The Talk of Santa Clarita

An interview with screenwriter Charlie Vignola. Who worked for more than 30 years with Jerry Bruckheimer as the head of development.

Annie Cho is what some would call the real American dream. Her family immigrated to the United States when she was in the fifth grade. She worked two jobs to put herself through college at California State University eventually obtaining a degree in Political Science. She became a business woman specializing in diversity communications and has since launched a second career in Real Estate. Annie is also an activist. She is involved in several community and grass roots organizations including the Womens' Political Caucus San Fernando Chapter, the API Caucus, and several Democratic Clubs. Now, she is running as a Democrat to challenge Republican incumbent Suzette Martinez Valladares for the Assembly seat of for the 38th District. This is Annie's second time to run for the seat. While Suzette was the ultimate winner in the election it could be argued that she was aided by the fact there were three Democratic challengers which split the Democratic vote three ways allowing Suzette to squeeze through. Annie did however receive more votes than any other Democratic candidate. She believes her chances for a victory in 2022 are extremely strong.

This is episode 173 with Democratic candidate for the 38th District in the California State Assembly, Pilar Schiavo Pilar Schiavo is a resident of Chatsworth. She is a proud activist having worked extensively with unions and non-profits. Most recently she helped deploy nurses for disaster relief and humanitarian missions. She has been involved with unions like UNITE HERE Local 11, SEIU, the AFL-CIO, and the San Francisco Labor Council. Her work has one mission behind it-to uplift families. In addition to her union and non-profit work she has been very involved with her community as well. Co-founding West Valley Homes Yes and the West Valley People's Alliance. Now she is running for the 38th District Seat in the California Assembly in hopes of unseating Republican incumbent Suzette Valladarez. So far, she is off to a good start. Her campaign has started with a large amount of enthusiasm and dollars. In the first six weeks since she started her campaign, Pilar raised more than 120,000 dollars. A district fundraising record. She also has received several endorsements such as Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and Treasurer Fiona Ma among others. I sat down with Pilar several weeks ago (apologies to Pilar for the delay in posting this podcast by the way) and we talked about her life, her dedication to unions and what she wants to do for this district.

This is episode 172 with Democratic candidate of the 25th Congressional District, Quaye Quartey John Quaye Quartey lives in Valencia. He is a husband and father and the son of an immigrant. I find Quaye to be incredibly interesting. His resume reads like the one of an action hero for the latest Bruckheimer film. He attended the Naval Academy where he played football and ran track. Afterwards he served in combat in both Kosovo and Iraq as well as fighting terrorism and cyberwarfare operations all around the globe. He led intelligence operations on five continents and then served as a military diplomat in France. He also commanded special forces combatting ISIS inspired terrorists in Central Africa. After 20 years in the service, Quaye retired from active duty at the rank of Commander. He enrolled in Stanford University's Graduate School of Business where he obtained a Master's degree in Business Management. He now runs a small business with a mission to grow other small businesses serving the community. As I said, an impressive resume. One thing that sticks in my head though is that he has done intelligence operations on five continents. Just five continents, Quaye? That means you still have two to go. Next time lets' not be such an underacheiver. OK? In all seriousness, Quaye is running for Congress as a Democrat with hopes of unseating incumbent Mike Garcia. It's still very early and it's going to be a tough race. As of right now, there are four Democratic candidates running and the filing deadline is nowhere close. And although Quaye lives in Valencia now, some have criticized him for not having grown up in this district. Still, he's off to a strong start as he was one of the top fundraisers among the candidates. Quaye really knows his international politics and the way the US government works. He was incredibly charming and had a good sense of humor. I enjoyed talking to him a great deal. As a veteran, he already fits the a major requirement for some in this district and with his strength in fundraising, he shows he could be a formidable contender for the role of Congressman for the 25th District.

Welcome to episode 171 with Democratic candidate for the 38th district in the California Assembly, Jonathan Ahmadi, Jonathan Ahmadi is a first generation Californian who has done many things in life. He has worked as an aeronautical engineer, he has been involved in the entertainment industry, and was part of former Congresswoman Katie Hill's team here in Santa Clarita. He currently is involved with healthcare where he works with providers bringing new facilities online safely. He is extremely involved with the community by volunteering at the SCV Senior Center, being a member of the Sierra Club, the Whittaker Bermite Citizen's Advisory Group as well as a being a campaign lead for the BE SMART campaign for Moms Demand Action. He has also been involved with the Santa Clarita Homelessness task force and is Vice President of the Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative. He is running as a Democrat for the California assembly in the 38th District hoping to unseat Republican incumbent Suzette Valladarez. This is going to be an interesting race. The last democrat to hold the 39th assembly seat was Christy Smith. She seemed like a shoo in to continue in that seat until the 25th District needed a Democrat to run for the suddenly open seat in Congress. When this happened suddenly the Democrats no longer had a candidate to run for the 38th. Three people eventually stepped up but ultimately it divided the Democratic votes and as a result of the jungle primary, two Republicans moved forward to the general election eventually leading to Suzette Valladarez winning the seat. To say Valladarez caught a break and moved to an easy win is arguably an understatement. But in 2022 things will be different. As of right now she has no Republican challengers which means there will probably be a Democrat challenger to her in the general election. There is currently three Democrats including Jonathan vying for that spot in the general election and they are all extremely strong candidates. In my very humble opinion this is the race to watch over the next year. I met with Jonathan a few weeks ago. We talked about a lot of different things including his time working with Katie Hill, his involvement with the community and why he is running. But what really impresses me about Jonathan is his kind and friendly nature. He showed up early for the podcast just to see if he could help out with setup. (which he did). And upon a classic outtake moment where I first sat down in my chair and I fell backward, instead of laughing about it, he was legitimately concerned I may have hurt myself. This of course proves he's a much better person than me. I said we talked about a lot of different things but before we got to the nitty gritty I thought it would be fun to open with a question which has been bugging me since the first time I met Jonathan. Needless to say that first question threw him for a bit of a loop which is always fun.

This is episode 170 with guest Democratic candidate for the 25th Congressional District, Rhoda Nazanin Rhoda Nazanin is an immigrant, a citizen, a Christian, a former Pastor, and now, she is a Democratic candidate for the 25th Congressional District with hopes of defeating incumbent Mike Garcia. She was born in Iran, coming to the United States with her family when she was eight years old, due to the persecution her father was receiving as a Christian Pastor. She says that her family's journey helped her appreciate at an early age that this country represents the promise of opportunity and freedom for anyone willing to take a chance. Rhoda was the first of her family to attend a four year college. She later followed in her father's footsteps by becoming a Christian pastor. Although she says she loved being a Pastor, Rhoda was experiencing a struggle with her identity as a gay woman. She eventually stepped down and returned to college to complete her degree. She now works for a non-profit. And now she is running for Congress in the 25th District. Rhoda said she was increditly hit hard by the insurrection at our nation's capiltol on January 6th and after Biden's inauguration, she decided to get in the race. The 25th District Congressional Race is getting crowded quickly. There are more than four democratic candidates currently running to unseat Mike Garcia. All of them are vying for donations and attention and we are still almost a year away from the primary! I sat down with Rhoda on Juneteenth. It was an incredibly hot day so kudos to Rhoda coming dressed in a full suit. I was already melting by that point. It was so hot in fact that my recorder actually overheated! Fortunately, I did have a back up but as a forewarning there is about 3 minutes where we were forced to use the audio from the camera. I really enjoyed talking to Rhoda. She is incredibly charming and definitely has a sincere desire to do some good for this world, this country and this district. But with Garcia leading all of the candidates in donations, and with the other candidates in the race, it will be an uphill battle for her. She told me she knew that but was ready to take challenge head on. I really respected that about her and I wish her much luck in the race.

