Assemblyman Bill Essayli criticizes Governor Newsom's budget proposal for prioritizing spending on healthcare for illegal immigrants and high-speed rail while ignoring the devastating wildfires ravaging California.
Fire crews monitor the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. Gov. Gavin Newsom has finally unveiled his $322 billion state budget, and it’s just as absurd as we expected. A budget is a reflection of your priorities, yet while California burns, the governor’s proposal prioritizes free healthcare for illegal immigrants, $4.
This disastrous budget is even more insulting as Los Angeles County grapples with the devastation from four major fires. The governor was quick to tout a projected $16.5 billion revenue increase year-over-year when he previewed his budget on Monday. Now, less than a week later, the estimated damages from these fires have already surpassed $150 billion.
So-called environmental policies like CEQA have also decimated California’s logging industry, which provides critical forest thinning services. Since the 1950s, logging has declined substantially, with sawmills shutting down and timber removal decreasing by approximately 75% since the 1950s. Since then, the annual average acreage of wildfire destruction has grown over 600%.
Pacific Palisades, where the Palisades fire burns, is the FAIR Plan’s fifth-highest risk exposure area, with the insurer liable for up to $5.9 billion in coverage—more than double the amount the plan can currently pay out. Shortfalls in claims will be passed on to other insurers, raising premiums statewide.
CALIFORNIA BUDGET WILDFIRE NEWSOM ASSEMBLYMAN ESSAYLI
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