After the Ashes: A Beautiful Altadena Podcast

Season 2 / Episode 6: Everyone’s Suing Everyone & Survivors Turned Investigators

• Shawna Dawson Beer

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We open this episode with another media round-up, because the news cycle has been busy! There are big stories everywhere, and nearly all of them raise the same unsettling question: who's actually in charge here. Stories and topics discussed include:

  • The Guardian coverage on Climate Gentrification and the frustration that much of what we’re now facing could have been mitigated had AB 797 not been vetoed last year. 
  • Southern California Edison is suing… everyone. A headline that hit nearly every outlet, prompting the same question from survivors: what does this mean for us? We break down SCE's filing deadline, how responsibility gets shared (or deflected) in mass litigation, and the question everyone is asking — will this slow down settlements?
  • Rick Caruso is out as a gubernatorial contender, something Steve covered in his Hot Potato Substack. This opens a bigger conversation. If California is “so great,” why is no one eager to govern it? Who are the real contenders likely to emerge? And what kind of leadership moment is this, really?

We turn local. The Las Flores Water Company Shareholders Meeting, rescheduled to Thursday, January 22. Still no meaningful communication and so many unanswered questions. We discuss the growing concern: are they even competent to manage this moment? Should shareholders organize to force a vote?  Check out Shawna’s Beautiful Altadena Substack post that lays out exactly what has unfolded so far. Shawna is also quoted in this ABC7 story on the meeting. 

Fellow fire survivor Sylvie Andrews’ investigation into the fire response and failed evacuation alerts. Her work uncovers troubling inconsistencies between official statements from leaders, official reports, and what residents actually experienced on the ground.

Shawna shares her ongoing investigation into contaminated soil being moved around Altadena and buried beneath rebuilds, often with little or no oversight. An issue that refuses to go away and may define long-term health outcomes if left unchecked.

And some unexpected changes to the Town Council’s Land Use Committee. 

Small Business Shout-Out: Washington & Hill

This week we’re uplifting several Altadena-adjacent and Altadena-owned businesses anchoring the Washington & Hill corridor including Lavender & Honey, Octavia’s Bookshelf and Woon Kitchen. These businesses continue to show up for the community and deserve our support. Follow them all on Instagram:

  • Lavender & Honey @lh_espresso 
  • Octavia’s Bookshelf @octavias_bookshelf
  • Woon Kitchen @woonkitchen

Note: This episode was recorded Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The podcast takes the week of January 25 off and returns the week of February 1

Shawna:

Welcome back. This is After the Ashes, the beautiful Alfredina podcast on the LE Fire recovery through recovery through a policy lens. I just gave uh Steve shit in the last episode for fucking up that intro, and I just proceeded to butcher it. So Mazzle Tove. It's Shauna.

Steve:

By the way, I didn't say a word.

Shawna:

I just watched that whole He just watched it all unfold with the most amazing look on his face. I these are the days I really wish that we were recording this and doing it video live because it would be the body language and the facial expressions alone would be worth tuning in for the comedy. Um here we are. It's season two, episode six. We're recording this on January 20th. It's a Tuesday, and we're gonna open this episode.

Steve:

It's the first anniversary of the inauguration. Oh my gosh.

Shawna:

Wow, what a dubious date.

Steve:

Indeed. I just know because I'm seeing all over the political coverage today.

Shawna:

You can't see me making my vomit.

Steve:

One year later, what has Trump done? Dun dun dun. He's he's I know he's fucked up a lot of stuff.

Shawna:

I mean, it's it's impressive, actually. He's he's a he's done a lot of fuckery. But we knew that there would be a lot of fuckery because they came in so well prepared for this, you know, thanks to Thiel and all of his ilk with uh Project 2025.

Steve:

Peter Thiel did that? It was in part. I thought it was uh Russell Vaught.

Shawna:

It's they're all up in there. Uh but it, you know, they came here, it's exactly the Heritage Foundation. They they all came here uh with a plan. I know everyone's always like Trump, Trump, Trump, but it's like Trump, you know, he's a puppet. And when he falls, they'll find that. They'll find another puppet and another puppet. And you know, that's what makes this so scary. It's it's a cancer that reaches really far. And um, I don't know how we clean it up.

Steve:

But so for those of you that think that Sean is a Trumpy, I hope that answers that question.

Shawna:

Yeah, seriously. Um, you know, I mean it's like with what's happening, and I don't want to go too far down the rabbit hole, but with ice in Minnesota, actually, I will just, you know, land that with like I one of my favorite memes of the week was like, Who thought the revolution would start in Minneapolis? Dot dot dot Prince. Prince thought the revolution would start in Minneapolis. I loved it.

Steve:

Speaking of the 80s.

Shawna:

I loved it. But um rain. But yeah, it's uh it's beyond disturbing what's going on. There's there's word that they are planning to bring that level of operation back here to us in Los Angeles, um, which is going to turn this town into a war zone, which is terrifying. And and it it dovetails again into what's happening here because, you know, even last week at the or a couple weeks ago for the during the week of the one year anniversary of the fire, there were ICE teams raiding rebuild sites in Altadena, not to mention arresting people in Pasadena, including someone related to Endelon. It's um it's really disturbing. And um on one hand, you know, I think we are so overwhelmed with what's happening here, it's hard to really keep a handle on what's happening on a on a national level and be fighting and protesting at the levels that I think many of us in our community normally would and would like to be. Um but it at the same time, it's like you we it's here, it's on our doorstep, it can't be ignored. It's just another layer of trauma on trauma, horror on horror. So on that cheery note, on that cheery note, let's uh start with our media roundup and um You mean continue our media roundup. I know we are kind of continuing because there was so much to talk about from media stories that we were like, we can't even jam it into just one episode to do it into a couple. But um another story this week um came from The Guardian. Um, and it was a story on climate gentrification. Uh that's how they termed it was climate gentrification. And Steve was quick to point out that that expression climate gentrification has been used in the past.

Steve:

Hang on, it was in the spring because it was the Wall Street Journal, because I wrote about it, and that was one of my posts that actually got a lot of people who actually forwarded it because they were like, oh, this is a good one.

Shawna:

It is a good one. I mean, it's it's sadly what's happening.

