1 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: On this episode of Newts World, great cities like Los Angeles, 2 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: San Francisco at Oakland collapsed into squalor as crime and 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: homelessness were allowed to explode. The state that used to 4 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 1: pride itself as the home of innovation and opportunity became 5 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: the state with the worst trade of poverty, highest unemployment, 6 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: and most hostile business climate in America, as well as 7 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: the highest taxes. How did this happen and what is 8 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: needed to turn things around? In his new book Cali Failure, 9 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: Reversing the Ruin of America's Worst run State, Steve Hilton 10 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: lays out a comprehensive program of policy reform he calls 11 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: quote Califuture that will restore the Golden State to its 12 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 1: rightful place as the very best of America. Here to 13 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: discuss his new book, I'm really pleased to welcome my 14 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: guest and my friend, Steve Hilton. He is an entrepreneur, 15 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: political commentator, and best selling author. Steve, Welcome, and thank 16 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: you for joining me on newts World. 17 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 2: It's a real, real pleasure and an honor to be 18 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 2: with you. It's fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the conversation. 19 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: I know that you've had such a fascinating background. Before 20 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: we get into the book itself, talk a little bit 21 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: about growing up and attending Oxford and working with former 22 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: Prime Minister Cameron. 23 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 2: I'll take it right back to the beginning, if I may, 24 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 2: and explain that the more I think about it, the 25 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 2: more important it is to everything I've been doing. My 26 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 2: parents are Hungarian, and my stepfather's Hungary, and the whole 27 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 2: family is Hungarian, and they were refugees from communism in 28 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 2: Hungary in the fifties fifty six, obviously the Revolution which 29 00:01:55,440 --> 00:02:00,040 Speaker 2: was crushed by the Soviets, and we were immigrants and 30 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 2: the working class upbringing in England and had the great 31 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 2: opportunity of fantastic education and made it to Oxford University, 32 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 2: where I entered a whole new world and found myself 33 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 2: working for the Conservative Party. I actually joined as a 34 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 2: junior researcher the Conservative Research Department in nineteen ninety, the 35 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 2: last year of Margaret Thatcher's premiership. I had the incredible 36 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 2: honor of meeting her and working with her. There's a 37 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 2: funny story about that we can dive into later if 38 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 2: you like, and an amazing story which I have to 39 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 2: tell you, which you will really appreciate. Many years later, 40 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 2: I had the great, unbelievable honor of actually sitting next 41 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 2: to her at a small dinner for her eightieth birthday. 42 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 2: And there's a wonderful story from that that I must 43 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 2: tell you, But just to bring everyone up to date, 44 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 2: we moved here with my family in twenty twelve to California, 45 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 2: to the Bay Area, and again had the benefit of 46 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 2: amazing opportunities. I taught at Stamford, and I started a 47 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 2: tech company, and then myself in this very improbable new 48 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 2: career in the media. I'm enormously grateful to Rupert Murdoch 49 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 2: and everyone at Fox for giving me that opportunity. Hosted 50 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 2: a show where you were a wonderful guest a few 51 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 2: times the next Revolution on Sunday evenings. More recently, I've 52 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 2: stepped back from that to focus on California, my home state, 53 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 2: which I love. I became an American, I'm a citizen now, 54 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 2: proud American, but also a proud Californian, and I just 55 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 2: hate what is being done to our beautiful state. And 56 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 2: I've been wanting to get back into the world of 57 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 2: policy and government. So two years ago I started a 58 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 2: policy organization called Golden together, which has been developing specific 59 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 2: policy plans to address the multiple nightmares that we've experienced 60 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 2: under the one party rule of the Democrats, and a 61 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:53,119 Speaker 2: lot of that has ended up informing this new book, Caliphialua, 62 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 2: which is both the problem and how we got here, 63 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 2: but also how we get out of it. 64 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: In the book, you say that Californi wounds are self inflicted, 65 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: the result of an unchallenged political monopoly. Can you talk 66 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: about how we went from the state of Ronald Reagan 67 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: and then Pete Wilson, and then the trajectory just carried 68 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: us further and further away from the world they'd represented. 69 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 2: A really important part of that story is the government 70 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 2: unions and the power that they built up and the 71 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 2: control that they built up over the Democratic Party establishment 72 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 2: the politicians to the point where they are now the 73 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 2: dominant player in California politics and exert their power in 74 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 2: the most egregious ways, I mean, and have become so 75 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:44,840 Speaker 2: complacent about their right to rule forever. Amazingly. Last cycle, 76 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 2: just to give you a little example, the unions supported 77 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 2: a Republican candidate in the state legislature in order to 78 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 2: punish a Democrat who stepped out of line and didn't 79 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 2: agree to one of their demands about organizing on universe campuses. 