California Inferno-the Catastrophic Policy Decisions that are Making the Wildfires Much, Much Worse

Summary

Summary of "California Inferno—the Catastrophic Policy Decisions that are Making the Wildfires Much, Much Worse"

Release Date: January 10, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson, host Ben Ferguson and guest Senator Ted Cruz delve into the devastating wildfires engulfing Los Angeles. They argue that a series of policy missteps by California's Democratic leadership have exacerbated the wildfire crisis, transforming affected areas into what Cruz describes as “a war zone” reminiscent of a nuclear disaster.

Overview of the Wildfire Crisis

The episode opens with a grim depiction of the wildfires spreading through Los Angeles, particularly in the Palisades. Senator Cruz highlights the severity of the situation:

"We are in the midst of one of the worst disasters in our nation's history... more than 9,000 homes and structures have been damaged or destroyed... the death toll is likely to be higher."
[00:42]

Cruz emphasizes the heartbreak and devastation faced by residents, noting that widespread anger stems from perceived governmental failures.

Failure in Forest Management Policies

A significant portion of the discussion centers on forest management, with Cruz criticizing both federal and state policies for inadequate upkeep of forest lands. He references reports and expert opinions to support his claims:

"Forest management is a lot like gardening. You have to keep the forest open and thin,"
[03:50]

Cruz argues that decades of mismanagement have led to overgrown forests laden with dead trees and underbrush, creating tinderboxes ripe for wildfires. He further criticizes federal policies that limit effective forest management practices, contrasting them with better-maintained private lands.

Budget Cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department

The conversation shifts to local governance, focusing on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s decision to cut $17 million from the fire department's budget despite warnings from fire officials. Cruz highlights a memo from Fire Chief Kristen Crowley detailing the adverse effects of these cuts:

"These budgetary reductions have adversely affected the department's ability to maintain core operations... severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for, train for and respond to large scale emergencies, including wildfires."
[13:53]

Cruz accuses Mayor Bass of prioritizing ideological projects over essential public safety services, citing expenditures on programs he deems non-essential.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policies in Fire Department Hiring

A contentious topic discussed is the implementation of DEI initiatives within the Los Angeles Fire Department. Senator Cruz criticizes the appointment of top officials based on diversity criteria rather than qualifications, suggesting that it compromises the department’s effectiveness:

"I want to see somebody that responds... somebody... capable of carrying bodies out of a burning building and saving my family."
[23:07]

He references a personal anecdote about firefighters in Texas to illustrate his preference for physically capable personnel, contrasting it with stories of alleged discrimination within LA’s hiring practices.

Water Policies Under Governor Gavin Newsom

The episode also examines California’s water management policies under Governor Gavin Newsom, linking them to the exacerbation of wildfire conditions. Cruz points out that Newsom’s administration has diverted water to protect endangered species at the expense of firefighting needs:

"Gavin Newsom wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, but didn't care about the people of California."
[34:03]

He criticizes the governor for vetoing bills that would have increased the number of seasonal firefighters, thereby weakening the state’s capacity to combat wildfires effectively.

Public Response and Local Chaos During Wildfires

The discussion includes firsthand accounts of the chaos caused by the wildfires, such as looting and inadequate police response:

“There were like a hundred people that came up on scooters and were trying to get into any and all houses on the street.”
[25:52]

Cruz uses these anecdotes to underscore the broader societal breakdown resulting from ineffective governance and policy failures.

Confrontation with Governor Newsom

In a dramatic segment, Cruz and Ferguson play a clip of a confrontational exchange between an anguished citizen and Governor Newsom. The citizen demands accountability for the lack of water in fire hydrants, to which Newsom responds evasively:

Citizen: "Why is there no water in the hydrants?"
Newsom: "Local folks are trying to figure that out... it's below my pay grade."
[39:19 – 40:54]

Cruz criticizes Newsom’s response as an abdication of responsibility, further highlighting the administration’s lack of preparedness and prioritization.

Conclusion

Senator Cruz and Ben Ferguson conclude by reiterating their belief that California’s wildfires are a direct consequence of misguided policy decisions by Democratic leaders. They call for significant policy reforms in forest management, budget allocation for emergency services, and water resource management to prevent future disasters. The hosts also extend their prayers and support to those affected by the wildfires, while urging listeners to stay informed and advocate for necessary changes.

“We are praying for the people of California who are living through hell right now... but at the same time, we need to ask, are there policies that caused this disaster or made it worse?”
[44:48]

Key Takeaways

• Policy Missteps: The hosts argue that inadequate forest management, budget cuts to emergency services, and restrictive water policies have worsened the wildfire situation in California.

