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Terrence  Leech's avatar

The problems attributed to the fires in LA run much deeper than people realise . As far back as 60 years now the infrastructure for fighting fires has slowly been cut financially and left behind . It was Governor Pete Wilson who sold off the state agency that repairs roads and bridges and sewer systems and the electric power grids and lines and water systems and so on and other such services . These private companies that now run these services are slow to respond and actually not very efficient. The other side to this are those in areas like Malibu and Pacific Pal who block putting in a water supply system that you find in most city’s , the idea behind this is,, then people will move here and we will lose are Paradise. In the hills above Pacific Pal and Malibu most people have septic tanks and water is brought in from trucks or very small tanks up above the hills . And the push back to build new aqueduct to hold water as also been slow or blocked ,, no one wants this near there million dollars home or the building of them is tied up in red tape over cost .. Same thing with putting power lines underground . The city of Santa Monica has these extreme rules over building anything from houses to roads in the hills and putting power lines underground and building water reservoirs. And the huge wealth estate use up loads of water , watering plants and British style lawns 24 / 7 and filling swimming pools up .. Change is now coming at a cost , a human one and the people in Eaton canyon where the city of LA would not spent the money to up grade the water system and put power lines underground is at fault and so are the local government officials .. global warming is real and the hills above these areas and LA are so dry ,, the heat sucks the moisture out of the ground making it as hard as concrete and unable to absorb rain water and this causes mudslides and the plants roots are to thin and to weak to hold the ground from moving .. as the great Irish play writer Samual Beckett once said,, “ We are on earth and there is no cure for that “ .. it’s time to re-think about all of the above problems and completely change direction .

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Scott Ransom's avatar

Incredible Sad Intensely personal account. What can anyone do but take the next unfortunate step. Well posted Paul.

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