Readers React: What wrong with the Trump administration auditing California’s wildfire spending?

To the editor: The headline for your May 22 article on the federal government withholding payments to California for fighting fires on federal lands made it sound as if this is something President Trump is doing. However, a close reading of the article fails to turn up any mention of Trump being involved.

So why was President Trump’s name inserted into the headline? A much better headline would have been, “U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service audits find overcharges.”

The audits show that there are unsubstantiated charges by California, for which these departments are unwilling to repay without proof that the charges were for firefighting on federal land. Why does your article consider the proof of expenses unreasonable?

It would be nice for the Los Angeles Times to be less partisan in its reporting.

David Wilson, Redondo Beach

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To the editor: The Trump administration wants to cut California’s federal wildfire fighting repayment; apparently, we are not the president’s favorite state.

Why the hatred? Doesn’t he realize that 4.48 million Californians (not including me) actually voted for him in 2016? That’s enough to have won Texas. It’s more than Michigan, more than Pennsylvania, more than Ohio, and more than Georgia.

When I think about his “base” — places like Kentucky, South Carolina, West Virginia and Montana — I can’t help but note that Trump received more votes from California than all those states combined.

Why people here continue to support this guy, I’ll never understand. He thumbs his nose, as if to say: “Too bad your house burned down, loser. Win me the electoral college next time.”

Anthony Moretti, Lomita

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To the editor: Not content with cutting California’s bullet train funds, Trump now wants to shortchange us for fighting fires on federal land.

The Forest Service has suddenly decided that an audit apparently affecting only California was necessary. Don’t be surprised if Puerto Rico is audited next for “misuse” of disaster relief funds.

Never has the power of the federal government been used so nakedly for political retribution as under the Trump administration. How can the other states ignore what such selective harassment portends for the actions of future administrations?

Darrel Miller, Santa Monica

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