Saturday, January 18, 2025

No Joy in Being Right About California's Fire Danger (Connecting the Dots: California officials, Wildfires, The Sacramento Bee, The Los Angeles Times, Sidley Austin LLP, The Commercial Club of Chicago, Allstate, State Farm, The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) & Soros Funding, All Networking)

No Joy in Being Right About California's Fire Danger (Connecting the Dots: California officials, Wildfires, The Sacramento Bee, The Los Angeles Times, Sidley Austin LLP, The Commercial Club of Chicago, Allstate, State Farm, The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) & Soros Funding, All Networking)   

Newsmax.com

By Michael Reagan with Michael R. Shannon Tuesday, 14 January 2025 09:49 AM EST

The Auto Fire: Oxnard, N.W. of Los Angeles, Calif., - Jan. 13, 2025. U.S. officials warned "dangerous and strong" winds were set to push deadly wildfires further through residential areas Jan. 12 as firefighters struggled. At least 24 people have been confirmed dead from blazes that have reduced neighborhoods to ashes; leaving thousands without homes. (Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)

https://www.newsmax.com/reagan/allstate-forestry-management/2025/01/14/id/1194989/

Wildfire Danger Could Have Been Mitigated if Calif. Wasn't Run by Ideologues

In our next-to-last column of 2024 we covered yet another warning to California officials that their forestry mismanagement was endangering resident’s homes and lives.

KTLA reports, "Another major insurer is pulling back on its offerings in California, forcing tens of thousands of customers to find other options.

"SafeCo, a subsidiary of California’s fourth-largest home insurer, Liberty Mutual, has announced that it will stop offering policies for new rental and condo customers on January 1, 2025. Existing customers will be able to keep their current policies until 2026."

That meant 88,000 condominium owners and renters were in danger of losing their insurance policies.

What we didn’t know at the time was in a few short days 10 people would lose their lives and 10,000 homes would be lost in a wildfire made deadly by California official’s refusal to adopt sound forestry management practices and the City of Los Angeles prioritizing DEI hiring and fish worship over fighting fires.

The fires are not out and already the cost is staggering. The Sacramento Bee estimates the loss will be at least $50 billion.

Now Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, " . . . has imposed a year-long ban on insurance policy non-renewals and cancellations as shellshocked Angelenos contend with multiple wildfires raging in Southern California.”

As Fox Business explained, " . . . the mandatory one-year moratorium will prevent insurers from canceling or not renewing homeowners' policies in specific areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

"The moratorium applies to all homeowners, condo unit owners, mobile home homeowners or residential renter’s insurance policies in specified zip codes.

"It covers cancellations and non-renewal due to wildfire risk."

That covers quite a bit of ground since more than 27,000 acres have burned.

There is less here than meets the eye with the moratorium.

Homeowners who have experienced a total loss are already protected by a law that forbids cancellations and requires policy holders be offered two renewals of their coverage, as the Los Angeles Times pointed out.

Being offered the coverage and being able to afford the coverage are two different issues.

Regardless of whether you blame the fires on an angry climate God, imported arsonists or an act of God, the fact is California's "leaders" took no preventive measures to reduce the threat of wildfires which they knew were a distinct possibility.

That’s why Allstate terms California "catastrophe-prone."

The Good Hands People should have added, 'due to incompetent government.' And Allstate isn’t the only firm with burned hands. " . . . more and more insurers are concluding insuring California homeowners is not worth the risk."

The result of this fire prevention incompetence will have a great impact on policy holder’s wallets. As the Sacramento Bee reports, "In August, Allstate received permission from state insurance regulators to boost California homeowners’ premiums by an average of 34 percent. [And] State Farm also requested a rate hike from state regulators. The Illinois–based carrier was granted permission for a 20 percent rate increase earlier in 2024."

Pair that with the increased deductibles many insurers are currently requiring — instead of a fixed amount, say $1,000, insurers are requiring deductibles that are a percentage of the home’s worth — and home insurance is fast becoming a luxury item.

And the moratorium also means homeowners are essentially stuck with their current insurance company.

There's no shopping around for the best rate when "Some of the nation’s largest firms including a number of California’s top insurers, Allstate, Farmers, State Farm, USAA and Nationwide, had stopped accepting new policy applications, raised wildfire safety standards, sharply increased rate costs or are leaving the state altogether."

California is expensive to live in, expensive to build, expensive to insure, and expensive if you value your life and possessions.

And it all could have been mitigated if the state was not run by ideologues.

As we wrote in December, there are no winners in this situation.

There will be no winners until Golden State voters wake up and start electing candidates based on competence and not race, sexual orientation, tree huggery, or political party. 

Connecting the Dots:
John Decker
 was a photographer for the Sacramento BeeArnold Schwarzenegger’s photographer and is a friend of Joe Mathews.

Joe Mathews is a friend of John Decker and was a senior fellow at the New America Foundation.

Jonathan Soros is a director at the New America FoundationGeorge Soros’s son and was the vice chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the New America Foundation and the International Rescue Committee.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open SocietyGavin Newsom was invited to his 2013 wedding reception and is Jonathan Soros’s father.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Michelle Obama was an advocate for the ONE Campaign and a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.           

Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.      

Kathleen L. Brown is a member of the Commercial Club of ChicagoJerry Brown’s sister and was the California state government treasurer.

Thomas J. Wilson is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the chairman & president & CEO for the Allstate Corporation.

