Inside Golden State Politics

Everything But Epstein and Iran

Nancy Boyarsky

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 32:08

We're so overwhelmed with news that we'll skip Epstein and the Iran War. We discuss the controversial  voter ID legislation.   We talk about the mayors of Los Angeles and New York and their solutions to the housing problem.  

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Welcome to another episode of Inside Golden State Politics. I'm Bill Bosky, former city editor and columnist for the Los Angeles Dimes, and with me is our producer director, Nancy Bosky.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

and I'm Sherry Member Jeffy. Political analyst and self-styled, medium even to you from the excursion, I've begun to explore the sometimes uncomfortable connection between classic portrayals of war and politics and where we find ourselves. Today, that's where the treatise, the Art of War comes in. It was written by Sun Tu, an ancient Chinese military strategist in general who lived all somewhere around the fifth century bc. It's a classic on military strategy and tactics that has influenced military thinking worldwide for centuries. And it was assigned to me as assigned reading in high school. Unfortunately, I'm quite sure that Donald Trump has never read it, but there were many observations in the book to which Trump and Secretary Hedgehog could have, should have paid attention. I'm gonna give you just two of them that stood out. To me, the wise warrior of voids, the battle, and even more and apropos to our situation today, quote. There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare. End quote. I guess the Phil, the philosopher George Santiano, was right when he wrote, quote, those who cannot remember the past, and I'd add those who simply have no clue, are condemned. To repeat it over to you, bill.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Sherry, we've got a full, menu of important topics to talk about today. we're gonna talk about, The mayor's race, as it relates to the housing shortage. We're going to, talk about, the, impact reapportionment, has on, real life candidates. and we're gonna talk about voter id. That's when you'll have to present your birth certificate.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Maybe.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

To the, polling place. Oh, you don't have it? Well,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

no. I mean that's a, that's

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

can.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

things that makes me very nervous. No, my birth certificate, if you're ready to hear the story, when I was 11 and my sister was seven, convinced me that I was really adopted because I had blue eyes and blonde hair, and nobody else in the family did. So I trotted myself down to Trenton, New Jersey city hall, to the city clerk and demanded at 11 years old to get a copy of my birth certificate. And so the clerk went to the back, I guess into the file room and came back looking rather chagrined because birth certificate was among those in a room where the files. Took fire and it was destroyed. So

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Well,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

nervous about birth certificates. It took a long time for me to get it back and God knows where it is today,

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

well.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

I'm dead against everything

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

tell,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

proposed.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

You tell that to the judge, to the election judge. Yeah.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Or or the poll worker as it were, and we can talk

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

right.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

later.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

What really interested me was. The contest as it's shaping up between Mayor Karen Bass, who's running for another term, and her challenger, Nya Ramon, who is a member of the city council. And they are splitting in really, surprising ways. Raman is emerging as. Sort of the candidate of development. she started out like a lot of people running for office, she started off as anti-development, but as she, sort of saw the way the wind was blowing and the way developers like to contribute to people who were pro development, she's gradually inched her way over and she is now becoming. more development oriented than she was and the mayor is hard to pin down on where she is, on this, but she is keeping a loose position. She's sort of all over the map As the mayor's race develops. In the next few weeks, this is going to be one of the most interesting political stories of the year.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Except that nobody knows much about it because.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Well, they do. Thanks to people like us, they will know about it. A lot of people don't read the paper. The paper doesn't run a lot of stuff. So what are you gonna do? We'll help him out. We're gonna cover this thing. and,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Okay, lemme tell you something first about something you said about, council members, reasons for becoming so close to developers. Sure. Politically, everybody in this city comes close to. To developers because there are powers in the electoral process and in the political process in this city. But, Rotman has also said, and it makes some sense, and quite frankly, it's a path that the, democratic socialist mayor, the mayor of New York is taking she began to think about the need. For housing and development in order to take care of, affordability and accessibility and that it couldn't happen without some communication with, and action with the development community. And I think that makes some sense. And it's partly being reflected now within the Democratic socialists in LA at least. And I would assume also in New York, those who, who believe that, there needs to be a lot of housing in order to balance out the needs for housing accessibility. And those who said, don't come near me, Uhuh. No, we don't wanna become one of those. We want. What it takes to get, if you have, let's say nonprofit housing, single housing, where we are. I mean,

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

You know, it's gonna come right down to, somebody, has a house, that's near a, metro stop. And under the new laws, That house can be torn down and turned into, multiple units for four stories or, or whatever.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Without

