State of Gold

Jon Slavet | California Politics
  • 4.4 (23)
  • Government

Restoring the California Dream One Bold Idea at a Time California was once a beacon of prosperity, hope and innovation – symbolized by the Gold Rush, Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Today it’s the least affordable state in the nation and plagued by poverty, homelessness, and sky-high taxes. How did we get here, and how do we turn California around? State of Gold is a media platform and citizens’ movement dedicated to restoring the California dream. Host and longtime real estate and tech executive Jon Slavet combines practical wisdom and insurgent energy, as he sits down with voices from across the spectrum.  The show will examine and promote the best ideas from any corner to solve the state’s most pressing issues. State of Gold cuts through the noise to explore what’s gone wrong in the Golden State – and what it’ll take to make things right. www.stateofgold.com

  1. 2d ago

    Why Doctors Aren't Allowed to Save Them | Dr. Drew Pinsky

    Guest: Dr. Drew Pinsky, Host of "Ask Dr. Drew on Rumble" Guest Bio:  Dr. Drew Pinsky is a board-certified physician, addiction medicine specialist, New York Times bestselling author, and acclaimed media personality. For over three decades, Dr. Drew has been a trusted public voice on addiction, mental health, and medical policy, hosting iconic programs such as Loveline, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, and the Dr. Drew Podcast. Having served as the medical director for chemical dependency services at Pasadena Recovery Center for over twenty years, his hands-on clinical background provides an authoritative critique of California’s public health frameworks, street-level addiction crises, and administrative barriers to compassionate, medical-based care. Show Summary California has poured over $24 billion into addressing homelessness and addiction under Governor Gavin Newsom, yet conditions across major metropolitan hubs continue to visibly decline. Board-certified physician and addiction medicine specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky joins host Jon Slavet to unpack the structural, legal, and medical failures driving this ongoing humanitarian disaster in Southern California. Dr. Drew targets the state's refusal to acknowledge severe brain disorders and addiction as medical conditions requiring custodial care and intervention. He exposes how Los Angeles has effectively created an "outdoor psychiatric hospital" where trained doctors and nurses are barred from rendering care, leaving unhoused residents in the hands of untrained social workers and volunteers while fatal overdoses mount. The conversation contrasts Los Angeles's administrative paralysis with functional municipal governance in cities like Pasadena and across Orange County. Dr. Drew also offers actionable medical advice on healthy longevity, emphasizing resistance training, managing genetic cardiovascular risks, and focusing on quality of life over mere longevity. Chapters 00:00 The $24B Homeless Failure: Why state spending produced worse outcomes. 00:42 California’s Outdoor Psych Ward: Exposing medical collapse on LA streets. 02:11 Care Courts & Legal Barriers: Why courts fail to commit impaired patients. 02:39 Social Workers vs. Medical Care: Replacing doctors with social workers fuels crisis. 08:26 Functional Governance Models: Comparing LA to Pasadena and Orange County. 10:29 Living in Exile vs. Safe Spaces: Examining population flight and Adam Carolla's views. 11:10 Practical Blueprint for Longevity: Why resistance training matters as you age. 12:35 Navigating Modern Medicine: Managing genetic risks and living well. Connect with Dr. Drew Pinsky X:  https://x.com/drdrewInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdrewpinsky/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drdrewFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/drdrewOfficial Website: https://drdrew.comEnjoyed 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/realjonslavetLinked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/aboutInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=enWebsite: www.stateofgold.com

  2. Aug 11

    Why Trump Terrifies the Socialist Left More Than Any President | Victor Davis Hanson

