Our guest today is Jim Wunderman, who has been at or near the center of Bay Area Politics for four decades, starting with his time working in the office of then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein taught Wunderman to think of the larger San Francisco region as one interconnected entity, an approach that ultimately made him a perfect fit as the head of the Bay Area Council.  Wunderman served as the CEO of BAC for just over 21 years.

Last month he announced that he will be leaving the organization to head up public affairs for California Forever, the ambitious project to create en entirely new European-style city on what is now cow pasture just outside of Rio Vista.  California Forever is the dream of Jan Sramek, a Czechoslovakian emigre who sees the project as a major step in solving California's housing crisis. He's convinced a bevy of billionaires to back him - now it will be up to Wunderman to get California's political decision makers on board. 

1:17 Dana Williamson

6:40 Last week's WWCA winner: Kevin Kiley

7:45 Capitol Weekly news

9:20 Jim Wunderman

12:13 BAC's bipartisan success

15:36 CEQA reform

19:53 New leadership at BAC?

20:56 From Feinstein's office to BAC

27:12 "I met Nancy Pelosi in 1984..."

28:47 California Forever

34:34 Impact of Climate Change on project?

38:13 Timeline

41:43 WWCA

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang

"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.