The Patriot Post® · California: Rolling Blackouts and Garbage Piles

Over the past two summers, Californians endured some of the worst wildfires in the state’s history. In Northern California, one of these massive wildfires burned millions of acres, consumed an entire town, and killed several people. The cause was blamed on power lines, which has cost power company PG&E billions of dollars, leading it to declare chapter 11 bankruptcy.

So, what solutions does the Golden State present to better combat the problem of wildfires? Rolling blackouts. That’s right — less electricity supplied during the summer months. PG&E explained, “While customers in high fire-threat areas are more likely to be affected by a PSPS [Public Safety Power Shutoff], any of PG&E’s more than 5 million electric customers could have their power shut off because the energy system relies on power lines working together to provide electricity across cities, counties, and regions.” So instead of preventing fires by properly maintaining forests, which environmentalists keep fighting, Californians will endure planned power outages.

Meanwhile, southern California is dealing with a massive trash problem that one would only expect to find in a third-world country. As the New York Post reports, “Rats running everywhere among piles of decaying garbage, these shocking images of a tent city look like a sordid third world shanty — but are actually downtown Los Angeles.” The article further notes that this makeshift trash dump covers “a sprawling 50-block area that is believed to be the base for around 4,200 homeless people.” This problem has Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez asking, “Is it the 21st century in the largest city of a state that ranks among the world’s most robust economies, or did someone turn back the calendar a few hundred years?”

Well, California has been effectively under one-party rule for decades now. Democrats have created this mess of rolling blackouts, increasing numbers of homeless, and a massive garbage problem that is threatening to spread diseases like typhoid across one of the most populous regions of the state. Maybe it’s time Californians voted in conservatives.