Jack M. Greenberg is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and a director at the Allstate Corporation.

Edward M. Liddy is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was a chairman & CEO for the Allstate Corporation.

J. Christopher Reyes was a director at the Allstate Corporation and is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

David D. Hiller is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, was the publisher & president & CEO for the Los Angeles Times and a partner at Sidley Austin LLP.

Cameron F. Kerry is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLPJohn F. Kerry’s brother and a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).  

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.   

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Michael L. Tipsord is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and the vice chairman & COO for the State Farm Insurance Companies.

Vincent J. Trosino was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and the president, COO & vice chairman for the State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.

Lee H. Hamilton is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council.

John R. Allen is a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council.

Kristin Crowley In 2023, she was appointed to the Homeland Security Advisory Council and is the chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
Elliott B. Broidy
 was a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council and a commissioner for the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension System.

William J. Bratton is a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council and was the chief for the Los Angeles (CA) Police Department.

Kenneth Canterbury is a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council and the president of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Lee H. Hamilton is a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and the Urban Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.  

Anthony A. Williams is a trustee at the Urban Institute (think tank) and was a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council.

Frances Fragos Townsend was a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council and is a commentator for CNN.

Clark Kent Ervin was a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council and is an analyst for CNN.

Ted Turner is the founder of CNN and a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society

Walter Isaacson is the president & CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was the chairman & CEO for CNN.

James S. Crown is the vice chairman for the Aspen Institute (think tank), and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Thomas J. Wilson is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the chairman & president & CEO for the Allstate Corporation.

Jack M. Greenberg is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and a director at the Allstate Corporation.

Edward M. Liddy is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was a chairman & CEO for the Allstate Corporation.

David D. Hiller is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, was the publisher & president & CEO for the Los Angeles Times and a partner at Sidley Austin LLP.

R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.      

J. Christopher Reyes is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was a director at the Allstate Corporation.

Lester Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society

Madeleine K. Albright was a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the president of the Center for National Policy

R. Hunter Biden is a director at the Center for National Policy and Joseph R. Biden Jr’s son.

Kamala D. Harris is an advisory board member for the Center for National Policy, vice president of the Joseph R. Biden Jr administration and was the attorney general for the California state government.

Ira Lechner was a director at the Center for National Policy and is a director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

Gavin Newsom is a director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the lieutenant governor for the California state government and was invited to George Soros’s 2013 wedding reception.

George Soros was married in 2013 Gavin Newsom attended his wedding reception and is Jeffrey Soros’s uncle. 

Jeffrey Soros is George Soros’s nephew’s and the president emeritus for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles

Eric Garcetti is a trustee at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and was the Los Angeles California mayor.
Richard J. Grad
 is a trustee at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and a partner at Sidley Austin LLP.

Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago

David D. Hiller is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, was the publisher & president & CEO for the Los Angeles Times, the SVP for the Tribune Publishing Co, a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a partner at Sidley Austin LLP.

Michelle Obama was a director at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

Cameron F. Kerry is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLPJohn F. Kerry’s brother and

a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank)

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.  

Lee H. Hamilton is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council.

John R. Allen is a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council.

Kristin Crowley In 2023, she was appointed to the Homeland Security Advisory Council and is the chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

Resources: Past Research

California’s War on Guns Broadens to a War on Ammunition Beginning January 1, 2018 (Past Research on the Sacramento Bee)

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/12/californias-war-on-guns-broadens-to-war.html

Kellogg’s Brand Falls from 60 to 84th Place with Consumers in 4 Years (Past Research on the Allstate Corporation)

Monday, April 3, 2017

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/04/kelloggs-brand-falls-from-60-to-84th.html

Ninth Circuit Punts Emergency Stay on Immigration Until Later This Week (Past Research on Sidley Austin LLP)

Sunday, February 5, 2017

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/02/ninth-circuit-punts-emergency-stay-on.html

Kristin Crowley is the chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) (Connecting the Dots: Kristin Crowley, The Los Angeles Fire Department, The Homeland Security Advisory Council, Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, The California Wildfires & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Kristin Crowley & The Homeland Security Advisory Council)

Saturday, January 11, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/01/kristin-crowley-is-chief-of-los-angeles.html

L.A. Times to NRA: Government’s ‘Responsibility’ To Regulate 2nd Amendment (Past Research on the Commercial Club of Chicago, David Hiller, Sidley Austin LLP & the Los Angeles Times)

Sunday, February 22, 2015

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/02/la-times-to-nra-governments.html

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there (Past Research on State Farm)

Thursday, December 18, 2014

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/12/like-good-neighbor-state-farm-is-there.html

Hillary Clinton, George Soros and Denzel Washington received the highest US civilian honor

APNews

By FATIMA HUSSEIN

Updated 3:36 PM PST, January 4, 2025

https://apnews.com/article/biden-medal-of-freedom-clinton-soros-denzel-washington-4b19a363d3058ac3b8107e2002b93651

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the East Room of the White House on a particularly frigid Saturday afternoon, President Joe Biden bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 of the most famous names in politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy and science.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton aroused a standing ovation from the crowd as she received her medal. Clinton was accompanied to the event by her husband former President Bill Clinton, daughter Chelsea Clinton and grandchildren. Democratic philanthropist George Soros and actor-director Denzel Washington were also awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor in a White House ceremony.

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