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Cal Fire Chief's Every year, it seems to be getting worse.
AP
SAN FRANCISCO – One might think that President Donald Trump's latest slap in California – threatening to withhold federal funding due to alleged mismanagement of the forest – would have generated an avalanche of aftershocks from emboldened Democrats whose voters are shaken historic fires.
But a review of media and social media accounts belonging to two Democratic Senate Senators, Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, and 53 members of Congress (currently 39 Democrats and 14 Republicans), shows that up now only a fraction of the state leaders seized the opportunity. challenge the president.
On Saturday, as fires continued to claim victims in northern and southern California, Trump tweeted that there was "no reason" for such fires other than one ". bad "forest management. "Remedy now, or more payments from the Fed!" he wrote.
Brian Rice, head of the California-based professional firefighters organization, with 30,000 members, reacted immediately to Trump's remarks. He called the president's attack "poorly informed, indiscreet and degrading towards the victims and our firefighters on the front".
Current Governor Jerry Brown and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom have both condemned Trump's remarks while continuing to press for a declaration of disaster at the White House.
"Managing all the forests wherever we can do not stop climate change – and those who deny that definitely contribute to the tragedy," Brown told Politico on Sunday. "The chickens come home to perch. It's real here.
A tanker drops a self-timer on the campfire near Paradise, California on November 11, 2018. (Photo: TREVOR HUGHES, USA TODAY & # 39; HUI)
Newsom tweeted: "Lives have been lost, entire cities have been burned, abandoned cars on the side of the road, people are forced to flee their homes, and this is not a moment for partisanship. It's a time for coordination relief and response and lift those who need it. "
The Woolsey fires outside Los Angeles and Camp Fire north of Sacramento were still only partially under control Monday afternoon. To date, they have killed more than 40 people and burned more than 6,000 buildings and over 100,000 acres.
Trump's threats to withhold federal funding are not new. Last summer, Trump wrote a tweet assuming that California firefighters did not have access to water to fight fires because of environmental laws.
And last month, Trump held a meeting in which he blamed California's fire problems on alleged issues of mismanagement of forests.
"It's a shameful thing," he said. "Old trees are sitting there, rotting and dry, and instead of cleaning them, they're not touching them, I think California should get by, clean their forests and manage their forests."
A review of all 55 Twitter accounts belonging to Californian Senators and US House members showed no one was defending the president's tweet.
A Californian Republican, Doug LaMalfa's representative, openly criticized Trump's remarks.
"The lack of forest management has been a long-time frustration, but funding threats when we need help are not going to meet our pressing needs nor speed up the process," said LaMalfa, a Trump supporter in a statement.
A handful of Democrats have expressed indignation at the timing and content of the president's tweet.
"Dear @realDonaldTrump: What's wrong with you?" tweeted Rep. Ted Location, D-Calif. "Disaster victims deserve help and sympathy Oh, and guess who owns most of CA's forest land?" Your federal agencies, CA only has 2% Guess who cut funding of forest management in the budget? YOU HAVE DONE. "
Representative Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Tweeted to the President: "You are funding forest management, but not for long, change is coming to America."
Not to mention California, where three members of the Republican Congress lost their seats to the Democratic challengers on November 6th.
Brad Sherman, Republican, has described the president's threatening tweet "abomination and abdication of leadership in times of crisis." Congress will not allow #Trump to stall the relief from #CalforniaFire. "
Representative Norma Torres, D-Calif., Just described the tweet as "an outrageous @POTUS statement and certainly not a #BeBest message to a @FLOTUS community", a reference to the first lady's anti-bullying campaign Melania Trump.
"@realDonaldTrump, Americans are dead and THIS is what you have to say?" Jackie Speier, representative of D-Calif., Tweeted, adding that the focus should instead be on solving climate change-related issues "before the situation really worsens".
Government representative Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Said during the appearance of "Meet the Press" on NBC Sunday that the content and timing of Trump's tweet "only show how much he understands his work. , "adding that Trump is" only the president, in my opinion, of those who voted for him ".
There was a noticeable lack of response from frequent opponents of Trump, including two California senators, as well as Trump's representative, Maxine Waters, D-Calif.
The president did not seem influenced by the criticisms generated by his initial comment. He doubled his vision on Sunday tweeting: "With proper forest management, we can stop the devastation that is constantly being perpetuated in California.
Read or share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/11/12/california-fire-after-trump-threat-state-lawmakers-slam-president/198342900002/
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