Letters to the Editor: Why Mayor Bass' climate proposal is 'a case of penny-wise, pound-foolish'
To the editor: Thank you for your article on Mayor Karen Bass' puzzling proposal to shut down the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office, knowing that climate change is only going to get steadily and predictably worse every year ('Climate change is cooking Los Angeles. Does Karen Bass care?,' May 1). We the people don't support Bass' decision, that's for sure.
In 2023, the Public Policy Institute of California reported that 85% of Californians expressed concern about heat waves, with the highest concern rates among respondents making less than $40,000 a year (89%). If it was a response to fiscal constraints, the proposal seems to me a case of penny-wise, pound-foolish. The climate change-fueled Palisades and Eaton fires caused billions of dollars worth of damage. I urge the City Council to say no to the proposal, forcing Bass to reorder her priorities.
Cher Gilmore, Newhall
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
40 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Scott Bessent Accuses Gavin Newsom of Threatening 'Tax Evasion'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused California Governor Gavin Newsom of "threatening to commit criminal tax evasion" after the Democratic leader suggested in a social media post that the state should consider withholding federal tax payments in response to possible funding cuts from the Trump administration. Newsweek has reached out to Newsom's press office for comment via email on Sunday. Why It Matters The Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal funding from various state programs and institutions, including research and education programs. Last week, CNN reported that the administration is considering cutting grant funding to the University of California and California State University systems. In late-May, President Donald Trump threatened to pull "large scale federal funding" from the Golden State unless it bars transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports. Bessent's remarks come amid ongoing tensions between federal, state, and local authorities as protests continue in Los Angeles, which were sparked following immigration raids during which police followed the Trump administration's directives to arrest people. Some protesters have thrown rocks at officers, with one allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail, and burning items in the streets. Agents have used tear gas on the crowds. The clashes highlight deepening conflicts between sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration policy, as Trump has implemented sweeping changes through executive orders and deployed the National Guard against local leaders wishes. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 7. Inset: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks in West Hollywood, California, on March 26. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 7. Inset: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks in West Hollywood, California, on March 26. Photo by Corine Solberg/Sipa USA/Aaron Schwartz/AP Images What To Know On Friday, Newsom shared a screenshot of a CNN article on X, formerly Twitter, about the Trump administration's potential move to cut federal funding to the state, writing, "Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it's time to cut that off." Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it's time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 6, 2025 His post followed a CNN report that the Trump administration is targeting California's public university system over alleged antisemitism on campus. The administration has already taken similar action against Harvard University. California is the most populous state in the country with over 39 million people. It leads all the states in federal tax collection, with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reporting that California contributed around $806 billion to total IRS collections in the 2024 fiscal year, which is about 15 percent of the national total. A recent analysis by the Rockefeller Institute of Government found the state contributed $83.1 billion more in federal taxes in 2022 than it received back. In response to the governor, Bessent, who oversees the IRS, wrote in an X post on Sunday: "Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening to commit criminal tax evasion. His plan: defraud the American taxpayer and leave California residents on the hook for unpaid federal taxes." Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening to commit criminal tax evasion. His plan: defraud the American taxpayer and leave California residents on the hook for unpaid federal taxes. (1/3) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) June 8, 2025 In a follow up post, he wrote: "I am certain most California businesses know that failing to pay taxes owed to the Treasury constitutes tax evasion and have no intention of following the dangerous path Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening." In a third post, the treasury secretary called the governor's comments "extremely reckless." Federal law defines a willful attempt to evade or defeat federal taxes as a felony under United States law. The public clash comes as Newsom is sparring with Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over deployment of the National Guard, and potentially active-military Marines, following protests in California sparked over federal immigration enforcement operations. Hegseth wrote in a Saturday evening post on X that in addition to mobilizing guards, nearby Marines may also be called upon, writing, "And, if violence continues, active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert." What People Are Saying White House spokesperson Kush Desai told CNN in a Friday statement: "No taxpayer should be forced to fund the demise of our country," in regard to certain California policies related to energy and immigration. "No final decisions, however, on any potential future action by the Administration have been made, and any discussion suggesting otherwise should be considered pure speculation." Robert Rivas, speaker of the California State Assembly, wrote in a BlueSky post about the CNN article on Friday: "This is unconstitutional and vindictive. We're the nation's economic engine and the largest donor state, and deserve our fair share. I'll use every legal and constitutional tool available to defend CA -- we must look at every option, including withholding federal taxes." What Happens Next? The tension between the Trump administration and Newsom don't show signs of easing.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tensions rise as National Guard comes face-to-face with L.A. protestors
