And we continue at two o five in the afternoon on The John Phillips Show, broadcasting live from San Francisco. Mister Randy Wiggs in Culver City.
Still hurts John. We have breaking news coming out of CNN. The former staffer who accused Eric Swalwell of raping her is cooperating with the Manhattan DA's investigation.
He could end up sharing a cell with Harvey Weinstein. Oh boy, I think he's at Rikers Island, isn't he.
I think so.
Yeah, that doesn't sound like fun.
Do you think if this thing goes to trial there's going to be artists renderings of his genitals? Well, if there is, I would imagine that some of our listeners are going to recreate it and then email it to us. I was just thinking about that with that Weinstein one was great.
Well read it from Sunland and she must have come up with seven or eight drawings, and some of them, some of them I considered hanging in my house. Now. They were extremely explicit for all the wrong reasons. But art is art, Randy, and sometimes you don't argue with art. Eight hundred two two two five two two two is a telephone number one eight hundred two two two five two two two. It is our pleasure to welcome our next guest to the program. He is a Republican political
strategist too. You can follow on exit the Thomas Guide, John Thomas Welcome.
Hey John, great to be with you.
Well, if we were chatting three weeks ago, we would be talking about Eric Swalwell being the front runner for governor in California. But oh boy, have the tides turned now. According to the buzz, Javier Bessera is the new it girl and is the new candidate that the Democratic Party establishment is considering getting behind to try to save the party from Katie Porter and Tom Steyer.
Your thoughts on that, well, it's it's interesting to watch this that Swalwell, really, in any.
Other competitive race.
Should never have been in such a strong position. But I think the rally behind Swalwell originally John was more of a reflection of establishment Democrats like Adam Schiff and others loathing Katie Porter and distrusting Tom Steyer, and Swalwell was the only one left around. And then, of course I think all the insiders knew that he was a creep. I just don't think they recognized he was a rapie creep, and so that became politically problematic for them. And here
and here we are. But what what an interesting rise that Bessarah is now in a position of strengths because let's not forget John he was nowhere just a couple of weeks ago, and he's done nothing to justify the rise. So I remain slightly skeptical that he's going to be the guy because let's not forget Tom. Syers dropped one hundred and thirty million so far into this race, and
Besarah's at a couple of million. Seems like it's going to be a little harder to keep that stickiness that that Sarah seems having in the polls through election day.
Let's talk about Tom Steier because one of the things that you do is part of your job as a strategist, is part of getting someone elected to an office that they're running for, is you have to package them in
a way to voters that makes them attractive. And one of the things that the Stier campaign has done when you look at his ads is they portray him as this guy who is is swearing and cursing and bede pressing and superhero like and he's going to take on the Trump administration, and he's going to put Ice in prison, and he's going to march into Sacramento like a bull in a china shop and no one's going to stop him.
And then you see him on stage at the debate, and he looks like an old man wearing tennis shoes in an old folks home. So he doesn't trip and break a hip, and he's kind of confused at times, mixing things up, and he certainly looks like a deer in the cotton the headlights at times when he's asked something he's not being expecting to be asked. It doesn't match with the packaging of the candidate. When you actually see him perform in a debate, he's quiet. He is
someone who doesn't seem totally sure of himself. He is certainly not the ass kicker that they portray in the ads.
That's problematic, and you're right, John, I mean, just in advertising in general, that I learned way back in my collegiate days when I was studying advertising, that a brand is a promise of consistency, and that means a consistent message and a consistent image across channels, and so that disconnect between the TV ads that they've framed stier as and the debate performances, and to the degree that Sire's on the trail, you know, the experience that real voters
are having with him, there is a disconnect. But I know why that they frame Sire is this tough guy, and it's because it's the same reason Gavin Newsom is portraying himself as a tough guy. Because the number one thing that Democrats say they want right now is a fighter, a fighter against Donald Trump, and so they're trying to fit Stire into that bold and on TV it's okay,
but it's not authentically true. And I think that's why you're seeing Styre kind of hovering in the teens and not running away with this race, despite the fact that he's outspent everybody tenfold.