• Local Governance Failures: Criticism is directed at Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for reducing the fire department’s budget despite warnings, and Governor Gavin Newsom for water management decisions that prioritize environmental concerns over public safety.

• DEI Concerns: The implementation of DEI policies in the fire department is portrayed as a factor undermining the effectiveness of emergency response teams.

• Public Impact: The wildfires have led to significant property loss, casualties, and societal chaos, exacerbated by perceived governmental inaction and mismanagement.

• Call to Action: The episode urges policymakers to revise current strategies and prioritize public safety to mitigate future wildfire risks.

Notable Quotes

• “The most basic obligation of government is to protect you and keep you safe.”
  — Ted Cruz, [00:42]

• “Forest management is a lot like gardening. You have to keep the forest open and thin.”
  — Mike Rogers, [03:50]

• “She slashed $17 million from the fire department... that is a deliberate decision, and it's a decision that sadly is having catastrophic consequences.”
  — Ted Cruz, [13:53]

• “If you couldn't carry someone down a stairwell who was in a wheelchair, you weren't qualified.”
  — Unnamed Citizen, [29:43]

• “Largest dam removal project in U.S. history... that's a policy decision he made.”
  — Ted Cruz, [35:10]

Final Thoughts

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson presents a critical view of California’s handling of the wildfire crisis, attributing the severity to specific policy decisions and prioritization by Democratic leaders. The episode underscores the need for substantial policy reforms to enhance forest management, emergency services funding, and water resource allocation to prevent similar disasters in the future.

