The wildfires will be one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Hopefully they will also teach policymakers some lessons.
—
Oneofthecommonthemesinmywritinghasbeenthestate’scommitmenttoexpandingbureaucracyandregulation,withoutmuchregardforwhetherthenewprogramsaccomplishtheirstatedgoals.Residentsandbusinessessimplydealwiththenewtaxesandredtapeandadapt.Californiaissuchabeautifulandenergeticplacethatpeopleheremuddlethroughdespitetheburdensthestategovernmentputsintheirway.
Butthe LosAngeleswildfires—likelytobeoneofthecostliestnaturaldisastersinU.S.history—haveexposedfesteringregulatoryhurdlesthathaveexacerbatedthecrisis.Manyareyearsinthemaking,maddeninglycomplex,andnotgiventoquicksolutions.It’saconfluenceofbadpoliciesinvolvingbrushclearance,water,insurance,firefighting,housing,andclimatechange.
Simplyput,Californiahascreatedatangledwebofregulationthatrendersthisonce-innovativestateincapableofaccomplishinganythingefficiently.Insteadofbuildinga resilientsystem thathandleswhat
