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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Santa Cruz Baroque Festival |
The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival has been active since 1974, presenting early music as it sounded in its own era. Members strive for artistic excellence while transmitting the joy of Baroque music to future generations.
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From Our Media Allies |
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How Homeless Services Money Has Been Spent in Santa Cruz County |
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From shelters to rent help: 14 categories traced from 2019 to 2021. |
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Ben Lomond Resident Takes Helm at Coffee 9 |
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Mo L’Esperance got her start into food service at a pizza place in Southern California. “I got hired as a cashier,” she recalled. “Within two weeks I was in the back cooking, because it was more fun.” |
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Miyuki Restaurant Goes on the Market |
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Chris Ishikawa took over as owner at Miyuki Japanese Restaurant in 2016. But after more than 20 years in the restaurant industry, the 38-year-old said it’s time for him to hang up the apron. |
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Upstart Mushroom Farm MycoSci is Growing Big Ideas in Watsonville |
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Chef Dory Ford’s Santa Cruz County operation grows the parasitic fungus cordyceps, the focus of the hit HBO series ‘The Last of Us’ |
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How Santa Cruz Plans to Attract Developers—and Build Affordable Housing |
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A walk through downtown Santa Cruz reveals construction projects on just about every other corner. These developments are part of the city’s efforts to address meet state-mandated housing goals. |
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Santa Cruz County Mobile Home Residents Face Financial Uncertainty |
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There are 23 resident-owned parks in Santa Cruz County. On the other side of this coin are investor-owned parks, where residents may face large rent hikes. |
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Recent Local News |
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• Santa Cruz Police Auditor Report Zeroes In on Use of Force, Tasers
The Santa Cruz Police Department has made numerous updates to its Taser stun gun, supervisory review and communication policies after the latest review by a city-hired independent auditor.
(05/08/2023) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• UC Santa Cruz Provost Shocked by Antisemitic Incidents
Elizabeth Abrams, provost of UC Santa Cruz’s Merrill College, says she’s stunned by two recent antisemitic incidents, including that a group of students held a birthday party for Adolf Hitler on campus.
(05/05/2023) → Lookout Santa Cruz• The Esplanade Is Back in Business
Sixteen weeks after ocean waves crashed into Capitola’s Esplanade, causing enough damage to shutter all the restaurants, nearly all of them have reopened.
(05/05/2023) → Times Publishing Group• Leaders Spar Over Rail Trail Segments at RTC Meeting
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission was presented with a final EIR created by the city of Santa Cruz for segments 8 and 9 of the Coastal Rail Trail—a project seeking to establish a bicycle and pedestrian trail adjacent to the tracks along the 32-mile Branch Rail Corridor.
(05/05/2023) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Santa Cruz County Launches ADU Incentives Program
With $670,000 in dedicated funding from Santa Cruz County, Hello Housing consultants can provide project management support free of charge to homeowners.
(05/04/2023) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• 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• College Students Compete for Spots in Trailer Park
Amid soaring housing costs, Camper Park, a trailer park owned and operated by UC Santa Cruz, has become one of the most coveted housing options at the school, the Wall Street Journal reports.
(05/01/2023) → Wall Street Journal|
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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|
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Government Announcements |
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County of Santa Cruz (05/08/2023) 5/8/2023 - County to Host Annual Career Fair |
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County of Santa Cruz (05/05/2023) 5/5/2023 - Public Meetings for 2023 Housing Element |
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County of Santa Cruz (05/05/2023) 5/5/2023 - Hello ADU Construciton Assistance Program Launches |
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County of Santa Cruz (05/04/2023) 5/4/2023 - County Releases 2023-24 Proposed Budget |
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County of Santa Cruz (04/26/2023) 4/26/2023 - 60 Local Businesses Recognized 2022 Responsible Alcohol Merchant Award Winners |
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County of Santa Cruz (04/25/2023) 4/25/2023 - Application Period Now Open for Live Oak Affordable Housing |
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County of Santa Cruz (04/19/2023) 4/19/2023 - $6.63m in Federal Funding and Housing Vouchers Awarded to Homeless Services Projects in Santa Cruz County |
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County of Santa Cruz (04/18/2023) 4/18/2023 - County Awarded More Than $5m to Assist Youth, Unhoused |
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County of Santa Cruz (04/18/2023) 4/18/2023 - Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams in County |
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County of Santa Cruz (04/11/2023) 4/11/2023 - Sen. Padilla, Reps. Lofgren, Panetta to Visit Pajaro Levee |