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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Episode 398. 398 is the standard numeric code for Kazakhstan. In 1998, Google was founded. Microsoft really blew it with Bing. Imagine if they just called Bing Bang. Think about it. Last night, I banged Emily Ratajkowski. That would have been a winner. Go, go, go! Welcome to the 398th episode of The Prof G Pod. What's happening?
In today's episode, we speak with Gavin Newsom, an American politician and businessman who serves as the 40th governor of California. And oftentimes, I'm a stake for the governor. You know, I don't—it's like looking in a mirror when I speak to the governor. Anyways— Let me just say up front, I'm a huge fan of Governor Newsom.
We've gone from the fifth largest economy in California, I say we, I grew up in California, to the fourth largest. He's been a steadfast supporter of what I think is the crown jewel and arguably the greatest public agency in the world, and that's the University of California.
And for all of the shitposting that Fox News and everyone else does about California, the wealthiest people in the world who have the most options in the world choose to live in, wait for it, California. And I find what is happening to the governor, what they did to Hillary Clinton, and that is he is the most likely Democratic nominee for president.
So millions of bots, Fox News, and everybody else is basically engaging what I'd call pretty systematic character assassination. So does California have problems? Yeah, but the rest of the world would pray for California's problems. Anyways, we hope you enjoy our conversation with Governor Gavin Newsom. Governor, where does this podcast find you?
I am at Ronald Reagan's old abode, the old governor's mansion, which rarely am I able to do a podcast out of here. So I'm looking forward.
Well, we always appreciate your time. Let's let's post right into it. So you leave office in January after six years running the fourth largest economy in the world. By most measures, California remains the center of American innovation. Actually, is it six years or eight years?
It's been a little over seven and a half now.
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Chapter 2: What are the reasons Americans are losing faith in institutions?
Yeah. So it's eight year term. And look, by a lot of measures, clean energy, AI, venture capital, we've, or we, I'm a native of California, we've gone from fifth to the fourth largest economy in the world. A lot to brag about. Also, a lot of residents, you know, the state, like anything else, is a product. And you have to offer a great service at a reasonable price.
Give us an honest assessment of what you think the state and you as a leader has gotten right over the last seven and a half years, and why you think people, how we can do better, and what programs, whether it's housing affordability, what, if you were to give someone a playbook, the next governor, and say, okay, this is how we go from number four to number three,
And make that 13.5% or 13% incremental tax. And I realize that some of that is misleading because there's other types of taxes. But how do we make California continue to be, if you will, worth it?
One word to answer, housing. It's the original sin in California. We're as dumb as we want to be for decades and decades. We, you know, forgot about our seventh grade econ class. It's supply and demand. And we simply were not creating enough supply and demand grew. NIMBYism reigned supreme. I've got mine and people... fought hard against new construction around investment.
And that created so many of the problems in more ways and more days. So many of the issues of the state of California can be defined by that. The issues of homelessness, a perfect example, a byproduct. of the failure to build enough housing and address that issue. And so when it goes to your question, what do we do about it? It's one thing to complain about it and talk about it.
We've done a lot in the last few years. The challenge is we've done it in an environment where interest rates are high and we've got stubborn macroeconomic headwinds. And so to test the theory, we have been pushing boundaries on land use, pushing boundaries on permitting reforms, to a degree that few or no other states in the country have.
Last year, in fact, I put my entire reputation by putting a housing package in the budget and threatened to actually veto the budget of the state unless we were able to move forward with some very aggressive land use reforms. And that was the only way we were able to push through the nimbyism and all the usual uh, opposition that we, we, we tend to find here in the state.
And so that's the issue to me that, uh, that solves more things, but it's also omnipresent in terms of the challenges the state faces.
So I know there's YIMBY legislation and zoning. Uh, have you considered specifically talk about the programs? Have you considered, uh, subsidies for developers in addition? I mean, it's both economic incentives to build, but it's also reducing regulation. How are you specifically talk about a couple of programs that are going to result in a greater supply of housing.
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Chapter 3: How is California addressing its housing crisis?
We reformed our conservatorship reforms to allow a little bit more leverage and a little bit more coercion as it relates to getting people off the streets and sidewalks that are a little bit reticent. We created a third strategy called Care Court, which is about supportive care, not substituted care, and it's producing some real results. And then we flooded the zone.
in terms of supports for the cities and counties to give them the flexibility and resources they need. And again, it's a flywheel. Progress is finally being made, but it does mark, you're right, so much of the anger and frustration, particularly in the country's second largest city, L.A.