80 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 2: I believe it was they're so complacent because the Democrats 81 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 2: have such a big supermajority in the legislature that the 82 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 2: Union's actually as a warning to any other Democrat who 83 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 2: may stray from supporting one hundred percent union demands. They 84 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 2: funded a Republican and got him elected. So the Union 85 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 2: story is foundational to this the power block that controls 86 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 2: policy on every front. And then you add to that 87 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 2: how they got that supermajority in the legislature, which really 88 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 2: has been in place since twenty twelve. It's been a 89 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 2: chief through jerrymandering. In two thousand and eight, the voters 90 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 2: of California passed a ballot initiative that was sold to 91 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 2: them as independent districting, taking the power to draw the 92 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:48,359 Speaker 2: districts out of the legislature, giving it to an independent commission. 93 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,679 Speaker 2: But of course the Democratic machine totally hijacked that process. 94 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 2: I've spoken to people involved in that process, and they 95 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 2: went into the details of it and hijacked it. For example, 96 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 2: the original intent of the redistricting was to use existing 97 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 2: city and county boundaries as far as possible, they added 98 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 2: a criteria, which was communities of interest, which enabled them 99 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,679 Speaker 2: to draw up these ridiculous boundaries. I know that everyone 100 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 2: does gerrymandering, I get it. But what you've ended up 101 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 2: with is a supermajority over two thirds in both houses 102 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 2: of the legislature for over a decade now. And if 103 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 2: you look at the basic numbers in California, it's a 104 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 2: much more Republican state than people think. So if you 105 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 2: take the average Republican share of the vote since the 106 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 2: last time a Republican one statewide, which is two thousand 107 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 2: and six Schwarzenegger's reelection, the average Republican vote share in 108 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 2: statewide elections is forty one point seven percent. The Republicans 109 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 2: don't have any We're close to that in the legislature. 110 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: Not forty percent, not thirty five, not thirty not twenty five. 111 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 2: It's been twenty percent, half the representation which their political 112 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 2: support would warrant. So a combination of the Unions with 113 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:09,359 Speaker 2: a lock on the Democrat politicians and the supermajority in 114 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 2: the legislature have enabled them to drive through this ideological experiment, 115 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 2: getting more and more extreme on every single measure that matters. 116 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 2: It's been a total failure. You were listing some of 117 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 2: them earlier, because they've had no check on their power. 118 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 1: And they just seem to almost be on a treadmill 119 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: where they just have to go further and further left 120 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: all the time. I mean, I understand self interest, so 121 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: I understand that the unions what goodies, But what do 122 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: you think is the mechanism that leads them to become 123 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: more and more radical. 124 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 2: It's the activists. I know it's a bit of a cliche, 125 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 2: but I talk about the Democrat industrial complex in California, 126 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 2: and it's not just it's the unions, but the activists. 127 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 2: They're very, very driven, it seems to me, by the 128 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 2: far left people on Twitter and of course the unions them. 129 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,679 Speaker 2: So now you know the political directors of the unions 130 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 2: from the activist class, and so all the extremism we 131 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 2: see that's appeared on the national stage, it all started 132 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 2: in California. The Green New Deal, the extremism on gender 133 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 2: and race, even on elections, you know, ballot harvesting or 134 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 2: mail in voting. All these things began in California. The 135 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 2: ban on gas cars and stoves and all this stuff. 136 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 2: And so it's activist driven and because they do not 137 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 2: fear a challenge from the Republican Party. They can both 138 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,959 Speaker 2: ignore opposing political views and actually ignore the real world 139 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 2: consequences because up till now they have not been worried 140 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 2: about being punished for any of this because the voting 141 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,680 Speaker 2: has been so stacked in their favor. But I think 142 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 2: that's changing. 143 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: So in that context, I mean, I've noticed that there's 144 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: been a significant increase in Republican registration. There's still a 145 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,439 Speaker 1: long of the Democrats. But as in your sense that 146 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: the underlying dissatisfaction who there's a cnam for a while, 147 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: people who are dissatisfied just left, yes, exactly, which actually 148 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: reduced the pressure on the left to do things right 149 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: because the people who didn't like it were leaving. You says, 150 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: there's a greater propensity right now to stay and fight 151 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: rather than to leave. 