    Guest Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Fellow - Hoover Institution Guest Bio Victor Davis Hanson is a world-renowned military historian, classicist, author, and the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow in Classics and Military History at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A fifth-generation California farmer from the Central Valley, Hanson has authored over two dozen books covering ancient warfare, modern geopolitics, and American political culture, including The Dying Citizen, The Case for Trump, and The End of Everything. His sharp historical commentary offers a critique of progressive ideology, elite governance, and the constitutional principles required to sustain the American Republic. Show Summary A profound political and cultural shift is sweeping through urban centers across America, driven by an affluent class of educated, urban professionals. Renowned historian and scholar Victor Davis Hanson joins host Jon Slavet for a look at the rise of Democratic Socialism in America, tracing how elite university indoctrination and DEI frameworks have replaced traditional civic education with systemic resentment. Hanson audits the real-world fallout of progressive governance in California under Governor Gavin Newsom. From sky-high sales taxes and astronomical utility rates, to a 21% poverty rate and the $100+ billion High-Speed Rail project sitting like a modern-day Stonehenge across Central Valley farmland - Hanson details how state mandates have manufactured artificial scarcity. He explains how agricultural communities and multi-generational families are being squeezed out by regulatory paralysis and water cutoffs, leaving a hollowed-out middle class. The conversation pivots to the fiscal tipping point facing the state as productive taxpayers flee for low-tax states. Hanson describes how California is reaching a critical threshold where there are no longer enough productive tax-paying households to sustain the state's expanding welfare and administrative apparatus. Finally, reflecting on America's upcoming 250th anniversary, Hanson offers perspective on the constitutional genius, federalism, and individual liberty that have kept the American Republic intact while other grand political experiments collapsed. Chapters 00:00 The Rise of Socialism: Analyzing the urban elite push toward radical politics. 00:43 The Three Constituents: Breaking down university elites, unassimilated immigrants, and DEI rules. 05:37 Democratic Electoral Conundrum: Examining historical landslides and McGovern parallels. 09:58 The 2028 Field: Assessing Newsom's liabilities, AOC's limits, and party drift. 12:40 Newsom’s California Record: Auditing sky-high taxes, poverty, and High-Speed Rail waste. 18:00 Taxpayer Exodus: Detailing wealth flight and aggressive tax enforcement. 21:53 The American Republic at 250: Celebrating federalism, middle-class roots, and constitutional genius. Connect with Victor Davis Hanson X: https://x.com/VDHansonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/victor.d.hanson/reels/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/realjonslavetLinked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/aboutInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=enWebsite: www.stateofgold.com

  3. Aug 4

    Newsom's Inner Circle Is Now Talking to the FBI | Jennifer Van Laar

    Guest Jennifer Van Laar, Editor - Redstate.com Guest Bio Jennifer Van Laar is an award-winning investigative journalist and the Editor-in-Chief of RedState. Known for her fearless, ground-level reporting on public corruption, government accountability, and California politics, Van Laar has broken major stories on state-level financial improprieties, non-profit influence peddling, and federal law enforcement probes. With over two decades of background in judicial administration and investigative media, her sharp exposure of political networks and executive ethics has made her a prominent, uncompromising voice in West Coast political journalism. Show Summary A major federal shadow has fallen over Sacramento, as the Department of Justice and IRS criminal investigators probe the personal finances, real estate transactions, and non-profit connections of Governor Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel Newsom. While state leadership dismisses these inquiries as partisan political attacks, investigative journalist Jennifer Van Laar joins host Jon Slavet for a reality check on the actual origins, scope, and timeline of these federal probes. Van Laar pulls no punches as she details the intricate web of Sacramento corruption, tracing how wiretapped conversations involving political operative Alexis Podesta and the federal conviction of Newsom’s top aide Dana Williamson unlocked wider scrutiny. She breaks down the financial gaps in the Newsoms' luxury real estate portfolio, from the unexplained $3.7 million cash purchase of their Sacramento mansion by a cousin's LLC, to favorable, a below-market interest rate mortgage on their $9.1 million Marin County estate.  The conversation expands into the machinery of legal corruption in California. Van Laar audits how state-funded licensing deals for Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s non-profits and non-competitive contracts for friends funnel taxpayer money to political allies. She also diagnoses the rampant waste within Los Angeles's homeless services agency, LAHSA. Finally, Van Laar shares her alarming personal story of being forced to flee California after receiving dark web threats for exposing activist organizations.  Chapters 00:00 Exiled From California: Threats force Van Laar to flee. 00:38 DOJ Probe Realities: Unpacking federal inquiries into Newsom finances. 02:16 The Wiretap Trail: Detailing Alexis Podesta and Dana Williamson connections. 05:11 Sacramento Mansion Deal: Exposing $3.7M cash purchase anomalies. 07:42 The $9.1M Marin House: Auditing Axos Bank favorable mortgage terms. 12:18 Non-Profit Influence: Examining Jennifer Siebel Newsom's state-funded deals. 15:30 LAHSA & Homeless Fraud: Tracking corruption in Los Angeles homeless agencies. 17:23 Exposing CHIRLA Operations: Uncovering migrant day-labor networks and dark web threats. 21:59 Newsom's Political Future: Assessing indictment risks and 2028 ambitions. Connect with Jennifer Van Laar X: https://x.com/jenvanlaarInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifervanlaar/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jennifervanlaarMedium: https://medium.com/@jennifervanlaarEnjoyed 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/realjonslavetLinked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/aboutInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=enWebsite: www.stateofgold.com

