XPost: alt.los-angeles, alt.home.repair, alt.politics.republicans
XPost: sac.politics, talk.politics.misc

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the people who brought
Pacific Palisades an empty reservoir and dry fire hydrants, is intricately planning to defend itself far better than it ever defended that
neighborhood against fires.

The LADWP has lined up a top-flight L.A. law firm to defend the public
agency against inevitable fire-related lawsuits at a cost as high as —
wait or it — $1,975 an hour.


The city hired the Munger, Tolles & Olson (MTO) firm in a three-year, $20 million contract to defend it against the expected blizzard of lawsuits
some of which have already been filed, the L.A. Times reported. "Under the deal, partners at the firm will charge the city up to $1,975 per hour for
their legal work," the Times said. But not to fear, taxpayers, because "Associates will bill from $745 to $1,180 per hour." Indeed, the L.A. City Attorney's office says, that "this 'discounted rate structure' was among
the factors that led to the selection of the firm." Emphasis added.

The L.A. Times, newly emboldened to report the news even if it makes their
woke friends look bad, reported, "The swift hiring of the law firm
contrasts sharply with DWP’s pace in finding a contractor to repair the
Santa Ynez Reservoir, a 117-million-gallon water storage complex in the Palisades that was empty during the Palisades fire." Couldn't have said it better myself.

The reservoir cover is a heavy-duty tarp, but for some reason, the utility
saw the need to empty the reservoir while seeking bids for the repair. The reservoir had been dry for nearly a year. Great job, everyone.


If the reservoir had been filled, there likely would have been enough
pressure in the lines to keep the fire hydrants filled and usable at the
first moments firefighters arrived at the Pacific Palisade fire.

Related: Trump Gloriously Lays Waste to L.A. Politicians Standing in the
Way of Rebuilding

Residents were stunned when they discovered that the reservoir had been
empty for nearly a year.


There were also water shortages in Pasadena and Altadena at the site of
the Eaton Fire.

So far, five lawsuits representing 36 plaintiffs, two of whom are former
MTV reality show cast members, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, have been
filed in L.A. County courts. The cases demand a jury trial and claim
"inverse condemnation," faulting the city for emptying the reservoir and
taking the "calculated risk that private property would be damaged and destroyed by fire."

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he would also investigate why the
reservoir was dry.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass went to the African continent after the National
Weather Service issued high wind warnings in early January. Let's go to
Bass, fresh off the plane from Ghana, for a comment.


I include the above comments to make sure you see them before they become difficult to find in the future for some reason.

The law firm has subject matter expertise in defending utilities after big fires. It represented Hawaiian Electric Industries and Hawaiian Electric
Co. after the Maui fire. In addition, the firm also defended Pacific Gas & Electric after the devastating California Camp Fire that incinerated the
town of Paradise. The Times reports that settlements for both those conflagrations are being held up but are expected to reach as much as $4 billion.

Related: And Suddenly, Gavin Newsom's Electric Car Mandate Looks Pretty
Dumb to L.A. Fire Victims

A local radio host has brought up the specter of Ground Zero-like toxic aftermath in the air around the fire zones and urged residents to wear respirators when they're in the area cleaning up their properties. The
city and the California Coastal Commission have some legal vulnerability
in this as I reported in Stunner: California Saved a Shrub Instead of Protecting Humans From the L.A. Firestorm. The Coastal Commission fined
the DWP and ordered it to take out the fire roads and other fire
mitigation measures it made in Topanga Canyon — the suspected point of
origin of the Palisades fire.

Meantime, things are going along normally at DWP. This lady got a bill
that was more than three times the usual amount.


Thousands of L.A. residents lost their power for days following the fires,
so how does one receive a bill for a higher amount?

I know where she can find an attorney at the "discount" price of $1,975
per hour. Maybe they can find out.

https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2025/02/17/dwps-protection-money-
n4936999

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