152 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 2: Yes, can I just amplified the point you just made, 153 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 2: because you're right. So the people who could leave left 154 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 2: massive outflows of population over the last few years, businesses 155 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 2: as well, and there's been a real level of complacency 156 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 2: about that. You hear Gavin Us and others all the 157 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 2: time saying, well, we're the fifth biggest economy in the world. Well, yes, 158 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 2: that's true as a Californian, and I'm proud of that. 159 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 2: But if you look into the details of that, so 160 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 2: much of that is driven by the tech monopolies who 161 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 2: have huge revenue but employ relatively few people. That's why 162 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 2: you have this at the same time, the fifth biggest 163 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 2: economy but the highest unemployment in the country. And so 164 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 2: they've been complacent that the goose will keep laying the 165 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 2: golden eggs even as people are leaving. But here are 166 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 2: some signs of change in twenty twenty four in the 167 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 2: November election, with President Trump at the top of the ticket, 168 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 2: not campaigning. You didn't even have a strong top of 169 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 2: the ticket campaign in twenty four for obvious reasons. The 170 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:26,959 Speaker 2: Trump campaign didn't put much effort there. The top of 171 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 2: the ticket was Steve Garvey running for Senate against Adam Schiff. 172 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 2: I mean, the most spending in that campaign was actually 173 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 2: by Adam Schiff to promote Steve Garvey in the top 174 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 2: two primary. And so you didn't have a strong campaign 175 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 2: for the Republicans. You really didn't, And yet ten counties 176 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:50,679 Speaker 2: flipped from blue to red, including significant ones like Fresno County, 177 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 2: the fifth biggest city in the Central Valley. You also 178 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 2: saw on specific issues overwhelming support for Republican positions, for example, 179 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 2: on crime, seventy percent voting for Proposition thirty six, which 180 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 2: was reversing the worst effects of Prop forty seven, the 181 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,560 Speaker 2: one that Karmala Harris pushed through many years before. But 182 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 2: also on raising the minimum wage that was defeated, Rent 183 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 2: control was defeated, a bond measure was defeated. Really interesting 184 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 2: underlying signifies there's another story, of course, George Gascon in 185 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 2: Los Angeles, the Mayor and DA of Oakland in the 186 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,319 Speaker 2: Bay Area, the mayor of San Francisco, so there was 187 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:31,199 Speaker 2: a fight bag Huntington Beach is a really interesting story. 188 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 2: I mean it's not the biggest city, but an iconic 189 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 2: one in Orange County, Surf City, USA. A good friend 190 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 2: of mine, Tony Strickland. You may know Tony. Just over 191 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 2: four years ago. It was a council that was run six' 192 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 2: to one by The. Democrats tony put together a slate 193 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:49,200 Speaker 2: of candidates they called themselves The fab four and they. 194 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 2: Won in twenty twenty. Two they took control four to, 195 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,680 Speaker 2: three and it was a very maga platform and it 196 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 2: was not watered. Down Washy Washy Democrat. Light it was 197 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 2: very strong servative, platform and they implemented, it cleaning up homeless, 198 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 2: encampments prosecuting crime, properly what was going on in the 199 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 2: schools and the. Libraries they introduced a ballot initiative for VOTER. 200 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 2: Id they did all these things just now In, november 201 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,559 Speaker 2: they ran seven, candidates they called themselves The Magnificent. Seven 202 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 2: they all. Won now it's seven. Zero so in four 203 00:12:23,679 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 2: years you've gone from sixty to One democrat to the 204 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 2: seven Zero. Republican so these are signs that things are. 205 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:34,119 Speaker 2: MOVING i think the most encouraging one not In, california 206 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 2: but if you look. Nationwide of, course this astonishing revolution 207 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 2: in The latino, Vote hispanic as it's known outside Of, 208 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:46,080 Speaker 2: california towards The Republican. Party that's the largest demographic group 209 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:49,959 Speaker 2: In california now forty. Percent the demographic breakdown Of california 210 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 2: today forty Percent, latino thirty five Percent, white fifteen Percent 211 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 2: asian five, Percent, black five percent. Other the working Class 212 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:02,439 Speaker 2: latinos In california are being hammered the most by these 213 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 2: far left. Policies there's a real opportunity. There this is 214 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 2: all before the fires In Los angeles that really shone 215 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:13,679 Speaker 2: a spotlight on the combination of extreme policies and total 216 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 2: incompetence and dereliction of duty that we saw with the 217 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 2: fires And La county matters because it's such a big. 218 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 2: County it's twenty three percent of the vote In, California 219 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 2: so the fact that the fires were there and had 220 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 2: that impact and so many PEOPLE i. MEET i know 221 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 2: this is, anecdotal But i've always been A democrat Or. 222 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 2: Independent but we can't go on like. This this is a. 223 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 2: Joke we need to. Change SO i think the ingredients 224 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 2: are there for something really interesting to. 225 00:13:43,000 --> 00:14:00,559 Speaker 1: Happen one of the things that have gone wrong so 226 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: that there's no actual political news In. California you sort 227 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: of have a relatively Weak Los angeles. Times you still 228 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: have The Orange county, paper but overall people actually don't 229 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 1: know anything because there's no. Mechanism but it was very 230 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: struck with the impact Of Joe rogan and the notion 231 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: that you had forty two million people tune in over 232 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: preod a couple of days to listen To, trump so 233 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 1: he got more coverage out Of Joe rogan than all 234 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 1: three of the old networks. Combined just. AMAZING i wondered 235 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: if it was, possible if there's enough, stuff you could 236 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: almost invent an Online california daily that would be center, 237 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: right basically muck, raking bringing up all the, scandals all the, 238 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 1: things and gradually build a statewide network of subscribers who 239 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: are also inherently members of a political. Movement but it's 240 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: going to take something like, that it seems to, me 241 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: to create the organizational underpinning for the general potential revulsion 242 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: that would accelerate if people actually knew what was going. 