Katie Porter seemed very shaky at the debate when she was asked about how she treated that staffer when she told the staffer to get out of a reference shod. She certainly had it in for Julie Watts of CBS News. He's going to be moderating the next debate in Claremont next week, who was the one that she didn't like the line of questioning, and she threatened to get up and walk off the set and end the interview right there.
And she had a prepackaged answer clearly where she blamed Donald Trump as if Donald Trump is responsible for her having a short fuse. But whatever, that's how she decided to answer the question. There are rumors that are swirling, rumors that come from the via Goosa camp from Michael Trehillo, who's a strategist to has worked with Via Ragosa for years, that there are more tapes involving Katie Porter being abusive that are going to be released before the election. If
you're Katie Porter, is that catastrophic for you? Or do you think people understanding that you're an abusive person is already baked into the cake and it's not going to move the needle much one way or the other.
Well, I think the shakiness is probably a side effect of all the ozembic that she's chewing during these debates, because there's something else with that transformation. But aside from that, it is her achilles heel. And it's kind of like on the flip side of Tom Steyer in the sense of everybody knows Katie Porter does have a decent amount of name id and the ret and their suspicion and their fear about Katie Porter is that she's not like us.
She's not a nice person, she doesn't care about everyday Californians, And every time something authentically pops up her screaming at a staffer, it undermines her entire brand persona and it causes the ads not to land. So one more video drop, I mean, that's about it. Although I think it's tough for Katie because she's run before and she's fairly well known.
I think her ceiling for this race is pretty much what it's been in the other Democrats and the other races she's run statewide, which is probably what fifteen to seventeen percent, And so I just think she's probably not going to get there anyway. John. But if another video comes out that confirms to voter suspicions about what they think to be true, which is she's not a nice person, she doesn't care about us, that's it for Katie Porter.
If you took a look at the focus groups or the snappolls, whatever you want to call them, after the debate, they all said pretty much the same thing, which is that Matt mahon performed the best. To my eye, Matt Mayheon had a very good night. What I can't figure out is where the votes are for Matt Mayheon. It seems to me like he's sticking his pull in a
pond that doesn't have any fish in it. He's talking to Democrats who believe that the state of California is run very poorly, and that Gavin Newsom has failed the state in terms of homelessness and crime and inefficiency and waste, fraud and abuse and fill in the blank. I know a lot of Republicans who that argument resonates with. But Republicans are going to vote for one of the Republican candidates. I don't know Republican is going to vote for one
of the Democrats. I'm sure they exist, I don't know them. I don't know any Democrats who feel that way. The Democrats I know are all ginded up right now about Donald Trump. That's what they care about. Some of them are ginned up about Ice, but mostly a hatred for Donald Trump. And I just don't see a huge population of people out there in the Democratic Party who are furious at how the state is run and they want someone to be better than Gavin Newsom.
In that regard, your analysis I think is completely correct. He's kind of caught in the middle of no man's land here. The partisans are going to take their corners and there's not a lot of room left for Matt. And let's not forget you know, in politics generally, debates you don't win elections, and debates you can only lose them. So they're really more risk mitigation exercises than opportunities to
make a name for yourself. And so while Matt I think did do a good job at the debate, he needs more than a debate to catapult him into relevancy. And again, his messaging is exactly what you said, and it just doesn't fit with the anger of the average Democrat, which really is wrapped around Donald Trump. That's why, even though what you said about Sire is true, he's kind of a milktost meek guy. It's the reason his ad team is making him try to put him as a
as an anti Trump crusader. It's why Eric Swollwell did as well as he did for so long, because he was authentically thought to be anti Trump and in the fight and if you don't check that box, and I think the Sarah is a wobbler at best at checking that box.
But if you don't.
