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From the Daily Mail: The $750,000-a-year LA water czar is responsible for a raft of failures that contributed to the devastating Palisades Fire, fire department insiders told DailyMail.com.
On Mayor Karen Bass’s orders, the city maxed out its budget to ‘attract private-sector talent’, hiring Department of Water and Power (LADWP) CEO Janisse Quiñones on a $750,000 salary in May – almost double that of her predecessor.
Now, Quiñones is being blamed by LA Fire Department (LAFD) insiders for leaving a nearby reservoir disconnected and fire hydrants broken for months, DailyMail.com can reveal, leading to firefighters running out of water as they battled the devastating Palisades Fire this week.
And, Daily Mail.com has learned, Quiñones past employer is also linked to fire scandals. She was previously a top executive at electricity company PG&E, which went bankrupt over liability for several massive wildfires in California.
She served as senior vice president at Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) from 2021 to 2023.
CLICK HERE to read more from the Daily Mail.
The report further states that since Quiñones was hired by the LADWP, she oversaw the shutdown and emptying of the Santa Ynez Reservoir in the Pacific Palisades during brushfire season, which ultimately caused firefighters to run out of water faster. The reservoir, built to hold 117 million gallons of water, was emptied a few months ago to repair a tear in its cover.
There appears to be some discrepancy as to when the reservoir was emptied. Quiñones was hired in May 2024, but Austyn Jeffs of The Free Press said he learned the reservoir was emptied in February of last year. Therefore, it may be assumed that Quiñones was not there when it was emptied, but was supposed to be overseeing the repairs and refilling process.
“This was supposed to be the water to put out the Palisades fire.”
The FP’s Austyn Jeffs visits the Santa Ynez Reservoir that has reportedly been empty since February 2024. pic.twitter.com/DwO5OrYhWk
— The Free Press (@TheFP) January 11, 2025
A video is now circulating of Janisse Quiñones saying during a recent podcast, “It’s important to me that everything we do is with an equity lens and social justice and making sure that we right the wrongs that we’ve done in the past.”
“No wonder why LA is burning. Every leader is a DEI hire,” declared journalist Collin Rugg.
WATCH THIS:
LA’s $750,000-a-year water chief who allegedly oversaw the emptying of the Santa Ynez Reservoir, previously said the “number one” thing she cared about in her role was “equity.”
No wonder why LA is burning. Every leader is a DEI hire.
During a recent podcast, Janisse Quiñones,… pic.twitter.com/dr9lWFS4a9
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 11, 2025
Here she is admitting last week that the firefighters couldn’t get water, and the fire hydrants went dry:
🚨🚨 This is Janisse Quiñones, the newly appointed CEO of the LA Department of Water — with a $750k salary.
Watch as she can’t explain why there was no water, and she knew about empty reservoir and broken hydrants’ months before fires! Way to earn that big salary! pic.twitter.com/gJb4sYk1dv
— JOSH DUNLAP (@JDunlap1974) January 11, 2025
An eery warning: Less than two months ago, there was a small fire in the Pacific Palisades area which was caused by arson, and helicopters dropping water were able to quickly put it out, as there was no wind.
The local CBS News outlet unwittingly exposed the completely empty water reservoir while they were showing footage of the fire fighting efforts.
WATCH:
This is WILD. Less than two months ago there was a fire RIGHT NEXT TO the empty reservoir in the Pacific Palisades. Talk about a warning.
The fire was held to 1-2 acres because luckily there was almost no wind that day. Arson was suspected. pic.twitter.com/Y2RJ4wrSTM
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 11, 2025
Incompetence costs lives https://t.co/FiUSu00AOJ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2025
Janisse Quinones makes $750,000 per year as the head of Los Angeles’ water district.
Surely she must have experience in managing water systems?
No.
She was hired in May, and her previous job was at PG&E, an electric utility that went bankrupt after starting several wildfires. pic.twitter.com/sSbPG4svik
— Brick Suit (@Brick_Suit) January 11, 2025
BREAKING: JANISSE QUINONES is the New Head of L.A. Department of WATER and Power.
She was recommended to the position by Mayor Karen Bass back in May 2024.
She makes $750,000 a year — nearly TWICE as much as her MALE predecessor.
And almost ONE year later, LA is OUT OF WATER… pic.twitter.com/bGYTgUu1xE
— Ann Vandersteel™️ (@annvandersteel) January 9, 2025
In Jan 2024 PG&E was found responsible for the 2021 CA wildfires due to PG&E power lines.
In May 2024 Janisse Quinones left PG&E to become CEO of LA Dept of Water & Power. She’s the highest paid city official (750K salary).
LA mayor Karen Bass recommended her.
Do the math. pic.twitter.com/fzJDjuWfgy
— JuliansRum (@ItsJuliansRum) January 9, 2025
A reservoir in the Palisades that holds 117 million gallons of water was offline this month for previously scheduled maintenance. It was empty when the Palisades fire exploded. https://t.co/qLgNpFPwiu
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) January 10, 2025
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