Staying Home New Year's Eve? Here's What To Watch

Governor Jerry brown are preparing to give Donald Trump defiance. I am Mark Sauer the Roundtable starts right now. Welcome to our discussion. Joining me at the Roundtable today are Michael Smolens politics editor. Chris Jennewein , Sandra Dibble , freelance reporter, Trent 20. Hillary Clinton with more than a .7 million votes had twice as many supporters as Donald Trump in California so it's not surprising that leaders in the nation's most populous state are bowing to lead the way to fight the Trump administration. Here is Anthony. We have to do whatever it takes to protect California and its people from the reaction onslaught we expect out of Washington DC. That includes immigrants. So Michael that was the role that taxes another states played when Republicans said about blocking president Barack Obama during his administration. It would be better off trying to list who was not. Jerry Brown had a start with a wait-and-see approach but particularly on climate change is gotten more aggressive. You had -- the list grows and grows and also doctoring the politics of the 2018 election. You have Gavin Newsom and others. One point started show that they tried to outdo each other. There is concern that California being the progressive state the view a lot of threats from the incoming ministration. So Michael mention immigration plan what are the other issues that there worried about plaque Trump talked a lot about making it easy for California farmers to get water. There is education, opposition there and marijuana. California is a large estate were marijuana is legalized and it still illegal on a federal level and there could be some issues there. I think that it is environment and immigration is going to be key. California is prepared to fight. This is Kevin Daly on with his list of issues. These are all California Democrats. We continue to be a world leader on workers rights, women's rights, voting rights, civil rights, social justice, economic justice, climate action and access to healthcare for everyone. A lot of support there in Sacramento. What tools will they have to put up a fight as we go forward? California is just one the 50 states. They pass a lot of legislation to protect some undocumented immigrants. We know about the tuition fees that have been waived if people are here under certain circumstances they do count for in-state tuition. What some of things are talking about's legislation has been introduced to fund attorneys and train attorneys to protect immigrants. I think that we don't know exactly what Trump is going to do. He talked a lot and immigration was his key ace during the primary campaign. Is talked about going after criminal immigrants and how that will be defined will be the keeping because a lot of people that support unauthorized immigrants are here playing by the rules I think that they want them out of here. But is he going to go after people who are repeat entry folks that now have felony charges against him are people that are doing more Haney is things? They are talking about gearing up. I think officials in Los Angeles and San Francisco are talking about spending row money to help defend these folks should deportation come in a sweeping way. In some ways California has been bracing for this several years back last year there was a [ Indiscernible ] that covered the waterfront if you will everything from healthcare to protecting identities that are undocumented and to making money available to fight deportation orders and as Michael said locally there's row money. I think there is $12 million in the city and County that has been set aside for legal fights and even here in San Diego they have made a plea to Donald Trump to protect the students were covered by the deferred action for childhood arrival. There was a lot of effort happening both in the local and the state level. It is interesting how things have changed because not too long ago the governor and other Californians had some key legislation and they were going to lead the federal government. Their friend Barack Obama was too far behind on bringing unauthorized immigrants to the mainstream. Now they're fighting a rearguard action debut even before when they had an administration. It is interesting there out in front sort of in a different way coming in. What about on the medical front healthcare coverage in general. California had a robust marketplace under Obamacare. What happens to that? That's a real concern because California has the most healthy state insurance market of any under Obamacare. If we don't get the federal subsidies, we could be hurt here. Undocumented immigrants are eligible for Medi-Cal. It might mean that we need to spend more money locally to fund Medi-Cal. Or cut the role somehow. One of the ways they mention their the red states were blocking Obama Administration during his terms was through lawsuits. I imagine California and other states will be suing the trumpet ministration or several agencies. Does not mean that the Attorney General is a new personnel and becomes a more powerful individual? Perhaps that seems to be a role that people are expecting of have your Becerra and he seems to be taken on. Ironically the rhetoric is a lot more heated from other folks. He seems to be more measured but he talks about defending the California way when it comes to immigrants. Looking at Texas they made a lot of noise and spent a lot of money. I think it was the Texas Tribune they did a catalog of all the legal action from Texas and this past year was nearly 50 lawsuits both being sued and suing the federal government and like $6 million he spent on climate change on medical care and immigration. They have a mixed record but something they point out even if they are unsuccessful they think they can delay certain policies under the Obama administration that will help