As the tragedy continues to unfold in Los Angeles, Congressional Republicans are declaring that no aid should go to help the victims or to the state because of the politics of California.

A few facts: California has a GDP of $4 trillion, yes trillion dollars. They also pay more in taxes than any other state. As such, the way that funds are distributed from one state to another means that California subsidizes most other states.

And yes, that means primarily red states with low GDP and low tax receipts. So the politics of California are critical to the survival of many red states.

That would also mean that FEMA money to help North Carolina, Florida, etc. in their times of need came from California via the federal government.

Others have said that California Democrats’ policies caused the fires to be so intense, rather than climate change.

And it’s those policies that resulted in insurance companies fleeing the state. What about Florida, where insurance companies have fled the state in droves?

People are leaving Florida because they can’t get insurance or it’s too expensive. But climate change is the real culprit.

In both states, the climate change risks are too great from wildfires and hurricanes. Prolonged drought in California sets the stage for wildfires, while increasing ocean temperatures increase the intensity of hurricanes in Florida.

So while the president-elect and most Republicans may not believe in climate change, the insurance industry sure does and we all pay a price for that.

California deserves help like every other state would. Let’s get a grip and get them the help they need and deserve. No strings attached. It is simply the right thing to do.

Stephen Michael LoRusso

Loretto