It happens all the time.

I have lived in Los Angeles for more than four decades now. I slept in a van the night following the 1994  Northridge earthquake, which killed 57, injured more than 9,000, and caused over $13 billion in property damages. Some have published economic losses as high as $50 billion.

I was no different than many Angelenos. Wildfires and mudslides in our coastal and hillside neighborhoods were inconvenient with indifference. We saw it as a consequence of living with gorgeous views. Wildfires and mudslides must've not been much of a concern for those who bought and resided in high-risk communities. To claim that it was would be obtuse, especially for those who owned properties without homeowner's insurance. That is like driving a car without insurance, even if the state lawfully allowed drivers to drive without insurance. 

View of Los Angeles from Runyon Canyon  before the fires.

I live among Progressives, you know people who claim to care about the environment, inclusiveness, and equality. I voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the last Presidential election. I voted for Mayor Karen Bass when she ran to become the mayor of Los Angeles. I hate Mr. Donald Trump. I am very comfortable using the word "hate" to describe how I feel about him. It is the most polite word to describe how I feel about him.

My politics align neither with MAGA nor Progressives. My politics align with civility, humanity, and equality, and in that order. Like many Angelenos, my mental wellness has suffered since last Tuesday, January 7. As I am typing this, parts of Los Angeles County have burned more than the size of San Francisco city limits. If you are more of the East Coast kind of person, more than twice the size of Manhattan New York. Other than hazardous air quality and one false evacuation warning alert, I should be okay. 

I am not okay. While some Angelenos are living with the same indifference we've had in the past, most Angelenos even if not near the fires are tattered. Life goes on, right? I don't blame them. After all, mainstream media has been blasting how these neighborhoods are ultra-wealthy and filled with celebrities. It is true, but also not true.

When I read about Ms. Paris Hilton, I rolled my eyes. When I read about an interview with Mr. Mel Gibson, I was blown away at how real he was. He said all that he lost was all material stuff. His family, the people he loves, are not hurt and safe. All that he lost in the fire, including the house, can be replaced. He sounded like a person with millions of dollars at his disposal, with a healthy set of priorities and relationship with materials.

Did you read about a gentleman in his 70s who lost his home, a rental, in the fire? He worked an early morning shift in a bakery of a grocery store that ended at 11 in the morning to supplement his social security. He won't find another rental near or even in neighboring communities at the rent he paid for which was under rent control. There are hundreds, thousands, more like him. 

I love Los Angeles. I have lived most of my life here. I am also shamed by our failure to provide basic human dignity to over 70,000 homeless folks living in the county before the fires. I read that some shelters and support centers for victims of fire are turning away donated items and volunteers because they are at full capacity. Even before the fires, there were more than 70,000 people needing shelter, water, food, hygiene products, and clothes. Their suffering and indignity continue to remain unheard.

On IG Stories, I unglued about Mayor Karen Bass's negligence in preparing the high-risk areas, providing adequate warnings to its residents... Of course, allegedly. Negligence that results in deaths? That is negligent homicide. Involuntary Manslaughter in California. I don't understand folks who are demanding that she resign. 

Resignation seems like an easy way out, too easy. I don't want reviews of what happened. I don't want to recall her office. I want a criminal investigation. Should the investigation conclude that there is sufficient evidence for Involuntary Manslaughter for each count of death from the fires, she should be criminally charged along with others whose negligence contributed to the magnitude of the fires and thus deaths.

I read that economic losses could be as high as $275 billion from the fires. Estimated insured property losses from the fires are about $30 billion. Remember that the fires are still burning. Two main fires, Palisades and Altadena, are zones where some houses are covered by the state's home insurance called the FAIR Plan. As of January 10, the plan only had $377 million available to pay claims. Although it is unknown how much of $30 billion is covered by California's FAIR Plan, many are anticipating that a significant number of homes damaged and lost to the fires are covered by the plan. 

It is more than houses and businesses. There are schools, roads, electrical lines, gas pipes, water systems, sewers... I'm just thinking about the basics. It won't be possible without federal aid. While President Joe Biden turned on the faucet of federal funds, will President Trump keep the faucet on? While invited, he has not scheduled to tour the devastated areas. Republicans are already voicing that federal funds shouldn't be provided to Los Angeles unless changes are made. Changes to what? How we manage water? How we prepare for disasters? How we respond to wildfires? Our environmental protection laws? 

The first fire broke out on Tuesday. By Thursday morning, it was painfully clear that we would need federal aid. I was worried that Mr. Trump would demand our law enforcement cooperate with federal agencies in identifying, locating, and deporting unlawful immigrants as a condition for receiving federal funds when he steps into the White House on January 20. I was worried about it when he won the election. One devastating disaster like an earthquake or fire would leave us at his mercy for federal funds. Our shiny Sanctuary badge has always been a thorn in his eyes.

I have not been shy on the topic, that the federal government should enforce already existing laws on unlawful entry and residency. Mr. Trump and I differ on how the laws should be enforced. He wants federal agents entering schools and workplaces without cause to identify unlawful residents. He wants people stopped in public spaces without cause to identify unlawful residents. He is willing to have our troops on this soil to identify unlawful residents. 

It has already started in California. Last week, El Centro Border Patrol conducted Operation Return to Sender. Border Patrol agents detained folks in front of a Home Depot and a gas station near Bakersfield, even stopping vehicles on Highway 99 and asking folks to see their papers. It is estimated some 80 to 180 people may have been detained. With no local agency involved, there is no transparency as to how many, where they were taken, and how they are being treated. Do they have legal representation? You know my plan to carry my U.S. Passport Card as an identification rather than the California issued I.D. starting January 20? I'm not waiting until then. I now have the passport card in my wallet.

Would President Trump provide any aid to California when its state legislature and governor are working toward spending $50 million of taxpayer funds to fight President Trump's executive orders and policies in courts, including $25 million towards fighting deportation of unlawful residents?  

I advocate immigration laws of this nation should be enforced, but not with massive hunts for unlawful residents. Just like any other crime, it should first be found or reported with just cause. No one should be stopped simply because they don't look American. 

I'm a pragmatist. Should we wait until President Trump makes the demand? Perhaps, there already is a negotiation through the back channels. If we are to burn our Sanctuary badge, the first action of cooperation should be to notify the appropriate federal agency when unlawful residents commit crimes which they can be deported under the law. While we keep the federal agents busy with that, can we buy some time for those who have made a decent life here? People should know before we have to cooperate with the federal agencies if it were to come to that. 

Unlike the fires, we can warn people before we cooperate with the federal agencies. Some folks have properties that they may want to liquefy for access after deportation. Some may want to leave here for another Sanctuary city like Chicago or New York. Some may repatriate. They will need to plan and prepare.

It happens all the time. We think we can save everyone, but we can't. Rainbows and unicorns are great, but can we have them without federal funds? Do we abandon the burned communities for our unlawful residents? Do we abandon the unlawful residents to rebuild burned communities? I hope he doesn't demand illegal immigrants in exchange for federal funds, but it is Mr. Trump so anything is possible and we must prepare for that possibility.