Staff Reports
It appears that the city of Los Angeles is gearing up to rebuild after the catastrophic Palisades Fire, and in an unexpected twist, it’s Steve Soboroff—a name not typically associated with political drama—who’s stepping into the spotlight. Appointed by Mayor Karen Bass to lead recovery efforts, Soboroff wasted no time in declaring his eagerness to work with former President Donald Trump. The timing couldn’t be more interesting, especially given California’s recent history of rebuffing anything that smells remotely like conservative governance.
Soboroff’s bold proclamation was made during a community meeting at the Leo Baeck Temple, which sounds like a fancy way of saying it was about as open to public discourse as a sealed vault. The lucky attendees consisted of select fire survivors from Pacific Palisades and Altadena, while the average citizen was left outside with, presumably, nothing but their charred sentiments. This exclusive condition helped maintain the carefully curated narrative—no public questions allowed.
Instead of attacking Trump, Gavin Newsom should be asking for his help. We need to rebuild L.A. and we have a builder president! We have insane regulations in California and Trump knows how to get rid of it.
Let's clear away the bureaucracy and Build Baby Build! pic.twitter.com/8R1A1MWNi2
— steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) January 23, 2025
When quizzed about a potentially costly “outside consultant” to oversee rebuilding efforts, Soboroff insisted that this would simply be an “owner’s rep.” It’s a fancy term for someone to keep the myriad bureaucracies in check, akin to a construction manager keeping track of rogue contractors. In a world where government spending often makes people cringe, a competitive bidding process could be viewed as one faint glimmer of hope that taxpayer dollars won’t disappear quicker than a clean getaway at a DMV.
Despite being buried under a heap of recovery work, Soboroff apparently decided to skip a town hall meeting headlined by Trump in Pacific Palisades. One can only imagine the raucous logistical hurdles that come with trying to orchestrate city recovery while simultaneously dodging the Hollywood elite. While Soboroff might be playing the “low-key” card, the notion of working with Trump could provoke a collective gasp among the liberal elite who prefer their politicians polished and agreeable, rather than directly aligned with the ‘orange man’.
Additionally, despite being nominally local, Soboroff acknowledged his interactions with Rick Caruso, a local developer who managed to keep his Palisades mall standing while other structures went up in smoke. One could speculate whether the back-and-forth via email was more policy-related or a strategy session on how not to anger the surrounding noise of local politics.
As Los Angeles sets the stage for its recovery, the conservative community watches closely. The potential for Soboroff’s collaboration with Trump offers a glimmer of hope that perhaps, just perhaps, some practical, results-oriented leadership could break through the dense fog of California’s liberal governanc
