The LA Fires And The Homeless-Industrial Complex
As I follow the unfolding scandal of the LA fires, the issue that begins to stand out is the reduction of resources to the Los Angeles City Fire Department, for instance : In a preliminary budget request for 2025/26, signed by Fire Chief Kristin Rowley, made on October 29, the LAFD asked for $96,535,000 to fund a 'fleet replacement plan'. . . . The firefighting force said in its request to the city: 'Many vehicles have surpasses their expected service life, leading to increased maintenance costs, reduces parts availability and potential downtime.' And in its formal proposal to the city in November, it requested $24,063,000 for 'new fleet/apparatus purchases'. In the preliminary budget request, the LAFD also asked for more than $1.9million to restore 16 maintenance positions 'deleted' in last year's budget. It said in its request: 'The positions support fleet maintenance, equipment engineering, purchasing and warehouse managemen...