♪♪ Scott: For many of us 2020 could not end soon enough.

What can we expect in 2021?

Joining us today to talk about what the future might look like is Sacramento Bee columnist Marcos Bretón and columnist Ed Goldman of The Goldman State.

Marcos, how would you describe 2020?

Marcos: Uh, worst year ever?

Um, COVID-19 exacerbated all of the inequality that already existed in Sacramento, made it worse.

Um, we, uh, have been isolated from each other.

Uh, and one of the things I love about Sacramento is, um, uh, the communal nature of the community and gathering, uh, and many legacy businesses like Biba Restaurant have gone under.

So, it is a year that will live in infamy for me.

Ed: I quite agree.

Um, uh, I also -— it's interesting, we... we tried to make some predictions here last year and, um, I was reminded of, uh... uh... the, uh, charlatan who was very big in L.A. years ago, named Criswell and he had a show called Criswell Predicts.

And he came on the Jack Paar show once and he said "“97% of my predictions are accurate.

"” And Jack Paar said, "“Yes, 3% of the time.

"” [laughs] Ed: Um, I thought it was interesting and I think that's kind of-— we had a very unpredictable year.

Um, we saw the birth of a lot of new clichés, like "“unpresidented,"” uh... uh... uh "“we're all in this together,"” but all of them like clichés usually are, were quite true.

Scott: Mhm.

And... and... and Marcos, for the record, uh, when we, uh, had a similar show like this back in 2020, and, um, prior to the pandemic I think it's suffice to say that all of our predictions were... were basically blown out.

But I'm curious, given the fact that the pandemic has dominated so much of our conversation during the past, uh, year, at least ... the past March, what do you w-— what do you both think of what'’s going to be the single biggest issue outside the pandemic itself that will dominate the headlines this year?

And... and, Ed, why don'’t we start with you.

Ed: Well, I think the, um, one of the-— first of all, two of the predictions, uh, Marcos and I made did come true about Trump losing, um, uh, that did happen.

Uh, I think we're going to see, um, uh, finally some action on the homeless, which is something I was very concerned with last year that it was strictly an optic approach which was taking place in Sacramento, uh, "“Get rid of them.

We don't want to see them.

"” Some of that'’s still going on, but I think there's a new commitment to really doing something.

My... my concern is that, uh, this past week, the city council voted to do something, but it's going to take six months to get the study to do the something.

But, uh... and in the meantime, a lot of people are going to be very cold on... on the streets.

But I-— Scott: You know, Marcos, I...

I... going, uh, tagging on what Ed just said about, um, this recent action related to homelessness, and now a new master plan effort.

One of the observations that's been made over the past several months is that the pandemic itself has surfaced things that we all knew were there but frankly, maybe we didn't pay enough attention to, or took for granted in terms of their seriousness.

Uh, how... how do you... how do you see that?

Marcos: Yeah, I mean, that's, um, certainly what... what, uh, I felt that, um... Well, for example, uh... uh, we... many of my neighbors and colleagues learned that, um, our public schools, uh, feed people, uh, and, uh, there were many restaurateurs who, because their restaurants were closed, got involved in city efforts to make food and... and distribute it.

And, um, to a person, they were blown away by the... the, uh, long line of cars, uh, of families lining up at schools to pick up meals, particularly on Fridays, that would last them through the weekend.

Uh, and, uh, these are people who are hungry, and they've been hungry.

And, you know, when our economy was booming and our city and region was booming, we sort of conveniently overlooked that, uh, and tolerated that.

Uh, the other one for me, uh, is the, uh, continued, um, abuse of, uh, Latino workers, uh, in our region and in our state, uh, workers that are essential to our most essential industries.

Scott: Tell us more about that, Marcos.

Marcos: Well, for example, you know, in California, we know that agriculture is our life's blood.

It's not Hollywood, it's not-— it's more than Silicon Valley.

Uh, and yet, uh, the... the... the workers who make that engine go are primarily from Mexico, the same people who are demonized, uh, and the same people who, um, the rest of us as bystanders, uh... uh... uh, allow them to be demonized while at the same time, they are responsible for putting food on our table.

