Ain't No Party Like a DSA Party

What does democratic socialism look like when you're the one responsible for balancing the budget? Hayward Councilmember George Syrop, one of two elected members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in the East Bay, joins Steve Tavares and Trishala Vinnakota for a wide-ranging conversation on governing, progressive politics, and the growing influence of billionaires in American democracy. "As an elected official, I feel like I am managing the crumbs of a collapsing and failing state," Syrop says, as he argues that decades of disinvestment have left local governments struggling to provide basic services. The discussion explores the future of Hayward's progressive movement, the city's unexpected $30 million budget deficit last year, strategies for strengthening economic development, long-awaited improvements to the much-maligned Hayward Loop, and Syrop's leadership in advancing the city's Israel divestment resolution. The conversation also turns to the high-stakes CA-4 special election, where Syrop argues frontrunner Aisha Wahab must define the race on her own terms as millions of dollars in outside spending, including  massive AIPAC support for Melissa Hernandez down the stretch.