Transcript

[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome. It is verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you, and Senator, the entire world, and certainly in the United States. The focal point is the wildfires that are happening out in Los Angeles. It is not just catastrophic. It looks like a war zone. A nuclear disaster has gone off in the Palisades where all of these homes are just gone. You see these houses on the beach, they are gone. And our hearts go out to the people there. But there also is a reality that much of this was caused by the politicians that didn't do their basic job. And that's why so many people are angry right now in California.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, we are in the midst of one of the worst disasters in our nation's history. What is unfolding right now in Los Angeles is truly heartbreaking and horrific. And you and I are recording this at 11pm on Thursday. As of now, more than 9,000 homes and structures have been damaged or destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires. Five people that we know of have died. And officials are saying the death toll is likely to be higher. And at least 130,000 residents are right now under evacuation orders. And these fires have the potential to be the single costliest wildfire disaster in American history. And they are raging as we speak. It is a hell on earth. And so let me start by saying what I know our listeners are doing, what our family is doing, which is just lifting up the people of California in prayer, lifting up those who are in harm's way, lifting up those who are seeing their families endangered, their homes potentially burned to the ground. The utter horror of what is unfolding there is just stunning. You know, Heidi is a native Californian and her entire extended family lives out in California. And we've been, Heidi and I both been reaching out to friends of ours who live there who are dealing with this. And it is horrific. I'll say at the same time as we're reaching out to friends of ours who are there, they're, number one, dealing with this tragedy, but number two, they're angry. They are angry at specific policy decisions that played a real part in causing this disaster and that undeniably made it worse. And, you know, when a disaster is unfolding, it is easy to take shots at the political leadership. And I want to be. I'm hesitant to do so. But in this instance, there were multiple decisions made by the state of California, made by the mayor and the city government of Los Angeles, multiple decisions that unquestionably played a significant role in making this disaster much, much worse. And that the elected officials were Warned over and over and over again, do not do this or people will die from more wildfires. And they did anyway. And I'll tell you, that anger, the residents there are understandably frustrated. They're frustrated with policies that are not prioritizing, protecting their homes, their families, keeping them safe. And that's the most basic obligation of government is, is to protect you and keep you safe.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, let's talk about the facts, because I, I do love that on this show. I think we try to give people information and factual information that they can take and have a real conversation about it with their family and their friends. And there were multiple warning signs here. A big warning sign came from the insurance companies. They started pulling out. Insurance companies knew that fires were likely in the Palisades. It's coming from a local report. There's a list of cancellations made by State Farm in California last summer. 1626 policies they canceled in Pacific Palisades, 518 in Malibu, 665 in Bel Air, Beverly Hills, 698. And then the residents were worried and concerned because they were getting these cancellations. Now, there was two reasons why this happened. Uh, there was regulation over regulation, and the insurance companies were not allowed to raise their prices in California in these areas, for example. And they knew they, they had to drop their customers because they saw what was happening. Specifically in LA, in these areas in 2021, if you were an unvaccinated firefighter, you were fired. In 2023, the policy was, if you're a white male, we don't want you, is very clearly stated by the fire department. And now they're saying, in 2025, not only do we not have enough firefighters, but the insurance companies were also saying, you guys have set yourself up for a disaster which we knew could happen and has happened in the past.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, listen, California has historically been subject to wildfires. And some of that is geographic and has to do with the basic geography. That's been true in California for a long time. But then there were policy decisions that have made this much worse. So on the question of insurance companies, here's a headline from the Los Angeles Times. In April of 2024, California exodus of home insurance companies continues. And the LA Times reports two more insurers are pulling out of California's troubled homeowners insurance market, straining a marketplace that has already seen the pullback of of several other companies that have cited increased costs related to wildfire risks. That that problem. And the two companies that are being reported, Tokyo Marine America Insurance Co. And Trans Pacific Insurance Co. Submitted filings to the California Department of Insurance saying that they will not renew 12,556 homeowners policies with a premium value of $11.3 million starting July 1. Also not being renewed. Or 1,624 dwelling fire and liability policies with a Premium value of 1.7 million Typically sold to owners of rental properties as well as personal umbrella coverage. So what are the policies that have exacerbated it? And I really would put them into three different categories. Number one, the management of public lands and forest management. And we're going to talk about that quite a bit more. Number two, water policies and California's insane policies on handling water that sadly are making this crisis much, much worse. And number three, policies directly impacting firefighters and in particular, The City of LA's decision to slash the firefighter budget despite being warned that that would significantly impact increase the risk of real harm from a catastrophic, catastrophic fire. And so let's break these down. Let's break these down. Let's talk about each of the three. So first, let's start with public lands and the management of forests. If you look at what is happening in California and there are federal policies that significantly limit what happens on federal forest lands, and then there are state policies in California that exacerbate this. Here's one story for NBC News in October of 2020 headline decades of mismanagement led to choked forests. Now it's time to clear them out, fire experts say. And it begins with a quote. Forest management is a lot like gardening. You have to keep the forest open and thin, said Mike Rogers, a former Angeles National Forest supervisor. This is an ongoing problem. And I want to actually dive in a little bit to a story from the BBC again in October 2020. The title is US West Coast Fires. Is Trump right to blame forest management? And here's what the BBC and the BBC consistently leans hard left. And this is in October 2020. It says President Trump has sought to highlight forest management rather than climate change is the key factor explaining the wildfires burning across California, Oregon and Washington states. When asked during a visit to California about the role of climate change, Mr. Trump said, I think this is more of a forest management situation. So BBC says who manages the forests first? Most forest in California, Oregon and Washington isn't the responsibility of the state authorities. In fact, their share of forest land is small. In California state, the federal government owns nearly 58% of the 33 million acres of forest, according to the state governor's office. The state itself owns just 3%, with the rest owned by private individuals or companies or Native American groups. So let me start by saying, listen, the federal government, the forest that the federal government controls, you end up having much poorer forest management. Then when you have forest in private hands, they typically invest significantly more in cleaning out underbrush, in limiting the risk actively. As the, as the expert I quoted there said, it's like gardening, clearing out the dead wood, clearing out the underbrush that becomes like kindling and causes fires to spread more quickly. So, for example, Scott Stevens, a leading authority on wildfires at the University of California, has for some years questioned forest management priorities in the state. He's pointed to the large number of dead trees left standing due to drought and disease as a serious fire risk that needs to be addressed. Professor Stephen Doerr, a wildfires expert at Swansea University, highlights the modern practice of total fire suppression at the expense of allowing limited fires to burn and create firebreaks. For centuries. This is a quote from this professor. For centuries, Native American peoples would burn parts of the forest that would thin out more flammable vegetation and make forests less dense. But the emphasis has been on putting out any fires. And with climate change, this has now created a tinderbox of vegetation. And let me just say, for Democrat politicians, their answer to any crisis is they just say climate change, climate change, climate change. Well, that doesn't absolve the elected officials of the responsibility to put policies in place that keep people safe. And California consistently has put in place policies that make it the forest fires bigger, make them spread more quickly, make them harder to stop, and also federal law. And I will point out when I can tell you this week in the Senate, Senate Republicans, we had an extended discussion this week among Senate Republicans about responding to this by addressing the federal rules and laws governing federal forests, which every time we try to change to address the problems, you end up having Congressional Democrats oppose those changes. And I'm hopeful that this will be an impetus to say we need to move towards sensible policies, the kinds of policies that are implemented on privately held land that reduce the risk of fires in the first place.

