Roxanne Hoge recaps the California GOP Convention

00:00:00
Speaker 1: And we continue at one oh five in the afternoon on the John Phillips Show. Mister Randy Wang is here with me in Santa Fe, New Mexico. John.

00:00:09
Speaker 2: The Eric Swowell allegations are causing all kinds of ripples in the California political world. There is a local race in Alameda County that former Alameda County District Attorney and Eric Swalwell enemy, Pamela Price, has decided to figure out a way to make this about herself and her race.

00:00:28
Speaker 3: Eric Swohwell, the disgrace, sexual predator and accused rapist, is one of interim District Attorney Ursula Jones Dixon's biggest supporters.

00:00:44
Speaker 2: Notably, she hates Swallow because Swallwell supported her recall.

00:00:47
Speaker 3: She's too soft on crime.

00:00:50
Speaker 2: And then she called him a racist yep, and this time she called him a rapist. Quite frankly, boy, she's just checked in all the boxes.

00:01:02
Speaker 1: Hipping his back. Eight hundred two two two five two two two is telephone number one. Eight hundred two two two five two two two. It is our pleasure to welcome our next guest to the program. She is the chairman of the Los Angeles Republican Party. You can follow her on ex at Roxanne Hogue, Chairwoman Roxanne Hogue, welcome.

00:01:26
Speaker 4: Well, thank you guys so much for having me, even from Santa fe Hi, Randy Hi.

00:01:34
Speaker 1: So you are a party inside. You're the chair of the party in Los Angeles. This weekend, Republicans met in San Diego as part of their annual state convention to determine whether or not they would endorse candidates in certain races. And they endorsed lieutenant governor. They endorsed my pal, former Senator Gloria Romero. They endorsed in any number of other offices. One they left playing was for governor. They did not endorse Steve Hilton. They did not endorse Chad Bianco. What is your take on that decision?

00:02:11
Speaker 4: This is like Christmas in July.

00:02:13
Speaker 1: This is good news.

00:02:15
Speaker 4: Look the Democrats who normally get to run roughshod over everybody, including by the way, putting their thumb on the scale in this crazy top two system we have. We both know that one of the ways that Gavin Newsom got where he got was to advertise for a Republican he could beat instead of having to face Antonio Viragosa, who back then was actually a force to be reckoned with. So this time there's sixty one names on the ballot for governor and a large number of them are Democrats, and their party chair and their party could not get the clown card all come together for one person. They tried for Swalwell. Remember they were all in for Swalwell, but that meant that they would have to ask the people of to drop out, so that didn't go anywhere. Well, the fact that we got out of our I think twelve nominal Republicans are on the ballot. We have two strong candidates who have been neck and neck, and not endorsing in the race is actually the right move if you're playing chess and not checkers.

00:03:23
Speaker 1: Now, with Eric Swalwell out of the race, we don't know exactly where his supporters will end up. They could go to the top two Democrats in the race, Tom Steyer and Katie Porter. They could go to some of the lower performing Democrats. I know Matt Mayhan has been raising a lot of money in recent days. Certainly Antonio via Rugosa has high name ID. Javier Bicerra was a federal official in the Biden administration, and I'm sure those campaigns hope that some of those supporters end up supporting them. At this point, who do you think benefits the most from Swallwell not being in the race.

00:04:02
Speaker 4: Well, first of all, we have to pay attention to one of those vagaries in California politics that all the national people that have been a pining have missed. Swallow Nan is still on the ballot. He could pull five, six, even up to nine percent. Everyone isn't going to know these allegations, and so I say he still gets a chunk of voters. As to where the ones who are in go, they're still trying to make mcmahona thin. But there's thing that there's there's no such thing as a moderate Democrat. He may think he's a moderate Democrat, he may be trying to occupy that lane, but the truth is that all elected California Democrats are just meat puppets for public sector unions. So he won't govern anything close to that. And so I think people are going to be suspicious of that.

00:04:55
Speaker 1: Order.

00:04:56
Speaker 4: Boy, I feel like that goose is cooked already. Second, look at Vira Goso, the sarah, I see more of a of a spread. Ballots are dropping in twenty two days.