This is episode 169 with our guest local business owner and gay advocate, John Musella John musella is president of the Musella Group and a member of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce. He is also an openly gay man who describes himself as a "late bloomer" when he came out. John is a charming and interesting guy and I always enjoy talking to him. But due to June being Pride Month, I thought it would be fun to talk to him about being gay, and his work as an advocate for gay rights. Not to put anyone to a stereotype but it is usually assumed that (right or wrong) that person is also a Democrat simply because Democrats have a history of being more welcoming to the LGBTQ community. And this is one reason I find John fun to talk to. This was my second podcast with him. When we did that first podcast, John talked about being in the closet at college and also not being a strong supporter of gay rights at the same time. For a long part of his life he was a Republican (until the age of Trump where he changed to no party preference). But after he came out and before the age of Trump, John was a strong advocate for gay rights in the Republican party. This podcast is a very late addition for Pride month (as I said, sometimes life gets in the way) I thought it would be interesting to talk to John about coming out, his advocacy work and why Pride month is so important. He was incredibly friendly and had a great sense of humor about doing the podcast. When I mentioned it would be about Pride month and being gay, John laughed and said "What are we going to talk about after that three minutes?" meaning to John and a lot of people, there's nothing special or different about being gay. It's just who he is and he is 100% right. Needless to say, John was a lot of fun to talk to and I think you'll enjoy this podcast a great deal.

This is episode 167 with guest Cenk Uygur from "the Young Turks" I want to apologize up front about the sound issues with this particular podcast. Covid have made it necessary to try and do these podcasts outdoors, and with the Santa Clarita weather being what it is, let's just say it's been difficult to find a regular safe place to record a podcast especially with wind. We do what we can under extreme circumstances. Cenk Uygur is one of the founders of "The Young Turks" network. For those who don't know anything about him, Cenk is a very vocal and unapologetic progressive. He has done many things throughout his career and currently champions the green new deal, medicare for all and getting money out of politics completely. In 2019 Cenk announced his candidacy for the 25th congressional seat maintaining there was a progressive audience in the district who could carry him to victory. But the votes proved otherwise and he finished fourth in the race. As he says in this podcast with blatant honesty "I got killed" Love him or hate him, I find Cenk fascinating to talk to. He has a confidence in what he believes and is never short of an opinion on a topic. He was kind enough to appear on this show twice before during the race. The first time was a bit awkward mostly on my part. The second time, was a much more friendly conversation which I jokingly called "Part 2: The Wrath of Cenk" I thought it would be interesting to meet with Cenk again now that the race is over to get his viewpoints on his candidacy and the other people who ran in the race as well as politics in general these days. Considering he wasn't a candidate, I didn't expect him to say yes because I saw no reason for him to appear on my little dog and pony show but to my surprise he was more than willing to do the show. We met a few weeks back, defying the wind and other weather conditions. Cenk was incredibly patient and kind considering the conditions we were doing the podcast under but as Cenk even said "We do what we can under Covid Conditions". I called this podcast "Part 3: The Search for Hope" because as Cenk and I discussed the state of politics and the media today, I found the cynicism rise in me again. In contrast Cenk continues to be an optimist about the future of this country and that is something I truly admire about him. I want to thank Cenk for finding the time to come up here and do the podcast. I hope to have him return again when he publishes his upcoming book. Again apologies in advance for the sound issues with this particular podcast. Because you know, Cov-id

This is episode 167 with our guest Joshua Wentz, the Director of the artistic director for Mission Opera and an Associate Professor of Music at Los Angeles Mission College Joshua Wentz serves as the Director of Music at Santa Clarita United Methodist Church and Production Manager of Landmark Opera in Los Angeles as well as Artistic Director and President of Mission Opera.   Launched in 2019, Mission Opera strives to produce high-quality, accessible opera and musical theater, to provide members of thecommunity the opportunity to participate at all levels of these productions, and to afford both participants and audiences enjoyment and a deeper appreciation of opera and musical theater. Mission Opera is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.   And Mission Opera is the reason I sat down to talk to Joshua.  His organization, Mission Opera is performing a short opera on the weekends of June 6th and 7th and June 12th and 13th.   The piece is called  “Le 66,” and is a one-act comedic piece.   The story is about two traveling musicians who get lost on the way to help a distant cousin but get side tracked when a peddler sells them a lottery ticket.     Josh knows that bringing opera to the masses is a challenge due to preconceived expectations that opera is considered by some as pretentious, is often in a foreign language and some even consider it boring.  Knowing this, Mission Opera is working toward making it more appealing to the mainstream. For example “le 66” will be performed in both English and French.  A caption viewer with translations is often provided at foreign language performances as well.    I don't claim to know much about opera but I do recognize the work which is involved in producing one and I certainly respect anyone who attempts to produce one.  I found Josh to be really interesting with a great attitude.  He knows the challenges he has with his organization but seems eager to take them head on. Also how can you not admire someone that is doing something for the simple love of an art form?

This is episode 166 with guest Democratic candidate for the 25th Congressional district in 2022, Ruth Luevanos. Ruth Luevanos has many labels.  She is a mother, a wife, a teacher, a union leader, a graduate from law school, and an activist.  Along will all of that, she currently sits on the Simi Valley City Council as an unapologetic progressive.  That's quite an achievement by itself considering the traditionally conservative area of Simi Valley.  She is also the first Latina ever elected to that position.    Now, she's running as a Democrat to challenge Mike Garcia in the 2022 Congressional Election. I have to admit being immediately impressed with Ruth.  She has a helluva resume to run for office and when I met her to do this podcast, I found her to be incredibly funny, sweet and energetic yet still having a very serious determination to solve some of this district's and the nation's problems.  Election 2022 is going to be an interesting one for this district as there are currently four Democrats all vying to challenge Mike Garcia in the general election and, because the district hasn't been redrawn yet, there's no clear boundary as to where the district will begin or end.  It's possible when the district is redrawn one or even two of the candidates might not even live in the district's boundaries.  Money is also a big factor in this race.  It will literally take millions of dollars to unseat Garcia who already has a large amount of money raised for his re-election.  Simply put, t's going to be an uphill battle for all of the candidates.  However, I got the impression from Ruth she's in it to win it and when I sat down to talk to her I could tell she was going to be a candidate to take very seriously in this race.