Uh, and that is a shame of Sacramento and of California that continues, uh, with the weak leadership of Gavin Newsom and the state legislature that just does not do nearly enough to not only stand up for these workers, but to push back, uh, on the hatred, uh, that is... that is spread by Republican politicians.

And to me, um, that is one of many issues that I see that we've tolerated in the past.

And that has really made me change the way I feel about Sacramento, a community that I still love, but that, uh, a community that is not, uh, what it should be.

Scott: Well, we're gonna come back to that in a few moments, but I want to...

I want to talk a little bit more about the role that Gavin Newsom and the legislature, uh, have on issues, um, like, uh, the plight of the Latino community, uh, and workers within California.

Ed, there is right now, a embryonic, but growing effort to attempt to recall Gavin Newsom and Marcos speaks to, uh... uh, his views on the Republican party.

One of the people that just most recently has put an oar in the water on that recall is San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer who is forming an exploratory committee and that, uh, you connected to them on Twitter.

A guy who has been silent for his entire tenure by and large on Twitter, uh, now, uh, out-Twitter's Donald Trump on a daily basis, but he's purely focused on Newsom.

Uh, what do you think the prospects of the governor are for the coming year and in particular, this effort that's uh, growing in some energy related to recall?

Ed: I, uh, I think it's possible the recall election would take place.

I don't think he will be taken out of office.

I think Newsom'’s problem from the beginning is a problem with many politicians and particularly those raised with the silver spoon in their mouths, is that they think the rules don't apply.

We... we learned that during his, uh, French Laundry visit and other things.

Um, if you watch his constant, uh, updates on things, they're actually very substantive, but he has this tendency to be Willy Loman from "“Death of a Salesman"” where he just wants to be liked.

And so, he'll say something and will do a little half smile, half giggle, half this, half that, and you kind of go, just get on with it, man.

We like you.

Or we don't like you.

Um, I think he's, um, I think he's got a very good heart, but there's also a very large degree of silliness, uh, in his image that he has to get over.

And I think that, um, once the Democrats, uh, pull together, as I think this presidential, uh, the Georgia election and the presidential election, uh, will prove, um, I think he's going to be very hard to remove.

I think...

I think the Democrats are going to get their wagons in a circle.

I don't have any love for him, but I think he'll stay.

Scott: Well...well, let me push back a little bit on you on that, Ed, because-— Ed: Sure.

Scott: There-—something interesting happened, which hasn't gotten a lot of coverage, uh, post the November election.

And that is, is that, at least from a congressional standpoint, the Republicans took back some seats here in California... Ed: Right.

Scott: And there are some who believe that a one-party rule in California is showing, uh, a few seams and defects and that there is an opening.

And I think that might be what's driving, uh, Mayor Faulconer.

Ed: I think you'’re right, Scott...

I think you're right.

I think, um, what you're saying actually is just the cyclical nature of politics.

Uh, um, everybody loves everybody for four years or eight years and they don't love anybody at all.

Uh, Trump was, uh, I-— I couldn't believe he got the presidency in the first place.

Although actually I won money on that bet years ago, which was strange.

And I still have Democrats who are very mad at me.

And I said, "“I didn't make him president, I just bet he would win,"” because there was a lot, there was enough anger out there.

Uh, now I think there's anger among the Republicans in California and, um, what they do with it, I don't know.

Um, the one... the one fun thing that people have said is that, uh, when it comes to choosing a candidate or getting-— Republicans, uh, fall in line and Democrats fall in love.

Um, uh, the Republicans, that's why they win a lot of things when they actually do get their minds set on it.

But they're in such disarray right now I don't know that they're going to be able to recall Newsom.

I don't know that they're going to be able to get more congressional seats, not in this year.

I don't think so.

Scott: Marcos, what do you think about Newsom's prospects and what he faces this year?

Marcos: Uh, well, I never loved Newsom from the beginning.