00:05:10
Speaker 1: What do you think, Well, I think in the short term, Katie Porter and Tom Steyer will benefit. However, we keep hearing information that there are going to be videos that drop on Katie Porter. They're going to cause her a lot of problems, and then we may reshuffle the deck yet again. And speaking of which, there was just a tweet that went out on X that I'd like to read to you and have you respond to. This post on X comes courtesy of Florida congresswoman and A Paulina Luna. Here is what she wrote moments ago. Quote. I'm told there will be more disgusting stuff coming out on Swallwell in the next twenty four hours for the members of Congress who are concerned about optics on expelling Swallwell. I think after the information you will be thinking otherwise. Eric, why don't you tell us a little bit about who was filming the video of the female sex worker? End quote. Oh, I guess this is an implication that the person who was filming the sex tape is famous too.

00:06:19
Speaker 4: Well, and the person who was there are a lot of people in that room, first of all, like people, please let say I can't believe this is happening from our purported leaders. Yeah, there's not enough popcorn to get through this week. And I think you're right about Katie Porter in that she's kind of like Hillary. The more you hear from her, the less you like her. So yes, in the short term, Porter will benefit and then people will hear her voice, learn about the mashed potatoes, hear her scream, Paul, and let go as to this video, which I it's repulsive and yet like a like a train, you can't quite pull your eyes away from it. It's going to be it's going to not be good for anyone.

00:07:09
Speaker 1: I'd like to read you three additional tweets, and these are from journalists and Democratic Party insiders regarding whether or not they knew that Eric Swalwell was a CAD before all of these stories broke on Friday. Here is what some of them had to say. This is Stephen Tavaris. He is the author of East Bay Insiders, which is a publication that covers politics in northern California. He tweeted, quote, I've covered Eric Swalwell since he was a member of the Dublin City Council shortly after being elected to Congress in twenty thirteen. His behavior towards women was known by all levels of our local government and the Alameda County Democratic Party end quote. Longtime Democratic Party campaign strategist Bree Gillis took to Twitter responding to the allegations against Swalwell and wrote, quote, anyone who's been in DC for five minutes knows this. It's actually wild. It took this long end quote. An independent journalist too, shar Ali echoed that sentiment when he posted quote, it's because they've all known for years. It has been an open secret. And I don't say that as a guest end quote. Given the fact that all of the Democratic Party power brokers allegedly knew about this. According to strategists and journalists who cover Eric Swalwell, why in the world did they have the poor judgment to get behind him for governor when they knew that he was a man of low character and they knew that there was a threat that this information would bubble up to the surface.

00:08:53
Speaker 4: The thing, they don't care about men of low character. They care about winning, and they couldn't take the threat seriously because they haven't had to face any consequences before now. I mean, there's also a reporter on the Hill who said, you know, sexual harassment wasn't my beat, so I didn't report on it, even though I reported about the Chinese spy thing with Eric s Walwell, I mean, Ryan Stetler said, well, you know, this store has been broken wide open by great investigative journalism. What they have all known, they have always known, and it wasn't a secret at all. Look at the man and just that his face looks like someone who's up for the next Guyico Caveman commercial, Like there's no woman I know that would be like, oh yeah, let me get next to that. So there is no honor among thieves. And they just have such incredible hubris. They don't think they'll ever have to answer questions, which is why, by the way, they don't do well on the national stage. That's why Kamala Harris didn't get a delegate on her own when she ran for president, because they're not forged in fire. Exactly here in California, right, it's a great, big, soft and cuddly bath until you cycle through your offices of Assembly and state Senate and then Congress and then governor, and then you think, oh, I can do no wrong. But the truth is they've never taken a punch.

00:10:24
Speaker 1: What's wild is they benefited from the fact that this story broke before the voting began, because let's just look at the future. If he was not exposed on Friday, he was the leading Democrat in the polls. So there was a good chance, if this scandal's story didn't break, that we could have ended up with a November ballot that featured Eric Swolwell and one of the Republicans. It's crazy to think what the Democrats would have done had they've been left with that scenario scenario, given what we now know about.

