WEBVTT - Who REALLY Controls California? 0:00:01.500 --> 0:00:07.290 We can agree to disagree, but our views are unapologetically right. 0:00:08.410 --> 0:00:09.870 It's the John Phillips Show. 0:00:14.290 --> 0:00:17.619 And we continue at 2.05 in the afternoon on the 0:00:17.660 --> 0:00:18.520 John Phillips Show. 0:00:19.000 --> 0:00:22.320 Mr. Randy Wags in Culver City. Johnny, we're broadcasting live 0:00:22.380 --> 0:00:26.279 on the radio, 790 KABC in Southern California and 810 0:00:26.280 --> 0:00:29.310 KSFO in the Bay Area, but we're also broadcasting live 0:00:29.470 --> 0:00:31.830 on video. You can watch us do this show every 0:00:31.890 --> 0:00:35.110 day and participate in the lively chat room from noon 0:00:35.150 --> 0:00:40.479 to three at johnnydontlike.com. That's Johnny with a Y, johnnydontlike.com. 0:00:40.780 --> 0:00:43.240 If you've never tried it before, like Steve Hilton says, 0:00:43.500 --> 0:00:48.120 just try it. You might like it and never go back. johnnydontlike.com. 0:00:48.140 --> 0:00:50.420 While you're there, hit the like button, hit subscribe. Just 0:00:50.740 --> 0:00:52.580 if you've got a lot of stuff to do today, 0:00:52.659 --> 0:00:54.580 pop in for a minute and say hi and hit 0:00:54.600 --> 0:00:56.970 the like button and hang out for a while. We're 0:00:56.980 --> 0:00:57.650 here till three. 0:00:57.660 --> 0:01:05.190 800-222-5222 is telephone number 1-800-222-5222. 0:01:05.890 --> 0:01:09.470 Randy, are you bilingual by chance? I'm trying to be. 0:01:09.730 --> 0:01:12.530 I do Duolingo for Spanish every day, so I can 0:01:12.590 --> 0:01:17.080 say fin de semana, which means weekend. Okay, I'm going 0:01:17.110 --> 0:01:19.229 to teach you a little Spanish right now. You ready 0:01:19.250 --> 0:01:22.770 for this? Uh-huh. You know what Becerra means in English? 0:01:23.190 --> 0:01:25.550 What's that? Witness Protection Program. 0:01:26.130 --> 0:01:26.300 Oh, wow. 0:01:26.310 --> 0:01:28.110 I'm going to have to write that down. Might need 0:01:28.160 --> 0:01:29.120 to use that in Spain. 0:01:32.260 --> 0:01:35.140 Because he's a candidate for governor, but you wouldn't know 0:01:35.260 --> 0:01:38.500 it because he's not doing any of the things that 0:01:38.540 --> 0:01:43.010 normal candidates do, like travel around the state, holding rallies. 0:01:43.470 --> 0:01:47.970 sitting down for interviews, participating in multiple debates and candidate forums. 0:01:48.570 --> 0:01:51.130 He is nowhere to be seen. 0:01:51.750 --> 0:01:55.190 He has a scheduling conflict for the entire month of October. 0:01:55.210 --> 0:01:57.570 Do you think he goes to the dentist, or do 0:01:57.590 --> 0:02:02.930 you think there's a scheduling conflict there, too? Joining us 0:02:02.970 --> 0:02:05.510 to talk about this and much, much more is the 0:02:05.550 --> 0:02:08.570 CEO of State of Gold, Inc., and the host of 0:02:08.590 --> 0:02:11.350 the State of Gold podcast. You can follow him on 0:02:11.570 --> 0:02:14.560 X at Real John Slavitt, John Slavitt, welcome. 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:17.900 Thank you, gentlemen. It's a pleasure. 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:23.169 Thank you for being here. So, Javier Becerra, as I 0:02:23.190 --> 0:02:26.970 mentioned before, not doing the things that we typically see 0:02:27.030 --> 0:02:31.489 candidates do. He's phoned it in and is relying on 0:02:31.550 --> 0:02:34.710 Democratic registration to push him over the goal line. And 0:02:35.470 --> 0:02:38.510 he fully intends to be the next governor of California 0:02:38.870 --> 0:02:40.139 without having to work for it. 0:02:40.350 --> 0:02:40.900 Your thoughts? 0:02:42.220 --> 0:02:43.280 Where do I start, John? 0:02:46.060 --> 0:02:52.360 I think that former President Biden had an upscale retrofit 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:56.260 of his basement. I think it includes provisions, snacks. I 0:02:56.280 --> 0:03:00.140 think it's got a 70-inch TV. I think all the 0:03:00.220 --> 0:03:03.619 medical equipment for Mr. Becerra is down there. I think 0:03:03.900 --> 0:03:08.400 he's living down there. And it's really, it's a metaphor. 