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Jan. 17, 2025 - Lionel Nation
14:24
LAFD Is the Model of Systemic Corruption Incompetence and DEI Lunacy
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I can't believe L.A. I can't believe their fire department.
I can't believe any of the things that are going on there.
And I can't imagine what it's like to live there.
The L.A. Fire Department.
Which is, as you know, theoretically, an institution that is by statute, by understanding, entrusted with the incredibly important and monumental responsibility of safeguarding lives, saving lives, and property.
That's it.
That's all they do.
It was considered, for a long time, The most honest profession of all of the, quote, law enforcement.
Yeah, they wear a badge, but nobody ever looks in their rearview mirror and says, damn, it's a fire truck.
No.
You always, you know they're going someplace to help.
And after 9-11, their status was exalted.
But nothing stands as this glaring example of institutional Systemic, systematic and entrenched corruption like the LAFD.
And the departments, dig this, Fire Prevention Bureau, which was theoretically charged with and tasked with critical measures like, ready?
Inspecting buildings.
Clearing brush, you know.
Theoretically, to prevent these catastrophic wildfires.
This is what they're supposed to be doing.
Remember, this is prevention.
It's been plagued by decades of incompetence, fraud, corruption, and the classic toxic workplace structure and culture.
Again, how bad can this be?
I mean, seriously, this is one of those things where these failings, these whatever, these problems, are not just de minimis.
This is serious.
Again, systemic issues, organic issues, that have contributed to, believe it or not, part of the devastating blazes, the fires, the infernos, this hellscape, destroying Los Angeles.
More reasons for this.
Take the Fire Prevention Bureau, for example.
This is the best one ever.
Now, a little bit about this so that you understand what this is.
On paper, it's theoretically this vital aspect, this cog, this division, this part of wildfire prevention.
And in reality...
It's long been, I love these words, a cesspool, a septic tank, a sewer, a fetid, feculate rank and rancid corruption and negligence.
Now they're finding this, or at least it's being exposed.
So allegations of phantom inspection, this sounds like OC, like organized crime, like, you know, the boys.
You know, no-show jobs, phantom inspections.
These allegations are all over the place.
Cases where inspectors lied and falsified reports on buildings, including high-rise apartments, schools, daycare centers.
Hello?
This isn't some little minor administrative faux pas, some needless or negligible de minimis erratum, some administrative oops.
This is willful.
Wanton, deliberate negligence that endangers lives.
This is, if you will, using second-degree murder terms, this is like reckless disregard for the truth, depraved heart.
Now, recently, there have been some local folks, media folks, who have uncovered inspections filed for facilities that had already closed down.
Now, if that...
In and of itself is not an indictment or a scathing accusation of bureaucratic incompetence and festering corruption.
Now, what is?
The Bureau's prevention, the leadership, has been, well, you don't use these words like egregious or horrible.
It's unreal.
In 2016, Chief John Vidovich, Was booted after attempting to expose the department's fraud, criminal activity, you know, cost-cutting practices.
Instead of addressing his claims, of saying thank you, you know, whistleblower status, oh no, no, no, the LAFD retaliated.
Taught him a lesson, branded him an enemy, a rat, and eventually settled his lawsuit for $300,000.
I mean, this is the way it works.
Remember, rat squealers, maybe, whistleblowers, queetam, that's a different story.
And this is the hallmark, this is the cornerstone of this culture that, again, prioritizes self-preservation over accountability.
And by the way, they knew about this before.
And if you take this dysfunction in the department and how it relies and is based on untrained and incompetent recruits, but diverse to clear backlogs of inspections, I mean, this is incredible.
According to a 2017 lawsuit that was filed by six fire inspectors, these recruits, Or these folks that they picked, conducted incompetent, sloppy, tawdry, negligent inspections.
A direct result, they say, a direct result of LAFD leadership prioritizing quantity, you guessed it, over quality.
Sound familiar?
And a lot of it, let's face it, is part and parcel of just anything that's administrative.
When employees spoke out against these practices, They were met with retaliation.
Branded rats.
Internal terrorists, they called them.
That's pretty good.
They were denied promotions, you name it.
And this environment, this attitude, of course it percolates down, but this environment Not only stops and stifles and interrupts and prevents and makes impossible any kind of improvement,
but it actively, systematically participates in and aids and abets a culture of mediocrity and fear from this megalopolis.
Then there's the ingrained racism and sexism, they say, that mars the department's reputation.
Black, it's funny with all this DEI stuff, black and female firefighters, it is alleged, have long been marginalized and stereotyped as lazy or unfit for frontline firefighting.
Listen to this!
There has to be a balance to this DEI accusation.
A 2022 lawsuit, which reportedly resulted in a $3 million settlement, revealed, again, a culture of systemic and institutionalized hostility towards women and minorities in the Fire Prevention Bureau.
And meanwhile, White male leaders, it is alleged, like Deputy Chief Fred Mathis, it is reported, escaped serious and legitimate targeted consequences for egregious behavior, including, this is my, I'm sorry, this isn't funny at all, including allegedly being drunk on duty.
During a 2021 wildfire?
You know, these wildfires, you know, remember, there's no, it's like hurricanes in Florida.
You know they're coming.
You can't, nobody, like one comic said, nobody's ever been surprised by a, or surprised by an earth, by a hurricane, by the way.
We know about them.
So this Mathis astonishingly walked away with a $1.4 million payout.
A luxury, as is reported, few minority or female or non-traditional employees and members could expect.
So they keep saying this culture that they're saying, this toxic culture, bled into leadership with former fire chief Ralph Terrazas.
He resigned in 2022 amid a firestorm of allegations including sexism, abuse against women, firefighters.
His resignation did not stifle, quell, or put out the fires of the storm.
Oh, no, no, no.
Under his leadership, it is suggested, it is repeated, it is through his leadership, that the department, the LAFD, Seem more committed to sweeping issues under the rug than addressing them head on.
And by the way, this Kristen Crowley, you know, the lesbian head who replaced the Razzas as the first woman and openly gay fire chief, she inherited a dysfunctional institution.
But the silence from her office regarding the reforms raises eyebrows.
It makes people wonder.
Look, the failure of the fire department are not confined to workplace culture and all that stuff.
They're directly impacted upon and affected by the city's ability to respond to disasters.
Corruption, negligence, poor leadership, name it.
All of these create conditions which basically are out of control.
And even more, they say damning, listen to this, is the Department's treatment of whistleblowers.
You see, those who dare to speak out are ostracized, you can imagine, retaliated against as rats, branded troublemakers.
And the pattern of silencing dissent guarantees, and this is true, That the LAFD, the Fire Department, remains a stagnant, fetid, brackish, you know, self-serving nothing, this typical bureaucracy that has no interest whatsoever in doing its job, saving lives, property and the like.
This is the most incredible thing.
Now, let me explain something, and you may not care for this.
Maybe, I should say maybe it's good.
Maybe this is good.
Maybe this...
Helps in identifying the problem.
But I've got to tell you something.
There's nothing that drives me, very few things drive me crazier, than when men get into positions and they use their power to stifle, to quash, crush women.
Do you have a wife?
Do you have a sister?
Do you have a daughter?
Have you seen this before?
I've seen this.
It's disgusting.
So maybe, maybe something good will come out of this.
But in the meantime, oh man.
I mean, heads are going to roll.
And remember, shit falls in the biggest heap and the fish rots from the head.
All right, my dear friends.
You know what also is terrible I found out?
I'm going to tell you again.
87% of the people, 87% of the people who, how do I say this?
80% of the people who watch my videos don't subscribe.
That can't go on anymore.
My friends, do me a favor.
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