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Yeah.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

of the house owner,

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Well, no, the house owner can sell

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

well.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

the house owner can sell to somebody who's gonna. Make a, you know, a five, four story development out of it. Gonna turn a single family house into an apartment house, as we used to call them. And, that will, according to people like Raman, and her, supporters will create more housing. Really one of the bad things about LA right now is nobody can afford to buy a house. Nobody can afford an apartment.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

It's

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

mean, it's, the place is getting unlivable and, the candidates for mayor are really gonna have to do something about it and come up with something concrete rather than talk in generalities and, and cliches. And it's gonna be a real test, I think of, of these two.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

And I'll tell you something else. It will not only be a test of ramen versus bass, but it will be a comparative analysis of who's having more success and what is success between the incumbent mayor of Los Angeles and the incumbent mayor of New York City. There is no way in which the media will not take a look at that particular track of the, the political of this country.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Yeah, I think the media should,, it's really an interesting, political story about where the country's going,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

That's right.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Hey, we're making this race really more interesting than, the, than the people who.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Well, I'm really like, really like the dynamic of the. The movement of the Democratic socialist in, um, the political environment, not only of LA and New York, but as it spreads, if it spreads, how powerful it might become. I found it fascinating that, uh, mayor Momani of New York and uh, the president of the United States, who is also the developer in chief. Seemed to be very copacetic about the need for more housing and the development of rise, of condensed, if you will, housing to solve the problem of affordability. And man, I don't think Trump is, um, a democratic socialist. doubt it.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

No, I don't think so.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

And yet there is, you know, maybe on this one issue housing, but there's

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

that's right.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

of agreement there.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

He loves to build things.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

You bet. That's exactly right.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

So, the other, thing, the redistricting, we talked a lot about redistricting when it was taking place, and then there was the election over proposition 50. Now it's really affecting people and there is a, a long time, member of Congress, Darryl Isa, who's looked at the landscape and the way the district's been changed. By the Democrats and, decided

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Yeah.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

22 years in business, 22 years in Congress. I'm ready to try something new. He.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Well, you know, he lost and then regained his seat after the last reapportionment, I think. it, it will be very hard for him under the. Mid cycle redistricting prop 50 that was passed last year by Californians for him to really make it a go. And if you'll recall, even very early in Trump's first term, His district didn't really like the way it was going, and they would protest and demonstrate outside his office, and I just figure, enough is enough. know, by the way, that last year, he thought about moving to Texas and running for Congress from Texas, and then he decided, no, for whatever reason, I'll stay. California. And then finally after the new redistricting was passed, looked at it and realized, I would say it's almost hopeless, quite frankly, for him, he waved goodbye to Congress.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

You know, there's another,, member of Congress who's also searching for a district. His name is Kevin Kylie. Where's his district? It.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

is a district. He was, I believe, district six. He's up. He is up north a bit, but in the new redistricting. He didn't have a district, they cut his dis, the Democrats cut his district up into something like pieces and spread it to other districts. So that really, he had only two choices in the end, he could challenge, the Republican incumbent Tom McClintock, who is, very conservative, well-liked district. Or he could move to another district. I believe it's district three, which is closer to Sacramento. It's in the northern, suburbs of Sacramento up north. it is a democratic district with an incumbent army. Army Berra, who is running in that district. And he decided I'm gonna go for it. And he decided, and he was right. I can't be a Republican and have a chance this district. And so

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

He can't be a Democrat.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

he's now no party preference. He's an independent and his, his motto is, there's too much nasty partisanship in Congress. I am not gonna be involved in it. I'm going to be for the, the, the voters in my district. And it's you know, one of the things I sort of enjoy about, reading on the computer is the comments to articles. And I gotta tell you, I don't know the political alliance of the, the people who. Comment, but the main theme of the comments was, oh, sure, he's becoming an independent because he wants to serve the people of his district. Oh, no, hiding. They say his real allegiance. just wants to get elected. He's a, a Republican and I think he's gonna have trouble with that.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Yeah, that's right. We're gonna have, another great, Battle ballot propositions with, voter id.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Well, I mean, I'm not sure. I don't know of. I may be wrong, but I don't know that, that there is, movement in, in California toward tightening the requirements for voter id. But many states are now really tightening the requirements for voter id and Trump's favorite bill, the Save America Bill. It's scary. It really is because it so tightens the requirements for voter ID people of color, and to some extent married women, but absolutely everybody who, whose name today is not name. It used to be on their birth certificate and

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

That, by the way, was the way things were done. You dropped your single name and you, you took the name of your spouse, your husband. That was,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Exactly.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

was it, you know.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

There was a study done recently just by Pew that said that something over 80% of married women took their spouses. Name, over 90, 92% I think it was, of married men get their name obviously. It's wild if you think about it.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

That shows the, difference in times and, and practices. So what they'll do is you go to the polling place and you have your identification. Yours happen to be your marriage certificate. Could you show, could you show us your marriage certificate? Sir?