Steve:

If you say the climate gentrification, that's when everybody I know. It was June 20th, because it was examples of the future for Al Sedina, yeah.

Shawna:

And what what publication was that?

Steve:

The Wall Street Journal. Because it talked about the effects in Panama City and in Paradise, but that climate gentrification was occurring. Um and that was the first time I saw those words used. I'm sure that's not the first time, but then to see The Guardian picking it up on the other end of the political spectrum and talking about a problem of lots being sold. I mean unfortunately they did it the the the shocking way, which wasn't fair, which is the house could have been sold for X, but now, you know, it's Y, right? Like it was.

Shawna:

For anyone who didn't read the story or hasn't followed, you know, this concept, it's being called here climate gentrification, but it's been talked about in many ways, you know, without that necessarily being attached to that terminology. Um, and what this is is effectively, you know, people who now have to sell or have chosen to sell for various reasons, and the fact that they're having to sell for uh significantly diminished value of the property. And, you know, the thing for anyone who thinks, wow, didn't we talk about this issue? Didn't we maybe propose, didn't you maybe write something that would have solved this issue?

Steve:

I don't know what you're talking about.

Shawna:

I um, you know, immediately when I read this, I was like, cool, cool. So we could have solved this with Herobedian's AB 797.

Steve:

Yeah.

Shawna:

That quite literally, the the Community Stabilization Act that was quite literally. That was the whole purpose of it to solve this problem and to not be faced with climate gentrification.

Steve:

Well, which at least if you have to sell that you're not having to sell below market value. Because it the the secondary part of that is that basically it's there was no preservation of the value of the land. Yeah. Again, you can't at the time when we wrote 797, it was either going to be, you know, some kind of mass tort or it was going to be, you know, insurance. And you can't there's a there is a definite moral hazard that you have to be careful of. If you choose not to have insurance, you know, that's a risk that you take. Um, which now is a little bit more deep because insurance is a mess in the state now, right? But there were a lot of people that chose not to have insurance on their house because they didn't want to pay the cost of it. Um and of course, that's you know, and and for those of you that don't have earthquake insurance, guess what? You know, the same kind of thing is gonna happen. It's a choice that you make, and it's gonna be bailed out by the government, I don't think is necessarily gonna happen. So but this story was that there was the structure, which is the million-dollar land uh value, and then you know, the land underneath it. And it was at least with the land, that was something that we could have done something with. That was not a moral hazard. And so that's why 797 was put in place. Um but as you rightfully pointed out, we don't have those tools, and now we're getting another piece you know, easily going that way.

Shawna:

So well, right, and and it's you know, the thing I that I I'd said with that was not just okay, now it's gone, but also um now what? What's the what's the reply? Well, the other thing that's where are the tools and solutions? Like if the governor is going to veto this up. Right, he didn't give a fuck. But like if you're gonna veto that, then great, then what? Where where are the solutions? Where are they? Because we keep, you know, again, we we have um, and I I'm sorry I'm gonna throw our state senator under the bus on this one again or call her out again, but I am because she is one of the people who did not support this bill. Well, she said she's please stop telling me. She said she did right, but you know, please, please stop with all of the performative antics that you know everybody cares, everybody cares. But when it comes to when the shit hits the fan, when it comes time to actually vote in a way or to present, you know, and support legislation in a way that will meaningfully support and help our community, it's crickets.

Steve:

Whereas everybody's because this bill was complicated. The other thing that was great about this bill was it was gonna have again to the gentrification component, we were gonna have a community ownership over the land. It was not it was gonna be, you know, not some developer coming in and taking it over. It was, you know, this was gonna be a nonprofit that was gonna be accountable or multiple nonprofits accountable to the communities in which they serve. You know, there was a lot of there were a lot of guardrails put into this to ensure that there wasn't gonna be necessarily the gentrification a hundred percent. I mean, you can't stop what's gonna happen, but it was at least a way to give people the dignity to leave with a reasonable value for their home or at least be able to have a bid on their house and allow, you know, some kind of community say over what was gonna happen with the land once it got into this trust.

Shawna:

Yeah.

Steve:

But alas, we can't just cry over spilled milk.

Shawna:

No, but we can cry over, you know, a demand to have some other solutions, other meaningful tools. Where are they?

Steve:

There aren't, because this was the answer. There is no other answer. It's maddening. Well, you like I told you, watch within the next 90 to 120 days. It won't surprise me if we see lipstick put on a pig. In fact, I already know the county is talking about some solutions that will be potentially like interest-free loans and a shared equity model. Which where did you hear all that from?

Shawna:

Yeah.

Steve:

I mean, like they're just gonna take these ideas and repackage them and you know put them out in different ways, but it'll get there.

Shawna:

Well, let's hope it gets there and before it's too late, before you know what's left of our community is forced out.

Steve:

Well, that's that's a another issue.

Shawna:

I know.

Steve:

Speaking of that, speaking of that, yeah, we see the lawsuits flying all over the place.

Shawna:

Uh so yes, the other headline uh that that blew up was uh that SCE is suing everyone. So the uh there this was covered by multiple outlets, of obviously, but um, you know, the the bottom line was uh well, let's read the Times uh headline. Edison sues LA County and other agencies saying they share blame for eat and fire deaths and destruction. So, you know, uh I saw a lot of upset around this of like, oh my gosh, they're trying to get out of settlements. We're we're gonna it's it's gonna delay us, we're never gonna see money for a decade. And um, I was like, okay, everybody get off the ledge. So here's what happened and what was happening. Um last Friday was the deadline for Edison to name additional defendants. Um, so effectively, you know, if you've been following all this, you already know that Edison, SCE, so Cal Edison, who allegedly all signs point to was the source of this fire, um, the Eton fire here in Altadena. That um sorry, I made the mistake of looking at all my notes and then my brain went like that. They are being sued by quite literally everyone, all right? LA County is suing them, City of Sierra Madre, City of Pasadena, Pasadena Unified School District, State Farm Insurance, right? You name it. Everybody's suing them. Like if you did this and you've cost us this money, you know, we all want our pound of flesh. We all want our money too. And, you know, us, all of us, the fire survivors and the real victims here, who continue to be the only ones not getting rich through this uh disaster economy that's booming, are like, hey, uh, get in line behind all of us. All right. If you want your pound, great. Well, let we'll be exhausting that$22 billion fund before you get your paws on it. Take care of yourselves.

