WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:04.719
<v Speaker 1>You're listening to Bill Handle on demand from KFI AM

2
00:00:04.759 --> 00:00:08.839
<v Speaker 1>six forty KFI AM six forty handle here on a

3
00:00:08.839 --> 00:00:11.640
<v Speaker 1>Wednesday morning. A lot going on today. Robert Kennedy in

4
00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:15.839
<v Speaker 1>front of a Senate confirmation panel by He's got some

5
00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:21.440
<v Speaker 1>splaining to do, Lucy for sure, and Google has complied.

6
00:00:21.559 --> 00:00:26.679
<v Speaker 1>It is now the Gulf of America. All Google Maps

7
00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:30.239
<v Speaker 1>will indicate Gulf of America. Also, Mount McKinley is back

8
00:00:30.280 --> 00:00:33.799
<v Speaker 1>to Mount McKinley instead of Denali, which it has been

9
00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:36.520
<v Speaker 1>for three hundred years. Gulf of Mexico has been around

10
00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:40.439
<v Speaker 1>for four hundred years. Hey, we change, We change. Now.

11
00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:45.240
<v Speaker 1>I want to talk about the LAPD because it's again

12
00:00:45.399 --> 00:00:50.479
<v Speaker 1>the issue has come up. We go back to We'll

13
00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:55.159
<v Speaker 1>go back. Last year Mayor Karen Bass of LA gave

14
00:00:55.240 --> 00:00:59.479
<v Speaker 1>pay raises to the rank and file cops and what

15
00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:04.879
<v Speaker 1>she did sold it to us as an investment towards

16
00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:10.480
<v Speaker 1>regrowing the LAPD to ninety five hundred members, which it

17
00:01:10.599 --> 00:01:13.120
<v Speaker 1>was before the election in twenty twenty two. Now it

18
00:01:13.159 --> 00:01:16.400
<v Speaker 1>should be around from what I understand, about ten thousand.

19
00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:21.319
<v Speaker 1>That's what sort of the general feeling is among folks

20
00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:25.359
<v Speaker 1>that are in the police world. Ninety five hundred is

21
00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:30.040
<v Speaker 1>just north of adequate. Adequate being C it's a C

22
00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:37.319
<v Speaker 1>plus ten thousand being a okay. So since then you've

23
00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:41.439
<v Speaker 1>got the mayor and leaders in the LAPD continuing to

24
00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:46.000
<v Speaker 1>project optimism about reaching that goal of ninety five hundred members.

25
00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:54.640
<v Speaker 1>O contraire peer ain't gonna happen because behind the scenes,

26
00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:58.719
<v Speaker 1>the cops, the officials are starting to confront the reality

27
00:01:58.760 --> 00:02:03.519
<v Speaker 1>it's not going to have and anytime soon, and acknowledging

28
00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:08.560
<v Speaker 1>that the department may even continue to shrink. It is

29
00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:12.680
<v Speaker 1>now at eighty six hundred and twenty cops and it's

30
00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:17.080
<v Speaker 1>going to continue below that, so twenty percent less than

31
00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:24.479
<v Speaker 1>it should be. Recruiting shortfalls, there's attrition. Leaders expect this

32
00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:26.800
<v Speaker 1>year to lose more than one hundred and fifty police

33
00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:31.919
<v Speaker 1>officers and that's the lowest deployment of cops in roughly

34
00:02:31.960 --> 00:02:36.560
<v Speaker 1>thirty years. And I'm going to give you some reasons now.

35
00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:41.280
<v Speaker 1>During public appearances, Bass, the Chief of Police, Jim McDonnell,

36
00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:44.479
<v Speaker 1>other leaders still marking the case, still making the case

37
00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:49.319
<v Speaker 1>the department needs to grow. We need more manpower to

38
00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:55.039
<v Speaker 1>maintain public safety while the department is shrinking. Wait a minute,

39
00:02:55.639 --> 00:02:58.759
<v Speaker 1>if it's if we need to grow, but what's going on.

40
00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:02.639
<v Speaker 1>Don't tell us that it's growing when it's not growing.

