Cal Talk

Calvin McEathron

5.0 (9)
Politics
Updated Semimonthly

Pinellas Interviews

Aug 19

Richie Floyd | St. Pete City Council | Democratic Socialism & St. Pete Politics | Ep. 10

I sat down with St. Pete City Council Member Richie Floyd for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of St. Pete and his views of key issues shaping the city.We discuss democratic socialism, including what it means and the influence of political figures like Zohran Mamdani and Bernie Sanders. Floyd also shares his perspective on capitalism, affordability, housing, development, and public transportation.The conversation also covers several major local issues, including the Gas Plant District redevelopment, Flock cameras, Duke Energy, utility bills, and what Floyd's ideal St. Pete would look like in the future.
Aug 7

Rays Pitcher Ryan Pepiot | Road to the Show, St Pete Spots, Gameday Routines | Cal Talk Ep. 9

🎙️ Episode 9 | Ryan Pepiot | Rays Pitcher, St Pete Aficionado I sat down with Ryan to talk about his road to the MLB, pregame routines and all things St Pete. Ryan grew up as a 3-sport athlete in Indiana, attended Butler, before being drafted by the LA Dodgers. We cover his time at Butler, in the Cape Cod League, the minors, his first MLB start and his trade to the Rays. We discuss what life is like as a pro athlete, superstitions and the importance of an Intermezzo coffee on gameday. On a personal note; it was awesome to hear Ryan's engagement with St Pete (drop restaurant recs for him in the comments) including a ton of charitable work; alongside great organizations like Gigi's Playhouse. As always, please subscribe to Cal Talk on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and follow @caltalkpod on Instagram and Facebook for new episodes, clips, and updates.
Jul 21

Brandi Gabbard | St. Pete City Councilmember & Mayoral Candidate | Cal Talk Ep. 8

🎙️ Episode 8 | Brandi Gabbard | St. Pete City Councilmember & Mayoral CandidateIn this episode of Cal Talk, I sit down with St. Petersburg City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Brandi Gabbard.We discuss Brandi's decision to run for mayor, the priorities shaping her campaign, and her vision for the future of St. Petersburg. Our conversation covers affordability, infrastructure, hurricane resilience, Duke Energy, the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District, and why she previously endorsed Mayor Ken Welch before deciding to challenge him in this year's race.We also talk about urban agriculture and summer gardening in Florida. As always, please subscribe to Cal Talk on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and follow @caltalkpod on Instagram and Facebook for new episodes, clips, and updates.
Jul 14

St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch on the Gas Plant, Hurricanes & Reelection | Ep. 7

I sat down with St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch to discuss his first term as Mayor and his reelection campaign. Our discussion covers: • A history of the Gas Plant District• His selection of Blake Investment Partners to lead the Gas Plant redevelopment • The Rays decision to leave Tropicana • The Welch Administration's response to Helene and Milton • Duke Energy and the "Dump Duke" Campaign• Water bills and smart-metering• The upcoming General Obligation Bond referendum• Property Taxes • Some of his favorite St Pete food spots Subscribe to Cal Talk on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and follow @caltalkpod on Instagram and Facebook.
Jun 30

Charlie Crist | St Pete Mayoral Candidate | Former FL Governor

🎙️ Episode 6 I sat down with Charlie Christ, candidate for St Pete Mayor and former FL Governor. We covered: • The Pillars of Charlie’s Platform: Affordability, Executive Leadership, Hurricane Preparedness, Education and Smart Economic Development • Key Issues including the Rays, Gas Plant, Duke Energy and the Kanye Concert • Stories from his time in the Governor’s Office Charlie was a little time constrained because of an upcoming debate, so we’ll continue the conversation in the future. As always, feedback much appreciated! #CalTalk #StPete #StPeteMayorsRace #Pinellas #PinellasCounty#GasPlant #Duke #Rays #charliecrist #Caltalkpod For more information on Charlie visit: https://charliecrist.com/
Jun 15

Mike Harting | St Pete City Council | Founder, 3 Daughters Brewing | Ep 5

🎙️🎙️ Episode 5 | Mike Harting | St Pete City Council | Founder 3 Daughters BrewingI sit down with Mike who was candid in sharing his thoughts on key St Pete issues and his path to building 3 Daughters BrewingOur discussions covered:- Duke Energy- Gas Plant- Hurricane Rebuilding- Pickleball Complaints- Founding and Building 3 Daughters- Changing Alcohol TrendsFeedback appreciated! #Caltalk #Pinellas #PinellasPodcast #StPete #Duke
Jun 2

Rick Baker | Former St Pete Mayor | Ep 4

In this episode of Cal Talk, I sit down with Rick Baker, who served as the Mayor of St Pete from 2001-2010; helping to lead the city's transformation during a pivotal decade of growth. In our conversation, we discuss Rick's path to the Mayor's office, the St Pete Grand Prix and his vision for the future of the Gas Plant through his St. Pete Commons proposal. We also talk about what he's been working on since leaving office and his involvement with the upcoming miniseries adaptation of A Land Remembered. For more on Rick's St Pete Commons Proposal: https://stpetecatalyst.com/an-open-letter-to-st-petersburg-city-council-on-the-trop-site-redevelopment/ Books Referenced and Recommended: A Land Remembered: https://www.amazon.com/Land-Remembered-Patrick-D-Smith/dp/0910923124 A Seamless City: https://www.amazon.com/Seamless-City-Conservative-Approach-Revitalization-ebook/dp/B004S6UWOG?ref_=ast_author_mpbBeyond the Sunshine: A Timeline of Florida's Past: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Sunshine-Timeline-Floridas-Past-ebook/dp/B07GX6C545?ref_=ast_author_dp&th=1&psc=1
May 22

Maria Scruggs | St Pete Mayoral Candidate | Ep 3

Maria Scruggs joins Cal Talk to describe her platform for mayor of St. Petersburg. We discuss her plans for rebuilding the culture of the Mayor's office, Gas Plant redevelopment, economic clusters and public safety. We talk about her time as President of the St Pete NAACP and founding the Childs Park Youth Initiative. For more information about Maria Scruggs, visit www.mariaformayor.com
May 14

Kevin Batdorf | St Pete Mayoral Candidate | Ep 2

Kevin Batdorf joins Cal Talk to lay out his platform for mayor of St. Petersburg. We discuss his plans for the Gas Plant redevelopment, disaster preparedness, and public safety, along with his work in Shore Acres following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Kevin also shares what it was like growing up in St. Pete and how he plans to compete in a crowded mayoral race. For more information about Kevin Batdorf, visit batdorf4mayor.com
May 5

Jim Large | St Pete Mayoral Candidate | Ep 1

Out of the fire and into the Mayor's office? Former St Pete Fire Chief Jim Large joins Cal Talk to lay out his St Pete Mayoral campaign platform - focused on infrastructure, disaster preparedness and public safety. We dig into his background, priorities, and how he plans to compete in one of the most closely watched local races.
Apr 17

Introducing Cal Talk

Introducing Cal Talk

11 Episodes

5

out of 5

9 Ratings

Great Listen

Jul 12

cmac757677

Love how informative and to the point these are! Unbiased and engaging content
Awesome

Apr 24

StephenCooley

This sounds very exciting. Looking forward to it.

Pinellas Interviews

Creator

Calvin McEathron
Years Active

2026
Episodes

11
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Calvin McEathron
Show Website

Cal Talk