  4. Jul 31

    His Opponent's Entire Platform Is: Repeal HR1 | Kevin Kiley

    Guest: Kevin Kiley, Candidate for Congress (CA-6) Guest Bio:  Kevin Kiley is the U.S. Representative for California's 3rd Congressional District and currently serves as the only Independent member of the United States House of Representatives. A former high school teacher in inner-city Los Angeles and former California State Assemblyman, Kiley has spent his career advocating for educational choice, tax relief, public safety, and governmental accountability. As Chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, he is a leading national voice against regulatory overreach and legislative gerrymandering, championing independent representation focused on lower living costs for California families. Show Summary Congressman Kevin Kiley has stepped out of party confines to become the sole Independent member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Navigating a hyper-partisan chamber that forces independent members to caucus with a major party to retain committee assignments, Kiley joins host Jon Slavet for a discussion on what authentic, non-partisan representation looks like for Californians. Kiley pulls no punches as he explains his willingness to break with Trump on core policy issues - including opposing tariffs and defending international support for Ukraine - while remaining focused on delivering local results. He details the fallout from Proposition 50's aggressive gerrymandering, which splintered his original district into six separate pieces, and outlines his strategy for victory in the newly formed 6th District with a focus on kitchen table issues like the cost of living. The conversation gets tactical as Kiley audits the legislative record of his opponent, Richard Pan, exposing past votes for gas tax increases, elderly parole laws for violent offenders, and extreme pandemic mandates. Kiley outlines his active federal legislative initiatives, including a proposed cap on state gas taxes, expanding federal Tax Credit Scholarships despite Gavin Newsom's state opt-out, and bipartisan legislation to ban insider stock trading for members of Congress, executive appointees, and judges. This episode offers a look at real independent governance and economic realism. Chapters 00:00 The Independent Shift: Caucusing in a partisan House. 01:50 Independent Policy Stance: Breaking with Trump on tariffs and Ukraine. 03:35 The Prop 50 Gerrymander: Running in California's new 6th District. 06:37 Auditing Richard Pan: Rebutting healthcare attacks and extreme mandates. 09:37 Gas Tax Cap Legislation: Proposing a 50-cent federal ceiling. 10:57 Education Tax Credit: Expanding choice despite Sacramento's opt-out. 12:27 Banning Gerrymandering: Ending mid-decade redistricting chaos. 14:32 Sacramento Corruption Probes: Examining Newsom administration federal investigations. 16:10 Banning Stock Trading: Ending insider profiting in public office. Connect with Kevin Kiley X: https://x.com/KevinKileyCAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevinKileyCA/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@repkevinkileyEnjoyed 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/realjonslavetLinked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/aboutInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=enWebsite: www.stateofgold.com

