As wildfires continue to devastate California, questions are arising about the priorities of Los Angeles leaders.

Funding for the fire department has been cut by millions of dollars, while money has been allocated to a variety of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Fueled by fierce winds, the ongoing wildfires have devastated nearly 10,000 homes and businesses and claimed at least 24 lives. The crisis has escalated to a national emergency, with Texas sending help and resources to assist in the firefighting efforts, as reported by The Dallas Express.

As the fires raged, many Los Angeles residents wondered why vital services were left underfunded.

Just months before the disaster, Los Angeles officials cut the Los Angeles Fire Department’s (LAFD) budget by a staggering $17.6 million, even as wildfires were becoming an increasingly common threat.

A recent Fox News review of the L.A. County budget revealed that millions of taxpayer dollars were directed toward projects unrelated to fire safety or emergency response services.

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Programs such as the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, which received $14,010, and the Midnight Stroll Transgender Café initiative, which provides housing for homeless transgender people, were among those receiving funding.

While LAFD’s funding was slashed, the county continued to allocate large amounts of money to programs like a syringe exchange for homeless drug addicts ($190,000), Juneteenth celebrations ($100,000), and LGBT Heritage Month celebrations ($13,000). In total, the budget for homelessness and DEI initiatives in Los Angeles eclipsed the fire department’s funding for the second consecutive year, reported Fox.

In addition, taxpayers have also raised questions about the decision to allocate millions toward programs like electric vehicle infrastructure ($4.5 million) and other unlisted “equity and inclusion” initiatives ($250,000) instead of fire prevention.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Fire Chief, Anthony Marrone, confirmed on Wednesday that LAFD was stretched thin. “There are not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude,” he told reporters.

The situation is so grim that California has resorted to employing inmates as emergency firefighters.

Nearly 1,000 inmates have been working on the front lines, battling the wildfires. According to the state’s corrections department, these inmate firefighters are paid up to $10.24 per day, with additional compensation for 24-hour shifts during active fires. A typical 24-hour shift can result in an inmate earning around $29. In addition to pay, incarcerated firefighters also earn time credits, usually two days off their sentence for every day they serve on the crew, according to a report from NBC 6.

With fire hydrants running dry, underfunded fire departments, and homes reduced to ash, many are questioning whether Los Angeles officials are truly serving the needs of their constituents or catering to DEI interests.

“DEI was the fire chief’s focus and the department + the city spent money on DEI while dangerous brush hadn’t been cleared and fire hydrants didn’t have water. DEI IS ACTUALLY DEADLY,” political activist and filmmaker Robby Starbuck posted to X.

In response, Elon Musk simply wrote, “DEI means people DIE.”