0:03:09.180 --> 0:03:13.960 It's funny, but it's just a metaphor for calling it in. 0:03:13.980 --> 0:03:17.500 I think it's an affront to voters and to citizens 0:03:17.540 --> 0:03:19.880 who deserve to see him out there making the case, 0:03:21.160 --> 0:03:27.649 who deserve to see him debating Steve Hilton. And it's arrogant, 0:03:28.830 --> 0:03:33.560 it's wrong, and it's a shame because California needs. 0:03:33.520 --> 0:03:34.720 A debate, a real debate. 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:42.180 It seems like it's also setting him up for failure 0:03:42.560 --> 0:03:45.970 should he be elected to be governor. You see this 0:03:46.030 --> 0:03:49.090 happen in sports frequently. When you have a team that's 0:03:49.130 --> 0:03:53.190 very good, that qualifies for the playoffs, they get the 0:03:53.230 --> 0:03:55.750 slot that they want in the playoffs, and they take 0:03:55.790 --> 0:03:59.640 their foot off the gas pedal. And they play the reserves, 0:03:59.960 --> 0:04:02.380 and the stars sit on the bench, and they get 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:05.440 fat and happy, and then they go into the playoffs, 0:04:05.500 --> 0:04:08.880 and they get smoked by some underdog. And it just 0:04:09.180 --> 0:04:12.060 seems like Yeah, it may be good enough for him 0:04:12.100 --> 0:04:15.920 to win the election, but when he becomes governor and 0:04:16.200 --> 0:04:19.100 he's not used to sitting down for interviews, he's not 0:04:19.300 --> 0:04:22.190 used to having the full day, full schedule each and 0:04:22.200 --> 0:04:25.870 every day, there's going to be some rust and it's 0:04:25.890 --> 0:04:26.670 going to hit hard. 0:04:28.750 --> 0:04:30.510 Yeah, well, I think you're right. I mean, I look 0:04:30.550 --> 0:04:34.070 at Steve Hilton. Steve is working his butt off. He's 0:04:34.130 --> 0:04:35.089 out there every day. 0:04:35.110 --> 0:04:36.170 He's with people. 0:04:38.220 --> 0:04:41.440 He's doing his town halls. He's all over social media. 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:47.580 And he's putting out specific policy proposals, John, things that 0:04:48.130 --> 0:04:54.010 California voters and citizens desperately need, like $ 70 to register 0:04:54.029 --> 0:04:59.710 your car, like bringing down the cost of fuel, especially 0:04:59.810 --> 0:05:03.380 for those truckers and people with diesel, but it's hurting everyone, 0:05:03.820 --> 0:05:08.469 like no income tax under $ 150, 000. You know, Steve has 0:05:08.510 --> 0:05:12.250 been working on policy for years. He's got proposals. He's 0:05:12.310 --> 0:05:14.630 ready to shake it up. My fear with Becerra when 0:05:14.650 --> 0:05:17.550 he cruises in is that it's more of the same. 0:05:18.830 --> 0:05:23.150 It's establishment politics and citizens lose. 0:05:24.610 --> 0:05:27.990 When I saw him participate in that debate, I came 0:05:28.070 --> 0:05:31.870 away from it with two thoughts. One is that Becerra 0:05:31.910 --> 0:05:35.710 has no charisma. And the second is that he has 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:39.409 no ideas. Because to the extent that he talked about 0:05:39.589 --> 0:05:43.770 any subjects that were California in nature, he blamed everything 0:05:43.850 --> 0:05:47.210 on Donald Trump. It's Donald Trump's fault that the bullet 0:05:47.250 --> 0:05:51.150 train isn't finished. It's Donald Trump's fault that California has 0:05:51.170 --> 0:05:53.880 a lot of people living on the streets. It's Donald 0:05:53.920 --> 0:05:57.360 Trump's fault that gasoline is higher than it is in 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:01.620 Arizona and Nevada. And you go, okay, well, if you're 0:06:01.700 --> 0:06:05.419 blaming everything under the sun on Donald Trump, you're not 0:06:05.460 --> 0:06:09.240 really telling me anything. And I would imagine that I'm 0:06:09.279 --> 0:06:11.860 not the only one who saw that. If I'm an 0:06:11.920 --> 0:06:15.779 interest group in Sacramento, if I'm someone who's in the legislature, 0:06:16.520 --> 0:06:19.380 I really don't have much of an idea as to 0:06:19.560 --> 0:06:22.000 what he's going to want to do if he's elected governor. 