Capstone Conversation by Jared Asch

Jared Asch
  • 5.0 (48)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

The East Bay's best podcast, the Capstone Conversation hosted by Jared Asch. The show interviews political, government, and community leaders in Alameda, Contra Costa, & Solano Counties. This is your news about what's happening in your city and how as a region we are tackling big items like transit, climate challenges, and growing our economy.

  1. Assemblywoman Ana Maria Avila Farias

    6d ago

    Assemblywoman Ana Maria Avila Farias

    Host Jared Asch interviews Assemblywoman Ana Maria Avila Farias about her background and priorities representing 13 of 19 Contra Costa County cities from Crockett to Brentwood. A third-generation resident based in Martinez, she describes 30 years in housing and community development across local, state, and federal government, including work under mayors Willie Brown and Gavin Newsom and over $5 billion in affordable housing financing through the California Housing Finance Agency board. She discusses balancing public service and parenting and outlines legislative priorities to increase housing production, reform infrastructure and impact-fee burdens, reassess past housing laws, and expand ADU financing tools. She advocates a long-term goal of universal childcare and near-term increases in capacity. She addresses the district’s refinery concentration, supporting cleaner innovation and biofuels while noting gaps in EV infrastructure. She highlights bills that restrict problematic ICE agents in California law enforcement and limit ICE activity near polling places and childcare centers, and emphasizes accessibility and community engagement.

    39 min
  2. The Pulse of Biomanufacturing: Economic Growth and Trends in the Bay Area

    Jun 3

    The Pulse of Biomanufacturing: Economic Growth and Trends in the Bay Area

    Host Jared Asch interviews manufacturing engineer Gregory Theyel about the Bay Area’s biomedical and life science ecosystem and why it matters for long-term regional economic stability. Thao frames manufacturing as a “big M” strategy that bridges ideas and public needs, and defines biomedical as an umbrella spanning biotech, pharmaceuticals, medtech, cell and gene therapies, digital health, and genomics. He describes headwinds in 2022–23 from reduced government grants and constrained capital, followed by a rebound driven by AI, efficiency gains, and personalized medicine, with robust investment through 2025–26. Thao cites Bay Area advantages: leading research at Stanford, UC Berkeley, and UCSF, strong spinout culture, major venture funding, deep talent, and a tolerance for failure. He explains why some manufacturing remains local (feedback loops, individualized therapies) and why reshoring/nearshoring have accelerated (the innovation cycle and geopolitical instability). He outlines what cities must provide—specialized facilities, trained workforce, and efficient permitting—highlights clustering in South San Francisco, Berkeley/Emeryville, and Fremont, and stresses demand-side healthcare partners, pilots, and mapping supply networks to help firms understand their role in the regional ecosystem.

    37 min
  3. Exploring Tax Policy and Local Government Efficiency in the East Bay

    May 27

    Exploring Tax Policy and Local Government Efficiency in the East Bay

    Host Jared Asch interviews Mark Joffe, president of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association (Coco Tax), about taxes and government efficiency in the East Bay. Joffe describes Coco Tax’s 1937 origins and mission to advocate for “good government at an affordable cost,” noting the group is nonpartisan and focuses on effectiveness rather than government size. He explains their key work is analyzing ballot tax and bond measures, often providing the underfunded opposition view. He cites opposing a 2025 Acalanes Union High School District parcel tax due to the high cost of a special election and discusses upcoming 2026 parcel tax positions, including concerns about inflation escalators. Joffe highlights large state/local revenues, post-COVID budget pressures, pension costs, overtime, liability lawsuits, and the need for innovation in technology and procurement. He critiques Measure B’s justification, noting an error in claimed federal cutback impacts, and urges public involvement via cocotax.org and monthly meetings.

    36 min
  4. California Forever: Unveiling the New Vision for Solano County with Jim Wunderman

    May 13

    California Forever: Unveiling the New Vision for Solano County with Jim Wunderman

    Host Jared Asch interviews Jim Wunderman, head of public affairs for California Forever, about plans to develop roughly 70,000 acres of largely undeveloped land in south-central Solano County between Suisun City and Rio Vista into a dense, walkable urban community with an adjacent 2,100-acre advanced manufacturing park and a proposed major shipyard along the Sacramento River. Wunderman argues Solano’s shrinking blue-collar economy—citing multiple recent closures—and high out-commuting make large-scale housing and job creation urgent, with starter homes projected around $400,000–$450,000 and union construction agreements in place. He says environmentally valuable areas would be preserved, development would avoid impacts to Travis Air Force Base, and an extensive EIR is underway via the expansion of Suisun City under current law. The conversation emphasizes rebuilding U.S. shipbuilding capacity on the West Coast, clean manufacturing, and growing public support.

