California Groundbreakers

** This event was held on February 27, 2019 at Antiquite Midtown in Sacramento **

One of the City of Sacramento’s big initiatives: Come up with the right jobs strategy that boosts all of its neighborhoods, especially those with less-than average employment rates and high poverty.

So how is that going? How is Sacramento residents' feedback on the matter being used? What is funding being spent on, and who and where is it benefiting? And how can the City’s government, businesses, nonprofits and us individuals turn these efforts into tangible economic growth and good jobs that boost people’s incomes and improve the neighborhoods they live in?

Join us for another “cocktail conversation” with some Californians who are giving their all to boost economic growth in neighborhoods that need it — and find out how you can help them with their efforts.

PANELISTS

* Melissa Anguiano, economic development manager for the City of Sacramento

* Nicholas Haystings - president and executive director of Square Root Academy, a nonprofit that puts on after-school programs and community events in STEM skills for underrepresented students

* Mariah Lichtenstern - founding partner and managing director of DiverseCity Ventures, a venture capital firm that funds tech companies run by underserved founders

* Tyrone Roderick Williams - director of Sacramento Promise Zone, and director of development for Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency

* Dianna Tremblay - Director of Acceleration for ICA Fund Good Jobs, a nonprofit, impact investment firm focused on creating jobs and economic opportunity in San Francisco and Oakland’s inner cities

PODCAST PLAY BY PLAY

* O to 7:15 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers, and about this topic

* 7:15 min - Panelists introduce themselves, and share the most "interesting" job they've had to date

* 11:15 min - Details about how the City of Sacramento is going to tackle economic inequality

* 18:05 min - What is the Sacramento Promise Zone?

* 24:35 min - How STEM skills are expected to secure good jobs -- and how they're being taught in underserved neighborhoods

* 28:45 min - What's the landscape like in Sacramento for entrepreneurs from economically-disadvantaged areas who want to start and build businesses?

* 34:25 min - How one Bay Area org does it re creating jobs and building economic growth - and how that can be applied here to Sacramento

* 41:50 min - How much should city governments do -- and offer -- to lure companies to town and bring jobs to neighborhoods that need them?

* 50:45 min - What's the private sector's role in getting jobs and economic growth to underserved neighborhoods -- and what should it be?

* 53:30 min - What are efforts to getting economic equality to the City's schools?

* 1 hr, 2:45 min - For struggling neighborhoods that are not in a Promise Zone or an Opportunity Zone, how can they get resources and funding to boost their economic growth?

* 1 hr, 6:20 min - How do you bring the "entrepreneurial spirit" to residents in neighborhoods who have potential but may not have that type of business background or knowledge?

* 1 hr, 16:05 min - What can we, as individuals and as California residents, do to help get economic growth to neighborhoods that need it?

We’re talking with some of Sacramento’s mightiest movers and shakers this year, people who are bringing changes, making waves and putting California’s capital on the map in bold font.

First up is a conversation with two of Sacramento’s most well-known groundbreakers — literally — who are responsible for what the city's growth will look like.

Katherine Bardis and Bay Miry were born into real estate development families, and they’re carrying on the tradition. They like to go into under-the-radar parts of town and revitalize them (Miry's red-hot “R Street Corridor” and the 700 block of K Street; Bardis' housing community, the Mill). They’re taking innovative spins on how “mixed-use” housing and retail should go together, and how it should fit into a community. They’re addressing head-on the challenges of affordable housing and the fear of gentrification. And they just got married.

We're in Ruhstaller’s basement taproom in downtown Sacramento with Bardis and Miry as they tell us about their current construction projects and what Sacramento should/could look like in the future.

PODCAST PLAY BY PLAY

* O to 4:35 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers

* 4:35 min - Katherine and Bay introduce themselves -- and tell us about the buildings in Sacramento they admire most (that are not theirs)

* 10:45 min - Growing up in real estate development families, and how that type of childhood made them want (or not) to go into the family business

* 19 min - A past or present construction project that is particularly significant to each of them, and to Sacramento

* 28:15 min - Who is the target customer these days?