Just sticking with the theme of LA, a lot of the biggest creative or entertainment companies are still headquartered here. But you've seen, and this goes back well beyond your administration, it feels like there's just a giant sucking sound in the creative community to other countries and other states. And that it's sort of, I don't want to call it a race to the bottom, but
I was working on a Netflix show, and it's supposed to take place in San Francisco, but we were going to film in New Jersey because they would give us 40% tax breaks. Is this just an instance of the reality is AI jobs and tech jobs are where the economy is headed. It's a free market economy, and we're just going to— California is just going to continue to lose traditional Hollywood jobs?
Or is there something that leadership can do here? Because while you did supersize the— You increase the tax subsidy budget. A lot of people in the creative community would say it's still not competitive and California is going to continue to lose a lot of the mojo around people deciding to shoot. I know that we decided we just can't afford to shoot in California.
What did you get right and wrong here and what would your advice be for the next governor? Is it just a case of market dynamics or is there something to be done?
Yeah, for decades, we frankly stopped investing in our lead, particularly as it relates to production. And we watched other countries, particularly near the border, notably Canada, one of the first to be aggressive on their tax structure. We saw some of those southern states, particularly Georgia and New Mexico. New York really stepped in and asserted themselves.
And then we started to see the global competition. from New Zealand, the UK, and elsewhere. And frankly, California was not proactive in terms of supporting the industry, particularly with its tax credit program. You're right, I more than doubled it to the second highest level in the United States, right below Georgia.
But New Jersey, to your specific point, went even further in terms of how they supported structure their tax credits above the line, not just, quote unquote, below the line. But we're seeing the fruits of that over the course of the last year. We've seen so many productions now look anew at California. Is it good enough? No, no one's denying that.
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Chapter 4: How does homelessness reflect broader societal issues?
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We're back with more from Governor Gavin Newsom. So I could do this for three hours, but unfortunately, we only have you for about another 18 minutes. So I'm going to do a bit of a lightning round. I'd love to just get your top line thoughts on some stuff.
just general reactions, if, again, should, in fact, you at some point have influence over federal policy or national policy, mandatory national service.
I mean, are you kidding? You're talking to a guy who's built the largest service corps in the United States of America, significantly larger than the Peace Corps, someone that has... without going out of my way, been critical of what we try to do on student debt in the last administration without asking for anything in return.
I'll give you an example, Scott, because I know you care about higher education, UC system, which, by the way, we've invested, since I've been governor, 46% increase in investments in the UCs, 40,000 more in California residents have gotten into the UC system, a 55% increase in dual enrollment, and 65% of people coming out of the UC and CSU still graduate debt-free.
I don't know, there's many systems, it's large, and we still have work to do. I'm not naive about some of your critiques, but one of the things I'm proud of is we provide $10,000 grants for service in return for 450 hours of service contribution. And it's just been extraordinary. Absolutely. We need to make it mandatory.
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Chapter 5: What impact does AI have on white-collar jobs?
Can you talk a little bit about that and advice you would have for sons as with aging parents?
Well, I called the book, Young Man in a Hurry. It was all about me and I was just dealing with my own insecurities, my own anxieties, put a mask on and tried to be what I thought I needed to be. But my face was starting to grow into it. I was becoming someone I wasn't and I wasn't present. I wasn't there for my mom. I wasn't there for my sister and the people that mattered most.
And it took a phone call from my mom, which you're referring to in a book, where she left a voice message that says everything. Talk about a young man who was never around. She had to leave a voice message saying that her last day in life was a few days later on a Thursday where she was going to do assisted suicide. She was in so much pain because of advanced cancer.
And she just left the message saying, well, if you want to see me before then, it will be my last day. And it was such a wake-up call. And, you know, you don't get it over. There are no do-overs here, man. You know, don't dream of regret. Back to dream of regret. I don't want to dream of regretting.
And, you know, I sat there with her last breath and, you know, it was a tough moment being there with her, holding her hands. until she took her last breath. And I still didn't have the courage to say what I said to her after she passed away.
And I stood there 30 minutes, sitting there with my hand, my head on her stomach, just saying all the things that I wish I could have said and had the courage and guts to say before she passed. And, you know, I don't wish that on anybody. And so you want to be a man, you want to be a son, you want to be a leader, then, you know, man up. Be a partner. Be a caregiver. Be other people oriented.
It's not just about you. And, you know, it came for me a little bit later than it should have. But I hope and pray for others it doesn't for them.
Gavin Newsom is an American politician and businessman who serves as the 40th governor of California. Governor, very much appreciate your service. Thank you, Scott. Wonderful to be with you. This episode was produced by Jennifer Sanchez and Laura Jenner. Cami Reek is our social producer. Bianca Rosario Ramirez is our video editor. And Drew Burrows is our technical director.
Thank you for listening to the PropG Pod from PropG Media.
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