An activist group has released a report on the Palisades fire and concludes the official narrative from government officials about how it was an unprecedented event is unfounded. Elaine Culotti, a Palisades resident and real estate developer, says she's angry with the government response to the fire, particularly the removal of debris, and says she has a better idea on how to deal with it. Finally, Hollywood's problems continue to be spelled out in reports detailing the high costs of movie-making in LA. And the Big Bear eaglets, who've been confirmed to be sisters, are closer to leaving the nest.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI News.
We got another hour together if you missed our first hour.
We talked about a lot, talked a little bit about
way Mo, We talked about immigration raids in Los Angeles
and San Diego, we talked about some pushback. Finally, at
(00:27):
La City Hall over Mare Bass declared homeless emergency and
whether it should still be extended. And you also have
to hear the cringiest chant you've ever heard at a
local rally in support of a public bank, as backed
by three members of the La City Council.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
You can always.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Catch the entire two hours of Michael Monk's reports as
soon as the show is over. It'll be in the
iHeartRadio app or wherever else you get your podcast. Hope
you'll take a listen and share it. We also want
you to share your thoughts. This is a show for
you and it's a show for me, and we can
share this together. And we got a comment from Gail
(01:02):
about that proposal for a public bank.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Love your show, Michael, Thank you, Gail.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Okay, Michael, So the city wants to form a bank.
They can't account for over twenty four billion dollars, but
they want the people of Los Angeles to entrust them
with their money. Again, Really, Michael, it is so effing umbilie.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I mean, the reactions are pretty predictable, right, I mean,
this is a city that has mismanaged its budget, has
found itself in a very serious financial crisis, and then
ask you to take some of these proposals. Seriously, I'm
not saying you shouldn't. We have to learn more about this.
There may be some valid points here. It's just timing wise,
it seems a little odd because you know, we just
(02:01):
covered for the past several weeks how broke the city
is now and aw, the folks behind this say, look,
we won't find ourselves in these financial positions because we'll
have our own bank. But whether or not that's true
remains to be seen. We'll have to continue to follow.
These three council members have put fifteen thousand dollars each
from their own offices for a total of forty five
thousand dollars to fund a study. There's a group of
(02:26):
community activists who have created a group called Fire Rebuild,
and they have put out their own study of what
went down on January seventh and the days after that.
And I'll note that this is a group that is
highly critical of Governor Newsom, a group that is highly
(02:47):
critical of Mayor Bass. So keep that bias in mind,
although I know that bias is probably shared at this
point by a lot of you folks, but maybe not
so as a caveat, know that this is a group
that is not happy with those two elected leaders. But
they issued a report that they say was to critically
examine the weather conditions surrounding the January seventh Pacific Palisades
(03:08):
fire and to assess whether claims of unmanageable, unprecedented, or
climate change driven conditions are supported by factual data. So
they did a little research and they reached these conclusions
that they say contradict the official narrative that we've heard
(03:29):
from some of our elected officials. One, they say the
wind conditions during the peak spread of the fire were manageable,
They say, not unprecedented, that they remained well within manageable
limits based on historical data from forty eight weather stations
across the region. They say during critical period of potential
(03:50):
containment from ten thirty am to four pm. That was
about six hours five and a half hours when Cowfire
reported the fire expanding from ten to two hundred acres
Whether can conditions remained manageable. The highest sustained wind speed,
they say, was thirty five point seven miles per hour
in Malibu, about seven miles from the origin of the fire.
The highest gust reached forty four miles per hour in
(04:12):
the Santa Monica Mountains that's eleven miles away from the
fire origin. They say the hurricane force winds began. The
hurricane force winds begin at seventy four miles per hour,
but the recorded winds on January seventh were well below
this threshold. Do not support false claims that the fire
spread under hurricane strength conditions or that it was unmanageable
(04:35):
due to record breaking wind speeds. They also say the
winds did not reach historical extremes. They say across the
full day, the maximum sustained wind of forty point eight
miles per hour and top gust of sixty miles per
hour remained below the National Weather Services criteria for a
high wind warning. Now keep in mind, if we go
(04:55):
back to January seventh, I would certainly hear at KFI
that day, and I know a lot of you were
glued to the news because we knew it was dry
and we had the Santa Ana winds and fire conditions
were severe. These folks acknowledged that this group called Fire
(05:16):
Rebuild and this new report they released, they say weather
conditions were predicted in advance. These winds were also forecasted
days in advance. They say between January three and January seven,
multiple agencies, including the National Weather Service, utilities City of Malibu,
issued early warnings about strong Santa Ana winds, extreme fire danger,
and pre emptive power shut offs. They say this reinforces
(05:39):
that the event was predictable and that emergency preparations had
already been initiated. This group Fire Rebuild, also takes aim
at the claims of drought conditions. They say drought conditions
were normal for the region. The preceding drought, while ongoing,
also followed well known southern California climate cycles. Two hundred
(06:00):
and sixty six day dry spell before the fire was
neither record breaking nor anomalous, and similar patterns of heavy
rainfall followed by prolonged drought have occurred repeatedly in the
last decade. They say that it was a false claim
that vegetation growth from prior rainfall made this fire uniquely unmanageable. Lastly,
(06:23):
they reached the conclusion that the fire that started on
January seventh occurred under weather and climate conditions that were
not only historically common, but also widely forecasted and manageable.
Neither wind speeds nor drought conditions were extreme or record breaking,
and no evidence supports the notion that climate change conditions
(06:46):
were extreme or record breaking. Excuse me played or direct
role in this event. They say, instead, the only aspect
of this fire that can be considered truly unprecedented was
the failure to contain it, despite the availability of early warnings,
known fire behavior patterns, and decades of historical precedent. They
(07:07):
go on to say, misrepresenting the fire as a product
of uncontrollable or climate driven forces undermines the accountability of
fire management agencies and public safety planning, especially when the
data makes clear that this was a foreseeable and manageable emergency.
Your thoughts on that are welcome. Open up the iHeartRadio app,
(07:28):
click on the talkback button and we will play some
of your comments in our last segment. Coming up, I've
got a guest coming up for you, who lives in
the Palisades is also angry with the government response, specifically
around debris removal. Now, we did hear some protests early
on in this process that folks living near the landfills
didn't want this debris moving through their neighborhoods and towards
(07:50):
those landfills. Our next guest, who you may know from
Undercover Billionaire, says there's a better way to do this,
but no one's listening to her, so she'll join us next.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
K I AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI
News with you till nine o'clock tonight. The Army Corps
of Engineers has begun wrapping up its work removing debris
in Pacific Palisades, but that doesn't mean all the wildfire
debris is gone. Aline Colotti is a real estate developer,
a farmer, and you may recognize her from Undercover Billionaire.
(08:31):
She says she's got a solution to all this toxic
debris piled up. But she also says the clock is ticking.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
And she joins us.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Now, Eline Colotti, thanks so much for being with KFI today.
Speaker 6 (08:42):
Hi, how are you, Michael. It's so good to Steeven.
Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, it's good to have you with us. You live
in the Palisades. Let's just start there. What was the
situation like for you?
Speaker 6 (08:50):
You really want to start with that. Let's lead with
the Palisades. It's rough going over there. It's like living
in Gaza. It's pretty crazy.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, what do you mean by that?
Speaker 6 (09:04):
Well, I mean, I don't think people understand. It's a
complete wipeout of the community. There's no schools, there's no
grocery stores, there's no gas station. There's one gas station.
The banks are gone, there's one bank. All the community's gone.
There's I know, they're time about getting back to things.
I mean, thank god for the high school. Those high
school kids are super into coming back, but there's nowhere
(09:24):
for them to live. So it's just insane. I can't
really quite describe it. Also, it's a bustling, busy community,
you know. I was just saying last night God, I
were really having dinner at Angelini, Like there's it's all gone.
So even what's left is gone because it's all closed.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I've been wondering this because as a reporter, I was
in the Palisades covering this disaster.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
I've seen the aftermath of it. It is shocking.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
I didn't live there, though, I didn't really experience the
community the way someone like you did and your neighbors did,
or people who work there did, or even if you're
a commuter who passes through there on the regular. The
impact for me is obviously different, even though I can
kind of understand the devastation, but not intimately like you, folks.