41
00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:07.960
<v Speaker 1>A couple things. The Palisades fire just showed the department

42
00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:11.159
<v Speaker 1>can be stretched very thin during a major disaster. We've

43
00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:14.400
<v Speaker 1>got the upcoming World Cup, we have the Olympic Games

44
00:03:14.439 --> 00:03:20.120
<v Speaker 1>in twenty twenty eight. All have massive security challenges. Now

45
00:03:20.120 --> 00:03:21.840
<v Speaker 1>here's the other side of it, and I'm going to

46
00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:25.479
<v Speaker 1>continue on in a minute. The LAPD has gotten smaller,

47
00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:31.919
<v Speaker 1>but by some measures, the city is becoming safer. Many

48
00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:34.719
<v Speaker 1>types of violent crime are down. This is police Department data,

49
00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:40.800
<v Speaker 1>especially homicides and shootings, and that's a year's long decline,

50
00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:45.639
<v Speaker 1>So less of a chance that you get shot or killed,

51
00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:52.560
<v Speaker 1>more of a chance that you get graffitied, burglarized, car

52
00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:58.120
<v Speaker 1>broken into, car, stolen. LAPD leaders have debated for a

53
00:03:58.120 --> 00:04:02.680
<v Speaker 1>long time how many cops are really necessary. The push

54
00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:07.680
<v Speaker 1>has always been for more manpower, more cops, but now

55
00:04:08.759 --> 00:04:11.719
<v Speaker 1>some are saying, wait a minute. Even though the city

56
00:04:11.719 --> 00:04:14.840
<v Speaker 1>itself is saying we need more cops, the police department

57
00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:17.639
<v Speaker 1>is saying we need more cops. While cops are shrinking,

58
00:04:18.360 --> 00:04:21.120
<v Speaker 1>some are saying, wait a minute, you know what, Maybe

59
00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:26.199
<v Speaker 1>we don't now keep in mind the city of Houston

60
00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:33.800
<v Speaker 1>and Chicago much smaller city to police, however, many more cops.

61
00:04:33.879 --> 00:04:36.680
<v Speaker 1>I think the city of New York has fifteen or

62
00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:41.279
<v Speaker 1>twenty thousand police officers. I mean, it's a lot of people.

63
00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:44.519
<v Speaker 1>But the city of New York is about the size

64
00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:47.720
<v Speaker 1>of the Sherman Oaks Galley, isn't it where they cram

65
00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:51.920
<v Speaker 1>ten million people in, Yet it has substantially more police officers.

66
00:04:52.120 --> 00:04:55.399
<v Speaker 1>We don't have many cops in our city relative to

67
00:04:55.439 --> 00:05:01.079
<v Speaker 1>the size of our city. So what's going on? Well,

68
00:05:01.399 --> 00:05:04.120
<v Speaker 1>a lot of things are happening with no money. Nine

69
00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:07.639
<v Speaker 1>to one one calls, it's getting longer and longer. Have

70
00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:12.560
<v Speaker 1>you called nine one one recently, You're on hold, you

71
00:05:12.600 --> 00:05:16.160
<v Speaker 1>get a menu. HI, your call is very important to us,

72
00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:20.160
<v Speaker 1>so hang on. Then. If this is a real emergency,

73
00:05:20.360 --> 00:05:23.839
<v Speaker 1>press number one. If it's only a moderate emergency, press

74
00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:28.720
<v Speaker 1>number two. And sometimes I love these menu calls. You

75
00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:34.839
<v Speaker 1>have between ten and twelve minutes before your call is answered,

76
00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:39.000
<v Speaker 1>sometimes twenty to twenty five minutes. I have called nine

77
00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:40.839
<v Speaker 1>to one one calls when I've seen a crash on

78
00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:43.519
<v Speaker 1>the freeway, and I'll immediately call nine one one, And

79
00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:46.120
<v Speaker 1>I'm going from La to Orange County. I actually reach

80
00:05:46.199 --> 00:05:51.120
<v Speaker 1>Orange County before they get on the phone. That's part

81
00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:54.000
<v Speaker 1>of our system where they're just ain't enough money. Now

82
00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:56.199
<v Speaker 1>I have lived in Los Angeles, although now I live

83
00:05:56.199 --> 00:05:57.920
<v Speaker 1>in Orange County, but I still come up to Los

84
00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:03.399
<v Speaker 1>Angeles all the time. The LAPD is a big deal,

85
00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:06.959
<v Speaker 1>always has been. And if we go back in history

86
00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:09.920
<v Speaker 1>and I remember this, it wasn't that long ago where

87
00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:13.920
<v Speaker 1>police officers were some of the most respected members of society.