243 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 2: ON i completely agree with. YOU i, Mean sacramento is just, 244 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 2: extraordinary the amount of nonsense that has turned. Out it's 245 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 2: just astonishing this, year and no one follows. This no 246 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 2: one knows what's happening. There and you have a few 247 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 2: reporters who do a good. Job there's one in, Particular Ashley, 248 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 2: zavala who's from one of the networks and does really good, 249 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 2: reporting chases The democrats down the corridor and tries to 250 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 2: pin them. Down but generally, speaking there's very little coverage 251 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 2: and just the sheer volume of stuff that comes, out 252 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 2: no one can keep track of. It it's amazing this, 253 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 2: year the legislative, leaders The democrats in The assembly in 254 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 2: The senate said we're going to put a limit on 255 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 2: the number of bills that each member can. Introduce with that, 256 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 2: limit they've already introduced over two thousand bills this. Year 257 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 2: just the scale of it is. Astonishing no one can 258 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 2: keep up with. It of, course all of it ends 259 00:15:56,960 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 2: up feeding the bloat of the government regulatory state that 260 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 2: impacts every business and every family in all sorts of 261 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 2: ways that they don't. Understand SO i completely agree with 262 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 2: you that there needs to be more. Coverage THE La 263 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 2: times actually is really stepping up now on the. Fires 264 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 2: they've done very very good investigative work on all the 265 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 2: things That Karen bass and the leadership there got wrong 266 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 2: in the run up to the. Fires so that's changing as. 267 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: Well for those of us who are not From, california 268 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: how do you explain the fires that got that. 269 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 2: Bad so it's a combination of. Things Number one is 270 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 2: the concept of the fuel, load and it really is 271 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:38,080 Speaker 2: an important concept And President trump was on. This he 272 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 2: made this point when he was president with the forest 273 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 2: fires in the actual forests in The sierras and In, 274 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 2: paradise and the point was that the forests are overgrown 275 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 2: as a result of deliberate policy climate, extremism environmental extremism 276 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 2: that basically stopped the process that had been going on 277 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 2: for centuries of controlled clearing the, forests clearing the. Underground 278 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 2: that was all stopped in the last few. Decades the 279 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 2: exact equivalent happened in the much lower mountains right there 280 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 2: In Los, angeles the coastal. Range. There it's not, forests 281 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:17,439 Speaker 2: it's chaparral, shop but it's the same. Principle and you, 282 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 2: had for, example The Santa Monica Mountain, conservancy which is 283 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 2: a state agency that runs those mountains that's close To Pacific. 284 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:32,199 Speaker 2: Palisades residents who knew the fire risk tried to clear 285 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 2: the area around their. Homes they were threatened with fines 286 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 2: for doing, it for doing sensible fire. Prevention there was 287 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 2: a bill that actually went through the legislature in twenty 288 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:50,880 Speaker 2: twenty two that would have funded and mandated fire prevention 289 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,640 Speaker 2: around vulnerable, communities including the ones that burned In La 290 00:17:55,080 --> 00:18:00,199 Speaker 2: it was vetoed By. Gavenusen it was vetoed, because in 291 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,399 Speaker 2: the words of his veto, letter it would have encouraged. 292 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:07,640 Speaker 2: Sprawl so it was against their ideology that you can't 293 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:12,360 Speaker 2: have single family. Homes everything has to be apartments inside the. 294 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 2: City so that's the biggest, factor which was the tinderbox 295 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:19,639 Speaker 2: conditions which never used to be like. 296 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: That we did a. Podcast not the fire chief From Laguna, 297 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 1: beach which is of course south OF la had no fire. 298 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: Problem and the reason is they have four hundred. 299 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 2: Goats goats, exactly. 300 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 1: And they were told that some state agency was now 301 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: anti goat on the grounds that they might eat some 302 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: endangered plant or. Something plants. 