You Get What You Pay For
11/01/25 11:17
January 11, 2025 (Vol. 19 No. 4) - I have been watching the unfolding horror in Southern California with more than passing interest. While many may know me as a fiction writer, I have a lifetime of considerable expertise in disaster responses - especially the public information aspects of it. As one can see by surfing the various cable TV channels or online news sites, the finger pointing has begun even while the fires are burning out of control. This is not surprising, as it happens in virtually every disaster. This one is a bit different, though, as certain MAGA media outlets are using this crisis to bludgeon Democratic office holders. Predictably, they say this wouldn't have happened in the Republicans were in charge. Let me make one thing clear: I favor holding public officials accountable. But I also believe that we need to gather all of the relevant facts before pronouncing judgment. My experience has also told me that the public has unrealistic expectations when it comes to disaster relief. A common complaint this week is that fire officials have done too little too late to stop these fires from destroying whole neighborhoods. During one media briefing, I saw the mayor of Los Angeles say they wouldn't have been able to halt the march of the massive wildfires even if they had an extra one thousand fire engines to dispatch. Let's suppose, for one instance, they had those additional one thousand fire engines. What would they do with them in normal times? Are the citizens of LA willing to pay the additional taxes necessary for the purchase and maintenance of a fleet of engines that will stand idle 99 percent of the time? I see where local officials are receiving intense criticism for cutting $17 million from the fire department's budget. (That, by the way, represents less than 5 percent of their $300 billion+ budget.) I suspect they are cutting costs to avoid raising taxes that their constituents hate to pay. Then there's the public's unrealistic expectation that the government should be any to "fix" any problem overnight. Even with unlimited resources - which governments do not have - that just isn't going to happen. There is a period in every disaster, depending on the size and scope, the individuals are on their own. I am looking at the massive amount of resources needed in Southern California and remember that FEMA and other agencies are still responding to disasters in a variety of other locales, including Florida and North Carolina. No government, whether under control of the Republicans or Democrats, is going to be able to give an anxious citizenry instant gratification. The world just does not work that way. The great irony is that many of our citizens who are crying about getting "the government off their backs" are the same ones who cry "bloody hell" when it is they are in need of government assistance. When one thinks about the proper role of government in our lives, you need to ask yourself just much much money (taxes) are you willing to spend? For in the final analysis, you get what you pay for. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.