Is that reduction absolute or real terms? If it's absolute then that's a pretty large reduction considering inflation

"That assertion is wrong. The city was in the process of negotiating a new contract with the fire department at the time the budget was being crafted, so additional funding for the department was set aside in a separate fund until that deal was finalized in November. In fact, the city’s fire budget increased more than $50 million year-over-year compared to the last budget cycle, according to Blumenfield’s office, although overall concerns about the department’s staffing level have persisted for a number of years."

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/08/wildfire-threatens-...

Seeing people blame the fires on "DEI" is making my head exploded.

The fact that otherwise intelligent people are eating it up has made me give up for a generation.

It is a truly depressing state of affairs.