State of Gold cover art

State of Gold

State of Gold

Written by: Jon Slavet | California Politics
Listen for free

About this listen

Restoring the California Dream One Bold Idea at a Time


California was once a beacon of prosperity, hope and innovation – symbolized by the Gold Rush, Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Today it’s the least affordable state in the nation and plagued by poverty, homelessness, and sky-high taxes. How did we get here, and how do we turn California around?


State of Gold is a media platform and citizens’ movement dedicated to restoring the California dream. Host and longtime real estate and tech executive Jon Slavet combines practical wisdom and insurgent energy, as he sits down with voices from across the spectrum.


The show will examine and promote the best ideas from any corner to solve the state’s most pressing issues. State of Gold cuts through the noise to explore what’s gone wrong in the Golden State – and what it’ll take to make things right.


www.stateofgold.com


© 2026 State of Gold
Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Buying a Gun in California Legally Is Challenging | Michael Pierce
    Feb 10 2026

    Guest Bio:

    Michael Pierce is a venture capitalist, technology executive, and founder of American Gun Owners, a California-based company focused on making legal, responsible gun ownership accessible to everyday Americans. Michael brings a unique perspective to public safety, entrepreneurship, and the growing demand for self-defense in major cities. Raised on a cattle ranch and surrounded by firearms from a young age, he approaches gun ownership as a practical tool rather than a political statement.

    Show Summary

    Why are more Californians who never wanted guns now feeling like they need one?

    Michael Pierce joins Jon Slavet to explain why rising crime, slow police response times, and social unrest have pushed ordinary Californians toward personal self-defense. Michael shares the real-world conversations that inspired him to launch American Gun Owners and why California, despite being one of the most restrictive states, is exactly where this business needed to be built.

    They dive into the challenges of buying a firearm legally in California, the confusion first-time buyers face, and how American Gun Owners uses technology and education to simplify the process. The conversation also explores policing shortages, deterrence, elites disconnect from everyday safety concerns, and what California must do to restore confidence and economic momentum.

    This episode offers a grounded, non-political look at guns as a utility, public safety as a core government responsibility, and why fear has become a daily reality for many Californians.


    Chapters
    00:00 – Why Michael Is Building American Gun Owners in California

    01:45 – Crime, Social Unrest & Slower Police Response Times

    02:19 – Why LA Is Dangerously Under-Policed

    03:50 – First-Time Gun Buyers and the Education Gap

    04:19 – How People End Up with the Wrong Firearm

    05:40 – Guns as a Utility, Not a Political Statement

    06:55 – Why Buying a Gun Legally Is So Complicated

    07:36 – How American Gun Owners Solves the Problem

    08:23 – Using AI to Match People With the Right Firearm

    10:05 – California Compliance, Training & Safe Storage

    12:30 – Liability, Self-Defense Law & Castle Doctrine

    14:13 – Crime in Wealthy Neighborhoods Isn’t Rare Anymore

    16:02 – Deterrence and Why Signs Actually Matter

    17:19 – What Elites Don’t Understand About Feeling Unsafe

    19:50 – Fixing California’s Business Climate

    23:02 – Rapid Fire: One Fix for California

    23:09 – What Still Gives Him Hope

    Connect with Michael Pierce

    • Twitter: https://x.com/mpierce_ago
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpiercela
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americangunowners.online/
    • Website: https://www.americangunowners.com/

    Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to our podcast, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and join the conversation on Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #stateofgoldpodcast

    Connect with State of Gold

    • X: https://x.com/realjonslavet
    • Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en
    • Website: www.stateofgold.com
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • LA Pays $2 Million Per Homeless Unit | Dr. Houman David Hemmati
    Feb 3 2026

    Guest:
    Dr. Houman David Hemmati, Entrepreneur & Political Activist

    Guest Bio:
    Dr. Houman David Hemmati is a physician, scientist, entrepreneur, and public advocate for medical freedom and ethical healthcare reform. With a background in biomedical engineering, neuroscience, and ophthalmology, he’s advised pharmaceutical companies, led biotech ventures, and become an outspoken voice on issues ranging from pandemic policy to the misuse of scientific authority. Dr. Hemmati is also a frequent media contributor and a passionate advocate for patient rights, transparency, and innovation in medicine


    Show Summary
    Los Angeles is collapsing in real time and Dr. Houman Hemmati says it’s not accidental.