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

only the marriage certificate, you have to have another proof of citizenship.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

You have to have your proof of citizenship

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Yep.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

I was thinking when you show your marriage certificate.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Bring

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

if it's a Jewish, what if it's a Jewish marriage certificate? In other words, what if you were what?

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

I lost mine. That's another problem. My dear, late husband lost it somewhere. My, my, my touba. No, I don't have that. And anyway, if it's a real one, it's in Hebrew as I recall, so it's

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Well, yeah.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

a little tough. That's not, that's not gonna be acceptable. You gotta have real proof of citizenship and, and you've gotta have a photograph too.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Well, most people, a substantial number of elderly, 16% Latinos, 16%, 25% of blacks, 15% of poor people, do not have identification for one reason or another.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

of course. But that doesn't mean that you're reducing Republican votes.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

No.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

likely to be, reducing democratic votes. Why would you think Donald Trump, he's doing enough to reduce his support among. Older people just by doing what he does every day. He didn't, you know, we don't need voter ID to re to to make sure that there's a reduction in Republican votes. Hardly about it. Oh, and also one of the really crucial things about the Safe America vote is it would basically outlaw vote by mail, except. In matters of illness, travel, business, and you'd have to have at least one, maybe more pieces of identification, that you would file with your application for a vote. By mail, I mean, absentee ballot voting would just be. Almost gone. Interestingly, before California adopted universal a vote by mail and, and universal absentee voting without the need to prove you weren't gonna be around. Republicans had a really edge and vote by mail, absentee voting. once you didn't have to give an excuse, Democrats figured out how to use it. And, they managed to move forward, move closer, and then overtake the, the, the Republicans in absentee voting. So it's been helping re it's been helping Democrats

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

You know it.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

absentee voting in a way that, and of course, you know that, Trump and MAGA don't like it under any circumstance.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

It may not make any difference in California. California is a heavily democratic state. that measure voter ID may not even win the election. You know, it's got some, powerful. Foes, the League of Women Voters, or the League of Voters, is opposed to it.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Now

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

call.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

it's not on the ballot.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

These things have to start early. And, the, league of Women voters already has all of its material out. against the voter id.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

think they're talking about the federal legislation. The Save America Act. And by the way, whatever happens in California, even though the, the, constitution is pretty clear that, that elections are the terrain of the states. In this case, it is written so that this could actually be maintained. With regard to federal elections, regardless of what the state says.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

You know, this is gonna have a tremendous impact. not necessarily on the, Far western tier of states of your California's, Oregon and Washington. But it's gonna have a tremendous impact on the middle of America States, The states that are up for grabs. Your, your Missouri's, your, all of those, that whole center of the country where the elections are almost tied. The elections tend to be tight and the number of people affected, by, the voter ID will be enough to, turn around a, a couple of those states. for the, Republicans, it doesn't take much.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Oh, I'd have to, I'd have to take a look at the, the breakdown before I, I, I said that and what, what it may well hamper is the rural, though. You have to show your id, that's kind of tough, but more than likely, it, it, it's likely hinder democratic constituencies. Rather than the Republican constituencies.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

I was thinking of a state that it would, help the Republicans would be, for instance, Pennsylvania, which is,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

and

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Pennsylvania, which is, you know, back and forth and I think it would have impact on Michigan and it would have impact on Wisconsin.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

the, don't forget this.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

the.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

gonna cost money if you gotta have a passport. And more than half of the population in the US apparently doesn't have an UpToDate Passport. the problem of the change of names is also involved. See, but that's that, that, you know what I see. The legislation that's being proposed. Oh, and by the way, they're tacking onto it, the codification of, not allowing, transgender surgery children

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

that was just thrown in there,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Of

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

in

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

was.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

the.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

that's my point, bill. It's my point.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Well, that's just thrown in there. Yeah. It shows that, it, it,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

It's anti transgender.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

it's probably.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

damned partisan. Bill. And it ain't part of the, you know, I'm not taking the side of one side or another, but I guess I am. It's not a, a partisan democratic bill by any means. And if you gonna make you wanna keep score, it's not the Democrats who will gain if this piece of legislation passes. I mean, here's the thing. the polls indicate public opinion says yes. We are in favor of election reform. We do, and the Constitution says already that you must be, we think there must. You must be a citizen to vote. But they don't necessarily like the way the Trump administration wants to enforce that mandate, and that's the weakness of Save America Bill.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Another weakness of Save America is that, it's a cure without an illness. I mean, have we, have we been overwhelmed with the tales of crooked elections?

