An attack on Spencer Pratt is an attack on all LA wildfire victims

The activist left has accused Spencer Pratt of being ineligible to run for LA mayor because he is staying at his family’s property near Santa Barbara after his home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire. 

If Pratt is unable to run for mayor, then I am unable to vote for mayor.

We lost our home in the Palisades Fire, along with nearly 7,000 other families. We have been displaced since Jan. 7, 2025. 

My family has moved three times while we rebuild our home.

Are displaced Palisadians not allowed to vote in elections that directly impact them? Are we supposed to sit on the sidelines and let other people make decisions for us? 

We are invested in Pacific Palisades, which is part of the city of Los Angeles. It feels like a deliberate attempt at disenfranchisement to question our status as city residents.

With all the problems the city of Los Angeles has, some on the left have decided to focus on attacking Pratt for staying at his parents’ house after his home burned down. 

Well, I feel just as attacked. It’s rude. 

The Palisades is still his home, and he still pays for the property and the remains of his residence.

I can’t fully explain the frantic nature of trying to find a place to live after your town, your house, your car, and every single one of your family’s possessions has been destroyed. 

My family of four, plus our dog, had to compete with 28,000 of our neighbors looking for a place to start over in the aftermath of the fire. 

We currently deal with construction, insurance, the bank, permitting, the city, the SBA, and a multitude of other issues that arise when you have to rebuild what you lost. 

My family and I are currently living in Santa Monica, but if it were up to the left, including the LA Times, I should only vote in the upcoming Santa Monica election, even though I still pay property taxes and the mortgage on my Palisades address.

Friends who were dropped by their insurers before the fire were placed on the California FAIR Plan with no Additional Living Expenses (ALE). ALE is a pool of money from your insurer that pays for your rent while you are displaced. 

Families who are already dealing with tremendous loss now have to figure out how they are going to pay both their monthly mortgage and their rent. 

Many had to move out of town and in with family, since you still have to pay your property taxes and mortgage even if your house is no longer there. 

Can you blame Pratt for moving into his parents’ property? I would do the same. 

It’s possible that the critics do not understand how the FAIR Plan works or the issues fire victims are facing.

Last year, the county registrar’s office changed my voter information multiple times without my permission. I was alerted by a postcard they sent me. 

They claim it’s because they received a notice from the post office each time I moved, even though I declined to change my registration. 

I raised this issue with the registrar’s office last year, and they offered a fix that is important for all displaced residents: List your permanent home as your Palisades address and your temporary address as your mailing address.

Now, 15 months later, I wonder how many of my neighbors know their voter registration has changed. I would personally like to know how many people are registered to vote in the 90272 zip code today versus on Jan. 6, 2025. 

I suspect the number would be alarming. 

I worry about the upcoming election and residents being shut out from voting because the county registered them in the wrong place, or that bad actors may attempt to invalidate some of the 90272 votes in consequential elections. 

Traci Park, our city council member who has been a clear advocate and voice for the Palisades, has been telling residents to make sure to check their registration.

I am disgusted by the insinuation that Pratt’s mayoral candidacy, my vote, and the entire town’s vote, should be invalidated. 

My next change of address will be back to my rebuilt home. At least I know I’ll be able to vote for mayor then, without someone questioning my right to do so.

Ross Greenberg is an entrepreneur and Pacific Palisades resident who is rebuilding the home he lost in the Palisades Fire.

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