88
00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:21.399
<v Speaker 1>Ha think that's happening anymore. It's not so we're short

89
00:06:21.399 --> 00:06:26.319
<v Speaker 1>of police officers. We should have ten thousand. Matter of fact,

90
00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:29.800
<v Speaker 1>well you've got the official saying, okay, we'll take ninety

91
00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:33.800
<v Speaker 1>five hundred, not ten thousand. Okay, the problem is there's

92
00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:37.560
<v Speaker 1>eighty six hundred and it is dropping. Just to give

93
00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:41.839
<v Speaker 1>you an idea, the last class, the academy class had

94
00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:47.439
<v Speaker 1>a big twenty one cops in it. That's it. Cops

95
00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:50.879
<v Speaker 1>are not coming to the table. We don't have enough

96
00:06:50.920 --> 00:06:55.800
<v Speaker 1>of them. Although the city and Karen Bass said we're growing, well,

97
00:06:56.399 --> 00:07:00.279
<v Speaker 1>in reality we're shrinking. And what are they doing. The

98
00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:07.879
<v Speaker 1>city is doing plenty. First of all, older cops saying

99
00:07:07.879 --> 00:07:10.920
<v Speaker 1>we'll pay you a ton of money. Retired cops come

100
00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:17.480
<v Speaker 1>back trying to get new cops raising the money. Now

101
00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:20.839
<v Speaker 1>here's the stat for you, which I found kind of interesting.

102
00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:26.680
<v Speaker 1>As a starting cop in Los Angeles, you can get

103
00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:32.959
<v Speaker 1>as much as eighty six thousand dollars. Now, I'm assuming

104
00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:35.279
<v Speaker 1>those are cops that are coming from other agencies, or

105
00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:38.240
<v Speaker 1>they have a bachelor's degree or accommodation or in the military,

106
00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:41.319
<v Speaker 1>and all of that has points. But up to eighty

107
00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:44.160
<v Speaker 1>six thousand dollars, I think the starting rate is over

108
00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:47.720
<v Speaker 1>fifty fifty five thousand dollars. If you have no experience,

109
00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:52.000
<v Speaker 1>you're a brand new cop. The contract ratified in the

110
00:07:52.040 --> 00:07:56.680
<v Speaker 1>fall of twenty twenty three, starting salary increased eighty six

111
00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:59.879
<v Speaker 1>thousand dollars by nearly thirteen percent since the previous com

112
00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:05.920
<v Speaker 1>tract and guaranteed thirty three percent annual raises. So LAPD

113
00:08:06.120 --> 00:08:11.920
<v Speaker 1>starting salaries are higher than Pasadena Long Beach Burbank. But

114
00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:15.720
<v Speaker 1>if you become a comp in Beverly Hills or Santa Monica,

115
00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:21.800
<v Speaker 1>the pay is even better. City council signed off on

116
00:08:21.879 --> 00:08:24.560
<v Speaker 1>the raises. And of course there are those that are

117
00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:28.639
<v Speaker 1>against cops or increasing the number of cops, and a

118
00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:31.920
<v Speaker 1>lot of that happened from the George Floyd incident in

119
00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:36.759
<v Speaker 1>the Minneapolis Police Department. Of course, murdered or officer Chauvin,

120
00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:43.080
<v Speaker 1>the previous officer Chauvin the erstwhile officer Chauvin killed George Floyd,

121
00:08:43.159 --> 00:08:45.360
<v Speaker 1>murdered him and is in jail for decades and decades.

122
00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:49.080
<v Speaker 1>All of a sudden, police were bad, bad guys, and

123
00:08:49.559 --> 00:08:55.759
<v Speaker 1>there was a move to defund even dismantle the police completely.

124
00:08:56.039 --> 00:09:00.519
<v Speaker 1>And the reason is, well, frankly, stupidity. Now, council Member

125
00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:03.000
<v Speaker 1>Nthya Rama, and have to be fair, she is not

126
00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:10.039
<v Speaker 1>calling for defunding. She is calling against the raises because

127
00:09:10.039 --> 00:09:14.360
<v Speaker 1>she was convinced they would that they wouldn't fix the

128
00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:18.360
<v Speaker 1>real problem. And what's the real problem. Well, the real

129
00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:22.240
<v Speaker 1>problem is how we deal with crime. See there's a

130
00:09:22.279 --> 00:09:27.200
<v Speaker 1>philosophy there that criminals are criminals because it's our fault,

131
00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:35.679
<v Speaker 1>it's society's fault. And so how do we deal with society? Well,

132
00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:39.120
<v Speaker 1>what we do is we need a holistic alternative response.

