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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Gilroy’s Housing Plan Now Heads to State |
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The Gilroy City Council agreed to send its eight-year housing plan to the state for its approval, but only after a few tweaks are made. |
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Sheriff’s Office Launches New Engagement Platform |
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The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office has launched Axon’s engagement platform, My90, to collect feedback and improve outcomes following service calls. |
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Hospital Approved for Line of Credit |
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Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital officials obtained approval to seek a line of credit to potentially extend the struggling Hollister hospital’s financial survival while it finds a viable partner. |
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Recent Local News |
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• To Head Off Hospital Closures, Legislators Are Fast-Tracking Loan Program
Several hospitals have warned that they are struggling financially after the strains of the pandemic. A new loan program, if approved, could offer short-term relief.
(05/04/2023) → CalMatters• Hollister High Robotics Team Gets 3D Printer
Hollister High School’s Team 6884 Deep-Space Robotics received a state-of-the-art printer on from the Shawn P. Herrera and Rodriguez Ochoa foundations.
(05/04/2023) → Benito Link• Disaster Funding Available to Central Coast
U.S. Representatives Zoe Lofgren, Jimmy Panetta and Salud Carbajal are encouraging Central Coast local and tribal governments, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education to apply to the U.S. Economic Development Administration for disaster supplemental funding.
(05/02/2023) → Benito Link• PG&E Incentive Program Provides Bill Credits
The 2023 season for the Power Saver Rewards Program launches May 1, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company residential electric customers are encouraged to register. The program rewards participants for temporarily reducing energy use when demand for electricity is high.
(05/02/2023) → Benito Link|
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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