[Ben Ferguson]

You look at that part and then you go back to the local policies as well, and you combine those two together and this was a perfect storm for a massive catastrophic failure. You look at what they decided to do. Uh, and, and let's go back to one of the biggest stories that's come out of this, and that is that the LA fire chief, Kristen Crowley, warned the mayor, Karen Bass, last month that the $17 million that she cut from the department's budget, quote, severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for, train for and respond to large scale emergencies, including wildfires. This is dated December 17, 2024. Now, you put what you just said about all this vegetation, all of this, this, this debris and brush and everything that's kindling up in the hills and knowing that these Santa Ana winds come through, and then you combine that with what was just said there locally. This was a federal disaster and also a local disaster combined.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, that's right. And that's another major cause. So the Democrat mayor of Los Angeles, Karen, who is a very liberal Democrat, she slashed $17 million from the fire department's budget. And in December of 2024, the fire chief wrote a memo to the Board of Fire Commissioners. And here's what the memo says. The Los Angeles City Fire Department is facing unprecedented operational challenges due to the elimination of critical civilian positions and a $7 million reduction in overtime variable staffing hours. These budgetary reductions have adversely affected the department's ability to maintain core operations such as technology and communications infrastructure, payroll processing, training, fire prevention and community education. In addition to these impacts, the reduction in V hours has severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for, train for and respond to large scale emergencies, including wildfires, earthquakes, hazardous material incidents and large public events. And it goes on to say the report provides in depth analysis of these cascading impacts, underscoring the critical need for resource restoration to ensure operational readiness, firefighter safety, and the delivery of high quality public service. So Mayor Karen Bass was warned. She was warned publicly and explicitly, and she slashed the budget anyway. That is a deliberate decision, and it's a decision that sadly is having catastrophic consequences.

[Ben Ferguson]

You listen to also what was said by Rick Caruso. Rick, there was an election there, a local mayoral election, and Barack Obama came in heavy. Democrats came in heavy. They made sure that Rick, who is, many have described him as extremely competent. Loss to Kieran, I mean, to Mayor Karen, as she's being called now, who I think it's pretty clear now, is proven just how utterly incompetent she is. But Rick called into the local Fox 11 there as the wildfires are raging on, and this is what he said about what's happening.

[Rick Caruso]

My heart goes out obviously to the people with their homes, and I'm watching the small businesses around us go up in flames. This is people's livelihoods. So it's devastating. But what is most concerning to me is our first responders and our firefighters who are trying to battle this. There's no water in the Palisades. There's no water coming out of the fire hydrants. This is an absolute mismanagement by the city. Not the firefighters fault, but it's, and I'm going to be very honest, we've got a mayor that's out of the country and we've got a city that's burning and there's no resources to put out fires. So if you look at your pictures, you don't see the firefighters there because there's nothing they can do. And it looks like we're in a third world country here. And we've got a lot of tough questions that we need to ask the mayor and the city council and our representatives and the county representatives. Why didn't you work to mitigate this? What was your brush mitigation program I heard you earlier talking about it's been dry because there hasn't been rain. That's not the biggest problem here. The brush up in these hills that are controlled by the city and the county. I would bet you that if they haven't been handled, mitigated, pruned, removed for probably 30 or 40 years, this was a disaster waiting to happen. And what's predictable is preventable. And who's paying the price? Are all of these people in their homes and their businesses.

[Ted Cruz]

Tonight, one of the things I want to underscore is what Rick Caruso said there about brush mitigation. That is a major step and it is not being done in California and that is substantially increasing the risks, the magnitude. And nevertheless, the elected officials refuse to prioritize mitigation and prevention strategies. But on top of that, so why does the city slash $17 million from the fire department, particularly when the mayor is warned this will limit our ability to fight wildfires? Well, look, there is a growing problem with radical left wing politicians who prioritize their own political agenda over doing their damn job. And we see it, look, we see it with George Soros district attorneys that release violent criminals that don't want to prosecute, murderers and rapists that come in and say we're not going to keep your family safe. And we see it. So maybe, maybe Los Angeles had no choice. They had to cut the fire department because they just had no money to spend on anything. Well, you know what they were spending on? They were spending thousands of dollars on things including a quote, midnight stroll, transgender cafe and a, and a quote, gay men's chorus, a choir. So they're spending money that. In 2024, the same year they slashed 17 million from the fire department Los Angeles spent $100,000 on the midnight stroll Transgender Cafe. They also spent money on $14,000 for the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles and $170,000 for, quote, social justice artworker investments. So those are the priorities that the Democrat mayor has, rather than hiring firefighters to protect their citizens from the, from the wildfires that are endangering their homes and their families. It is, it's indefensible. And it's not like this was a surprise. She was repeatedly warned and she disregarded those warnings.