Uh, and I... uh, since he was the mayor of San Francisco have found him to be, um, a Democratic version of Arnold Schwarzenegger in that he sort of rules by press conference and, uh...

He's a pretty boy, um, who has been bankrolled by some of the richest people in California and has lived a privileged life and has demonstrated that, uh, as the governor where, uh, his children go to a private non- union school.

And before the most recent spike were able to be in school while my children and the children many Californians in public schools, uh, did not have that privilege and will not have that privilege for a while because, uh, bowing to, um, uh, his... his own political interests, uh, the governor is insisting that, uh, going back to school, uh, cannot happen until there's a memorandum of understanding between the district and its labor partners.

And if you have children in the Sacramento City Unified School District, that means that ain't gonna happen.

That means they're not going to agree to anything, and nobody will be able to do anything about it, least of all our supercilious governor.

So, uh... uh, I have no love for the guy.

Um, uh, he, uh, he bungled the... the... the COVID-19 response because he wanted to be loved and gave in and let people go back and do things when we needed to hunker down.

Uh, and to me, uh, I don't know if his heart is in the right place.

I don't know where his heart is except promoting himself and so, he's facing blowbacks for that.

Whether the Republicans can do anything about it, uh, you know, it's an incompetent party, almost an irrelevant party in California.

I -— I'm not convinced of that, but... but the... the sadder, uh, the sadder thing for me is that there... there is no viable alternative for Gavin Newsom so he's who we're stuck with.

Ed: I would...

I would like to just add that, uh, on most points, Marcos and I are in violent agreement with each other on Newsom.

And I, uh, I...

I quite agree with almost everything he said.

I was never in love with him either.

Uh, we both agree that there's a silliness, that there's a privilege there, but, uh, and... and that the Republicans are probably too disarrayed to do anything about it in California.

But I do...

I do hear you.

I...

I...

I agree with, uh, just about everything you said.

Scott: Well, talking about, uh, what Marcos just said that he doesn't think that there's any alternative to Newsom right now.

I-— I'm curious Ed, who are some of the emerging voices, the new voices, both within our region, but also on the state and national stage that you're most interested in watching during 2021?

Ed: Well, it's interesting, last year when you had Marcos and I on, I said one guy to keep your eye on was Steve Hansen, the city councilman who proceeded to lose his race for reelection.

Uh, I still think we should keep our eye on him.

Uh, not-— probably for assem-—an assembly seat, uh, because he's a very, very smart guy.

Uh, I know him barely at all, but, uh... uh, I don't-—and he'’s... he's very young, he's down, but not out.

Uh, and maybe this has been a humbling, uh, experience for him.

Uh, statewide, uh, it's pretty hard to tell.

I would think we're going to see the emergence of, uh, Black and Latino, uh, candidates, uh, stepping up to higher... higher positions, uh, in California.

As far as Newsom, um, it'’s very hard to take out... know, Gray Davis was not-— he was a polarizing figure, and he had no particular persona.

So, he was not hard to take out by an orange movie star, you know, uh, Schwarzenegger, but, um, in case anybody missed that.

Um, uh, but I think Newsom would be a lot harder because he has so much money lined up behind him, has for many, many years.

And as I said earlier, um, he's one of those politicians raised to think the rules don't apply to him, uh, as his check at a French Laundry proved.

Scott: Marcos.

What about you?

Who are you watching?

Marcos: Well, I mean, in Sacramento, we're gonna... we're gonna see the rise of the millennials and, you know, one thing that I got wrong last year when we had our discussion was, you know, who were we watching.

And I, uh, I would have been really smart if I had said this is the year that millennials ascend to power at Sacramento.

Katie Valenzuela, and Mai Vang were elected to the city council.

Um, and so, uh, we will see, uh, if a new generation, um, uh, can, uh, can, um, have any more success, uh... uh, in changing, um, uh, the way we live in Sacramento.

Um, they, uh, this generation, um, uh, uh, really communicates in a different way.

They communicate on Twitter.

They put everything out there, um, uh, for... for good or ill. And I...