  5. Jul 28

    Why Los Angeles Now Has More Rats Than New York | Renee Pinel & Roger Niello

    Guests Roger Niello, California State Senator Renee Pinel, CEO - Western Plant Health Guest Bios  Roger Niello is a California State Senator representing the 6th District and the Vice Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. A seasoned business owner, former Sacramento County Supervisor, and former State Assemblymember, Niello brings decades of private-sector experience and legislative governance to state fiscal policy discussions. He is widely recognized for his advocacy on budget transparency, structural tax reform, and common-sense regulatory change to foster economic growth and business retention in the Golden State. Renee Pinel is the President and CEO of the Western Plant Health Association (WPHA), a premier regional trade association representing the fertilizer, crop protection, and agricultural biotechnology industries across California, Arizona, and Hawaii. With decades of advocacy experience at the intersection of agricultural science and state regulation, Pinel is a leading voice for science-based policymaking, public health safety, and agricultural sustainability.  Show Summary A dual crisis is unfolding in California, where a massive rodent epidemic is plaguing major metropolitan hubs and agricultural fields alike, exacerbated by a regulatory chokehold that prioritizes ideological environmentalism over public health and economic reality. In this episode of State of Gold, host Jon Slavet sits down with Western Plant Health Association CEO Renee Pinel and State Senator Roger Niello to expose the devastating human and economic costs of Sacramento's regulatory paralysis. Senator Niello targets the state's backward agricultural rules, revealing how advanced technology like autonomous vehicles - widely accepted on urban streets - are banned on private farmland due to hyper-regulation, driving up operational costs and stifling innovation. Niello calls for an "economic development ethic" in regulatory policymaking, demanding that the state measure outcomes and balance costs against real-world benefits. Pinel sounds the alarm on the public health emergency brewing in California's urban centers. With Los Angeles overtaking New York as the rodent capital of America, diseases of the Middle Ages like the plague, typhus, and leptospirosis are surging to epidemic levels within vulnerable homeless populations. Pinel argues that progressive local governments have sacrificed sanitation and practical disease control for philosophical ideals, leaving our poor population to bear the brunt of rat infestations. The conversation turns to the agricultural fallout, where over 100,000 acres of Central Valley farmland are infested with rodents, endangering crops and threatening farmworker safety. Pinel exposes the hypocrisy of banning critical pest control chemicals, which forces vulnerable farmworkers to harvest fruit exposed to toxic rodent waste. This episode delivers a bracing reality check on the necessity of returning to science-based governance to protect plants, people and our planet. Chapters 00:00 Farmland Automation Ban: Senator Niello on agricultural technology restrictions. 00:47 Economic Development Ethic: Designing regulations based on cost-benefit analysis. 02:32 Autonomous Farm Vehicles: Prohibiting unmanned tractors on private land. 03:02 Automation vs. Minimum Wage: How state mandates drive fast-food job losses. 03:45 Western Plant Health Association: Renee Pinel on agricultural science and safety. 04:54 The Rodent Capital: Why Los Angeles surpassed New York City. 06:49 Epidemic in the Encampments: The return of Middle Ages diseases. 07:32 The Berkeley Leptospirosis Deaths: Progressive policy sacrificing public health. 08:45 Central Valley Rodent Crisis: Crop damage across 100,000 infested acres. 10:05 Consumer Grocery Costs: How pest damage drives food inflation. 11:10 Science-Based Policy: Demanding practical testing over political interests. 12:41 Farmworker Health Risks: Protecting vulnerable harvesters from rodent waste. 14:22 The Owl Box Solution: Supporting natural predators in agricultural fields. 14:59 Healthy Planet, Healthy People: The core mission of modern agriculture. Connect with Renee Pinel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-pinel-9792b6a1/X (Twitter): https://x.com/ReneepWPHAEnjoyed 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/realjonslavetLinked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/aboutInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=enWebsite: www.stateofgold.com

  6. Jul 24

    Why UFOs Keep Showing Up at Nuclear Sites | Tim Gallaudet

    Guest: Tim Gallaudet, PhD, Rear Admiral, US Navy (Ret) Guest Bio:  Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., USN (Ret.) is an oceanographer, national security expert, and decorated former U.S. Navy flag officer. Over a 32-year military career, Gallaudet served as the Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy, leading thousands of military and civilian personnel in global weather, ocean, and intelligence operations. During President Trump’s first term, he was appointed Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and served as the Acting Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Now a prominent voice on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), Gallaudet serves on the ODNI UAP Science Advisory Council and is the author of Holding Fast in Heavy Seas: Leadership Lessons from the Navy to NOAA. Show Summary A quiet paradigm shift is taking place across national security circles, where the reality of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) is moving from fringe speculation to top-tier defense strategy. Classified Pentagon disclosures, historical Navy logbooks, and transmedium ocean encounters all point to an uncomfortable truth: Non-human intelligence is interacting with our planet. Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet joins host Jon Slavet for a reality check on what top military brass and intelligence officials know - and why decades of deliberate government secrecy are finally unraveling. Gallaudet details the genesis of official UAP cover-ups, tracing the lineage back to the CIA’s 1953 Robertson Report. He explains how fear of adversary manipulation triggered a 70-year campaign of intentional debunking and public stigmatization. Addressing why successive administrations kept this hidden, Gallaudet notes that no government wants to admit its inability to protect sovereign airspace and territorial waters from technology operating with unexplainable speed and maneuverability. The conversation gets tactical as Gallaudet highlights California’s central role as a UAP hotspot. From mass security breaches at Vandenberg Space Force Base to craft plunging seamlessly into the Catalina Channel, California’s coastal waters remain an active corridor for unexplained encounters. He breaks down high-speed sonar tracking around nuclear submarines, Defense Intelligence Agency health reports on radiation injuries, and his work on Avi Loeb’s ODNI UAP Science Advisory Council. From leadership under budget constraints at NOAA to a profound reality check on human hubris, this episode offers an unfiltered look at the most explosive issue of our time. Chapters 00:00 The Pentagon UAP Files: Tracking transmedium craft and unexplained intelligence. 01:33 Navy Ship Logs: Uncovering historical UFO sightings in archives. 02:28 The 1953 Robertson Report: Exposing 70 years of government disinformation. 03:44 Higher Order Intelligence: Losing control over national airspace. 04:33 Pop Culture & The Abyss: Linking Hollywood depictions to ocean encounters. 06:22 Whistleblowers: Reviewing Jay Stratton and David Grush claims. 08:42 Top Brass Taking Notice: Analyzing comments from Rubio, Clapper, and Ratcliffe. 09:43 California UAP Hotspots: Detailing Catalina Channel and Vandenberg sightings. 12:37 Global UAP Race: Examining China, Russia, and Japan research task forces. 15:02 Nuclear Silo Interactions: Tracking submarine maneuvers and DIA health reports. 17:51 Holding Fast in Heavy Seas: Leadership lessons from running NOAA under Trump. 21:50 Rapid Fire Realism: Lessons on leadership, intelligence, and academic UAP studies. Connect with Tim Gallaudet X: https://x.com/GallaudetTimInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gallaudettimLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rear-admiral-tim-gallaudet-phd-us-navy-ret-b18185149/Website: https://www.oceanstl.comEnjoyed 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/realjonslavetLinked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/aboutInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=enWebsite: www.stateofgold.com