I'm wondering this is a question that I've had for folks.
(10:11):
When anyone loses their house in a fire somewhere in
the city, a candle, cigarette, something causes a fire, it's
a terrible experience. I'm wondering what it must be like
for everyone to lose their homes in a fire like that.
How is it different than that individual situation that might
happen across town somewhere.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
Well, I think the most devastating thing for me, because
first of all, I've never seen anything like this and
I've seen a lot. I'm construction wise, I've seen huge,
big construction, but the community's gone, and when community's gone,
communication is gone, and so it's very difficult to sort
of circle the wagons and have conversations that are forward
facing and can get you to the next level. And
(10:52):
even the news media isn't hanging around the palisades anymore.
Like it was a big glam for a little bit,
but now it's like a little bit like Gaza and
a little bit like martial law. I can't how to explain.
Every entrance is blocked and it's either police. It was
army Corps and National guardment that's all kind of changed.
Now it's really police and they've also hired private security.
(11:13):
And it's uncomfortable. But if you don't have it, you
have help. Bridge and theft and it's people can't leave
their trucks there at night, Like there's a lot of
workers and there's tools and trucks and things like that.
It's not just the housing and people that are there
to help. They can't get in and out because the traffic.
So you know, I've also learned a lot about like
PCCh is really a bloodline to Malibu. You cut pch Off,
(11:34):
you kill Malibu, which we did, sixty percent of the
people out, like Nobu had to be let. I mean,
it's crazy what we did to Malibu. And while I
know they've reopened it, at the end of the day,
like it's better when it's closed for progress because you
can move faster. So we've got a lot of adjustments
to do to get through this whole process and survive
with something.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
We're going to talk about the state of the economy
there in the Palisades and the West Side in general
because of these and what we see coming after that.
But first let's talk more about the Army Corps because
their deadline is here. They're pulling out. These are the
guys who were sent in to remove the debris, and
what are your concerns about the Army Corps taking off?
Speaker 6 (12:16):
Well, the most important thing to remember about the Army
Corps is that they're a military operation, so they are
order driven. They get an order, it's a task driven order,
and they punch through it like an army would do.
It's one, two, three, four, we're gone. So as the
sun rises on June the first, which was quoted, they're
done with their optimse their work is complete, and they're
(12:38):
not like another contractor would they give you a change
order and just hang around and just keep milking the system.
There's a million places that the Army Corps engineers is
needed and they are headed there. So we're on our own.
And when we're on our own, along with them leaving
leaves all that organization and management.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
When you say opt in, you're talking about the folks
who had the opportunity to say, yes, Army Corps, we
give you permission to come into our property and to
take this debris away for us.
Speaker 6 (13:03):
That is correct, That's exactly what often meant.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Okay, And so how has it gone? Has it been smooth?
Has it worked well for you?
Speaker 6 (13:12):
Well? The math is all over the place. I'm not
sure really, Like I've been told a lot of different
things by Army Corps and etc. And government officials and
official notes. So this is my best assessment. By the
end of March, they had forty eight hundred opt ins,
so they extended fifteen days, and during that fifteen days
they got additional opt ins. Maybe they got two thousand more,
(13:33):
but it wasn't ten thousand. And they have cleaned those
lots and those are single phase, you know, simple lots.
So those are lots that are small, flat, easy to
get in because the second lots were tasked to later.
So a lot is not always a lot is a
lot Okay? When they count lots, they're counting hillside, flat,
(13:55):
big and small. The majority of the lots of opted
in were the smaller lot us, the tiny lots. Remember
they only do the envelope, so there's all this other debris.
My opinion is they did an incredible job. They're an
amazing outfit. But we are about thirty percent cleared.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
And of that leftover uncleared area. What does that mean?
Because even though you know I was there, our listeners,
people who watch TV news, they've seen the images, we
see it on social media. It's a completely different thing
again to be up close to it. What does it
mean to have seventy percent not cleared?
Speaker 6 (14:35):
That means we have a big problem. I mean, obviously,
if seventy percent is not cleared and Army Corps leaves.
Along with them leaving, their organization goes, their task management goes,
their mobilization goes. They're hauling route goes. They're hauling route
takes debris to certain dumps. It's attached to Army corps.
When you're in a business of picking up trash, you
(14:59):
have to go go to the city and you have
to obtain a hauling route. It's usually done through a hearing,
and that hearing will designate which roads you go on
to what dump you're going to with the armcre leaving.
That also leaves. That's not to say that there isn't
incredible relationships with certain companies with certain jumps. That exists,
(15:20):
and some people will will have no problem, but independent contractors,
like eighty thousand of them will not have a place
to take the debris, not willingly anyway.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
And we already know that there are dumps that can
take some of this debris here locally, there are neighbors
of those landfills who are saying, please don't bring this here.
We don't want this. We feel for our neighbors in
the impacted fire zones, but please don't bring that garbage here.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
We can't do it.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
You've got an idea, and it sounds kind of old school.
It's trains.
Speaker 6 (15:50):
Well, I mean, if you think if you think railroads
old school, I think railroad is the future of transportation
and supply chain. We just ignore it because it's a
lot of work, it's cumbersome. But here's the problem, Azusa, Calabasas,
film are all of the places where we're taking are
trash don't want it. They don't want it, and they
(16:10):
don't want it because they don't know how clean it is.
Certain environmental restrictions were waived by Caraenvass in order to
expedite the removal of this debris that was done on
behalf of the Army Corps engineers so that they could,
you know, they could get it out quicker. Great, I
understand that. But if it isn't clean, why are we
putting it in Calabasas. That's ridiculous. They say that these
(16:31):
lawsuits that have been filed will eclipse the cost of
removing the debris at a further distance away. So we
shouldn't be mincing words. We should just do this other
program without thinking about it, because what it will do
is it will minimize the damage that's done to these
other communities from our debris, and anything we can do
to mitigate that we should be doing.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
We're going to talk more about your plan involving trains
coming up.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
A six forty Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. This
is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI News.
We continue now with Elane Colate. She says she has
a better idea for how to get rid of all
that wildfire debris still piled up in the Palisades. Elaine,
thanks for sticking around. Before we went to break, we
were talking about trains and I like trains too, like
(17:20):
I take the Metro pretty frequently. Took at the Long
Beach Show last weekend, had a great time. You know,
I live downtown, I'm on the on the train pretty frequently.
I've never been on a freight train, and I think
that's what you're talking about here. And when last we
left you, we were discussing the possibility of not using
the local landfills for the debris removal from the local
fire zones and possibly loading it on a train and
(17:42):
sending it out. Now we saw the reaction locally, Elaine,
what place on this planet would be willing to have
those trains roll through with all of that debris?
Speaker 6 (17:52):
Oh well, come on, now, you know there's plenty of
people that will take it for money. It's just about
paying for it. The problem that we have, and we're
going to continue to have it in California, is that
it's kind of the you know, good old boys club.
The Democratic you know regime of California is a good
old boys club. They we we don't see it that way,
you know. We think they're here to help us, and
the reality is of the hill to help themselves. We've seen
(18:15):
so much, let's help ourselves from our government officials instead
of helping the real community. And a perfect example of
that is dumping debris and local landfilles. What are we doing?
There are plenty of landfills that we could take it to.
And one by the way that I found is six
hundred million cubic feet and it's not open. It's closed
and empty. That's not just enough for our landfill. That's
(18:38):
enough for the Tijuana River cloud clean up.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
That's in California.
Speaker 6 (18:42):
It is. It's over by Glamous and Imperial Valley, missis
ski area over there where where by the way, it
can handle this kind of debris. Moreover, it's rail served. Now,
once it gets rail served, it gets more complicated to
get in and out. You got to pay more. But
it's away from us, and we have a lay down yard.
(19:02):
Do you know what a lay down yard is?
Speaker 3 (19:04):
No? No, I don't, Golotti, I don't.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
We got to start using a lay down yard that's
rail served, because what we're doing then is we're touching
it less. We don't want to touch it so many times.
