1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: It is the News Blintz with Randy Wang on talk 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: radio seven to ninety KABC. Subscribe today to The California Report, 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:11,040 Speaker 1: my daily curated list of all the stories that you 4 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: may have missed in California News at Randywangradio. 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 2: Dot substack dot com. 6 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: We start today with a string of loss after loss 7 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: after loss in federal court. Pretty much every single case 8 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: that Bill is Saley, the acting US Attorney for the 9 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: Central District, has brought forth in a case involving the 10 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: immigration protests, have not gone his way. And there could 11 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: be multiple things true all at the same time. Because 12 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: it can be true that they were overcharging a lot 13 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: of these cases, they don't really have a lot of 14 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: evidence to back it up. That is definitely true. At 15 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: the same time, it is true that the juries are 16 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: at this point not going to do anything positively towards 17 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: ICE because well, their reputation is not very good in 18 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. So it's just another mess of things that 19 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: are going on in there. Was it just the other 20 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 1: day apparently Lizzo got Jerry duty and it was on 21 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: some ICE case and she couldn't be fair. It's just 22 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: things got elevated to a just insane level, and I 23 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: don't know how we turned down the temperature in that fight, 24 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: but it definitely is time to now. Another big update 25 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:36,839 Speaker 1: over the weekend is the fight in Riverside County over 26 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: the balance that Chad Bianco, gubernatorial candidate, says there's something 27 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: screwy going on with that twenty twenty five special election 28 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: prop fifty, you know, the one that wanted a landslide. 29 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: A citizens group said there was something funny here, so 30 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: we need to see those ballots, and then Chad Bianco says, well, 31 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: this is a great opportunity for me to get a 32 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: whole bunch of so let's do it. 33 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 2: Well. 34 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: California Supreme Court is now being asked to stop this probe, which, 35 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: by the way, he's calling a fact finding mission, which 36 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: means they don't really have a crime that they's specific. 37 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 2: About here it. 38 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: In my opinion, this was a desperate attempt to try 39 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: to drum up a certain base of the electorate that 40 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 1: believes all the elections are rigged, and unfortunately for Bianco, 41 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: it didn't work. Hilton got the Trump endorsement, not Bionco. 42 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: We'll get more on that later. Now here's an interesting 43 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: story out of Riverside. I got to imagine it's really, really, 44 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: really scary nowadays if you're into the recreational party drug scene. 45 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: I mean, it's always been super iffy, and I look 46 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: back at some of the things I did in my 47 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: twenties and I'm very lucky I didn't take something that 48 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: could put me in the hospital. But nowadays everything seems 49 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: to be laced with fentanyl. We have so many stories 50 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: of kids that are just buying what they think is, 51 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:10,239 Speaker 1: you know, black market xenax, and that's laced with fentanyl, 52 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: and then they end up in the er and sometimes 53 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: they die. Well, at the very least, whether it's prescription 54 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,239 Speaker 1: drugs or party drugs, you should be able to tell 55 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 1: what is in that pill you're about to swallow. And 56 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: a UC Riverside professor has developed a test that actually 57 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: from the particles can tell you if your drugs are fake, 58 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: and I think that's a good thing to have. Also, 59 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: maybe we get to figure out why people are trying 60 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: to buy black market xenax to begin with, because there's 61 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: a lot of issues going on there all at the 62 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: same time, including how unbelievably expensive our current prescription system is, 63 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: and why so many people think they need to be 64 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: on xanax. But hey, at the very least, people should 65 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: know that the drugs there taking, whether they are for 66 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: medical reasons or party reasons. Not that I approve of 67 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: any of this, but people are gonna do what they're 68 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: gonna do, but you should at least know what's in 69 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: the pill. Once again, we have seen yet another update 70 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: of copper wire theF this time taken over Tarzana, and 71 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: it's the same story every single time. No arrests are made. 72 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: Nobody seems to even think about going after the businesses 73 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: that are buying the stolen copper wire. Look, you can 74 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: look at everything from two ways. Yes, we should be 75 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: going after the thieves that are ripping the stuff out 76 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: of the ground, ripping the stuff off the poles. Of 77 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: course we should. I don't know why that's so difficult. 78 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:50,919 Speaker 1: Could it be because the value of this stuff is 79 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:53,479 Speaker 1: so low that it doesn't even apply. You know, it's 80 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 1: still under the prop forty seven thing. Maybe maybe we've 81 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: got to increase the value of how much it costs 82 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 1: to repla Maybe it needs to be an automatic felony. 