  7. Jul 21

    Is California’s Voting System Designed for Fraud? | Jeff Vaughn

    Guest Jeff Vaughn - Founder of OnLACA.com Guest Bio  Jeff Vaughn is an Emmy Award-winning journalist with over three decades of experience anchoring and reporting for major news networks across the country, including KCBS and KCAL in Los Angeles, WXYZ in Detroit, and KENS in San Antonio. Known for his rigorous general assignment reporting and investigative boots-on-the-ground style, Vaughn has spent his career covering critical crime, public policy, and municipal stories. In response to corporate shifts and ideological capture in modern newsrooms, he founded onLACA.com, an independent media platform dedicated to investigating underreported local stories, public safety issues, and political realities in Southern California. Show Summary A crisis of trust is unfolding across California's political landscape, driven by loose election rules and shielded by mainstream media that has abandoned hard investigative reporting. In this episode of State of Gold, host Jon Slavet sits down with Emmy Award-winning journalist and media disruptor Jeff Vaughn to expose the structural flaws behind California’s voting procedures and the top-down corporate capture of traditional newsrooms. Vaughn sounds the alarm on the logistical chaos of California's election administration. With 25 million registered voters, California automatically mails ballots to every registered citizen, regardless of whether they requested one, and pairs this with legal ballot harvesting. Vaughn details how this process opens avenues for administrative error and potential fraud, detailing instances of multiple ballots arriving at single households and PO boxes. He raises critical questions about automatic DMV registrations, which may cause non-citizens obtaining driver's licenses to be swept into voter rolls without rigorous citizenship verification. The conversation gets raw as Vaughn diagnoses the demise of corporate news. Drawing on his decades of experience in Detroit and Los Angeles, he explains how corporate newsrooms stripped trust from local general assignment reporters and concentrated narrative control in the hands of top-down managers. He reveals how local outlets actively suppress critical stories - such as Los Angeles’s covered-up failures with its first electric fire truck - to protect political narratives and climate agendas. This episode is a bracing reality check on the critical need for a new era of citizen-led, independent media to keep the Golden State's leadership accountable Chapters 00:00 The Most Ignored Story: Exposing California's election counting delays. 01:44 Ballot Harvesting Irregularities: Breaking down legal loopholes and ballot stuffing. 04:01 Non-Citizen Voting Risks: Questioning DMV automatic registration protocols. 04:56 The OnLACA Mission: Filling the investigative void left by mainstream news. 07:37 Loss of Local Trust: How corporate management took over reporting. 11:43 News Productization: Why hard news became lifestyle fluff. 12:45 Independent Media Rising: Tracking citizen reporting and covered-up stories. 14:32 The Governor's Race: Analyzing Steve Hilton's campaign against Xavier Becerra. 16:54 Spencer Pratt's Momentum: Assessing Pratt's viral political machinery. 19:03 Rapid Fire: Finding hope in California's beauty and independent voices. Connect with Jeff Vaughn X:https://x.com/JeffVaughnInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/jeffvaughnjournalist/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/jeffvaughnjournalist/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffjvaughnEnjoyed 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/realjonslavetLinked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/aboutInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=enWebsite: www.stateofgold.com

