Los Angeles: Want Your Streetlights to Work Again? Pay Up

When there is an inexpensive solution to a big problem, what do you think the Los Angeles City government will choose to do?

Find something mind-bogglingly expensive, of course. Because it’s somebody else’s money, and surely they can find a way to funnel some money to their friends and their union supporters. 

LA banned this device that protects lampposts from having their copper stolen because it would prevent the union overtime hours generated by repairing said copper thefts. https://t.co/ieDx7HL7CJ

— Peter Kazanjy (@Kazanjy) April 30, 2026

The city has a massive problem with copper theft from streetlights, because of course it does. It is a Blue city, and Blue cities and crime go together like peas and carrots. Surely this helps diversity or something, and diversity is our strength. 

Of course, spending massive quantities of other people’s money is our strength, too, so the city has rejected a simple and cheap solution to their problem in favor of an expensive one requiring a massive tax increase and God only knows how much time to implement. 

It’s the high-speed rail solution in search of a problem, only for streetlights. 

End Metal Theft spokesman Mark James revealed to the California Post it had created a hardened cover that secures streetlights and would stop neighborhoods being plunged into darkness.

The device, which fastens over the lid to the wires, would make it harder, louder and far riskier for criminals to try to gain access.

They would cost about $300 to install, are easily maintained and would save the tens of thousands of dollars it costs to repair vandalized streetlamps.

But James revealed City Hall chiefs shot it down, instead wanting to focus on converting to solar lamps that will cost up to $6,000 each.

He told The Post: “The most cost-effective theft deterrent isn’t replacing what thieves are after, it’s making it not worth their time to try.”

He continued: “A locking cover does that for a fraction of what any alternative infrastructure decision costs.”

Copper wire theft has sparked havoc across the city and left neighborhoods in darkness while a backlog of repairs are carried out.

Meanwhile Los Angeles started sending ballots out to residents to try to get them to stack up the funds to pay for ones outside their homes.

Perhaps you think that this product hasn’t been tested and shown to work, but you would be wrong. It has been, and it does, because copper wire thieves are not in an Ocean’s 11 movie and stealing jewels or something; they are looking for a quick score, and the harder it is to get one, the less likely it is to be attractive. 

Many solutions to crime problems are not complex or expensive, because most criminals are lazy and stupid. 

James said: “In Glendale, contractors repulled wire and within 48 hours it was stolen again, taxpayers paid twice for the same repair.

“After installing locking covers, theft at that park stopped. What’s telling is copper wire theft started showing up in nearby unprotected areas. They’re choosing the easiest target.”

Despite this, LA is weighing bringing in solar streetlights that will not need the wiring that will cost between $3,000 and $6,000 per unit and more for maintenance and battery replacements.

In Karen Bass’ Los Angeles, the logic is clear: why spend only $300 when you can spend $6000? That’s stupid. Almost as stupid as keeping the reservoirs filled to help fight fires. 

Fury as notorious Palisades reservoir blamed for deadly wildfire response is empty again https://t.co/L65bZGfwGr pic.twitter.com/HhBZmHYJBw

— California Post (@californiapost) April 22, 2026

It’s not that the people in charge never learn; it’s that their priorities are not what people believe or what they claim. Karen Bass is, unironically, a communist. She was a prominent member of the Castroite Venceremos Brigade and retains her communist sympathies. Taking money from homeowners is what she wants to do, and if you think that the City Council is any different, you are naive. 

Ballots have started popping up in the mailboxes of Angelenos who benefit from streetlights illuminating their property — asking them to sign off on an initiative to fork over hundreds of dollars in property fees each year to replace 200,000 streetlights across the city.

The plan, aimed at repairing streetlights continuously damaged by vandals and copper thieves, would increase the current budget from $45 million to $125 million.

Wire theft is currently costing LA more than $20 million a year. The ballot is expected to be sent to 600,000 property owners.

The Democrat-dominated LA City Council voted overwhelmingly in favor of the measure last month — with only one “no” vote — arguing more money is needed to cover permanent fixes to lighting infrastructure while copper-wire bandits have run rampant pillaging streetlights.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has voiced strong support for the initiative. “As long as voters support the street lighting assessment, we’ll be able to replace all 200,000 lights across the city,” she said. Calling the repairs “something long overdue.”

That Californians keep handing over money to their political class is mysterious to me. Are they stupid? Evidence says otherwise in areas outside of politics. Californians generate a lot of wealth, and the state is filled with bright people who are entrepreneurs, but these people are by temperament soft touches for pretty words and virtue signaling, and apparently have a high tolerance for being taken for a ride. 

They are the equivalent of the few Bernie Madoff victims who truly believed he was being railroaded after he was arrested. In a choice between seeing reality and remaining oblivious, they prefer to be oblivious. 

Editor’s Note: The Democrat Party has never been less popular as voters reject its globalist agenda.

Help us continue exposing Democrats’ plans to lead America down a dangerous path. Join HotAir VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.