Why the People Who'd Fix California Are the Ones Leaving | Pete Peterson

Will Traditional Media Companies Survive? | Seema Mehta

Guest: Seema Mehta, LA Times Senior Political Reporter  Guest Bio:  Seema Mehta is a legendary political journalist who has covered California and national politics for the Los Angeles Times since 1998. For a generation, she has reported extensively on state houses, gubernatorial races, and presidential campaigns across the nation. Mehta is currently a fellow at the University of Southern California (USC) Center for the Political Future, where she teaches and mentors the next generation of journalists and political scientists. Show Summary How does a democracy function when the institutional referees covering state government begin to vanish? In this episode of State of Gold, host Jon Slavet sits down with veteran Los Angeles Times reporter Seema Mehta to analyze the profound structural transformations sweeping through modern media and California's fiscal architecture. Mehta traces the multi-generational contraction of legacy print journalism, detailing the transition of the Los Angeles Times from over a century of Chandler family ownership, through corporate consolidation, to a billionaire owner whose initial newsroom investments have given way to deep cuts. The conversation explores how the loss of reporting bodies in state houses has coincided with a generational shift toward social media platforms like TikTok, eroding the era of shared, "trusted referees" in favor of partisan echo chambers like MSNBC and Fox. Turning her focus to fiscal policy, Mehta breaks down the hidden complexities of the proposed Billionaire Tax. While signature gatherers outside grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and Ralph’s find easy success with simple "tax the rich" slogans, she notes the underlying hazard to a state budget with 8,000 families footing 25% of the state budget and less than 1% of taxpayers generating 40% of the total revenue. Finally, the two share a lighthearted yet resonant look at avoiding professional cynicism, with Mehta deploying a striking historical analogy to explain why mentoring next-generation students is the ultimate tool for renewing political idealism. Chapters 00:00 – A Generation at the Times: Tracking California's Political Shifts 00:28 – From the Chandlers to Billionaire Cuts: The Shrinking of State House Reporting 01:22 – Ad Side vs. Edit Side: Navigating Advertorial Pressures in For-Profit Media 02:14 – The TikTok Shift: Fragmented News Demographics and the Loss of Trusted Referees 03:32 – The Monopoly Man Slogan: The Complicated Reality of the Billionaire Tax 04:28 – Volatile Math: Why Less Than 1% of Electorate Funding 40% of the Budget Is a Risk 05:00 – The Lady Bathory Analogy: Renewing Idealism via Next-Gen USC Fellowships Connect with Seema Mehta  * Twitter: https://x.com/LATSeema [https://x.com/LATSeema] * LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/seema-mehta-58232b2 [http://linkedin.com/in/seema-mehta-58232b2] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latseema/ [https://www.instagram.com/latseema/] Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to our podcast, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and join the conversation on Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #stateofgoldpodcast Connect with State of Gold * X: https://x.com/realjonslavet [https://x.com/realjonslavet] * Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about [https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en] * Website: www.stateofgold.com [https://stateofgold.com/]

