1 00:00:04,879 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: What's going on? Thank you so much for listening to 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,640 this podcast. It is heard live every day from noon 3 00:00:09,679 --> 00:00:12,519 to three on WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,719 want exclusive content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:18,719 I daily show prep with all of the links. Become 6 00:00:18,719 --> 00:00:22,359 a patron, go to dpekclendershow dot com, make sure you 7 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:24,920 hit the subscribe button. Get every episode for free right 8 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,320 to your smartphone or tablet. And again, thank you so 9 00:00:27,399 --> 00:00:28,320 much for your support. 10 00:00:29,399 --> 00:00:33,719 Speaker 2: Right now, very special guest, Donald Vandervart. I've known him 11 00:00:33,759 --> 00:00:35,240 for many years. But to give you a little bit 12 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,280 of background, here's what's fun. I always like this because 13 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:38,920 if you're talking to him, you would never know this, 14 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,320 and he would never tell you this because he's got 15 00:00:41,359 --> 00:00:43,840 a very great attitude about stuff. But he had a 16 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:47,399 bachelor's degree in chemistry from unc Unfortunately he did go 17 00:00:47,439 --> 00:00:49,359 to Chapel Hill. Then he went on to get a 18 00:00:49,439 --> 00:00:51,600 jurisd doctorate from the same play. So he becomes a 19 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,960 lawyer and actually North Carolina Central. Then gets a master's 20 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,960 degree from chemical engineering at NCSU, so he finally got 21 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,359 right in the head about that. Then picked up a 22 00:01:00,399 --> 00:01:03,600 doctorate in chemical engineering from university of Cambridge. 23 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 3: In spite of all that. Not really a nerdy guy. 24 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:06,799 Welcome to the show. How the heck are you a Donald? 25 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 4: Don Quite well, Chaed, and thank you for having me on. 26 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:13,359 Speaker 2: It's just it's just a I don't know how you 27 00:01:13,439 --> 00:01:16,400 found time, and yet somehow you're still, you know, fairly young. 28 00:01:16,599 --> 00:01:18,400 I don't know how you pulled all that off, but 29 00:01:18,519 --> 00:01:18,840 you did. 30 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:19,439 Speaker 3: Nonetheless. 31 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,719 Speaker 2: Now you also were the head of the Department of 32 00:01:22,799 --> 00:01:27,359 Environmental Quality. You were the first one to rise through 33 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,879 the ranks of that organization as an actual scientist, and 34 00:01:30,879 --> 00:01:32,719 were appointed in the Republican administration. 35 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 4: That's right, that's right, and served as a science advisor 36 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,920 to the governor and then eventually secretary under McCrory. 37 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 2: Yes, so I said all that to say to ask 38 00:01:46,599 --> 00:01:47,480 you a couple of questions. 39 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 3: You've been at the forefront. 40 00:01:48,719 --> 00:01:51,239 Speaker 2: You know, I knew you prior to that time as 41 00:01:51,239 --> 00:01:53,599 being the grand poobah, where all of a sudden you 42 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:54,840 were more difficult to get ahold of. 43 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 3: I'm kidding. You were always accessible. But what did you 44 00:01:58,359 --> 00:01:59,040 cause you saw? 45 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 2: I remember well having discussions with you were you were 46 00:02:01,599 --> 00:02:06,760 very concerned about the encroachment of using the environment as 47 00:02:06,799 --> 00:02:11,240 a way to control, minimize effect you know, businesses in 48 00:02:11,319 --> 00:02:15,280 people's rights and things of that nature. And so do 49 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,000 you still see that as problematic because I think you 50 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,280 can have both. You can protect the environment and not 51 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,919 get in the way. What did you see in your 52 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:24,199 time at DEQ. 53 00:02:25,319 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 4: Well, I mean, first of all, it's really a synergy, 54 00:02:30,039 --> 00:02:33,039 a synergistic effect. On the one hand, I don't think 55 00:02:33,759 --> 00:02:38,360 and America is blessed with having a strong economy, a 56 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:42,960 strong economic model that is free enterprise. But you know, 57 00:02:43,159 --> 00:02:46,560 I think that part of that is protecting people's health 58 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:51,360 and having a robust environmental management program. But you can't 59 