Moderately at least check that box, you're not going to generate the intensity that you need to pop into high high, you know, into double digits to win this race. And so I just I think Matt Mayhon is kind of a tech bro billionaire's dream that's never going to see reality.
If the Democratic Party walks away from this week's debate with the assessment that Bisarah just doesn't have it, that he's not going to be the guy that's going to take him to the Promised Land, do they give Anti, Toni olvir Rigosa and Tony Thurman a second look. Who are the remaining Democrats and single digits who were not invited to that debate? Or do they just accept the inevitability of either Katie Porter or Tom Steyer or Matt Mayhean.
I think they accept the inevitability. I mean, you can't breathe life into a campaign that's sitting at one percent or two percent. It's just there's almost no amount of sheer will that'll get that done. So I think the real tell of the establishment is that they if they start kind of cozying up to a Tom Styer, I think that that starts to become like an I'm sorry coalition. Try to make sure that they're not heads, aren't on
the chopping block if Tom's the guy. But I just struggle to see a path if you're sitting at one or two percent. I mean, Antonio is really such a fascinating character, because you know, he's had a pretty distinguished elected career, and yet no one cares about him in this race for governor.
Let's move on to the Republicans, because I thought that Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, was magnificent when the subject was public safety, when the subject was law enforcement oriented, he knew more than anyone else on that stage, and he should He's worked in that industry his entire life. But he had a real knowledge, he had a real passion, and I thought that that came through he was shakier
on other subjects. He certainly is conservative, he certainly knows how he sees the world, but in terms of the details, you could tell he was more of a big picture guy on issues that don't involve law enforcement. Steve Hilton was more of a policy wonk than the other candidates. He certainly had more details in his answers to the
questions that were asked of him. But if you were to ask me which one of them did better than the other, I would say they pretty much battled it out to a draw, which, if you're the California Republican Party, is exactly what you want because you want your voters to split their vote fifty to fifty between the two.
Yeah, that's that is right. I think from an electoral standpoint, I thought Steve Hilton was a little bit more on a performative level, a little bit better. You know, he had a little bit more. You can see he has more experience and TV time, But there certainly was no standout, which you're right, it will the race will kind of continue to be split. I think that the biggest thing that might not split the race is Trump's endorsing Hilton. I mean, that's that's a pretty big hand on the
lever to low information Republican voters. I guess the question is, you know, can stee can Steve does he have the resources to message Republicans loudly enough to let them know If he doesn't, it might still remain kind of a perfect storm as we see this kind of milk till crew that there's just no standout at this point.
It seems like the Democrats I know are scared to death that the Republicans will lock the Democratic Party off the November ballot, and that that is something that they are legitimately concerned about, not just the party itself, the California Democratic Party and its chairman Rusty Higgs, but Democratic voters seem to legitimately be terrified of that result. When I talked to Republicans, it seems like the Republicans I know think that's a pipe dream that's never going to happen.
Stop talking that way. We're never going to get a Republican governor in California in our lifetime. We're certainly never going to get two on the ballot in November. Just accept the inevitability that it's going to be a Republican versus a Democrat. It's so strange to me that the Republicans I talk to are so pessimistic of that happening, and the Democrats, who are also pessimistic and think it's absolutely going to happen. Less they step in and whack another one of their own candidates.
It is a really interesting dynamic. I think it might speak to more like the core traits between the parties. Democrats seem to kind of get in line, you know, for the good of the party a little bit faster
than Republicans kind of march to their own dramas. It reminds me, John of how all the Democrats overnight coalesced around Kamala Harris and Joe Biden need to you know, stepping down, and yet there was not a peep of that, you know, until after the debate performance, and they kind of got in line, whereas Republicans kind of remain a little bit more skeptical and they're going to do what
they want to do. And look, if you're a Republican in the state of California, John, you know, you have you have PTSD from not winning any statewide elections for so many years. It's just kind of like labor at this point. But I wish Republicans would actually sit there and figure out how do we electioneer this thing, because although not terribly likely, it is possible that two Republicans go to the next round, and that is the only
pathway to a Republican taking that office. If it is an R and a D go on in the next round, there is just no way that did a Republican survive. So if Republicans really wanted it, I'm sure. And if you ask a Republican would you take a Bianco or would you take a Hilton over any Democrat? Of course they would say yes. So I wish the State Republican Party did a better job messaging that, but that they really haven't at this point.