00:11:04
Speaker 4: Him, I have no doubt in my mind they would have been all in on him anyway. They they they have proven that, you know, dead candidate, depraved candidate, the discusting candidate. They're fine with that. I mean, if you just listen to what they've been saying for the last two months, is that they became clear that Hilton and Bianco were sort of net next splitting the forty percent of the electorate that has common sense left in California. They have, they've written op eds. Paul Mitchell has said, we can't allow two Republicans to make it to the top two. That would be terrible. They had no such concerns when our choices were between you know, an actual commie and Kevin de Leon and a weekend at Bernie's candidate in Dianne Feinstein. By the way, I went with the weekend at Bernie's candidate because you know, you have to choose the lesser of two evils. So they've had no concerns about what Top two has done for real choice in California elections in the decade plus that we've had Prop fourteen. But now, all of a sudden, the thought that there might be a choice between two people who both espoused good governance was more than they could.

00:12:20
Speaker 1: Take given the shape of the race right now. Do you believe that this is the field of candidates who will be actively campaigning by the time the ballots go out, or do you think we could see a scenario where more drop off.

00:12:39
Speaker 4: Again they'll all be on the ballot. I believe there's some juicy fun stuff happening to be Sarah's chief of staff in the legal world. Someone I think Mike Trillo, who is really a great new follow on Twitter for me, who's a DEM strategist, pointed out that there's by the end of this week, there's going to be a court date in that whole little you know, fraudulent campaign finance violation trial that's coming up for Gavin's besties. So you know, watch this base. I think it's things are going to move a lot more in the intervening twenty two days before ballots actually drop.

00:13:21
Speaker 1: Well, particularly when the leading to Democrats who are now left in the race Katie Porter and Tom Steyer the Democratic Party. The power brokers in the Democratic Party don't like either of them because you have Katie Porter, who broke bad on Nancy Pelosi and other members in Congress. She was someone who wouldn't play nice with others, and there's no love loss between Pelosi and with Katie Porter. Katie Porter ran against Pelosi's favorite, Adam Schiff for US Senate. They were not happy with her when she did that. They didn't want her to run for governor. She ran for governor, so she is certainly not their favorite. Styr is a billionaire who really doesn't like Israel, and billionaires can't be told what to do. If billionaires are involved in politics and they win a race, they're known for not playing nice with others. And if he were to get elected, I could very easily see him being like that crazy congressman from Michigan, shre Thatcher or whatever his name is, who's got the wig and the drawn on eyebrows. And he was just a rich guy who bought a congressional seat in Michigan. And he does the exact opposite of what the Democratic Party wants him to do frequently, but they can't control him because he can outspend anyone who runs against him, and in politics, frequently that means you have a better shot at winning. I think Tom Steyer would be cut from that same cloth. And if you're the Democratic Party, that doesn't do you any favors.

00:14:56
Speaker 4: It doesn't and you're forgetting the you know, the dark horse who blew up the USC debate because because Rick Caruso wanted him included. Before this happened, Matt Mahon's supporters were offering sort of a two for one special, like donate for us now, we'll put it in scrow and and we'll get him across the finish line. So watch that space too, right, mayn is trying to claim that he's a moderate dem Again, no such thing, while eating his cake and having it too and saying we'll find a way to make high speed rail work. No, just buy everyone a couple of tickets on Southwest and call it a day. So there is a lot of money, and you're right, money has a big impact. But if it was just money, we would have had Governor Meg Whitman and Mayor Rick Caruso. So it's anybody. It's anybody's game.

00:15:54
Speaker 1: In all the elections that you've been involved in, have you ever seen one as crazy as this at the state LEFL.

00:16:02
Speaker 5: No?

00:16:03
Speaker 4: No, Because what normally happens is there's one or two clear dem front runners and they always have enough spare cash to elevate someone that they view as eminently beatable, and they'll advertise for them. And by the way, I've seen them do this in assembly races and State Senate races. Back in twenty eighteen, Bob Herzberg was facing an eloquent, young, good looking, articulate person who was a young man who was you know, endorsed by the Daily News charge he was, you know, ascend then, but still the math was not great. And just in case, he's spent a ton of money and they all spend a ton of money to advertise on Fox News in the last two weeks and to get our side to go, oh look, squirrel and vote for someone that they have viewed as beatable. And my advice to not just Republicans, but anyone who wants good governance in California, who doesn't want to have to leave, who wants their kids to be able to afford housing. Your ballot will arrive at your home, apartment wherever your mail comes to around May the fourth. Fill it out that week, sign up for ballot tracks, get it in the mail, use a ballot drop box, take it to the registrar, use carrier pigeon. I don't care what message, but you get your vote in in that first ten days of the election, because the other thing that Democrats do is overwhelmed the mail in vote so that everybody sees on the news. Oh my goodness, a million Democrats you know already return their ballots. Boohoo. I'm not going to bother to go line up on election day. Our election ends on June second. If you're invited to a party that goes from six to eight, and you show up at eight, you're not getting a drink or a snack or anything. So the minute you get your ballot, get out there and vote. Let's actually pay check instead of checkers for once.