[Ben Ferguson]

One of the local things that I saw that really. And it goes back to warnings that was, that went viral, it said, and this is basically like an open letter there from the citizens says they did. They didn't clear dead trees and brush, they did no forest management. They refused to do controlled burns, they destroyed dams intentionally, they refused to fill reservoirs, they pushed water into the ocean. They chose smelt fish over humans. And then they went with dei. The gay fire chief prioritized a three year plan which she described with much pride in interviews, for diversity, equity, inclusion, having the top three people in the fire department be gay. Make no mistake, the fiery destruction of people's homes and lives in Malibu is a direct result of politics. And the politicians in charge in Los Angeles and California are all Democrats. When you see that going viral among Democrats in California and them talking about it this way, they seem to understand this is what cost them their homes, their businesses, is that they put ideology and DEI ahead of public safety and now the chickens are coming home to roost.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, that's absolutely right. And let's focus a little more on LA's policy. So as you said, the top three officials in the LA Fire Department appointed by the mayor are all lesbian women and they're all named Kristen. It is almost like a Saturday Night Live skit, if Saturday Night Live was willing to make fun of such things. But those are the top three officials. They're highly compensated. And let me draw a distinction, by the way, look, there are incredible heroes right now in the LA Fire Department who are risking their lives. And there are firefighters who are doing extraordinary, courageous things right now to keep Californians safe. And we are grateful, we are praying for their safety right now. But at the same time, it is only right to ask, are there policies that are put in place by government that have made this worse? Because we should be asking, what can we do to prevent this next time? What can we do to minimize the risk next time? What can we do to keep people safe the next Time. And I want to play in particular a clip from one of those appointed leaders of the California Fire Department where she says straight up that the ability to rescue people from fires is not her priority. Play the clip for us.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, this is part of that three year plan that the fire chief laid out. It was a three year plan for diversity, equity and inclusion. So the second command of the Los Angeles Fire Department is the assistant chief, Kristen Larson. And this is what she said about her role and her job and bringing more women on.

[Ted Cruz]

You want to see somebody that responds.

[Gavin Newsom]

To your house, your emergency, whether it's a medical call or a fire call.

[Unnamed Citizen]

That looks like you, it gives that.

[Ted Cruz]

Person a little bit more ease knowing.

[Gavin Newsom]

That somebody might understand their situation better. Is she strong enough to do this or. You couldn't carry my husband out of a fire. Which my response is, he got himself in the wrong place if I have to carry him out of a fire.

[Ted Cruz]

That I got to say that that sentence, you couldn't carry my husband out of a fire. My response is, he got himself in the wrong place if I have to carry him out of a fire. That is a stunning abdication, a basic responsibility. She says, well, you wanna see a firefighter who looks like you? No, I wanna see a big dude who can get my ass out of a burning building and save my family. Like the idea. She is admitting right there that they are hiring firefighters who are unable to carry someone out of harm's way. And it's the same arrogant contempt, as I said, that we see from George Soros. Prosecutors that are not doing their basic job because politics matters more to them than doing the basic services of keeping people safe that Americans rightly expect from their government.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, and then you have another breakdown that's happening within this breakdown. And I just want to highlight it because you go back to hiring. Many of the same issues that we're talking about here with the fire department have also affected the Los Angeles Police Department and local channel 5 in LA. KTLA had this report. Now, this is a one of the reporters you're going to hear first, then talking to one of, I guess, her neighbors. And this woman is describing hundreds of thieves that are ransacking homes abandoned during the fires with zero police presence to stop them. And a lot of this they now say is going back to the same policies that we've seen, allowing for massive looting of stories stores and stealing of things at Walgreens and CVS that are under a thousand dollars. Because there are activists that have been put in charge of the DA's office and in the police department, just like at the fire department. And now what you're seeing is this.

[Unnamed Citizen]

It was wild. We just started seeing all these cars pull up, doors open, and groups of men running up our street, going up to the doors of these houses. And we weren't sure what was going on. I'm thinking, are these people here to help my neighbors? I hope so. And I left. And then my husband talked to the police and said, what are those guys doing? These guys don't live here. Get them out. My next door neighbor said his quote, there were like a hundred people that came up on scooters and were trying to get into any and all houses on the street.

[Ben Ferguson]

And did you physically see police officers stopping them?

[Unnamed Citizen]

I didn't, but it's not to say that they weren't. It was some so incredibly chaotic, and I was so worried about my big family and getting them out of our old tinderbox of a house that I was just focused on them first.

