While Los Angeles officials were confiscation of millions of funds from their fire department on the eve of one of the most devastating wildfires in state history, hundreds of thousands of dollars were allocated to fund programs such as the Gay Men’s Chorus and housing for the transgender homeless.
Deadly fires erupted across Southern California this week, fueled by strong winds that resulted in the destruction of about 10,000 homes and businesses. After fire hydrants stopped producing water and homes burned to the ground, residents began calling out the state’s Democratic-led leadership, which just months earlier had cut funding to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) by $17.6 million.
But even as the department’s funding was pulled, a Fox News Digital review of the LA County budget found thousands of taxpayer dollars being allocated to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and homeless syringe programs.
For example, this year’s budget allocated $14,010 to the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, a group that seeks to “create musical experiences that strengthen our role as a leader among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and performing arts organizations.”
Fire crews walk as they battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles on Thursday. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
An additional $190,000 was allocated to the homeless and HIV program, which includes a “syringe exchange” program that provides sterile syringes to homeless drug addicts.
An additional $100,000 in county funds was set aside to pay for the June 16 celebration, while $13,000 was allocated to “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage Month Programs.”
The Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department also received $100,000 for the “Midnight Stroll Transgender Cafe” to fund housing for homeless transgender people in Hollywood.
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles performs on stage during the 2013 Do Something Awards held at the Avalon in Hollywood, California on July 31, 2013. (Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
The district also allocated $13,000 for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage Month Programs” and $4.5 million for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Appropriations for general city purposes saw $250,000 set aside for “equity and inclusion.”
According to the report, homeless funding outpaced the LAFD budget for the second year in a row.
In the midst of the fires in Los Angeles, celebrities such as actress Sara Foster, the state officials called out due to their legislative focus over the years.
Entire blocks of houses were seen burning in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles on Thursday. (Mark J. Terrill)
“We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save the fish. Our mayor cut our fire department budget. But thank God that drug addicts get their drug paraphernalia,” Foster wrote in a post on X. “@MayorOfLA @GavinNewsom RESIGN destroyed our country, and also our party.”
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Following the funding cuts, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Wednesday that “there are not enough firefighters in LA County to deal with four separate fires of this magnitude.”
