"Nor have they shown themselves capable of leading the recovery. After promising to streamline the permitting process and rebound without delay, only four building permits for owners whose homes were destroyed had been issued 75 days after the fires."
"In a little more than three years, Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics. It seems fair to ask if it is going to be up to the task. The city has a nearly $1 billion deficit and will be laying off 1,600 workers. The rebuild after winter wildfires killed 12 and destroyed 68,000 structures is moving as slowly as the state’s high-speed rail project. A federal judge has told Los Angeles officials he is their “worst nightmare.” And the city is being sued by its hometown newspaper.
"Another question comes to mind: Could Los Angeles be the next Detroit? At times, it seems it’s in a race with San Francisco to see which will be the first to reach a Motor City-like nadir.
"Due to its “serious financial headwinds,” the city is going to have to make cuts, immediately and in the future.
“ 'This is an enormous hole to fill,” Matthew Szabo, city administrative officer, told the City Council last month. “The severity of the revenue decline, paired with rising costs, has created a budget gap that makes layoffs nearly inevitable. We are not looking at dozens or even hundreds of layoffs, but thousands.” As much as 5% of the city workforce will likely have to go.
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