them with their businesses or people think you might see the same thing there that winning is the goal but the other goal might be to just prolong and keep stalling as much as possible. The new attorney general has a very interesting background for taking a leading role in this. He represented the central LA area since 1993 and he rose to leadership when the House Democratic cost DOS caucus so he knows Washington but he is the son of Mexican immigrants. So in many ways I think he is a very tough and knowledgeable adversary on exactly what would be the key issue, which is immigration. Speaking of Attorney General Donald Trump has Jeff Sessions and he was bought from becoming a federal judge at one point to do some acquisitions. What is that relationship going to be like with the US Department of Justice in California? Any speculation? That is going to be tough. Jeff Sessions was better known not for his legal positions over the last decade or so but for his opposition of immigration. He was a voice on the national level very much opposed to legal immigration. So I think it is on immigration that they will be the biggest challenge between California and some other states as well and the federal government. Certainly there's concern about some of the comments that he's made regarding several rights issues. Is right the immigration is a focus of so much in terms of the appointments. Locally we have a U.S. attorney opening, which would had regardless but we know that he's moving on to Superior Court and it will be very interesting to see what kind of person does Trump administration picks because this is a key immigration area. Let's look at and watch. Will turn now to an issue that we heard about from Trump in the campaign Mexico, Mexicans, and immigration. Trump asked undocumented immigrants as murderers and rapists. Here he is in August in Mexico with the president and let's hear what he had to say. I happen to have a tremendous feeling for Mexican Americans not only in terms of friendships but in terms of the tremendous numbers that I've employed in the United States and they are amazing people. Didn't mention the rapist and murderer is. Why with you there and what did he say. He was there at the invitation of the Mexican president who had made [ Indiscernible ] to Hillary Clinton but she did not go down. Trump did. It was a great political cost for him. He was poorly criticized because this was the man who had said discouraging things about Mexicans and also said that he was going to build a big beautiful wall and have Mexico pay for it. The Mexican president was heavily criticized for not bringing these out in public. He later said we talked about this in private and Mexico would never pay for the wall, but it did not go well politically in Mexico to have Trump there. A gave him legitimacy is what critics feared. Another issue that came up is the free-trade agreement. And Trump is complaining we are getting played by our southern neighbor in Mexico. Remind us what is NAETA. It is a giant trade block between U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Trade has boomed about 80 million -- 80 billion a year to 500 a year to 500 billion. I was reading this morning that says that 14 million you was jobs depend on NAFTA. it is a manufacturing powerhouse. There are plants down there that have blossomed under this agreement. You covered a big convention of those folks from all over the country. What are the business people in Mexico sing about the Trump presidency? I think they are very cautious and listening I think people are very aware of what he said the campaign but what will the president do. I think the hope is that the President-elect is a businessman and he will understand business. So I know people in the industry that said they voted for Trump. So it's not so clear-cut as you might think. So campaign rhetoric might be one being and what happens might be another. Hasn't NAFTA become so key for the supply lines of many companies if you got rid of it or put in the -- it would be hard to make cars in the United States. Yes, one figured that people are always throwing out is that 40% of the content of U.S. imports from Mexico are made in the U.S. So not only would you be decreasing jobs in Mexico but you would be decreasing jobs in the U.S. It is so integrated. It is hard to separate them. But under the 20 years of NAFTA the benefits have not been really been spread around. Wages and Mexico -- the nation has grown very slowly so it's been good of a sector of the Mexican economy. What you're hitting on is a big part of Trump's victory. They were supposed to lift all votes and that was how they were to the great American public and people were not feeling not. The economy is doing much better than it had. We know unemployment is down a great deal but the jobs are gone and I don't know if people will mean this is going to be manufacturing but in a political sense there was a lot of benefit a lot of the voting public did not feel it like they thought they were going to. I think that had a lot of to do with Trump's victory. I want to change gears here. Get a story on a major deal between U.S. and Mexico on the Colorado river water. Tell us about the agreement. Yes, it is a eight under the treaty Mexico has a certain amount of water guaranteed. Precisions to the treaties are called minutes. Back in 2012 we signed a minute that involved water for the environment involved Mexico's ability to store water in lake made, which benefited both of us because it raises the level of lake made. It calls for shortages on both sides. So the clock is ticking because at the end of 2017 that agreement ends. We are now working on a successor agreement between the U.S. and Mexico. There has been some pressure to speed up. They are leaving and as such is Trump coming in. People who had the institutional memory and maybe the