spot fires two to three miles ahead of the established fire. Maps of the Eaton fire show seemingly random ignitions across Altadena. … No longer is it a matter of preventing wildfires but instead preventing points of ignition within communities by employing ‘home-hardening’ strategies—proper landscaping, fire-resistant siding—and enjoining neighbors in collective efforts such as brush clearing.” This is just one thing Pyne and Cohen mention; this piece is definitely worth a read.
• Now regarding emergency responses here in the Coachella Valley: After yet another 911 system outage, Palm Springs’ police chief is demanding answers. Our friends at the Palm Springs Post report: “As Palm Springs experienced its fifth 911 outage since August 2023 on Thursday evening—leaving residents unable to reach emergency services—city officials expressed frustration and called for immediate action to address the recurring problem. During the regular meeting of the Palm Springs City Council, Police Chief Andy Mills reported that the 911 system went down around 8:30 p.m., affecting not only Palm Springs but also neighboring cities including Cathedral City and Indio. His reaction was similar to that of impacted residents. ‘I’ve been a cop for almost 44 years and I don’t ever remember (a) 911 system going down,’ Mills said. ‘It’s gone down five times. This is completely unacceptable.’ The outage marks the latest in a series of disruptions that have plagued the city’s emergency communication system since Hurricane Hilary struck the region in August 2023. That has led to growing frustration with telecom providers Frontier and AT&T, which have cited various explanations for the failures. ‘They point fingers at each other,’ Mills said. ‘They have all the excuses in the world. But it is unacceptable because our community is at risk when they can’t get ahold of the police or the fire department or paramedics.’”
• And finally … today’s recall news involves … Aldi taquitos! CBS News says: “Taquitos sold at Aldi stores nationwide are being recalled because they may contain pieces of metal, Bestway Sandwiches said in a notice posted Saturday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Shipped to Aldi stores across the country, the problem came to light after a consumer notified Valencia, California-based Bestway Foods of finding a piece of metal in the product. Another person reported a dental injury from the product to the USDA’s Food and Inspection Service. Produced on July 3, 2024, and September 25, 2024, the recall involves nearly 25,000 pounds of frozen chicken and cheese taquito products. The affected products are 20-ounce carton packages of Casa Mamita Corn tortillas filled with chicken, cheese, diced tomatoes and green chiles with best-by dates of July 3, 2025, and September 25, 2025.” Ouch!
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