LA Mayor Karen Bass's galling response to wildfires after cutting $17.6M from fire department just months before blaze | 8 Jan 2025 | Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stood stone-faced and refused to answer a reporter's question for two full minutes after being out of the country as killer wildfires raged through her city. Furious Los Angelinos have blasted their mayor for traveling to Ghana while the city burns, despite having ample warning about 'critical' weather conditions in the days before. Bass flew out to attend the West African country's presidential inauguration on Tuesday, after meteorologists warned that a "recipe for fire" was on track to strike LA. Bass tried to cut the LA Fire Department's budget by some $23million in 2024 but settled for $17.6 million in cuts. "Elon Musk says that you're utterly incompetent, are you considering your position? Have you absolutely nothing to say to citizens who are dealing with this disaster? No apologies for them?"