133
00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:44.919
<v Speaker 1>She says, hiring more cops now is distracting from the development.

134
00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:47.519
<v Speaker 1>This is a quote, by the way, hiring the fixation

135
00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:50.879
<v Speaker 1>on hiring more cops now is distracting from the development

136
00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:55.799
<v Speaker 1>and long term investment in community led programs that research

137
00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:59.759
<v Speaker 1>has shown more effective in addressing the underlying causes of crime.

138
00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:02.960
<v Speaker 1>All right, so let me ask you a question, and

139
00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:05.440
<v Speaker 1>that is, we want to cut the budget or not

140
00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:09.639
<v Speaker 1>increase the budget of the police force, per this council member,

141
00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:14.559
<v Speaker 1>And what we want to do is invest in community projects,

142
00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:19.919
<v Speaker 1>after school programs, dealing with the kids out of areas

143
00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:23.840
<v Speaker 1>that are high crime rates. You got areas that have

144
00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:28.080
<v Speaker 1>gang bangers, you got areas that don't have really good schools.

145
00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:31.600
<v Speaker 1>We're talking about minority areas that have high crime rates.

146
00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:34.559
<v Speaker 1>So let's put a pile of money into those areas

147
00:10:34.840 --> 00:10:39.919
<v Speaker 1>for community projects versus hiring a cop. Now, I am

148
00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:45.279
<v Speaker 1>guessing that a holistic approach would increase the budget of

149
00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:51.120
<v Speaker 1>these community programs by billion, well at least hundreds of

150
00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:53.799
<v Speaker 1>millions of dollars. The police department, by the way, has

151
00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:56.399
<v Speaker 1>north of a billion dollar budget. I mean, this is

152
00:10:56.559 --> 00:11:03.960
<v Speaker 1>no small way. Now, what is happening is young people

153
00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:09.519
<v Speaker 1>are not coming into the police department because well, police

154
00:11:09.559 --> 00:11:12.519
<v Speaker 1>departments are not viewed very favorably. People don't want to

155
00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:19.159
<v Speaker 1>be cops. So they're advertising on TikTok, they're doing marketing

156
00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:24.080
<v Speaker 1>and it's not working. How do you get people? Well,

157
00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:29.679
<v Speaker 1>I have some ideas of marketing. I mean, if I

158
00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:32.799
<v Speaker 1>was the marketing person marketing manager for the LAPD and

159
00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:37.360
<v Speaker 1>I was hired, I take out the billboards, big letters,

160
00:11:38.120 --> 00:11:43.240
<v Speaker 1>you get to kill people. That would get me going.

161
00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:48.600
<v Speaker 1>As a matter of fact, I want to share with

162
00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:53.159
<v Speaker 1>you a quick story. One of the chief police officers

163
00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:57.279
<v Speaker 1>years and years ago kept on inviting me to go

164
00:11:57.320 --> 00:11:59.200
<v Speaker 1>on a ride along with the police. I don't know

165
00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:01.679
<v Speaker 1>if you've ever been or know someone that's on a

166
00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:04.200
<v Speaker 1>ride a line that they let you go. And it's

167
00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.480
<v Speaker 1>the real stuff too. It's not just you buzz around

168
00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:11.519
<v Speaker 1>the city and you patrol. When the cop is called

169
00:12:11.559 --> 00:12:15.279
<v Speaker 1>and you're in the car, you're on your way, and

170
00:12:15.879 --> 00:12:19.399
<v Speaker 1>if it's a shooting, you're there and they tell you

171
00:12:19.480 --> 00:12:22.080
<v Speaker 1>get the hell out of the way and you're told

172
00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:25.399
<v Speaker 1>you're warned. And I kept on asking, or I was

173
00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:26.840
<v Speaker 1>asked a bill you want to do it? And I

174
00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:29.840
<v Speaker 1>was supposed to talk about it because ostensibly, well I

175
00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:32.320
<v Speaker 1>love the police anyways, I've always been so pro police,

176
00:12:32.679 --> 00:12:35.480
<v Speaker 1>and they know it, so I didn't need that to