    43 min
  5. Danville and Lafayette: Vibrant & Engaged Communities in the East Bay

    May 6

    Danville and Lafayette: Vibrant & Engaged Communities in the East Bay

    Host Jared Asch interviews Danville Councilman Mark Belotz and Lafayette Councilman John McCormick, second-year elected officials from Central Contra Costa County, about what contributes to their towns’ success, including strong schools, vibrant walkable downtowns, and effective city management. McCormick, a retired tech worker and downtown business owner, describes entering council after Chamber leadership during COVID; Belotz recounts years attending meetings and serving on boards before running. They discuss the importance of continuity in town/city managers, reliance on sales tax over property tax, and concerns that online sales tax is allocated through counties and Sacramento rather than by ZIP code. Danville reports balanced budgets and no unfunded liabilities; Lafayette passed Measure H to address shortfalls while also having no unfunded liabilities. Both explain the benefits of contracting policing with the Contra Costa Sheriff and describe the steep time commitment of council service. They address state-mandated housing development, emphasizing shaping projects to fit community character, and share goals of preserving safety, downtown vitality, and community engagement.

    39 min
  6. Tri-Valley Dynamics: Brandon Cardwell on Livermore's Innovation

    Apr 29

    Tri-Valley Dynamics: Brandon Cardwell on Livermore's Innovation

    Host Jared Asch interviews Brandon Cardwell of the City of Livermore about the city’s economic development and innovation strategy. Cardwell describes Livermore as the easternmost Bay Area city, celebrating its 150th anniversary, with a symbiotic mix of a revitalized historic downtown, wine country, significant industrial/flex space, and two national labs employing about 12,000 people. He highlights the outlets as a major sales tax driver and details downtown’s transformation after rerouting a state highway, enabling outdoor dining, parks, and an all-day nightlife economy, with projects like Blacksmith Square expansion and a new event center plus a “downtown 2.0” plan. Cardwell explains how the labs drive jobs and procurement networks and support fusion commercialization, while noting California competitiveness challenges and tailored tools like fee deferments and abatements. He discusses regional workforce links via the Altamont Pass and Valley Link, the municipal airport strategy (EVTOL mobility, hangars, public safety complex, and a 2027 innovation center), data-driven/AI-assisted business attraction, Startup Tri-Valley/IGATE’s role, and Tri-Valley regional collaboration.

    39 min

  7. Apr 22

    Economic Success Stories: City Leaders on Retail Attraction and Development

    Guest host Alex Greenwood records Capstone Conversations live at the ICSC Idea Exchange in Monterey, interviewing economic development leaders from five California cities about retail attraction strategies, successes, and lessons. Martinez describes zoning streamlining, concierge support, by-right approvals (including breweries), expedited permitting, a successful Ross store opening, housing upzoning, and a proposed $500M waterfront redevelopment. Sunnyvale highlights its CityLine mixed-use public-private partnership, downtown specific plan, Murphy Avenue pedestrian mall, and designing flexible ground-floor retail to attract tenants like restaurants and entertainment. Merced reports reuse of a 94,000-square-foot Sears building, mall renovation, downtown change, and emphasizes persistence, relationships, and a confidential council subcommittee. Pleasanton discusses void analysis, targeted broker outreach, new tenants, process and customer-service improvements, and new marketing tools including a “Pleasanton Playbook.” San Leandro outlines a 2024 strategy and retail action plan with void analysis, target tenant lists, property upgrades, a retail landing page, downtown mixed-use openings, and Bayfair area TOD planning and reuse.

    44 min
  8. The Procurement Puzzle: Understanding Government Sales

    Apr 8

    The Procurement Puzzle: Understanding Government Sales

    Host Jared Asch interviews procurement experts Ricardo Martinez, a former California Department of General Services chief procurement officer, and Oscar Garcia of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce about how companies sell to state and local governments in California. They explain that public-sector procurement is a law- and policy-driven process—from need identification through solicitations and approvals—often lengthy for IT, including the Project Approval Lifecycle (12–24 months), with separate technical and procurement teams and many acquisition methods. They describe guardrails such as risk management, data-breach protections, fair competition (e.g., two-envelope evaluations), and limited contract clause negotiations. Common vendor mistakes include cold outreach and assuming the government will “rip and replace.” They urge relationship-building, readiness for RFP requirements, certifications and small-business preferences, partnering with primes, and persistent bidding. For procurement staff, they recommend ongoing learning, leveraging statewide resources, and staying open to pre-solicitation meetings while observing “cone of silence” rules, alongside evolving AI policies, disclosure, cybersecurity, and human oversight.

    43 min
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About

The East Bay's best podcast, the Capstone Conversation hosted by Jared Asch. The show interviews political, government, and community leaders in Alameda, Contra Costa, & Solano Counties. This is your news about what's happening in your city and how as a region we are tackling big items like transit, climate challenges, and growing our economy.

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