California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill Thursday providing $2.5 billion dollars in relief for the wildfires — though almost all of the money will go to emergency response, and only a tiny fraction is earmarked for rebuilding.
There is $4 million to “expedite rebuilding” by streamlining permitting processes, and $1 million for rebuilding schools, according to figures in the governor’s own press release (original emphasis):
-
$2.5 billion to expedite initial firestorm response and recovery efforts. This includes support for:
-
Emergency protective measures, evacuations, sheltering for survivors, debris removal and cleanup, post-fire hazard assessments (such as flash flooding and debris flows), traffic control, and other necessary emergency response activities.
-
-
$4 million to help expedite rebuilding. The Department of Housing and Community Development will…