303 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:43,360 Speaker 2: Exactly but IF la. 304 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,200 Speaker 1: Had actually had, goats the fire would not have. 305 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 2: Spread, no that's the fundamental reason that it spread so, 306 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 2: quickly because it was a tinderbox ready to go. Up 307 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:57,160 Speaker 2: another state AGENCY carb which is responsible for so much 308 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 2: of the nonsense In, california The California Resources, board they 309 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 2: issued new guidelines in two, thousand this is more than 310 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:11,960 Speaker 2: two decades ago that effectively stopped controlled, burns prescribed. Burns 311 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 2: if you talk to, anyone OBVIOUSLY i wasn't. There we 312 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 2: moved in twenty. Twelve but you talk to people in Southern, CALIFORNIA, 313 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 2: la they all tell you when there were, kids when 314 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 2: they're driving, around they, remember you, know you'd see a 315 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 2: fire on the hillside and you'd see cal fire, nearby 316 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 2: there'd be public service announcements on the radio, saying don't, 317 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 2: worry there's a fire by this. Freeway it's one of. 318 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:35,959 Speaker 2: Ours don't call it, in it's just a. Control but 319 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 2: that was a common, occurrence completely disappeared as a result 320 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 2: of these environmental regulations once it. Started utter mismanagement and. 321 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 2: INCOMPETENCE i, mean we've gone through the list of, things 322 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 2: but it's the empty, reservoir the failure to pre deploy 323 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:56,719 Speaker 2: fire engines and, firefighters allowing half the firefighting team to 324 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 2: go off. Duty just a series of absolutely catastrophic management. 325 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,879 Speaker 2: Failures but actually it's SYMPTOMATIC i think the broader point 326 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 2: of A democrat machine where it throws up these machine 327 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 2: politicians Like Karen, bass Like Gaven, newsom Like Kamala, harris 328 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 2: who just get there not because of any conviction or 329 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 2: any sense of what they want to achieve or, vision 330 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 2: purely political operators who know how to navigate The democrat 331 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 2: machine say whatever's. Convenient that's what you're throwing up, now 332 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:33,400 Speaker 2: and that, again that's a consequence of one party. Rule 333 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 2: you just get mediocrities making their way through who can 334 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:38,399 Speaker 2: just play the game within the. 335 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 1: Machine how much of that has been sort of A 336 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: San francisco mafia because the state's way that from a population, 337 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: STANDPOINT la ought to be more, dominant but at a 338 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: practical political machine, level That San francisco has been. 339 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 2: Dominant, yes there's an amazing section in the book which 340 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 2: WHEN i started digging around and doing the, RESEARCH i 341 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 2: hadn't quite appreciated the connections between the The, newsom's The, 342 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 2: pelosis and The getties all intertwined for generations in terms 343 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 2: of that political machine In San francisco and The Bay, 344 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:15,679 Speaker 2: Area getty providing the. Money newsom's, GRANDFATHER i believe was 345 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 2: a lawyer for The, getties And pelosi's husband was part of. 346 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:24,400 Speaker 2: THAT i, mean the whole thing was totally. Incestuous those 347 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 2: three families, intertwined And John BURTON i believe was The 348 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 2: democrat boss In San, francisco came up With, pelosi and 349 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:36,439 Speaker 2: The Bay area has dominated despite as you, say the 350 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 2: massive imbalance and. 351 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: Population With Willie, brown you GET i think clearly one 352 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:46,120 Speaker 1: of the smartest politicians In, america and he just out 353 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:50,439 Speaker 1: maneuvers The republican's time after time and helps CREATE i, 354 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: mean in many, Ways Kamla harris was invented By Willie 355 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: brown and. 356 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 2: Amazing he's still going. STRONG i just saw. IT i 357 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 2: think it was his birthday this. Week he's ninety. Eight 358 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 2: it's still going strong. 359 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: And having a great, time very. Much so you raised 360 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: the problem WHICH i ran. Across we did a lot 361 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 1: of work On Baltimore, city which has a terrible school, 362 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 1: system but it costs a, billion three hundred million dollars a, 363 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: year the third most expensive super capital in the country 364 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: of the big. Cities but the system has a, billion 365 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: three hundred million a year to protect, itself and the 366 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 1: reform groups have about three. Million so when you have 367 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:30,199 Speaker 1: the teachers' union and the other public opinion, unions and 368 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,159 Speaker 1: it used to be that it was The california prison 369 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: guards very. 370 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 2: Much so they're, huge, huge. 371 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:38,920 Speaker 1: And that they were, ruthless and that they were very well. 372 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,159 Speaker 2: Organized and they get these enormous pay increases and the 373 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 2: pensions and the luxury healthcare is CALLED opep other post employment. 374 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 2: Benefits when you dig into, that it's almost worse than the. 375 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 2: Pensions these are from the people who told us That 376 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:54,919 Speaker 2: obamacare was the best thing ever all that anyone. Needs 377 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,520 Speaker 2: but it's not good enough for the. Unions they negotiate 378 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 2: for themselves, way way more generous healthcare coverage for themselves 379 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:03,440 Speaker 2: and their. Families it's quite. 380 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:07,880 Speaker 1: Extraordinary but there's no sense of. Scandal, No that's WHY 381 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:10,679 Speaker 1: i think the news media problem is. Big it's not 382 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: being drilled into people's heads how truly corrupt the system. 