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:24.510 And I don't think that he's going to be the 0:06:24.589 --> 0:06:28.729 one calling the shots. If Javier Becerra is elected, I 0:06:28.750 --> 0:06:30.570 think we're going to have some new version of Dana 0:06:30.610 --> 0:06:34.230 Williamson in his office, and the unions are going to 0:06:34.250 --> 0:06:36.550 be in the catbird seat. They're going to be the 0:06:36.790 --> 0:06:40.390 ones who are going to be deciding what legislation goes through, 0:06:40.810 --> 0:06:44.710 what legislation is killed, what are his priorities, and he's 0:06:44.730 --> 0:06:46.550 going to be the figurehead of the coalition. 0:06:47.910 --> 0:06:49.049 I think you're spot on, John. 0:06:49.170 --> 0:06:52.270 Just on the first subject, the debate, Larry Elder put 0:06:52.390 --> 0:06:56.070 out a great cartoon, which I reposted on X, which 0:06:56.800 --> 0:07:00.299 had Steve on the left of the cartoon talking about 0:07:00.300 --> 0:07:03.280 $ 3 gas and talking about $ 70 to register your car. 0:07:03.910 --> 0:07:06.349 And then it showed Becerra basically screaming at the top 0:07:06.390 --> 0:07:09.750 of his lungs, Trump. I don't know how many times 0:07:09.790 --> 0:07:16.240 he said Trump, but to the second part of your point, 0:07:16.260 --> 0:07:20.180 California needs a major shakeup. And I think what Steve 0:07:20.220 --> 0:07:24.040 Hilton's been trying to do is to give California voters, 0:07:24.560 --> 0:07:29.470 the disaffected Democrats, the independents permission to try something different. 0:07:29.810 --> 0:07:32.910 You do not have to be a fan of Donald Trump. 0:07:34.520 --> 0:07:38.970 We know that most of California are not. But we 0:07:39.030 --> 0:07:43.770 need something desperately that's different in California. I think Javier 0:07:43.790 --> 0:07:48.350 Becerra is definitely bought and paid for. You use the 0:07:48.390 --> 0:07:53.740 term goonions. You know, the public sector unions in California 0:07:53.940 --> 0:07:56.820 raise about a billion in dues a year. They donate 0:07:56.820 --> 0:08:00.600 $ 300 million into politics every year, and 96% of that 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:05.540 goes to Democrats in Sacramento. Those are stunning statistics. Becerra 0:08:05.620 --> 0:08:08.780 will be their servant. What we really need is a 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:11.760 check and balance. We need a governor who will shake 0:08:11.820 --> 0:08:15.360 things up and use the power of the governorship, the 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:17.960 power of the veto, the power of the bully pulpit 0:08:18.380 --> 0:08:22.020 to negotiate better deals and better policies for the people 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:22.680 of California. 0:08:23.900 --> 0:08:25.830 I'm going to ask you a question that I've asked 0:08:25.890 --> 0:08:28.290 many people before, and I haven't been able to figure 0:08:28.390 --> 0:08:30.070 out the correct answer. 0:08:30.150 --> 0:08:30.830 Maybe you know. 0:08:31.860 --> 0:08:34.780 California is a deep blue state. We haven't elected a 0:08:34.980 --> 0:08:40.180 Republican statewide since Arnold Schwarzenegger won re-election and Steve Poizner 0:08:40.220 --> 0:08:45.640 was elected as insurance commissioner, and that happened back in 2006, 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:50.089 a very long time ago. Yet, there are other blue 0:08:50.190 --> 0:08:55.570 states in the country who regularly elect Republicans. 0:08:54.950 --> 0:08:55.930 To statewide office. 0:08:56.650 --> 0:08:59.330 The most popular governor in the country right now is 0:08:59.350 --> 0:09:00.309 the governor of Vermont. 0:09:00.970 --> 0:09:02.010 Who is a Republican. 