I can't decide if it is good or bad, but, uh... uh, we're going to find out because it's, you know, as we all find out, it's... it's one thing to be a candidate and it's another thing to govern.

Uh, and, uh, I, uh, I, on the statewide level, um, you know, there are some people who were... who were rising who've now had their... their path blocked.

Lorena Gonzalez, uh, in the... in the legislature was poised, uh, for the Secretary of State job, but the reshuffling...

Uh, sending Xavier Becerra from the AG to, uh, to Washington potentially, uh, opened up, um, uh, some spots, uh, in... in the sense that-— and then Alex Padilla went-— is going from the Secretary of State job to Washington.

And Secretary of State was something that Lorena Gonzales has been campaigning for for years.

And so, she's arguably the most influential legislator in California right now.

And she is going to spend 2021 figuring out what's next for her.

Um, uh, and, uh, I really hope that, uh, you know, Shirley Weber and, uh, and, uh, and some of the other, uh, women in the legislature have their moment now.

Uh, and... and... and also rise to the level of... of really vying to be Governor of California or... or... or Senator, and not the same old Bay Area retreads that we've had, uh, in recent years.

Scott: I was talking about the tyranny of San Francisco, and incidentally Marcos, there is one... one position that you didn't mention, which I'm curious to get you and Ed'’s take on, which is what does Newsom do with the Attorney General seat?

Um, that's still vacant, it hasn't been filled and that's not only an important role in California, but typically a steppingstone to higher office.

Marcos: Well, it's...

Uh, there are many Asian American, um, Democrats right now who are saying, what about us?

You know, we're... we're, uh, we're here too.

And so, Rob Bonta, uh... uh, his name is... is heavily linked to the AG job.

But I will also say, uh, don't overlook, don't sleep on Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

Um... Ed: That's what I was going to say.

Absolutely.

Marcos: That is the position that, um, uh... uh, I know what excite him, uh, and he's really been slumming it, uh, as the Mayor of Sacramento and is really-— he really took a beating, uh, in 2020 and has learned that it's... it's... it's, uh, it's much harder to be the mayor of Sacramento when nobody wants you to have any power.

But then they blame you when things go wrong.

And so, I think the AG job, uh, would, uh, would be one that he would want very much.

Ed: I agree with Marcos.

I...

I wanted to say one thing about Lorena Gonzales, and she was responsible for AB5, which cost me an 8-year contract I had with the Sacramento Business Journal where I used to write a daily column.

Um, and it almost-— she's getting blow back on almost every provision of AB5.

She's also the one who told Elon Musk what he could do with himself as far as staying in California.

And the last time I heard he was in Texas and doing just great.

He was followed by other industrialists as well and I think some of that, uh... uh... uh migration to, uh, to Texas in particular is going to take place.

I think Lorena is a poison pill for the Democrats, and I think she is for the state.

Um, that's one place where Marcos and I disagree.

Uh, um, uh, I think every time she opens her mouth, she makes a huge mistake, and she has to pull one foot out before the other one... Scott: Well... well, actually Ed, let's stay on that point for a second because, uh, there are a number of people, uh, within the business communities and people that write about business issues, not just in California, but nationally who consider the one party, uh, leadership of the Democrats of the State of California to be a poison pill to the long-term economic climate in California.

Uh, every, uh, folks ranging from the Bay Area Council, uh... uh, CEO Jim Wunderman to, um... um, institutional, um, academic Joel Kotkin, uh, have been writing a lot about this issue of the exodus of not just corporations from California because of an unfriendly business and tax climate, but the exodus of the, uh, parts of the population that actually pay the taxes.

Ed: Right.

Scott: And I...

I wonder, uh, is this much ado about nothing, as Governor Jerry Brown told me to my face a couple of years ago, or is this kind of the canary in the cave?

Ed: I think it's the canary.

Um, uh, I think it'll stop, I think it will slow it down because when all is said and done, um, this is California and, uh, well that sounds like a rah-rah comment, it is.