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,599 have a robust environmental program without having a robust a 60 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,639 robust economy. So yeah, I think you can have both. 61 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:01,800 But it's it's you know, And one of the one 62 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:04,879 of the things I always would say at my time 63 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,479 at the d EQ was, you know, as a regulator, 64 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:10,280 the easiest thing in the world is to say, oh, 65 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,039 you got to reduce your emissions, you got to do this, 66 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,639 you got to clean this up. But you know that 67 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:19,199 isn't the job of environmental management organization. What we have 68 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:24,479 to do is is way and balance the effects of 69 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,520 regulation on the economy and to make sure that the 70 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,319 economy can sustain continued protection of the environment. So it's 71 00:03:32,319 --> 00:03:36,560 actually a pretty difficult job in that regard, and that's 72 00:03:36,719 --> 00:03:40,240 I think that's the challenge. And so in some cases, 73 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,639 like the previous Biden administration, I think what you saw 74 00:03:43,919 --> 00:03:46,479 was people just simply saying, oh, this is easy. I'll 75 00:03:46,479 --> 00:03:49,919 just tell you to stop, you know, stop a knitting, X, Y, 76 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:56,840 and Z, to the exclusion of considering the impacts. So 77 00:03:56,919 --> 00:03:59,759 I think what you're seeing in the current administration is 78 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:05,759 a is an effort to rebalance those those two very 79 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:12,159 important requirements saving saving the environment and protecting public health, 80 00:04:12,599 --> 00:04:16,639 but maintaining economy so that you can actually do that in. 81 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 3: Your time at d EQ, D E, n R. 82 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,079 Speaker 2: For those of us who will then have to remember that, 83 00:04:21,439 --> 00:04:24,000 you know, I'm sure you're well aware of the Coastal 84 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,839 Area Management Authority. You're well aware of the Federal Army 85 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,439 Corps of Engineers, and the and and then the process 86 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,160 by which you have to deal with those agencies and 87 00:04:33,319 --> 00:04:36,959 d EQ and how these mesh together in a way 88 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,720 that all of us have to kind of abide by this. 89 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:44,279 Do you see those rules as becoming better or do 90 00:04:44,319 --> 00:04:46,120 you see those rules as becoming worse, or do you 91 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:47,800 see many of them that are outdated that. 92 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 3: Need to be updated. Kind of give us your take 93 00:04:49,879 --> 00:04:52,160 on those kind of agencies. 94 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 4: And that's a great point, and I think a General 95 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:59,279 Assembly a number of years ago made a great move 96 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,120 in requiring and it sounds like a long term effect, 97 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,920 but it isn't. It actually is a pretty pretty reasonable cycle. 98 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:10,120 Every ten years, the General Assembly has required all the 99 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,800 agencies to review their rules and make sure that the 100 00:05:13,879 --> 00:05:16,040 rules are still needed. And if they are still needed, 101 00:05:16,079 --> 00:05:17,920 they're going to go through rule making and get all 102 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,480 their scrutiny and the benefits of that process. But if 103 00:05:21,519 --> 00:05:24,240 they're not, they're going to jettison them. And and prior 104 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,600 to that reg reform it was reg reform bills, actually 105 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,360 a regulatory reviews what they termed as. But prior to 106 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,639 that you would have these these ancient rules that have 107 00:05:34,759 --> 00:05:38,480 been superseded many times over by new rules, including layered 108 00:05:38,519 --> 00:05:41,399 on federal rules, and without any kind of regard to 109 00:05:41,439 --> 00:05:44,480 trying to integrate them or try to remove the redundancies. 110 00:05:44,639 --> 00:05:48,240 And so my hat's off to the legislature in that 111 00:05:48,639 --> 00:05:52,000 in that regard, because in fact we're now starting the 112 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,079 second cycle of that review, and it's going to be 113 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,079 just like it was in the first cycle. It's going 114 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,240 to be even more robust this time, and it's going 115 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:04,839 to be extremely beneficial. So yeah, that's that's absolutely a challenge. 