♪♪ Scott: For many of us, the beginning of 2022 feels a lot like the beginning of 2021, with a spike in the pandemic being the leading issue of the new year.

What are the big issues and big personalities that will dominate our discussions and our headlines in 2022?

Joining us today is Sacramento Bee California Opinion editor, Marcos Bretón, and journalist Ed Goldman, of The Goldman State.

Ed, how would you describe 2021?

Ed: Um, the prelude to disaster, uh, that we thought was the disaster as it was happening but, actually, we're-— we still have some more disaster ahead of us.

Scott: Hmm.

Marcos, when we had a similar conversation-— you, me, and Ed-— a year ago, I asked you about 2020, and you said it was the worst year ever and a year that would live in infamy.

Well, was 2021 even any better?

Marcos: Uh, uh, it's hard to answer that fully because the-— obviously, the... the... the issue of the day, uh, the pandemic carried on, uh, and, uh, I felt like, in the early summer of 2021, for about 15 minutes, that we had sort of gotten past it.

I was even able to go into my supermarket without a mask, um, 'cause it wasn't required.

Scott: That was for, like, three weeks.

Marcos: Right.

It felt like 15 minutes to me.

But... but obviously, the... the resurgence of the pandemic, um, has... has carried on.

The... the threats to our democracy are still very much present, uh, and looming.

Um, so, uh, uh, this pandemic has... has bent time for me, to where, uh, 2020, 2021, and now, into 2022, seem all part of the same year, and that we're still dealing with the same issues.

Scott: Ed, you know, Mar-— what Marcos is saying is something that I deal with every day.

I am-— get confused as to whether something happened in '20 or 2021, because it all feels like, you know, almost one day that never ends.

What's been your experience?

Ed: Well, my experience is that we should move away from the Roman calendar, actually, and just assume that this is an era, not a year.

Um, you know, it's funny what Marcos was saying about going into the supermarket for about 15 minutes without a mask on.

I... I-— During that time, if I saw anybody with a ma-— without a mask, I thought they were robbing the place.

So, that's been a big difference, too.

Scott: Marcos, I... I-— I'm...

I'm curious.

What do you think are the issues, beyond the pandemic itself-— and we'll... we'll... we'll get to that-— but that you think, and the people that work for you think are going to dominate the conversations and, kind of, the... the focus of press coverage in 2022?

Marcos: Well, um, in Sacramento, we're faced with the challenge of... of having to, uh, alter our idea of our business community, and, um-— Our... our downtown, which... which has been an economic engine for the city and the region, uh, has been devastated by the pandemic, uh, and we have a lot of empty buildings and an... an entire, uh, business model that, um, is almost irrelevant at this point, and we need to figure out a new way to activate those buildings and... and for the city to be able to recuperate, uh, revenues.

Um, we also, uh, still, in Sacramento, have not really come to grips with the depths of homelessness and our... our discussions about homelessness are still very much in the complaining phase, and... and I don't think that-— I think that we all have lived under the delusion that... that... that these problems are easily solvable, or solvable, when... when they're... when they're much deeper.

And we're also poised, uh, for a generational change, uh, in Sa-— in leadership in Sacramento.

All these forces are coming together, and... and a number of others, I think, to... to, um, to create an exciting possibility, but also, a really uncertain one.

Scott: Ed, when you hear about, kind of, those... those issues-— broken business models, the fact that y-— what we thought of as, uh, downtowns and-— or our downtown, and the way to operate and things like that-— uh, take the long view for us.

Is this a blip on the horizon, uh, and this too shall pass, or have we fundamentally changed?

Ed: Well, I think change is inevitable and, uh, ongoing, but I do think it's a blip.

It's a very unfortunate blip.

It's been a tragic blip because a lot of people died or just, uh-— and as Marcos suggests, uh, downtown's been somewhat incapacitated.

But there are also, um-— On... on the question of the homelessness, uh, uh, homeless people, uh, it-— that's a... a fairly ridiculous, uh, notion, uh-— not Marcos'-— uh, the, uh, the City Council has had a proposal in front of it for months, uh, done, uh, uh, by, uh, John Hodgson and a bunch of other people who volunteered their time.

I did a column on this, uh, several weeks ago, uh, and... and it's to, uh, it's... it's to use $100 million that the city has, uh, to go ahead and provide, uh, homeless shelters, little homes, all throughout the city, and the council has been completely stalled on it.

And staff has, uh, said, "Yeah, we're getting back to you any second now."

And I've talked to a number of people about it, and, uh, the solution-— not "“the"” solution, but "a" solution is in front of the City Council.

Uh, they seem paralyzed with fear, or just, uh, inaction.