Steve:

Um, so don't don't be so sure.

Shawna:

But I know, but that's how it should be, right?

Steve:

I know how it should be, but you and I both know who we're dealing with.

Shawna:

I wouldn't be surprised if the county's right at the top, taking everything off.

Steve:

Is Edison arguing that the state should have been more active in its governance and oversight over its maintenance of the wires?

Shawna:

I'm not gonna speak to that because I don't know. I didn't read the full filing.

Steve:

That would be hilarious if they said it would be.

Shawna:

We should dig into the filing and find out. Um that would be a very that would be a good use of AI. Ask the AI to read through the to troll the filing and see if it can find that in there because I'd be very curious to know if that is in there. But um, you know, the bottom line was that they had, you know, they have everyone suing them. Yeah, and they're going to have tremendous exposure that they're conf they're concerned with, you know. And for anyone who doesn't pay attention, this is how it works. We got the$22 billion fire fund, but wildfire insurance fund that largely should cover it hopefully all of the uh residents' lawsuits, of which there are now thousands, you know, like my mass tort alone, my beautiful Alcedina Mast tort alone is a thousand neighbors on just that. So you can imagine how many people, as far as individuals, are suing because you know they kind of burned our whole town down and left us holding the bag.

Steve:

Yeah, you know, I haven't even filed yet.

unknown:

I know.

Shawna:

You should. That's another conversation. I know. You need to. I know, I know. You know, and I'm gonna share this because I'm realizing more and more that people don't realize this. Every individual in your household is entitled to their own claim, their own settlement, and their own individual payment. And that is not just you and your wife, Steve. That's the kids too. So, and I hope that, you know, not just you, but everyone needs to know that. Everyone in your household, if you're a household, you know, of five, if you've got two parents and three kids, each one of you has your own individual claim with its own individual merits and its own individual monies. And I've had this conversation with a few people in the community who were like, well, we didn't lose that much or this or that, and we feel like, you know, we don't we don't want to be greedy or we don't want to get in line. It's like, no, no, no, no. Every one of us who lived up there had a loss and deserves to be compensated full stop. And if you think that it wasn't you or you don't need this, I would say think about your kids and the fact that God knows what's going to come up for your children down the line because of this, be it the trauma, the physical exposures to who knows what. There are so many things, right? Um, take, take, think of it like that, and ensure that your kids get signed up and that they have claims handled by competent lawyers that really understand this space. And I'll say again, the ones that aren't advertising all over town, those are the ones you want. The ones who are not advertising all over town. And um get some great, you know, uh representation because oh, it's Southern California gas, probably because they didn't shut off. Oh, yeah, that's exactly what is. We're gonna get into that. So that is that. We'll wrap that up. But for sure, everybody should is entitled, everyone should file a claim, everybody with a great find a great attorney, get you know, some really some great feed, you know, uh um feedback on what the merits are for their specific situation in their case and and get filed um sooner than later, because the longer you wait, um, you know, bluntly, it's not that it's it's gonna be too late. The statute on this goes out for years. We've we've still got two more years on the statute of limitations to file. However, there is some precedent that um, you know, they could run out. You could be at the back of the line. You don't want to be at the back of the line. So get on that. That said, what this to go back to this, what it is is that the folks at SCE, you know, are on the hook. So they've got the$22 billion fund. They've also got, you know, up to$4 billion that they're responsible for out of their own pocket, out of their, you know.

Steve:

How much?$4 billion. I thought, oh, but it's only one out of pocket remainder is right covered by insurance.

Shawna:

Exactly. If it's covered, it may not be fully covered. And outside of that, you know, it would be exposure for them. So they're already, and this was already in their shareholder report last year. This is when we knew that they had effectively admitted fault, where they said, Well, it looks like it's us and we're gonna have some exposure. As they're worried about profits. So here's the thing though. By the way, these guys make billions of dollars a quarter in profits.

Steve:

All right. Well, that we're not gonna their business. But what's interesting about this from a legal perspective is the get the gas piece, because I mean, I g Edison can probably Well, I think you need to state.

Shawna:

So, what Edison did on Friday was name additional defendants. So their position is hey, we we may have we may have started this fire. Um now I have a Bruce Springsting song in my head. Um, it's Billy Joel. Oh, it's Billy Joel. I I don't sorry, I'm not my Americana rock is not my strong suit. Um, but the song is now in my head. I won't sing it, I'll spare everybody. Um, but I'm sure it's now stuck in your heads too, because you know exactly what I'm talking about. We didn't start the fire, anyhow.

Steve:

But there's always burning.

Shawna:

Their attitude Steve's gonna sing for us. No, their attitude is hey, we started the fire, but y'all blew it. People died because you didn't, you know, issue evacuation alerts or execute an evacuation plan. Yes, you couldn't put out a fire because you you didn't have water.

Steve:

Yes, it didn't oversee those water companies.

Shawna:

We're gonna talk about the water companies today. The gas, so Cal Gas didn't turn off the gas and let gas fires rage. And that's real, and that's true. Um, we've been talking about that a lot.

Steve:

Correct. Okay.

Shawna:

That did happen. So, you know, their thing is like, well, hey, you know, we're on the hook. Y'all, you y'all should be on the hook too, because we They're not wrong. We they're not wrong. And I know some are saying, oh, great, maybe through subpoena and um discovery, maybe we'll actually get answers about what happened here and who blew it. Finally, maybe this is how we get a report because um otherwise, none of these agencies are interested in in uh investigating themselves. But yes, it was the the all the some of the many that they listed as of additional defendants are LA County, all of our little water mutuals, LA County Fire Department, the offices of emergency uh management, OEM, SoCal Gas.

Steve:

Are they doing the state or just the city?