  8. Jul 17

    California's Budget Priorities Are Upside Down | Roger Niello

    Roger Niello, California State Senator Guest Bio Roger Niello is a California State Senator representing the 6th District and the Vice Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. A seasoned business owner, former Sacramento County Supervisor, and former State Assemblymember, Niello brings decades of private-sector experience and legislative governance to state fiscal policy discussions. He is widely recognized for his advocacy on budget transparency, structural tax reform, and common-sense regulatory change to foster economic growth and business retention in the Golden State. Show Summary A high-stakes fiscal crisis is unfolding in Sacramento, masked by a $350 billion state budget that is neither balanced nor on time. Under simple-majority rules passed via ballot initiative, Republicans have little say in the state budget, leaving taxpayers to shoulder structural deficits. California State Senator and Budget Committee Vice Chair Roger Niello joins host Jon Slavet for a bracing reality check on the economic math behind California’s current spending priorities. Niello pulls no punches as he exposes the upside-down priorities embedded in the latest budget. He details a shocking policy swap: Sacramento completely eliminated state-level healthcare funding for legal immigrants while retaining it for undocumented residents. Niello explains how these rich benefit structures, combined with an estimated deficit that reemerges at $10 billion in two years, create a deep moral hazard while ignoring the needs of taxpaying citizens. The conversation gets tactical as they break down the legislative drag on California’s employers. As the only state in the nation that has refused to pay back its federal COVID unemployment insurance (UI) debt, California is forcing businesses to pay up to $450 per employee—nearly ten times the base rate—just to service the interest on the debt. From the regulatory chokehold on agriculture that bans autonomous vehicles on private farmland to systemic failures in wildfire prevention and the K-12 educational neglect of Black and brown students, this episode is an unfiltered masterclass in fiscal realism. Chapters 00:22 The Budget Sham: Exposing the structural deficit behind the state's spending plan. 02:28 Simple Majority Loophole: How Proposition 25 removed pay-withholding consequences for legislators. 03:31 Tax Hikes & High-Speed Rail: Breaking down the latest phone tax increases and wasteful spending. 03:58 The Healthcare Swap: Stripping benefits from legal immigrants while funding undocumented programs. 05:35 Prop 36 Defunding: Criticizing Sacramento's bait-and-switch on local drug and mental health funding. 07:39 UI Debt Crisis: Detailing the massive federal loan drag punishing California businesses. 10:00 Wildfire Prevention Failures: Revealing the state's failure to meet forest clearing targets. 11:08 Systemic Fraud Leakage: Exposing rampant hospice and social program welfare fraud. 14:14 Agricultural Red Tape: Analyzing the regulatory ban on autonomous farm vehicles. 17:53 Systemic Reforms: Demanding comprehensive CEQA overhaul and K-12 educational standards. 20:39 Glimmers of Hope: Finding optimism in California's tech-driven economic core. Connect with Roger Niello 𝕏: https://x.com/SenRogerNiello?lang=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-niello-b50185174/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senrogerniello/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenRogerNiello/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/realjonslavetLinked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/aboutInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=enWebsite: www.stateofgold.com

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4.4
out of 5
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About

Restoring the California Dream One Bold Idea at a Time California was once a beacon of prosperity, hope and innovation – symbolized by the Gold Rush, Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Today it’s the least affordable state in the nation and plagued by poverty, homelessness, and sky-high taxes. How did we get here, and how do we turn California around? State of Gold is a media platform and citizens’ movement dedicated to restoring the California dream. Host and longtime real estate and tech executive Jon Slavet combines practical wisdom and insurgent energy, as he sits down with voices from across the spectrum.  The show will examine and promote the best ideas from any corner to solve the state’s most pressing issues. State of Gold cuts through the noise to explore what’s gone wrong in the Golden State – and what it’ll take to make things right. www.stateofgold.com

Information

  • Creator
    Jon Slavet | California Politics
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    90
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 State of Gold
  • Show Website
    State of Gold

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