00:18:03
Speaker 1: We have another post on x that just came through. This is reporting from the publication Prospect. They have confirmed that the victims of Swallwell were going to come forward during his twenty twenty presidential run, but he dropped out, so they decided not to, which leads to the question why did you let him continue serving in Congress for six more years?

00:18:30
Speaker 6: Wow?

00:18:31
Speaker 4: I mean, here's the thing I feel for, and politics runs on mostly young, idealistic people who are all It's very analogous by their way to the Harvey Weinstein story. Right. Everyone's desperate to get ahead, and they are told like, this is the kingmaker, this is what you need to do, and people who should be protecting them, who should be older and no better, don't And that is a crying shame. But there's a real consequence to not playing ball with gross people. I mean, in my former life, I was, you know, a journeyman actor who had shall we say, opportunities to be cozy with people, and I was like, gross, get out of my face. And therefore I was just a journeyman act And I'm okay with that, but a lot of a lot of people don't have the backbone to do that, and that's really sad.

00:19:26
Speaker 1: Roxanne Hogue, chair of the Los Angeles County Republican Party. You can follow her on x at Roxanne Hogue, Chairwoman Hogue, thanks so much for stopping by.

00:19:38
Speaker 4: Thanks John for being on top of this story. Like all of California politics, appreciate you.

00:19:44
Speaker 1: Thank you. It's the John Phillips Show. Eight hundred two two two five two two two. Is the telephone number? What eight hundred two two two five two two two. If you'd like to email the show, you can do so at Johnny Don't Like Show at gmail dot com. That's Johnny Don't Like Show gmail dot com. And Randy. Now that we've hit the halfway point of today's show, if you would to continue listening to us after we sign off at three, that's easy to do.

00:20:10
Speaker 2: You know, it could be a very educational thing. Like let's say you were supporting Eric Swallwell in the Goobernatorial primary and now he's out and you're like, Okay, maybe I got to see about some of these other candidates, and you don't know anything about Katie porter Well. If you listen to our podcast, you'll learn a whole lot about Katie Porter. So search for the John Phillips Show wherever you get your podcasts.

00:20:32
Speaker 7: Sorry for the noise on cutting carrots.

00:20:34
Speaker 2: Whether it's the Apple podcast app, out of my shot, iHeart Spotify, call it the shift gift. Search for the John Phillips Show, hit subscribe you to download all the episodes.

00:20:45
Speaker 8: I don't care.

00:20:46
Speaker 2: You could do a Google on the YouTube. You can get the free KABC app, the free KSFO app, or even the KMJ now app because we're on the big KMJ Saturdays at noon. You can There are so many different ways to listen live to our show from New jun to three, wherever you are. Thinks the power of streaming in so many ways to listen whenever you want. Thanks to podcasts and regardless, you will be fully educated as to who Katie Porter is.

00:21:11
Speaker 7: What a bunch of pots.

00:21:15
Speaker 1: All right, We've got an update for you on a story we've brought you some time ago about petition fraud going on in the Bay area.

