West LA Times

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner and executive chairman of the Los Angeles Times, said that endorsing Karen Bass for mayor was a mistake. Soon-Shiong made this statement during a January 13 appearance on "The Morning Meeting" with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, and Dan Turrentine.

"We endorsed Karen Bass. I think right now, that was a mistake and we admit that," Dr. Soon-Shiong said. "The interesting thing is that maybe we should think about how we elect people on the basis of: Did they actually run a job? Did they actually make a payroll? Do they understand what it is? Rather than having professional politicians whose only job is to run for office, you really need people who understand how it affects the man in the street."

According to a January 10 report in City Journal, Mayor Karen Bass's reductions in Los Angeles’s firefighting budget have weakened the city's ability to respond to wildfires. Bass, who assumed office in 2022, has prioritized coalition building and climate issues, leading to agreements with public sector unions that significantly increased costs, totaling $4.5 billion over five years.

On January 8, the New York Post reported that Los Angeles firefighters battling the fire in the Pacific Palisades faced water shortages as hydrants ran dry. The water shortages followed fiscal cycles in which Mayor Bass cut the city's 2024-25 budget to $12.9 billion from $13.1 billion the previous year, with city funds going to lawsuit payouts and a rainy-day fund falling below 2.75% of the $8 billion general fund.

According to Cal Fire, approximately 57,528 acres have been burned by the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires. More than 16,255 structures have been destroyed or damaged in Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and surrounding neighborhoods. As of January 27, there are 28 fatalities. Santa Ana winds, drought conditions, and heavy brush resulting from last year's rains continue fueling these fires as investigations into their causes proceed.

According to a January 10 Associated Press report, as Los Angeles faced wildfires that burned over 5,000 homes, Mayor Bass was absent attending a trip to Ghana as part of a presidential delegation. Her delayed return and July budget cuts to the fire department’s personnel led to criticism of her leadership. Public backlash included an online petition for her resignation and scrutiny from Governor Newsom.

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong is also known as a renowned physician, surgeon, and entrepreneur who currently leads NantWorks—a network of companies advancing healthcare and technology—including NantKwest and NantHealth focused on immunotherapy and bioinformatics solutions.