[Ben Ferguson]

This is when you know you've lost society in your city. I mean, when the Los Angeles woman is reporting that, quote, hundreds of thieves are ransacking their homes and getting out of dozens and dozens of cars with no police presence to stop them. And then you see that with the policies that we're now hearing about, now you understand why so many people are so angry.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, when politicians put their own radical politics ahead of doing their basic job, these are the consequences. And I will say, I want to play another clip, a clip from Adam Carolla, because you might say, well, maybe the policies that the Democrat politicians have put in place in la, maybe they're not that bad. Listen to this firsthand account that Adam Carolla describes.

[Adam Carolla]

Geez, I want to talk about my white privilege so badly. I graduated North Hollywood high with a 1.7 GPA. I could not find a job. I walked to a fire station in North Hollywood. I was 19. I was living in the garage of my family home. My mom was on welfare and food stamps. And I said, can I get a job as a fireman? And they said, no, because you're not black, Hispanic, or woman. We'll see in about seven years. And I went to a construction site and dug ditches and picked up garbage for the next seven years. I got a letter in the mail sent to my father's house saying, your time has come to do the written exam for the LA Fire Department. I took it and I was standing in line and I had a young woman of color standing behind me in line and I said, just out of curiosity, when did you sign up to become a fireman? Because I did it or person seven years ago. And she said, Wednesday. That is an example of my white privilege.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's Wednesday. This is him telling the story. And again, this is all about.

[Ted Cruz]

And that's his own story, his own direct experience. So LA is openly, directly discriminating. They're discriminating based on race, they're discriminating based on sexual. And listen, I'll tell you when I go. So, you know, I visited a number of firehouses and thanked firefighters in Texas and met with them, particularly in the wake of disasters, to go meet with them. And I'll tell you, the firefighters you see in Texas are almost all big dudes that are like, capable of carrying bodies out of a fire, rescuing people that are really large and really strong. And that apparently is, you know, what's.

[Ben Ferguson]

Interesting about what you just said, My dad said when he was young and we had this conversation the other day, he was policemen. He said firemen had a fireman test. If you couldn't carry someone down a stairwell who was in a wheelchair, you weren't qualified. That was the standard back in the day. It didn't matter if you're black or white or a man or a woman. You had to be able to do that because that was what they described as one of the worst case scenarios.

[Ted Cruz]

And by the way, I'll tell you a personal story. So my mom, as you know, is 90 and she lives in a high rise here in Houston. She's up on the 26th floor, and the power went out in her building, and so they had to evacuate the building. And my mom has limited mobility. She uses a walker. So there was no way she could go down the stairs. That was impossible. And so Houston firefighters carried my mother down 26 flights of stairs. And I mean, it was. And they were just doing their job, but it wasn't because she was my mom. They were helping all the residents down. That was just what firefighters do. And I, you know, I actually sought out those firefighters and thank them because it really, look, my mom was scared. That's a traumatic experience. And, you know, firefighters, that's a core part of the job, is being able to do that.

[Ben Ferguson]

All right. And I also think it's important for us to talk about the other aspect of this, and that is about the water. Gavin Newsom, he made this an issue. He was obsessed with water and fish and all of this Kumbaya ism. And he had press conferences about it. And now all that's coming back to haunt him as well.

[Ted Cruz]

There's no doubt the water policies have greatly exacerbated the problems with wildfires and the ability to fight the wildfires. And listen, LA right now is facing a drought. And at the same time, California is dumping massive quantities of fresh water into the ocean. They're wasting it. Here's what Donald Trump said yesterday when he came. He was in the Senate. He met with me and all the Republican senators. We spent about two hours with him. And what he said is, he said, he said that Gavin Newsom wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, but didn't care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to flow into California. He is to blame for this. Now, let's lay out the facts that go behind this. So California's main water hub is the Sacramento San Joaquin River Delta. And among other things, the state of California has been refusing to provide sufficient water to California farmers. And as I said, they're dumping it in the Pacific Ocean instead. And the reason they're doing so is because of. Because of a fish, a fish called the delta smelt. And so Trump, when he was president, wanted to divert supply to the farmers. And in response, environmental groups argued that it would hurt the population of delta smelt, small fish that were once crucial to California's ecosystem but has since been rendered effectively extinct. So Trump first promise, and this is from the New York Post. Trump first promised Reed effect redirect California's northern runoff south to benefit farmers when he was running for president in 2016. And he made good on the promise in 2020 with a federal memorandum that redirected millions of gallons of water he said was otherwise needlessly flushed into the ocean. So that's what Trump did in 2020. Well, what did Gavin Newsom do? He sued the federal government to stop that water from. From going to. To California farmers. Days later, Newsom's administration sued to block Trump's move, and he succeeded in limiting the amount of water that can be pumped from the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta. This is. And now we're facing the. The enormous frustration of people in Los Angeles when they don't have sufficient water to fight these wildfires. And yet Gavin Newsom continues to fight for not directing water anywhere other than fixing these problems.