83 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: But at the very same time, the thing that I 84 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: do not understand about copper wire theft is it is 85 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: something where you have to sell it to a very 86 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: specific kind of person, a junker, a recycler, a scrapper, 87 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: a smelter. And I don't know, maybe there are just 88 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: a bunch of black market smelters out there. I don't 89 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,720 Speaker 1: think so, though. I think there are plenty of licensed 90 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: businesses that they know who they're buying from, because it's 91 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: very obvious when you're a reputable dealer or not, and 92 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:39,159 Speaker 1: you should be some kind of registry and you should 93 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: have to have in overregulated California, how is it that 94 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: you don't need to have some kind of permit or 95 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: some kind of license to sell copper. 96 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 2: Something to think about there. 97 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: It's just it's this never ending trend of where if 98 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: you're on the up and up the state of California, 99 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: the city and County lass Angelus, they'll make life very 100 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 1: difficult for you, especially when it comes to following codes 101 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 1: and following permits. But when you're an illegal business, whether 102 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: it be somebody that is somebody that is smelting copper 103 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: wire that is stolen, or you're a pot store that 104 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 1: doesn't have a license and you're operating illegally, or you're 105 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: a massage parlor, that's offering a little you know one 106 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: on the side. Why is it so difficult for our 107 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: city attorney to not be able to close these businesses, 108 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: to take away their licenses, to shut them down to 109 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:43,840 Speaker 1: a victim? 110 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 2: I just I don't understand that. 111 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:52,039 Speaker 1: Now, we're continuing our series of We're Living Where Now, 112 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: and a lot of this is finding all the places 113 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 1: that the homeless are living that maybe Lassa didn't count. 114 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: We've seen the horrific story of the women living in 115 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 1: the sewer drain. We've seen a few of those people 116 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: living in the La River, including somebody that passed away. 117 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: Well Wan Nolla, who is a straight up hero, the 118 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: clean La with Me guy, he has once again brought 119 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: out a news crew, this time Channel four to show 120 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: the people living inside the bridge. They are living inside 121 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: a bridge pillar. They got a whole. 122 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 2: Bunch of stuff in there. 123 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: It smells like ash because they're starting fires in there, 124 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: I guess to keep warm, and apparently there's an overwhelming 125 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: smell of urine. 126 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 2: So that's fun. Now. 127 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: I put this final Southern California story in here because 128 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: it's just it's so obvious, but it is definitely worth addressing. 129 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 2: And that is it is very expensive to live in 130 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 2: this state, and there's. 131 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: A lot of people that pick up everything they leave 132 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: Paradise for other states that don't have as good weather, 133 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: because even though we're supposed to have the best job market, 134 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: there's jobs other places, and the cost of living is 135 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: so much lower. You don't need to be making six 136 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: figures to have a decent quality of life. And a 137 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: new Berkeley study has shown that for the most part 138 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: of the people they track that leave the state of 139 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: California when they move to other states day in Texas 140 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: or Nevada or Arizona, they become homeowners. Isn't that interesting? 141 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: Now onto the Bay Area. I'm going to tell you 142 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: right off the bat, this is a stupid idea. It 143 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: is a waste of money, and I really hope it 144 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: does not get any funding in Congress. And that is 145 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: the stupid idea to reopen Alcatraz as a federal prison. 146 00:08:55,920 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 1: Alcatraz closed over sixty years ago because it's too expensive 147 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: to operate because it's a prison on an island. It 148 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: has since turned into a national park in a historical 149 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: monument and one of San Francisco's top tourist attractions, which 150 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: I don't totally get. I mean, it's just not in 151 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: my wheelhouse. 152 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 2: There are a lot of. 153 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: Things I like to do in San Francisco. Alcatraz is 154 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 1: not one of them. But people really like it, and 155 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: it's a revenue generator for the country. So in some 156 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: kind of macho bravado, Oh, we need to have a 157 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: super scary prison, we need to reopen Alcatraz. Stupid right 158 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 1: off the bat, the administration and their budget saying they 159 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: need one hundred and fifty million dollars in the first 160 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: year just to start revitalizing it. Stupid. And you know what, 161 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: it's okay to admit that it's stupid. You can't, you know, 162 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 1: there is no point in being so hardcore partisan on 163 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: either side that you cannot call out nonsense when you 164 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 1: see it. And spending one hundred and fifty two million 165 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:11,080 Speaker 1: dollars to reopen Alcatraz is a stupid, stupid idea. Now, 166 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: we told you last week about the homeless man picked 167 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: up in San Leandro because he was making people feel uncomfortable. 