177
00:12:35.559 --> 00:12:38.799
<v Speaker 1>show how great the cops were. And I kept on

178
00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:44.600
<v Speaker 1>saying and asking do I get to shoot anybody? And

179
00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:49.440
<v Speaker 1>they said no, And I replied with then why would

180
00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:53.039
<v Speaker 1>I want to go on a ride along to watch

181
00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:56.679
<v Speaker 1>you guys shoot someone. I want to do it. Can't

182
00:12:56.679 --> 00:13:02.799
<v Speaker 1>do it, damn it. So the problem is that they

183
00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:07.519
<v Speaker 1>don't have enough cops. Eighty six thousand dollars at the end.

184
00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:10.799
<v Speaker 1>And do we know what starting salary actually is for

185
00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:15.639
<v Speaker 1>the police? I think it's in It was in the

186
00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:21.639
<v Speaker 1>top forties. I think it's now fifty thousand. What is it, cono,

187
00:13:21.879 --> 00:13:25.559
<v Speaker 1>I mean you're looking it up. The story is starting

188
00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:30.519
<v Speaker 1>salary is eighty six thousand. No, that's for okay, that's

189
00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:33.799
<v Speaker 1>this story. And that's for I'm assuming cops who are

190
00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:37.279
<v Speaker 1>being transferred in from other departments who leave or as

191
00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:41.759
<v Speaker 1>I said, have military experience. That's for a trainee. Yeah,

192
00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:45.039
<v Speaker 1>I mean that's crazy, and they don't have enough. And

193
00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:47.600
<v Speaker 1>by the way, for those of you, and I'm now

194
00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:49.960
<v Speaker 1>going to pitch for the department right now, I'm going

195
00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:53.320
<v Speaker 1>to be a spokesperson for the department for those young

196
00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:58.080
<v Speaker 1>people that want to become or thinking of becoming police officers.

197
00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:05.200
<v Speaker 1>You do get to kill people, okay, you do? And

198
00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:07.000
<v Speaker 1>if that is what you want to do, and a

199
00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:14.039
<v Speaker 1>lot of us do. Hey, the LAPD is open to you. Okay,

200
00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:18.799
<v Speaker 1>we're done. Uh see, I'm telling you they should hire

201
00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:22.919
<v Speaker 1>me now. Oh so, a little bit of politics I

202
00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:26.039
<v Speaker 1>want to share with you and our new president, our

203
00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:30.279
<v Speaker 1>new old president, and that is the president, and I

204
00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:33.440
<v Speaker 1>think his heart is in the right place. Wants to

205
00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:40.240
<v Speaker 1>bring back, or not lose American auto workers. He says

206
00:14:40.519 --> 00:14:46.240
<v Speaker 1>we need American auto workers, which means American made cars

207
00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:52.360
<v Speaker 1>with American labor. Now, if he was really serious about

208
00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:55.200
<v Speaker 1>American auto workers, not that he's not, but I'll tell

209
00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:57.360
<v Speaker 1>you what would bring back auto workers. Get rid of

210
00:14:57.399 --> 00:15:01.679
<v Speaker 1>all the robotics, get rid of to chnology. You don't

211
00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:05.080
<v Speaker 1>know how many auto workers we lost when robotics came in,

212
00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:11.639
<v Speaker 1>when technology wasn't around. I mean, thousands and thousands of

213
00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:15.919
<v Speaker 1>auto workers in every plant. And those are good jobs too.

214
00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:19.519
<v Speaker 1>United auto Workers is a very strong union. So what

215
00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:23.879
<v Speaker 1>the President has done is said, we want to make

216
00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:27.399
<v Speaker 1>sure that cars are made in America by American auto workers.