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Well, I think that Trump is sending us up to and is praying that we will think so be, but it's really kind of ironic if you think about it because, you know, he's, he's, he is already about, it's gonna be a rigged election, yada, yada, yada. What happens? the Republicans win, what does he do? Then say, oops, sorry. No, I mean, if it, it goes in his favor, he can't, he can't argue that there's all this fraud in elections without looking pretty stupid actually.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

I can never get this outta my mind, thinking of, looking real stupid. I, you, you, do you think that, I'm still totally crazy and out of my mind when I speculate, that he, will, try to go for a third term? I'm not sensitive. You can say, bill, you're,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

I don't what, what, what are saying. You

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

i'm saying you, you only, if you're president, he can only serve two terms. And if he ignores that law and decides he wants to serve three terms and he wants to attack one on, and if he lives that long, you know,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

a big if.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Big if, yeah. do, do you think that's a possibility? I mean, you know, so hard to, figure what

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

not,

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

this.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

if that, if what is going on continues to go on, I mean, in real time he's losing support like crazy. We are in war. economy is getting closer and closer to the toilet. Food prices. Prices overall gas For God's sake. The prices are moving upward, every day. We have been at war with Iran. Gas prices have been up and creeping up some more and creeping up some more. I'm not sure that he'd be able to be reelected with those kinds of numbers. This is not what he planned. And

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

No.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

have thought, I'm gonna just skate right into a third term. I don't know. I'm, I'm more and more thinking. It simply cannot happen and will not happen. But then what do I know,

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Yeah. Well, I don't know. I, I think his conduct of the war is so erratic.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

IRA? It's irrational.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Erratic is, is a mild term.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

You'll be sure

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

His, his, his conduct of the war,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

you're demeaning the

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

is so frightening. and it's, you know, it's costing

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Yep.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

lives now. It's costing lives and, it, it's

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

And money.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

money

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

that's needed here.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Have you seen the figures on, on how much it costs to, For minesweepers to do their work in the Gulf of Harus. It's very expensive.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

is it? What is it?

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Oh, it's a half a billion or something. It's really,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

and billions. Huh?

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

yeah. Very, very, very, very expensive. Well, I think it's a lot more fun to, talk about the election coming up. you know. That's always a kick. And, I'm glad we're doing it too because, it is hard to, get people interested in it. And, it's hard to, get the news media, especially, television to,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

well, of

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Dig into the election. but it's a big deal coming up, really a big deal.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

we're at war, I mean, I can't find much in the way of, reportage or analysis of, example, the special election that was held, Tuesday Georgia, where, A huge, huge ri red district, had the Republican that, Trump endorsed in the primary come in second to the Democrat. Of course, there were far more Republicans running than there were in Democrats, the Democrat outperformed. Two years prior the Republican who won Clay Fuller da, underperformed in relation to what Trump did in the last presidential election. The Democrats didn't take, the district's gonna be a runoff, but nonetheless, they have in 28 special elections. They've turned 28 seats. This is not yet termed, and it may not be I, it's gonna be a tough road for the Democrat. but even the, you know, the New York Times and the Washington Post, I had a scrape and scrape and scrape to find anything about that election. The only thing now that's above the fold in newspapers, and the top story on TV and even on social media is the war. Even the Epstein files are below the fold,

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Well, that's as it should be. I think.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

not sure why.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

I mean,

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

Why?

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

I think that's the most important thing that's happening. It affects the most people. It's. it's very serious, you know, grave constitutional issues president, dragging us into a war without anyone's permission. Well, anyway, Sherry, let's, talk about it next week.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

I suppose we're gonna be talking about both

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

We

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

and the elections for a while yet.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

We ought to read up on, See what he has to send.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

that today. But

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Okay.

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

all right everybody, now go

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

Heres

squadcaster-d9e9_2_03-11-2026_144320

a drink. Cheers.

host-4ha0_2_03-11-2026_144321

cheers. Bye-bye.