Shawna:

It looks like it was all county city. I didn't see anything uh sorry, just the county. And I believe City of Pasadena, yes, they are suing City of Pasadena too. So it was like, hey, you want to go there? We're gonna go there. So for the listener who's like, oh my gosh, what is this gonna do to our case? I'm not a lawyer. I don't offer legal advice. And my advice is that you got to talk to your attorney. That said, we do hear from a lot of attorneys working on these cases for obvious reasons. And the general consensus is that they have to now do what they call they have to sever our claims from this so that those things remain separate. But everyone's expectation is that the trial date set by the judge of January 2027 for the early cases, and the early cases will be um the first heard will be people who have serious needs. So those who are, you know, people who may die before settlement comes, bluntly. Um those are still expected to be heard in January. And there is an expectation that all of our settle settlements will fall in 2027 after that. So, you know, if people are spooked by this, don't be. Um, this is gonna be a war that's gonna be waged between all of these agencies and entities for some time. Um, but it should not impact our settlements, even if it does mean more work for all of our attorneys.

Steve:

Well, it will likely happen is that the money will go out of the fund, and then SCE is probably gonna sue for recovery from the money, but it doesn't it's a giant shell game of the money going back and forth, like state farms suing them for the money, but then they're gonna get it from some it's it's absurd. And I'm gonna Where would the money go in this case? Would SCE get the money? Would it be go back to its insurance company? Would it be like four billion? I don't know. I mean, god damn.

Shawna:

My uh what I would imagine and what it sounds like is that they are just trying to limit their expo their exposure for their share shareholders.

Steve:

I mean that's their job.

Shawna:

It's their job, exactly. Because they are a private for-profit entity.

Steve:

Indeed.

Shawna:

Yep. They don't work for us.

Steve:

Nope.

Shawna:

They work for themselves.

Steve:

So and their shareholders. So speaking of that, do we want to talk about the latest? Let's so someone who has had a presence here in Altadena recently in the last you know six months or so, trying to buy a steadfast LA. Yes, trying to ensure that you know we are, you know, favorably predisposed to any candidacy that he might have had, has decided to bail.

Shawna:

Yeah.

Steve:

And you know, two weeks ago it was I will be making a decision. It will be I'm running for an office, and he was leaning toward governor, and now no. He's out.

Shawna:

So for anyone who doesn't know who we're talking about, we're talking about everyone's favorite mall developer, Rick Caruso.

Steve:

So now because he can, you know, have more freedom to do it, develop fancy malls.

Shawna:

What was interesting?

Steve:

When when the LA Times is writing about this story, because there it was LA Times and Politico, I read it on, the LA Times piece talked about how Caruso was only developing, redeveloping in the Palisades and did not mention his efforts out here.

Shawna:

I think he's tried to divorce himself of here as we have other people that have been appointed. Like we got, you know, like the we have, you know, the symbolic uh Magic Johnson piece, which always baffles me as to why he's the symbolic uh face of the well, I think I know the answer, but um anyhow. It's magic. It's I mean, listen, I love Magic Johnson as much as the next guy. Exactly. Who doesn't love him? But I mean, I'm not sure what he has to do with rebuilding our town.

Steve:

He's sparty. Go blue.

Shawna:

Okay.

Steve:

That's it's a Michigan thing.

Shawna:

It's totally over my head. I'm over here, like, I don't know what's going on. It's a Michigan state.

Steve:

Michigan State is spar is the Spartans.

Shawna:

Okay.

Steve:

Michigan is I I'll take your word for it.

Shawna:

I know. So, Steve, you you wrote a great substack about this. I I loved it. It was your the hot potato substack.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

Shawna:

Um, you know, that the the governorship, you know, this gubernatorial race is the hot potato because it as everyone keeps dropping out.

Steve:

It doesn't make sense because you hear about this vaunted, vaunted uh, you know, vision of the We're the greatest state in the nation. We are we are leading the resistance to Trump. Everybody should be looking to California to want to be California.

Shawna:

We're a beacon. We're the fifth largest economy in the world.

Steve:

We were fourth. Oh, that's right, we're fourth. Well, I think we're fifth now. I think India overtakes us. But I I think I think it's that don't let your letting eyes deceive you. Kind of like the whole homeless thing, right? Like what's really happening here? If California was such a no-brainer, look, there are I I think upwards of five senators that have are leaving the Senate to go back and be governors um or running for governor. And Padilla, this Alex Padilla decided to stay in the Senate. And, you know, I remember talking to a candidate for he was vice going for vice president, he wasn't on the list, he didn't make it, uh, Tim Waltz got it. But this candidate will be running for president. And they mentioned to me that it there's no better job than being a governor if you unless you want to be president, because you know, there's 50 governors and you are the king of your territory, so to speak. Uh you might not be, you know, the president, there's only one, but when you're one of a hundred in the Senate, which is the most exclusive club in the world, you you know, that's why a lot of people like to be governor, because there's you don't have to compromise as much. You don't have to play the game the way, you know, there's the seniority stuff doesn't work. And that's that's sort of surprising why our senior senator decided to pass on that. And then you had our attorney general pass on it, but I I think I know why, and I think you know why. Yeah. Oakland comes back. Yeah, I don't think he wants that.

Shawna:

Nope. I think Caruso too many skeletons in that closet.

Steve:

Yeah, I think you know, AG is about as good as it gets, and nobody's gonna bother him.

Shawna:

Except for us, the Aldadina for accountability folks. We are we are definitely bothering him and could plan to continue to bother him.

Steve:

Yeah, well, keep doing that.

Shawna:

We are.

Steve:

Um I I I think the third one was Kamala Harris, and there was a nice piece in Politico this morning about how she's trying to resurrect her career. And obviously, she probably, you know, they had a quote in there from our former governor Gray Davis, who said, um basically, you know, when you're used to being with kings and queens and prime ministers and presidents, you know, being governors kind of step down, which is true, but it would have been a layup for her and would have put her in a position where she would have had a pretty good bully pulpit to be in a position to decide if she really wanted to continue in politics or not. They political had the piece that went into where she is in her career and how she wants to resurrect it, it sounds like, to be making another run for president. Um now Caruso. So what do we have left? We've got a billionaire that changes his stripes, he's no longer a climate hawk, he's now about affordability and you know social justice, right? Hiring Mandami's group. You've got Antony Vargosa, who it sadly reminds me a lot of John McCain, where you know, when he ran, it was eight years too late. He should have beaten Bush in 2000. Um you've got Tony Thurman, who is our supervisor of or superintendent of education. Do we need to talk about education? I think I mentioned some stats. That one was another one that was really interesting. I got stuck doing some, I went down a rabbit hole with the state of Mississippi, which has about one million people less than our state, and their entire state budget is seven billion. The city of Los Angeles, or sorry, one million people less than the city of Los Angeles. City of Los Angeles has a budget of 14 billion, and that doesn't even include the health care health side of it because that's covered by the county. And I said, okay, fine, Mississippi. Mississippi's, you know, 50th out of 50th, and everything is what they like to say back east. But their education is 39th and we're 31st, and we spend how much? And I just I kind of went, okay, so Tony Thurman, I don't I'm not so sure. I I don't I don't know where that one goes. Um I mean Katie Porter, she's one outburst away from probably being out of it. Xavier Becerra, I've been told, is the most competent from a policy side, but just doesn't excite anybody. Betty Yi, I've seen her speak, and she's an accountant.