0:09:02.490 --> 0:09:05.310 That is a state that sends a socialist to the 0:09:05.350 --> 0:09:09.329 United States Senate every six years in Bernie Sanders. The 0:09:09.530 --> 0:09:13.650 state of Massachusetts now has a Democratic governor, but they 0:09:13.710 --> 0:09:16.790 had Republican governors for years and years and years. 0:09:16.809 --> 0:09:18.170 Charlie Baker and others. 0:09:18.190 --> 0:09:19.600 Yeah, Mitt Romney at one point. 0:09:19.740 --> 0:09:20.340 And Mitt Romney. 0:09:20.760 --> 0:09:21.330 They do it. 0:09:21.500 --> 0:09:24.880 The state of Maryland had Larry Hogan. That is a 0:09:25.080 --> 0:09:29.100 deeply blue state, and yet they elected a Republican statewide. 0:09:29.860 --> 0:09:32.400 Why is it that those states can do it and 0:09:32.460 --> 0:09:33.700 we haven't been able to? 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:36.820 Well, that's the multi-billion dollar question, John. 0:09:38.179 --> 0:09:45.040 Off the cuff, I think that it's a structural issue. 0:09:46.520 --> 0:09:51.420 And I think that, listen, go back to 1968. Ronald Reagan, 0:09:52.500 --> 0:09:58.500 when he was running for election for governor, promised... peace officers, 0:09:58.700 --> 0:10:03.740 local peace officers, that he'd support their unionization. Never did 0:10:03.780 --> 0:10:07.700 Reagan think it would then expand to all of these 0:10:07.860 --> 0:10:09.780 public sector employees who work for the state. 0:10:10.580 --> 0:10:11.960 Jerry Brown doubled down on it. 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:14.140 Jerry Brown said, how could I not do for my 0:10:14.210 --> 0:10:16.270 supporters what Reagan did before me? 0:10:16.330 --> 0:10:17.710 And he doubled and tripled down. 0:10:18.690 --> 0:10:23.870 And We've built up a structure in California where unless 0:10:23.910 --> 0:10:28.630 you sign up to a particular ideology, you don't have 0:10:29.809 --> 0:10:34.260 the support of huge voting blocks in California that are 0:10:34.300 --> 0:10:38.600 very influential, very well-funded, and have a huge megaphone that 0:10:38.640 --> 0:10:39.160 they use. 0:10:40.179 --> 0:10:42.860 So I think part of it's structural. Part of it's 0:10:42.900 --> 0:10:43.820 probably cultural. 0:10:44.620 --> 0:10:49.599 I think that in states like Massachusetts and others, I 0:10:49.600 --> 0:10:53.040 don't have the data to back this up, but culturally, 0:10:53.059 --> 0:10:59.200 I think that there's more collaboration across the aisle. And 0:10:59.800 --> 0:11:06.250 I think that those states, John, have Republican parties that 0:11:06.470 --> 0:11:09.930 are perceived with policies that are more moderate in the 0:11:09.970 --> 0:11:14.600 perception among the citizens in those states versus the way 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:17.820 the Republican Party has positioned itself in California in certain ways, 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:22.320 particularly on social issues. I mean, for instance, the Cal 0:11:22.340 --> 0:11:26.330 State GOP platform is against gay marriage, as an example. 0:11:27.809 --> 0:11:33.170 The overwhelming majority of Californians are fine with that and 0:11:33.230 --> 0:11:35.630 have moved past that kind of issue. So I think 0:11:35.710 --> 0:11:37.410 part of it's structural, part of it's cultural. 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:43.080 Let's talk about the Democratic Coalition here in California, because 0:11:43.100 --> 0:11:47.840 I see storm clouds on the horizon for them. Political 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:52.140 parties are not ideological in nature. They exist to get 0:11:52.200 --> 0:11:56.819 people elected, and that's it. And their ideology changes over time. 0:11:58.260 --> 0:12:00.360 They're not inherently one way or another. 0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:01.679 They evolve. 0:12:01.940 --> 0:12:04.760 Political parties always evolve, or they die. They go the 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:05.500 way of the Whigs. 