116 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 2: How do you see the role Obviously, we've had two 117 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,439 terms of Cooper and then now we're in the first 118 00:06:10,519 --> 00:06:13,639 of Josh Stein. I think Josh Stein anyways, is a 119 00:06:14,079 --> 00:06:17,199 new Democrat relative to Cooper, who really I think hated Republicans. 120 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:19,040 It seems like Stein didn't grow up in an era 121 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,639 where he hated them. They were just the opposing party. 122 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,439 How do you see the role of Deaner moving or 123 00:06:25,439 --> 00:06:28,240 excuse me, d EQ moving forward? How do you see 124 00:06:28,759 --> 00:06:31,439 the rules? Do you see it becoming worse better? I mean, 125 00:06:31,519 --> 00:06:34,079 I know you mentioned the legislature, but there's hey, the 126 00:06:34,079 --> 00:06:35,839 executive branch is the executive branch. 127 00:06:37,879 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 4: It's probably a little early to tell on the current 128 00:06:41,399 --> 00:06:46,199 Stein administration. I think I would agree with you, Especially 129 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:51,680 in Cooper's second term, it became I think it became 130 00:06:51,879 --> 00:06:55,839 overly burdensome in his second term especially, and I think 131 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,920 you know, some indications are already in that Governor Stein 132 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:04,199 is is uh is I think a little bit more 133 00:07:04,439 --> 00:07:08,319 in tune to some of the points I made earlier, 134 00:07:08,319 --> 00:07:10,439 which is that they that that this that these are 135 00:07:10,439 --> 00:07:14,720 not these shouldn't be conflicting goals. They should they should 136 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,759 be synergistic, and so I'm cautiously optimistic. I think. I 137 00:07:18,759 --> 00:07:23,040 think probably even more important, however, is the distinction between 138 00:07:23,079 --> 00:07:25,120 the Biden because so much of what we do in 139 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:29,319 the environment is essentially implement federal programs. And I think 140 00:07:29,439 --> 00:07:32,800 the distinction between the Biden administration and the Trump administration 141 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,639 is going to be much more uh market and more 142 00:07:36,879 --> 00:07:40,800 more obvious and more needed because of some of the 143 00:07:41,079 --> 00:07:47,160 very aggressive steps that Biden took, especially towards the end 144 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:51,680 and and and that, and that will be a great 145 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:55,279 thing for the environment, but also because a lot of them, 146 00:07:55,639 --> 00:07:57,439 as I think you alluded to it, a lot of times, 147 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,279 it's just difficult to figure out what the requirement are 148 00:08:00,319 --> 00:08:05,639 because you've got so many overlapping agencies. And and I 149 00:08:05,639 --> 00:08:09,040 think that that's one of the things that the Zelden 150 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:15,160 Group is going to try to streamline and make more 151 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:16,759 productive and more efficient. 152 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,319 Speaker 2: You referred to Lee zeld In, the head of the EPA, 153 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:22,639 who has said, hey, we want to they want to 154 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,399 unleash America's energy potential. At the same time, they've got 155 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,759 millions of acres of federally protected lands, and they think 156 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,079 that these things can work in harmony. I mean, obviously 157 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,240 the the and war situation. You know, millions of acres 158 00:08:34,279 --> 00:08:37,000 up there in Alaska that people want to portray it 159 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:40,000 as almost like pristine wilderness like Montana, but it's much 160 00:08:40,039 --> 00:08:44,480 more arctic tundra. It's very different. It's very stark landscape 161 00:08:44,519 --> 00:08:47,600 than than Montana would be. Now again, we've got to 162 00:08:47,639 --> 00:08:51,279 unleash the energy potential where we're we're seeing that change. 163 00:08:52,039 --> 00:08:54,399 You know, do you ever see a time that that 164 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,279 the two sides And I spend a great deal of 165 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:58,000 the show saying it looks like the two sides are 166 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,559 moving further apart rather than in a way in harmony 167 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:03,759 to say, hey, we have some we have the same problem. 