217
00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:34.279
<v Speaker 1>And he is hitting both Mexico and Canada with tariffs

218
00:15:34.360 --> 00:15:37.279
<v Speaker 1>because too many cars are being brought in and if

219
00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:44.120
<v Speaker 1>terriffs are being paid for theoretically by Canada and Mexico,

220
00:15:44.120 --> 00:15:46.879
<v Speaker 1>which they're not. By the way, all tariffs are paid

221
00:15:46.919 --> 00:15:52.000
<v Speaker 1>by US. When tariffs are in actually they're hit against

222
00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:58.159
<v Speaker 1>foreign foreign manufacturers. So what the President did is he

223
00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:01.039
<v Speaker 1>has threatened a twenty five per cent tariff on all

224
00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:07.480
<v Speaker 1>imports from Canada and Mexico as soon as Saturday, arguing

225
00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:14.960
<v Speaker 1>that if cars are as expensive built by Americans as

226
00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:19.759
<v Speaker 1>built by Canadians or Mexicans or Mexico workers in Mexico,

227
00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:23.159
<v Speaker 1>then of course you'd buy American and all these autoworkers

228
00:16:23.240 --> 00:16:25.879
<v Speaker 1>would be employed and none would be let go. I

229
00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:28.399
<v Speaker 1>guess that's true in a way. I mean, all things

230
00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:31.399
<v Speaker 1>being equal, If a car costs forty five thousand dollars

231
00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:35.279
<v Speaker 1>and it's all built in America, and a car costs

232
00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:38.120
<v Speaker 1>forty five thousand dollars as built in Canada, which way

233
00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:40.279
<v Speaker 1>you're gonna go. Well, of course you're gonna go to

234
00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:45.519
<v Speaker 1>the American built car. But here's the problem. This move

235
00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:50.240
<v Speaker 1>of twenty five percent tariffs is as soon as Saturday

236
00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:54.759
<v Speaker 1>is going to hit car dealerships and factories in the

237
00:16:54.879 --> 00:17:00.480
<v Speaker 1>US virtually immediately and would add a minimum of thousands

238
00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:03.240
<v Speaker 1>of dollars to the cost of cars. And I'll explain why,

239
00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:06.680
<v Speaker 1>because it's not just the cars that are assembled in

240
00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:09.839
<v Speaker 1>the two countries and brought in ship to the United States,

241
00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:14.839
<v Speaker 1>but cars built and American auto plants. Now, how is

242
00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:18.720
<v Speaker 1>that possible if cars are built in American auto plants.

243
00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:22.680
<v Speaker 1>What's the bitch about cars that are built in Mexico

244
00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:27.160
<v Speaker 1>and Canada. We just don't buy them. Ooh guess what.

245
00:17:27.480 --> 00:17:32.200
<v Speaker 1>Even American built cars have huge amount of Canadian and

246
00:17:32.279 --> 00:17:36.880
<v Speaker 1>Mexican parts that can't be replaced very readily. I mean

247
00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:40.000
<v Speaker 1>over the course of months or years. The tariffs start

248
00:17:40.039 --> 00:17:45.319
<v Speaker 1>on Saturday. According to the President, twenty five percent. Now

249
00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:51.720
<v Speaker 1>you have to save the American auto industry because it's

250
00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:55.640
<v Speaker 1>losing workers to Mexico or Canada. And the car dealers

251
00:17:56.160 --> 00:18:01.440
<v Speaker 1>and the American manufacturers, well they get hit financial Well,

252
00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:07.240
<v Speaker 1>they are reporting record profits this year and last, making

253
00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:13.920
<v Speaker 1>money hand over fist with Canadian and Mexican cars and

254
00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:21.000
<v Speaker 1>or parts. What is absolutely clear is that the tariffs

255
00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:24.119
<v Speaker 1>are going to up end production of cars across the

256
00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:27.960
<v Speaker 1>continent and put the price of cars. I'm explaining why

257
00:18:27.960 --> 00:18:30.119
<v Speaker 1>they're going to go up so high. Put the price

258
00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:32.519
<v Speaker 1>of cars, which are already near record highs. I mean,

259
00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:34.240
<v Speaker 1>look how much you're paying for a car relative to

260
00:18:34.279 --> 00:18:36.480
<v Speaker 1>a few years ago, and it's going to be out

261
00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:39.119
<v Speaker 1>of reach for a whole lot of people. I mean,

262
00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:44.039
<v Speaker 1>cars are just insanely expensive. And this Saturday there may

263
00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:47.720
<v Speaker 1>very well be a twenty five percent tariff on all

264
00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:52.599
<v Speaker 1>imports car and car parts imports from Canada and Mexico.

265
00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:59.680
<v Speaker 1>Why because the President wants American cars sold and made

266
00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:05.960
<v Speaker 1>American auto workers employed, and not Canadian auto and Mexican

267
00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:08.920
<v Speaker 1>auto workers. So he goes, Okay, here's what we're gonna do.