The Report Arguing for a Nuclear Comeback | Paige Lambermont

Guest Paige Lambermont - Research Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute Guest Bio  Paige Lambermont is a prominent energy policy analyst and researcher whose work focuses on grid reliability, optimal power resource allocation, and the technical integration of emerging technologies. A leading voice in nuclear power development and electricity infrastructure, Lambermont has authored definitive reports analyzing the structural intersection between massive artificial intelligence data demands and the national electricity infrastructure. Known for advocating a freedom-minded, private-capital approach to utility development, Lambermont works closely with research groups across the United States to examine state-level regulatory reform, renewable portfolio standards, and the economic feasibility of next-generation power systems.  Show Summary By 2030, the oncoming wave of artificial intelligence and high-tech data centers could consume as much electricity as 95 million American homes. In this episode of State of Gold, host Jon Slavet is joined by energy policy analyst Paige Lambermont to break down a looming infrastructure crisis and explain why California must reverse its decades-long ban on nuclear power plant development. Lambermont exposes the stunning irony of California energy policy: The state relies heavily on importing power from neighboring grids, and overseas oil, while intentionally excluding stable base-load power sources like nuclear and large hydro from its net-zero energy goals. The discussion dives deep into real-world economics and safety, with Lambermont dismantling historical PR panics surrounding Three Mile Island and Fukushima, and showing how France successfully secures and recycles its closed-cycle nuclear waste. From evaluating Germany’s catastrophic "energy transition" failure to outlining how consumer-regulated, off-grid utilities can protect small businesses from soaring $7 gas prices, this episode is a clear-eyed look at why a booming economy cannot survive on a low-energy diet. Chapters 00:00 – The 95 Million Homes Stat: Sizing up the AI Data Center Power Surge 00:58 – Silicon Valley Irony: Categorically Banning Nuclear in Tech’s Capital 01:43 – The Accounting Game: Why California Imports 15% of its Nuclear Power 02:22 – Private Industry vs. Poured Concrete: Lowering the Regulatory Barriers 04:43 – Intentionally Breaking the Grid: The Distortion of Energy Subsidies 06:49 – Defining Work: Why There Are No Wealthy, Low-Energy Societies 08:35 – Exposing the Hypocrisy: Tanker Emissions and the Reality of Energy Imports 10:06 – $7 Gas Insanity: The Hidden Squeeze of California’s Fuel Taxes 11:43 – Recalibrating Safety: The Real Science of Meltdowns and Passive Measures 13:00 – The Ethics vs. Safety Panics: Germany’s Energy Transition Warning 14:38 – The French Model: Closed-Cycle Uptime and 80% Nuclear Base-Loads 15:46 – 18-Month Straight Runs: Explaining the 93% Capacity Factor 16:31 – NRC Standards: National Security, Sleepers, and Airplane-Strike Scrutiny 18:42 – Freedom-Minded Utilities: Tracking Best and Worst State Spectrums 19:47 – Rapid Fire: Prizing European Scarcity over Economic Productivity View the report here: https://www.independent.org/wp-content/uploads/article/2026/04/2026_04_cagf_nuclear.pdf Connect with Paige Lambermont * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-lambermont-93aa32128 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-lambermont-93aa32128] * Website: https://cei.org/experts/paige-lambermont/ [https://cei.org/experts/paige-lambermont/] * X: https://x.com/paigelambermont [https://x.com/paigelambermont] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigelambermont/ [https://www.instagram.com/paigelambermont/] Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to our podcast, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and join the conversation on Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #stateofgoldpodcast Connect with State of Gold * X: https://x.com/realjonslavet [https://x.com/realjonslavet] * Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about [https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en] * Website: www.stateofgold.com [https://stateofgold.com/]

The Hidden Voting Bloc That Decides SF Elections | Jay Donde

Guest: Jay Donde, Co-Founder of the Briones Society Guest Bio:  Jay Donde is an attorney for a leading enterprise software company headquartered in San Francisco, and was previously an associate at the law firm of Morrison & Foerster, LLP. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and Harvard Law School, and is a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces. He serves as the political affairs Vice Chair of the San Francisco Republican Party and as a delegate to the California Republican Party, and is Co-Founder and President of the Briones Society. His columns have been published in Bloomberg, City Journal, Wired, SFGate, and the Marina Times. Show Summary San Francisco is often portrayed as an electric-blue monolith—but underneath the surface lies a growing block of "closeted" conservative thinkers and independent voters who are deciding high-stakes local elections. In this episode of State of Gold, host Jon Slavet sits down with attorney and Briones Society Co-Founder Jay Donde to explore the changing ideological ground of California’s most famous progressive laboratory. Donde dives straight into the "dirty little secrets" of San Francisco politics, mapping out how a modest block of 40,000 registered Republicans and tens of thousands of No Party Preference (NPP) independents have positioned themselves as a crucial swing constituency. Slavet and Donde evaluate Mayor Daniel Lurie's historic approval numbers and look ahead to the major fiscal battles he will face when standing up to the public sector unions. The heat turns up as the team tackles the Billionaire Tax, breaking down why wealth taxes run completely counter to optimal tax theory by encouraging wealth migration. With startup founders and venture capitalists viewing the ballot measure as an "existential threat" that treats the state as a purely extractive mechanism, Donde details the looming threat of an innovation exodus. From calculating the technical math of a statewide Republican turnaround to a sensible framework for regulating artificial intelligence without fracturing the market into a patchwork quilt of fifty competing laws, this episode is an essential guide to restoring balance and sanity to California. Chapters 00:00 – Preview: Deciding Swing Seats and Tech’s Breaking Point 00:20 – Co-Working Politics: Welcoming Jay Donde at Neon 00:48 – The Closet Conservatives: Unpacking San Francisco's NPP Voters 01:44 – Stigma or Survival? City Government as a GOP Recruiting Tool 02:44 – Mayor Daniel Lurie’s Approval Ratings 04:05 – Blighted Boundaries: Public Safety, Property Crime, and the Tenderloin 05:30 – Growing the Bloc: Pushing the City to the Center by 100 Votes 07:07 – Notching Wins: Rebuilding the Ground Infrastructure of the CA GOP 08:50 – The 400,000 Stat: Activating LA County's Unregistered Consensus 09:24 – Inverting Optimal Tax Theory: The Reality of Wealth Migration 10:04 – An Existential Event: How Founders View the Extractive State 11:53 – AI Policy: Why California Needs to Avoid the Legislative Gold Rush 14:09 – Patchwork Quilts vs. Federal Moratoriums on State AI Law 14:45 – Rapid Fire: Denuding Public Sector Unions and Politics as a Throttle Connect with Jay Donde * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-donde/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-donde/] * Website: https://www.brionessociety.org/ [https://www.brionessociety.org/] Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to our podcast, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and join the conversation on Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #stateofgoldpodcast Connect with State of Gold * X: https://x.com/realjonslavet [https://x.com/realjonslavet] * Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about [https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en] * Website: www.stateofgold.com [https://stateofgold.com/]