00:21:24
Speaker 2: So JJ in San Francisco has been all over this and filming these videos, which, by the way, there's so many imitators now doing the same thing. But he's been doing this in the Tenderloin forever and he filmed thanks to his and I found out he has the metaglasses that I have, which is so cool. And he filmed a bunch of homeless people standing in line in the Tenderloin and he was like, what are you guys standing in line for. He's like, Oh, we're gonna get five bucks. He gets up to the table and finds out they're getting five bucks to fill out petitions. Because this is how California's direct deurocracy works. You can pay people to collect signatures for propositions. The thing that was a little different here was the homeless people getting paid five bucks, which again you're not supposed to be able to pay the person signing, just the person gathering them. But the homeless people were signing names that weren't theirs on a list of eligible voters. So this story has been getting a lot of traction, and over the weekend, JJ teamed up with ABC and The Bay's Dan Noise to go after another one of these paid signature gatherers trying to pay the homeless to get them more money because they're getting like twenty bucks a signature, and it got pretty explosive in San Francisco.

00:22:40
Speaker 1: Are you ready, Johnny? I was born ready for more?

00:22:44
Speaker 2: Here is ABC seven in the Bay, Dan Noise and JJ.

00:22:50
Speaker 6: I could see those petitions right through the word.

00:22:52
Speaker 1: They're right there.

00:22:52
Speaker 6: They may.

00:22:57
Speaker 7: Through yours.

00:22:58
Speaker 2: I highly recommend when you some free time you watch this video. I have it on my substack at Randy wangradiodet substack dot com.

00:23:06
Speaker 1: It is it is gold, they're yours.

00:23:09
Speaker 6: Yeah, Okay, are you paying people? Are you paying?

00:23:12
Speaker 3: People?

00:23:12
Speaker 6: Are paying?

00:23:12
Speaker 1: Nobody?

00:23:14
Speaker 9: State investigators want to look at this video you're watching of the ABC seven Eyewitness News IT team Dan Noise confronting a couple in the Tenderloin.

00:23:22
Speaker 1: Dan was there as they.

00:23:23
Speaker 2: How is it that Shirley Weber needs JJ to do her job?

00:23:27
Speaker 1: Because Shirley Weber is arguably the worst statewide constitutional office holder in all of California, which is saying something because Ricardo Laura is one two. Dan was there as.

00:23:40
Speaker 9: They allegedly paid the homeless to sign other people's names on petitions for ballot measures. The security of our election process certainly a very sensitive topic right now.

00:23:50
Speaker 1: Yeah, Dan joins us right now with a story from the ITM.

00:23:53
Speaker 6: Dan explain this well Dana Jr. I was in the Tenderloin last Friday on a different story.

00:23:59
Speaker 2: Look, Oh, I can't wait to see what that one is.

00:24:02
Speaker 1: Oh, I'm sure we'll play it.

00:24:05
Speaker 2: Dan's always working on something good. If you don't know Dan Nois, he's been around the Bay Area for a very long time. He used to really piss off Gavin Newsom when he was mayor, and Dan Neis has helped break some of the insane stories that we have covered over the years. Of one shang e tow.

00:24:23
Speaker 5: Absolutely absolutely.

00:24:26
Speaker 6: Looked up and saw that car with petitions spread over the hood. I had to find out why.

00:24:33
Speaker 1: I'm gonna touch.

00:24:35
Speaker 6: This guy broke out his martial arts skills.

00:24:39
Speaker 1: He sounds like a real peage.

00:24:41
Speaker 6: After I asked about the petition spread across the hood and dashboard of his car, I'm at ABC seven, I'm looking at the petitions. Stay right there, going on looking at the petitions.

00:24:51
Speaker 1: What you're looking at him for?

00:24:52
Speaker 8: You illegally looking at him.

00:24:54
Speaker 2: You're legally looking at the petitions that are spread all over the hood of this guy's car that he was paying the homeless to sign them.

00:25:00
Speaker 1: I wonder where he went to law school.

00:25:03
Speaker 6: It's illegal you.

00:25:05
Speaker 8: Violate my personal property, my privacy rights. Prob can see this, violate my privacy rights. Stay away from my car.

00:25:11
Speaker 2: Do you think ABC seven has an insurance policy on Dan. They should if they don't.

00:25:18
Speaker 8: You violate my privacy rights, Stay away from my car. If you can see this violent my privacy rights.

00:25:23
Speaker 6: If you can see this on the street, if you can see what on the streets, I can see those petitions right there on the streets, they're right there. They might.

00:25:34
Speaker 2: Just another paid signature gatherer in the tenderloin. These guys are getting and we'll get into what the ish initiative that they're paying people to do this for. But I think they're getting over twenty dollars per signature. So if you're paying the homeless five dollars, you're still profiting quite a bit here.