168 00:09:03,759 --> 00:09:05,039 We just need to figure out how to solve it. 169 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 3: How do you see that? 170 00:09:06,399 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 2: I mean, I'm a conservationist, so I'm looking at wildlife. 171 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:13,039 I'm a big, big advocate, but I see deer population surging. 172 00:09:13,039 --> 00:09:14,759 I don't remember seeing deer as a kid. I see 173 00:09:14,799 --> 00:09:17,519 thousands of them now. The same thing with wild boring 174 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:19,559 I mean not wild board of these feral pigs. But 175 00:09:19,639 --> 00:09:20,440 you've got wild turkey. 176 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:22,039 Speaker 3: I don't remember seeing wild turkey as a kid. 177 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 2: We've got them all over the state now I count 178 00:09:23,639 --> 00:09:26,000 them in the dozens as I'm going by and seeing flock. 179 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:30,039 So it looks like in some ways wildlife is doing 180 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,759 quite well in North Carolina. What's your take on that? 181 00:09:32,799 --> 00:09:35,159 Because I know that Wildlife Resources was not under your 182 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,480 you know your area. But what do you say to 183 00:09:38,519 --> 00:09:40,759 all this because that's where these two things intersect. 184 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 4: Well, we did have fisheries under us. 185 00:09:44,279 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 2: And you tell it, Donald, I didn't even realize that 186 00:09:47,519 --> 00:09:49,320 I was enjoying the break, So I mean the time 187 00:09:49,399 --> 00:09:50,879 so much I need to go to break. So stay 188 00:09:50,919 --> 00:09:52,600 with me because I want to continue where we are 189 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:54,600 with Donald vanderv Our, former to equ Secretary. 190 00:09:54,919 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: You know, stories are powerful. They help us make sense 191 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,759 of things, to understand experiences. Story connect us to the 192 00:10:00,799 --> 00:10:03,919 people of our past while transcending generations. They help us 193 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:07,039 process the meaning of life, and our stories are told 194 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:11,200 through images and videos. Preserve your stories with Creative Video 195 00:10:11,399 --> 00:10:14,480 started in nineteen ninety seven and Minhill, North Carolina. It 196 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:18,080 was the first company to provide this valuable service converting images, 197 00:10:18,279 --> 00:10:22,320 photos and videos into high quality produced slide shows, videos 198 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:26,000 and albums. The trusted, talented and dedicated team at Creative 199 00:10:26,039 --> 00:10:28,120 Video will go over all of the details with you 200 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:32,080 to create a perfect project. Satisfaction guaranteed. Drop them off 201 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:33,840 in person or mail them. They'll be ready in a 202 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,799 week or two. 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They are your life told 206 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,600 through the eyes of everyone around you and all who 207 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:53,879 came before you, and they will tell others to come. 208 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,360 Who you are, visit creative video dot com. 209 00:10:57,639 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 3: We'll get right to it. 210 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 2: We have a very special guest with us, and it's 211 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,519 been great to have Donald Vandervar he former head of 212 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:05,399 d EQ for the State of North Carolina, as someone 213 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:07,200 who's been in the organ had been in the organization 214 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,279 for many years prior to that, and we were talking 215 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,120 about a variety of way the way the rules really 216 00:11:13,159 --> 00:11:16,840 have made it in encumbered businesses and individuals, and the 217 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:20,000 way agencies kind of work in tandem. 218 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 3: To to make it more difficult. 219 00:11:21,759 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 2: But at the same time the legislature has authorized some 220 00:11:24,159 --> 00:11:26,399 bills to go through and look at hey, are these 221 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,159 outdated or do they know rules that are no longer germane? 