Don’t Look Now, Malibu But That Thing’s Happening That Wasn’t Supposed to

Another page turns in the litany of betrayals that has been the aftermath of January’s Los Angeles fires.

You know that part where the mayor and slickster governor swore they wouldn’t let the ruined properties be bought up by real estate investors and they were going to prevent the see-ville speculators from moving in?

Yeah. 

Well, those promises held about as much water as that reservoir did when they needed it.

If this isn’t a blatant land grab , idk what is. Aided and abetted by Newsom and Bass. A lot of questions to be answered… who is the investor? What happens to all of the families who lost their homes? Were they offered help to reconcile their losses?

— Gardegram (@Gardegram52) August 8, 2025

Foreigner, no less. How American.

In the charred aftermath of Malibu’s January wildfires, one buyer has been moving in silence.

While much of La Costa Beach remains a barren stretch of sand, a foreign investor has quietly acquired nine oceanfront lots — spending more than $65 million to secure some of the most coveted parcels along the Pacific Coast Highway, according to Realtor.com.

Working through luxury agents Weston Littlefield and Alex Howe of the Weston James Group, the buyer is targeting properties with at least 40 feet of frontage, betting that once the coastline is rebuilt, demand from wealthy buyers will return in force.

Remember how people like Adam Carolla were condemned as cynics? Guys like this fellow being pooh-poohed as downers and naysayers while Bass and Newsom smiled, nodded, twitched, and pinkie swore this was going to be nothing like Maui?

Oh, you can’t build…there’s an environmental lawsuit. Oh, you can’t build until the California Coastal Commission approves your (insert anything at all here)…which it won’t.
Sorry, you met their code, but that conflicts with this other code. Meet them both or else.

— The Alpha Cow (@Marcus_Porcius2) January 10, 2025

Swore it wasn’t even going to be anything like the normal Los Angeles permitting gridlock?

Yeah. About that.

Sluggish pace of rebuilding permits for fire-affected homes causes concern

‘Sluggish’ is not the word I would use. Not even remotely.

I mean, HOLY CRAP.

The pace at which rebuilding permits for fire-ravaged properties that were damaged or destroyed during January’s brush fires is a source of concern for the communities affected.

It’s been six months since the Eaton and Palisades fires ripped through Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Since then, unincorporated Los Angeles County has received 1,207 rebuild applications, but only 90 permits have been issued. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety reported receiving rebuilding applications for 360 addresses affected by the Palisades Fire. Of those, 70 addresses have received permits.

“If you look at what the county and city have done together, it’s still a tiny fraction of the total number of homes that were lost,” said Richard Green, Director of USC’s Lusk Center for Real Estate.

“The permitting process in Los Angeles, even a fast-tracked is complicated by American standards,” Green said. “The median time to get a permit in Dallas is eight days.”

Meanwhile, according to LA County, the average length of time it took to get one of the 90 rebuilding permits issued was 51 days.

90 permits. That’s it.

There were sixteen THOUSAND structures destroyed and over 150,000 people displaced.

And they have managed to poop 90 permits.

Guess what time of year it is?

🔻 The fire north of LA is growing rapidly.
As night fell a CalFire report stated: “The fire is burning east with a rapid rate of spread in light to medium fuels. The onshore push is influencing fire behavior, and the fire is threatening 60kv powerlines as well as the… https://t.co/boISTmJvfz

— Linda Britton-Fairchild (@FairchildL3853) August 8, 2025

Has anything changed in that city?

Well, the mayor and the greasy governor are really worried about illegals and ICE.

Hey, Mr. Governor (or whoever is running this account),

Southern California is on fire again and it sure would be nice if you focused on that. Also, there are several thousand people without water in LA county. Perhaps those two things should be more important to you than your…

— Marnie Lopez (@marniekaylopez) August 8, 2025

…Perhaps those two things should be more important to you than your little feud with any republican outside the state.

Your house being rebuilt someday or if the one you still have burns now?

LADWP’s “one-stop” fire-rebuild permit desk empty. Our staff was told it is staffed by LADWP for only 2 hours a day.

This is expedited rebuilding in LA City. pic.twitter.com/J7oCbooOsd

— Alexis Rivas (@alexisxrivas) July 30, 2025

Not so much.

ARE WE ANY BETTER PREPARED? 

Former Los Angeles mayor candidate @RickCarusoLA is questioning whether LA is any more prepared for a wildfire, now 7 months since the LA Fires. pic.twitter.com/4pttMcaNSs

— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) August 7, 2025

HAVE THE FIRE HYDRANTS BEEN CHECKED? FIRE TRUCKS OUT OF MOTHBALLS?

DON’T TALK CRAZY TALK!

This is their own map of fire damage. Only in California and LA would this level of destruction be possible in 2025. Because they have no interest in actually governing, just winning elections and posting their bad ideas on social media. Inexcusable. pic.twitter.com/UMVrUbCqKd

— Ian Miller (@ianmSC) August 6, 2025

‘Urban infill,’ baby. It’s the latest thing. Unless you’re a foreign investor with the upfront cha-ching for that primo waterfront property.

The rest of you burned-out, homeless types who will never survive financially long enough to see the first permit can just sell to developers.

John believes that there’s a big war over affordable housing coming to Pacific Palisades as LA City Councilwoman @TraciParkforLA asked Gov. Newsom to suspend density laws that allow for low-income & affordable housing to be built in areas like Pacific Palisades after the fires! pic.twitter.com/ESovTFuBFC

— The John Kobylt Show (@JohnKobyltRadio) July 29, 2025

There’s only so much that people have the capacity and resources to endure, and the county and city are ensuring they push them not to but over the brink.

Malibu isn’t being sold….it’s being surrendered. Forced out by red tape and replaced by outsiders. Total bs.

— 🇺🇸SuperBasedInCali🇺🇸 (@SuperBasedInCa) August 8, 2025

In LaLa Land, everyone out there seems to be in it for themselves and their buddies.

Tens of millions of dollars intended for LA fire victims through Fire Aid is being probed. Fire Aid claims funds went to fully-vetted non profits who in turn are helping or assisting fire victims. At least one food bank reportedly used $1m to pay staff issuing food. Do you… pic.twitter.com/FYZLsidneU

— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) August 4, 2025

But they make sure to look good, selling the fairytale that they’re doing everything they can for you.

Right before you go over the edge, with their hand on your back.

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