It's like you, there's nothing-— there's no better combination of climate and opportunity than in California, but it's gotten complacent.

Just the way people in Sacramento got complacent about wearing masks, uh... uh, and saying, "“Ah, I don't need that.

"” And that's why we have some of the worst COVID numbers.

Um, so I think there will be a leveling off of a lot of this stuff.

Uh, right now, uh, and this week as we speak there's, um, uh, tensions are very high, uh, and... and celebrations are going on and protests simultaneously.

So, I think we've got to see in about six months how this actually starts equalizing, which I think it will.

Scott: Marcos, do you have any thoughts on this whole business climate issue and how it affects the recovery in 2021?

Marcos: I mean, Elon Musk left personally, but he still has operations here in California.

And the... the flip side of Ed'’s argument is, uh, Prop 22, uh, and businesses, and a couple of big grocery chains in Southern California who just fired all their employees and are gonna hire them as contractors and, you know, businesses trying to get around paying workers a living wage and benefits.

And as an older person, as you can see with my silver beard, my... my COVID beard, uh, I-— I'm going to have a pension, um, uh, to fall back on.

Uh, but a lot of my younger colleagues in my industry will not, uh, and, uh, we shouldn't lose sight of that.

That... um, uh, I, uh, see nothing wrong with trying to make sure that people are able to live and make their way through the... the middle class, uh, because that's, uh, creating wealth as well and creating equality, community.

Uh, and, uh, if, uh, people are working a couple of jobs and, uh, they still can't make it work, then that doesn't work either.

Uh, and so I'm less sympathetic to, uh, corporate CEOs who, um, uh, in a fit of pique leave the state.

I...

I, uh, I think at the end of the day, California will continue to get... Scott: What about, though, Marcos, the small business owners who unlike, uh, Elon Musk and people like that, have very little to fall back on and it's been, stop, start, stop, start.

What about them and the employees that they have, and they tend to be a lot closer to their individual employees in terms of their... their economic conditions and others.

Are we not focusing enough on them and too much on the Musk'’s of the world?

Marcos: We'’re not.

But that's long standing and that continues, uh, that, um, uh, that, you know, I'm not worried about Elon Musk and some of these folks they're... they're going to be fine.

Uh, and... and they, uh, they are doing just fine.

Uh, but there are many, many small businesses, uh, if you just want to focus on the City of Sacramento that have gone under and more will go under, uh... uh, as, uh, as a consequence of us, uh, bungling the rollout, uh, of... of the vaccines and that at the... at the present rate is going to take years to vaccinate people.

And if... if... if we're still... if... if we're doing this show a year from now and we are not fully back up and running again, there's a lot of people who won't make it.

And I...

I think that we only pay lip service to, uh, small businesses.

Um, and I...

I don't see Governor Newsom making that enough of a priority.

I see him going to the French Laundry with his, with his lobbyist pals.

And that-— the reason that that, uh, that... that symbol resonated is because it speaks to, uh, the way California is right now, which is to protect the status quo, as opposed to trying to lift people up.

Scott: Let's talk about protection and... and we... just very briefly in our final moments.

Ed, when is it that you predict that we will be past the pandemic and back to normal?

That means the masks off and back to the life we knew prior to March of 2020?

Ed: If things go well, later in 2022.

Scott: Hm, Marcos?

Marcos: Yeah, I...

I fear that we're still a good year away from, uh, being able to, uh... uh, gather together the way we used to.

I fear that much of 2021 is going to be spent vaccinating and... and, uh, and still having to socially distance and mask.

I-— I'm hoping that, uh, my children will go back to school at some point, but, um, uh, um, I guess I will be surprised and happy if it happened in 2021.

Scott: I hope that in both cases, you both are wrong, and I can say so when we get together this time next year.

And that's our show.

Thanks to our guests and thanks to you for watching Studio Sacramento.

I'm Scott Syphax, see you next time right here on KVIE.

♪♪ ♪♪ Scott: All episodes of Studio Sacramento, along with other KVIE programs, are available to watch online at kvie.org/video.