Uh, you know, there used to be, um, a little sign you'd see on the... on the highways; it said, uh, your gov... "Your government in action," and that was three words, then.

Uh, now, it's two.

Scott: "“Your government?

"” Ed: Well, actually, it's just three words, now.

It should be-— it used to be four.

I'm sorry.

Scott: Ha!

Okay.

Ed: It was, "Your government in action."

Now, it's just, "Your government inaction."

Scott: "...inaction."

Ed: Inaction.

Scott: Well, uh, uh, I...

I have direct evidence, uh, of what you're saying there.

Interesting; um, one of the, um, uh, graduates of my leadership program created a soccer field to help low-income people and... Ed: Right.

Scott: ...and others who were disadvantaged, learn how to get out and play some sport, and participate in teams and leagues.

It's over off of X Street in downtown Sacramento, and there are encampments, um, all along, lining X, uh, that part of X Street.

And the issue is, is that for some people, particularly people with children, it's a little bit of a concern, particularly at night, coming in and out of the place.

And so, I-— you know, there's this balance between empathy, compassion, and making sure that people get their services, but the question that people-— the implied question, Marcos, that a lot of people will not say publicly is, "Well, what about my business?

What about my home?

Do I have any rights, myself?"

and I-— and it doesn't seem that there's been, at least, from government, a clear answer on that.

Marcos: Well, and it's-— Which government are we talking about?

Because I think, in Sacramento, the... the conversation around this is not-— has not evolved enough to really, um, focus the spotlight on all the governments we're talking about.

Ed just referenced the tiny home issue.

That's not only, uh, delayed because of the city.

It's delayed because of, uh, the state, um, and the land, uh, and the... the state's desire to study the issue.

Uh, uh, the city is not a social services agency; the county is.

But in our city, in our region, in our county, um, the City of Sacramento gets all the attention.

Uh, and the responsibility of the county, uh, never really gets on, uh, uh, uh, the... the agenda of... of discussion.

Even the advocates for homelessness focus all their wrath, uh, on Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who, really, in point of fact, is most sympathetic to their plight, of anyone on the council.

Um, when-— and... and they overlook the fact that the county, uh, is the agency with the federal grants and with, uh, with the funding, uh, and with the mandate to deal with mental health, deal with substance abuse, and they always fly under the radar.

Scott: Well... well, let me... let me, on behalf of-— Ed: Can I... Can I just-— Actually, can I just comment on that?

Scott: Sure.

Ed: There was a solution to that many years ago, put forward by then-county-supervisor, um, Muriel Johnson, and it was to combine the city and county into one as... as it is in San Francisco.

And counties-— The county out here is rather superfluous.

It-— It's... it's, uh, Marcos is right about that's where the funding goes through, and all that.

The problem, the most visible aspect of the problem, however, is in the city.

And, um, we can leave that... that at the county's doorstep as long as we want, we can blame the state for not doing something.

What it really is, is that the county should not even exist.

It should be Sacramento, the city and county.

And then, you'd have one unified, centralized, uh, uh, entity to deal with all these problems.

Scott: Now, you know, it's interesting you both say that because I was speaking with a county supervisor not more than 48 hours ago, and he was making the point that, um-— and this was directed at me-— which is that the county can't catch a break.

He... he admitted that three, four years ago, what we collectively have said about the county's historic inaction was true, but his pushback was, "You all are still saying the same story without any, uh, look at what we've done, and what we've got on deck to do."

Uh, Marcos, how would you respond to that?

Marcos: Uh, I say that's bunk.

Uh, I say that's pretty typical of... of the local politicians here, where they're-— they always want to sing a sad song about how no one really recognizes what they're doing.

The fact of the matter is that, uh, the county government in Sacramento has existed to fund the county Sheriff's department, above all.

Uh, and... and social services, uh, have been marginalized for years, uh, and the sheriff still rides herd over the budget process, and any sort of autonomy oversight by the supervisors is baloney.

So... so, uh, I hear that a lot.

Uh, I've been in this town for a long time.

I hear that a lot.

Uh, and now that I'm in the opinion business, I have people trying to spin me all the time on how-— "Why aren't we giving people credit for the things that they're doing?"

when a lot of times, the things that they're doing are performative, uh, and... and that's the issue, really, in my mind.

Ed: You know, I, uh, uh, I've been in the-— have been in Sacramento, I think, even longer than Marcos, and I'm in violent agreement with him on this issue.

I really am.

It's, um-— Scott: That scares me, all in itself, but... but mov... moving on.

Ed: Next time, invite two people who disagree with each other.

Scott: Yeah.

