6mo ago

Tuberville: Californians ‘don’t deserve’ money for wildfires unless they ‘change their ways’

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6mo ago

Tuberville: Californians ‘don’t deserve’ money for wildfires unless they ‘change their ways’

www.al.com /news/2025/01/tuberville-californians-dont-deserve-money-for-wildfires-unless-they-change-their-ways.html

8 comments

So what's Alabama doing about hurricanes and tornados?
- Similar to controlled burns for preventing wildfires, they're releasing a lot of hot air.
“I don’t mind sending them some money, but unless they show that they’re gonna change their ways and get back to building dams and stormwater, doing the maintenance with the brush and the trees – everything that everybody else does in the country, and they refuse to do it – they don’t deserve anything, to be honest with you, unless they show us they’re gonna make some changes,” he said.
Sen. Tubby Tantrum is a damned moron, but I actually somewhat agree with him on this one. Seems like every year I hear about ever more destructive wild fires in California. Some of that I can attribute to climate change, sure, but there is almost certainly more than that causing them at this point. Does California not do controlled burns any more?
- Yes, California does do controlled burns. This senator is being disingenuous as are any other talking heads claiming they don't.
  The state has increased the budget for and amount of controlled burns (as well as creation of firebreaks which both enable controlled burns and reduce spread of wildfires) in recent years, including after the federal government under trump reduced maintenance of federal lands. Voters have supported this through propositions as well including one last election.
  Controlled burns also require a lot of care and resources or they can turn into wildfires, so there's only so many the state can do at a time. The past few years have actually allowed for more than previously.
  LA had unseasonably low precipitation and high winds that contributed to the rapid spread of the current fires.
  Should California do more controlled burns? Probably, but the state is very much doing what it can.
  But, it's easier to point fingers at the very people taking preventative measures than help your countrymen in a time of need.
  
  It would be more accurate to say that climate change is making the problem worse, so despite their increases in fire management, even more is required.
  A lesson in there somewhere about investing in the future...
  
  including after the federal government under trump reduced maintenance of federal lands.
  In other words, if there is a lack of fire prevention maintenance, it's not on California's part, but on the Fed's.
- I don't think you can controlled burn a suburb tho.

8 comments