168 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: He wasn't arrested, he wasn't coughed, he didn't do anything, 169 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 1: but he still got dumped in San Leander. He got 170 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: dumped in Oakland. Seven miles away from where he was 171 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:33,319 Speaker 1: in San Leandro. Well, the Oakland chapter of the NAACP, 172 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: including Brenda Harbin Forte, who was instrumental in the recall 173 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 1: of Pamela Price, and Shang Tao has spoken out she 174 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: didn't think that's cool. And a whole bunch of other 175 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: activists are looking at this and like, we need to 176 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:47,559 Speaker 1: figure out what the hell is going on with the 177 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: San Leandro Police Department, including recalled District Attorney Pamela Price, 178 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: who is now using this to her her to get 179 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:57,319 Speaker 1: a little attention. 180 00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 3: She's too soft on crime. 181 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 1: So that's what's going on there. Let's stay in Oakland 182 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 1: for a story that's just so silly. You remember that 183 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: whole fight last year or the year before where Oakland said, hey, 184 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: we're not seeing a whole lot of traffic to this airport, 185 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:22,200 Speaker 1: and instead of realizing that that had to do a 186 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:26,199 Speaker 1: lot with the perception of Oakland, or the rental cars 187 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,559 Speaker 1: getting broken into at the gas station outside of the airport, 188 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: or all of the crime issues, they decided it was branding. 189 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: They decided it was that was called the Oakland Airport 190 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: and people didn't understand that Oakland is part of the 191 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 1: San Francisco Bay. So they changed their name to the 192 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. It totally rolls off 193 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: the tongue right. Well, they got in a big legal 194 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: fight with San Francisco International Airport, which funnily enough, is 195 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 1: not actually in the city of San Francisco, but SFOs like, 196 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: you can't call yourself San Francisco. 197 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:07,319 Speaker 2: Where San Francisco. 198 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: So this fight lasted for about a year before Oakland 199 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: finally said, okay, how about we call it the Oakland 200 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: San Francisco Bay Airport. And again this was all because 201 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 1: people weren't going to that airport. Well, after two name changes, 202 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: airport traffic is still down at that airport, and it 203 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 1: could just be that SFO has more direct flights going 204 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: to more places. But the name change was never the 205 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 1: problem at Oakland International Airport or San Francisco Bay Oakland 206 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 1: Airport or Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport. Here is a 207 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: story that part of it sounds good, part of it 208 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: does not. In San Francisco, in the Soma neighborhood, we 209 00:12:56,400 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: are seeing a surge of tents, seeing a surge of 210 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 1: homelessness at the same time that the rest of the 211 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:07,239 Speaker 1: city is seeing a big decline intense. It is minuscule 212 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 1: compared to Los Angeles, and homelessness is going down in 213 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: pretty much every neighborhood except for the bad neighborhoods, the Tenderloin, Soma, 214 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: and the Mission. And now you have residents of Soma 215 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: who are claiming that this is against the law, that 216 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 1: it is unfair to have this hyper concentration of poverty, 217 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 1: because it's not only are they pushing the people there, 218 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,840 Speaker 1: but all the homeless services are in Soma and the Tenderloin, 219 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 1: and really the entire city should have to feel the 220 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: brunt of this crisis themselves. Which if you live in 221 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:45,679 Speaker 1: West San Francisco, you're probably saying hell to the no, 222 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: don't take the outer Sunset, don't take the Richmond and 223 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 1: turn it into Soma. 224 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 2: And ultimately, what would you rather have? 225 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: Would you rather have an entire city that all feels 226 00:13:57,360 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 1: this problem at the same time, or one or two 227 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: neighborhoods that you know you're not supposed to go to. 228 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: There really isn't a good answer either way. Well, we've 229 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:10,719 Speaker 1: been telling you for quite some time about Caltrain and 230 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: bart and Muni and all these Bay Area transit services 231 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: that say they are going to see station closures and 232 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: reductions in service if they don't get this sales tax increase. 233 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: In November, Caltrain now being the latest one saying they 234 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: would close weekend service, they would have to reduce the 235 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: trains to once an hour, they would close at nine o'clock. 236 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: And this is despite the fact that Caltrain since they 237 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: electrified that line, has seen a fifty percent increase in ridership. 238 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: So at what point I just wonder if it's true 239 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: that you cannot fund these things unfair alone. And of 240 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: course we can't figure out ways to allocate within the 241 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 1: budgets that we already have, we need another. I just 242 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 1: don't like this idea of we have to have a 243 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: specific sales tax for every single thing that we can't 244 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 1: just fund. We need to have a sales tax increase 245 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: for the fire department. I support the firefighters. I do 246 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: not support that tax have to have a special increase 247 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:12,479 Speaker 1: for fixing the street lights. It's not the answer to everything. 