I-— Yeah.

Moving on, and I...

I'm curious, though-— Of the issues that have been playing out over the past few years, is there anything that... that you're looking forward to, kind of, come to, uh, its ultimate point and really take front and center stage in 2022?

Ed: Well, I'm going to be flippant about my answer, but, uh, back East, uh, Starbucks, uh, baristas are now unionized.

I think that's going to become global.

So, anywhere you go in the world, there's somebody there to misspell your order.

And I think, uh, the, um, uh, the... the, uh-— We're going to see an-— Uh, I think we're going to have to start-— Uh, Marcos mentioned "performative."

Uh, I think we're going to have to start seeing things like, uh, the Sacramento Kings and... and elected leaders working on a commission.

Uh, if they don't perform, they don't get paid.

And, um, what we do is we don't hold people accountable in the checkbook.

We only hold them accountable, uh, by ranting and raving about them, and writing editorials, or me writing satires on them.

But nothing happens until you just say to somebody, "You don't do anything, you don't get your money."

Scott: Hmm.

That's interesting.

Well, we'll talk about accountability.

Um, there is-— We're in an election year coming up, and Marcos, coming off a unsuccessful recall, the conventional wisdom is... is that Gavin Newsom's reelection is a foregone conclusion and more of a... of a coronation than an election.

Is there any issue or challenger on the horizon that could change that notion?

Marcos: Well, um, in California, it would... it would take a legitimate Democrat to step forward and present, uh, an alternative to Gavin Newsom.

Uh, and so, that would take political courage.

So, um, I don't...

I don't view Newsom as facing a coronation.

It's more like him, um, walking through a door, um, that was opened by nothing that he did, uh, but by a couple of generations of... of, um, uh, of changes in population and in ethnicity, uh, and... and the state becoming as blue as it is, and him being in a position to walk through that door, through no real big talent of his own, just that he was, um, the lesser of all evils who were running.

Um, so, uh, I hope that there is a Democrat out there who can challenge, uh, the governor, because the... the fight would be in the primary.

It would not be in the general.

Once a Democrat is... is... is nominated, it's a foregone conclusion.

So, the question is, "Is there a Democrat out there with the courage to challenge Newsom?"

I hope there is.

Ed: I, um-— If...

If I could weigh in on that, uh, Scott, um, uh-— First of all, "“political courage"” is, to me, an oxymoron.

So, uh, uh, but-— and I...

I would think that, actually, the only one who could successfully challenge Newsom at this point would be, uh, a very charismatic Republican.

Uh, because, uh, no matter how-— I mean, when we look at... at the... the only Republican that made it to the top of the poll there with, um, Newsom, it's this, uh, Elder, who's just an absolute, uh, sack.

Um, and I... and I-— I think that if they could actually find a charismatic Republican, somebody more in the, um-— I mean, it's going back generations.

It would be like more in-— actually, the way Pete Wilson was before he started playing the race card in his... in his, uh, election bids.

Um, somebody who is a liberal Republican, I think they'd have a chance of at least shaking up things, uh, because there are-— You know, I...

I talk to, even, my fellow Democrats and there's a great deal of anger about our own party, and I share it.

Scott: Well, speaking of that, one of the things that seems to be uniting a number of people across the spectrum, but in two very separate camps, is that the legislature is about to pass and put on the ballot a constitutional amendment that would guarantee universal health care, and while a number of people think that making sure that people have access to health care is a public good, um, at the same time, they're talking when... when it is projected that we're going to have, at minimum, a $30 billion surplus in the state budget, adding 200, uh, billion dollars in new taxes on to-— on top of that, to pay for this, uh, new universal health care package.

And it seems that there are warring factions who are not speaking to each other.

But if that passes, does that turn this notion that, um, we are pushing people out of California into more of a reality, or is this the usual carping anytime government tries to expand services?

Marcos?

Marcos: I mean, it depends on who's carping.

Right?

So, um, we're the... we're the state of... of stark contrast.

We have, um, uh-— I...

I just had a meeting this morning with... with, uh, my colleague at... at The Fresno Bee.

Fresno Bee is the breadbasket of California.

That's where we grow food for the world.

And it's also one of the poorest regions, not only in the state, but in the United States, and so bad that Michelle Obama is coming to Fresno to bring boxes of food for families.

So... so, uh, it seems to me, the people who are carping the loudest are the ones who have the most.

So, my sympathy is limited, uh, uh, in that... in that regard.

Um, and, uh, the idea of universal health care, to me, is one that is... is born because of the disparities, the stark disparities that we see in our state, and the attempts-— so far, futile attempts to... to even that out.