Welcome to  Episode 165 with guest Andrew Taban, the Chair for the new organization, The Santa Clarita Valley Democrats.  Andrew Taban has lived in Santa Clarita for most of his life. He's young but has already done quite a bit to contribute to this Valley.  For starters, he ran for Hart School Board when he was just  19 years old.  And although he didn't succeed in that campaign, with a vote turning out to be roughly 40/60  he did show himself to be a formidable candidate.  Since then, he has been actively involved with Democratic organizations and campaigns since.  He was part of Santa Clarita Valley young Democrats, and then later served as Vice President for the Democratic Alliance for Action, at the time, the only registered Democratic organization in this valley.    He also has worked for Christy Smith when she was an Assemblyperson.    Needless to say, Taban keeps himself busy with his endeavors and commitments. Despite all the things Taban has accomplished or perhaps because of it, he is now serving as the inaugural Chairperson for a newly registered Democratic organization in the Santa Clarita Valley, simply called The Santa Clarita Valley Democrats.    This new organization sprung up quick and to a lot of local activists surprise, but with a board filled with well known activists in this Valley, it has grown quickly and already has a stellar reputation.  Taban has described the organization as non-judgemental and open to any Democrat in the valley who wants to make a difference.  He says while the ultimate goal is to get Democrats elected, the organization is also dedicated to helping the community in other ways as well.    The organization has delivered on that commitment  in only a few short months by organizing blood drives, food drives, working on get out the vote projects and even planting trees.        I wanted to speak with Andrew to see what the plans were for the organization, how it was going to be different from other organizations in this Valley, and his general feelings on being a democrat. By the way, I welcome any of the Republican organizations to be a guest on this show any time just reach out to me at thetalkofsantaclarita@gmail.com.

Aside from a few years in Las Vegas, Austin Dave is more or less a lifelong resident of Santa Clarita. Growing up, Austin was an aspiring filmmaker until the day he literally stumbled into a classroom at College of the Canyons on journalism and fate took over and Austin found a new passion. As a journalist, he has worked for SCVTV and the Signal. Now, he works for himself as an independent voice in Santa Clarita for "Live as it happens" reporting. Austin often does reporting literally as it happens. He has followed police incidents, car accidents, and the activist marches which have taken place in the SCV. He has developed a loyal following on both instagram and facebook . He hasn't abandoned filmmaking though. He has been working a documentary on the addiction problems which have troubled Santa Clarita for several years now. He's a fascinating guy. Particularly because he does his reporting more as a community service than to make money. I met with him several months ago to do this podcast but due to the 2020 election and the multitude of candidates running, this podcast was put on hold for awhile. However the issues we discuss are still very relevant. We talked about his perception of Santa Clarita, the media out here, why he does what he does, and his documentary. I found him incredibly interesting to talk to and I think you will too.

Joe Jacobson is a political strategist who has been working in politics for more than seven years.  This includes electoral work, lobbying and government experience.  He has been involved with the AFL-CIO, President Obama's Council of Economic Advisors, Senators Ron Wyden and Barbara Boxer as well Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.  In case you haven't guessed yet, Joe is a Democrat.  He is also the founder of the Progress Action Fund and the Sedition Caucus PAC.   This political action committee was created after Joe witnessed the insurrection on the Capitol which took place on January 6, 2021.    Like many of us, Joe was appalled at what he saw that day and in particular incensed by the actions of the Congressmen and Senators who challenged the certification of the electoral collage.        Some have tried to make the comparison to the challenges which happened in 2000 and 2004 by Democrats.  But let's be clear, it simply isn't.  In 2000 and 2004, Democrats who challenged the certification were concerned about voter suppression and if even all the votes had been counted.  Those who challenged the certification this year were trying to throw out legitimate votes which, if you ask me, may just be the most unAmerican thing a person can do. Which brings us to the 25th Congressional District's congressman, Mike Garcia.  Garcia has said in a statement he was appalled by what happened at the Capitol that day, yet even AFTER the insurrection took place-an incident inspired by the myth of election fraud by Donald Trump, Garcia STILL voted to challenge the certification process. Congressman Garcia has since stated in a letter published by The Signal that his decision to challenge the certification was not to stop Joe Biden but to question the legalityof the voting process of  two states.  This is incredibly ironic as Garica has identified himself as a states's rights person.  And, had he succeeded with his challenge, it would have thrown out millions of legal votes.   I can't help but wonder if Congressman Garcia would have challenged those votes if Donald Trump had won those states.  This is why Joe Jacobson and  the Sedition Caucus have taken an interest in the 25th Congressional District and Mike Garcia.  Having won on a razor thin margin in a district where Joe Biden won by 10 points, Garcia is definitely vulnerable and as Jacobson puts it Garcia needs to be held accountable for his actions.   Joe and I met last month to talk about the goals of the Sedition Caucus PAC and why they are targeting Garcia in particular.   Needless to say, he didn't mince any words.

When I sat down to interview Christy last week, I had no plans for the interview to go so long but I was enjoying talking to her so much and felt that there was so much ground to cover it warranted an extended interview which has now been broken into two parts.   I call this part of the interview "The Knitty Gritty" because after finding out what Christy was like growing up (mohawk and all) I wanted to ask her about Mike Garcia and some of the decisions he has made and things he has done since being elected.  Needless to say, Garcia doesn't cut the mustard for Smith.   And to be honest, even if Christy wasn't a friend, the difference between what Mike Garcia's understanding and knowledge of federal and state government and what Christy's understanding and knowledge is like comparing night to day. I know. I know I can already hear the critics complaining about my bias and partisanship but regardless of my politics the honest truth is my experience with Garcia was one where he brought notes and showed a lack of knowledge of healthcare.   Christy on the other hand, spoke off the cuff and was sharp as a tack.   Now, I'd love to give Congressman Garcia the benefit of a doubt and interview him again to see where he stands on several issues, as well as see if his knowledge has increased since going to Washington. (I'd also love to see if he could do an interview without bringing notes)  but despite promising to return to do this show, he has broken his word and in complete total disclosure, I have had more than a falling out with him over the situation.   Which leads me back to Christy Smith who has stated to me that she is an open book and always available to talk or sit down and do an interview.  I have found her to be open, honest, knowledgeable, and always incredibly approachable.     So say what you will about my partisanship, but Christy Smith is the kind of candidate that I, personally, Stephen Daniels wants to see go to Congress. With that in mind, I did something on this show I have never done since this show began.  I,  and I want to emphasize this- not the talk of santa clarita , nor Radio Free Santa Clarita, but me, Stephen Daniels has endorsed her for Congress.          A quick note about that endorsement.  I have as of late have been accused of being too partisan on this show.  Some have even called me a Democratic propogandist.  Look, this is the way it is, pure and simple.  I am who I am. I don't hide my politics or opinions. Instead I choose to be myself when I interview anyone.  I won't pretend to be someone I'm not.  That's just not honest to anyone  and I won't do that to my  loyal listeners (all seven of them)  With me, for better or for worse, what you see is what you get.    But enough about me, lets get back to  the main attraction and the second part of my interview with Christy Smith.