383 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:18,160 Speaker 1: Is But i'm. Curious in the last, decade per, person 384 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 1: spending has increased by seventy six percent and they're still 385 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: running a. 386 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 2: Deficit it's. Amazing how do they. 387 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,360 Speaker 1: Manage to figure out how to increase spending more than 388 00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 1: seventy six percent per? 389 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 2: Person they're another way of looking at, it they in 390 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,440 Speaker 2: the last ten years or, so they've basically doubled the 391 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 2: budget after. Inflation even there's the population it's been. Declining, 392 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 2: well there's a number of. Things first of, all the 393 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 2: increasing pension obligations which have been to a certain extent baked. 394 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 2: In now there are actually not that much you can 395 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 2: do about some of, it the healthcare THAT i, mentioned 396 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:50,960 Speaker 2: the favors for the. Unions but then what you start 397 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 2: to understand it when you look at things like the homeless. 398 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 2: Spending so there was a state order to report and 399 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 2: there's been a couple, now but the one that caught 400 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:00,399 Speaker 2: the headlines a few months ago was twenty Four that 401 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 2: was the. Number twenty four billion dollars in the last 402 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 2: few years spent on homelessness that they could not track 403 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,120 Speaker 2: or trace and had no impact whatsoever in the view 404 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:11,919 Speaker 2: of the. Auditor and of course homelessness has. Increased we 405 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 2: have eleven percent of THE us population In california forty five, 406 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,440 Speaker 2: PERCENT i, believe of the unsheltered homeless, population a total. 407 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 2: Joke where's the money? Going california is the only state 408 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:28,120 Speaker 2: that implemented at the state level what was actually initiated 409 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:31,159 Speaker 2: at the federal level with hard. Housing, first which is 410 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,919 Speaker 2: it's illegal In california for any project with state money 411 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:39,440 Speaker 2: to require sobriety mandated, treatment mental health. Whatever if you 412 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:42,440 Speaker 2: get state money for, homelessness you cannot put any conditions 413 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 2: on it in terms of personal behavior or. Responsibility give 414 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 2: them an. Apartment it's called permanent supportive. Housing so they're 415 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 2: building these. Apartments the cost of the apartments is absolutely, 416 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 2: astonishing seven hundred thousand dollars in The Bay era a 417 00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 2: million dollars per. Unit that money is coming from the, 418 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:03,399 Speaker 2: taxpayer making no. 419 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: Difference how do they spend a million dollars per. 420 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 2: Unit you come back to the, unions so there's. Two 421 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 2: so the number of things negotiated with, these for, example 422 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 2: project labor. Agreements project labor agreements are negotiated by unions 423 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 2: and they have one or both of the following conditions 424 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 2: attached to. Them they call it skilled and trained and prevailing. 425 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 2: Wage skilled and trained means you have to have union workers. 426 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:37,919 Speaker 2: Only prevailing wage is actually code for massively elevated above market. 427 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 2: Rates this is a real. STORY i met a house 428 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 2: builder In. Fresno we had a round table about what's going. 429 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 2: On he had two projects right then going on building. 430 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,359 Speaker 2: Housing one was market, rate not touch by it. Is 431 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 2: the other had a project labor agreement which he had 432 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 2: to negotiate with the unions because the unions had filed 433 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 2: an environmental lawsuit to stop the. Project and so skilled 434 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 2: and trade have to use union members for things like carpet. 435 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 2: Fitting there were no union carpet fitters in the. Area 436 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 2: he had to bust them in from The Bay, area 437 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 2: put them up in a. HOTEL i, mean it's insanity 438 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 2: on the prevailing, WAGE i, said give me an, example he, 439 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 2: said right in the market rate HOUSING i have a 440 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:23,400 Speaker 2: team of plumbers and you, know it's The Central. Valley 441 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 2: the rates are a bit. Lower they're paid between twenty 442 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 2: five and forty dollars an, hour depending on their age and. 443 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:35,679 Speaker 2: Experience same, people exact same people go across town to 444 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:40,960 Speaker 2: do the prevailing wage job ninety five to one hundred 445 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:45,160 Speaker 2: and twenty dollars an hour negotiated in the. Contract that's 446 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,840 Speaker 2: like a massive cost. Increase so this is what's going. 447 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 2: On it's a scam and the unions at the heart of. 448 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 2: IT i, mean here's another. Example there's a really interesting. 449 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 2: GUY i tell the story in the, book in the solutions. 450 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:01,639 Speaker 2: Part there's a very interesting development in construction technology called mass, 451 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 2: timber which is an ability to use and it actually 452 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:08,919 Speaker 2: really connects with the overgrown forest point because it's simply 453 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:13,240 Speaker 2: put to take bits of trees that were not previously 454 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:17,159 Speaker 2: usable for timber and going to squitch them together and 455 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 2: make it very strong and. Usable and it's a new, 456 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 2: technology not that in the last few, years and it's 457 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:26,320 Speaker 2: cheaper than concrete and much better for the, environment and 458 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:31,880 Speaker 2: it helps support our timber. Industry but in these affordable housing, 459 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:36,879 Speaker 2: projects over the, years various lobbying groups have put conditions 460 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 2: on them in order to get the. Money it was 461 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:41,880 Speaker 2: explained to me there's literally a points system for your. 462 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:45,240 Speaker 2: Project one of the things that will get you government 463 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:49,560 Speaker 2: money is if you use, concrete which is more expensive 464 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:52,640 Speaker 2: and worse for the. Environment it's terrible from a climate, 465 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 2: perspective but the lobby has put that. In so it's 466 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 2: all this scam and corruption that has built up over 467 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 2: the years with nose scrutiny exactly to your point about 468 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:04,919 Speaker 2: lack of investigative reporting on any of. 469 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: This but was there any rationale for why they went to. 470 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:12,400 Speaker 2: Concrete, no the concrete, lobby some person bribed them. Properly 471 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 2: we don't. Know there's no policy. 