222 00:11:29,279 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 3: Can we get rid of them? Now? What I was 223 00:11:31,279 --> 00:11:31,840 asking as we. 224 00:11:31,879 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 2: Went to the break and didn't realize because it's just 225 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:37,000 fun talking to Donald, is that you know when I 226 00:11:37,039 --> 00:11:39,240 look around, when any of you are driving around, especially 227 00:11:39,279 --> 00:11:41,080 at done at don and dusk, you see tons of 228 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,080 deer out there, more than ever before. You see more 229 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,360 wild Turkey than ever before. We got bare eastern and 230 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,559 western North Carolina moving toward the center part of the state, 231 00:11:48,879 --> 00:11:51,879 bald Head Island down the coast kills about you know, 232 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:54,559 five dozen deer every couple of years. 233 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:55,879 Speaker 3: Because there are so many of them, they. 234 00:11:55,799 --> 00:11:57,519 Speaker 2: Send them to the food bank after they hunt them 235 00:11:57,519 --> 00:12:01,080 at night. So, Donald, what do you happening? It looks 236 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,519 like things from an environmental everybody wants to be either 237 00:12:03,519 --> 00:12:06,840 an environmentalist or a conservationist. Everybody wants to see more wildlife. 238 00:12:06,879 --> 00:12:08,240 What's going on out there? In your opinion? 239 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 4: Well, and as I was going to say, in my time, 240 00:12:12,759 --> 00:12:15,879 we had the marine fisheries under us, and what I 241 00:12:15,919 --> 00:12:19,879 came to learn in that context is that the science 242 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:25,360 is actually pretty complicated. And so when when you a 243 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:29,879 shortage of a certain species is perceived or is measured, 244 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,279 you can take them, you can take some action. And 245 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,720 the problem is is that the action is it's not 246 00:12:35,919 --> 00:12:38,720 the science isn't really that precise, so that if you 247 00:12:38,799 --> 00:12:42,799 take an action, you're not exactly sure what's going to happen. 248 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:44,600 And it could be and I'm not saying that this 249 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:46,480 is this is the case, but it could be that, 250 00:12:46,919 --> 00:12:49,919 you know, you all of a sudden have an explosion 251 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:56,159 or an increase, a greater increase than you anticipated. And 252 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,679 so the science has to be ongoing and it has 253 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,720 to to check and say, you know, maybe we went 254 00:13:01,799 --> 00:13:04,279 too far, maybe we ought to open up the hunting 255 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,200 season a little bit longer. So all I can tell 256 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:09,080 you on that is that the science is a lot 257 00:13:09,159 --> 00:13:12,759 tougher than you might think, and it's also a lot 258 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:17,080 less accurate. So that may some of your sort of 259 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:21,440 heuristic observations may in fact be true, and they may 260 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:26,200 be true because they're trying to dial in the level 261 00:13:26,279 --> 00:13:27,320 of protection needed. 262 00:13:28,519 --> 00:13:31,919 Speaker 2: Uh yeah, and certainly that's antecdotal. Again, when I travel 263 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:33,600 up and I can you know, when I was a kid, 264 00:13:33,639 --> 00:13:35,759 I never saw wild turkey even or deer, and now 265 00:13:35,799 --> 00:13:39,759 they're everywhere. I mean where I live on Oak Island. 266 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 3: You know they're deer on the island. 267 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 2: They swim across the canal that if you try to landscape, 268 00:13:44,519 --> 00:13:48,159 they will eat everything. These are like giant squirrels without 269 00:13:48,159 --> 00:13:51,360 the fuzzy tails. So they're doing it looks like they're 270 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:54,559 doing quite well. And not just those species, but many others. 271 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:58,080 There's an awareness about wildlife that here before I hadn't 272 00:13:58,120 --> 00:13:59,480 seen when I was a kid. 273 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 3: Spending time. I'm in various parts of the state. 274 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 2: So that being said again, that's where environment and wildlife 275 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,879 and marine fisheries and all these people kind of coalesce 276 00:14:09,039 --> 00:14:12,279 because their goals should be the same. But more often 277 00:14:12,279 --> 00:14:15,679 than not, it gets expressed as egregious anti property rights. 278 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:16,360 Speaker 3: Where I live. 279 00:14:16,399 --> 00:14:18,159 Speaker 2: I can't have a fire pit where I live. I 280 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:20,200 can't put a tree in my front yard because that's 281 00:14:20,279 --> 00:14:22,240 right away where I live. I'm not allowed to put 282 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,440 an ac or a heater in my first floor, not 283 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:27,519 allowed to have controlled space there, even if it means 284 00:14:27,519 --> 00:14:29,840 stopping mold and mildew. So it looks like in my 285 00:14:29,919 --> 00:14:33,480 world at least it's very, very highly highly regulated. 