We don't want to take it off, put it up,
take it off, because that costs a lot of money.
We want the trucks to be able to go to
a laydown yard that goes to rail. And there's one
in Puente Hills, and that one is twelve and a
half miles from Maltadena. It's thirty four point eight miles
(19:29):
from the ground zero in Palisades Malibu, and it's all
highway and it gets them off the roads. It gets
us out of the infrastructure, it stops destroying things. It
allows us to do it faster. There's no reason not
to do it except getting the big guns at the
top to listen. And the reason they don't want to
listen is because they don't know what they are doing.
As long as they don't know what they are doing,
(19:50):
they don't even know the questions.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
To ask my understanding is you are taking this to
the big guns at the top, including Governor Gavin Newsom.
Do you have a relationship with him? Are you able
to get in front of him with this idea?
Speaker 6 (20:01):
He has it in his email box and it was
given to him by somebody who has a very good
relationship with him, and he knows it's there. He has
to take the time to read it. And if he
doesn't understand it, he's going to call me and I'll
explain it to him. I mean, it's clear that like
it's complicated. I get that, but it's doable. And just
because something's complicated, if you are the leader of the state,
(20:23):
it is your job to lead and that means you
delegate that thing to the right people and have it
explained to you like you're too It's okay if he
doesn't you know what I would say if I was
Kevin Newsom, I got this email in my email box.
This sounds great, but I don't understand it. Who do
I go to to talk to. Let's get this girl
in here, Let's get to the right people and let's
see if we can do this. That's what and you
(20:45):
should be doing it too, sweet, Like right.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Now, what's the response from your neighbors, Elaine, about this
proposal that you have, because you spelled out it seems
to make sense. We'll get to why the government hasn't
acted on it momentarily. But have you been able to
sell it to your neighbors? Are they on board?
Speaker 6 (21:01):
Oh, my neighbors. All the people that I know and
work with would will. Absolutely, they'll task it, They'll help
do it. The problem is is that it's a massive
undertaking if you don't have support from community leaders. Tracy
Parks is our council woman. She was good on homeless
in Venice. She shifted her energy to something she knows
(21:21):
nothing about. It's not to say that she does have
good intentions, but construction and this kind of a disaster,
it's you have to have a skill set and if
you don't have it, you have to ask the right
people and you have to listen to the right people,
and she they're not doing that. Karen Bass. I can't
even get into Karen Karen Bass like the whole thing
(21:42):
in the jetway. I've said it like it's a leadership issue,
you know, it's not. She came late to the party.
I don't blame her for the fire it's like a
lot of people. I don't have any course in that race,
but what I am saying is right now, get surrounds
yourself by the right people. You know, call up the
right people. And when people are coming to you and saying, hey,
flag white lie, I can help you. Over here, here's
some refuge Go to them, Walk to them and ask them,
(22:05):
how can you help me? Ask the questions. That's what
they're not doing.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Eline Colati is a Palisades resident, a real estate developer,
a farmer, owner of Big Z Ranch, and you might
also know her from Undercover Billionaire, and she is our
guest right now on Michael Monks Reports here on KF
I do want to talk about Mayor Karen Bass, not
just the early days, but what's happening now with the mayor.
(22:30):
You are seeing more public comments from her social media
posts from her basically saying, look, we're moving well in
the Palisades recovery process. The permits are flowing, the construction
is happening. I can tell by the look on your
face you kind of dispute that characterization.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
It's just sinsannity. First of all, she has no idea
what's ahead of us. She doesn't have any knowledge of
what's a hud. Are we going to get it all back?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
But she's talking about the red tape, she's cutting the
red tape.
Speaker 6 (23:04):
I have no idea. She doesn't have a clue. She
has no idea what it takes to rebuild a city, Like,
what does that take at the level that you're gonna
have to rebuild. She doesn't understand mobilization. She doesn't know
what a critical path schedule is. She doesn't know what
a schedule of values is. They don't know the difference
between repair and infrastructure and improve infrastructure. And on top
(23:30):
of all of that, let's put a sugar on the top,
little sugar cube on top. We don't have any money.
We have no money. So if you don't have any
money and you don't have any know how you know
what means? You have no power. You have no power.
She has the power of the bully pulpit. She can talk,
but it's all nonsense. They have no idea what they're
(23:52):
up against. They need people. The best guy really to
be there now would have been Rick Carriso. But Dad,
we have somebody who has no skill set for this,
and she needs to just step down and let somebody
else handle it. Give him the mayorial job for the cleanup.
Just go to him and say let's do it, or
(24:12):
give it to me, or give it to somebody who
knows how to do this. I know she kind of
went out and tried to hire that guy sober Up,
but that's not You got to hire somebody who really
understands how to delegate. This is a CEO job of
the biggest construction company in the world. She's like ron tutor.
She doesn't she doesn't understand what's in front of her.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Elaine Coulotti, real estate developer, farmer and undercover billionaire. Elaine,
thanks so much for talking to us today. We appreciate you.
Speaker 6 (24:44):
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Up next, the Eagletz had Big Bear finally take flight,
and we got more bad news for the Hollywood film
industry from right here in Hollywood.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
How that John Coblt never mince his words, does he? Crypt?
Speaker 2 (25:08):
This is Michael Monks reports on Michael Monks from KFI News.
Let's finish things up on really what was a nice,
beautiful evening here in Los Angeles County, certainly around Burbank
a little warm. We're gonna see some cooler temperatures over
the next several days. But the National Weather Service in
LA has given us another update on those storms that
(25:30):
moved through Ventura and Santa Barbara County. They say it
was quite the lightning show today across Ventura in Santa
Barbara Counties. They show on their Twitter page their ex
account if you want to look them up. At NWS
Los Angeles, They've got an image from Google Earth showing
all of the lightning strikes. They say there were twenty
(25:51):
five hundred cloud to ground strikes observed today in those
two counties. They say overall, very impressed day and that
the threat of showers and thunderstorms will continue overnight, so
stay safe, stay dry out there got a comment on
my Twitter, by the way, follow me on X Instagram
(26:12):
TikTok if you like Mike Monk's La at Mike monks
LA that's m I c nks LA. One comment on
X says Elaine, our previous guest, Elaine Colada, you talked
about the debris removal in the palisage. This person says Elaine,
comparing the Palisades to Gaza is mind blowing. But a
more favorable comment about Elaine has come from listener Denise.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
Okay, hell yeah, this woman is so impressive.
Speaker 8 (26:40):
I love her.
Speaker 7 (26:41):
Please put her in a position to run something, do something,
change something.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
This is wow.
Speaker 7 (26:47):
I love seeing a woman this smart, this possessed, this knowledgeable.
Let's go.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
I'm sure Elaine will be delighted to hear that comment
from you, Denise. And and we've talked about a lot
over the past couple of hours, and our friend doctor
Ron in Huntington Beach is winging in on the public
bank proposed by three members of the Los Angeles City Council.
Speaker 9 (27:14):
Hi, Mike, doctor Ron from Huneken Beach. This whole thing
about the city making its own bank, it reminds me
of a couple of years ago when we all realized
that the marijuana businesses couldn't use regular banks. I don't
know if that's still the situation, but here's a way
that the state and the city can watch out retaches
by depositing all of the marijuana business intel. Just the thought.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
Have a great day.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Thank you for that, doctor Ron.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
We do appreciate you listening and taking the time to participate. Also,
at the top of the show, you heard me talk
about Catalina Island. Last week, I solicited tips from a
lot of you on what I should do, how I
should get there, where to go once I'm there. And
that was because my family was visiting this week and
we were going to head over, and then we got
(28:01):
the Long Beach to look at the ferry and just
realize that the town was dead that day. I guess
everybody was worn out from a very busy Memorial Day
weekend and we kind of had all the coast along
Long Beach's you know, main entertainment area to ourselves and
decided that the hour long ferry ride there, another hour back,
an hour to and from on the metro to downtown.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
It was just a lot and we didn't go.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
And I'm so sorry because you guys are so great,
But I have bookmarked all your comments. I really did
document everything. The spouse and I are going to head
over there at some point this summer because I'm excited
to see it. And we got a comment about something
else that we can do on Catalina Island.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Hey, months, you do a good job.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
Listen, you were talking about Katleena Island. This is where
you go. I've been going there for years. You go
to Hamilton Cove. You'll get it's a condo, it's overlooking
the Orishen beautiful.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
You'll get a.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
Golf cart and a little expensive, but it's worth it
if you I spend a couple of nights there, so
check it out. Beware of stairs.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
That sounds like a great tip, and we will certainly
beware of the stairs. Also at the top of the show,
we talked about Santa Monica residents upset with WAMO, the
driverless cars that you can see on Los Angeles streets
and other streets around the county, and they go to
rest at night at Santa Monica, and some folks there
are really upset the noise these cars make when they're
(29:27):
going into their bed. And played some information on there.