472 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 1: Benefit in addition to all these, problems how big is 473 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,160 Speaker 1: the impact of a legal immigration then. 474 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 2: It's massive right, now the fiscal. Impact last year they 475 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 2: gave legal immigrants free, healthcare Full, medicaid which doesn't happen 476 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 2: in other, states and they projected a cost for this 477 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,640 Speaker 2: which they've totally blown. Through and now they're in a 478 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 2: fiscal crisis On medicaid In. California medical it's known as 479 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 2: they've just in the last week asked for two successive emergency. 480 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,239 Speaker 2: LOANS i think we're up to now seven point two 481 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:06,160 Speaker 2: billion dollars in emergency loans to cover the cost of 482 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 2: giving the same health coverage to illegal immigrants in other. 483 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 2: States that's not what. Happens there's a limited version of. 484 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 2: Medicaid the argument, is, well you can't let people die 485 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 2: in the street and so, on of, course but you 486 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 2: don't have to give full coverage as if they were 487 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 2: citizens who've been paying into. It so there's a sort 488 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 2: of straightforward fiscal. Impact the other thing that you notice 489 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:33,080 Speaker 2: is because of the way that that's evolved over the, 490 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 2: years you now see this enormous black economy going on In. 491 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 2: California you, know people outside of the system because they're 492 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 2: not properly. Integrated that's a loss of tax. Revenue there's 493 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 2: economic activity that isn't being. Captured and then there's the 494 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 2: impact of course on. Schools we have the terrible school, 495 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 2: Results latino kids suffering the worst. Outcomes those tend to 496 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 2: be the places where you have more illegal, immigrants less 497 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 2: proficient In, english. Etc, finally, enough it's not talked about very, 498 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 2: much it's not really part of the. Conversation one of 499 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 2: the reasons that housing is such a big, issue It's 500 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 2: the main reason that people are leaving the state is housing, 501 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 2: costs because you've got massive supply and demand. 502 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: Imbalance in a state that doesn't let you build houses, exactly. 503 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 1: Exactly so the other great area that has been. Tragic 504 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: WHEN i was, Young california probably had the best school 505 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 1: system in the. Country, yeah and it's. Collapsed. Yes how 506 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: do you explain the scale of the collapse of The california? 507 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 2: System this one is pretty. Simple it's the takeover by 508 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 2: the teacher, unions and the teacher unions themselves really controlled 509 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 2: by the activist. Crowd it's almost. Laughable they're conditions for 510 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 2: reopening schools THAT La Teachers, union their official list of 511 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 2: conditions that had to be met for reopening schools after 512 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:56,920 Speaker 2: the pandemic Included medicare for, all a wealth, tax you, 513 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:58,960 Speaker 2: know all these. Things there's more that it's in the. 514 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 2: Book all these things unrelated to anything to do with. 515 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 2: Education it's just political. Activism and SO i think that 516 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:10,640 Speaker 2: the actual standards of education in the schools is not. 517 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 2: Interested it really is the case that you've had an 518 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 2: ideologically driven activist class taking, over. 519 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: And yet you HAVE i think this is straight out 520 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:23,720 Speaker 1: of your. Book two thirds Of latinos and seventy percent 521 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: Of black students fail to meet basic standard In english and. 522 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:31,080 Speaker 1: Math it is eighty percent Of latinos in eighty five 523 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,680 Speaker 1: percent Of black kids can't meet basic. Standards how can 524 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 1: you have either a workforce or citizens if you produce 525 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: a generation with this total lack of. Education. 526 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:45,680 Speaker 2: Exactly that's connected to having the highest poverty rate and 527 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 2: the highest unemployment in the. Country just to be, accurate 528 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:51,560 Speaker 2: we had the highest unemployment for most of last. Year 529 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 2: as of this, MONTH i, believe with second highest. Unemployment 530 00:31:56,680 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 2: but the thing is that, again when you listen to 531 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:04,600 Speaker 2: the conversation around, this because it's not. IGNORED i listened 532 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 2: to all. SIDES i listen TO mpr and LOCAL, mpr 533 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 2: and they do talk about, this but it always goes 534 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 2: in one, direction which is. Resources we need more resources 535 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 2: for our underserved. Communities we have the highest taxes in the, 536 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:24,440 Speaker 2: country the spending per. PUPIL i don't think it's literally 537 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:27,479 Speaker 2: the highest in the country spending per, pupil but it's up. 538 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 2: There there's no examination of the role of this, activist 539 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 2: politicized mindset in the school system driven by the teacher. 