    In this episode, Dr. Hemmati joins Jon Slavet to expose what he calls the “homeless industrial complex,” a system incentivized to grow rather than solve the crisis. From Westwood turning into “Skid Row West” to taxpayer-funded housing scams costing up to $2 million per unit, Dr. Hemmati details how California’s homelessness policies have failed both the vulnerable and the public.


    The conversation then turns to the proposed billionaire tax, why it threatens startup founders and innovation, and how taxing unrealized wealth could permanently drive entrepreneurs out of California. Dr. Hemmati explains why the state doesn’t have a revenue problem, but a spending problem, and why tough love may be the only path forward.


    This is a candid, no-holds-barred look at the policies, incentives, and political realities shaping California’s future and what gives him hope that voters may finally be reaching a breaking point.


    Chapters
    00:00 – Dr. Houman Hemmati’s Path from Doctor to Activist
    00:36 – Westwood’s Decline and “Skid Row West”
    02:30 – The Failure of Local Government in Los Angeles
    03:18 – How COVID Supercharged the Homeless Crisis
    04:45 – Prison Releases, Incentives, and Manufactured Chaos
    06:05 – The Homeless Housing Scam and Taxpayer Theft
    07:15 – Moral Hazard and Why Current Policies Make Things Worse
    08:40 – The Billionaire Tax Explained Simply
    10:51 – Why Entrepreneurs and Capital Are Leaving California
    12:45 – Taxing Unrealized Wealth and Constitutional Concerns
    14:30 – California’s Spending Problem vs Revenue Problem
    16:24 – Why California Needs an Intervention
    18:10 – Rapid Fire: One Fix to Save California
    18:21 – What Finally Gives Him Hope
    21:45 – Why Ordinary Citizens Are Starting to Push Back

    Connect with Dr. Houman David Hemmati

    • X: https://x.com/houmanhemmati/
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/houman-david-hemmati-md-phd-aa0486/

    Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to our podcast, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and join the conversation on Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #stateofgoldpodcast

    Connect with State of Gold

    • X: https://x.com/realjonslavet
    • Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en
    • Website: www.stateofgold.com
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • "How Could My Daughters Ever Live in California?" - Joel Kotkin
    Jan 27 2026

    Guest:

    Joel Kotkin, Chapman University Professor

    Guest Bio:

    Joel Kotkin is a renowned urban studies scholar, author, and fellow in urban futures at Chapman University. His work has appeared in Forbes, The Daily Telegraph, City Journal, and more. A longtime Californian, Kotkin has spent decades analyzing demographic trends, class shifts, and political transformations shaping the Golden State. His recent commentary focuses on the decline of middle-class opportunity, rising costs of living, and the unintended consequences of progressive policy.

    Show Summary

    What happened to the California Dream? In this powerful conversation, Joel Kotkin joins Jon Slavet to unpack the root causes of California’s middle-class crisis. From skyrocketing housing costs and regressive climate policies to the rise of oligarchic politics and the exodus of working families, Kotkin makes a compelling case for how the state lost its promise — and what it will take to restore it.

    He also calls out how the YIMBY movement, climate dogma, and one-party rule are shaping a state that serves the ultra-wealthy and subsidized poor — while leaving the middle class behind. If you care about California’s future, this is essential watching.


    Chapters

    00:00 – California's Middle-Class Collapse

    01:10 – Kotkin on Coming to California in the 1970s

    03:00 – Climate Policy: Idealism or Ideology?

    05:00 – Who Really Pays for Green Mandates

    06:30 – Why Reform Feels Impossible

    08:00 – Billionaire Tax and Class Warfare

    09:30 – Government Growth and Wealth Redistribution

    11:00 – Why the Rich Get Richer in California

    13:00 – California's Startup Problem

    15:00 – Why the Middle Class Can't Stay

    16:00 – The YIMBY Agenda Critiqued

    18:00 – King for a Day: Kotkin’s First Fix

    19:30 – The Closing Thought: Potential vs. Ruin


    Connect with Joel Kotkin

    • Twitter: https://x.com/joelkotkin?lang=en
    • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joelkotkin
    • Substack: https://joelkotkin.com/
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-kotkin-1883922/

    Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to our podcast, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and join the conversation on Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #stateofgoldpodcast

    Connect with State of Gold

    • X: https://x.com/realjonslavet
    • Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en
    • Website: www.stateofgold.com
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
No reviews yet