Let's talk about the dog that didn't bark. Had Kamala Harris jumped into this race, I do not believe this would be a competitive race that anyone was talking about right now. Yet she took forever to decide that she wasn't going to run, and that's in part why we have the mess that we have on our hands today.
I totally agree with that. Well, Kamala would have won this in a walk. I mean, it wouldn't even been close. Her name, her name, I d she would have put together the endorsements, she checks the kind of identity politics box, and of course she's a proven strong fundraiser, so she would have sucked all the auction out of the room as it relates to money, and it would have just
been a coronation. So she completely screwed the Democratic Party by selfishly waiting, and quite frankly, John, she screwed herself because the governor's race, I believe was their only pathway to electoral politics again. She will never be president, she will never be appointed as a vice president again.
So if she.
Wanted back in the game, why not take you know, the brass ring, which is the governor of California. And it just made no sense. The only reason I could figure she didn't want it is because she's just too dumb to realize she can't hand or maybe she's too wise to recognize that that's a real job and she's not ready for that responsibility. Ah, It's it's befuddling to me. But it would have been hers in a walk had she wanted it.
John Thomas, Republican political strategist. You can follow him on x at the Thomas Guide. John Thomas, thanks so much for stopping by, Have a wonderful weekend.
Thanks again.
Eight hundred two two two five two two two is the telephone number one eight hundred two two two five two two two If you'd like to email the show, you can do so at Johnny don't like show at gmail dot com. That's Johnny. Don't like show at gmail dot com. And Randy, if you want to listen to us all weekend long, that's easy to do too.
You can download all the podcasts of this show, like the twelve o'clock hour we talked about. Pamela Price is Eric Swawell hotline. I'm really proud of the description. In her latest desperate attempt to stay relevant, recalled DA, Pamela Price wants to exploit sexual abuse survivors to get attention for her ill fated bid to get her job back.
Eight hundred two two two five two two two is telephone number one. Eight hundred two two two five two two two. If you'd like to email the show, you can do so at Johnny don't like show at gmail dot com. That's Johnny. Don't like show at gmail dot com. Let's go to Joe and Zanta Monica.
Joe, Hello, Hey, Thanks, I want to thank you and Randy and Susan Shelley and John Capaul and I get kind of emotional about this that I'm so happy that that petition to help save Proposition thirteen or help to strengthen it and keep it vital as it is, is going to be on the ballot.
And I just want to thank you for that. The only I think I went around trying to get petitions to take for Proposition nine team to remove that the property tax problem where if your parent died, the property tax would be based on the time when your parent died if you were to inherit that instead of the way Proposition thirteen had it, where it would just continue to go on. When I did that petition, people would look at me and they couldn't believe. They the glassy eye.
They couldn't believe that there was such a law that would do that. And I just know that I'm glad it's on the ballot, but there are people out there that don't even know what Proposition thirteen is, and we just need to continue to pound it out there and just make people aware of the ballot initiative so it passes. So thanks for listening, and thanks for all you do.
Well, thank you so much for the call. And Randy, you and I were out in Long Beach, we were in Sherman Oaks. We went all over collecting signatures for this initiative to protect Prop thirteen, and it is exciting to know that we have an opportunity to do that on the ballot November.
It qualified for the ballot, so you're going to be able to vote on it. And in case you need a refresher on what this does, it makes it so there's no longer such thing as a citizen initiative tax increase that you only need fifty one percent support to pass. The whole thing is Prop thirteen made it. If you increase any taxes, you need two thirds approval from the voters.