Shawna:

Yeah, I was gonna say that's not her forte.

Steve:

She's an accountant, she's a controller. Um, so I mean, like, who is it? Now the the rumor mill, the hot stove, because there's nobody really kind of moving away, is Matt Maehan from San Jose. I don't even know who that is. He's the mayor of San Jose.

Shawna:

We have, of course, the Republican guy that I met.

Steve:

Which one? Steve Hilton?

Shawna:

Yeah.

Steve:

Yeah. Oh, and then there's Chad Bianco who got quoted talking about taking politicians that allow people to live here illegally or sanctuary cities and taking them out back and beating them like it's the 60s, 70s, or 80s. I'm like, dude, what are you doing? Um that's that's scary. I know what he's trying to get at, and I know what the dog whistle is, but it's stupid and doesn't work. It's not California in 2025. So I mean, Steve, the the play here for the Democrats, honestly, Shauna, is that they're gonna do whatever they can to talk up Steve Hilton and let Steve Hilton win the primary. You know, he'll win like 20, 25% of the vote. And it it'll be him and whoever rises among the rest of them, if you will, the leftovers, and see who who they just want one. The worst thing that can happen to the Democrats right now is that two of them get through.

Shawna:

Yeah, because then they're just gonna eat each other. And um we know how that that's it would be really healthy. No, but they split the vote and then it would be a good idea.

Steve:

It would be really healthy for our state. Yeah. I mean, this this allowing the Republicans to like play spoiler is not I mean, and the stupidity, I get why the Republicans have to do it, but it's so dumb because they are never going to win. Like it it makes no sense to me why they why don't they try to be more you know strategic in how they do it? That's what I don't get.

Shawna:

But it is an ongoing question. I I keep, I don't know how you know you didn't we didn't talk about it much, but I find it interesting that um Vietagosa's back, right? Like he's been gone all this time doing who knows what, then like, oh surprise, I'm back, I'm running for governor.

Steve:

That guy's amazing in that respect.

Shawna:

And what I is I'm not I'm not a hater. Listen, he's done some things that I took issue with, but he's also done did a lot of things that were positive that I I praise.

Steve:

And um So what I've been told about Viragosa.

Shawna:

I'm not opposed to him. I who knows? I might end up voting for him at the way things are going.

Steve:

He wants it with every ounce in his body. He wants this job more than anything else in the world. And you know what? It'd be nice to have somebody who actually feels that way. Because we don't have that here. And, you know, he's 78. So to me, the intriguing thing for Antonio, if he were to run, is to do it as a one-termer.

Shawna:

Yeah.

Steve:

And be that Moses and kind of take that role of, you know, I'm here to deliver California, but it's gonna be for the next generation. And I've said this before surround himself with young, energetic policy people, people who are who could become the next gen and kind of be that transitory figure that we need and help address some of the because you know, I'll all in all honesty, he's a he's a centrist. Yeah, and that's quite frankly what California needs for.

Shawna:

I agree. I agree.

Steve:

Hey, Antonio, I'm looking for a job if you're interested.

Shawna:

Same. I actually um, oh my gosh, I'll never forget him coming to um. Well, there's a few things I won't forget that I won't talk about on this podcast because I actually like it. But uh there is um the one that that jumps to mind is when I had the LA Food Fest at the Rose Bowl, um, it's like he had just had that cycling accident. He had broken his arm cycling, and he was supposed to come and join us as a judge. And um, I'll never forget he showed up. He was like, I, you know, I'm on pain meds and not drinking, but I'm here, I'm in it. And he was like, I'll in his cast. And anyhow, I have some great photos actually of him and I from that event. Um, it was a really fun year at the Rose Bowl Rose Bowl, but um doing the LA Food Fest. But yeah, um, that stuck with me because so many other p uh electeds would have just bailed. I mean, there's no way they would have showed up after that, something like that, and would it would have had a good reason not to, but he was like, Nope, I said I was gonna be here and I'm here.

Steve:

Well, and that I think that's right now we need somebody who wants to be present.

Shawna:

Correct.

Steve:

So anyway, I'm not endorsing anyone, but I'm also saying that you know me, not yet. Not yet. Certainly, that's the most intriguing in my mind. Yeah. At this juncture.

Shawna:

Mine too. Same, same. And I know a lot of uh wow, we're agreeing on something. We do. And I have a lot of friends actually in the in various political spaces and nonprofit spaces who are also supporting him. So um I think it'll be interesting to see how it goes.

Steve:

But it could be a uh And he could become the first Hispanic would he be first Latino mayor?

Shawna:

Maybe. I'm sorry, I just said mayor. He governor because obviously he was the mayor, but yeah, that's interesting.

Steve:

Yeah, Latino. That'd be I I see to me that's that's the legacy there.

Shawna:

Yeah, no, it is. It is. Well, I don't know. Maybe we will be endorsing Viaragosa. We'll see.

Steve:

So I better learn how to say his name right.

Shawna:

Villaragosa.

Steve:

I know, I'm I'm you can do it. I you should hear French is just as bad. I'm just not good with other languages.

Shawna:

It's okay. You're uh you're Canada adjacent. You can't help it. Um so we're gonna talk another about another topic. We're gonna talk about um our little water mutuals again. Oh my gosh, now that they're being sued by SCE, um, when they were already insolvent and trying to pass fees along to all of us shareholder residents to just to keep afloat. Uh no pun intended. Um, and now here we are. Um what a mess. What a mess.

Steve:

Well, the Al Tedina War uh water wars had a very clear solution.

Shawna:

Consolidation.

