Palisades Fire Survivor's Frustration: 'Not One Home Rebuilt' After 10 Months

Slow Recovery in Pacific Palisades

• 🏠 Greg Champion, a Pacific Palisades homeowner, expresses deep frustration over the lack of rebuilding progress 10 months after the devastating fires.
• 🚫 He states that not a single home in the area has been fully rebuilt, and he is hesitant to rebuild his own home without neighbors.
• 🐌 The permit system is described as slow and inefficient, with no additional staffing despite promises of streamlining.

Criticism of Government Response

• 🗣️ Champion and Steve Hilton criticize California leaders, including Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass, for mismanagement of the fire response and aftermath.
• 🏛️ Hilton calls out Mayor Bass's executive order on streamlining permits as "total BS," highlighting a disconnect between promises and action.
• 💸 Residents are reportedly still paying property taxes despite not having homes, adding to their financial burden.

Reasons for Delays and Mismanagement

• 💧 Hilton suggests environmental extremism contributed to the lack of water for firefighting, citing restrictions to protect endangered species like the smelt.
• 🪴 There are also claims that firefighters were prevented from fully extinguishing the initial blaze to protect an endangered plant, the milk vetch.
• 📉 The mismanagement and slow recovery are cited as reasons for people moving out of California, with Hilton noting that smart people have left the state.

Call for Accountability

• 🔍 Hilton, who is running for California Governor, vows to conduct a full investigation and hold those responsible accountable for the failures.
• 🤝 He is working with a mother, Rachel Darvis, who is also campaigning for change in California, specifically addressing the permit process.