268
00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:13.000
<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna make cars more expensive from Canada and Mexico,

269
00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:15.799
<v Speaker 1>and we're gonna sort of equal it out, and therefore

270
00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:20.240
<v Speaker 1>people are going to buy American made products. Here's the problem.

271
00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:25.160
<v Speaker 1>There isn't a car in the United States that is

272
00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:31.039
<v Speaker 1>made or sold, well certainly made, that at least doesn't

273
00:19:31.079 --> 00:19:37.559
<v Speaker 1>have parts that come from Mexico or Canada. The President

274
00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:41.480
<v Speaker 1>wants to save the American auto industry through tariffs, and

275
00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:45.240
<v Speaker 1>he says that it's these foreign companies are gonna pay

276
00:19:45.240 --> 00:19:49.759
<v Speaker 1>the tariffs. That's not true. It's the American factories that

277
00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:53.200
<v Speaker 1>are paying the tariffs, which means if a car goes up.

278
00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:56.359
<v Speaker 1>If a tariff goes up several thousand dollars, who do

279
00:19:56.400 --> 00:20:00.200
<v Speaker 1>you think pays for it? Of course you do, And

280
00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:02.799
<v Speaker 1>where is that cost put in on the cost of

281
00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:06.519
<v Speaker 1>the car? So what is going to happen if it's

282
00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:12.640
<v Speaker 1>this Saturday, unless we start really talking And already Canada

283
00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:15.759
<v Speaker 1>has caved in a couple of areas. We've got a

284
00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:20.880
<v Speaker 1>couple of We've got Latino countries that have caved Columbia

285
00:20:20.920 --> 00:20:24.920
<v Speaker 1>for example. But when it comes to the auto industry, man,

286
00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:28.400
<v Speaker 1>that's not an easy one to undo because every car

287
00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:32.319
<v Speaker 1>that's assembled in the United States has parts for Mexico Canada,

288
00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:35.680
<v Speaker 1>and it's going to simply cost way too much. No

289
00:20:35.799 --> 00:20:38.920
<v Speaker 1>such thing in an all American car doesn't exist. We've

290
00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:42.720
<v Speaker 1>got NAFTA, we got the USMCA trade deals, and so

291
00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:45.839
<v Speaker 1>cars and parts moved pretty freely across the border, and

292
00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:51.400
<v Speaker 1>sometimes multiple times before a car is finished. So what's

293
00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:53.440
<v Speaker 1>gonna happen with tariff? It's going to be like the

294
00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:57.519
<v Speaker 1>market during COVID limited supplies of new cars for sale.

295
00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:02.319
<v Speaker 1>If you remember the inability to bring in anything. The

296
00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:04.960
<v Speaker 1>supply chain issue came in and there was there were

297
00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:11.359
<v Speaker 1>fewer cars. The price of cars exploded, and that's what's

298
00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:14.880
<v Speaker 1>going to happen here. And automakers are going to make

299
00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:17.880
<v Speaker 1>a calculation. It's real simple, what does it cost us?

300
00:21:18.039 --> 00:21:23.680
<v Speaker 1>And we're going to charge the buyers us. And at

301
00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:29.680
<v Speaker 1>this point slow down shutdowns could come fairly quickly. Plants

302
00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:33.039
<v Speaker 1>in that operate in Mexico and Canada are going to

303
00:21:33.079 --> 00:21:38.920
<v Speaker 1>shut down a little quicker than ours because it's you

304
00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:42.079
<v Speaker 1>buy parts the way manufacturers. You buy parts that are

305
00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:45.960
<v Speaker 1>met immediately know in inventory's parts anymore. Let me give

306
00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:48.839
<v Speaker 1>you the numbers. Mexico built four million cars last year,

307
00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:54.799
<v Speaker 1>Canada built one point three million. Okay, seventy percent. Seventy

308
00:21:54.839 --> 00:21:57.799
<v Speaker 1>percent of the Canadian and Mexican assembled cars were shipped

309
00:21:57.799 --> 00:22:02.200
<v Speaker 1>the showroom in the United States. That's a lot. And

310
00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:06.119
<v Speaker 1>we're not just talking Fords in Chevrolets either. For example,

311
00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:11.160
<v Speaker 1>the Super U Outback is built in Indiana, the BMWX