Steve:

Yeah.

Shawna:

Yeah, we know where they stand. They are who whomever's behind that stack is uh consolidation, um, which is very interesting. They also shared a video of um Anish. Uh if for anyone doesn't know Anish, Anish Sarayas, uh he has been kind of deemed the head of the rebuild by Barger. He is he's with Public Works, and you know, we've worked, we've probably heard Anish's name in the past, especially if you're in my group. We talked about Anish a lot in dealing with public works on all manner of things, including that UWS trash contract. Um, but you know, Anish is now heading up this rebuild, and it's a lot of pressure, a lot of responsibility. I don't envy him that job. Um, but he was speaking to the fact that the water mutuals are incredibly problematic and that, you know, this is a topic that should be on everyone's mind, even if you're not in Altadena, because of the very simple fact that LA County has hundreds of mutuals like this that are tiny little family-owned companies that largely, you know, are not the most uh fiscally healthy. I think we learned with Las Flores, with you know, which is my personal water company for where my residence was located, um, that, you know, they were wildly underinsured. Um, we know a lot of people in the community were underinsured, but you know, why is our water company underinsured?

Steve:

Everybody's underinsured.

Shawna:

I mean, it's true, but like the water company, come on. Not every water company was underinsured, but Las Flores was. So we're talking about this again, and we're talking about Las Flores again because that shareholder meeting that we spoke about a few episodes ago that was supposed to have happened last month at the Altina Library is has been rescheduled and is now happening this Thursday, um, two days from now. So on the 22nd of January, again at the Altina Library in the evening. Um, and that is their meeting to um effectively tell us that we're going to be paying$3,000 per property um fee to help float them. And the way that they posited this prior to the SCE filing was that if you paid the$3,000, it could be recoverable if they recovered money from SCE. I think it's safe to say that's not gonna be happening. And or you could pay a$50 a month installment plan on that$3,000, but it was non-refundable. But the bottom line is, and that this had nothing to do with infrastructure. This was just to keep them financially solvent because otherwise they're not. And they maintain, their president John maintains, that they have quote unquote no funding options. They're not eligible for any county grants because they're private, they're not eligible for all this money, public money. And, you know, Steve and I have posed the question and I asked him point blank in person at that last uh where we were supposed to have the meeting that didn't happen, but he was there and I was there. You know, why aren't you looking into other options? Why not CRA money? Why not all of the other private equity, private funding possibilities? Why are you not looking at every possibility if you are financially this financially insolvent? And also, what is the plan for infrastructure development? There wasn't, we did not have sufficient infrastructure. The entire county is 30 years behind on infrastructure upgrades, if that, if not more, all right, right off the bat for everything. But speaking just to the water mutuals, you know, we didn't have the infrastructure needed for our 42,000, 44,000. I say say that because it's two sentences, but for the those residents. We're now gonna, through densification that is happening, like it or not, going to push up to probably closer to 70,000 residents. So I I just asked point blank, what are we doing to plan for that? And the answer was nothing. We have no plan for that. And that uh and then I when I pressed further, I was told, oh, well, maybe you should talk to the county. It was like, like what, like the county has a plan for this and like the county's responsible for your CRD. Yeah, for your private, and and funny that we mentioned the CRD because who is one of the two quote unquote community oversight committee members on that CRD, EIFD, our climate resiliency district, to refresh our lit for our listeners. That's that's what we got with AB set with uh SB 782. You know, yeah, it's the president of Las Flores Water.

Steve:

Yeah.

Shawna:

Why?

Steve:

Because they're gonna bail them out.

Shawna:

Correct. So why why do you not want to go after the financing that's available? Because you're waiting for other money.

Steve:

They're gonna get the money from the state.

Shawna:

Correct. So, guys, as always, follow the money. Follow the money, follow the money. Um, I'm gonna be at that meeting on Thursday. I have a laundry list of questions that were submitted by other Las Flores water shareholders who are members of our beautiful Alcidina group who, for various reasons, most especially the fact that they're displaced from the community and don't live nearby, cannot in person be at that meeting as they would like to be. So I've got a big list for them. I'm sure they can't wait to see me and my smiling face again. I'm gonna be sure to wear my hat so they know exactly who I am. Um, you know, listen, I uh you may not like the messenger, but you know, the message is not wrong. I mean, we we have we have real questions that have to be asked. They're hard questions, and we need to be asking them. You know, why is why are we being forced to hand to pay for this? Because even if they get the money through the C through the you know EIFD, through the CRD, that's us refinancing our recovery again. Not any outside money, not anything else. It's us paying for it through our property tax dollars. And I don't know about anybody else, but you know, this is enough. Just take care of your shit. I can't run a business like this. I couldn't. You can't. Why don't we why do we allow these guys to why do they want to stay independent? Uh oh, well, if you ask all the insiders, it's you know, they're all family-owned businesses. They they so well first, let's let's actually reposition that. To be fair, they don't all want to stay independent. Las Flores and Lincoln are open to consolidation. Rubio Canyon is not. But they seem to be healthier, they're the healthiest of this lot. So they're kind of like, we don't need you, so we don't want you and your trauma, your problems. But ultimately, they they all need to consolidate. You know, this it there's no other way forward, and they need to get the right financing. And it's not this.

Steve:

Like, do these do these mutual water companies, do the presidents get paid?

Shawna:

Of course they do. How much? I don't know. It's a great question. Let's go find out. Are you listening, Altadino Waterboards can you please write about how much these folks are getting paid and who's making what? Where is this money going?

Steve:

That that's what I don't get. Is like usually somebody does this because there's self-interest. Like, what's the self-interest here? If you're doing this as a volunteer 501c3, like, who cares? Yeah, let's check that.

Shawna:

So while Steve is looking into that, I'm gonna remind people, you know, the other thing that's interesting about this is that, you know, these water mutuals, while while mutuals, while being small family run companies, they are mutuals that are shareholder owned and driven. And what that means is that everybody has who owns a property in Altadin and is part of this water district or their respective water mutual district, owns shares. They are shareholders. Shareholders can compel board meetings and they can initiate. Votes on topics. And that is no different here. So in our uh water company at Las Flores, again, this is mine, it takes 300, it requires 300 to residents to compel a vote and a shareholder meeting. And I think I know where I'm going to be putting some of my energy in the next month. And it's going to be into organizing that 300 in my tract because uh we need to say. This is one of the very few places where we actually do have the ability to exercise our voice in a very clear way.