* 36:30 min - How are you adjusting your projects for macro trends (i.e., a potential recession); and what innovative projects around the U.S. do you want to bring to Sacramento?

* 43:15 min - The role of "mixed use" development in Sacramento's future; and is the "Bay Area effect" really happening here?

* 49:30 min - Two wishes for changing how building and development is done in Sacramento

* 51:40 min - Thoughts on our new Governor's plans for tackling California's housing crisis

* 55 min - The role of gentrification in development -- and their role in it

* 1 hr, 1:10 min - If you were given $500,000, what would you build? What about $500 million?

* 1 hr, 5:20 min - The frustrations of a service-industry worker about Sacramento's unaffordable housing - and what can developers do about that?

(photo by Nicholas Wray - www.nicholaswray.com)

** This podcast was recorded on November 9, 2018 **

Good job, you filled out your ballot and cast your votes — now what are you going to get in return? How are the results of Election 2018 going to affect you as a resident, taxpayer and user of services in California?

For our last election-focused “Policy and a Pint, we’re with a savvy group of political experts to discuss the results of Congressional races, top state offices, ballot initiatives, voter turnout -- and what’s next for California in 2019 with a new governor, state legislature and the 116th Congress taking charge.

PANELISTS

* Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation

* Brian Brokaw, principal of Brian Brokaw Consulting, and senior political advisor to Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom

* Tim Rosales, vice president of the Wayne Johnson Agency, and campaign manager for gubernatorial candidate John Cox

PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY

* O to 5:15 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers and this event

* 5:15 min - Panelists introduce themselves, and explain what got them into the crazy world of politics and election campaigns

* 13:45 min - What's notable about the voter turnout in California - was it historic?

* 23:45 min - Gavin Newsom is our next governor - what's he going to tackle first?

* 26:45 min - The future of California's Republican party - do they still have one here?

* 38 min - Congressional Democrats won back the House and Nancy Pelosi will probably be Speaker again - what does that mean for California?

* 44:30 min - Why can't our ballot initiatives be written in easier-to-understand language?

* 48:40 - Surprising results of the state races and ballot initiatives (it wasn't about who won)

* 55:35 min - Are there any ways we can get more people to vote?

* 58:45 min - C'mon, there HAVE to be more ways to encourage people to vote . . . right?

* 1 hr, 6:35 min - Will we be be taking a look at Proposition 13 -- and maybe changing it -- in Election Year 2020?

* 1 hr, 9 min -- Will any city/county initiatives on the ballot this year bubble up to be statewide initiatives that all Californians will vote on in the future?

* 1 hr, 15:10 min - The crystal-ball predictions about what will happen in California politics over the next two years until Election Year 2020

Election 2018 is in full swing -- and now is the time to start figuring out how you're going to vote!

Our Fall 2018 "Policy and a Pints" are focusing on California's General Election ballot. We're holding discussions with panelists who, whether they are "for, " against" or "neutral," will give us the straight talk on local/statewide propositions and races, and what it means if you vote yay or nay on each.

* * * * *

In this podcast, we're talking about Proposition 12, about banning the sale of meat and eggs from animals confined in spaces below specific sizes.

NOTE: Our "No on Proposition 12" panelist had to drop out due to a family emergency, so we only have the "Yes on Proposition 12" panelist, but our moderator did her best to question him thoroughly.

PANELIST

* Chris Holbein, director of public policy of farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the United States

PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY

* O to 3:40 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers, and what this discussion is about

* 3:40 min - Panelist introduces himself and explains how Proposition 2, which we passed a decade ago, leads to Proposition 12 on the ballot today

* 10:30 min - Why is a Washington D.C.-based organization the one behind putting both Propositions 2 and 12 on our state's ballot?

* 11:55 min - Prop 2 was supposed to make chickens cage-free by 2015, but it didn't -- why?

* 14 min - How are farmers supposed to prepare and spend the money to meet Proposition 12's new requirements?

* 15:40 min - If Proposition 12 passes, what does "cage free" mean and visually look like?

* 18:40 min - Who would be in charge of making sure Prop 12's rules and requirements are being met and enforced?