248 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: These states, these cities, these counties, and these transit agencies 249 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: have got to figure out how to live within their means, 250 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: and if reduction in service is the only way to 251 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: do it, maybe that's what you got to do. Maybe 252 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 1: you got to look at your labor contracts. We had 253 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 1: Deborah Allen, former bar director, and she said, look at 254 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: how much money we're spending on complete nonsense. All these 255 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: organizations bloated their budgets when they got bailed out by 256 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: the Biden administration and the first Trump administration. Let's not 257 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: forget the Cares Act as much as we want to 258 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: talk about the American Rescue Plan and this caut This 259 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 1: was supposed to be one time spending that ended up 260 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 1: turning into ongoing commitments because they thought, Okay, we're just 261 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: going to keep getting bailed out. We have all got 262 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: to learn to live within our means. And in Marin County, 263 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: a school district is now one of the next ones 264 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: to figure out a plan to restrict cell phone usage 265 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: in schools. And I'm totally for this. We have now 266 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: had enough evidence where we're seeing this in different districts 267 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: and you're seeing that kids can actually pay attention because 268 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: they don't have the phone constantly harassing them with notifications 269 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: about somebody that liked this and somebody that liked that. 270 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: It is the and when you have a strict policy 271 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: like this and the teachers don't have to be phone police. 272 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: It's just something that I can totally see why it's 273 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: going everywhere now in Sacramento. Ashley Zavala does a great 274 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: job hosting California Politics three sixty, which you can see 275 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 1: on KCA three, KTVU, Fox two in the Bay and 276 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: Fox eleven in Los Angeles on Sunday mornings. And she 277 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 1: had a couple of great interviews, including one with Steve Hilton, 278 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: which a whole thirty minute video I have up on 279 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: the California Report. But she also talked to assembly Woman 280 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: Maggie Crow, who used to be a prosecutor and she 281 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: was the one who led the push to make it 282 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: a felony to purchase a child for the purposes of sex. 283 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 1: Somehow that wasn't already a felony. It was for a fifteen, 284 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,160 Speaker 1: but not a sixteen and a seventeen, which is bizarre. 285 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 2: And she's sitting down. 286 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 1: With Ashley Zavalla to talk about California, which again gets 287 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:27,199 Speaker 1: this reputation for being super overregulated, destroying industries before they 288 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: can thrive, except when it comes to emerging technology. 289 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 2: And one of the things that's. 290 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: Kind of bizarre, and this is going on throughout the 291 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: entire country. But it's definitely going on here is you know, 292 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 1: it's not legal to bet on sports in California. Fantasy 293 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: is kind of a whole other thing. Bonce's got his 294 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: crusade against blackjacket the card rooms. But at the same time, 295 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,439 Speaker 1: what are you seeing all over the place. You're seeing 296 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: ads for and news stories talking about these predictive markets, 297 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:03,639 Speaker 1: poly market, these websites kalshe where you can kind of 298 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: bet on the outcome of anything, including like things that 299 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: happen in a war. It's incredibly tasteless. But how is 300 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: any of that allowed? And it's another proof point of 301 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: technology moves way faster than anyone can regulate this. But 302 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,159 Speaker 1: I think it's time to look at this. It doesn't 303 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: make a whole lot of sense, and way too much 304 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: thought is being put into what these things mean. I'm 305 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: sure there has been some insider trading with these predictive markets, 306 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: especially with the war in Iran, because anyone close to 307 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,199 Speaker 1: that situation that knows what's about to happen, well they 308 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 1: can go put some money on that. And it's a 309 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: bizarre thing that's going on. As much as people say 310 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,160 Speaker 1: we're overregulating a lot of things. This is an industry 311 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 1: that should completely be regulated because it's super unethical, and 312 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: the fact that people are betting on the governor's race, 313 00:18:55,600 --> 00:19:00,440 Speaker 1: it's just it's weird. Stockton has a little fun going 314 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 1: on where some residents think they have too many fast 315 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: food joints, and some residents think they don't have enough 316 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,680 Speaker 1: fast food joints. But they just approve two new drive 317 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,679 Speaker 1: throughs because I guess they don't have enough fast food joints. 318 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 2: But hey, if people. 319 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:17,880 Speaker 1: Are gonna go to them, great, If they're not, they'll close. 