Governor Gavin Newsom
California Governor Gavin Newsom was invited by concerned citizens from Ronald Reagan American Legion Post 283 and the Palisades Long-Term Recovery Group to a private meeting in Pacific Palisades on March 3.
At the meeting at the Legion Hall, the Governor asked for an updated progress report on the Pacific Palisades rebuild and the next steps needed to move it forward.
Community members strategized with the Governor on how to work together to receive more state/federal resources. As of now, there have been no federal funds going to Pacific Palisades (or Altadena). A governor is responsible for obtaining federal dollars for his state.
Residents said they were willing to provide current disaster-funding requests to the governor to present to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and to HUD. Funding from both agencies is vital to help rebuild the more than 7,000 structures that were burned during the January 2025 Palisades Fire.
It was hoped that with additional information, Newsom could make a new plea to Washington and break the current stalemate.
Adding problems to the release of FEMA funding is an impasse in Congress over funding the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Legislators are not acknowledging that (ICE) is largely unaffected by the shutdown and remains funded – on account of the $75 billion doled out for border operations in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Those funds are set to cover ICE for years.
What is affected by the impasse and not funded? The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Secret Service and the Coast Guard.
Why don’t you name the people who attended? Because they certainly don’t represent all residents. They are representing their own interests.
Yes, it would be nice to bring their names out into the sunshine so we know who they are!
I agree these individuals should be named. Not only is notice that a meeting like this occurred important. Trust that only comes from tranparency matters too.
Wow! It must be nice to have the governor’s ear! I wonder why the meeting had to be private and didn’t include the entire community? What is there to discuss if it isn’t for everyone to hear?
Who attended and what additional information was provided to Newsom?
Why would the governor ask the attendees for an updated progress report? Shouldn’t he be reporting all the things he has done for 90272? Naming and shaming the attendees does nothing to make 90272 great again. But the description of this event sounds like Newsom making a campaign stop and promising to be the Palisades’s personal Jesus. Unless Newsom is elected President in 2028 the event seems to be a waste of time for the attendees. It is unfortunate that the attendees thought the governor would be of any use to 90272. That is not the governor’s fault, that is the fault of the attendees.
Did the private meeting discuss why the government is not performing soils testing / following the same government protocols as other previous fires?
A big reason why we have received no federal aid is because of the lack of accounting and loss of billions on unemployment funds, the bridge to nowhere, homeless funds, etc… The federal government does not trust that the aid will actually be used to help the fire victims and communities since the track record of the state, city and county is horrible. Rife with fraud.
Who is the Palisades “long term Recovery Group”?
Lynn,
The meeting was strictly about having FEMA funds released – non have been released to date.
Sue
I heard from someone there that the meeting was not initiated by residents or the organization with which attendees were affiliated — the LTRG — but that the Governor’s
Comms team reached out because they had an interview scheduled already with CBS. Perhaps they wanted a venue?