It’s excruciating yet, at the same time, impossible not to watch the utter devastation in Southern California. Those residents woke up one morning to their conventional lives, then went to sleep suffering from a nightmare far beyond any of their worst possible dreams. Awake or asleep, their nightmare now endures.

Our country’s overwhelming compassion is real. But we’re helplessly hoping. What can we do?

Our president-elect has received million-dollar donations designated for his inauguration. A million here, a million there. That has surely added up to finance quite a party. Beyond the relative pittance donations, it’s the cash from the multi-billionaires which will pay for what will undoubtedly be a very spirited “YMCA.”

Elon Musk’s net worth exceeds $400 billion. Jeff Bezos’ $200 billion. Same for Mark Zuckerberg. Take a moment and Google the list of Trump’s 22 additional billionaire contributors. So what does a mere million-dollar donation buy them? An insurance policy. It’s the necessary price to pay for these kowtowing sycophants who have genuflected to the king in order to insure that their business operations continue unabated.

The calamitous fires have taken a toll the likes of which we’ve never witnessed before. The last estimate I heard was that a minimum of $60 billion will be necessary to recover and rebuild so many communities.

$60 billion? That’s all? Hey, how about a donation, fellas? After all, how many billions do you need to fill your gas tank and enjoy an inflation priced bacon and egg breakfast like the rest of the USA? Considering their net worth, a combined $60 billion is mere peanuts to Elon, Jeff and Mark. They’d never even know it was gone.

And, speaking of peanuts, a bowl of salted-in-the-shells at each table at his inaugural ball would have sufficed (and delighted) Jimmy Carter.

Give it just a few months. It will begin with four of his preposterous cabinet picks and then continue throughout his term.

First though, we’ll see what Trump’s favorite billionaire’s millions paid for as we tune in to an over-the-top inaugural night explosion.

Then, throughout his term, we’ll begin witnessing the new administration’s inevitable … and unabated … implosion.

— Joe Pachino, Baltimore