320 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: I'm seeing a whole lot of fast food places not 321 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 1: nearly as busy as they used to be because one, 322 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: I'm not going there because I've been on a diet 323 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: plan for the past nine months, but also fast food 324 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 1: got really expensive. There's a lot more in today's California Report, 325 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: so check it out at Randywangradio dot substack dot com. 326 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: It's the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. It's 327 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:45,959 Speaker 1: the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. We are 328 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:49,199 Speaker 1: continuing to cover the LA mayors race, and one of 329 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: those candidates, his name is Adam Miller, will join us next. 330 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,160 Speaker 1: His website is votemiller dot com. We're gonna find out 331 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:59,159 Speaker 1: what he's about, what he thinks about Karen Bass, and 332 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,160 Speaker 1: why he's running for mayor. So stick with us. It's 333 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. It is 334 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:09,119 Speaker 1: the News Blitz with Randy Wang on Talk radio seven 335 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:13,159 Speaker 1: ninety KABC. Make sure to subscribe to The California Report, 336 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: my daily curated list of local news stories at Randywangradio 337 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: dot substack dot com. Our next guest is running for 338 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: mayor of Los Angeles. His website is Votemiller dot com. 339 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 1: Adam Miller. Welcome to the News. 340 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,400 Speaker 4: Blitz, Randy, Thank you for having me. 341 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 2: Adam. 342 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 1: Let's go ahead and start off. Why don't you introduce 343 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: yourself to the audience. If people don't know you, they 344 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: haven't heard of you before, tell us who you are 345 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 1: and why, oh why you want to run for LA mayor. 346 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 3: Sure, I'm Adam Miller. I'm a little bit different than 347 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,919 Speaker 3: the other candidates out there, because not only am I 348 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 3: an outsider, Sure, I've been running companies and nonprofits for 349 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:00,639 Speaker 3: the last thirty five years and have had a significant 350 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:04,719 Speaker 3: track record of success. I built the largest education company 351 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:09,880 Speaker 3: in the world, the nation's top veteran service organization, LA's 352 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 3: most effective homelessness prevention program, and one of the most 353 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 3: effective work development programs in South and East LA. So 354 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:23,399 Speaker 3: I have a long track record of experience building things, 355 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:24,679 Speaker 3: solving problems. 356 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:27,440 Speaker 4: And as you know, this city is broken. 357 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 3: We have a lot of issues and we need somebody 358 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 3: who can fix them. And that's where I come in. 359 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:38,440 Speaker 1: Let's start on homelessness, because you have some background with 360 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: that with Better Angels. But Karen bass ran as homelessness 361 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: being her number one issue, she declared a state of 362 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,160 Speaker 1: emergency on day one. She got the city to go 363 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:53,879 Speaker 1: all in with her signature program, Project Insight Safe. We 364 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 1: just saw a report from the La Times over weekend 365 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:00,360 Speaker 1: showing that forty percent of the people in that program 366 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:02,880 Speaker 1: went right back to the streets, even though we spent 367 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: hundreds of millions of dollars. What do you think are 368 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,360 Speaker 1: the failings of that program and what would you do 369 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: differently when it comes to getting the homeless off the streets. 370 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,160 Speaker 3: Well, ins I'd say it's clearly failed both with regard 371 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:22,159 Speaker 3: to keeping people off the street. You have a revolving 372 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 3: door with Inside Safe, people are briefly off the street 373 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 3: and then right back on the street again. It also 374 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 3: is extraordinarily expensive. We are spending upwards of eighty five 375 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:39,400 Speaker 3: thousand dollars a motel room a year, which is just insanity. 376 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:43,600 Speaker 3: So we could do so much better. I don't just 377 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 3: talk about this stuff. I've done it so. Better Angels 378 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 3: was started by my wife and I after I sold Cornerstone, 379 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:57,520 Speaker 3: my education company, with a focus on trying to end 380 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:01,400 Speaker 3: the epidemic of homelessness in La So we spent about 381 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 3: a year and a half of research starting in twenty 382 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 3: twenty one, and then in late twenty twenty three started 383 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 3: the organization to address homelessness holistically. We realized there's no 384 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 3: silver bullet here. You have to solve the problem holistically, 385 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 3: and Better Angels is focused on five pillars prevention, services, shelter, technology, 386 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 3: and housing, and you have to address all of those issues. 387 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 3: So number one, we absolutely must be allocating more dollars 388 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 3: to prevention. It is by far the most efficient way 389 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 3: to clean up our streets and to prevent new people 390 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:45,359 Speaker 3: from falling into homelessness. 391 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,679 Speaker 4: We have an extremely effective. 392 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 3: Eviction prevention program at Better Angels and we've kept thousands 393 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 3: of Angelinos off the street who were at imminent risk 394 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:00,840 Speaker 3: of eviction. They had already received deviction notices, They were 395 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 3: already vulnerable, they already had a financial shock, and with our. 396 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:06,399 Speaker 4: Help they stayate housed. 