286 00:14:34,279 --> 00:14:37,279 Speaker 4: Well, and I could go back to the environment generally. 287 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:42,639 When I first entered the field, I can tell you 288 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,480 that there was there was a real need to start 289 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:50,720 cleaning up our waterways, are air and some of the 290 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:59,039 landfill situations. And we've been wildly successful in cleaning our 291 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:04,200 land our sea. It's been a dramatic improvement. Now, you know, 292 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:08,039 by analogy to what I said about the fisheries, you know, 293 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:09,960 it may be and I think in some cases it 294 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,919 is the case that that you know, the organizations have 295 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,320 been sort of the victim of their own success, and 296 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:21,399 in some cases you really do need to recalibrate where 297 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:25,519 those requirements are. And I think going back the legislature's 298 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:30,279 attempt to have these rules were visited makes all the 299 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,840 sense in the world, and it's going to be a 300 00:15:32,879 --> 00:15:37,919 better situation for businesses and I think for the environment 301 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:39,759 by clarifying a lot of these and getting rid of 302 00:15:39,759 --> 00:15:42,120 some of the rules that just don't make any sense anymore. 303 00:15:43,039 --> 00:15:45,799 Speaker 2: Well, again, our guest has been Donald van Dervarr. He 304 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,919 is a former head of the North Kline Department of 305 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,879 Environmental Quality. Rose to the ranks the first scientist ever 306 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:54,720 to hold that position and appreciate Donald, appreciate your service. 307 00:15:54,759 --> 00:15:57,240 I appreciate your perspective and look forward to having you 308 00:15:57,279 --> 00:15:57,919 on in the future. 309 00:15:57,919 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 4: Okay, thanks very much, Jed, all the best. 310 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:02,879 Speaker 1: All right, if you're listening to this show, you know 311 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:04,960 I try to keep up with all sorts of current events, 312 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:07,039 and I know you do too. And you've probably heard 313 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:11,120 me say get your news from multiple sources. Why well, 314 00:16:11,159 --> 00:16:13,879 because it's how you detect media bias, which is why 315 00:16:13,919 --> 00:16:17,120 I've been so impressed with ground News. It's an app, 316 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:20,480 and it's a website, and it combines news from around 317 00:16:20,519 --> 00:16:22,960 the world in one place so you can compare coverage 318 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:25,919 and verify information. You can check it out at check 319 00:16:26,159 --> 00:16:30,399 dot ground, dot news slash pete. I put the link 320 00:16:30,399 --> 00:16:33,519 in the podcast description too. I started using ground News 321 00:16:33,559 --> 00:16:36,240 a few months ago and more recently chose to work 322 00:16:36,279 --> 00:16:38,320 with them as an affiliate because it lets me see 323 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:42,200 clearly how stories get covered and by whom. The blind 324 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:45,000 spot feature shows you which stories get ignored by the 325 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,799 left and the right. See for yourself check dot ground, 326 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,679 dot news slash pete. Subscribe through that link and you'll 327 00:16:52,679 --> 00:16:55,879 get fifteen percent off any subscription. I use the vantage 328 00:16:55,879 --> 00:16:59,360 plan to get unlimited access to every feature your subscription 329 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,159 then not only helps my podcast, but it also supports 330 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,480 ground news as they make the media landscape more transparent. 331 00:17:05,799 --> 00:17:08,839 Speaker 2: There's many great things about talk radio and sitting behind 332 00:17:08,839 --> 00:17:09,400 a microphone. 333 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:11,599 Speaker 3: If you if that's something you love to do. I do. 334 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:15,400 Speaker 2: I love it because I have multiple attention span challenges 335 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:17,599 that I love because I'm going from one subject to another. 