Steve:

So Lost Flores Water Company Gross Receipts was 2.1 million. Yeah, it's all on there. They have a 990.

Shawna:

Great. So who got paid what?

Steve:

Total revenue, 1.8 million. Salaries, 389,000. They lost 800, but that's not a real number.

Shawna:

This reads like one of my businesses.

Steve:

This is I mean, they're not my point being it's not a lot of money. They get nothing.

Shawna:

I don't believe that. Do you believe that everybody's working for free?

Steve:

No, but I mean there's nobody making over$100,000. Wow.

Shawna:

Including their president?

Steve:

The president gets it's volunteer. He gets nothing. Because a couple board members, three of them get$500,$900 a year.

Shawna:

Okay. We clearly need to look into this more because who in LA County can afford to work in a volunteer role for that much.

Steve:

It's like a nonprofit board. So what what's going on here?

Shawna:

Mm-hmm. Where is the where's all where's money?

Steve:

Well, that doesn't talk about contracts and things like that.

Shawna:

Right, exactly. There's always other sources. But it is, it's a and also we know that they are underfunded and they don't have a lot of money. You know, I so I mean I think there's probably more money to be found, and I don't think people are living on this pittance. Um, but also it sounds like there's not that much more. Um and that is part of the problem.

Steve:

Look at their balance sheet. They run pretty tight. There's no liabilities. Not really.

Shawna:

There's no weight bonds, there's no or at least there weren't until you get sued by SE.

Steve:

I mean, yeah, this is this is pretty clean.

Shawna:

Well, the plot thickens.

Steve:

So the question is why.

Shawna:

It is indeed. Well, we'll be back to share uh next week a follow-up on this after this meeting. So we'll see how this meeting goes on Thursday. And um, you know, the expectation is that they are going to themselves pass this fee and pass along this fee, and uh then we'll see how the community responds because I think it it's going to be time for us to exercise some of our power and organize as shareholders and uh compel our own vote.

Steve:

So Rubio Canyon is a lot more assets.

Shawna:

Not what's in there.

Steve:

Almost 20 million.

Shawna:

Oh my goodness, no wonder they don't want to mess with these guys.

Steve:

No, because it's like they're gonna give up all their assets.

Shawna:

Yeah.

Steve:

Yeah. There's a little bit more money here.

Shawna:

Steve has gone down the rabbit hole. I wish everyone could see Steve right now. It's very serious.

Steve:

No, I mean, look, this is like Yeah.

Shawna:

It's I can see another substack being written right now.

Steve:

Well, I mean, they've got$23 million in land. I think I think they have a lot more land, but they don't have again, they have no debt too. So they've got they've got assets that they can sell off. Let's see what Lincoln is.

Shawna:

And assets that can be snatched up.

Steve:

Well, that's why they don't want this.

Shawna:

Yep.

Steve:

They don't want to have to.

Shawna:

Well, I think you know, something has got to give.

Steve:

Lincoln Avenue. Lincoln also has$24 million in the city. Oh wow.

Shawna:

So Lincoln is in the middle of the city. Las Flores is the sad sad out. Yeah. And why? Why are they such a mess? This is what I want to know.

Steve:

Something to do with the land. Yeah. They are they are the sick sister. So why would they be on the board? Right? I mean, these guys, I mean, I would I'd love to be on one of these boards. 16,000, 9,000, 16,000.

Shawna:

I I hear that they're oh, is that what they're paying their their board members? Yeah. I hear that um they were looking for a new board member. Maybe you should throw your hat in the ring.

Steve:

They wouldn't want me.

Shawna:

Uh why not? You never you never know. Never say never.

Steve:

Yeah, there's some serious they got cash. They've got$19 million. They can they can leverage a little bit. They've got a couple extra, you know, liabilities here. But yeah, they've got space. So no wonder that's there's your answer. You got two of them that have$40 million in assets between the two of them.

Shawna:

And one who has barely two.

Steve:

Mm-hmm. They're they're that that's what it is. Nobody wants them. So anyway, it's all on the uh it's all on K.

Shawna:

It's all public information.

Steve:

It is fascinating.

Shawna:

So it'll be fascinating to see what happens at this meeting Thursday, and we'll be back to talk about it.

Steve:

Sorry, sorry.

Shawna:

