Last week, I said that I would prefer not to talk about the business of fire prevention in California while the fires were still burning. With so many people in such dire straits, it seemed premature to fan the rhetorical flames before the literal flames were extinguished. However, since the fires are still burning, and since people are demanding better answers and explanations from their elected officials, I thought it might be a good idea to invite someone onto the podcast who has been consistent in his warnings and recommendations for decades. His name is Edward Ring, and he's the Director of Water and Energy Policy for The California Policy Center. I spoke to him yesterday from my hotel room in New York, shortly after I got out of Los Angeles. Not everyone will appreciate what he has to say. Most of you will, however. And for what it's worth, I believe it to be the truth.