0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:06.089 Mm-hmm. 0:12:06.660 --> 0:12:10.600 The Democratic Party, as it exists today in California, exists 0:12:10.620 --> 0:12:14.380 to do two things primarily. One is to blame everything 0:12:14.460 --> 0:12:17.310 on Donald Trump. Donald Trump is the central villain in 0:12:17.350 --> 0:12:20.929 every story. And the second thing is to deliver for 0:12:20.950 --> 0:12:24.990 the unions. They exist to make sure the unions get 0:12:25.030 --> 0:12:28.150 what they want, whether it's health and pension, whether it 0:12:28.380 --> 0:12:32.740 is new contracts, whether it's work rules, whatever. Democrats deliver 0:12:32.780 --> 0:12:36.850 for unions. And typically, that makes their coalition very happy. 0:12:37.670 --> 0:12:41.370 But you look at their changing coalition right now, where 0:12:41.870 --> 0:12:45.430 those old-timey union people are now doing the same thing 0:12:45.470 --> 0:12:48.929 that Republicans are doing in California, which is leaving the state. 0:12:49.820 --> 0:12:53.479 They're leaving for Arizona, they're leaving for Nevada when they retire, 0:12:54.000 --> 0:12:56.559 or when they decide that they've had enough. They usually 0:12:56.580 --> 0:12:58.820 don't blame it on the politics, but they leave for 0:12:58.940 --> 0:13:02.370 one reason or another. And they're being replaced by the 0:13:02.970 --> 0:13:07.870 purple-haired creatures, people who have lots of graduate degrees, people 0:13:07.890 --> 0:13:11.859 who are downwardly mobile, people who are entitled, they feel 0:13:11.900 --> 0:13:16.400 that they deserve a middle-class upbringing or middle-class lifestyle that 0:13:16.420 --> 0:13:19.839 reflects their upbringing and their parents. And to them, the 0:13:20.179 --> 0:13:23.460 central villain in every story are the boomers. The boomers 0:13:23.500 --> 0:13:25.500 are the ones who prevent them from owning a home. 0:13:25.940 --> 0:13:29.240 The boomers are the ones who prevent them from having 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:33.300 high-paying jobs because they won't retire. The boomers are the 0:13:33.380 --> 0:13:37.820 villain in their story. And when the Democratic Party delivers 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:40.580 for the unions, when they deliver for the firefighters, when 0:13:40.600 --> 0:13:43.179 they deliver for the cops, when they deliver for the 0:13:43.250 --> 0:13:47.190 prison guards, they're delivering for a population of people that 0:13:47.230 --> 0:13:51.050 their voters now hate. That doesn't do anything for the 0:13:51.090 --> 0:13:55.410 purple-haired crowd. The purple-haired crowd doesn't want to hear about 0:13:55.429 --> 0:13:59.470 the Democrats giving more generous benefits to the prison guards. 0:14:00.530 --> 0:14:02.369 And I think that that's what's driving a lot of 0:14:02.390 --> 0:14:05.750 the popularity with the DSA in so many of these elections. 0:14:06.230 --> 0:14:07.390 It's happening in the big. 0:14:07.290 --> 0:14:12.400 City mayorships, and it hasn't trickled down to other places yet, 0:14:12.440 --> 0:14:15.660 at least in California. It has in some congressional races 0:14:15.700 --> 0:14:18.560 in other parts of the country. But it seems like 0:14:19.060 --> 0:14:22.400 this train is going off the rails for them and 0:14:22.440 --> 0:14:24.200 their relationship with their coalition. 0:14:25.750 --> 0:14:29.270 It's a very interesting point, John. I think a few things. 