I made a little remark that I'm not that sympathetic
to Santa Monica because I live in downtown a lad.
I'd much rather hear whatever this noise is, which is grating.
It is a loud, disgusting noise, But I live downtown
and I hear these terrible screams from homeless people people
having mental health crises, and I suggested that my situation
(29:49):
was worse. I did get a comment on my Instagram
that says, you're wrong about Santa Monica. My friends live
in a building where they get poisoned daily and have
been getting sick daily for eight years. The city knows
everything and does nothing. Homeless people scream all night, and
five hundred people are trying to sue the city because
homeless people have physically assaulted them, destroyed their businesses, and
(30:11):
crime is destroying everything. All this while local leaders pose
for photographs knowing all the marine life that were decimated
by fire, debris and repulsive catastrophic pollution. Look at Harris
Silver or Santa Monica Coalition if you want the truth.
My friend's eyes were burned by indoor chemical exposure and wildfires.
This is what a heart looks like, and gives the
(30:34):
heart emoji and says please send it out to Santa
Monica City Council. Our friend required two brain surgeries after
a homeless person hit them on the head. And that
is a very fair comment to my flippant remark earlier
in the show. The homeless crisis is all over the place,
and Santa Monica has certainly been devastated by what this
situation has caused.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
There as well.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
You heard in the newscast from Heather Brooker this breaking store.
Two police officers in Baldwin Park had been shot in
the forty two hundred block of Philhurst Avenue. That's according
to the La County Fire Department. One of those officers
was taken to a hospital by air, the other by
ground ambulance. Some video from k COW shows a large
(31:16):
law enforcement presence in the residential neighborhood. We're going to
keep an eye on that and keep it tuned to KFI.
Heather Brooker will update you throughout the evening on that
developing story as well. Something I have talked to Heather
Brooker about multiple times, even on this program is her
Hollywood theme. You know, she just comes in here when
she's not busy making You know, you may recognize her
(31:39):
from TV's the Office.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
I always love that you that you bring that up.
Speaker 8 (31:44):
I'm obsessed with it because literally no one would recognize
me from the office.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
I know, and I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
I like to tear this wound open, because actresses like
you dream of these opportunities, like you work your tail off.
You have all this talent, and Goodness knows you're talented,
and then you get a on the Office and you
got cut. But they loved you so much, because why
wouldn't they. They brought you back for another episode.
Speaker 8 (32:09):
Only two they cut you again, cut me again twice.
But here's my one redemption of this amazing experience that
I had on the Office. It's now airing on streaming
on Peacock, so you could watch both of my scenes
from both episodes of the Office. So I still am there.
(32:30):
It lived to tell another to see another day. And
I also still get residuals for it. Praise be Yeah,
that's great. I'm glad.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
I know you're the richest person in the office right now,
So well done for you.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
Yes, you do you get the blue envelopes or the
blue envelopes?
Speaker 7 (32:45):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (32:45):
No?
Speaker 8 (32:45):
They just come on regular old white envelopes. Some of
the international ones come in pink envelopes.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
Oh that's fun.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Yeah, And you never really know how much is going
to be in those envelopes, right, It's always exciting. Sometimes
you're you're excited by what you see and sometimes maybe
a little.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
Disappointed, mostly disappointed. It's seventy three cents.
Speaker 8 (33:01):
I mean, it's those episodes are so old, especially with
the Office, They're so old. But yeah, you're worrying, like
the five six bucks. You know, people think actors were
making millions. I mean I was not on Friends. I
was not a serious regular on Friends. Okay, I'm not
set for life, but I certainly you know, might see
at five bucks in the mail.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Every now and then, you know, sure, of course.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
And look, Hollywood is not as lucrative as it used
to be for a lot of actors, mainly because the
landscape of how we consume television has changed. We don't
even necessarily watch it on a television. There aren't twenty
two episodes a season. There aren't lucrative syndication deals and
reruns playing all over the place where actors, even somebody
like like you who gets like a one off role
on an episode, will cash residual checks for a long time.
(33:40):
But the companies themselves and the production environment is also
decimated and struggling. Right now, there's another new report from
the Milken Institute Heather, and it basically says what we've
talked about before. We've heard it from the industry. We've
heard it from the politicians. It's too expensive to make
entertainment and the entertainment capital of the world.
Speaker 8 (33:57):
Yeah, I mean I read this and I kind of
was like, duh uh, it's true. This is a story
we've been this is something we've been talking about for ages.
It's expensive to make movies here, so filmmakers are going elsewhere.
And I think the reason that this report, at least
what I got from it, is shining a light on
this is because we need to figure out this is
(34:17):
like an emergency situation for this industry, to figure out
how we can make it more affordable, how we can
make it more attractive to keep this industry here, keep
jobs here, and keep people wanting to film in California.
It's why we've got that proposed seven hundred and fifty
million dollar tax credit that is in you know, in
(34:39):
the California legislature.
Speaker 6 (34:41):
Right now, it's kind of on hold.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
There.
Speaker 8 (34:43):
Haven't really done much with it in the past couple
of weeks. I've been keeping an eye on it, and
it's just sitting in the committees. And it's why here locally,
Karen Bass just a few weeks ago came out and
said we need to cut fees that hasn't happened yet.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
No, let's talk about those fees.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I mean, this is this paper from the Milkin Institute
says LA's permit application for making film or TV three
seven hundred and twenty four dollars, while the fee in
New York City's one thousand dollars. In London it's five
hundred and forty dollars. In Atlanta it's four hundred dollars.
I mean, it's just so expensive to do anything. And
here you leave your house, seventy bucks falls out of
(35:17):
your pocket just for breathing the air. But to build
a house, to fill up your gas tank, and really
to make the thing that made Los Angeles an international
destination the Hollywood industry, it's too expensive to do that
as well. Listen, you're gonna need more walk on rolls
to buy us some dinner around here. I know, I
can tell you this, Heather, I understand why the two
(35:39):
eglits in Big Bear are ready to leave Southern California.
They are close to bailing out of their nest. We
learn today that these two eglits, what are their names?
It's a Sonny and Gizmo, the kids of Jackie and
Shadow there in Big Bear. They're girls, they're sisters, they're ladies,
and they have taken flight very minimally. They look like
(36:02):
they're sleeping right now.
Speaker 8 (36:03):
They've been sleeping all day there it is.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Yeah, they've been flapping and they're tired from it. I
understand completely. But keep an eye because their major first
flight is apparently nigh. It is nigh, So keep an
eye on their live cam if this is something that
you've been obsessed with, like so many across California and
the friends of Big Bear Valley dot org always keeps
a daily log so you can see what's been brought
(36:26):
in to eat and what Jackie and Shadow are up to,
and what these two little sisters are doing as they
prepare to take on the world. Well, we've had a
great time doing Michael Monks Reports with you today. Let
me thank Kenneth for this comment.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
Thank you, mister Monk's great job covering the real issues.
Love the show, Keep it up.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Thanks for listening. We appreciate you being here every Saturday
night from seven to nine. If you miss any part
of the show, you can dial it up on the
iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. I'll be
back again next Saturday with another edition of Michael Monk's Reports,
and you can catch me doing the news money day
through Friday here on KFI, making appearances on all of
your favorite shows during the week as well. My thanks
(37:06):
to our technical director Raoul Cortes, our news anchor Heather Brooker,
and all of you for listening.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Up.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Next is Malcolm Gladwell and Revisionist History here on KFI
AM six
Speaker 1 (37:16):
Forty, KFI AM six forty on demand
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI News.