* 20:30 min - Prop 12's opponents say that it would cause meat and egg shortages, raise prices drastically, and shutter farms - what's the response?

* 24:45 min - Proposition 3 wants to regulate interstate commerce of pork, veal and eggs -- how would that work?

* 26:55 min - Some people think Proposition 3 is too conservative and doesn't go far enough -- so why vote for it instead of waiting for another try in 2 to 4 years?

* 30:20 min - Where do farmers stand on Prop 12?

* 32:35 min - Does Prop 3 do anything for hens besides make them cage free?

* 34 min - Why can't savvy farmers and consumers' tastes and trends in food drive the changes to farm animal welfare instead of a ballot initiative?

* 36:35 min - More details on how pigs, sows and calves would benefit from Prop 3

* 38:30 min - With a new governor and legislative session starting in January, what should they be doing better in farm animal welfare matters?

Election 2018 is in full swing -- and now is the time to start figuring out how you're going to vote!

Our Fall 2018 "Policy and a Pints" are focusing on California's General Election ballot. We're holding discussions with panelists who, whether they are "for, " against" or "neutral," will give us the straight talk on local/statewide propositions and races, and what it means if you vote yay or nay on each.

* * * * *

In this podcast, we're talking about Proposition 3, the "Water Bond," about authorizing $8.87 billion in general obligation bonds for water infrastructure, supplies and storage, and watershed and fisheries improvements.

PANELISTS

* Gerald Meral, director of the California water program at the Natural Heritage Institute, and author of Proposition 3

* Eric Parfrey, chairman of the executive committee of Sierra Club California

PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY

* O to 5:35 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers, and what this discussion is about

* 5:35 min - Panelists introduce themselves -- and talk about their favorite body of water in California

* 9:15 min - Meral explains why he put Proposition 3 on the ballot

* 11:30 min - Parfrey explains why the Sierra Club -- and many major newspapers' editorial boards -- are against Proposition 3

* 16:45 min - Wait, didn't we pass a water bond back in June? How does Proposition 3 differ from that one?

* 21:30 min - The "pay to play" factor for who benefits most from Proposition 3

* 25:55 min - Financial accountability and transparency: Who's in charge of spending the funding if Prop 3 passes?

* 28:55 min - Which specific regions and individual local governments would have the most water projects in their areas, and what's the financial impact to them?

* 37:50 min - What's the alternative to Proposition 3?

* 44:20 min - Is there a rural/urban, red-state/blue-state factor to whether people support or oppose Proposition 3?

* 50:55 min - Status update of Proposition 1, the $7 billion water bond we passed 4 years ago -- is another water bond really necessary right now?

* 56:25 min - How to guarantee that the money earmarked for cleaning up the water supply in Central Valley towns goes where it's supposed to

* 1 hr, 20 sec - Panelists explain what will happen if Proposition 3 passes/doesn't pass

Election 2018 is in full swing -- and now is the time to start figuring out how you're going to vote!

Our Fall 2018 "Policy and a Pints" are focusing on California's General Election ballot. We're holding discussions with panelists who, whether they are "for, " against" or "neutral," will give us the straight talk on local/statewide propositions and races, and what it means if you vote yay or nay on each.

* * * * *

In this podcast, we're talking about Measure U, establishing a one-cent sales tax increase -- and making it permanent -- in the City of Sacramento to maintain public services, and be used for investments in youth, affordable housing and inclusive economic development.

PANELISTS

* Craig Powell, chair of the “No on Measure U” campaign

* Zachary Yeates, campaign manager of “Yes on Measure U”

PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY

* 0 to 5:20 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers

* 5:20 min - Panelists introduce themselves, and share the place they enjoy most in Sacramento

* 8:15 min - Yeates gives a backgrounder on Measure U - the original version, and the new concept we're voting on

* 12:45 min - Why Powell is leading the campaign to defeat Measure U

* 16:05 min - What is the money earmarked for, and how will it be spent?

* 31:35 min - How to handle the rising cost of city employees' pension liabilities

* 40:20 min - Alternatives to passing Measure U

* 46:10 min - Besides public services, what other areas does the City want to spend Measure U money on?

