Steven Glazer

Opinion | In Trump’s America, Are We Losing Our Democracy? Donald Trump has wielded power as no previous president has.

Are We Losing Our Democracy? www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Some pictures of the east wing of the White House (during Warriors NBA victory event in 2023) that is now no more.

BART shutdown offers glimpse of Bay Area’s future, if a key funding deal falls through next week A key loan is suddenly in doubt and public transportation advocates said the stakes couldn’t be higher as the state funding would stave off dramatic BART and Muni cuts.

I support BART but this narrative is cockeyed. Today’s shutdown was an operations failure— Nothing to do with money. What efficiencies has BART implemented in the past 5 years with ridership cut in 1/2? Yet staffing increased in same time. ⁦‪⁦‪@jilltucker‬⁩

www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...

Democratic lawmakers in Bay Area ‘reluctantly’ support Newsom’s gerrymandering ploy Independent redistricting is a darling in California politics. Its days may be numbered.

“You go to war not because you want to fight,” said former state Sen. State Glazer, who left office last year, “but because you need to fight.” Democratic lawmakers in Bay Area 'reluctantly' support Newsom's gerrymandering ploy www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/13/d...

How Democrats overcame special interests that long blocked CEQA reform Pivot to ‘Abundance’ is shaking up longtime alliances with environmentalists, trade unions

Democratic leaders have come to realize that the short-term benefit of pleasing an interest group is outweighed by the the long-term failure to solve the problem,” said former state Sen. Steve Glazer www.mercurynews.com/2025/07/25/u...

This Northern California PBS station will lose half its budget to Trump cuts Stations like KEET-TV in Eureka could become casualties of President Donald Trump’s plan to claw back $9 billion in public broadcasting funds.

Democracy’s Future: “One with more consolidated corporate media that’s bending to the will of the president or do we want a world of free, accessible honest journalism . . ” This Northern California PBS station will lose half its budget to Trump cuts

www.sfchronicle.com/politics/art...

Opinion | This Is Why America Needs Public Media

At its best, public media is a classic public service — something that provides large benefits and that the private sector often fails to provide. “This Is Why America Needs Public Media www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/o...

There are numerous affordable housing bonds under consideration, which can be quite valuable — but show me their costs containment strategy. How do we prevent runaway costs from defeat the goal of getting the maximum bang for the public buck. @senatorcabaldon.bsky.social @buffywicks.bsky.social

New report maps a “severe” shortage of local journalists in the U.S. The report from Rebuild Local News and Muck Rack finds that more than 1,000 counties — one out of three in the nation — do not have the equivalent of even one full-time local journalist.

“The report from Rebuild Local News and Muck Rack finds that more than 1,000 counties — one out of three in the nation — do not have the equivalent of even one full-time local journalist.” www.niemanlab.org/2025/07/new-...

There’s a ‘severe shortage’ of local news across the US, new report reveals | CNN Business Since the start of the century, the number of journalists working in the United States has declined by more than 75 percent, according to the study.

(CNN) — Since the start of the century, the number of journalists working in the United States has declined by more than 75 percent, according to a new report detailing “severe shortages” in local news. www.cnn.com/2025/07/10/m...

Opinion | Jeff Flake: In Today’s G.O.P., Voting Your Conscience Is Disqualifying

“Holding public office is a privilege — but it’s not worth sacrificing who you are. The Senate, and the nation it serves, is best led by those who remember that.”

Jeff Flake: In Today’s G.O.P., Voting Your Conscience Is Disqualifying www.nytimes.com/2025/07/06/o...

California expands historic commitment to local journalism fellowships Media Release July 1, 2025 California is expanding its historic commitment to local journalism with a $15 million budget allocation for fellowships to early-career reporters and editors and training t...

Even in tough budget times, California steps up to expand local news fellowships. The program, currently publishing 100 stories a week, was championed by Senator Blakespear and Assemblymember Marc Berman. stirieshttps://journalism.berkeley.edu/15-million-to-journalism-fellowships/

“I continue to raise questions about whether BART has financially right-sized the agency based on ridership,” said Steve Glazer, a former state senator from the East Bay “In other words, are they making the tough, hard decisions to align ridership with revenue?”

Car Dealers Outpace Retail Giants With California Tax Deals Online retail giants like Apple and Walmart gain the most from tax-sharing deals with California cities, but a closer look at the data shows that car dealers and other local businesses end up with the...

Informative story about how a select group of cities and their business co-conspirators steal tax revenue from other public entities. At a time of dwindling public resources, the legislature should act to close these deals down. news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-re...

