After wildfire devastation, California seeks public input with new program
On the heels of the devastating fires in Los Angeles County last month, California is unveiling a new digital town hall that will initially address recovery efforts before expanding into other major issues.
The platform, known as Engaged California, is meant to give residents a forum to interact with each other about policy priorities and to directly reach government officials to pursue action on them.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is hailing the pilot program as a venue for Californians to “share their perspectives, concerns, and ideas geared toward finding real solutions.’’
Modeled after Taiwan’s digital democracy, the initiative seeks public participation and is currently focused on helping those affected by the January fires.
“The platform is the intersection between technology, democracy, and state government,’’ said a statement announcing the new program. “The end goal is to encourage more discussions as a new way to find common ground, a process known internationally as deliberative democracy.’’
Here’s what to know about Engaged California:
Why is California doing this?
The widespread impact of the fires, which displaced tens of thousands of people in an area with a severe shortage of affordable housing, created an extraordinary need for government services. From shelter to health care to filing insurance claims, residents haven been clamoring for help.
The Newsom administration had been working on a plan for enhanced public engagement for two years. The crisis presented by the fires made it even more urgent to have such a tool.
How will it work?
The state says it wants to hear what residents think about “pressing issues,’’ so this probably won’t be the forum to complain about potholes. The Engaged California website asks members of the public to opt in to a topic via e-mail, and once invited, they’re encouraged to offer their thoughts. That input, Newsom’s office said, will help determine new government services and policies.
The first subjects for discussion are the two major L.A. blazes that erupted Jan. 7, the Palisades and Eaton fires, but respondents can also check a box for future topics.
“We’re using an online platform to let you and other Californians have a voice in government. This helps us shape policy – together,’’ the site says.
Is this any different from a social media site?
Organizers hope so, given the level of discourse on platforms like X. A certain number of snarky comments are expected, but officials hope a consensus of valuable public opinions will emerge and help guide policymaking.
Academic institutions like Stanford, Harvard and UC-Berkeley, along with the American Public Trust, the Berggruen Institute and the San Francisco Foundation, were involved in developing the initiative.
“The launch of this program and our first deliberation will help us hear from the people we serve,” said Jeffery Marino, director of the California Office of Data and Innovation.
How damaging were the fires?
The firestorm that engulfed parts of the nation’s most populous county – most directly the communities of Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Altadena and Pasadena – caused 29 confirmed deaths and destroyed more than 16,200 structures.
The UCLA Anderson School of Management estimated the property and capital losses at between $95 billion and $164 billion, with an additional $4.6 billion in diminished gross domestic product for L.A. County in 2025.
Newsom, who has said the fires may go down as the costliest natural disaster the nation has ever seen, requested almost $40 billion in recovery funds from the federal government. The Trump administration has indicated it may impose conditions on any future aid.