* 57:10 min - The "trusting government" issue: City Hall must handle these big issues, but how does it make itself financially accountable and transparent to its residents?

* 1 hr, 3:50 min - Powell and Yeates explain what would happen if Measure U passes/doesn't pass

Election 2018 is in full swing -- and now is the time to start figuring out how you're going to vote!

Our Fall 2018 "Policy and a Pints" are focusing on California's General Election ballot. We're holding discussions with panelists who, whether they are "for, " against" or "neutral," will give us the straight talk on local/statewide propositions and races, and what it means if you vote yay or nay on each.

* * * * *

In this podcast, we're talking about Proposition 6, about repealing 2017’s gas tax and vehicle fee increases, and requiring a public vote on future increases in transportation-specific spending.

PANELISTS

* Kiana Valentine, senior legislative representative for the California State Association of Counties

* David Wolfe, legislative director for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association

PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY

* O to 5:30 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers, and what this discussion is about

* 5:30 min - Panelists introduce themselves -- and talk about their favorite road trip through California

* 7:40 min - The background of Proposition 6: Valentine explains Senate Bill 1 and the passing of the "gas tax"

* 17:50 min - Wolfe explains why Proposition 6 is on the ballot to repeal the gas tax

* 20:50 min - It has been nearly a year since the gas tax started - what has happened in that time?

* 29:55 min - Will Prop 6 force gas companies to lower the price of gasoline at the pump?

* 32:55 min - What if a recession hits: How will that affect our gas use and transportation funding?

* 38:05 min - The federal government's role in fixing infrastructure in California

* 42:30 min - If Prop 6 passes, what would be the ideal outcome?

* 53:20 min - The flip side: What will happen if Prop 6 doesn't pass?

* 55:40 min - How does Prop 6 address climate change and public transit issues?

* 58:20 min - The premise of using cap-and-trade funds to fill in the gaps for transportation funding

* 1 hr, 1:30 min - The "Plan B" proposed by Prop 6 proponents

* 1 hr, 4:55 min - With a new governor and legislative session coming in January, what should they be doing with transportation fixes and funding?

Election 2018 is in full swing -- and now is the time to start figuring out how you're going to vote!

Our Fall 2018 "Policy and a Pints" will focus on California's General Election ballot. We're holding discussions with panelists who, whether they are "for, " against" or "neutral," will give us the straight talk on local/statewide propositions and races, and what it means if you vote yay or nay on each.

* * * * *

Of the 11 propositions on the ballot this year, four of them are focused on housing.

In this podcast, about letting the state use revenue from the "millionaire's tax" on $2 billion in revenue bonds to house homeless people in need of mental health services.

PANELISTS

* Mary Ann Bernard, retired attorney and plaintiff in the lawsuit that led to Prop. 2 being on the ballot

* Maggie Merritt, executive director of the Steinberg Institute

PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY

* 0 to 4:25 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers

* 4:25 min - Panelists introduce themselves, and tell us what their favorite house is in California

* 8:45 min - Merritt explains why a proposition we passed back in 2004 is an important part of Proposition 2

* 16:25 - Bernard explains why she filed a lawsuit and became "the mother of Proposition 2"

* 22:15 min - What Proposition 2 actually is, and what the opposition against it is

* 29:15 min - How the "millionaire's tax" comes into play with funding for Prop 2

* 34 min - Housing or mental health services: What should be provided first when helping the homeless who need both?

* 36:50 min - How Proposition 2 would bring together law enforcement, health providers, public safety officers and other parties to create an integrated treatment process for the mentally-ill homeless

* 41:50 min - What kind of housing and services would Prop 2 provide, and for who specifically?

* 45:05 min - The perspective of a former lender and affordable-housing developer on Prop 2

* 51:25 min - NIMBYism often holds up housing intended for the homeless - how does Prop 2 address that?

* 56:35 min - Does Prop 2 require that the mental-health services come along with the housing?

* 1 hr, 2:40 min - A mental health therapist wants the specific details of housing and services provided in Prop 2

* 1 hr, 11 min - Panelists summarize the pros and cons of Proposition 2 passing/not passing

Election 2018 is in full swing -- and now is the time to start figuring out how you're going to vote!