Editorial: Stop Google thievery that undermines local journalism California lawmakers should insist the search giant start paying for the news reporting it appropriates.

Editorial: Stop Google thievery that undermines local journalism www.eastbaytimes.com/2025/06/10/e...

Commentary: Putting the bully in bully pulpit, Trump escalates in L.A. rather than seeking calm Instead of calming things, President Trump's dispatch of National Guard troops to L.A. has escalated tensions. It may serve his interests by distracting and deflecting but abdicating presidential resp...

NEW: Historically presidents confronting crises have sought to explain, to reassure and above all, to calm the situation.

Not Trump.

When faced with flames, he comes running with gasoline.

The escalation of events in LA is just the latest example.

www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

NYC’s groundbreaking policy mandating city agencies spend 50% of their ad budgets with ethnic, community newsrooms has funneled over $72M to them in five years.

Read the latest @ccmnewmarkj.bsky.social report and its recommendations for the future: abi.journalism.cuny.edu/five-year-im...

California’s revamped Google journalism deal raises new questions The state notched a first-in-nation deal for the tech giant to help fund struggling newsrooms — but is now changing the scope.

“Glazer . . downgraded his assessment of the initiative from a “2 percent” solution last year to a “1 percent solution.” www.politico.com/news/2025/05...

Editorial — The state of local media: How we got here and what we could lose A free press is part of the foundation of our democracy. Our Founding Fathers envisioned a strong, free press to keep tabs on the branches of government, which is why the media is referred to as the "...

Congrats to Pleasanton Weekly publisher Gina Wilcox, who received the top award for editorial commentary by the California News Publishers for “The state of local media: How we got here and what we could lose”.

www.pleasantonweekly.com/editorial/20...

California and Google will make a media fund for the floundering news industry California and Google to team up on media fund with much less funding than previous regulation attempts

“It’s a 1% solution that will do little to arrest the massive decline of independent local news reporting in California.”

California and Google will make a media fund for the floundering news industry www.mercurynews.com/2025/05/21/c...

Tax Big Tech to mitigate harm kids and news Tax Big Tech to mitigate harm kids and news

As this op ed notes, this mitigation tax could backfill existing mental health spending and free up $1 billion plus/minus to prevent cuts elsewhere. . Plus save local news coverage. eedition.sfchronicle.com/infinity/art...

Opinion | My First Thought When I Heard Joe Biden’s News

Important note.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/o...

Opinion | We Study Fascism, and We’re Leaving the U.S.

We Study Fascism, and We’re Leaving the U.S. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/o...

Newsom proposes $20-million funding cut for California newsrooms, citing budget issues The state confirmed Wednesday that it will pay out $10 million, instead of $30 million, to California newsrooms for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

“Cutting it by two-thirds moves California in the wrong direction at a time when local journalism is collapsing across the state,” said Rebuild Local News President @stevenwaldman.bsky.social

via @latimes.com

Learn more: www.latimes.com/california/s...

Opinion | A.G. Sulzberger: A Free People Need a Free Press

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/o...

Tech platforms have an obligation to save California’s local newsrooms | Opinion “Tech platforms have captured the advertising profits that once sustained community newsrooms. Google was just found to have done so illegally.”

The Latest: Senior Policy Advisor @mattdpearce.com and former CA Sen. Steve Glazer urge lawmakers to enshrine a law requiring tech platforms to fund community reporting, make state support permanent, and ensure fair distribution to local newsrooms.

Read more: www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-e...

For those concerned that the big tech companies might not have enough money to help (save democracy), today Amazon reported $155 B in revenue and $17B in net income--in just Q1. Yesterday, Meta reported Q1 revenue of $42 B & $16 billion profit. Google: Q1 $90B & $35 B profit.

Addressing the Crisis in Community News in California Our plan is to build on California’s original local news deal with Google, increasing the fund to $125 million per year by requiring Meta and Amazon to also support community news.

.@rebuildlocal today released a plan to create a $125 million per year fund, financed in part by making Meta & Amazon help out (not just Google). Already endorsed by: California Broadcasters Association, CA Independent News Alliance and several others. www.rebuildlocalnews.org/addressing-t...

Yesterday we had a press conference in CA calling for hearings to strengthen the state's response to the local news collapse. Today: more layoffs at LA Times, presidential decree defunding public radio/TV (key source of local reporting). Time running out. www.rebuildlocalnews.org/california-p...

14 new layoffs at the LA Times today; half the newsroom gone in the past 3 years.

White House executive order last night to defund NPR and PBS.

Google using AI to avoid paying for on the ground reporting.

Independent News is in crisis. We need state leadership to engage.