This is Episode 161 featuring a special conversation with Christy Smith. Three hundred and thirty three votes. That's it. That's all that separated Christy Smith and Mike Garcia in the 25th Congressional race and the deciding number which sent Mike Garcia back to Washington. That's a tight margin to say the least. It's a margin of votes so small that the results could have been different if something as simple as rain on election day had happened. So knowing this, you have to wonder sometimes what goes through Christy Smith's mind these days. This is why I wanted to sit down and talk with her. Yes, I know she's been on more than a few times in the past year. In fact, as of this podcast, she now has the record for the most appearances on this show. But i was interested in knowing what was going through her mind after such a close election. How she handled the defeat as well as what her thoughts were about possibly running again. Mike Garcia has stated openly he has difficulty working in a bi-partisan way. He has continually voted with the Trump agenda and fought against the Biden agenda. In particular, he was one of the Republican congressmen who made the controversial decision to challenge the certification of the electors on January 6th. Say what you will about his votes-love them or hate them, but Garcia seems to be forgetting this is a purple district which Biden won by 10 points. Something else Garcia seems to be forgetting is that magic number of 333 votes. Some might say that's just the way the election went, but sometimes it goes the other way too. And 333 is not a number that's hard to change. The conversation with Christy was friendly, detailed and long. So long in fact, that we have broken this interview into two parts. In Part 1, we discussed the results of the election, her thoughts on Mike Garcia, and a lot about her personally. I asked what life was like for her growing up and how she got her perspective on politics that she has today. I got a lot out of her including stories about her having a mohawk as a kid. But I also got more. Christy made an official announcement which, while not really surprising, could impact the SCV, the 25th Congressional District and Mike Garcia's future. I've known Christy for seven years now. I've always been impressed with her tenacity, her strength and her sheer knowledge of political matters and I'm proud that I can say she is good friend of mine. I admire her pragmatism when it comes to getting things done and in total honesty after 161 shows, I have yet to meet anyone who understands government and politics better than her.

Welcome to Episode 159 with guest Santa Clarita Valley Water Board Member, Maria Gutzeit. Maria Gutzeit has been on Water boards since 2003. First serving on the Newhall County Water District Board. Later she served as Board president and as a senior board member. An engineer by trade, Maria runs a Environmental Consulting company. A democrat, She is involved in politics for some time having run for city council in 2014 and briefly for congress in 2016. I think she would define herself politically as a moderate. She is a scientist and as a result, likes to balance her decisions with pragmatism and facts. She is also known to reach across the aisle often even though technically speaking a position on the water board is a non-partisan elected office. Yet Maria's philosophy has created a little ire from some local democrats because sometimes her votes do not match their personal idealogy. As a result, among some local Democratic activists, she is considered somewhat, shall we say controversial? I personally think that Maria does what she believes is right and political parties be damned. I don't always agree with her decisions but I respect her and her choices. I met with Maria on an early Sunday morning. We talked mostly about the SCV Water board, but also about her love of cycling, and the political climate for her in this Valley. She is a super serious person and I have still yet to get the one thing I want the most from her....a joke.

This is Episode 160 with guest Candidate for the Hart School Board James Webb James Webb is a resident of Santa Clarita who has worked in public education for most of his life. He was a teacher in the Hart School District for several years and currently works as a consultant in teacher preparation. Along with his husband Charles, he has two adopted sons. Now as a both a parent and a public educator, James has become a a candidate for the Hart School District Board challenging incumbent Steve Sturgeon. On his website, James is quoted as saying that, " I have observed significant cultural shifts within the Hart District, our valley, and our city that have the opportunity to enrich our community fabric if we seize upon the occasion to enact changes that will impact our students, the district staff, our families, and the teachers and administrators of the Hart School District." The Hart School Board has been enslaved, for the most part, with incumbency. James' opponent has been on the Hart Board for more than a decade. Some could argue that the board could use some new blood and in this podcast James showed the dedication and compassion he would put forward if elected.

This is episode 158 with guests Anna Kumar. Beth Braunstein, Stacy Fortner, Kathye Armitage, Valerie Bradford and Christine Okamoto, all candidates for the Santa Clarita Valley Water Board who have dubbed themselves the Water 6. There's something incredibly interesting about the Water 6 that encouraged me to do this podcast. These six women each coming from a diverse background,are not just running individual campaigns but they are also running a joint campaign. You know, sort of like the Avengers but with water. Its a unique strategy and may give them the opportunity to win seats on the Santa Clarita Water board which has been dominated with incumbency for years. SCV Water is a regional water wholesaler and retailer providing water to residents and businesses in, obviously, the Santa Clarita Valley. While not receiving a lot of attention in elections, SCV Water is a powerful influence in this valley. Let's face it every resident and business needs water and the only source, due to the acquisition of other water agencies in this valley, is SCV Water which means if you live or work here, you need them. Which is why you should care about this particular election. Which brings us back to the Water 6. As a group, they have created a unique marketing campaign which might just make them stand out enough to win their races. I spoke with the them a few weeks ago. It was a zoom call with all six at one time. We talked about each of their motivations for running, their concerns for the future of the valley, and the way the current Board is running SCV Water. I found them all to be extremely candid about their feelings and motivations.

Welcome to Episode 157 with guest Santa Clarita City Council Candidate, Kelvin Driscoll. This is episode 4 of a four part series highlighting the candidates for City Council. Kelvin Driscoll has been living in the city of Santa Clarita for 10 years. He is a husband father of a small child and he has a desire to give back to the community in which he resides. He is currently a candidate for the Santa Clarita City Council. This is not Kelvin’s first time to run for office. Less than a year ago, he was running for California Assembly’s 38th district as a Democrat. However, there were two other democrats running in the race and the democratic vote was split leaving two Republicans running against each other. After losing that race, Kelvin spent some time doing some hard thinking before committing to another race and ultimately chose to run for City Council. As he says in this podcast, he decided to run because he firmly believes he has something unique he can offer to the community. Kelvin works in social services in Los Angeles. It’s a tough job and it takes a person who is genuine and has good character to be able to do it right. I think it says something about an individual who has dedicated his career to helping people. I have found Kelvin to enthusiastic about politics in general. He seems to believe in the ability of government to help people and he is eager to contribute. Click on the link below to view a video of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0MOeTW3BaE&feature=youtu.be

As I’ve already said, Santa Clarita is at a crossroads. I think it’s somewhere around wanting to stay a small town and being forced, (kicking and screaming) into becoming a big city. This is something which is probably inevitable. But how this city moves into the future (good or bad) will be determined by the City Council. Welcome to episode 156 with guest Selina Thomas. This is part three of a four-part series featuring candidates for the Santa Clarita City Council. Selina Thomas has been a resident of Santa Clarita for more than 10 years. She is the founder and CEO of 6 degrees HR Consulting. A mother of three kids, and a candidate for Santa Clarita City Council and she wants your vote. She’s an interesting person to talk to. Her desire to help the community through her candidacy is admirable yet, until she announced her run, she was relatively unknown compared to some of the other names on the ballot. She states on her website that she is running to help solve the economic and social issues which face Santa Clarita. In addition, she hopes she can bring some much-needed diversity to the council. Her platform is built on five points: fiscal responsibility, support and recovery of small business owners, returning kids to schools, public safety, and developing an inclusive community through civil engagement and outreach. I found her to be a smart and articulate woman. Her goals are admirable and for the simple sake of her being both bi-racial and a woman, she stands out among the other candidates. The city council race is a tough one to win, as all of the incumbents have large coffers of cash and established name recognition but, with Bob Kellar stepping down, it really is anybody’s race. I wish her luck. Click on the link below to view a video of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_MgbNX8XzI&feature=youtu.be