Our Fall 2018 "Policy and a Pints" will focus on California's General Election ballot. We're holding discussions with panelists who, whether they are "for, " against" or "neutral," will give us the straight talk on local/statewide propositions and races, and what it means if you vote yay or nay on each.

* * * * *

Of the 11 propositions on the ballot this year, four of them are focused on housing.

In this podcast, we're taking a look at Proposition 1, about issuing $4 billion in general bonds for affordable housing-related programs and housing loans for veterans.

PANELISTS

* Laine Himmelmann, director of development for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento

* Rob Wassmer, acting chair of Sacramento State's Department of Public Policy and Administration, and head of its Master's Program in Urban Land Development

PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY

* 0 to 3:50 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers

* 3:50 min - Panelists introduce themselves, and pick their favorite "dream house" in California

* 6:50 min - Starting with a primer on bonds in California - how they're issued, used, spent and paid for

* 14 min - What Proposition 1 covers, and what the $4 billion would be earmarked for

* 16 min - The backstory on why Prop 1 made it to the ballot, and how the state legislature played a role

* 20:30 min - Building homes is an expensive process in California - would Prop 1 make that any easier or less costly?

* 28:45 min - How would Prop 1 affect the revenue that local governments get from housing fees and property taxes?

* 35:30 min - Any specific low-income groups of excluded from this bill, and would the housing built be "affordable housing" for the long term?

* 41 min - How much does the problem of artificial inflation of housing prices by lenders and real estate investors affect the housing supply in California?

* 42:55 min - What is the role of the private sector -- for-profit housing developers -- in Prop 1?

* 45:30 min - What should the next governor and the next legislative session do to address housing, whether Prop 1 passes or not?

* 56:20 min - Panelists explain the pros and cons of Proposition 1 passing/not passing

Election 2018 is in full swing -- and now is the time to start figuring out how you're going to vote!

Our Fall 2018 "Policy and a Pints" will focus on California's General Election ballot. We're holding discussions with panelists who, whether they are "for, " against" or "neutral," will give us the straight talk on local/statewide propositions and races, and what it means if you vote yay or nay on each.

* * * * *

Of the 11 propositions on the ballot this year, four of them are focused on housing.

In this podcast, we're taking a look at Proposition 5, about preserving lower property taxes for Californians age 55 and older who sell their home. It's the first proposition to propose changes to Proposition 13, "the third rail of politics," which California voters passed 40 years ago.

PANELISTS

* Dorothy Johnson, legislative representative for the California State Association of Counties

* David Tanner, CEO of the Sacramento Association of Realtors

PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY

* O to 4:30 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers, and to Proposition 5

* 4:30 min - Panelists introduce themselves, and tell us about their "dream home" in California

* 7 min - Proposition 5 is a lot about the (in)famous Proposition 13 - what did that cover and why was it a big deal?

* 10:25 min - How Proposition 13 has affected city/county budgets and services

* 12 min - Proposition 5: how it would work, who it would benefit -- and who would be hit

* 17 min - If Proposition 5 passed, how would it affect the housing market?

* 21 min - And how would city budgets, school districts and California services be affected if it passed?

* 23 min - Will it only be affluent homeowners who benefit? Why are there no caps on ages or income levels for homeowners who sell?

* 30:10 min - There were three versions of Proposition 5 floating around at one time - how did this version get on the ballot?

* 31:25 min - What the term "split roll" means, and why we may see another proposition about it on the 2020 ballot

* 35:35 min - How would renters be affected if Proposition 5 passes?

* 38:25 min - Panelists list the pros and cons of Proposition 5 passing/not passing

* 44:35 min - What does the California Association of Realtors, the group that put this on the ballot, get financially if Proposition 5?

* 46 min - Do counties get the power to set the rates they charge on the tax base?

* 46:45 min - Panelists give their legislative "wish list:" An ideal housing-focused ballot initiative or policy change that would really make a difference

* 51: 35 min - Will a new governor and legislative session in 2019 make a difference on solutions to the housing crisis?