Democratic Mayor Karen Bass previously said during her 2021 mayoral campaign that she would not travel overseas while in office.
As flames and high winds ravaged Los Angeles, Basu traveled to Ghana to attend the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. The current mayor asserted in an interview with The New York Times on October 17, 2021: interview If she were elected, she would only travel to major cities in the United States, not other countries.
“[N]Of course, I plan on not only living here, but also traveling abroad. As for Los Angeles, the only places I would go would be Washington, D.C., Sacramento, San Francisco and New York,” Bass told the Times.
In addition to Ghana, she has traveled outside the United States at taxpayer expense at least four times in the past year, according to Bus's public schedule, including attending President Claudia Sheinbaum's inauguration. This includes one trip to Mexico and three trips to Paris. , France will host the 2024 Olympics, according to the Times.
Californians are furious about bus travel amid fires. as a result At least 24 people were killed and an estimated 12,000 homes, businesses and schools were destroyed. Neighborhoods and communities have been devastated by wildfires, with 150,000 people forced to evacuate.
Eaton Fire: This is the reality for some homeowners who aren't even that far above the mountain. #Altadena @DailyCaller #pasadena | #California pic.twitter.com/4Il84D14JD
— Hailey Grace Gomez (@haileyggomez) January 8, 2025
Bass' office told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the mayor is focused on “protecting assets” and “concentrating” Los Angeles' residents, and has “secured resources for all of the above recovery plans.” ” he said.
“This was, of course, a misunderstanding, considering the Olympics are coming up, the city of Los Angeles owns and operates the nation's largest international trading hub, and one-third of Angelenos are born overseas. “The mayor of Los Angeles travels internationally on a daily basis,” Seidl said. Said.
When Sky News reporter David Blevins asked if he owed voters an apology for being absent when the bushfires started, the mayor appeared silent, staring blankly at the wall. She was reportedly on an African visit at the behest of President Joe Biden's administration, which represents the United States in Ghana, and was “in constant communication” with local and federal county officials about the fires, the Times reported. reported. (Related article: 'Gross mismanagement': Petition to recall Los Angeles mayor gathers nearly 100,000 signatures amid devastating fires)
base approved The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)'s budget originally called for a $23 million cut, but the city had set aside unspent funds, which the fire department ultimately received, but the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) It included a $17.6 million reduction in the LAFD budget. LAFD Director Christine Crowley's total increased by $53 million from last year. warned Bass said in December that $7 million in cuts to the fire department “significantly limited” the organization's ability to train and adequately prepare for “large-scale emergencies.”
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