California Underground: Your Sane Insight into California Politics

Ep. 277: Political Corruption Rampant in California

·1 hr 8 min·5 clips

California officials admit it's cheaper to send stone to Italy than use local granite because of state taxes and fees.

The episode begins with hosts Phil and Camille introducing the topic of political corruption in California, noting they can't cover all instances in one hour. They briefly touch on the vice presidential debate and current events like port strikes and international conflicts before diving into specific cases. The first major story involves the Capitol annex project in Sacramento, where KCRA reporter Ashley Zavala uncovered that over 2,000 people, including state lawmakers, signed nondisclosure agreements to keep project details secret, with costs ballooning from $440 million to $1.2 billion. The hosts critique the lack of transparency and mention how it's cheaper to ship stone to Italy than use California materials due to state regulations. Next, they discuss legislative corruption, citing an article about state senator Dave Min enforcing secret negotiations with lobbyists instead of public discussions, a practice criticized by assembly member Bill Essayli. The hosts advocate for a part-time legislature, noting California had one before 1966 and that only 10 states have full-time lawmakers. They then shift to nonprofit scandals in San Francisco, focusing on the Dreamkeeper Initiative under Mayor London Breed, where funds were misused by nonprofits like Collective Impact and Both Sides of the Conversation for expenses such as first-class flights, steakhouse dinners, and liquor. The hosts highlight connections between nonprofit leaders and city officials, including a relationship between Cheryl Davis and James Spingola. Finally, they examine Governor Gavin Newsom's whale-watching trip in Mexico, funded by an environmental nonprofit, and how the story changed from a personal vacation to an educational excursion, raising questions about transparency and influence. The episode concludes with a call for voter attention to combat corruption in California's one-party system.

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