We got another hour together if you missed our first hour.
We talked about a lot, talked a little bit about
way Mo, We talked about immigration raids in Los Angeles
and San Diego, we talked about some pushback. Finally, at
(00:27):
La City Hall over Mare Bass declared homeless emergency and
whether it should still be extended. And you also have
to hear the cringiest chant you've ever heard at a
local rally in support of a public bank, as backed
by three members of the La City Council.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
You can always.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Catch the entire two hours of Michael Monk's reports as
soon as the show is over. It'll be in the
iHeartRadio app or wherever else you get your podcast. Hope
you'll take a listen and share it. We also want
you to share your thoughts. This is a show for
you and it's a show for me, and we can
share this together. And we got a comment from Gail
(01:02):
about that proposal for a public bank.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Love your show, Michael, Thank you, Gail.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Okay, Michael, So the city wants to form a bank.
They can't account for over twenty four billion dollars, but
they want the people of Los Angeles to entrust them
with their money. Again, Really, Michael, it is so effing umbilie.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I mean, the reactions are pretty predictable, right, I mean,
this is a city that has mismanaged its budget, has
found itself in a very serious financial crisis, and then
ask you to take some of these proposals. Seriously, I'm
not saying you shouldn't. We have to learn more about this.
There may be some valid points here. It's just timing wise,
it seems a little odd because you know, we just
(02:01):
covered for the past several weeks how broke the city
is now and aw, the folks behind this say, look,
we won't find ourselves in these financial positions because we'll
have our own bank. But whether or not that's true
remains to be seen. We'll have to continue to follow.
These three council members have put fifteen thousand dollars each
from their own offices for a total of forty five
thousand dollars to fund a study. There's a group of
(02:26):
community activists who have created a group called Fire Rebuild,
and they have put out their own study of what
went down on January seventh and the days after that.
And I'll note that this is a group that is
highly critical of Governor Newsom, a group that is highly
(02:47):
critical of Mayor Bass. So keep that bias in mind,
although I know that bias is probably shared at this
point by a lot of you folks, but maybe not
so as a caveat, know that this is a group
that is not happy with those two elected leaders. But
they issued a report that they say was to critically
examine the weather conditions surrounding the January seventh Pacific Palisades
(03:08):
fire and to assess whether claims of unmanageable, unprecedented, or
climate change driven conditions are supported by factual data. So
they did a little research and they reached these conclusions
that they say contradict the official narrative that we've heard
(03:29):
from some of our elected officials. One, they say the
wind conditions during the peak spread of the fire were manageable,
They say, not unprecedented, that they remained well within manageable
limits based on historical data from forty eight weather stations
across the region. They say during critical period of potential
(03:50):
containment from ten thirty am to four pm. That was
about six hours five and a half hours when Cowfire
reported the fire expanding from ten to two hundred acres
Whether can conditions remained manageable. The highest sustained wind speed,
they say, was thirty five point seven miles per hour
in Malibu, about seven miles from the origin of the fire.
The highest gust reached forty four miles per hour in
(04:12):
the Santa Monica Mountains that's eleven miles away from the
fire origin. They say the hurricane force winds began. The
hurricane force winds begin at seventy four miles per hour,
but the recorded winds on January seventh were well below
this threshold. Do not support false claims that the fire
spread under hurricane strength conditions or that it was unmanageable
(04:35):
due to record breaking wind speeds. They also say the
winds did not reach historical extremes. They say across the
full day, the maximum sustained wind of forty point eight
miles per hour and top gust of sixty miles per
hour remained below the National Weather Services criteria for a
high wind warning. Now keep in mind, if we go
(04:55):
back to January seventh, I would certainly hear at KFI
that day, and I know a lot of you were
glued to the news because we knew it was dry
and we had the Santa Ana winds and fire conditions
were severe. These folks acknowledged that this group called Fire
(05:16):
Rebuild and this new report they released, they say weather
conditions were predicted in advance. These winds were also forecasted
days in advance. They say between January three and January seven,
multiple agencies, including the National Weather Service, utilities City of Malibu,
issued early warnings about strong Santa Ana winds, extreme fire danger,
and pre emptive power shut offs. They say this reinforces
(05:39):
that the event was predictable and that emergency preparations had
already been initiated. This group Fire Rebuild, also takes aim
at the claims of drought conditions. They say drought conditions
were normal for the region. The preceding drought, while ongoing,
also followed well known southern California climate cycles. Two hundred
(06:00):
and sixty six day dry spell before the fire was
neither record breaking nor anomalous, and similar patterns of heavy
rainfall followed by prolonged drought have occurred repeatedly in the
last decade. They say that it was a false claim
that vegetation growth from prior rainfall made this fire uniquely unmanageable. Lastly,
(06:23):
they reached the conclusion that the fire that started on
January seventh occurred under weather and climate conditions that were
not only historically common, but also widely forecasted and manageable.
Neither wind speeds nor drought conditions were extreme or record breaking,
and no evidence supports the notion that climate change conditions
(06:46):
were extreme or record breaking. Excuse me played or direct
role in this event. They say, instead, the only aspect
of this fire that can be considered truly unprecedented was
the failure to contain it, despite the availability of early warnings,
known fire behavior patterns, and decades of historical precedent. They
(07:07):
go on to say, misrepresenting the fire as a product
of uncontrollable or climate driven forces undermines the accountability of
fire management agencies and public safety planning, especially when the
data makes clear that this was a foreseeable and manageable emergency.
Your thoughts on that are welcome. Open up the iHeartRadio app,
(07:28):
click on the talkback button and we will play some
of your comments in our last segment. Coming up, I've
got a guest coming up for you, who lives in
the Palisades is also angry with the government response, specifically
around debris removal. Now, we did hear some protests early
on in this process that folks living near the landfills
didn't want this debris moving through their neighborhoods and towards
(07:50):
those landfills. Our next guest, who you may know from
Undercover Billionaire, says there's a better way to do this,
but no one's listening to her, so she'll join us next.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
K I AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI
News with you till nine o'clock tonight. The Army Corps
of Engineers has begun wrapping up its work removing debris
in Pacific Palisades, but that doesn't mean all the wildfire
debris is gone. Aline Colotti is a real estate developer,
a farmer, and you may recognize her from Undercover Billionaire.
(08:31):
She says she's got a solution to all this toxic
debris piled up. But she also says the clock is ticking.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
And she joins us.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Now, Eline Colotti, thanks so much for being with KFI today.
Speaker 6 (08:42):
Hi, how are you, Michael. It's so good to Steeven.
Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, it's good to have you with us. You live
in the Palisades. Let's just start there. What was the
situation like for you?
Speaker 6 (08:50):
You really want to start with that. Let's lead with
the Palisades. It's rough going over there. It's like living
in Gaza. It's pretty crazy.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, what do you mean by that?
Speaker 6 (09:04):
Well, I mean, I don't think people understand. It's a
complete wipeout of the community. There's no schools, there's no
grocery stores, there's no gas station. There's one gas station.
The banks are gone, there's one bank. All the community's gone.
There's I know, they're time about getting back to things.
I mean, thank god for the high school. Those high
school kids are super into coming back, but there's nowhere
(09:24):
for them to live. So it's just insane. I can't
really quite describe it. Also, it's a bustling, busy community,
you know. I was just saying last night God, I
were really having dinner at Angelini, Like there's it's all gone.
So even what's left is gone because it's all closed.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I've been wondering this because as a reporter, I was
in the Palisades covering this disaster.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
I've seen the aftermath of it. It is shocking.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
I didn't live there, though, I didn't really experience the
community the way someone like you did and your neighbors did,
or people who work there did, or even if you're
a commuter who passes through there on the regular. The
impact for me is obviously different, even though I can
kind of understand the devastation, but not intimately like you, folks.
I'm wondering this is a question that I've had for folks.