Santa Clarita is at a crossroads. I think it’s somewhere around wanting to stay a small town and being forced, (kicking and screaming) into becoming a big city. This is something which is probably inevitable. But how this city moves into the future (good or bad) will be determined by the City Council. Welcome to episode 155 with guest Tim Ben Boydston. This is part two of a four-part series featuring candidates for the Santa Clarita City Council. Tim Ben Boydston has been living in Santa Clarita for 44 years. He is currently the Executive Director for the Canyon Theatre Guild. A veteran and family man, Tim Ben wants your vote for Santa Clarita City Council. He served on the City Council twice in the past. Once as an appointee to the position and again when he was elected. During his time on the Council, Tim Ben, to some, was seen as a champion for the average resident who worked hard to recognize the voice of the people, to others he was seen as stubborn, difficult and unwilling to work with others. I first met Tim Ben in 2014. I found him to be a friendly, approachable man who was always appreciative of anyone who wanted to contribute to Santa Clarita. He earned respect from me early on when I would watch him stand up to the rest of the City Council on issues which he disagreed. If he believed he was right, regardless of what the rest of the council thought, Tim Ben would hold his ground. This sometimes created friction between himself and the other council members and even though Tim Ben voted in agreement with the council 90% of the time, his disagreements have often overshadowed his other votes. The frustration from the rest of the council was clearly evident as they continually passed on the opportunity to name him mayor of the city every year he served. Love him or hate him, Tim Ben does what he believes is right and to hell with the consequences. As he states on his website, during his time on the Council, Tim Ben supported the new Sheriff’s station, the Canyon Country Community Center, a new Senior Center and fought hard against digital billboards in open space, high speed rail and red light cameras. When talking to him, he can be incredibly long-winded. Not necessarily in a bad way, it often shows he’s put a lot of careful thought in his opinions but sometimes it does get hard to move on to a new question! Nevertheless, I always enjoy a good spirited conversation with him. Click on the link below for to view a video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1IYMwjrLBY&feature=youtu.be

Santa Clarita is at a crossroads. I think it’s somewhere around wanting to stay a small town and being forced, (kicking and screaming) into becoming a big city. This is something which is probably inevitable. But how this city moves into the future (good or bad) will be determined by the City Council. Welcome to episode 154 with guest Dr. Aakash Ahuja. This is part one of a four part series featuring candidates for the Santa Clarita City Council. Dr. Aakash Ahuja really, really wants to represent you on the City Council. He has been running for almost a year now and even contacted me about being on this podcast as far back as 9 months ago. Originally from India, Dr. Aakash has living in Santa Clarita for several years now. He is a psychiatrist working with inmates at the prison in Lancaster. He is a dedicated family man with a real enthusiasm at the prospect of being on the City Council. Aakash’s platform is, in a way, the same typical fare you see for any City Council candidate such as reducing traffic congestion, the safety of our kids, and supporting local businesses. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, this election is anything but typical and who is on City Council will directly affect the future of Santa Clarita, its local businesses and the city’s economy, possibly more so than ever. Aakash is more progressive than the current members of the City Council. If elected, it would be interesting to see how his views and approach would be greeted by the other members of the council. Click on the link below to view the podcast: https://youtu.be/hddpn8drh4k

Welcome to Episode 153 with guest Democratic candidate for the 25th Congressional District, Christy Smith. At this point, what more is there to say about Christy Smith? She has literally appeared on this show so many times I’ve lost count. But for those that have missed the other episodes, I’ll catch you up. Christy Smith grew up and lives in Santa Clarita. She has spent most of her life living here. She began her political career on the Newhall School board. Now, she represents the 38th District in the California Assembly which includes the Santa Clarita Valley. Now she is running to represent the 25th Congressional District as a Democrat hoping to beat incumbent Mike Garcia who won the special election in May. This election is like no other. With President Trump up for re-election and the parties so divided, every vote matters for every single seat on the ballot. In his short time in office, Mike Garcia has proven to be a staunch Trump ally, voting again and again on party lines. That’s not a judgement, simply a fact. Love it or leave it. Conversely, Christy Smith is anything but a Trump ally. I think it’s pretty safe to say if you think Mike Garcia supports it, she probably doesn’t and vice versa. A quick observation though, Garcia has shown a great reluctance to give any long form interviews with any media outlet or to even talk to any media unless it is known to have an already established conservative bent. In fact, to my knowledge the last time Garcia did a long form interview was on this very show. More on that during the podcast. As a voter and podcaster, I think it’s important that a Representative for the people should be willing to speak to ALL of his constituents and not just his base. I believe it’s very telling about the person and their qualifications. As I have said before, in full disclosure, Christy is a friend of mine. I don’t always agree with her but I have always had a personal admiration for her ability to always explain her reasoning for the choices and decisions she makes And more importantly, her willingness to talk to anyone about any topic on the record. As she has said to me, “I’m an open book and always game.” We met in the outdoor socially distanced studio of the Talk of Santa Clarita over Labor Day weekend. We talked about a lot of things including the election, Congressman Garcia’s record and her own record. She also answered questions to some of the allegations which have been made against her by her opponent. And even though I didn’t get a joke from her at the end, I did get to hear a tune. A video version of the podcast is available by clicking on the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_1gKJcGIUc&feature=youtu.be

Welcome to Episode 152 with guest Sebastian Cazares Sebastian Cazares is a lifelong Saugus resident. He graduated from Saugus High School and went on to pursue his college education at College of the Canyons. He is currently attending UCLA. This is very typical for the average person growing up in Santa Clarita, but what is not typical is that at the age of twenty, Sebastian is also a candidate for the College of the Canyons Board of Trustees. While attending COC, Sebastian was elected to serve as the college's Associated Student Government President where he presided over a nearly one million dollar budget and a variety of services which were critical to the COC community. In addition, he also was an advocate for students at the California State Capitol in Sacramento and served on the Independent Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee for Measures E and M. At times, Cazares also served as a proxy for the Santa Clarita Community College District Student Trustee, voting in students’ interests each time. Sebastian may just be the youngest person to ever run for the COC Trustee Board. (I wasn't able to confirm that either way) Yet, his age hasn't been holding him back. In fact, it could be argued that it works to his advantage. As a recent COC graduate and student representative he would be bring a unique perspective to a Board which should always be considering the interests of the students first. He also has received a large number of endorsements including current board members Edel Alonso and Joan Macgregor, the College of the Canyons Faculty association and the California Teachers Association, among others. I met with Sebastian on a hot Sunday morning in a socially distanced outdoor setting. He is an incredibly affable person. Both charming and likeable, and he is a talker. We talked about quite a few things including his family, activism and his candidacy and what he wants to do as a Board Trustee. A video version is available by clicking on the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uam3VdHUoW8&feature=youtu.be

And we are back after a long and much-needed hiatus! Did you miss the show? How are the wife and kids? I have to be honest with you, after doing these podcasts for almost five years now, it has become harder and harder to do them on a regular basis. I'm trying hard to find a way to balance doing these shows with the other obligations in my life. Hopefully, I'll be able to rectify the situation. So, while we already have a full slate of shows set for the fall, I can only say until you hear otherwise, please enjoy them while you can. We are still trying to do these podcasts every week with the caveat that sometimes life does get in the way so please keep checking out all the social networking stuff and the website to know when the latest episode goes up. On a quick side note, due to the whole Corona Social Distance thing, we have begun to record and film these shows outdoors. We usually do them early on Sunday mornings in the park directly across from Placerita Junior High. If you are in the neighborhood, we'd like to invite you to drive by, honk, wave or if you want, even bring a chair and watch the show live. all we ask is if you choose to do any of the above, please be cool and respectful when you do. Hope to see you there! This is episode 151 with guest Author and Conservative Spokesperson Victoria Redstall. "I am an anti-feminist. Men and Women are not equal" are two things I remember Victoria Redstall saying during our interview. She is originally from England but has lived in Spain, Mexico and other places before settling here in Los Angeles County. Victoria has had an interesting and unique life. She has had a career as a model and actress, and as a television reporter. Most recently, she was a conservative spokesperson promoting Mike Garcia with his Congressional campaign for the 25th district. I first became of Victoria by watching the videos she was posting on Facebook about Mike Garcia. Agree with her or not, her audaciousness certainly was an attention grabber and her views are so extreme right-winged I knew she would be an interesting discussion. I found her to be a charming and friendly woman but her views were, well, anything than what I would say is the common norm for most of my listeners. She calls herself an anti-feminist and is not afraid to call other women tramps or sluts because they're lifestyle is different than hers. She also (and I don't thing she'd disagree with me saying this) an extremist when it comes to right-wing values. She loves Donald Trump, thinks Black Lives Matter is a terrorist group and believes the only honest news channel is Fox news. So if you know me at all or the show, this was someone I HAD to talk to. It was a spirited discussion but a friendly as well. I want to thank Victoria for taking the time to meet with me on our first Outdoor Socially Distanced episode. Special shout out to the great Lee Morell for suggesting her as a guest by the way.