397 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 3: We also can do a much better job servicing people 398 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:14,880 Speaker 3: who are already on the street. We have an insane 399 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 3: number of people living on the street. I was actually 400 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 3: on skid row again today and it's devastating. We have 401 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 3: eight thousand people living on the street downtown, we have 402 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 3: forty four thousand unhoused individuals can do better. 403 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:35,640 Speaker 4: We need to have. 404 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:39,679 Speaker 3: More effective and efficient service delivery. We have to have 405 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 3: a better path of people getting off the street into 406 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:48,920 Speaker 3: interim housing, and we need more affordable housing to drive 407 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 3: the pathway from the street to shelter to permanent housing, 408 00:24:55,600 --> 00:25:00,200 Speaker 3: and all of that is feasible without spending years. Really 409 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 3: as much as we're doing. 410 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 1: Today, you know, and you were just down there, so 411 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,119 Speaker 1: you've seen it for yourself. For as much as the city, 412 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:10,239 Speaker 1: the county and the state want a cat want to 413 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: tout reductions in homelessness, when you look at the place 414 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 1: where it's most visible, skid row, not only do the 415 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: people there not see any kind of reduction or any 416 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: kind of improvement. But it's really kind of a stretch 417 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: to wonder where all the money that we spend on 418 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,359 Speaker 1: this is going if the people that are suffering in 419 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,200 Speaker 1: the place where it's most visible don't see any of it. 420 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 3: Well, look in La County, we spent ten billion dollars 421 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 3: in the last decade. We can't account for somewhere between 422 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 3: one and two. 423 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 4: Billion of those ten billion dollars. 424 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:49,920 Speaker 3: And the problem has gotten dramatically worse over that period 425 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,440 Speaker 3: of time. So, yes, there has been a modest reduction 426 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:57,159 Speaker 3: in the number of people that are unhoused based on 427 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 3: the once a year homeless out that we do. But 428 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 3: six people are dying a day, and you could actually 429 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:12,679 Speaker 3: very cynically attribute that reduction to death and not improve it. 430 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 3: So this is not something we should be celebrating. We 431 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 3: have failed at homelessness and we should do much much better. 432 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:26,359 Speaker 1: We're speaking with Adam Miller. He's running for La mayor. 433 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 1: You can check out his website and his platform at 434 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 1: votemiller dot com. Well, we got through homelessness. One of 435 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: the other issues that everybody thinks about every single day 436 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: in a city like Los Angeles is the cost of 437 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 1: living here. It is so expensive to live and work 438 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:44,080 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles. It's part of why so many people 439 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 1: that work in Los Angeles have to live far away, 440 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: because it is just so expensive that clogs up the 441 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: roads as well. What does a mayor miller do about 442 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 1: making it cheaper to live and work in Los Angeles. 443 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 3: Well, Randy, the reason LA is so unaffordable is because 444 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 3: of the cost of rent and housing. We simply do 445 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 3: not have enough housing in this city. The demand is 446 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 3: relatively fixed, but we are majorly supply constrained, and that 447 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:19,959 Speaker 3: results in higher prices. It's no different than if the 448 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 3: Dodgers have a big game coming up, the ticket prices 449 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 3: go up. Right if there's a big concert coming the 450 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 3: ticket prices go up. There's more demand than there is 451 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:36,360 Speaker 3: supply of tickets. The same thing is true with housing. 452 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:40,440 Speaker 3: If you have the demand, if you don't have the ply, 453 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 3: the prices are going to be high. And that's exactly 454 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 3: what's happened in this city. We have failed at building 455 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 3: enough housing. 456 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 4: We are. 457 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:56,920 Speaker 3: Lower in new housing starts than we've been in a decade. 458 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 3: New housing permits are down thirty percent since twenty nineteen, 459 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 3: and we are going completely in the wrong direction. LA 460 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 3: has become considered one of the hardest places in the 461 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:14,879 Speaker 3: country to build. National developers have stopped building in Los Angeles. 462 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 3: Even local developers, some of the most prolific LA developers, 463 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:23,720 Speaker 3: are no longer building in the city of Los Angeles. 464 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,119 Speaker 3: We've made it too hard. We've made it a place 465 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:31,679 Speaker 3: where real estate developers are treated like the enemy, and 466 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 3: we as a result, have extremely high pricing when it 467 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 3: comes to housing. 468 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 4: Whether you're renting or you're owning. And that can be fixed. 469 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:44,840 Speaker 4: And the way you fix that. 470 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,560 Speaker 3: Is you make LA a place where everybody wants to build. 471 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 3: It's already a place that people want to live. Why 472 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 3: we have the demand, we have to also make it 473 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:55,480 Speaker 3: a place where people. 474 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 4: Want to build. 475 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:58,560 Speaker 3: And the way you do that is you have to 476 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 3: make it easier to get permitted, faster to get entitled. 