(10:11):
When anyone loses their house in a fire somewhere in
the city, a candle, cigarette, something causes a fire, it's
a terrible experience. I'm wondering what it must be like
for everyone to lose their homes in a fire like that.
How is it different than that individual situation that might
happen across town somewhere.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
Well, I think the most devastating thing for me, because
first of all, I've never seen anything like this and
I've seen a lot. I'm construction wise, I've seen huge,
big construction, but the community's gone, and when community's gone,
communication is gone, and so it's very difficult to sort
of circle the wagons and have conversations that are forward
facing and can get you to the next level. And
(10:52):
even the news media isn't hanging around the palisades anymore.
Like it was a big glam for a little bit,
but now it's like a little bit like Gaza and
a little bit like martial law. I can't how to explain.
Every entrance is blocked and it's either police. It was
army Corps and National guardment that's all kind of changed.
Now it's really police and they've also hired private security.
(11:13):
And it's uncomfortable. But if you don't have it, you
have help. Bridge and theft and it's people can't leave
their trucks there at night, Like there's a lot of
workers and there's tools and trucks and things like that.
It's not just the housing and people that are there
to help. They can't get in and out because the traffic.
So you know, I've also learned a lot about like
PCCh is really a bloodline to Malibu. You cut pch Off,
(11:34):
you kill Malibu, which we did, sixty percent of the
people out, like Nobu had to be let. I mean,
it's crazy what we did to Malibu. And while I
know they've reopened it, at the end of the day,
like it's better when it's closed for progress because you
can move faster. So we've got a lot of adjustments
to do to get through this whole process and survive
with something.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
We're going to talk about the state of the economy
there in the Palisades and the West Side in general
because of these and what we see coming after that.
But first let's talk more about the Army Corps because
their deadline is here. They're pulling out. These are the
guys who were sent in to remove the debris, and
what are your concerns about the Army Corps taking off?
Speaker 6 (12:16):
Well, the most important thing to remember about the Army
Corps is that they're a military operation, so they are
order driven. They get an order, it's a task driven order,
and they punch through it like an army would do.
It's one, two, three, four, we're gone. So as the
sun rises on June the first, which was quoted, they're
done with their optimse their work is complete, and they're
(12:38):
not like another contractor would they give you a change
order and just hang around and just keep milking the system.
There's a million places that the Army Corps engineers is
needed and they are headed there. So we're on our own.
And when we're on our own, along with them leaving
leaves all that organization and management.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
When you say opt in, you're talking about the folks
who had the opportunity to say, yes, Army Corps, we
give you permission to come into our property and to
take this debris away for us.
Speaker 6 (13:03):
That is correct, That's exactly what often meant.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Okay, And so how has it gone? Has it been smooth?
Has it worked well for you?
Speaker 6 (13:12):
Well? The math is all over the place. I'm not
sure really, Like I've been told a lot of different
things by Army Corps and etc. And government officials and
official notes. So this is my best assessment. By the
end of March, they had forty eight hundred opt ins,
so they extended fifteen days, and during that fifteen days
they got additional opt ins. Maybe they got two thousand more,
(13:33):
but it wasn't ten thousand. And they have cleaned those
lots and those are single phase, you know, simple lots.
So those are lots that are small, flat, easy to
get in because the second lots were tasked to later.
So a lot is not always a lot is a
lot Okay? When they count lots, they're counting hillside, flat,
(13:55):
big and small. The majority of the lots of opted
in were the smaller lot us, the tiny lots. Remember
they only do the envelope, so there's all this other debris.
My opinion is they did an incredible job. They're an
amazing outfit. But we are about thirty percent cleared.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
And of that leftover uncleared area. What does that mean?
Because even though you know I was there, our listeners,
people who watch TV news, they've seen the images, we
see it on social media. It's a completely different thing
again to be up close to it. What does it
mean to have seventy percent not cleared?
Speaker 6 (14:35):
That means we have a big problem. I mean, obviously,
if seventy percent is not cleared and Army Corps leaves.
Along with them leaving, their organization goes, their task management goes,
their mobilization goes. They're hauling route goes. They're hauling route
takes debris to certain dumps. It's attached to Army corps.
When you're in a business of picking up trash, you
(14:59):
have to go go to the city and you have
to obtain a hauling route. It's usually done through a hearing,
and that hearing will designate which roads you go on
to what dump you're going to with the armcre leaving.
That also leaves. That's not to say that there isn't
incredible relationships with certain companies with certain jumps. That exists,
(15:20):
and some people will will have no problem, but independent contractors,
like eighty thousand of them will not have a place
to take the debris, not willingly anyway.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
And we already know that there are dumps that can
take some of this debris here locally, there are neighbors
of those landfills who are saying, please don't bring this here.
We don't want this. We feel for our neighbors in
the impacted fire zones, but please don't bring that garbage here.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
We can't do it.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
You've got an idea, and it sounds kind of old school.
It's trains.
Speaker 6 (15:50):
Well, I mean, if you think if you think railroads
old school, I think railroad is the future of transportation
and supply chain. We just ignore it because it's a
lot of work, it's cumbersome. But here's the problem, Azusa, Calabasas,
film are all of the places where we're taking are
trash don't want it. They don't want it, and they
(16:10):
don't want it because they don't know how clean it is.
Certain environmental restrictions were waived by Caraenvass in order to
expedite the removal of this debris that was done on
behalf of the Army Corps engineers so that they could,
you know, they could get it out quicker. Great, I
understand that. But if it isn't clean, why are we
putting it in Calabasas. That's ridiculous. They say that these
(16:31):
lawsuits that have been filed will eclipse the cost of
removing the debris at a further distance away. So we
shouldn't be mincing words. We should just do this other
program without thinking about it, because what it will do
is it will minimize the damage that's done to these
other communities from our debris, and anything we can do
to mitigate that we should be doing.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
We're going to talk more about your plan involving trains
coming up.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
A six forty Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. This
is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI News.
We continue now with Elane Colate. She says she has
a better idea for how to get rid of all
that wildfire debris still piled up in the Palisades. Elaine,
thanks for sticking around. Before we went to break, we
were talking about trains and I like trains too, like
(17:20):
I take the Metro pretty frequently. Took at the Long
Beach Show last weekend, had a great time. You know,
I live downtown, I'm on the on the train pretty frequently.
I've never been on a freight train, and I think
that's what you're talking about here. And when last we
left you, we were discussing the possibility of not using
the local landfills for the debris removal from the local
fire zones and possibly loading it on a train and
(17:42):
sending it out. Now we saw the reaction locally, Elaine,
what place on this planet would be willing to have
those trains roll through with all of that debris?
Speaker 6 (17:52):
Oh well, come on, now, you know there's plenty of
people that will take it for money. It's just about
paying for it. The problem that we have, and we're
going to continue to have it in California, is that
it's kind of the you know, good old boys club.
The Democratic you know regime of California is a good
old boys club. They we we don't see it that way,
you know. We think they're here to help us, and
the reality is of the hill to help themselves. We've seen
(18:15):
so much, let's help ourselves from our government officials instead
of helping the real community. And a perfect example of
that is dumping debris and local landfilles. What are we doing?
There are plenty of landfills that we could take it to.
And one by the way that I found is six
hundred million cubic feet and it's not open. It's closed
and empty. That's not just enough for our landfill. That's
(18:38):
enough for the Tijuana River cloud clean up.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
That's in California.
Speaker 6 (18:42):
It is. It's over by Glamous and Imperial Valley, missis
ski area over there where where by the way, it
can handle this kind of debris. Moreover, it's rail served. Now,
once it gets rail served, it gets more complicated to
get in and out. You got to pay more. But
it's away from us, and we have a lay down yard.
(19:02):
Do you know what a lay down yard is?
Speaker 3 (19:04):
No? No, I don't, Golotti, I don't.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
We got to start using a lay down yard that's
rail served, because what we're doing then is we're touching
it less. We don't want to touch it so many times.
We don't want to take it off, put it up,
take it off, because that costs a lot of money.