[Ben Ferguson]

You listen to Governor Newsom and bragging about not only what you described, but bragging about tearing down dams to save fish because WOKE activists said you got to do it. This is again the consequences of actions. Here is Gavin Newsom cheering on how brilliant his idea was when he did it.

[Gavin Newsom]

Largest dam removal project in U.S. history and one of the most significant, if not the most significant water restoration project bringing back salmon and steelhead into this basin. This project could not have happened without extraordinary partnerships with tribal nations. And of course our partners in the north, in Oregon just finished a celebration with the Secretary of the Interior and our tribal council and tribal leaders. And I couldn't be more proud as a Californian and I couldn't be more proud as a province because my kids and their great, great grandkids will have the opportunity to see something that. Well, he's been here since time immemorial and it's about damn time we got this done.

[Ted Cruz]

That's not you and me characterizing what he did. That's in his own words saying how incredibly proud he is of quote, the largest dam removal project in US history. That's a policy decision he made. Now what are the consequences of this? Give a listen to Gavin Newsom being asked about LA not having water in its fire hydrants. Here was his answer during this crisis.

[Ben Ferguson]

What is the situation with water? Obviously in Palisades. Ran out last night in the hydrants. I was firing the firefighter on this block. They left because there was no water in the hydrant here.

[Gavin Newsom]

Local folks are trying to figure that out. I mean, just when you have a system that is not dissimilar to what we've seen in other extraordinarily large scale fires, whether it be pipe electricity or whether it just be the complete overwhelm the system. I mean those hydrants are typical for two or three fires, maybe one fire you have something at this scale. But again, that's going to be determined by the local.

[Ben Ferguson]

Not my problem. It's the local people. And he literally, as he's saying this, threw his hands up in the air on national TV like this is, this is a. This is I guess below my pay grade. You ask the local officials, not my problem as the governor.

[Ted Cruz]

So local folks are going to figure that out. Not my job. Without taking any responsibility for his decisions, he's literally sued the federal government to block money going to Californians and bragged about how proud he is of the largest dam removal in U.S. history. And by the way, you know, he's also trying to put all the blame on local officials. And I agree the local officials had policies in place that had a significant consequence. But I'll tell you also, so did Gavin Newsom, you know we talked a minute ago about firefighters and Karen Bass slashing, slashing the budget for the Fire Department. Well, last year Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have let Cal Fire, the statewide fire agency, retain seasonal firefighters to help with staffing shortages. And his veto forced the layoff of thousands of seasonal firefighters. This is from Kate Sanchez who is a California assembly woman and goes on to say his veto forced the layoff of thousands of seasonal firefighters who he never replaced despite his promises. This is negligence of the highest orders. And I want to read to you. So this is September 22, 2024, so not very long. Just a few months ago, Office of the Governor, quote to the members of the California State Assembly, I am returning Assembly Bill 2538 without my signature. The bill would, among other things, require the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Cal Fire to employ seasonal firefighters through the use of an employment list. This bill would also require the Department of Human Resources to coordinate with the state Personnel board and any other relevant state agency to take the necessary actions to allow Cal Fire to employ seasonal firefighters for longer than nine months in a consecutive 12 month period. Increasing Cal Fire's capacity is an important objective. And with the introduction of the 66 hour workweek for firefighters, my administration will need to hire more than 2,000 new year round firefighters. Note that California Assemblywoman said he didn't do that, significantly increasing the department's capacity in the off season. This bill is therefore unnecessary. So he vetoes hiring more firefighters just like the Mayor of Los Angeles did. And I want you to listen to this exchange. This exchange, when Gavin Newsom is confronted by a woman asking for answers about his disastrous policies. Give a listen to this exchange.

[Unnamed Citizen]

Governor, you got a second? Governor? Governor, I live here. Governor, that was my daughter's school. Governor, please tell me what you're going to do. I'm not going to hurt him, I promise.

[Gavin Newsom]

I'm literally talking to the President right now to specifically answer the question of what we can do for you and your daughter.

[Unnamed Citizen]

Can I hear it? Can I hear your call? Cuz I don't believe it.

[Gavin Newsom]

I'm sorry, can I. There's literally. I've tried five times. That's why I'm walking around to make my.

[Unnamed Citizen]

Why is the President not taking your call?

[Gavin Newsom]

Because it's not going through. Why have to get cell service.

