LA Mayor Karen Bass declines to respond to questions regarding her absence during the wildfires that are devastating the city.
During a news conference, Bass, who cut city Fire Department funding last year, promptly addressed the issue.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass remained silent and did not respond to reporters' inquiries regarding her initial absence during the wildfires that occurred within her city's boundaries.
Did you apologize to citizens for being absent during the burning of their homes, and did you regret cutting the Fire Department budget by millions of dollars, Madame Mayor? Sky News reporter David Blevins posed this question to Bass as she waited to disembark from her flight in Ghana on Wednesday.
"What do you have to say to the citizens today?" he asked.
The reporter was ignored by Bass as he continued to look away and ignore her questions.
"Do you believe you should have been in Ghana during the time this was happening back home?" he asked.
"Mayor, do you have any words to share with the citizens as you return?" he inquired.
Bass stated during a Wednesday afternoon news conference in Los Angeles that she returned using the fastest route and a military plane for her speedy arrival.
"She admitted that she was thousands of miles away when the first wildfires broke out Tuesday, but she took the fastest route back, which included being on a military plane, which facilitated our communications. As a result, she was able to be on the phone the entire time of the flight."
She stated, "We are fighting for you and all residents of Los Angeles," while giving the impression of reading from prepared remarks.
Critics have accused Bass of being responsible for the disaster due to the budget cuts she made to firefighting forces, which she used to fund the city's homeless population.
In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) received $837 million in funding, which was about 65% of the size of the homeless budget, which totaled $1.3 billion.
The LAFD's budget was cut by $17,553,814 from $837,191,237 to $819,637,423 between the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 budgets.
The wildfires in Los Angeles County persist, forcing evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents as Bass arrives on the scene.
As of Wednesday afternoon, five individuals have been confirmed dead in the Eaton Fire, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Planet Chronicle Digital has reached out to Bass' office for comment.
Planet Chronicle Digital's Breck Dumas contributed to this report.
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