Bill Maher Laces Into CA Government For Poor Response To L.A. Fires On ‘Real Time’

Bill Maher addressed the Los Angeles wildfires during his “New Rules” monologue on Friday’s Real Time, appearing to align with criticisms from some right-wing perspectives. These critiques targeted the response to the disaster, attributing it to perceived liberal mismanagement and priorities.

Maher began by highlighting what he described as governmental mismanagement, emphasizing his frustration with California’s status as a “one-party state.” He criticized local fire departments for what he saw as an emphasis on diversity over firefighting, remarking that such priorities “would sound kind of racist if a Southern sheriff said it.”

“A lot of Democrats in this one-party state this week went right to, ‘Don’t blame politicians. You can’t do anything about the wind,’ which is exactly half true. The wind part,” Maher said. He acknowledged that while global warming exacerbates fire conditions, it remains largely outside immediate control. “What are we going to do? Pass a ballot measure to make sure Chinese stop burning coal?”

Maher also noted, “Yes, it’s undeniably true that LA is built in a stupid place to build a city. But when it’s not on fire, it’s really quite lovely, and it’s my home. And stupid as its origin may be, it’s not going anywhere.” He referenced a report from Axios about complications with water access in Pacific Palisades, sarcastically remarking, “That’s why I pay 13% of my income in state taxes — to people who I assumed were working on things like this.”

Turning his focus to California’s leadership, Maher criticized Governor Gavin Newsom’s response to the fires and Mayor Karen Bass for traveling to Ghana just before the disaster. He also addressed debates over recent 2% budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which Fire Chief Kristin Crowley cited as a challenge during the firefighting efforts. While Maher agreed with Crowley’s assessment, he did not mention that these cuts were temporary and that the department eventually received increased funding.

Maher’s critique extended to broader issues of California’s spending priorities. “California is the place that spends money and gets nothing,” he said, adding, “We have the highest marginal tax rate in America… What is included for that? Breadsticks? Because it clearly doesn’t cover fire.”

He further expressed skepticism about diversity-focused hiring within essential services. Referring to Chief Crowley, he said, “Am I against a lesbian being chief? Of course not. Do I think a lesbian can do the job? Of course I do, and maybe she’s the best person for the job. Or maybe they really wanted a lesbian in that job, and she’s just the best lesbian for the job, and with essential services, that’s not good enough.”

Maher quoted Crowley’s official bio, which highlights her commitment to diversity and inclusion, sarcastically adding, “Well, you didn’t exceed my expectations, which was that the whole city wouldn’t burn down.”

He also criticized LAFD Deputy Chief Kristine Larson, who advocates for diversity and inclusion, citing an undated video where Larson stated, “You want to see somebody that responds to your house, your emergency… that looks like you.” Maher argued that such sentiments could be perceived as discriminatory. “No one cares what someone looks like when they’re pulling you out of a burning house,” he said.

Maher ended by linking governmental inefficiencies and identity politics to larger systemic issues, while acknowledging that “wokeness” alone wasn’t the cause of the fires. “Cali has no shortage of safety commissions and agencies and bureaucrats and regulators and of course, sign language interpreters who communicate with their fists,” he quipped, accompanied by a montage of interpreters.

“But common sense? We better get some of that back soon, because wildfires in California are like boob jobs in a strip club: inevitable, and they’re only going to get bigger,” he concluded.

You can watch the full segment above.