You need real buy in, and they came up with this loophole through the courts called well if the government doesn't put it on the ballot, but a union does, it cuts a different threshold. This would restore that, but it would also repeal and refund any real estate transfer taxes like Measure ULA, the initiative passed in twenty twenty two that was billed as the Mansion Tax that turned out to also give a five percent tax on all multifamily dwellings, which has actually made it almost impossible to
build apartment buildings in the city of Los Angeles. If that passes, not only does ula get immediately repealed, But the City of LA will owe people millions and millions of dollars that they will have to refund and it's not going to look good for them at all. That's a reason to vote yes right there.
In addition to having the opportunity to protect Proposition thirteen will also be asked to vote on initiatives that involve Uber and ride share companies.
That initiative is something that you're going to see a couple of right share initiatives, because there's one to regulate Uber and there's one that Uber's putting on the ballot to confuse people. Now, what does the initiative to regulate Uber make it so Uber can be held accountable if somebody gets sexual assaulted by one of their drivers? Uber says, what are you talking about? We take that totally seriously.
But we know from reporting from CBSLA and Christine Lazar that a lot of times Uber is allowing people to drive for their platform with stolen IDs, so you don't know what their criminal record or driving record looks like.
For more on these Uber initiatives, it'll be appearing on a ballot near you. Let's go ahead and listen to ABC ten.
Now to state matters. Uber is back at the spotlight, pushing a new ballot measure ahead of the twenty twenty six midterms. It's facing a strong pushback with a rival measure now likely headed to voters. ABC ten's Jenny Huff breaking it down for us this afternoon.
Well, Monica, there were three countermeasures at first, all aimed at Uber's plan to cap attorney fees and auto accident cases.
Oh yeah, Uber wants to go after your personal injury attorneys.
Good luck with that, buddy, Well Monica, there were three countermeasures at first, all aimed at Uber's plan to cap attorney fees and auto accident cases. Now it's down to one one that is focused on protecting sexual assault victims.
California voters stand ready and willing to protect survivors of sexual assault.
Implementing the strongest background checks, real safety measures, and real transparency when harm happens on the app.
Right right now, it is so lax that Eric Swalwell could go on Facebook marketplace, get a stolen solid security number, ride for Uber, and do you know what inside that Uber?
You know what I still think if I were to call an Uber and I saw Eric Swalwell behind the wheel. That would be preferential to having Grampy Joe behind the wheel.
I picked the Weimo over all of them.
Supporters rallied at the Capitol Thursday for a ballot measure that would require Uber to follow the same safety standards as taxis, buses, and trains and hold the company more accountable and sexual assault cases they're relying.
There are hundreds of people this year that got ten ninety nine's in the mail because someone used their social Security number to drive for their platform, and Uber says, oh, this isn't a problem. Identity theft is one of these crimes that we don't treat severely enough. If you steal someone's identity, you can ruin their life and the government should come down on you like a ton of bricks. Well, and you have to think about why does someone need
to steal someone's ID to drive for Uber. It means that something is in their background where they are not qualified to be driving for that platform. And Uber's looking the other way.
Lying on an app, a business, a system that has promised them safety.
Something feels off.
And by the way, another thing that happens with this is if you're a driver and you're not good and you get less than a five star review, you just steal someone else's identity and start a new profile.
Great, the driver maybe doesn't match the photo, the route changes.
The group Alliance against Corporate Abuse is behind the measure, which is a direct counter effort to an initiative backed by writes your company, Uber and the group a more affordable California. A spokesperson for the opposition.
Set, that's right. Uber can't afford to pay their drivers, and that's why you have to tip twenty five percent on every ride. But they raised enough money to put a ballot measure on the ballot to go after attorneys.
It's so funny because these big companies, they always claim to be broke, but boy do they have money when they feel like they need it. Oh yeah, they had plenty of money when and they put forth the measure on the ballot that exempted Uber and Lyft from AB.