This is Episode 150 a Special Corona Virus edition with the Democratic candidate for the 25th Congressional District Special Election and General Election race, California Assemblymember Christy Smith. As an Assemblymember Christy Smith represents the 38th District. Now, she is running to represent a larger population in the 25th Congressional race with hopes of replacing Katie Hill. This is an extremely interesting race to watch. Christy is not as progressive as Katie Hill. Ironically though, Katie Hill ran a campaign using the color purple to emphasize that she would listen to both her blue and red constituents. This is actually a better description of Christy Smith. Smith is known for carefully considering several different aspects of a bill before voting for it. She pays attention to the facts before she makes a decision, and she doesn’t necessarily think about whether that decision is blue or red. She even received flack from several progressives for not being “progressive enough.” Whether that’s true or not is completely relative on who you are. Smith is a Democrat and believes in Democratic ideas and principles and, she has a proven track record of getting things done in Sacramento. She has gotten (I believe the number is) 12 bills signed into law in less than two years serving in the Assembly. What’s interesting about this race though is the contrast between Smith and her Republican opponent Mike Garcia and how the district feels about each of them and what they represent. This district as of right now has more registered Democrats than Republicans but the amount of “declined to state party preference” voters is large in this district. So, with that in mind, it’s anybody’s game. But Mike Garcia has been running a race loyal to conservatives, Republicans and Donald Trump although Trump lost the 25th district in 2016 and I think it’s safe to say part of Katie Hill’s success was based on a lot of anti-Trump sentiment which already existed in the 25th. Conversely, Christy Smith has been running a very traditional Democratic campaign almost to a cookie cutter level which has created some criticism toward her for not standing out as a candidate. Who will win? You tell me. Do you know a lot of people who have changed their opinion about Trump? Do you think that the majority of “decline to state” voters lean left or lean right? How many Democrats do you know who vote regularly? Do you know more that are Republicans? Do you think people vote party preference or on the person that is running? And who in the world is responsible for Bruce Springsteen giving up Twinkies? All I can say at this point is remember, there are two elections. The first is a vote by mail this May to decide which candidate will finish out Katie Hill’s term and then another one in November to determine who will represent the 25th District for the next Congressional term. It’s up to you to decide so please remember to vote. As far as which way the election will go, I’m still trying to work on answering the Twinkie question. One last thing, as of April 6th, Mike Garcia has consented to do another appearance on the Talk of Santa Clarita next week. Barring a major life event, I will do everything I can to put it up as fast as possible Click on the link below to see a video version of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-6uFhK3JUk

The Talk of Santa Clarita has been on hiatus (and technically still is) however, the recent “shelter in place” orders and the general situation with the Corona Virus made me realize that perhaps a few special edition episodes may be of help to the community. We are doing three, possibly four special episodes in the next few weeks. Then, a return to a hiatus state until the Fall. This is Episode 149 a Special Corona Virus edition with the mayor of Santa Clarita, Cameron Smyth. Cameron Smyth is well-known in the Santa Clarita community. He is the youngest person to have served on the City Council which led to several years in the California Assembly. He now has returned to serve the city he loves as a City Councilmember again and he is currently the Mayor for the city as well. For those who don’t know, in Santa Clarita, the Mayor is considered more of an honorary roll which is rotated by the five councilmembers. Day to day operations of the city are dependent on Ken Striplin, the City Manager. But the Mayor serves a very specific purpose as the main representative of the city and leader in the time of crisis. I had been planning to do another podcast with Cameron for quite sometime and we had set several dates which continually got postponed by both of us. However, the corona virus pandemic suddenly made the need to speak with the City’s chief representative more urgent. So, improvising with Zoom’s features, Mayor Smyth and I sat down and talked about the state of the city in the midst of this crisis. This podcast was recorded on Saturday, March 28th, 2020. Cameron was in good spirits when we spoke but there was an attitude of seriousness when we spoke about the “stay at home” order in the city. We talked about what was being done, what has had to be done in some cases, and what the future might bring. We also talked a bit about the decision the city has made to go to district voting for City Council. I am a fan of Cameron Smyth and think he works hard for the city. However, I will say this, my feeling is that the city of Santa Clarita has grown to a size where the role of Mayor should be more than rotational position for city councilmembers. In situations such as the one we are currently in, we need a leader making daily decisions who is directly answerable to the people who live in it. And with the decision to go to districts about to happen, now more than ever it is time to call for a city-wide elected mayor of Santa Clarita. OK, I’ll get off my soapbox for now. Ultimately though, my conversation with Mayor Smyth led to one conclusion. We can get through this pandemic if, and I’m paraphrasing here: “Nobody is a dick.” We need to abide by the stay at home ordinance as long as it exists. For two reasons, to keep yourself safe and everyone else as well. I want to thank Cameron for taking the time to sit down with me for this podcast courtesy of Zoom. Hopefully you’ll find it reassuring to find out the City is doing its job to help stop the pandemic of the Corona Virus. Click on the link below to view a video version of this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5aWXb6B_aY

At this point do I really need to tell you who Joe Messina is? For the left of the Santa Clarita Valley, he is the boogeyman and I'm sure as I do everytime I have him on, I'll get flack for doing this show with him. But you know, there was a purpose. These days, I am more and more incredibly concerned about the partisanship which exists among us. Not just in the Santa Clarita Valley but in this nation as well. It seems that people no longer look at the other side as someone with a different opinion. Instead, as they see them as "The enemy" something which I find to be extremely disturbing. Yet, for myself, I have difficulty sometimes understanding the positions of the other side. Which is why I contacted Joe about doing this episode. I wanted to try and get inside his head and try to understand as best as I can his views on the issues and why he thinks the way he does. We talked about his general philosophy as a conservative, impeachment, healthcare, and of course, his involvement with the Katie Hill controversy. The results? Well, we barely agreed on anything. But you know, the one thing that did come to my mind as we talked is that there are some things that the right and left do have in common. We are all humans who want a lot of the same things, safe homes and cities, good schools for our kids, and a chance to be happy in this great country. We just see the way to go about it very very differently. I have hopes that someday we can all realize this and then work together on solving the problems we face. Click on the link below to view a video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t28VO1dy1E