We want the trucks to be able to go to
a laydown yard that goes to rail. And there's one
in Puente Hills, and that one is twelve and a
half miles from Maltadena. It's thirty four point eight miles
(19:29):
from the ground zero in Palisades Malibu, and it's all
highway and it gets them off the roads. It gets
us out of the infrastructure, it stops destroying things. It
allows us to do it faster. There's no reason not
to do it except getting the big guns at the
top to listen. And the reason they don't want to
listen is because they don't know what they are doing.
As long as they don't know what they are doing,
(19:50):
they don't even know the questions.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
To ask my understanding is you are taking this to
the big guns at the top, including Governor Gavin Newsom.
Do you have a relationship with him? Are you able
to get in front of him with this idea?
Speaker 6 (20:01):
He has it in his email box and it was
given to him by somebody who has a very good
relationship with him, and he knows it's there. He has
to take the time to read it. And if he
doesn't understand it, he's going to call me and I'll
explain it to him. I mean, it's clear that like
it's complicated. I get that, but it's doable. And just
because something's complicated, if you are the leader of the state,
(20:23):
it is your job to lead and that means you
delegate that thing to the right people and have it
explained to you like you're too It's okay if he
doesn't you know what I would say if I was
Kevin Newsom, I got this email in my email box.
This sounds great, but I don't understand it. Who do
I go to to talk to. Let's get this girl
in here, Let's get to the right people and let's
see if we can do this. That's what and you
(20:45):
should be doing it too, sweet, Like right.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Now, what's the response from your neighbors, Elaine, about this
proposal that you have, because you spelled out it seems
to make sense. We'll get to why the government hasn't
acted on it momentarily. But have you been able to
sell it to your neighbors? Are they on board?
Speaker 6 (21:01):
Oh, my neighbors. All the people that I know and
work with would will. Absolutely, they'll task it, They'll help
do it. The problem is is that it's a massive
undertaking if you don't have support from community leaders. Tracy
Parks is our council woman. She was good on homeless
in Venice. She shifted her energy to something she knows
(21:21):
nothing about. It's not to say that she does have
good intentions, but construction and this kind of a disaster,
it's you have to have a skill set and if
you don't have it, you have to ask the right
people and you have to listen to the right people,
and she they're not doing that. Karen Bass. I can't
even get into Karen Karen Bass like the whole thing
(21:42):
in the jetway. I've said it like it's a leadership issue,
you know, it's not. She came late to the party.
I don't blame her for the fire it's like a
lot of people. I don't have any course in that race,
but what I am saying is right now, get surrounds
yourself by the right people. You know, call up the
right people. And when people are coming to you and saying, hey,
flag white lie, I can help you. Over here, here's
some refuge Go to them, Walk to them and ask them,
(22:05):
how can you help me? Ask the questions. That's what
they're not doing.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Eline Colati is a Palisades resident, a real estate developer,
a farmer, owner of Big Z Ranch, and you might
also know her from Undercover Billionaire, and she is our
guest right now on Michael Monks Reports here on KF
I do want to talk about Mayor Karen Bass, not
just the early days, but what's happening now with the mayor.
(22:30):
You are seeing more public comments from her social media
posts from her basically saying, look, we're moving well in
the Palisades recovery process. The permits are flowing, the construction
is happening. I can tell by the look on your
face you kind of dispute that characterization.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
It's just sinsannity. First of all, she has no idea
what's ahead of us. She doesn't have any knowledge of
what's a hud. Are we going to get it all back?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
But she's talking about the red tape, she's cutting the
red tape.
Speaker 6 (23:04):
I have no idea. She doesn't have a clue. She
has no idea what it takes to rebuild a city, Like,
what does that take at the level that you're gonna
have to rebuild. She doesn't understand mobilization. She doesn't know
what a critical path schedule is. She doesn't know what
a schedule of values is. They don't know the difference
between repair and infrastructure and improve infrastructure. And on top
(23:30):
of all of that, let's put a sugar on the top,
little sugar cube on top. We don't have any money.
We have no money. So if you don't have any
money and you don't have any know how you know
what means? You have no power. You have no power.
She has the power of the bully pulpit. She can talk,
but it's all nonsense. They have no idea what they're
(23:52):
up against. They need people. The best guy really to
be there now would have been Rick Carriso. But Dad,
we have somebody who has no skill set for this,
and she needs to just step down and let somebody
else handle it. Give him the mayorial job for the cleanup.
Just go to him and say let's do it, or
(24:12):
give it to me, or give it to somebody who
knows how to do this. I know she kind of
went out and tried to hire that guy sober Up,
but that's not You got to hire somebody who really
understands how to delegate. This is a CEO job of
the biggest construction company in the world. She's like ron tutor.
She doesn't she doesn't understand what's in front of her.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Elaine Coulotti, real estate developer, farmer and undercover billionaire. Elaine,
thanks so much for talking to us today. We appreciate you.
Speaker 6 (24:44):
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Up next, the Eagletz had Big Bear finally take flight,
and we got more bad news for the Hollywood film
industry from right here in Hollywood.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
How that John Coblt never mince his words, does he? Crypt?
Speaker 2 (25:08):
This is Michael Monks reports on Michael Monks from KFI News.
Let's finish things up on really what was a nice,
beautiful evening here in Los Angeles County, certainly around Burbank
a little warm. We're gonna see some cooler temperatures over
the next several days. But the National Weather Service in
LA has given us another update on those storms that
(25:30):
moved through Ventura and Santa Barbara County. They say it
was quite the lightning show today across Ventura in Santa
Barbara Counties. They show on their Twitter page their ex
account if you want to look them up. At NWS
Los Angeles, They've got an image from Google Earth showing
all of the lightning strikes. They say there were twenty
(25:51):
five hundred cloud to ground strikes observed today in those
two counties. They say overall, very impressed day and that
the threat of showers and thunderstorms will continue overnight, so
stay safe, stay dry out there got a comment on
my Twitter, by the way, follow me on X Instagram
(26:12):
TikTok if you like Mike Monk's La at Mike monks
LA that's m I c nks LA. One comment on
X says Elaine, our previous guest, Elaine Colada, you talked
about the debris removal in the palisage. This person says Elaine,
comparing the Palisades to Gaza is mind blowing. But a
more favorable comment about Elaine has come from listener Denise.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
Okay, hell yeah, this woman is so impressive.
Speaker 8 (26:40):
I love her.
Speaker 7 (26:41):
Please put her in a position to run something, do something,
change something.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
This is wow.
Speaker 7 (26:47):
I love seeing a woman this smart, this possessed, this knowledgeable.
Let's go.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
I'm sure Elaine will be delighted to hear that comment
from you, Denise. And and we've talked about a lot
over the past couple of hours, and our friend doctor
Ron in Huntington Beach is winging in on the public
bank proposed by three members of the Los Angeles City Council.
Speaker 9 (27:14):
Hi, Mike, doctor Ron from Huneken Beach. This whole thing
about the city making its own bank, it reminds me
of a couple of years ago when we all realized
that the marijuana businesses couldn't use regular banks. I don't
know if that's still the situation, but here's a way
that the state and the city can watch out retaches
by depositing all of the marijuana business intel. Just the thought.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
Have a great day.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Thank you for that, doctor Ron.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
We do appreciate you listening and taking the time to participate. Also,
at the top of the show, you heard me talk
about Catalina Island. Last week, I solicited tips from a
lot of you on what I should do, how I
should get there, where to go once I'm there. And
that was because my family was visiting this week and
we were going to head over, and then we got
(28:01):
the Long Beach to look at the ferry and just
realize that the town was dead that day. I guess
everybody was worn out from a very busy Memorial Day
weekend and we kind of had all the coast along
Long Beach's you know, main entertainment area to ourselves and
decided that the hour long ferry ride there, another hour back,
an hour to and from on the metro to downtown.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
It was just a lot and we didn't go.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
And I'm so sorry because you guys are so great,
But I have bookmarked all your comments. I really did
document everything. The spouse and I are going to head
over there at some point this summer because I'm excited
to see it. And we got a comment about something
else that we can do on Catalina Island.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Hey, months, you do a good job.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
Listen, you were talking about Katleena Island. This is where
you go. I've been going there for years. You go
to Hamilton Cove. You'll get it's a condo, it's overlooking
the Orishen beautiful.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
You'll get a.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
Golf cart and a little expensive, but it's worth it
if you I spend a couple of nights there, so
check it out. Beware of stairs.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
That sounds like a great tip, and we will certainly
beware of the stairs. Also at the top of the show,
we talked about Santa Monica residents upset with WAMO, the
driverless cars that you can see on Los Angeles streets
and other streets around the county, and they go to
rest at night at Santa Monica, and some folks there
are really upset the noise these cars make when they're
(29:27):
going into their bed. And played some information on there.
