5 minutes - what do you pack?

1/8/25

If you had five minutes to pack a bag and leave everything behind, what would you take… 

This week was one of the times when one decision completely changed my life. I spent the holidays with my girlfriend & family back home in Los Angeles, deciding to fly back to NYC on Saturday (1/4/25). Before leaving, I jokingly suggested staying another week but quickly got push-back – we needed to return to reality. 

That Monday in NYC, we experienced the Polar Vortex. Although frigid, it had a beautiful snowfall and was pretty uneventful. But by Tuesday, Los Angeles had erupted into chaos as uncontrollable wildfires swept across the region. The Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Calabasas, Pasadena, San Fernando Valley, and surrounding areas were engulfed in flames. Despite the heroic and courageous efforts of first responders, who are working tirelessly day & night to contain the fire, the combination of wind and lack of resources have made containing the fire an impossible task.  

The devastation has been overwhelming. Within 24 hours, 1000s of homes, businesses, schools, cherished landmarks, and more have been incinerated, reduced to nothing but ash. These fires do not discriminate between a $20M house or a mom-and-pop shop. The fire has taken everything from countless lives in moments.

There is a stark humility in disasters like this, a reminder of our shared humanity. In the face of such destruction, social status, wealth, and privilege hold no value. Moments of fight or flight reveal that we are all the same, bound by our vulnerability to forces greater than us.

So how did this happen? I’m not an expert and am speculating based on conversations with friends impacted, live updates from X, and mainstream media. It appears that LA followed the status quo of how the government typically operates – foregoing preventive practices, resulting in the need for an immediate action-based solution (which never happens quickly enough). 

California Governor Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and their administrations have failed LA citizens. Their primary responsibility is to serve and protect the people, and they failed. While I recognize natural disasters are often unpredictable, they have neglected preventative practices. If they were the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, they would be terminated.  

Why is LA so unprepared and why did our government ignore the following questions:

  • With all of the recent fires, why have we not prepared our citizens better?

  • Why are controlled burns not taking place?

  • Why is fallen wood not being replaced?

  • Why are densely wooded areas not cleared?

  • Why is there insufficient water to fight the fires?

  • And perhaps most shocking, why are fire hydrants unfilled?!?

Los Angeles County is the home to ~10M people. If it were a country, its GDP would be $1.3T+, ranking it as the 19th largest economy in the world if it were a nation. The County operates with a $45B+ annual budget. 

California is the home to ~39M people. If it were a country, its GDP would be $4T+, ranking it as the 4th largest economy in the world if it were a nation. The state operates with a ~$300B annual budget.

People have pointed to this chart, suggesting that budget reallocation should be blamed. Specifically, people are fixated on decreasing the LAFD budget by $17.6M while increasing the LAPD budget by $126M. 


NY Post

At face value, this chart is concerning but is blindly misguided for several reasons, but I’ll list three that quickly come to mind:

  1. Increased Police Funding Is a Response to Necessity, Not Luxury

    1. Violent crime in LA is 70% higher than the California average, at 8.38 per 1,000 residents, compared to the state’s 4.99 per 1,000.

    2. Robberies have risen by 9.5% Y/Y, and car theft is at its highest level since 2006.

    3. LA is only safer than 7% of U.S. cities, necessitating increased police presence.

  2. The LAPD Budget Increase Is Proportionate and Practical

    1. The LAPD budget grew from ~$1.9B (2023-2024) to ~$2B (2024-2025), +6% Y/Y.

    2. Given the escalating rates of crime and violence, this increase is not excessive but pragmatic.

  3. Misrepresentation of Budget Changes

    1. While the LAFD budget decreased by $17.6M, this represents -2% Y/Y—a marginal adjustment, not a drastic cut.

    2. Critiques often ignore the broader context, such as newly approved initiatives like:

      1. $730M to combat homelessness.

      2. $300M for "Care First, Jails Last" (Measure J).

        1. This is a separate note, but I find it somewhat strange that this large budget is passed when there are incarcerated firefighters risking their lives for $1 per hour. Should we not better support this existing demographic?  

Blaming a $126M increase in the LAPD budget without acknowledging the newly allocated $1B+ allocated to other initiatives is shortsighted and selective bias.

If you want to read LA County’s 747-page budget, it is linked here. I leveraged Perplexity & Gemini; then power searched the document. 

All of this is to say that what is happening is not a byproduct of a lack of resources. It is the byproduct of ignorance, incompetence, and, most likely, ego.

In the face of such a horrific event, everyone searches for a silver lining, some lesson or change that can prevent this devastation from repeating itself. My hope is that this tragedy serves as a wake-up call:

  • That government officials finally hold themselves accountable for their lack of preparedness.

  • That they implement meaningful, preventive changes to mitigate the risks of future disasters.

  • That citizens demand action, pressuring elected leaders to prioritize serving and protecting their communities over self-serving campaigns and political agendas.

  • That entreprenuers are motivated by these unprecedented events to build innovative companies to mitigate future crises. 

    • As demonstrated by Anduril, we cannot be reliant on the government for innovative solutions. We need the rebels to build and protect. 

So what would I bring with me if I had five minutes: 

  1. My dog (Kobe) 

  2. Marathon medals (Boston Marathon Medal, if only one)

  3. My watch box 

  4. Letters from friends & family 

  5. Necessary clothes 

Life is complex, and it only takes one moment to flip it upside down. This reminded me that nothing in life is guaranteed; we, as caring citizens, can make a change, and we must cherish every day. 

-M 

Sharing images below shared with me from friends. Truly devastating.