How the SF state senator was changed by California; how our great state spawned a cultural phenomenon; how many Californians are being denied life's most basic necessity.
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By Eric Johnson
Published May 08, 2023
State Sen. Scott Wiener reminds us that for generations, California has welcomed people to be who and what they are.
Scott Wiener; Weird Comix; Water Rights
How California Culture Determines Politics
Ezra Klein of the New York Times is widely and rightly regarded as a preeminent Washington insider, but he is also very much a California boy. Born and raised in Irvine, schooled at UC Santa Cruz and UCLA, he has called San Francisco home for a number of years. As he gets ready to move to New York City, he is taking a last long look at his home state.
Below I preview and briefly excerpt a wide-ranging conversation between Klein and California state Sen. Scott Wiener, the firebrand who recently announced a possible run for US Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat. While their talk centers on the limits of classical liberal politics, the two Californians touch briefly and smartly on our state’s cultural legacy.
Wiener, a native of New Jersey, moved as a young man to San Francisco’s Castro District having grown up closeted in a hostile environment. “Something inside told me to go to San Francisco, like generations of queer people have gone to San Francisco,” he recalls.
Wiener was not surprised when the tech boom that transformed his adopted city economically did not change much politically. He says of the armies of workers that bus in and out of SF every day: “They could work in tech in a lot of places, and they chose San Francisco because of what it represents.”
Why Democrats Should Pay Attention to California
Ezra Klein talks to state Sen. Scott Wiener about why progressive policies have failed in a state with no Republicans in power.
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The Golden Empire Council of the Boy Scouts of America pursues the mission of this national organization to “instill values in young people and prepare them to make ethical choices during their lifetimes, to take leadership roles as adults, and to reach their full potential.”
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Recent Local News |
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El Dorado County Planning Commissioner Lexi Boeger has announced she plans to run to El Dorado County’s District 3 supervisorial seat. The Placerville resident is a volunteer and advocate representing agriculture, small business and arts and culture development.
(05/08/2023) → Mountain Democrat• El Dorado Hills Gets a Starring Role
A movie filmed in El Dorado Hills is finally available to audiences. Filmed in 2017, “Not Your Year” waited some time for its own year to come; it can be found now on Amazon, with Google Play, Tubi and Apple availability to come this summer.
(05/05/2023) → Mountain Democrat• El Dorado Supervisors Table Discussion on Homelessness Plan
El Dorado County leaders have decided to take a “wait and see” approach regarding a newly proposed plan to solve the state’s homeless crisis drafted by the California State Association of Counties. District 1 Supervisor John Hidahl, who sits on the CSAC board, brought the plan to his fellow supervisors for discussion and possible adoption.
(05/05/2023) → Mountain Democrat• Bryce Lovell Named New Head of Library Services
As a teenager Bryce Lovell worked as a shelver for El Dorado County libraries before going away to college. Two decades later the Pollock Pines native fulfilled his dream of becoming the county's director of library services.
(05/05/2023) → Mountain Democrat• New Resolution Approved for Road, Trail Closures, Including Rubicon
When El Dorado County closed the Rubicon Trail due to the atmospheric river storms, some users asked why. Resulting discussion led to a resolution that any closure should be for limited reasons and at the direction of the county’s transportation director.
(05/04/2023) → Tahoe Daily Tribune• Forest Service Anticipates Delayed Openings at Lake Tahoe
Spring conditions in the Lake Tahoe Basin have finally arrived but the effects of a tough winter will likely delay the official opening of many National Forest recreation sites, including beaches, campgrounds, forest roads and trailheads.
(05/04/2023) → Tahoe Daily Tribune• Council Explores Revenue Streams for Affordable Housing
The South Lake Tahoe City Council spent several hours discussing potential revenue streams to fund affordable housing, including a transient occupancy tax rate increase and a vacancy tax.
(05/03/2023) → Tahoe Daily Tribune• Tahoe Conservancy Announces Upper Truckee Marsh Dog Ban
The California Tahoe Conservancy is closing the Upper Truckee Marsh to dogs—a seasonal closure that protects birds and other wildlife during the breeding season.
(05/01/2023) → Tahoe Daily Tribune• South Lake Tahoe Appoints Parks and Recreation Director
John Stark has been appointed the director of parks and recreation, effective May 15.
(05/01/2023) → Tahoe Daily Tribune• Public Airs Views on Placerville Market Move
The Placerville City Council saw a significant turnout of farmers, merchants and locals looking to speak about the decision to move the Wednesday night farmers market away from the Bell Tower. Parking, safety, finances and communication were the main themes, with suggested solutions and counterpoints coming from both sides.
(05/01/2023) → Mountain Democrat|
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Recent Statewide News |
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• California’s AR-15 Ban Upheld in First Ruling Since New Supreme Court Standards
In the first ruling on a California gun law since the U.S. Supreme Court reduced the government’s authority to regulate firearms, the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento upheld a ban on AR-15-style rifles, stating the weapons are “not typically possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.”
(05/03/2023) → San Francisco Chronicle• Report: Fast Food Industry Wages Help Fuel Homelessness
Fast food is the largest employer of homeless workers in California, with one of 17 unhoused individuals in the state working in the industry. That is according to a new report released by the Economic Roundtable.
(05/02/2023) → Monterey Herald