00:25:51
Speaker 1: I wonder what Alexis to tolkfil would have thought of this guy.

00:25:54
Speaker 6: They're yours? Yeah, okay, are you paying people? Are you paying people?

00:25:58
Speaker 8: Ain't paying nobody.

00:26:00
Speaker 6: I've had difficulty identifying the gentleman and woman with a young child, but they.

00:26:04
Speaker 1: Brought their kid for this scheme too. It's a family affair.

00:26:09
Speaker 6: But I saw them give money to homeless people who signed petitions at their car. Earlier in the day, tender Roin cafe owner and neighborhood advocate JJ Smith put on his video glasses to document what they're doing.

00:26:22
Speaker 2: The best investigative journalists in the Bay Area have teamed up for this story. JJ who's on the streets in the Tenderloin, and Dan Noy's I am here for it.

00:26:33
Speaker 1: This is like Superman and Batman working together.

00:26:37
Speaker 3: You can find outs for doing it.

00:26:40
Speaker 1: Which can you write Neely? Can I write her new herds?

00:26:46
Speaker 6: The couple off?

00:26:47
Speaker 2: That's pretty incriminating. Yeah, that guy's going to jail.

00:26:53
Speaker 6: Maybe the couple offered five dollars for signing ten petitions.

00:26:58
Speaker 2: Wait a second, you're only getting fit fifty CENTSUS signature.

00:27:03
Speaker 1: Seems like that guy's taking advantage of the homeless. Two.

00:27:06
Speaker 2: Okay, this is how bad drug addiction is. The homeless are willing to sign ten fake names to get five dollars, which they're probably gonna have to go find somebody else to get another five dollars because the cheapest hit you're gonna get is ten bucks.

00:27:26
Speaker 1: Yeah, they're gonna have to get carpal tunnel to generate enough money to be able to afford their next Yeah, the.

00:27:35
Speaker 6: Couple offered five dollars for signing ten petitions.

00:27:39
Speaker 5: Right, oh, look at.

00:27:42
Speaker 6: But they instructed Smith to sign someone else's name.

00:27:46
Speaker 1: That's not my name though empty. Oh no, I can do somewoty el's name. I'm sorry. I love JJ.

00:27:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, right, like that's how illegal.

00:27:59
Speaker 1: That's our right.

00:28:00
Speaker 6: Smith tells me he has seen different groups over the past few weeks offering cash for phony signatures on petitions. He sees it as taking advantage of the homeless.

00:28:09
Speaker 3: Then the people who there, given the fight hours too, they're giving them fight dolls to go.

00:28:14
Speaker 1: It is the tenderloin.

00:28:15
Speaker 2: So at some point you know that the JJ was going to get sirened in the middle of this interview.

00:28:20
Speaker 1: Well, yes, the homeless are being taken advantage of, but how about the process. They're in violation of the law all over the place here.

00:28:29
Speaker 3: Given the fight hours too, they're giving them fight dolls to go to buy them drugs. Wait, they preying on the homeless side of yourn and.

00:28:36
Speaker 6: Jud into the people. The petitions I saw on that dashboard come from building a Better California, an effort that would require government audits or proposed taxes and could block the billionaires tax.

00:28:47
Speaker 1: So this is what this is.

00:28:50
Speaker 2: You all know about the potential wealth tax that may make the ballot. That one's being backed by an SEIU healthcare union. There is an effort by billionaires to put it's something on the ballot that would make a wealth tax illegal. But apparently the billionaires that hired these firms to collect signatures to get this on the ballot are offering such a high price because I don't know if a lot of average San Franciscans would sign that that they are, and then taking the twenty dollars per signature, taking some of that incentive there and passing it off to the homeless to fill out fake signatures. So the billionaires who don't want to get tax are funding all these fraudulent operations to get their thing.

00:29:32
Speaker 1: On the ballot. But I don't think it's just them. How many organizations that were looking to get something on the ballot just go to these companies. You go to a third party company and you just pay them per signature. You assume because they're licensed and bonded, that they're doing it the legal way. But they're going to do what they're going to do. I would imagine it's not just this group. I would imagine that this has gone on for quite some time, involving any number of groups.