Scott: Hmm.

Interesting.

Well, you know, in addition to big issues like universal health care, uh, coverage, because it is an election year, the-— people are turning over.

The... the generational swing seems to be full in-— in full effect.

And last year, Marcos, you talked about emerging voices like new council members at the time-— Katie Valenzuela in Sacramento, uh, Mai Vang, also on the Sacramento City Council, new Mayor of West Sacramento, uh, Martha Guerrero, new Mayor in, uh, Elk Grove, Bobbie Singh-Allen -— incidentally, all of these women, uh, coming onto the scene.

Have... have these emerging voices changed the conversation at all?

Marcos: Uh, in little pockets, yes.

Uh, uh, overall, no, because there is a... there is a... an ascending, progressive body of people who are running for office.

Curiously, many of these, uh, folks have one thing in common in that they... they were, uh, emerging leaders, fellows of one Scott Syphax, uh, and, um-— The person who I'm really watching, uh, in this year, is Alana Mathews, who is running for district attorney, uh, in... in Sacramento County.

She's a progressive.

Uh, she would be, uh, in the line of the Chesa Boudin in San Francisco, or... or George Gascón in Los Angeles.

Is Sacramento ready for that sort of thing?

Uh, and I would ask you, Scott, as someone who has, uh, really made an impact on... on focusing on emerging leaders, is who you see are-— as some of the emerging leaders in Sacramento right now.

Scott: Uh, I think that there are a number of people.

You... you speak, uh, about, uh, Alana Mathews-Davis, who does cut a very different profile with regards to, um, how she looks at, uh, the administration of the office of district attorney.

There are others, um, people that are running for electives like Michael Lynch, who is running for Angelique Ashby's, uh, current seat.

She's running for state Senate.

But I'd also talk-— take it out of politics and say there are others.

Uh, Amanda Blackwood at the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Um, there are just any number of people across sectors-— entrepreneurs, elected officials, government agency heads, people who are taking over large nonprofits.

And I see that the trickle of people from the baby boomy-— boomer generation retiring-— it really is a flood.

And one of the big issues, which you can read it one of two ways is, is the generation that is retiring out and moving out transferring the knowledge that they have to this younger generation?

But something the younger generation might say-— as a matter of fact, they say it to me all the time-— which is, "“If your knowledge was valuable, you'd solve-— you would have solved these problems and we wouldn't have to be so involved in them.

"” So-— Ed: I agree with that, actually.

I-— You know... you know, Scott, I...

I absolutely agree with that.

There are a couple of other people-— Uh, uh, Amanda Blackwood, by the way, I've...

I've written about her, perhaps, three times.

I'm extremely impressed.

I think it's a very good call on your part.

There's also a woman running right now for, um, uh, council, uh, Caity Maple.

Uh.

I...

I might be...

I might be mispronouncing her first name.

It's C-A-I-T-Y.

I've been very impressed with her stance on things, and... and her, uh, uh, energy.

And I think what you're saying, though, is right.

It's like, let's stop worrying about this institutional knowledge.

It's what got Joe Biden elected with the help of, you know, the... the surge of, uh, Black, uh, uh, voters, uh, toward the end.

But he supposedly was the guy who knew how to make everything work because he'd been in... in the government all that... all that time.

It's probably the only thing Trump said, I think, during that campaign that I agreed with, that, um, you had all this time to solve all these problems, and now you're running for president because you didn't solve them before.

Scott: Yeah, he is beginning to remind me of Mr. Magoo.

Um-— Ed: That's right.

"By George!"

Scott: And I know I'm dating myself because probably nobody knows who Mr. Magoo is.

Ed: I know who he is.

That's, uh, Jim Backus's voice.

Scott: In... in... in... in our final moments, we-— and we've only got time for one-— one big prediction.

Marcos, you start.

Marcos: Well, I, uh, I predict that we're, um, going to have a generational change in leadership in Sacramento, and we're going to have some of these young people who we've talked about, who are going to win.

And then, the question that I have is, "Okay, you've been saying a lot of stuff on Twitter.

What are you going to do now?"

Scott: Okay.

And Ed, you get the final word.

Uh, you have a few seconds.

Let's have it, your big prediction.

Ed: I think, uh-— I think President Biden will yield the presidency to the most qualified woman in government, Dr. Jill Biden.

Scott: Okay.

Well, we... we shall see and, uh, we will see how well we do next year.

Um, my final... my final one is that there will be a lot of storm and fury around the Republican primary for governor, and it'll all be for naught.

So, we will leave it there.

And thank you both for, uh, sharing your thoughts with us.

Ed: Thank you.

Scott: Okay.

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