Dozens of National Guard members, wearing helmets, riot gear and carrying rifles, arrived in Los Angeles Sunday morning after being called up by President Donald Trump to quell violent demonstrations. They were met by a crowd of protesters marching to the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown L.A. Reports said the crowd disappeared after authorities deployed tear gas, but they reassembled, according to NBC News' L.A. affiliate. Trump deployed 2,000 members of the National Guard to California on Saturday night, in response to days-long protests against raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents against migrants who are in the country illegally. The Department of Homeland Security released a list of some of the arrests made during the raids, where they claimed the operation swept up the 'worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.' The president categorized the events transpiring in L.A. as 'a riot' in a press gaggle Sunday morning. He also had a stark warning for California officials 'who stand in the way of law and order': 'They will face judges,' he told reporters. California Gov. Gavin Newsom urged his state to not 'give Trump what he wants.' 'Stay calm. Stay peaceful,' he said in a post Sunday afternoon. Late on Saturday night, Trump thanked the National Guard before calling Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass 'incompetent.' 'Just look at how they handled the fires, and now their VERY SLOW PERMITTING disaster. Federal permitting is complete!' he said on social media of the disaster relief and rebuilding efforts following January's wildfires. He then issued a warning to violent protesters, saying they won't be tolerated or allowed to wear masks at protests. Newsom responded to Trump's post with sarcasm. 'Smart guys running the operation,' he wrote. 'The National Guard wasn't even deployed on the ground when Trump posted this. Pete Hegseth runs the Pentagon as well as he throws an axe on a Fox News set.' This standoff between the Trump White House and California leaves lingering questions unanswered. For starters, are the protests as peaceful as the Democratic officials claim? And did California actually need the National Guard to help out? Newsom and Bass claimed the protests were peaceful. The Democratic governor went as far as to say the administration is purposefully 'sowing chaos.' Bass said the protests have been peaceful so far — a claim Utah Sen. Mike Lee disagreed with. 'Remember which elected officials are on the side of the people assaulting federal officers and waving foreign flags,' Lee said in another post. 'They created this situation, and whine when President Trump acts to resolve it through deportations and border security.' ICE targeted several areas in L.A. over the weekend, including a Home Depot close to a school where a graduation ceremony was taking place. On June 6, the agency said it faced an attack from protesters. 'Our brave officers were vastly outnumbered, as over 1,000 rioters surrounded and attacked a federal building,' said ICE acting director Todd Lyons. 'It took over two hours for the Los Angeles Police Department to respond, despite being called multiple times.' The same day, ICE arrested 118 undocumented immigrants. Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., on CNN's 'State of the Union' said federal authorities expect to conduct ICE enforcement raids for 30 days, and the federal troops are expected to aid ICE in this process. Tensions flared in L.A. on Sunday. Rep. Maxine Waters, while addressing two National Guard soldiers, said 'Who are you going to shoot?' 'If you're going to shoot me, you better shoot straight.' This state-sanctioned sanctuary city has become a focal point in the Trump administration's battle against illegal immigration. The administration's actions also serve as a warning to other deeply blue cities and states that they plan to crack down on illegal immigration even in places where state and local officials refuse to cooperate. Trump has repeatedly threatened to withhold federal funds from California as leverage in an attempt to shift the liberal state's politics. Late last month, Trump levied this threat over a transgender athlete's participation in a state girls' track meet. Amid reports of the Trump White House actively considering slashing federal grants dispersed to California universities, Newsom on Friday suggested California should withhold $80 billion in taxes. In response, White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Politico 'the Trump administration is committed to ... restoring the California Dream.' Newsom claimed Trump didn't send the National Guard members 'because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle.' Bass told The Los Angeles Times that the Trump White House dismissed L.A.'s ability to handle the crisis. 'We tried to talk to the administration and tell them that there was absolutely no need to have troops on the ground here in Los Angeles,' she said on Sunday morning. 'The protests that happened last night in L.A. were relatively minor, about 100 protesters.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Strategists say President Trump is sending National Guard to Los Angeles to make a spectacle
Members of the California National Guard arrived in Los Angeles Sunday morning in response to Friday and Saturday's protest against federal immigration raids. President Donald Trump moved to deploy the 2,000 members over the opposition of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who called the move inflammatory and unnecessary. Julian Castro, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and now an MSNBC political analyst, along with Don Calloway, host of The Caucus Room P