477 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:07,960 Speaker 3: You have to be more predictable in the inspections, we 478 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 3: have to be more accommodating, and we can do a 479 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 3: lot around financing to make it easier for people to 480 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 3: build in LA. And I'm not just talking about affordable housing. 481 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 3: I mean all kinds of housing. Affordable housing, workforce housing, 482 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:28,719 Speaker 3: and market rate housing. We need all of it, and 483 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 3: we need it in much higher quantities than we have today. 484 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 3: We are building today onally ten percent of what we're 485 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 3: supposed to be building based on Regional Needs Housing Assessment, 486 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 3: which means we are eighty percent off from where we 487 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 3: need to be to have lower cost of housing and 488 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,480 Speaker 3: enough supply to feed the demand. 489 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: With Adam Miller, the website is votemiller dot com. He 490 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 1: is running for La mayor. Now, if we start moving 491 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 1: in that direction and we start building and building and building, 492 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: that means that you're also going to see are already 493 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 1: horrific traffic situation possibly getting even worse, and all the 494 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 1: fixes that we have if you're mayor of La or 495 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: also in the La Metro board, seem to be solutions 496 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: that take way too long before they help anybody. You 497 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: look at the big celebration just a couple weeks ago 498 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:36,360 Speaker 1: of the vote to extend the K line to West Hollywood. 499 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: That all sounds great and maybe someday that will take 500 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 1: cars off the road, But that project won't even break 501 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 1: ground until twenty forty one. 502 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 3: So what are some realistic things? 503 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, so what are some realistic things? What are some 504 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 1: realistic things that we could do? Because it feels like 505 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: as awful as the traffic is here, nobody's talking about 506 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 1: any plans to relieve ourselves of it. What would you 507 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: do about the just god awful traffic that we experience 508 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 1: every day in La. 509 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, I hate the traffic as much as everyone else, 510 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 3: and I could tell you running from Mayor and having 511 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:19,120 Speaker 3: to be all over this easing city. There's traffic everywhere. 512 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 3: So we absolutely need to fix it. I want to 513 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 3: farify one thing though, having more housing doesn't mean more traffic. 514 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 3: We already have the demand. We already have the people 515 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,560 Speaker 3: living here. The reason rent is so high. Part of 516 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 3: the reason we have so many people on the street, 517 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:40,560 Speaker 3: so many people living crammed together, is because there's not 518 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:44,920 Speaker 3: enough housing muted. So we're not necessarily talking about more people. 519 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 3: We're talking about more places for those people to live, 520 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 3: and that's going to bring down pricing. 521 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 4: Look, we need to finish. 522 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:57,320 Speaker 3: The trend projects that we have because until we finish them, 523 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 3: we're not getting the benefit of the we've done with Metro, 524 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:03,840 Speaker 3: and we need somebody that knows how to operate to 525 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 3: get that done. We'll get the people mover at the airport. 526 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 3: That project is eight hundred and eighty million over budget. 527 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 3: I've been told it's well north of a billion over budget. 528 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 3: Eight eighty is what we've been builed, but not what 529 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 3: we're going to owe. And it's three years overdue, and 530 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,480 Speaker 3: it's not going to be done next week. There's still 531 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 3: a lot of work to be done. So we're talking 532 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 3: about projects that are taking way too long, that are 533 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 3: way over budget and not managed effectively. So Number one, 534 00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 3: we got to fix that. We have to do a 535 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 3: big job of operating. And I know how to operate. 536 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 3: I know how to manage budgets. I ran a public company. 537 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 3: I know how to get things done. Number Two, we 538 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 3: should be using technology to streamline some of our traffic issues. 539 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:03,240 Speaker 3: Why don't we we have synchronized lights on our primary 540 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:07,240 Speaker 3: surface streets, something we could put into place. Why don't 541 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 3: we enforce fines when people are blocking intersections? 542 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 4: Right? 543 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,120 Speaker 3: What other cities do they call it blocking the box? 544 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 3: Why don't we make sure we're leveraging other forms of 545 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 3: public transit that are faster to implement, like busting, to 546 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 3: be more effective at moving people. We can do a 547 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:33,520 Speaker 3: much better job managing the flow of trafficking, getting people 548 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:34,400 Speaker 3: moving in this city. 549 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:39,120 Speaker 1: Were speaking with Adam Miller. The website is votemiller dot com. 550 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:42,400 Speaker 1: We get just time for one more question. We're about 551 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 1: to be inviting the world here with the World Cup 552 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: the Olympics in a couple of years. But one thing 553 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 1: that tourists will notice is that this city is notoriously filthy. 