Video that just surfaced from last summer shows that the head of the Los Angeles water utility was solely dedicated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to “right the wrongs of the past… from an infrastructure perspective.” Did these well-intentioned-sounding, though misplaced priorities compromise public safety in Los Angeles? Is that why the fire hydrants were dry in Pacific Palisades when hellacious fires broke out? Was wokeness the reason why the Palisades’ reservoir sat dry and idle for nearly a year?
From the moment she was selected to be the CEO and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP), Janisse Quiñones, saw her role “through the lens of equity… and social justice.” Indeed, the woke mindset permeated the entire operation. But beginning in 2021, Mayor Eric Garcetti set the DWP — and all of the L.A. governmental superstructure — on the path of critical race theory. All thoughts, actions, and priorities were seen through the “lens of equity.” Not equality, equity. The two are quite different.
Did that mindset play a role in decisions leading to the disastrous response to the firestorms?