540 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:43,560 Speaker 2: Unions rather than a focus on basic, education and then 541 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 2: you have at the state, level the, bureaucracy the legislature 542 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:51,680 Speaker 2: pushing totally the wrong. Priorities so the big fight in 543 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 2: education In california in the last few years was over 544 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:58,560 Speaker 2: the ethnic studies. Curriculum so they've introduced an Ethnic studies, 545 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:04,240 Speaker 2: curriculum which has now been mandated for graduating high. School 546 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:08,479 Speaker 2: you can't graduate high school without taking this class Ethnic. 547 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 2: Studies and of course the first version of it was just. 548 00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 2: Horrific it was so that Even newsome sent it. Back 549 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 2: it was totally anti. Semitic it's just like a parody 550 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:23,960 Speaker 2: of the, woke anti, white Anti semitic ideological clap. Trap 551 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 2: now the version that's been put out there is not much. 552 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 2: BETTER i, mean they've toned down some of the anti, 553 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:32,800 Speaker 2: semitism but this is what they're focused. On it's just 554 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:33,920 Speaker 2: ideology over. 555 00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 1: PRACTICALITY i have a hunch that the most common theme 556 00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty six will be the question isn't? Working 557 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,200 Speaker 1: and If trump actually has government at the federal level, 558 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 1: working they'll keep The. House and if it's not, working 559 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 1: and they'll lose The. House AND i suspect A california 560 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:58,560 Speaker 1: campaign that just said this isn't. Working i'm seeing. DATA 561 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:01,160 Speaker 1: i might have a uge, residence BUT i noticed that 562 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:04,920 Speaker 1: something you picked up on That trump actually gained ground 563 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:09,319 Speaker 1: In california against The california presidential, nominee and the ten 564 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:13,399 Speaker 1: of the counties actually flipped from blue to. Red that's 565 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:16,680 Speaker 1: probably the most encouraging result we've had in over a, 566 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 1: decade very much. 567 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 2: So and, AGAIN i think the important point is that 568 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:25,560 Speaker 2: this Was. Trump this wasn't a kind of watered down. 569 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 2: Version it was a very, clear, strong common sense conservative. 570 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:32,360 Speaker 2: Message AND i think that to a certain, extent my 571 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:36,200 Speaker 2: sense of The Republican party In california is it's been 572 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 2: a little timid and absorbed this idea that in order 573 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:43,120 Speaker 2: to win In, california you have to be a little bit. 574 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:45,799 Speaker 2: Different It's. California you have to water it down a. 575 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 2: Bit it can't be too. CONSERVATIVE i think that's definitely. True, 576 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 2: frankly on the social, ISSUES i think that is. True 577 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:56,759 Speaker 2: but on these core functional issues to do with the, 578 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:01,359 Speaker 2: government you, know like, crime, schools, jobs running a, business, 579 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:05,480 Speaker 2: housing basic, THINGS i think there is an absolute appetite 580 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,319 Speaker 2: for really clear and strong conservative, positions. 581 00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:11,359 Speaker 1: AND i hope That, steve you AND i can work 582 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:12,799 Speaker 1: on over the next couple of, years SO i do 583 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:16,840 Speaker 1: Think i'm watching sort of the ice a break and 584 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:19,840 Speaker 1: the beginning of maybe a new era In. CALIFORNIA i 585 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: really want to thank you for joining. Me i've always 586 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 1: liked watching you ON. Tv you're always very smart and very. 587 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:29,279 Speaker 1: Articulate and your new, Book Cali, Failure reversing The ruin 588 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:32,560 Speaker 1: Of America's Worst Run state is available now On amazon 589 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:36,719 Speaker 1: in a bookstores. Everywhere it's remarkably relevant not just the 590 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:40,120 Speaker 1: future Of, california but to the future Of america because 591 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,800 Speaker 1: we cannot have a Sick california and have a Healthy. 592 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 1: America so you're doing a, major very important. THING i 593 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 1: recommend everyone get a copy to read. It And, STEVE 594 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:52,439 Speaker 1: i want to really thank you for taking this time 595 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:52,839 Speaker 1: to be with. 596 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,479 Speaker 2: Us it was a great pleasure AND i look forward 597 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 2: to continue the conversation and the. Work great to see you. 598 00:35:58,520 --> 00:35:59,000 Speaker 2: Today thank. 599 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:06,279 Speaker 1: You thank you to my Guest Steve. Hilton you can 600 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:08,760 Speaker 1: get a link to buy his new, Book Cali, Failure 601 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 1: reversing The ruin Of America's Worst Run state on our 602 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:15,880 Speaker 1: show page at newtsworld dot. Com newtsworld is produced By 603 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:21,160 Speaker 1: gingwishtree sixty And. iHeartMedia our executive producer Is Guarnsey. Sloan 604 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 1: our researcher Is Rachel. Peterson the artwork for the show 605 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:28,839 Speaker 1: was created By Steve. Penley special thanks to the team 606 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:32,399 Speaker 1: At gingwishtree. Sixty if you've been Enjoying, NUTSWORLD i hope 607 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:34,920 Speaker 1: you'll go To Apple podcast and both rate us with 608 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:37,960 Speaker 1: five stars and give us a review so others can 609 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,520 Speaker 1: learn what it's all. About right, now listeners Of newtsworld 610 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: consign up for my three free weekly columns at gainwistree 611 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:49,360 Speaker 1: sixty dot com slash. NEWSLETTER i Have Newt. Gingrich this 612 00:36:49,520 --> 00:37:01,200 Speaker 1: Is newtsworld