The East Bay Citizen Podcast heads to one of this year's political hotspots--Berkeley--where Councilmember Jesse Arreguin is running for the city's open mayoral seat. 

Like almost every Bay Area city, the lack of affordable housing, is a big problem. Arreguin describes his ideas for filling the gap and his campaign pledge to innovate Berkeley government.

There's also the problem of Berkeley's slow slide from being a nationally known icon of progressive thought. He says he wants to take back the mantle from local cities like Richmond and Oakland, along with other western cities, like Portland and Seattle.

The East Bay Citizen Podcast is back following the holiday break. Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty joins the program for a lively, entertaining discussion. Haggerty had some new insights into the Raiders stadium saga and, of course, revealed some of his gripes. 

In the past week, Haggerty laid into some Castro Valley residents during a Alameda County Board of Supervisors meeting. He's unapologetic about calling the group "unappreciative" of the board's leadership in the unincorporated area.

Haggerty also touched upon the county campaign finance ordinance he authored in 2010 and its first real test coming with Supervisor Nate Miley's re-election campaign against a well-financed challenger. 

Alameda County District Four Board of Supervisors candidate Bryan Parker travels to my hometown of Castro Valley to lay out his strategy for unseating Nate Miley next June.

Parker, a Port of Oakland commissioner who ran last year for Oakland, is facing an uphill battle against the long-time supervisor who represents cities between East Oakland and Pleasanton, including Castro Valley and other unincorporated areas of Alameda County.

"We're not into putting a scare into anybody," says Parker. "We're here to win."

During the show, I draw parallels between this campaign and another famous East Bay insurgent campaign from four years ago.

Later, Parker's offers his platform for the district, his views on Castro Valley cityhood and his opponent's stance on the future of Oakland's three professional sports team.

The unlikely new epicenter of the East Bay housing crisis is Alameda. On this week's East Bay Citizen Show podcast, Alameda Councilmember Jim Oddie said the move by a South Bay landlord to exploit a section of the city's recently approved 65-day moratorium on rents and eviction was a "slap in the face" to the City Council.

The resulting furor following the issuance of 60-day eviction notices to 33 families at Bay View Apartments in Alameda, said Oddie, could make the offending landlord the new face for a push by tenants to enact a strong rent control policy.

Oddie also works for Assemblymember Rob Bonta and he gives a preview of the lawmaker's potential agenda for the coming legislative year.

In addition, he also describes her less-than-stellar fantasy football team, unfortunately heavy on players from his hometown Chicago Bears. 

It's Thanksgiving week and what better topic is there than giving thanks to the person who blazed the podcasting trail for the East Bay Citizen Show. 

Hayward born and raised Matt Santos drops in from Prescott, Ariz. to chat about his podcast and we walk down memory lane to reminisce about...Wait a minute.

Santos is really on the show to talking about me! About the time I ran for the Chabot College student president while serving as the newspaper's Editor-in-Chief, my rousing campaign speech, the college's fry cook/bookie and his advice for taking the Cowboys even though back-up QB Gary Hogeboom was subbing for the great Danny White, or was it Randy White?

Also, in the news, what's might happen to Oakland Councilmember Desley Brooks after an allegation was reported last week that she assaulted former Black Panther icon Elaine Brown at a restaurant in Oakland? Probably nothing, but the allegation brings to light Brooks' notorious behavior over the past 14 years in office.

Yes, you can include Fremont in Silicon Valley, which many view as part of Santa Clara County, but it's our. Fremont is the second largest city in Alameda County, so why does it get overlooked by Oakland-centric leaders? First-term Mayor Bill Harrison sits down to talk about his city and to tell us about its rise. 

Fremont is more than tree-lined suburbs, good Indian food and Tesla. But it is also growing quickly and boasts one of the only minority-majorities in the country. We also discuss Fremont's recent decision to deploy surveillance cameras at certain freeway exits and the lack of opposition it received from residents.

Also, is it Fremonters or Fremontians? We find out.

Things got wild on this East Bay Citizen Show podcast. Alameda County Democratic Party co-chair Mario Juarez and I look at the political landscape in Oakland. Juarez, a two-time Oakland City Council candidate, is one of the most knowledgeable political insiders in the East Bay, in addition, to one of the funniest.

Is Jean Quan really running for the City Council? "If it walks like a duck..." said Juarez. Is it possible two members of the same council are thinking about retirement? Did Oakland's founders really forget to annex Alameda? jokes Juarez in a satire of the police response at a recent council meeting. And, finally, Juarez gives a loving ode to the splendor of Assemblymember Rob Bonta's gloriously perfect teeth and hair.

All on the the East Bay Citizen Show, the region's only political podcast. Subscribe and listen on iTunes, Stitcher or listen at EBCitizen.com. Follow on Twitter @EBCShow.

Next week's special guest: Fremont Mayor Bill Harrison.

What's in Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's "secret sauce"? Maybe we'll get to the bottom of the city's proprietary ingredients? Or maybe not? Along the way the first-year mayor adds to her State of the City address last week, along with criticism lodged towards her from using the phrase "Black Lives Matter" as a backdrop during the speech at City Hall. Schaaf also left off her list of city priorities the future of the Oakland Raiders in the city and their bid for a new stadium. Later, the mayor talks housing, public safety Uber and "techquity" and previews her education plan, Oakland Promise.

The June Primary is just around the corner and this is the time of the year when prospective campaigns begin forming their teams and begin strategizing for next spring. Under the radar for June is a big race for four seats on the Hayward City Council. The field in Hayward is quickly growing--possibly up to the seven candidates thus far. Former Hayward Councilman Kevin Dowling helps break down the June at-large race, along with the recent suspension of Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan's suspension of her State Senate campaign--also another big June race. Later, I take a look at the Alameda County Board of Supervisors just because nobody else willl, along with the odd testimony on cell phone surveillance offered last week by Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley.

There were fireworks earlier this month at a Hayward School Board of Trustees meeting when Superintendent of Schools Stan "Data" Dobbs verbally abused and allegedly make contact with one or more elected school board members. It's just another setback for one of the most chronically underperforming school s districts in Alameda County. Outspoken Hayward School Trustee Dr. Luis Reynoso is here to discuss the incident and the past and future of the moribund school district. Later in th news, Reynoso stuck around to chat about last week's dedication of the Bill Lockyer Bay Trail in Hayward and the time the former state senate pro tem and state treasurer gave him a tip about not shaking hands with a sweaty palm.