312
00:22:11.240 --> 00:22:17.440
<v Speaker 1>five SUVs South Carolina, Mercedes SUVs built in Alabama, the

313
00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:22.079
<v Speaker 1>Kietelia Ride is in Georgia. Half of the ten million

314
00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:28.079
<v Speaker 1>vehicles built in American plants last year were for foreign brands,

315
00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:34.160
<v Speaker 1>and all of those cars that are quote made in

316
00:22:34.200 --> 00:22:40.079
<v Speaker 1>America are built with Mexican and Canadian parts. And it's

317
00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:43.640
<v Speaker 1>not just Mexican and Canadian parts coming in, but it

318
00:22:43.799 --> 00:22:48.880
<v Speaker 1>is also American parts going there, and tariffs are going

319
00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:54.359
<v Speaker 1>to explode the cost. So is this the way it goes? Maybe?

320
00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:58.319
<v Speaker 1>And as I said earlier in the earlier segment, if

321
00:22:58.359 --> 00:23:00.720
<v Speaker 1>you really want to save American auto workers, and I

322
00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:05.799
<v Speaker 1>mean really save jobs and increased jobs, just get rid

323
00:23:05.799 --> 00:23:10.000
<v Speaker 1>of the robotics, get rid of the technology. Before robotics

324
00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:14.200
<v Speaker 1>came in, before technology was applied to the car industry,

325
00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:21.359
<v Speaker 1>thousands and thousands of workers for each shift at auto plants.

326
00:23:22.839 --> 00:23:26.400
<v Speaker 1>So what can you do? By the way, another number,

327
00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:29.880
<v Speaker 1>thirteen point eight billion dollars worth of cars to Canada,

328
00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:35.000
<v Speaker 1>that's what we shipped twenty six billion dollars worth of parts.

329
00:23:35.799 --> 00:23:39.680
<v Speaker 1>It goes the other way also, I mean, it is

330
00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:43.119
<v Speaker 1>a god awful mess. So the major auto manufacturers were

331
00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:47.559
<v Speaker 1>asked what's going to happen didn't have a comment. Volkswagener said,

332
00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:51.559
<v Speaker 1>we're not going to comment on speculation. They have a

333
00:23:51.559 --> 00:23:54.519
<v Speaker 1>plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the largest plant in Mexico.

334
00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:59.240
<v Speaker 1>And if it production is scaled back or shipments for

335
00:23:59.359 --> 00:24:04.839
<v Speaker 1>Mexico or Canadian parts are put on hold, Well, you're

336
00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:10.880
<v Speaker 1>gonna see dealers jacking up their prices virtually immediately. So

337
00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:15.480
<v Speaker 1>you know what are you gonna do? Yeah, we're gonna

338
00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:19.119
<v Speaker 1>pay a lot more unless the President caves on those

339
00:24:20.079 --> 00:24:23.079
<v Speaker 1>tariffs because they really make no sense. There's stuff that

340
00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:26.079
<v Speaker 1>the President does that make sense, or east at least

341
00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:29.400
<v Speaker 1>has a logic to it. For example, the immigration issue,

342
00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:32.359
<v Speaker 1>there's a logic to it. There is no logic to

343
00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:36.640
<v Speaker 1>this none. It's exactly opposite of what he is going

344
00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:41.039
<v Speaker 1>to say, exactly opposite what's going to happen. And we're

345
00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:42.440
<v Speaker 1>not going to know about it until you buy a

346
00:24:42.440 --> 00:24:44.680
<v Speaker 1>car that you could have bought for forty two thousand

347
00:24:44.680 --> 00:24:46.960
<v Speaker 1>dollars and it's going to cost you forty eight thousand dollars.

348
00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:51.640
<v Speaker 1>All right, tomorrow morning, Amy, who is back? It's a

349
00:24:51.799 --> 00:24:54.920
<v Speaker 1>wake up call at five am the rest of us.

350
00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:57.200
<v Speaker 1>That's the deal at I come in at six until

351
00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:01.240
<v Speaker 1>right about now, Gary and Shannon are up. This is

352
00:25:01.400 --> 00:25:06.000
<v Speaker 1>KFI AM sixty. You've been listening to the Bill Handle Show.

353
00:25:06.119 --> 00:25:09.480
<v Speaker 1>Catch My Show Monday through Friday six am to nine am,

354
00:25:09.480 --> 00:25:12.960
<v Speaker 1>and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app