00:29:59
Speaker 2: Well, this would explain why. And we've talked about this many times. Inexplicably, every couple of years, when you open up your ballot, you have to vote on some proposition that has to do with kidney dialysis, and nobody knows what it's for, or what it's about, or how they got the signatures. I'm not alleging that the kidney dialysis lobby is paying the homeless to get those signatures, but it is interesting that they keep making the threshold for an issue that nobody can explain.

00:30:30
Speaker 6: The petitions I saw on that dashboard come from building a Better California, an effort that would require government audits or proposed taxes and could block the billionaire's tax building up.

00:30:41
Speaker 2: There by the way, sending me mail constantly and texting.

00:30:44
Speaker 6: Me building a better California.

00:30:48
Speaker 2: Would you guys like to buy some radio little more legit than what you're doing.

00:30:55
Speaker 1: Building a better Calibnia, just a little.

00:30:58
Speaker 6: Building a Better California is funded by Google co founder Sergei Brinn, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, venture capitalist John Doerr, and Stripe co founder Patrick Collison, among others. They're Spokesperson Molly Whedon said, our campaign has a strict, zero tolerance policy against any form of fraudulent activity.

00:31:17
Speaker 1: This has been going on for weeks though, Well, I'm sure they're not privy to the details. Again, you hire a third party, and that third party, I'm sure has their own vendors or their own people that they go to, and those people are the ones that are breaking the rules.

00:31:35
Speaker 2: Well, there's so much grifting going on from so many different ways when it comes to our ballot initiative process. Think of all the grift that went on with all the money that was spent to try to collect signatures in the Gascon recall twice that went nowhere, and that guy when he finally was up for election, lost by thirty points that one.

00:31:55
Speaker 1: Though I don't know if it was the signature gathering companies that you can blame that, I think that was the consultants.

00:32:04
Speaker 6: She said. They've contacted law enforcement and will take action against the petition circulator once they identify him preventing those petitions with phony.

00:32:12
Speaker 2: While who's doing the sick karate moves in the tenderloin.

00:32:20
Speaker 6: Preventing those petitions with phony names from being submitted.

00:32:24
Speaker 8: I'm saying, don't have a right to copy me, period.

00:32:27
Speaker 6: Are you paying people to sign those petitions in.

00:32:29
Speaker 10: Fighty to do anything?

00:32:31
Speaker 3: Do you see anybody around me?

00:32:33
Speaker 6: The man was not happy about my questions or about having his picture taken.

00:32:37
Speaker 1: You cannot copy, matter of fact.

00:32:40
Speaker 6: I don't care. Do what you gotta do.

00:32:41
Speaker 1: No okay, copy me brought? Not familiar with the law. Apparently you cannot copy.

00:32:52
Speaker 2: Matter fact.

00:32:53
Speaker 3: I don't care.

00:32:54
Speaker 6: Do what you gotta do.

00:32:55
Speaker 1: No okay, copy me brought.

00:32:57
Speaker 6: At that point, we walked away and the couple left in their car. Shortly after, I called some of the names being signed by the homeless that day. I spoke with one guy from Google who was very surprised. He now lives in New York. And I found a lady who died in two thousand and nine, but her name still got signed on that petition.

00:33:15
Speaker 2: Danagy wild the dead have risen and they are signing petitions to ban the billionaire attacks. So this is what goes on for the signature gathering phase for initiatives looking to get on the ballot. And they tell us that vote by mail elections in California are one hundred percent legit and there's no fraud going on. Well, we know that there's mutiny going on right now in the city of San Diego over the city playing games with the parking meters because the city's broke. They're looking for ways to generate income, and they figured, hey, why not stick it to motorists. Well, apparently games are being played in the city of Oakland too. Oakland is taking away free parking on Sundays at parking meters because apparently Oakland is Brokland for more. Here's Cron four.

00:34:21
Speaker 7: Oakland drivers are now going to have to pay for Sunday parking. The citywide meter enforcement began today. The city says this is an effort to create more parking turnover, which is better to support local businesses. But as Kron for as Sarah Stinson found out.

00:34:37
Speaker 2: Now there are so many people that go out on Sunday, specifically because you know, you don't have to pay for parking, and those people will stay home, So they're going to jack up parking rates and they're going to try to sell this is it being good for business?