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:35.250 Um, there's definitely a fragmentation in the democratic party and 0:14:35.270 --> 0:14:38.950 there's a sorting out that's happening. Uh, it's obvious if 0:14:38.990 --> 0:14:41.490 you read the news just for one day that the 0:14:41.650 --> 0:14:44.950 energy and the momentum is with the far left of 0:14:44.990 --> 0:14:46.750 the democratic party with the DSA. 0:14:46.770 --> 0:14:49.030 Um, we'll have to see if. 0:14:48.990 --> 0:14:52.550 That spreads beyond some very, very blue cities and blue 0:14:52.960 --> 0:14:56.380 districts when it comes to house races, but that's really 0:14:56.400 --> 0:15:00.870 where the energy is. Uh, and, um, I think number two, 0:15:02.290 --> 0:15:06.950 the moderate Democrats who have held that center in the 0:15:06.990 --> 0:15:10.450 Democratic Party are less and less in favor and can't 0:15:11.170 --> 0:15:13.750 really rope in this far left swing. They've got to 0:15:13.790 --> 0:15:18.070 kowtow to it. I had Victor Davis Hanson on my 0:15:18.110 --> 0:15:21.620 show recently, and he's obviously a very insightful observer of 0:15:21.700 --> 0:15:25.200 what's going on with the DSA. If you graduated with 0:15:25.240 --> 0:15:28.350 a degree that cost you a lot of money, and 0:15:28.370 --> 0:15:31.070 you have expectations to earn a high salary, maybe like 0:15:31.090 --> 0:15:34.770 your parents who are boomers, and what you've studied isn't 0:15:34.810 --> 0:15:38.290 lining up with the market, that creates a huge. 0:15:39.500 --> 0:15:42.600 Insecurity. And I think that's active. 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:45.480 But what I would say, John, kind of zooming out 0:15:45.580 --> 0:15:50.020 as a final point, the solution to these things, whether 0:15:50.060 --> 0:15:55.660 it's in blue cities, red cities, what have you, in 0:15:55.700 --> 0:15:59.430 the country is not more government, It's not more bloated government. 0:15:59.470 --> 0:16:02.330 It's not higher spending in California, 350 billion right now, 0:16:02.370 --> 0:16:06.650 largest budget ever in California, Newsom's last pork barrel budget. 0:16:07.270 --> 0:16:13.090 It's reducing regulation. It's increasing housing supply. It's reducing the 0:16:13.130 --> 0:16:17.050 cost of energy. It's increasing opportunity for regular people who 0:16:17.230 --> 0:16:20.050 are willing to work and roll their sleeves up for 0:16:20.070 --> 0:16:24.190 the American dream. Government is good at only a couple things. 0:16:25.150 --> 0:16:29.350 but not most things. The private sector, community organizations, faith-based 0:16:29.410 --> 0:16:30.730 organizations filled the gap. 0:16:32.270 --> 0:16:34.050 What's your read on the LA mayor's race? 0:16:34.090 --> 0:16:35.890 Who do you think is going to win, Karen Bass 0:16:35.970 --> 0:16:38.190 or her socialist opponent, Nithya Raman? 0:16:40.190 --> 0:16:40.550 Well, I. 0:16:42.070 --> 0:16:44.240 Guess if you look at the polls and the momentum, 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:47.580 it's Ms. Raman. 0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:53.540 But polls are quirky and, you know, are wrong a 0:16:53.580 --> 0:16:58.570 lot of the time. I think that Karen Bass needs 0:16:58.590 --> 0:17:02.140 to do something different and shake this thing up to 0:17:02.200 --> 0:17:03.420 actually change the momentum. 0:17:03.480 --> 0:17:04.640 That's what it looks like to me. 0:17:05.680 --> 0:17:08.300 I guess we're going to have to see where the 0:17:08.340 --> 0:17:12.340 Spencer Pratt vote goes. I think a lot of those 0:17:12.380 --> 0:17:14.820 people are holding their noses and voting for Bass and 0:17:14.859 --> 0:17:18.850 an equal number are tearing their ballot up. 0:17:19.490 --> 0:17:20.810 They're just too frustrated. 0:17:21.570 --> 0:17:23.869 If I was Karen Bass, I would go to Spencer 0:17:23.910 --> 0:17:26.609 Pratt and I would say, here's the deal. I'm going 0:17:26.630 --> 0:17:30.290 to let you pick the accounting firm. And whatever accounting 0:17:30.330 --> 0:17:33.369 firm that you pick can be the firm that audits 0:17:33.730 --> 0:17:37.409 all of the spending on the NGOs, on the homeless 0:17:37.430 --> 0:17:41.580 services groups, on the fire aid groups, on the groups 0:17:41.619 --> 0:17:45.080 that are meant to be after school programs to keep 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:47.159 kids out of gangs, all those groups. 