The 2028 Race Is Already Over for Kamala Harris | Tom Del Beccaro

Guest Tom Del Beccaro, Former California GOP Chair Guest Bio Tom Del Beccaro is an acclaimed author, speaker, and the former Chair of the California Republican Party. A veteran political strategist and attorney, he has spent decades navigating the unique landscape of West Coast politics. Del Beccaro is the author of The Divided States of America and a frequent national commentator on fiscal policy, regulatory reform, and constitutional law. Known for his tactical acumen, he was the last Republican chair to successfully qualify a citizens’ initiative on the California state ballot. He currently publishes extensively on economic policy, focusing on structural solutions to California’s affordability crisis and middle-class tax burdens.  Show Summary Del Beccaro pulls no punches regarding his 2016 Senate opponent, Kamala Harris, detailing what he calls a long-standing history of being unprepared and relying on political "kingmakers" like Willie Brown rather than executive acumen and hard work. Turning his sights to Gavin Newsom, Del Beccaro exposes a stunning vacuum of real-world management experience, noting that the Governor routinely fails to convene crucial legislative and private sector meetings to address massive structural catastrophes like the supply chain crisis, the Palisades, or the statewide insurance collapse. The conversation pivots to a strategic masterclass on political turnarounds. Del Beccaro explains why trying to out-conservative opponents fails in California, arguing instead that Republicans must bypass the legislature entirely by placing discrete, solution-oriented initiatives directly into voters' hands. From a blunt financial reality check on BART’s $14 billion taxpayer bailout to a chilling forecast on how the proposed wealth tax will permanently drive away the state's core tax base, this episode offers a roadmap for restoring a competitive political marketplace in the Golden State. Chapters 00:00 – Confronting Kamala: Lessons from the 2016 Senate Trail 01:50 – Kingmakers and Traffic Commissions: Kamala and Gavin 03:25 – The Management Vacuum: Why Gavin Newsom Doesn't Do Legislative Meetings 04:08 – Unaddressed Crises: From Supply Chains to the Insurance Collapse 05:42 – The Gate to 2028: Polling Weaknesses and the $1.3 Billion Donor Backlash 07:42 – Soft Ground: Adam Schiff and the Divisive New Era of the US Senate 10:31 – The Chairman’s Playbook: Winning California Through Discrete Initiatives 11:08 – Fixing the Pothole: How to Build a Comeback Without Home Runs 14:30 – Limiting the Spreadsheet: The Private Sector View on Bill Appropriations 15:33 – Funding Failure: Why BART and High-Speed Rail Won’t Recover Ridership 17:53 – A Tax Too Far: The Law of Demand and the 145,000 High Earner Exodus 20:53 – Rapid Fire: The Soviet Bread Shop, Human Ingenuity, and a State in Trouble Connect with Tom Del Beccaro * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-del-beccaro-6359885/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-del-beccaro-6359885/] * Twitter/X: https://x.com/tomdelbeccaro [https://x.com/tomdelbeccaro] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomasgdelbeccaro [https://www.facebook.com/thomasgdelbeccaro] Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to our podcast, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and join the conversation on Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #stateofgoldpodcast Connect with State of Gold * X: https://x.com/realjonslavet [https://x.com/realjonslavet] * Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about [https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en] * Website: www.stateofgold.com [https://stateofgold.com/]