political clout and the relationships with Congress are leaving. Water will be another key issue. I did want to ask and get back to NAFTA . One point it seemed that neither Clinton nor Trump or in the press brought up in terms of Chinese workers and Mexican workers. And the effect it has on costing Americans manufacturing job. It easy to demonize a worker from Mexico but not a robot. You encourage automation, which is a good thing because you want us to be more productive. It is a two-edged sword. Nothing much was made of that. The politics are easier if you're talking about people and somebody coming in to take your job but not necessarily a robot in progress. It is something that's been said. I don't think they politically benefited from it. It is a real possibility especially if we have mass deportations. Self driving cars and self driving trucks. The economy has shown the ability to adopt automation. We found jobs of people and so the economy tend to adopt. But will it always? We will shift gears and what are the most important issues facing America and the rest of the planet is climate change. Singh Donald Trump and many of his advisers have caused dust called human caused climate change a hoax. Things appear dire and deed. -- Indeed. Ureas in a recent interview. Many years ago I believe it was in the 1920s he talked about the phenomenon of global cooling. They thought the planet was getting cooler. Now they think the planner is getting warmer. I have a feeling it's sort of is. But nobody knows for sure. But I do say that we have to be careful because our companies are being put at a tremendous disadvantage. We all get fire insurance but anyway we can debate this going forward but can we expect the U.S. to be a lonely left behind polluting powers? I think we may see a bifurcation at the federal level. Trump has a wish list that could be devastating. There's no question about that on the other hand, the states and cities are on a different course. So we may see a bifurcation. Like we were saying in the first segment California is leading the way and then of course, if we were a country on her own so does have some. It is not one state. I think 29 states have renewable portfolio standards and they have committed to the renewable energy. I think another eight states have goals. See you have the vast majority of states already on the renewable energy course. Let's talk about Scott's choice. He has sued the EPA and he sued the EPA overreach and sued to block the clean power plant, which is Obama's plan to reduce emissions and sued to block restrictions of methane emissions from oil and gas installations. He has a history of being antagonistic to the EPA's path. I wonder with California leading the way and so many states focusing on renewable energy and whether some changes are just unstoppable at this point. People are not going to take down rooftop solar's. Here and San Diego there's already a third of renewable energy. More and more people are driving electrical cars. There's a big incentive toward clean energy that may be the Trump administration cannot stop. You and Bill Powers had a piece thing that it's all -- not all doom and gloom. Payment Chris raises a good point. Trump seems to see the environment as a problem. Many people see renewable energy as one of the great opportunities of the past 50 years. If we rewire this planet renewable energy there's a huge wealth opportunity. Your fuel cost is zero once you have renewable energy. So there is a glass half empty and have full. And jobs also. The Center for sustainable energy had a report that there are over 100,000 jobs and Sunday go there due to clean energy and other environmental related incidents. Nationally the 60,000 jobs there is 300,000 jobs and growing very rapidly. It's not the demon EPA that killed the coal market it is rocking in the cheap natural gas. Right. Other big power producers have closed because they are expensive. Back in 1978 I propose a satellite for California. I do not get the for nothing. If Trump turns off the satellites, California will launch their own satellite. We will collect the data. The governor is back. It is interesting and what is real and what is being imagine of the coming administration we will just have to see. There were reports that there were hardly saving because not only were they concerned about policy being reversed but that the government would come in and destroy or take their data, which helps prove the direction things are going. So is that paranoia? I don't know. I'm sure that happens. People do say stuff like that but there is this real concern that suddenly will go back to the dark ages. Sandra along the border and energy so much as happened and even in healthcare that suddenly if you just stop something it's going to be such dislocation and it will not be easy to do. Sub the reality of governing as much as Trump's blusters there will be kind of a rude awakening. So China is looking to be a leader now in Germany has made great strides. What it trumps competitiveness says the U.S. is not going to be left behind quick China is a leader. They have more renewable air facilities than the U.S. has. I would think the competitive business Manson America indices are going to compete with these folks. The challenges the economics move fast enough. So you can stop the economics but will it move quickly enough? We will see. Who knows how long it will take and what all these agencies are going to do and who is going to fight them and who was going to join them. We are out of time Pergola does wrap up another week of stories at the KPBS roundtable. I would like to thank my guess Michael Smolens, Chris Jennewein, Sandra Dibble , and Trent 20. Think you are. A reminder all of the stories that we discussed today are available on our website KPBS.org. I'm Mark Saur. Thank you for joining us today on the KPBS Roundtable.