Americans were horrified by the destruction and tragedy caused by the recent Los Angeles wildfires. San Diegans, in particular, empathize with our northern neighbors because so many of us have been affected by the destructive power of wildfires — and continue to live under that threat every fire season. As neighbors, we want to help them rebuild.
However, we must rebuild in a better, smarter way. California’s oppressive regulatory regime is responsible for many of our state’s crises, including water and electricity shortages, lack of prescribed fires, the exodus of residents and companies to states like Florida and Texas, and the severe housing shortage.
Even some pro-regulation politicians in California seem to recognize this — albeit unintentionally. Recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted:
“Goodbye red tape. Goodbye bureaucratic nonsense. We’re taking urgent action to speed up debris removal and prevent any further damage to communities impacted by LA fires.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass echoed this sentiment by issuing an executive order to expedite rebuilding efforts. The order requires the city to finish project reviews within 30 days and waives certain discretionary hearings under zoning rules.
These actions raise a crucial question: If deregulation and cuts to bureaucratic red tape are acceptable in the aftermath of crisis, why do such regulations exist in the first place? If homes can be built faster in the aftermath of a disaster — while maintaining safety standards — why isn’t that always the norm?
We should have learned this lesson during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before 2020, outdoor dining and drinking were heavily regulated, yet when those regulations were relaxed, we found many to be unnecessary. In fact, some of the outdoor dining arrangements introduced during the pandemic have now become permanent.
Californians are simply asking for common sense. If regulations must be suspended to rebuild homes quickly, it signals that the existing rules are overly stringent, costly, and time-consuming. These regulations harm working Americans and small businesses the most, because larger companies can afford the consultants and attorneys needed to navigate the complex system.
In San Diego County alone, 40% of the cost of building a new home goes toward government regulation. This burden disproportionately affects the working class. It hinders first-time homebuyers and harms construction workers — every dollar spent on bureaucratic compliance is a dollar that cannot be invested in skilled workers, the backbone of our economy.
The relaxed regulations now being applied in Los Angeles should become the standard across California. If lifting red tape helps rebuilding after a disaster, why not apply the same approach to all home and business construction?
The LA wildfires have exposed the failures of California’s leadership. Chronic water shortages, mass cancellations of insurance policies, and pervasive overregulation make it clear that the state must focus on core governance functions — especially public safety — rather than ideological agendas. Bass’s executive order reveals, at least indirectly, an admission that change is needed. Better late than never. Common sense, not ideology, should guide policy.
This has been the critical mistake of Bass and other limousine liberals: Their policies often do not improve the lives of the working class, but instead address luxury issues that do not affect the majority of Californians.
Millions of gallons of water made available by new infrastructure? Not if a few delta smelt fish might be displaced.
An exodus of citizens, businesses, and jobs to Texas and Florida? No problem, as long as California keeps its highest-in-the-nation state income tax to fund housing and healthcare for illegal immigrants.
It’s no wonder many Californians are frustrated: Our state does not have to be this way. It took years of misguided policy and poor leadership to reach this point. Without meaningful change, Californians will keep facing one crisis after another. Common sense and a new way forward are the only real solutions.
Ultimately, the debate over regulation is also a debate over freedom. The burden of proof lies with the government to justify new regulations by demonstrating a clear and compelling public interest. Politicians should ask themselves: Which freedoms will be restricted if this regulation passes, and is the trade-off worth it?
If the answer is no, then we should always stand on the side of freedom — for individuals, small businesses, and families. Otherwise, we are allowing bureaucrats to decide what is best for the people, rather than trusting Californians themselves.
Corey Gustafson is the former chairman of the Republican Party of San Diego County.
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