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.

The Talk of Santa Clarita

Eps 170 Rhoda Nazanin

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.

Eps 169 John Musella

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

Eps. 168 "The Young Turks" Founder, Cenk Uygur

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?

Eps. 167 Joshua Wentz

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.

Eps. 166 Ruth Luevanos

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.

Eps. 165 Andrew Taban

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.

Eps. 164 Austin Dave

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.

Eps. 163 Joe Jacobson

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.

Eps. 162 A Special Conversation with Christy Smith Part 2

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.

Eps. 161 A Special Conversation with Christy Smith Part I

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.

Eps. 159 Maria Gutzeit

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.

Eps. 160 James Webb

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.

Eps. 158 The Water Six

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

Eps. 157 Kelvin Driscoll

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

Eps. 156 Selina Thomas

The Talk of Santa Clarita is a podcast about issues affecting the city of Santa Clarita, CA and the surrounding valley.

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