00:34:52
Speaker 1: Yep? But as kron for.

00:34:54
Speaker 7: As Sarah Stinson found out, not everybody got the message.

00:34:58
Speaker 5: All along College Avenue. You can see these meters flashing, right, and that's because no one's paying their meter.

00:35:07
Speaker 1: Well, I guess the jokes on the.

00:35:08
Speaker 5: City many telling us they had no clue that the enforcement started this Sunday.

00:35:15
Speaker 4: You may want to pay the meter.

00:35:16
Speaker 5: Today's the first day that they're enforcing Sundays.

00:35:19
Speaker 1: Oh good shaw, they're now charging on Sundays.

00:35:23
Speaker 7: Yeah, you're kidding me.

00:35:26
Speaker 1: Oh my god. Confusion, she mad.

00:35:31
Speaker 5: Confusion and frustration as drivers in Oakland realize Sunday parking is no longer free.

00:35:38
Speaker 1: I think it's terrible. Well, if they get away with that, they're going to charge for parking on Sundays everywhere in California. I think it's terrible. Absolutely. I doesn't have any notice of it either. It just kind of seems like a money grab.

00:35:58
Speaker 7: What in the United States of America parking tickets on Sundays?

00:36:04
Speaker 1: That's communist? Absolutely no. I like that guy. That's communist.

00:36:11
Speaker 6: Absolutely no.

00:36:12
Speaker 5: The city ruled out Sunday metering back in January with a grace period that just ended.

00:36:18
Speaker 2: The director of the nobody knew nobody knew this was coming. Nobody even they didn't do any kind of messaging about this. The news reporters starting telling everyone on Friday, Hey, you're gonna start paying on Sunday, but the city did not let anybody know.

00:36:32
Speaker 1: I'm sure that's part of the calculus. They intend on nobody knowing, so that way they can make even more money with fines.

00:36:40
Speaker 5: The director of the Department of Transportation says on busy Sundays, meters keep cars moving and spots.

00:36:47
Speaker 2: Books don't ever sell this as this is good for business. You saw what happened in San Diego in the gas lamp where they jacked up the parking rate, saying it would be good for the city, and people are just not parking there anymore.

00:36:59
Speaker 1: They just can't help themselves, and.

00:37:02
Speaker 5: Spots open for people visiting businesses. Most meters range from one to four dollars per hour.

00:37:08
Speaker 1: Let's see four dollars an hour. That's criminal.

00:37:15
Speaker 2: Who even has that many coins?

00:37:19
Speaker 6: Three dollars an hour?

00:37:20
Speaker 5: But if you don't pay, you could get a sixty four dollars ticket.

00:37:24
Speaker 6: Well, I'm lucky.

00:37:25
Speaker 1: I got the one unmetered spot in this Row.

00:37:28
Speaker 5: College Avenue sits right on the border of Berkeley, where Sunday parking is still free. Some worry the change could drive people away.

00:37:36
Speaker 7: I think it's not a good idea for sure.

00:37:38
Speaker 6: I mean I thought the old pop us was to bring people back to activities in downtown Oakland.

00:37:47
Speaker 4: And so absolutely it's.

00:37:50
Speaker 2: You noticed that Oaklanders tend to use a certain phrase a lot.

00:37:55
Speaker 5: Absolutely, absolutely, I have noticed that.

00:38:00
Speaker 1: Self defeating.

00:38:01
Speaker 5: The city says the extra revenue will go toward it. It's general fun to support public safety, keeping streets clean.

00:38:08
Speaker 1: Well, you're not doing a great job on either of those.

00:38:10
Speaker 5: No, it's a dump youth services and more for some that makes it worth it.

00:38:16
Speaker 10: Oh well, no one likes to pay for parking obviously, but you know the City of Oakland really really needs the money. Yeah, they're really running short, and we want them to be able to hire people, you know, nine to eleven and even policemen others.

00:38:31
Speaker 2: She's one of those hostages that's siding with her captor.

00:38:35
Speaker 1: Yep, she is part of the problem.

00:38:38
Speaker 2: There you go, if you're around Oakland on a Sunday, the parking meters are no longer free.