America is heartbroken over the wildfires that have devastated so many communities in the Los Angeles area. Over 63 square miles have been tragically scorched while destroying thousands of homes, schools and businesses that will see many people’s lives put on hold for 10 to 20 years or longer. Not to mention the more than 27 people that lost their lives and that of countless animals as well.
It did not have to be like this.
California’s failure to mitigate fires through proper forestry management and water conservation plays a major role in this travesty. Many state-elected leaders, including Governor Gavin Newsom, failed California residents on so many levels. None of them should ever be re-elected to any level of state, county or city government. These officials made countless leadership errors and now they want California residents to believe they can restore their lives and their community.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!
In all reality, it will take the federal government and the American taxpayers to underwrite recovery efforts. More accurately stated, to financially bail out the state! The State of California government is financially broke and in desperate need of federal assistance…again!
To point out California’s considerable infrastructure mismanagement, look no further than the 463-mile high speed rail project that was approved in 2008 to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco. The original stated completion date was supposed to be 2020. However, the project is billions of construction dollars short to complete sections of the original design. According to the Los Angeles Times, construction will likely continue for another 10 to 15 years and require another 100 billion dollars to complete America’s first-ever high speed rail system. Political jockeying, budget shortfalls, environmental reviews and lawsuits will continue to delay this train’s completion.
Now, you can bet the estimated $250 billion dollar damage from the recent LA wildfires will distract and delay many of California’s much needed infrastructure priorities.
However, the safety of families must come first. Politicians must scrap budget vanity projects and DEI-like initiatives that lead to underfunding fire departments and forestry management programs.
As Californian’s impacted from the wildfires leave in droves for other states like Texas, it will only get worse for the once Golden State.
From the Office of the CEO, Bob Wills
About The PM Group: Since 1988, The PM Group has been one of top advertising agencies in Texas with annual revenues over $55,000,000. Founded by CEO | Media Director, Bob Wills, the San Antonio-based agency has represented clients across numerous verticals and industries including financial, casual dining and delivery, cultural institutions, home services, sports marketing, entertainment, automotive, legal services, nonprofit organizations, and more. Over the past five years, The PM Group has continued to grow organically through the addition of new clients and by expanding current clients’ marketing efforts. Additionally, the agency continues its renown legacy of charitable giving with each consecutive year outpacing the prior in terms of actual dollars raised and the number of charitable recipients. The PM Group now raises over $2M annually, with the agency’s 10-year total surpassing $17 million dollars. In addition to the primary San Antonio, Texas office, the agency has remote offices in Arizona, Oklahoma, Massachusetts and Virginia.