Welcome to Episode 147 with guest Annie Cho, A Democratic candidate to represent the 38th District in the California Assembly. Annie Cho is a resident of Porter Ranch. She immigrated to the United States from South Korea at the beginning of the 1970's when she was in the 5th grade. She attended California State University, Los Angeles while working two jobs eventually obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. She has had a successful career in communication work as well as a second career in real restate. Annie is a community advocate and has been involved in local community and grassroots organizations for some time. Now, she has decided to run to be a representative in the California Assembly. I found Annie to be extremely smart, sometimes almost thinking too much when I would ask her a question on policy. Still, being thoughtful about policy decisions can be a good thing. We talked about her plans to help the 38th district, what her goals as an Assemblymember would be, and being an immigrant as a kid. But what I really found striking about Annie was her confidence in the election. She was eager to commit to doing another podcast after the Primary. I distinctly said, "if you get through the primary" and she was quick to correct me by saying "When I win the primary" That type of confidence is something any good leader should have. Click on the link below to view a video version of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juy4z7G3eYs

Welcome to Episode 146 with Kelvin Driscoll, a Democratic candidate to represent the 38th District in the California Assembly Kelvin Driscoll is someone who understands what it takes to commit to serving the public. He has spent the majority of his adult life working in public service. Originally from Lakewood, California Kelvin says he was encouraged by his parents to always work hard and give back to others. He studied both at the University of Southern California and the American University in Washington, D.C. and eventually earned his Master's in Public Administration as well as a Master's in Social Work. Kelvin's career in public service began as a staff liason on behalf of then-California Assembly Speaker, Karen Bass. He then moved on to working in the non-profit sector assisting the homeless. Later he became part of the staff of Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn. Currently, Kelvin works as the Program Director for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services where he helps server more than 10 million residents in 88 cities. He currently lives in Santa Clarita with his wife, daughter and dog. Kelvin is fun to talk to. He is enthusiastic about public service and it shows when you speak to him about it. When I met with him, we talked a lot about the homeless situation in this state and what can be done to rectify the problem. I found him to be extremely articulate and knowledgeable about the issues which will face the next representative for the 38th District. Click on the link below to watch a video of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45js_doThrw

Say what you will about Steve Hill but no matter what your feelings may be about the guy you can't argue that he's not interesting. Hill is a resident of the Antelope Valley and in a lot of ways is the ideal progressive candidate for an elected office in California. A former U.S. Marine who believes in school reform, supports reducing incarceration rates and wants to create jobs for his district. He is a small business owner-running his own appraisal business and even does stand-up comedy around the country. But with all the those things going for him, Steve is also a bit of a rebel. He doesn't like the machine that exists within the Democratic party and has been very vocal about it. There's also a small thing about the fact that he is an atheist who likes to claim he worships Satan. He is currently running for state Senate in California's 21st district against three other Democrats and incumbent Republican Scott Wilk. This is Steve's second time to run for this position. How serious you should take him as a candidate is arguable. He doesn't seem concerned with raising the money necessary to win in a race like this. He also is a bit of an outsider with the Democratic clubs in the district due to his complaints about the party. Steve claims that he is shunned by the clubs due to some being concerned with some of his views on life. -that Satanism thing seems to come up a bit. Passionate, outspoken, funny, and really, really tall, I maintain that Hill is always interesting to talk to and this podcast is exactly one of those times. click on the link below to view the video version: https://youtu.be/5wtW_K69FeA

Cenk Uygur has been called a journalist, activist, and political commentator. Uygur is the creator of The Young Turks, an American progressive political and social commentary program and in case you haven't been paying attention, he is also a Democratic candidate for the 25th Congressional District. There has been some controversy with Cenk's candidacy. He is not from the area although he says he plans to move into the district soon and some feel his candidacy is an intrusion on native to the area, Democrat Assemblymember for the 38th district, Christy Smith. If you are a regular listener to these podcasts, you know that Cenk was on the show only a few weeks ago and ordinarily I would not do a second show with a guest so soon. However, after the initial podcast, Cenk and I began a conversation about optimism and cynicism with American government and in particular how it affects his approach on the issues. . He is the optimist. I am the cynic. I realized quickly that what we were talking about might be interesting for another show and Cenk was willing to find the time to do it. For the record, I still welcome Christy Smith and George Papadopolous to come on the show to discuss their candidacy if they can find the time. I am available at their beck and call. I want to thank Cenk for making the time to come on the show a second time during a busy campaign season. See a video version of this podcast by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-KANq6GERs&feature=youtu.be

Brandii Grace is a resident of Porter Ranch. She is married and is the mother of a small child. Born in Long Beach, Brandii grew up in extreme poverty living with her grandmother sometimes even experiencing homelessness. But Brandii worked hard for her family, eventually managing to graduate from Western Washington University. She has since had a successful career in computer programming. Brandii has designed video games and now teaches the methods to do so. She is also one of the few women in the world to create and sell a tech startup in the video game industry. Brandii has been active in politics for most of her life beginning as a child and is currently a member of the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council. Now, she is running for the California Assembly. This has presented quite a few challenges for anyone who has entered the race. Until the Katie Hill controversy, it looked like Democrat Christy Smith was going to easily keep the seat for at least another two years. But now that Christy has chosen to run for Congress, several candidates have emerged to run for the seat. All of faced the same problems. They have found themselves running for a seat which wasn't expected to have a need to be filled. So the race has happened quickly, surprisingly and with only a small window to raise funds before the jungle primary. I met with Brandii the last week of January. I found her to be extremely knowledgeable of the issues we discussed and extremely interesting as a person. It's not often that you see someone rise from homelessness to the level of success which she has achieved. She was also just a lot of fun to talk to. Let's face it, she programs video games, so yes, Geek Alert! We also discussed everything from Star Trek to Pokemon and people, you have to listen to the whole podcast if for any other reason to hear her do the Pokemon Team Rocket rap in Japanese. Click on the link below to watch a video of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B9p-ust4HE

Kipp Mueller is a resident of Santa Clarita and a Democratic candidate for State Senate in the 21st District, challenging incumbent Scott Wilk. Kipp grew up in Sacramento. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2008 and then Columbia Law School in 2014, where he studied and researched labor and employment law. He was part of President Obama's Department of Justice in the Consumer Protection Branch, and joined the Santa Clara District Attorney's office consumer fraud and sex crime unit. Later, he became a small business owner, creating an online education company. He is currently a partner at a worker's rights attorney law firm where he represents employees and union members against large corporations. Kipp also works as a pro bono asylum attorney fighting for asylum seekers who are currently in ICE detention. As a candidate, Kipp has a platform which, in all honesty, is pretty much standard Democratic fair - he believes in a strong middle class, quality health care, etc. etc. but the thing that had me wanting to interview Kipp is he considers homelessness a critical issue. At my first real meeting with him, he had specific ideas and plans on how to help alleviate this huge problem in California. His ideas impressed me and the homeless issue is a particularly important one to me. Some have complained about Kipp as a candidate due to having moved to the Santa Clarita Valley just last year. That nasty word of "carpetbagger" has been thrown around at him by a few, including some of his opponents. Whatever your feeling about so-called carpetbagging, Kipp has become very actively involved with the Democratic organizations in the SCV and has shown a commitment to this valley which appears to reach beyond just running for State Senate. It could be argued that Kipp faces a tough challenge against Scott Wilk, but the reality is the way the political demographics have changed in this district, it could pretty much be anyone's race to win or, lose. I want to thank Kipp for taking the time to meet with me and just make it known that Senator Wilk has an open invitation to appear on the show as soon it becomes convenient for him. Click on the link below for a video version of this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP5pdDE_sfE&feature=youtu.be

