650+ days is not a “fast track…”

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Now that you’ve read your 87th piece of news, analysis and commentary about California’s redistricting war against Texas, we have a promise for you: We won’t make you read an 88th. Instead, we’ve compiled a rundown of stories about a state driven by momentum that nonetheless struggles not to step on its shoelaces. Case-in-point, the “fast-track” wind farm that still can’t catch a breeze, cities improvising wildly on how to best clear homeless encampments, and voters longing for clean energy without lightening their wallets. Meanwhile, we’re serving up a nauseating twin bill of housing affordability statistics and an unearthed deep-dive into the peculiarities of Prop 13 along one block in Oakland. All this, plus a fascinating podcast that traces each of California’s highways and a fast five that hits some delightfully discordant notes.

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Here we go…

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WHEN 270 DAYS IS NOT 270 DAYS

Ever ahead of the environmental curve, California pledged developers a green-energy fast lane in 2022: permits within 270 days, no excuses. Fountain Wind was first in line with a project to erect 71 wind turbines on about 4,500 acres of land in unincorporated Shasta County. Lo and behold, 650 days later, it’s still stuck. Shasta County locals kneecapped the project with zoning bans and a water-supply veto, and regulators extended the clock indefinitely. Now staff recommend denial, saying batteries might be “a more prudent and feasible alternative.” (Sigh… What about the “abundance politics” we’ve all been hearing so much about?) Industry leaders warn the delays doom California’s climate goals. “Do you think I’m going to commit to a 10-year, multi-million-dollar process with that risk?” asked one developer.

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🤫 Everything you should know

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⛺ 🤔 ⚖️ - CITIES WING IT ON ENCAMPMENTS— Look at any California public opinion poll over the past few years and one thing jumps out: residents are tired of the sprawling homeless encampments in their towns and cities. But even as recent legislation and court decisions have made it easier to deal with the problem, California cities have failed to coalesce around a common solution. Policies range from 10-page bureaucratic blueprints to “just wing it” vibes, depending on the zip code. Governor Newsom has pushed for standardization, offering model ordinances and dangling future funding like a carrot, but many cities still resist codifying any real rules, (especially if they’re hard to follow). Legal settlements often force stricter standards, but cities like Chico are now trying to shake loose those shackles. What has resulted is a chaotic, legally fraught policy patchwork draped over a statewide crisis. — CalMatters

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🥵 ⚡ 💰  - AT WATT PRICE CLIMATE POLICY?  — Californians say they want a cleaner future, so long as it’s not a pricier one. According to a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California, a solid majority of the state’s residents believe climate change and its deleterious effects are already here. They support ambitious targets like cutting emissions 40% by 2030 and going 100% renewable by 2045. But nearly 6 in 10 won’t pay higher electricity bills to get there, and increasing worries about gas and utility costs are climbing. In a marked shift, only 35% of Californians think that actions to reduce climate change and its impacts will result in more jobs, a 10% drop from 2010. A nearly identical (9%) swing has happened among people who think the inverse is true, and that efforts to combat climate change will result in fewer jobs. Unless leaders address pocketbook pain, enthusiasm for the state’s climate agenda appears to be dying on the vine. — Public Policy Institute of California

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💸 🏠 💸  - HOME STRETCH — Homeownership is slipping further out of reach everywhere, but California still sets the gold standard for sticker shock. To buy the state’s $905,680 median home, you now need an income of $232,400 — plus a cool $181,000 down — leaving just 15% of households able to buy. Buying the Bay Area’s $1.4 million median home required $359,200 in income this spring, up $22,000 or 7% in three years. Oh, and don’t forget the $280,000 down payment you’re going to need. Check your couch cushions! As hard as it is to believe, the Bay Area is crushing its Southern California neighbors on housing affordability. While 20% of Bay Area households are able to get their foot in the door, only 14% of SoCal households can say the same. Blame soaring rates, fading Fed support through mortgage bond purchases, and prices that simply refuse to quit. — SiliconValley.com

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🎙️ 💬 🎧 - ON THE POD: CA HIGHWAYS, ROUTE BY ROUTE

California didn’t just build highways — it built mythology in concrete. This podcast traces that story, one route at a time, from Route 1’s coastal glamour to Route 980’s urban scar. Season 1 lays out the rules of the road: numbering, naming, politics. Season 2 takes off, dissecting each highway’s history, quirks, and cultural baggage.. — CA Highways, Route by Route

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🫰 💵 🏘️  - THE WILD WORLD OF PROP 13

Ever since Howard Jarvis led a groundshaking tax revolt in the late 1970s, Golden Staters have lived with the peculiar outcomes of Proposition 13. An article of faith among many Californians and the ultimate policy bogeyman to others, there is no question that Prop 13 has generated some interesting iniquities. In 2018, CalMatters and Zillow teamed up to examine the gulf between average home values and their tax assessments, which are pinned to their point of purchase. The CalMatters team carved out a single block of Oakland to illustrate the divergent tax realities among the neighborhood’s property owners. With prices soaring nearly 60% since the report was published, today’s numbers would look even stranger. — CalMatters

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🏃‍♂️ 💨 ✋ FAST FIVE

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1. 👀 Shasta County election paranoia hits astonishing new level. SFGate
2. 🤩 “Prepare to be blown away.” New national monument opens near Santa Cruz. SF Chronicle
3. 🚄 CA High-Speed Rail could launch two years earlier than thought. Modesto Bee
4. 👍 Diversion program credited with San Diego homelessness exits. Voice of San Diego

⏱️ 218 LA property owners blow deadline to clear fire debris. LAist