CA Cities & Counties are Robbing Homeowners Blind | Jon Coupal

Guest: Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Guest Bio:  Jon Coupal is one of California's most prominent taxpayer advocates and an expert on public finance and election law. He serves as the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, a grassroots citizens organization dedicated to protecting the landmark property tax limitations established under 1978's Proposition 13. A seasoned constitutional attorney, Coupal has spent decades defending taxpayer rights in both state and federal courts, and challenging tax hikes and regulatory loopholes engineered by municipal governments. He has been a pivotal structural force behind multiple successful statewide ballot measures, continuing a legacy of fiscal discipline, accountability, and constitutional guardrails against over-taxation. Show Summary "Nobody has ever been hired by a poor person," says Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association President Jon Coupal. In this episode of State of Gold, host Jon Slavet sits down with Coupal to unpack the heavy economic toll of California's record-setting tax rates and the growing grassroots effort to put power back in the hands of voters.Coupal breaks down the structural importance of the newly qualified Local Taxpayer Protection Act slated for California’s November ballot. He reveals how the California State Supreme Court has steadily degraded Proposition 13 over the decades, using judicial loopholes to let local municipalities sidestep the state's traditional two-thirds voter threshold for special taxes. He shares how the act seeks to halt "equity theft" by capping aggressive real estate transfer taxes—such as Los Angeles's controversial Measure ULA—and ensure that special interest tax hikes are subject to the original intent of the law. The discussion shifts to a strategic war-room map, where Coupal explains the power of their 200,000-member grassroots network and their success at defeating tax-expansion measures despite being outspent 10-to-1. Turning his focus to the Governor's race, he evaluates Steve Hilton’s proposal to eliminate income taxes for those earning under $100,000, pointing out how pervasive state agency fraud provides more than enough "juice in the squeeze" to offset the loss. From tracking the "Trojan Horse" mechanics of the Billionaire Tax to detailing why a CA zero-income-tax roadmap can prevent a middle-class exodus, this episode is a blueprint for how a "sick" state can recover. Chapters 00:00 – Drawing the Line: Confronting America’s Highest Tax Bracket 00:23 – Introducing the Local Taxpayer Protection Act 00:32 – Closing the Loopholes: Restoring the Guardrails of Proposition 13 01:15 – Defining Equity Theft: Capping Real Estate Transfer Taxes 01:50 – Complicit Courts: How the State Supreme Court Bypassed Plain Language 03:43 – War Room Strategy: Mobilizing a Coalition of Realtors and Landlords 04:54 – Defeating Proposition 5: Winning a Grassroots Campaign Outspent 10-to-1 07:07 – Lowest ROI: Why California Ranks Dead Last in Return on Investment 09:06 – Saved Revenue vs. Lost Revenue: Endorsing Steve Hilton’s Tax Cuts 10:56 – Reinvigorating the Economy: The Historic Proof of Property Tax Relief 11:12 – The Fraud Explosion: Funding Cuts Through Waste and Bot Scams 12:51 – Exploding the Billionaire Myth: How fine Print Creates an Everyone Tax 15:28 – Constitutional Infirmities: The FTB Enforcement and Ex Post Facto Traps 18:05 – November Rejections: Why the Electorate Isn't as Progressive as its Leaders 19:15 – Rapid Fire: Removing Collective Bargaining and a Sick State’s Recovery Connect with Jon Coupal * Twitter/X: https://x.com/joncoupal [https://x.com/joncoupal] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-coupal-68772ba [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-coupal-68772ba] * Website: https://www.hjta.org/ [https://www.hjta.org/] Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to our podcast, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and join the conversation on Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #stateofgoldpodcast Connect with State of Gold * X: https://x.com/realjonslavet [https://x.com/realjonslavet] * Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about [https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en] * Website: www.stateofgold.com [https://stateofgold.com/]