Five A spokesperson for the offer, and they've had plenty of money to invest in the technology that led to autonomous driving, which will eventually put Lift and Uber out of business.
A spokesperson for the opposition says, in part quote, this ballot measure is a cynical ploy by billboard lawyers to defeat a separate Uber backed ballot measure that would ban predatory schemes targeting auto accident victims.
Attorneys made more than a billion while local taxpayers got screwed.
Every eight minutes, Uber tries to silence victims. Every eight minutes, somebody gets sexually assaulted in an Uber.
It happens that often.
I mean, it's a worldwide platform, but apparently it's a bigger problem than Uber wants to admit that it is. Control yourselves. People also just have to point this out. I don't know why, but the stolen identity thing is a mostly Uber thing, not a lift thing. Here what that is? The pink mustache protects you.
I know you prefer way Mos to both of those, but do you have a preference between Uber and Lyft.
I prefer Lyft because I get five X points on my Chase card.
I like Lyft because I get Hilton Honors points.
Oh, I didn't know that I got to tie my Hilton account to it. I have. I think I get Alaska points whenever I use Lyft as well. There's always all these kinds of programs. John and I are addicted to points.
Those are adds from the two competing sides. Uber is pushing the Preventing Accident Victims from self dealing Attorneys Act. Supporters say their goal of capping attorney fees at twenty five percent would help accident victims and reduce costs for consumers.
But we have to vote on these strangest things at the ballot.
I have a feeling that the November ballot is going to be really long because in the old days we used to be able to vote on initiatives in the primary too, and you'd split them up. Now you don't split them up. Now all of them are going to end up on the November ballot. There's going to be a lot.
But Alliance Against Corporate Abuse argues UBER, would make it harder for occidentive victims to sue the company.
Because Uber's interest is in keeping as many drivers on the road at possible at all times, no matter how unsafe they are, because it maximizes profits.
They've had a huge overreach, and what we're trying to do is something that's actually quite targeted. We're actually going after a problem they know they have, which the New York Times uncovered, which is every eight minutes. When you have a sexual assault and you're getting that reported to you, you need to do something about it.
We asked you think it would be in their best interest to vet their drivers, but they don't want to do that.
Have you ever had any problems with any Uber or Lyft drivers before.
Outside of a stench, I've been pretty lucky. You know how creepy this is. By the way, we just talked about Lift and I get a notification on my phone, Hey, LIFT can help you get to the airport.
I think this is primarily a problem for women. I think when women are by themselves in the back of a car, I think they're the ones that get harassed.
Oh yeah, and that is why. And this is interesting Lift in California, and I think Uber as well. No, I think it was Uber. They started a new option on the platform that if you are a female passenger, you can request a female driver, and they're getting sued by male drivers that think that's not fair.
We asked Uber about the safety aspect. A spokesperson diructed us to their website, which breaks down their background check process.
You know, who can't sexually assault you? The robot not yet, at.
Least identity verification, driving record, and criminal history. Uber also says applicants can be rejected for various offenses, including sexual assault, sex crimes involving murder, and kidnappy.
Oh good, they don't allow murderers to drive for the platform.
Just wait till Scott Wiener has his say.
And voters will get to weigh in on both measures should they qualify to be on the November twenty twenty six ballot. And this all comes as Uber was just ordered by a federal jury in North Carolina to pay a woman who says she was sexually assaulted during a ride, and February another jury in Arizona reached a similar verdict. The company faces that.
Gee, I wonder why Uber wants to put something on the ballot that will make it harder for people to sue them. Maybe it's because people are getting assaulted in their cars and they are liable.
The company faces thousands of similar claims.
Walt Monica All right, thanks, Jenny.
I also got to point this out. I remember a few months ago when the state of California changed how much insurance the ride share companies have to have for their and Uber said, and Liff said, and we're going to pass on those savings to you. No they didn't.
Well, that's always the promise, but there's never a follow through.
Rideshare has gotten so expensive I actually consider just not drinking when I go out.
