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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Big Brother Big Sisters provides children facing adversity with strong, enduring, professionally supported mentorship. The organization believes that all children can achieve success when given the proper tools and resources—and volunteer mentors are among the most important of those resources.
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From Our Media Allies |
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Community Pooled Resources to Build Entrance Wall at Double D’s |
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Los Gatos residents gathered to cheer on the completion of a wall meant to welcome people to downtown. “It just seemed like a no-brainer,” said Double D’s Sports Grille co-owner Darin Devincenzi. |
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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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Nonprofit Horse Rescue Searches for New Home |
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Since its founding in west Morgan Hill about six years ago, Fairytale Farm has rescued more than 250 mini-horses, ponies and donkeys that were living in unhealthy, neglectful conditions. |
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SoFA Street Fair Becomes a Multigenerational Celebration |
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Live music has always been one of the most important dimensions of downtown San Jose. Not real estate. Not “innovation summits.” Not meat-market dance clubs with $25 cocktails. |
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Music in the Park Brings the Sounds of Summer to Plaza de Cesar Chavez |
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On July 21, Music in the Park bursts into Plaza de Cesar Chavez with a triple bill of Living Colour, Soul Asylum and The Replacements’ Tommy Stinson. |
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Judge Rejects Google Bid to Toss Suit Alleging Online Ad Monopoly |
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The lawsuit alleges that Google leverages control over online advertising, driving out competition and receiving profits that far exceed what could be made in a competitive market. |
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South County Reentry Resource Center Celebrates Fifth Anniversary |
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The Gilroy Reentry Resource Center is celebrating five years of providing crucial services to help those who are leaving jail and prison break the cycle of incarceration. |
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Website Lets County Santa Clara Residents Report Illegal Dump Sites |
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The site, CleanUpSCC.org, was launched last November using a $2 million grant from CalRecycle. Reports to the site have resulted in 200 cleanups. |
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First Republic Bank Is Seized by Regulators, Sold to JPMorgan Chase |
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As part of its deal, all 84 First Republic branches in eight states—including seven in Santa Clara County—will reopen as JPMorgan branches. |
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Recent Local News |
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• Santa Clara Population Ticks Up as Rest of Region Drops
All but four Santa Clara County cities lost residents over the last year amid a trend of statewide population drop. The cities that grew—Santa Clara, Monte Sereno, Gilroy and Milpitas—are also the jurisdictions that added the most housing stock by percentage in the county.
(05/09/2023) → San Jose Spotlight• Los Altos Welcomes New City Clerk
Melissa Thurman has begun work coordinating with businesses, code law, and other responsibilities to keep the Los Altos economy running smoothly.
(05/09/2023) → Read the full Los Altos Town Crier report• Downtown Sunnyvale Reinvention Moves Forward
Downtown Sunnyvale is getting a new look, thanks to three major building projects that have all been approved. The new construction will create highrise housing and more business space.
(05/09/2023) → Read the full Los Altos Town Crier report• Santa Clara County Could Guarantee Income for Former Inmates
Individuals coming out of jail have few resources to help them integrate back into society. Santa Clara County officials want to help change that. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors recently approved a potential guaranteed basic income program for the formerly incarcerated.
(05/09/2023) → San Jose Spotlight• 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• Could Street Performers Reignite Downtown San Jose?
There’s something magical about walking through a city center while being serenaded to the riffs of a live guitar. Spontaneous street performances have the ability to breathe life into a city.
(05/03/2023) → San Jose Spotlight• Homeless Housing Project Is a Go Despite Public Outcry
What happens in seven years? That was the question during a special meeting of the Santa Clara City Council—a continuation from last week, when the council was slated to vote on a homeless housing project at Benton Street and Lawrence Expressway.
(05/03/2023) → Silicon Valley Voice• Proposed Data Center Spurs North San Jose Growth
The San Jose Planning Commission unanimously approved STACK Infrastructure’s proposal to demolish two older buildings and put up an advanced manufacturing facility, two data centers, a parking garage and a power substation to run it all.
(05/02/2023) → San Jose Spotlight• Los Altos City Council Reattempts Housing Element Approval
The Los Altos City Council made a second attempt to gain approval for its housing element, as the city is required to provide data and conditions as part of a state mandate to build more units by 2031. Some portions of the plan were dropped to accommodate the mandate.
(05/02/2023) → Read the full Los Altos Town Crier report|
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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