0:17:47.680 --> 0:17:48.820 You pick the accounting firm. 0:17:49.420 --> 0:17:52.580 We'll make sure those dollars are being spent correctly, and 0:17:52.619 --> 0:17:55.260 if they're not, we'll know about it and we'll do 0:17:55.320 --> 0:17:59.619 something about it. If she were to do that, A, 0:17:59.700 --> 0:18:02.610 I think it would certainly help the city by leaps 0:18:02.640 --> 0:18:07.609 and bounds, but B, it offers something tangible to him 0:18:08.010 --> 0:18:10.389 so he can go to his supporters and he can say, 0:18:11.130 --> 0:18:13.570 she was not a good mayor, she's not my favorite 0:18:13.869 --> 0:18:18.350 politician in California, but we have something, and she hasn't 0:18:18.390 --> 0:18:18.750 done that. 0:18:19.210 --> 0:18:20.510 That would be a masterstroke. 0:18:20.650 --> 0:18:24.030 I mean, I think that Spencer Pratt has so much energy, 0:18:24.150 --> 0:18:28.239 so many ideas, so many supporters. You know, if he 0:18:28.300 --> 0:18:32.000 could if there could be an olive branch there, even 0:18:32.060 --> 0:18:34.520 invite him into some kind of role. And this is 0:18:34.580 --> 0:18:37.050 what this is what great leaders do. You know, it's 0:18:37.090 --> 0:18:40.750 the it's the classic Lincoln team of rivals is to 0:18:40.890 --> 0:18:43.920 is to build a coalition of people. who don't agree 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:46.120 with you on everything, who are super talented, who can 0:18:46.270 --> 0:18:48.850 actually impact positive things for citizens. I think that would 0:18:48.869 --> 0:18:49.690 be a masterstroke. 0:18:50.690 --> 0:18:54.270 John Slavitt, CEO of State of Gold, Inc. and host 0:18:54.330 --> 0:18:57.150 of the State of Gold podcast, which you can download 0:18:57.170 --> 0:19:00.700 wherever you download your favorite podcasts. You can also follow 0:19:00.740 --> 0:19:03.980 him on X at Real John Slavitt. And I appeared 0:19:04.320 --> 0:19:07.359 on the podcast as a guest last week. So that's 0:19:07.440 --> 0:19:10.260 up on John's YouTube page. So make sure you check 0:19:10.300 --> 0:19:13.020 that out. And I think we're co-collaborators, so it's on 0:19:13.180 --> 0:19:18.400 our YouTube page at johnnydontlike.com. So definitely check that out. John, 0:19:18.540 --> 0:19:19.700 thanks so much for stopping by. 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:20.620 Thank you, John. 0:19:20.640 --> 0:19:21.149 Appreciate it. 0:19:21.760 --> 0:19:23.980 If you'd like to watch us perform the show live, 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:27.560 go to johnnydontlike.com and click that Like button. And I 0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:30.969 think we're just shy of 500. We're going to get close. 0:19:31.030 --> 0:19:33.760 Let's see. We're at 469. 0:19:33.750 --> 0:19:34.170 Nice. 0:19:35.310 --> 0:19:37.250 You can get us to 500. If you haven't checked 0:19:37.310 --> 0:19:39.149 out the live show today and you're just listening to 0:19:39.190 --> 0:19:42.790 us on the radio... Open up your phone, go to johnnydontlike.com, 0:19:43.180 --> 0:19:45.090 say hi in the chat room, hit the like button, 0:19:45.109 --> 0:19:47.389 make sure you're subscribed, and then go back to whatever 0:19:47.430 --> 0:19:50.820 else you were doing. And Randy, tomorrow we're going to 0:19:50.859 --> 0:19:54.460 be in Long Beach. I'm so excited. I can imagine 0:19:54.510 --> 0:19:59.030 it right now. Gladstone's in Long Beach. John Sangmeister shoving 0:19:59.130 --> 0:20:02.050 food in front of my face for the entire three-hour show, 0:20:02.109 --> 0:20:07.189 including those poke nachos and the halibut that is Parmesan crusted. Oh, 0:20:07.210 --> 0:20:09.689 the food is so good at Gladstone's. The drinks are 0:20:09.710 --> 0:20:13.909 great too, but I'll be abstaining because I'm a professional broadcaster. 0:20:14.460 --> 0:20:17.040 but you should have the Mai Tai. It's fantastic. We're 0:20:17.100 --> 0:20:20.480 there to talk with our friends at the Howard Jarvis 0:20:20.500 --> 0:20:24.680 Taxpayer Association. Susan Shelley will be there as we talk 0:20:24.720 --> 0:20:29.619 about Proposition 43, the Local Taxpayer Protection Act, the Save 0:20:29.680 --> 0:20:32.590 Prop 13 Act. Here's all you need to know. A 0:20:32.640 --> 0:20:36.790 yes on 43 makes it harder to raise your taxes. 