Eight hundred two two two five two two two is telephone number one eight hundred two two two five two two two. If you'd like to email the show, you can do so at Johnny don't like show at gmail dot com. That's Johnny. Don't like show at gmail dot com. Well, Randy, you can file this in the category of we never learned from our mistakes.
Once again, the Santa Ynez Reservoir in the Pacific Palisades is being drained and it might not be filled again until December for more.
Well, I guess there's nothing left to burn down, so why not. Here is CBSLA or Developing News today involving the controversial Pacific Palisades reservoir that was empty during the Palisades fight.
And Mi groadge is at the desk now that they've drained that reservoir again.
Yeah, they did, Susie and GEO. And this is all because of work the DWP says needs to be done. But remember This reservoir was highly controversial during the Palisades Fire because it sat empty as fire hydrants ran dry. This is the video from SKYCW today that you can see the reservoir is in fact empty.
That work being done now.
The reservoir had been empty for many, many years before finally being repaired. The problem is when they repaired it, they put the cover over it. They then found out that their brand new cover had holes in it.
Boy, isn't it great that Karen Basso got a PG and e's Jennie cannonis to work for LADWP at the low low price of seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year. And this was the result of the work that she did well. And I'm sure that we're paying a fortune for it too. Oh yeah, that's.
Obviously an issue that has to be fixed because the water has to be protected and that's why the cover has to be sturdy. So LEDWP says they had to drain it once again and they're going to get the cover fixed now. This is the work that is being done now. They say the cover should be put on between May and September. They're hoping, hoping to get the reservoir back online by the end of the year.
You know, right through fire season.
It's almost as if they didn't think this through.
I'll show you some other video here. This is the new cover that was put on. This is actually a year ago today. We told you about this story when this reservoir was controversial and offline. There is the cover that ultimately they determined to have holes in it. They say the holes are very small, but need to be replaced. Nonetheless, obviously people in that community very so we.
Can either have a reservoir that has a lid with some holes, or we can have no water when we need it.
The funny thing is when the fires knocked out the Pacific Palisades and those images of the empty reservoir went everywhere, the first thing they did was they said it was fake news. They said that that wasn't true, and then they go, oh, yeah, it was empty, but it was empty for reasons unrelated to fire safety. It was empty because of it was being fixed. And they got battered over and over and over again for that reservoir being empty,
and they just took it on the chin. And then they turn around and they do the exact same thing all through fire season.
Well, and don't you remember too that at the time Gavin Newsome, I mean, this sounds like Gavin if I've ever heard him, makes a big proclamation that he doesn't follow through. It says, the state is going to investigate why that reservoir was empty. Well, it's a year and a half later, were he still working on that one?
He always does that big grandiose proclamations and no follow through.
Obviously, people in that community very frustrated with the fact that there was no water in that critical reservoir during the Palisades Fire. LEDWP says this time around, they've got contingency plans set up. They also argue, DWP does that the reservoir being empty did not play a role in firefighting efforts.
Yeah, And of course they're saying that because they, just like the city and County of Los Angeles, are being sued by the victims of the Palisades Fire for their ineptitude. Again, just like when they said that it was fake news that there was no water in the fire hydrants. Initially they claimed that that reservoir was not emptied out. Did you see that just a month ago? Jennie Canonis left us High and dry to take a job in Puerto Rico.
Well, I guess you got all the juice out of the squeeze first.
And then the city council holds a ceremony in her honor, thanking her for her leadership.
They always do that.
They also argue DDWP does that the reservoir being empty did not play a role in firefighting efforts during the Palisades fire. The brought into question a lot of things for a lot of people. Hey, we've got a link on our website CBSLA dot com that actually gives you those plans that DBP has in place to deal with the reservoir and while it's offline, and you can also visit and see the full timeline of how long this project is supposed to take.
Guys, Mike, there you go. The Santinez Reservoir in the Pacific Palisades is empty again.
The more things change, the more things stayed the same.