Joe Williamson is a Santa Clarita Valley resident and a talent manager for film and television actors. Vida Ghaffari is an an actor with a long list of credits which include a great deal of independent films. Recently the two worked together on an independent film called "Eternal Code" which premiered Labor Day weekend at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The film is now available on Amazon Prime. This was a fun podcast for me as Joe is a huge film geek and Vida has been working in the industry on several different levels having done both a variety of independent projects and major studio projects. Joe had initially contacted me about doing a podcast with Vida to talk about the film but after speaking with him, I thought it would be interesting to have both of them on at the same time. We talked about making movies, the state of the industry today, the difference from big productions and independent projects and even what a Hollywood talent manager does exactly. I do want to apologize to both of them as this podcast was put on the shelf for an extended period of time for various reasons. It was not my original intention. But since the film is now available for streaming, there is once again a timely reason to put this podcast up. Forewarning: This is a movie geek podcast. So, just know that going in! A video version is available by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saY7vI1kF4s&feature=youtu.be

Darrell Park is a nerd. He wears the tag with pride as he is obsessed with public policy and finding real word solutions to problems. Darrell is a graduate of Allegheny College and Georgetown University. He spent nearly a decade working in the White House during the Clinton administration where he watched the Federal Budget get balanced. He then attended Stanford Business School and got involved with a start-up. He is also the author of the book “Better Than We Found It: Simple Solutions to Some of the World’s Toughest Problems.” He is married and has one child and is currently a candidate for the 5th District position for the Los Angeles County Supervisors, a position currently held by Katherine Barger. At the top of the website ElectDarrellPark.com, there is a banner which says simply “Let’s Fix it.” A slogan which pretty much covers his entire campaign platform. Darrell believes it is possible t move to a greener and more environmentally friendly economy that he says will boom at the same time. I think I said this the last time I interviewed Darrell. I believe him to be either a visionary or a little bit crazy, or, maybe a little of both. What I found striking about Darrell though was his optimism. He is hopeful for the future of Los Angeles County and believes firmly he can help improve it for the betterment of us all. It’s a refreshing to be around a politician with that kind of attitude and so much confidence in his answers. I don’t know if what Darrell envisions is even possible, but he definitely left me feeling that the world needs more optimists like him. Click here to view the video version of the podcast: https://youtu.be/mR7ZBPI9fqg

Aníbal Valdez-Ortega grew up in the Antelope Valley and was the first in his family to go to college, graduating with honors from UCLA. He then went on to complete law school. As an attorney, he has specialized in providing access to legal representation to those who need it. He also has shown a dedication to community service having served on the Mexican Bar Association, Lawyers ACT and the Skid Row Running Club’s non-profit organization. As a candidate, he identifies himself as a Bernie Sanders progressive. He believes in Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. He is new to politics but takes his candidacy very, very seriously. Without a lot of name recognition, he faces a challenge in this race but Anibal has taken an approach of winning voters over one at a time, focusing on appearances at debates and forums to getting his message across. I met with him a few weeks ago and found him in good spirits and optimistic about his candidacy. He was good-humored and fun to talk to. I don’t know what will happen in this current congressional race, but my impression is that Anibal Valdez-Ortega has a very bright future in politics. Click here to see the video version: https://youtu.be/4RfT1HL8MYo

This is Episode 138 with Republican candidate for the 25th congressional District, former Congressman Steve Knight. Steve Knight served as the Congressman for the 25th district from 2014 to 2018 until Democrat Katie Hill defeated him by 9 points in the general election. Congressman Knight has deep ties to the district and his family name is well-known here. He is a veteran, a former police officer and California lawmaker. His time in Congress overlapped between Barack Obama’s Presidency and the Trump Presidency and some have questioned his votes against the Iran Nuclear agreement, the vote to overturn the Affordable Care Act as well as supporting the Trump tax cuts. Still, Congressman Knight has always been fairly approachable to me at least and always kind and courteous. He first appeared on this show before we had even premiered our fourth episode and has appeared a multitude of times since making him an official friend of the show. I met with Congressman Knight on the week of Thanksgiving. He was alone and in good spirits when we talked. I found his thoughts on several issues extremely interesting. He admitted to making mistakes the last time he was in office and stated he wanted to be more open to meeting with different groups this time if elected. But there were three things that I found most fascinating about this interview which I hope you will pay close attention to. The first was while discussing health care. Congressman Knight stated he was not opposed to the public option-an interesting stance from a Republican. The second was about impeachment. He acknowledge that he thought what Trump did was wrong but refused to state if it were impeachable but really the most interesting thing to me was when I asked him what accomplishments he was most proud about while he was in Congress and I think everything he says is extremely telling about Congressman Knight and the type of person and politician he is. I want to thank him for his time to meet with me and coming on the Talk of Santa Clarita. Click here to see the video version of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MADhnvquzs

When I first started this podcast four and a half years ago, there was an immediate onslaught of suggestions for shows I should do and guests that I should have on. One suggestion which I got always stuck in my mind. I was told get “Larry from Yelp” and that was all they would say except that “Everybody knows Larry.” Except apparently me. Time passed, and eventually I met the legendary “Larry from Yelp” who is none other than local celebrity Larry McClements, it seems, “Everybody knows him.” Larry McClements has been a resident of Santa Clarita since 1985. He graduated from Hart High. He is known as part of the Santa Clarita foodies and is a big fan of cooking his own meals. As Larry describes it: “One day I discovered farmers’ markets and my mind was immediately blown.” Larry became a fanatic for connecting directly with farmers and having access to produce at high quality. He is now the current manager of the Newhall Farmers’ Market which happens on Saturday mornings at the Old Town Newhall Library parking lot. Larry has set a mission for himself to find only the best products for his market. Now, I am anything but a foodie. I put on The Food Network when I want to find something to put me to sleep. So honestly, I was skeptical about how much Larry and could talk about a farmers’ market, but hey, if I can do an entire show about bread with Scott Ervin, why not? I was truly surprised by how interested about food I became while talking to Larry. His passion for the subject is infectious and I walked away bound and determined to only buy at farmers’ markets in the future. Click on the link below to view the video of the podcast: https://youtu.be/jhu8ArLgfpI

An interview with Cenk Uygur, the host of The Young Turks, and a Democratic candidate for the 25th Congressional District in election 2020

An interview with representatives from Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action in Santa Clarita 3 days after the Saugus School Shooting which took place on November 14, 2019

An interview with actress, private investigator and veteran Jennifer Marshall

An interview with the California Assemblymember for the 38th District, Democrat Christy Smith

An interview with Santa Clarita resident and author Ron Fulleman.

An interview with Mark Cripe, Republican candidate for the 25th Congressional District in the 2020 election

An interview with journalist Lee Barnathan about his investigative work regarding College of the Canyons

An interview with Dr. Edel Alsono, a College of the Canyons Board Trustee

An interview with Mike Garcia, Republican candidate for the 25th Congressional district in 2020

An interview with Suzette Martinez Valladares, Republican candidate for the 25th Congressional District

An interview with Linda Storli, the Chair for the Santa Clarita 4th of July Parade

An interview with the all women comedy group BAD SASS