I made a little remark that I'm not that sympathetic
to Santa Monica because I live in downtown a lad.
I'd much rather hear whatever this noise is, which is grating.
It is a loud, disgusting noise, But I live downtown
and I hear these terrible screams from homeless people people
having mental health crises, and I suggested that my situation
(29:49):
was worse. I did get a comment on my Instagram
that says, you're wrong about Santa Monica. My friends live
in a building where they get poisoned daily and have
been getting sick daily for eight years. The city knows
everything and does nothing. Homeless people scream all night, and
five hundred people are trying to sue the city because
homeless people have physically assaulted them, destroyed their businesses, and
(30:11):
crime is destroying everything. All this while local leaders pose
for photographs knowing all the marine life that were decimated
by fire, debris and repulsive catastrophic pollution. Look at Harris
Silver or Santa Monica Coalition if you want the truth.
My friend's eyes were burned by indoor chemical exposure and wildfires.
This is what a heart looks like, and gives the
(30:34):
heart emoji and says please send it out to Santa
Monica City Council. Our friend required two brain surgeries after
a homeless person hit them on the head. And that
is a very fair comment to my flippant remark earlier
in the show. The homeless crisis is all over the place,
and Santa Monica has certainly been devastated by what this
situation has caused.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
There as well.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
You heard in the newscast from Heather Brooker this breaking store.
Two police officers in Baldwin Park had been shot in
the forty two hundred block of Philhurst Avenue. That's according
to the La County Fire Department. One of those officers
was taken to a hospital by air, the other by
ground ambulance. Some video from k COW shows a large
(31:16):
law enforcement presence in the residential neighborhood. We're going to
keep an eye on that and keep it tuned to KFI.
Heather Brooker will update you throughout the evening on that
developing story as well. Something I have talked to Heather
Brooker about multiple times, even on this program is her
Hollywood theme. You know, she just comes in here when
she's not busy making You know, you may recognize her
(31:39):
from TV's the Office.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
I always love that you that you bring that up.
Speaker 8 (31:44):
I'm obsessed with it because literally no one would recognize
me from the office.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
I know, and I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
I like to tear this wound open, because actresses like
you dream of these opportunities, like you work your tail off.
You have all this talent, and Goodness knows you're talented,
and then you get a on the Office and you
got cut. But they loved you so much, because why
wouldn't they. They brought you back for another episode.
Speaker 8 (32:09):
Only two they cut you again, cut me again twice.
But here's my one redemption of this amazing experience that
I had on the Office. It's now airing on streaming
on Peacock, so you could watch both of my scenes
from both episodes of the Office. So I still am there.
(32:30):
It lived to tell another to see another day. And
I also still get residuals for it. Praise be Yeah,
that's great. I'm glad.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
I know you're the richest person in the office right now,
So well done for you.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
Yes, you do you get the blue envelopes or the
blue envelopes?
Speaker 7 (32:45):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (32:45):
No?
Speaker 8 (32:45):
They just come on regular old white envelopes. Some of
the international ones come in pink envelopes.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
Oh that's fun.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Yeah, And you never really know how much is going
to be in those envelopes, right, It's always exciting. Sometimes
you're you're excited by what you see and sometimes maybe
a little.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
Disappointed, mostly disappointed. It's seventy three cents.
Speaker 8 (33:01):
I mean, it's those episodes are so old, especially with
the Office, They're so old. But yeah, you're worrying, like
the five six bucks. You know, people think actors were
making millions. I mean I was not on Friends. I
was not a serious regular on Friends. Okay, I'm not
set for life, but I certainly you know, might see
at five bucks in the mail.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Every now and then, you know, sure, of course.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
And look, Hollywood is not as lucrative as it used
to be for a lot of actors, mainly because the
landscape of how we consume television has changed. We don't
even necessarily watch it on a television. There aren't twenty
two episodes a season. There aren't lucrative syndication deals and
reruns playing all over the place where actors, even somebody
like like you who gets like a one off role
on an episode, will cash residual checks for a long time.
(33:40):
But the companies themselves and the production environment is also
decimated and struggling. Right now, there's another new report from
the Milken Institute Heather, and it basically says what we've
talked about before. We've heard it from the industry. We've
heard it from the politicians. It's too expensive to make
entertainment and the entertainment capital of the world.
Speaker 8 (33:57):
Yeah, I mean I read this and I kind of
was like, duh uh, it's true. This is a story
we've been this is something we've been talking about for ages.
It's expensive to make movies here, so filmmakers are going elsewhere.
And I think the reason that this report, at least
what I got from it, is shining a light on
this is because we need to figure out this is
(34:17):
like an emergency situation for this industry, to figure out
how we can make it more affordable, how we can
make it more attractive to keep this industry here, keep
jobs here, and keep people wanting to film in California.
It's why we've got that proposed seven hundred and fifty
million dollar tax credit that is in you know, in
(34:39):
the California legislature.
Speaker 6 (34:41):
Right now, it's kind of on hold.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
There.
Speaker 8 (34:43):
Haven't really done much with it in the past couple
of weeks. I've been keeping an eye on it, and
it's just sitting in the committees. And it's why here locally,
Karen Bass just a few weeks ago came out and
said we need to cut fees that hasn't happened yet.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
No, let's talk about those fees.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I mean, this is this paper from the Milkin Institute
says LA's permit application for making film or TV three
seven hundred and twenty four dollars, while the fee in
New York City's one thousand dollars. In London it's five
hundred and forty dollars. In Atlanta it's four hundred dollars.
I mean, it's just so expensive to do anything. And
here you leave your house, seventy bucks falls out of
(35:17):
your pocket just for breathing the air. But to build
a house, to fill up your gas tank, and really
to make the thing that made Los Angeles an international
destination the Hollywood industry, it's too expensive to do that
as well. Listen, you're gonna need more walk on rolls
to buy us some dinner around here. I know, I
can tell you this, Heather, I understand why the two
(35:39):
eglits in Big Bear are ready to leave Southern California.
They are close to bailing out of their nest. We
learn today that these two eglits, what are their names?
It's a Sonny and Gizmo, the kids of Jackie and
Shadow there in Big Bear. They're girls, they're sisters, they're ladies,
and they have taken flight very minimally. They look like
(36:02):
they're sleeping right now.
Speaker 8 (36:03):
They've been sleeping all day there it is.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Yeah, they've been flapping and they're tired from it. I
understand completely. But keep an eye because their major first
flight is apparently nigh. It is nigh, So keep an
eye on their live cam if this is something that
you've been obsessed with, like so many across California and
the friends of Big Bear Valley dot org always keeps
a daily log so you can see what's been brought
(36:26):
in to eat and what Jackie and Shadow are up to,
and what these two little sisters are doing as they
prepare to take on the world. Well, we've had a
great time doing Michael Monks Reports with you today. Let
me thank Kenneth for this comment.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
Thank you, mister Monk's great job covering the real issues.
Love the show, Keep it up.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Thanks for listening. We appreciate you being here every Saturday
night from seven to nine. If you miss any part
of the show, you can dial it up on the
iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. I'll be
back again next Saturday with another edition of Michael Monk's Reports,
and you can catch me doing the news money day
through Friday here on KFI, making appearances on all of
your favorite shows during the week as well. My thanks
(37:06):
to our technical director Raoul Cortes, our news anchor Heather Brooker,
and all of you for listening.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Up.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Next is Malcolm Gladwell and Revisionist History here on KFI
AM six
Speaker 1 (37:16):
Forty, KFI AM six forty on demand
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