0:20:37.130 --> 0:20:39.869 We need everybody in the audience, whether you show up 0:20:39.910 --> 0:20:41.609 at the event or you just watch us on the 0:20:41.630 --> 0:20:44.170 stream or listen to us on the radio tomorrow. to 0:20:44.270 --> 0:20:46.370 do your part and get at least one or two 0:20:46.430 --> 0:20:50.369 people in your life to know about prop 43 and 0:20:50.410 --> 0:20:53.800 know why it's important that yes, on 43 means it's 0:20:53.840 --> 0:20:56.680 harder to raise your taxes because if they keep raising 0:20:56.720 --> 0:20:59.139 our taxes at the rate they are, none of us 0:20:59.160 --> 0:21:00.560 are going to be able to afford to live here. 0:21:00.619 --> 0:21:03.310 And we're all moving into my in-laws house in Santa Fe. 0:21:05.420 --> 0:21:08.260 And on election day, we're going to be doing two shows. 0:21:08.560 --> 0:21:11.920 We have got such a busy month coming up. We've 0:21:11.940 --> 0:21:14.869 got the event tomorrow at Gladstones in Long Beach. On 0:21:14.910 --> 0:21:17.950 the 30th, we're going to Johnny Foley's in Union Square 0:21:18.030 --> 0:21:22.290 in San Francisco. And then on Tuesday, November 3rd, we 0:21:22.450 --> 0:21:26.730 are doing a live stream of the election. That's right. 0:21:26.790 --> 0:21:30.240 The polls close at 8. We'll be on KABC, KSFO, 0:21:30.320 --> 0:21:33.139 and KMJ from 7 to 9 p.m. and on the 0:21:33.180 --> 0:21:36.340 YouTube stream from 7 to at least 10 p.m. with 0:21:36.400 --> 0:21:41.040 our first video broadcast live election special. So make sure 0:21:41.060 --> 0:21:43.300 you vote and then find out the results as we 0:21:43.359 --> 0:21:48.950 all count them together in California at johnnydontlike.com, Tuesday, November 0:21:49.250 --> 0:21:50.830 3rd at 7 p.m. 0:21:51.730 --> 0:21:55.010 Here with an update on the race to replace Eric 0:21:55.030 --> 0:21:57.730 Swalwell in the House of Representatives, Mr. 0:21:57.790 --> 0:22:00.970 Randy Wang. This is like the fourth election we've had 0:22:01.050 --> 0:22:04.850 this year in this race because first these two dueled 0:22:05.109 --> 0:22:09.190 in the special election when Swalwell got kicked out for 0:22:09.270 --> 0:22:13.210 being Swalwell, and then there was a runoff. And now 0:22:13.369 --> 0:22:16.430 they're in the general election, and now there's a runoff. 0:22:17.210 --> 0:22:21.590 And apparently this race is getting real ugly. For more 0:22:21.830 --> 0:22:25.690 on the race to replace Eric Swalwell, here is a 0:22:25.730 --> 0:22:30.270 report from... KTVU, Fox 2. 0:22:30.270 --> 0:22:33.270 Well, the midterm elections are now less than a month away. Tonight, 0:22:33.530 --> 0:22:36.270 a debate was held in Dublin between two candidates fighting 0:22:36.310 --> 0:22:39.189 to fill a congressional seat in the East Bay. Ayesha 0:22:39.210 --> 0:22:42.030 Wahab is the incumbent, having won a special election back 0:22:42.090 --> 0:22:45.770 in August over BART board director Melissa Hernandez. Wahab is 0:22:45.859 --> 0:22:49.600 filling the remainder of former congressman Eric Swalwell's seat. And 0:22:49.640 --> 0:22:52.480 this pair is facing off again to determine who will 0:22:52.520 --> 0:22:55.720 represent District 14 for a full two-year term. 0:22:56.359 --> 0:22:57.500 KTVU's Tori Gaines. 0:22:57.300 --> 0:22:59.920 Live in Dublin tonight after attending that debate. And Tori, 0:23:00.580 --> 0:23:02.960 we understand it got a little tense between these two candidates. 0:23:04.510 --> 0:23:06.929 Yeah, Claudia, and this is the only head-to-head debate we're 0:23:06.950 --> 0:23:08.950 going to see between these two candidates. And it did 0:23:09.310 --> 0:23:11.510 get a little intense up there on that stage. But 0:23:11.630 --> 0:23:14.149 next month, we're going to see these candidates face off 0:23:14.410 --> 0:23:16.790 on the ballot for the fourth time this year. 0:23:16.810 --> 0:23:18.250