[Unnamed Citizen]

So let's get it, let's get it. I want to be here when you call the President.

[Gavin Newsom]

I appreciate I'm doing that right now and it's to immediately get Reimbursements, individual systems, and to help. God devastated for me.

[Ben Ferguson]

I'm so sorry.

[Gavin Newsom]

Especially for your daughter. I have four kids losing everyone who.

[Unnamed Citizen]

Went to school there. They lost their homes. They lost two homes because they were living in one building, another. Governor, please tell me, tell me, what are you going to do with the President right now?

[Gavin Newsom]

We're getting the resources to help rebuild.

[Unnamed Citizen]

Why was there no water in the hydrants?

[Gavin Newsom]

Governor, it's all literally.

[Unnamed Citizen]

Is it going to be different next time?

[Gavin Newsom]

It has to be.

[Ted Cruz]

Has to be.

[Gavin Newsom]

Of course.

[Unnamed Citizen]

What are you going to do? I'm going to fill the hydrants. I would fill them up personally. You know that.

[Gavin Newsom]

I literally have.

[Unnamed Citizen]

I would fill up the hydrants myself. But would you do that?

[Gavin Newsom]

I would do whatever I can.

[Unnamed Citizen]

But you're not. I see the. Do you know there's water dripping over there? Governor, there's water coming out there. You can use it.

[Gavin Newsom]

I appreciate it. I'm going to make the call to address everything I can right now, including making sure.

[Unnamed Citizen]

People I'd like to make sure. Can I have an opportunity to at least tell people you're doing what you're saying you're doing? Could somebody have a contact. Can I have your contact information?

[Ben Ferguson]

Nothing like ducking into your SUV and then saying, oh, I got to take a phone call with the President. You're.

[Adam Carolla]

You.

[Ben Ferguson]

You move on, lady. I hear what you're saying, but you move on. One of the most shocking parts that exchange though center was the fact that both people involved. The lady who lived there, her child's school is burned to the ground, and Gavin Newsom are both admitting there will be a next time. And if you know that this is a next time and you know that you deal with these fires, why did you make all these decisions?

[Ted Cruz]

And it's over and over again repeated decisions, and he's accepting no responsibility. He was warned about the consequences of those decisions, and yet he doesn't change them. The mayor was warned, and she doesn't change them. And look, his first reaction when the woman comes up is to lie to her. Oh, I'm on the phone with the President right now, and I gotta give the woman credit. It's, you know, it's. You know, the old trick pretending to be on a phone call, and she's like, great, can I listen? He's like, oh, well, I'm not actually on the phone, but I'm trying. Like, it is a horrific natural disaster, a horrific crisis. Although I say natural disaster, we're getting also multiple reports of some or all of these fires having originated from arson, we don't know the full details of that. And so it may turn out that these fires are not entirely natural in their origin. That we will find out more hopefully in the days ahead. But regardless, better forest management and mitigation could reduce the risks of these fires. And yet the politicians in California refused to do it. Investing in firefighters, putting the priority of doing their job and putting sufficient resources there could make a real difference. And yet the politicians actively refused to do so. Both the mayor and the governor, and ensuring there's sufficient water could make a real difference in fighting these forest fires. And yet the elected politicians repeatedly refused to do so and brag about how proud they are of these policies. I hope on the federal government that this prompts a serious reconsideration of the policies of what are allowed on federal forest lands. I know President Trump wants to see that happen. And we will see whether our Democrat colleagues in Congress are willing to work to get that done or if they will continue to double down on the same failed policies that are endangering people's lives and costing people's lives. And I just want to close where we started. Listen, we are praying for the people of California who are living through hell right now. We are praying for the firefighters and police officers and first responders and, by the way, just ordinary citizens and churches and charities who are coming together and helping each other. And I will say, you know, in the wake of any disaster, you see people come together and help each other. And that's an amazing, powerful thing. But at the same time, we need to ask, are there policies that caused this disaster or made it worse? And are there policy changes that can reduce the risk of another tragedy like this in the future? And sadly, the answer to those questions is unquestionably yes. And I think for that reason, a whole lot of people in California are understandably and justifiably furious right now.

[Ben Ferguson]

No doubt about it. Prayers for everyone affected. We're going to keep you updated on this story. We're going to keep following the facts so that you're armed with the facts so you know why this is happening, how this is happening, and everything else that we talked about in the show. Don't forget, hit that subscribe or auto download button. I'll keep you updated on the days in between. We do the show Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So download my podcast, the Ben Fergus, and podcasts for that as well. And the center and I will see you back here on Saturday for our week in review.