554 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:57,040 Speaker 1: Illegal dumping has become an unbelievably huge problem, to the 555 00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 1: point where you have volunteers out there like not Clean 556 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:04,080 Speaker 1: La with me embarrassing the city on a daily basis 557 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:07,200 Speaker 1: because he's picking up the trash that people report on 558 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: three one one and nothing happens. So how do you 559 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:12,200 Speaker 1: literally clean up this city? 560 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:17,760 Speaker 3: Well, like you said, the city has gotten disgusted. There's 561 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:21,880 Speaker 3: trash everywhere and this is not one side or another 562 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:22,520 Speaker 3: of the city. 563 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 4: It's really pervasive. 564 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:28,799 Speaker 3: And add to that broken streets, broken street lights, and 565 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 3: broken sidewalks, and we are not managing our infrastructure. This 566 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 3: is fundamental to how a city government runs and we're 567 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:40,080 Speaker 3: simply not doing it. And it's not being done by 568 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 3: the mayor, and it's not going to be fixed by 569 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:45,360 Speaker 3: somebody that's been on city council. 570 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 4: For five years. 571 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 3: It needs to be somebody that knows how to operate 572 00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:53,400 Speaker 3: and get things done. And let me tell you something. 573 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:55,120 Speaker 3: With the Olympics coming. 574 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:57,560 Speaker 4: We have two choices before us. 575 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:02,920 Speaker 3: We can hide our problems, we can fix them, and 576 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:04,319 Speaker 3: I'm going to fix them. 577 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:09,360 Speaker 1: The website is vote Miller dot com. That's vote Miller 578 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:11,920 Speaker 1: dot com if you want to learn more. Adam Miller, 579 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,319 Speaker 1: thank you so much for spending some time with us 580 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:16,200 Speaker 1: today and hopefully we can do it again real soon. 581 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:18,760 Speaker 4: Sounds great. Thanks Reddy. 582 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:23,160 Speaker 1: It's the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. It's 583 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 1: the News Blitz with Randy Wang on kab C. There's 584 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:28,440 Speaker 1: going to be a lot of things on the ballot 585 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:31,360 Speaker 1: this year, and here's what I can support. They're collecting 586 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:37,560 Speaker 1: signatures to repeal the parking fees at Balboa Park. Take that, Todd, Gloria. 587 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:41,239 Speaker 1: It's the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. It's 588 00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 1: the News Blitz on with Randy Wang on Talk Radio 589 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:48,480 Speaker 1: seven ninety KA b C. My thanks to Adam Miller 590 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:50,680 Speaker 1: for coming on the show. You may not have heard 591 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:55,400 Speaker 1: of him before, but he he's got some pretty common 592 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:59,080 Speaker 1: sense ideas. You know, he's definitely not going to be 593 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: as outspoken against Karen bass Is a Spencer Pratt, but 594 00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:05,600 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's an interesting thing speaking of Spencer Pratt, 595 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:08,279 Speaker 1: and I'm sure we'll get into this tomorrow. This hit 596 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:12,760 Speaker 1: piece from the LA Times claiming that Spencer Pratt currently 597 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:17,280 Speaker 1: lives in Santa Barbara County is only going to remind 598 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:21,399 Speaker 1: people that Spencer Pratt's house was burned down in the 599 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:25,239 Speaker 1: Palisades thanks to the incompetence of Karen Bass and the 600 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 1: city and County of Los Angeles. So yeah, I'm not 601 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:31,279 Speaker 1: sure who thought that was a great piece of the 602 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:33,799 Speaker 1: La Times, but it. 603 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:34,880 Speaker 2: Was pretty ridiculous. 604 00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:37,920 Speaker 1: Now, when it comes to the box office numbers, this 605 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:43,759 Speaker 1: one's no surprise. The Super Mario Galaxy movie grows to 606 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:46,480 Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty one million over the weekend to 607 00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 1: a total gross domestically of one hundred and ninety million. 608 00:36:50,239 --> 00:36:52,920 Speaker 1: I think worldwide it's at like three hundred and seventy 609 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:56,239 Speaker 1: five million dollars. And this is probably going to be 610 00:36:56,560 --> 00:36:59,560 Speaker 1: like the first Mario movie where people are going to 611 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:02,240 Speaker 1: be taking the kids to go back and go back 612 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 1: and go back, because if you've ever had small children 613 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:09,280 Speaker 1: in your life, you know that kids like to watch 614 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:15,360 Speaker 1: the same thing over and over and over and over again, 615 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:18,000 Speaker 1: and it's you know, an hour and a half two 616 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:20,239 Speaker 1: hours where you can just sit in the dark and 617 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:22,120 Speaker 1: not have to worry about the fact that they don't 618 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:26,080 Speaker 1: eat anything but peanut butter and jelly. These are the 619 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:28,399 Speaker 1: small things that I know about child rearing as being 620 00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:34,959 Speaker 1: an uncle. Now below Super Mario Galaxy Movie Project, Hail 621 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:38,400 Speaker 1: Mary in second the Drama, and third Hoppers and fourth 622 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:41,439 Speaker 1: Reminders of Him in fifth, A Great Awakening in sixth, 623 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:42,480 Speaker 1: They Will Kill You. 624 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 2: In seventh, Ready or Not? 625 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 1: Two Here I Come in eighth place, Drumdar the Revenge 626 00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:50,319 Speaker 1: on ninth place, and tenth place is undertone. That is 627 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:54,319 Speaker 1: your box office report for the weekend. Thank you all 628 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 1: so much for being a part of this show. Got 629 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:58,640 Speaker 1: any guests to suggest for us? Email us at Randy 630 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:11,000 Speaker 1: Wang Radio at gmail dot com.