While Los Angeles officials were stripping millions in funding from their fire department ahead of one of the most destructive wildfires in state history, hundreds of thousands of dollars were allocated to fund programs such as a “Gay Men’s Chorus” and housing for the transgender homeless.
Deadly fires erupted across Southern California this week, which were amplified by fierce winds that resulted in about 10,000 homes and businesses being destroyed. After fire hydrants weren’t producing water and homes burned to the ground, residents began calling out Democratic-led leadership in the state, who cut the Los Angeles Fire Department’s (LAFD) funding by $17.6 million just months prior.
But even as the department funding was being pulled back, a Fox News Digital review of the L.A. County budget uncovered thousands of taxpayer dollars that were allocated to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs giving syringes to the homeless.
For example, the budget allocated $14,010 to the “Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles” this year, 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.”
Another $190,000 was allocated to the Homeless and HIV Program, which includes a “syringe exchange” program that gives sterile syringes to homeless drug addicts.
An additional $100,000 of county funds was put aside to pay for Juneteenth celebrations, while $13,000 was allocated to “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage Month Programs.”
The Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department was also granted $100,000 for a “Midnight Stroll Transgender Cafe” to fund housing for homeless transgender individuals in Hollywood.
The county also granted $13,000 to “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage Month Programs” and $4.5 million to the infrastructure of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. Appropriations for the General City Purposes saw $250,000 set aside for “equity and inclusion.”
According to the report, homelessness funding was larger than the LAFD budget for the second year in a row.
Amid the Los Angeles-area fires, celebrities, such as actress Sara Foster, called out state officials for their legislative focus over the years.
“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 fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor. But thank god drug addicts are getting their drug kits,” Foster wrote in a post on X. “@MayorOfLA @GavinNewsom RESIGN. Your far left policies have ruined our state. And also our party.”
Following the funding cut, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone on Wednesday said that “there are not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude.”