Yep. No, don't be sorry. I'm glad you looked it up. We didn't have to wait. Um, so another, I mean, our last topic today that I wanted to touch on. Um, so for anyone who doesn't, I'm sure most people I say the name Sylvie Andrews won't necessarily know who I'm talking about. But Sylvie was my neighbor on East Poppy Fields. She has been incredibly active um in the fire recovery space, you know, with myself and others since the fire. Um, she's uh one of the altogether block captains. She's on uh she's part of the uh Earthseed um CLT. Um, she's really kind of put herself out there to try and figure out how to bring the town back. She's she's a lifelong resident, um multi-generational resident herself. And um Sylvie is also part of the Al Tedina for Accountability Coalition that I am a member of, um, where we have been trying to, you know, compel a real meaningful uh investigation with subpoena power from our attorney general into what happened and how here, how this could have happened, right? Uh, because we know there was just so many failures. So how? And and the reason why we want to know how isn't for heads to roll or for political blood to be shed. It's about frankly fixing these problems so they don't continue to happen. Because not only is it gonna happen here again when we have another disaster, which most likely will be a major earthquake, but you know, what's gonna happen when the next town burns? Because that's coming too, and we all know that. So this is that is the point. So, in part of that, you know, Sylvie has also been um working in the area of data science, and she has taken, you know, a tremendous um undertaking of effectively doing as a fire side for fire survivor, she's also total loss, but she is effectively doing the work of an investigation that no one is doing. And she put together a fantastic report, and I'm gonna link to it in the show notes um on Buzz Sprout. So if anyone's looking for this, and actually it should carry over to anywhere you listen to the podcast, it should be in the show show notes listed for this episode. Um, she put together an analysis in her own little investigation into the evacuation warning timing, um, the genesis uh background and timing and what kind of happened and went wrong here. And not surprisingly, it directly contradicts what is uh posted and shared in the reports to date, including the McChrystal report. So, and this is underscores, you know, why people are asking for a real investigation, because we very clearly have not had one. And, you know, when you get into this, um, and she did this based on information that she has effectively crowdsourced across everywhere it was shared, including the tremendous amount of um to the minute uh accounts and posts with photos and video evidence of when smoke and ash arrived, when uh first responders were witnessed or never at all, um, when homes actually burned and start fire first entered, entered certain neighborhoods, when alerts were received, et cetera, um, through all of these stories that were shared um firsthand. And again, it is community-focused, community-centric data that has not in any way been included in the other reports and investigations done to date. So, you know, she she did the work that should be done for us and that stay alone. The fact that she had to is appalling. Um, but she did it. It's phenomenal. Um, and I hope that everyone has an opportunity to kind of dig through it and um and and go through it because it's so insightful and it really speaks to some of the many failures here and um some of the many places where we're still remaining waiting for answers and some of the many places where these reports contradict themselves, are inaccurate, and where these the people involved have contradicted themselves and their own data points, um, including our favorite fire chief Maroney. Um, your favorite. Everybody's favorite, because he did such a fine job while collecting his$800,000 a year package, right? So it's um take some time to check that out. It'll be uh again link posted in the uh show notes here, so everybody can kind of go through that. Um and as we're speaking of oversights, I was just hearing because I I was reading um uh shared an email was shared with me that Dan had Daniel Harlow had sent to the town council. It sounds that um he was asked to step down from the land use committee. And I'm not gonna go into that in too much depth, but I'm just gonna say if you do not know Daniel Harlow, who is a longtime Altadena resident, and he's one of my fellow admins of the beautiful Altadena Group, and he's also an admin of mu multiple community groups and has sat on multiple uh community or groups and orgs and done so much work in the community. He's one of those people, again, who's kind of behind the scenes, tireless, tirelessly working to the benefit of our town without anybody knowing who he is. I've joked in the past and called him our wizard of oz because no one realizes the extent to which he's behind the scenes, working so hard and diligently on so many things. So he's been on that land use committee um for at least 13 years, including spending uh years on the committee that developed our CSD that is not being utilized, even though we were promised it would be in the rebuild, but it is not. It's been completely overrun by the county. And um, long story short, I was just really disappointed to hear that he was out there. Um and I don't know the full story of how or why he's out, other than knowing you know, he did not plan to leave. And I hope that that oversight is reconciled sooner than later because he is such a tremendous asset. If you um you're listening to this, um, I bet you're thinking you'd and you were in Altadina, you probably have run into him at some point because I hear repeatedly and regularly, even now post-fire, that Daniel remains the only person who has ever had a clue about what's going on and who helps when people need help.

Steve:

Yes, he's always been a big supporter.

Shawna:

Yeah. Well, he's a big supporter of everyone's of the towns, you know, and he he's very agnostic, um, which I appreciate about appreciate about him, you know.

Steve:

Yeah, he and I have had conversations.

Shawna:

Yeah, I have no doubt.

Steve:

Oh, yeah.

Shawna:

I I think he is with many people.

Steve:

Um but you need people like that.

Shawna:

I agree.

Steve:

And losing resources like that are is never good.

Shawna:

No. It's never good. So, you know, a thank you to Daniel for all of his service and um a note to whomever made the decision to um change up the land use committee that this is a significant loss, and unless you have a better spot to put him to be of service for the town. Um, I think it was a tremendous oversight. Or maybe not. Or yeah, maybe not an accident, you're saying? Yeah. Yeah. We're not gonna go there, but yeah. So with that, I'm gonna wrap up this episode and see if we can actually keep this one a little tighter. Um, I don't know that we did, but I would my magic, my own magical thinking would like me to think that we did. Um we're gonna wrap it with our small business shout-out. Um, I'm gonna talk about some of the businesses on um Washington that are Altadena. That are Al Tadena adjacent, like our Lincoln businesses, who we accept as our own because the majority of their client customers are us. It's Altadena. I'm teasing. And also many, you know, there's um Altadena ownership there, right? These are these are businesses owned. I know I'm gonna tease you back. Um, so those businesses, if you're in that little um that square, there's Octavia's bookshelf, which of course is our um black-centric, black-owned, black female-owned bookshop, which is fantastic. If you haven't been in there, get your booty in there um and find something great. Um, adjacent that is lavender and honey coffee, that is Altarina owned. That's Melanie and her husband. Um, but Melanie started that coffee shop years ago. And I'm sure I've mentioned before, it's one of my, you know, people who I knew via artisanal LA when I was doing my incubator craft food thing. And um, she has always been awesome and they've recently had some expansion into new locations. Um, but this is still their first and their flagship. And um she's another, they're another Alpha Dina family who were heavily impacted by the fire and their business as well. So I'd love to always give them a shout-out to be supported, and they've done a lot in turn to support the community. And then you also have um Woon, who's across the street. And you know, Woon is a fantastic um restaurant, and um, you know, they talked a lot, like they opened a huge fanfare and it was like, oh my gosh, you know, they're gonna be packed. And then like immediately after their opening, the town burned, and it was like, oh my gosh, are they gonna survive? So hopefully, you know, they I think they've been pretty good. Yep, I think they're doing pretty good, but um, it's a fantastic spot with excellent food. If you haven't been, go check it out.

Steve:

Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. We've been.

Shawna:

Shall we wrap you like it? Yeah, it's good. What do you like? Um food. I was putting you on the spot. Like, are there favorites? Whatever my wife brings home. Oh, that's a good answer.

unknown:

Yeah.

Steve:

Well, yeah.

Shawna:

Now I want wound for dinner. Well, I might have wound tonight. Mine usually has gluten in it, so mine obviously will not, but you know. That was my joke. Yes, ha ha.

Steve:

All right.

Shawna:

So I know I can never eat the good shit, but we're wrapping this thing up. We're gonna wrap this thing up. You want to bring it in?

Steve:

Yeah. So with that, thank you very much, Shauna. Thank you to all our listeners. I'm Steve for the Alta Policy Walk.

Shawna:

And I'm Shauna Dawson Beer. I am beautiful Altadina.

Steve:

And you know where to find us.

Shawna:

We'll see you next time. Bye now.