336 00:17:17,759 --> 00:17:20,319 But the other is, you know, Rich Jenny used to say, 337 00:17:20,319 --> 00:17:21,920 what was great about being a stand up comic is 338 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:23,759 that you walk out on stage and people just start 339 00:17:23,799 --> 00:17:25,519 clapping even though you've done nothing. 340 00:17:25,519 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 3: They're just you're there. They appreciate you being there. 341 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 2: This isn't a side This is inside stuff. When you're 342 00:17:31,039 --> 00:17:33,200 in talk radio and the microphones you know, in the 343 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,599 break are dead, and then you know they'll. 344 00:17:36,279 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 3: Come back and they'll say you're hot. 345 00:17:38,079 --> 00:17:40,759 Speaker 2: That's just like the ultimate compliment, right, I appreciate that 346 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,480 they're just the microphones are on. It's just funny. You 347 00:17:43,519 --> 00:17:44,559 won't find a humor in that. 348 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 3: I do. 349 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,680 Speaker 2: Now, a couple of things that have happened that I 350 00:17:47,759 --> 00:17:50,559 that I haven't brought to your attention. The US inflation 351 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:55,480 index has reportedly dropped to one point sixty six percent, 352 00:17:55,799 --> 00:17:59,599 far lower than the experts predicted yet again, and that. 353 00:17:59,599 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 3: Is the is huge. That that is a massive drop. 354 00:18:02,759 --> 00:18:06,079 Speaker 2: It's it's lower than percented, it's a it's actually dropped 355 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:09,119 over half a percentage point just in the last nine days. 356 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:15,279 This would be an unavoidable situation that the Fed, based 357 00:18:15,319 --> 00:18:17,880 on their own numbers, would have to drop interest rates 358 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:21,480 all of their predictions in the spring about inflation and 359 00:18:21,559 --> 00:18:23,920 the tariffs and it being detrimental to the economy. This 360 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:28,480 is just wrong, completely wrongheaded looking at things. They've missed 361 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:32,359 the boat a thousand ways, and they're gonna have no choice. 362 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:35,440 If they don't, then they will be seen as completely 363 00:18:35,519 --> 00:18:39,519 an overtly political because this is great story for the US, 364 00:18:39,599 --> 00:18:41,480 This is great story for the economy. This is just 365 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,160 a great story. It's a great positive story. It's a 366 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:51,400 notable decline. This, this will this will absolutely drive conversations 367 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,039 about the drop. I mean, I'm sure the experts who 368 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,640 this is this. The alarming thing to me about it 369 00:18:57,680 --> 00:18:59,680 is that the that there are experts that are going 370 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:03,880 to be up said about this. Experts should be excited. 371 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:08,200 I don't care what your political if if if you're 372 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,519 in this country and things are going well. You should 373 00:19:10,519 --> 00:19:13,000 be happy about that. But which kind of takes me 374 00:19:13,039 --> 00:19:14,519 all the way back to the beginning of the show 375 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,640 is that we find ourselves in a world where good 376 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:20,000 news is seen as bad news, and it should be 377 00:19:20,079 --> 00:19:22,400 good news, regardless of who's in office. It should be 378 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,319 if this is good, this is good for the American family. 379 00:19:24,319 --> 00:19:27,319 It's led mainly because food prices have dropped so much. 380 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,119 This is this is going to So when you when 381 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,839 you look at this in the abstract, when you when 382 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,680 you look at and I can give you an example 383 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:41,440 of what I'm talking about in pretty clear terms, if 384 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,039 you were to go to real clear markets or real 385 00:19:44,079 --> 00:19:46,599 clear politics, or heck, let me just pull a random 386 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:52,079 up real clear health. What what seems to drive print 387 00:19:52,599 --> 00:19:59,640 media even online media is this this hyper partisan look 388 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,720 at my news is good or my news is bad 389 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:07,480 because your guy or your gal are wacka doo's and 390 00:20:07,839 --> 00:20:10,519 especially here, so I'm looking at so the Epic Times, 391 00:20:10,519 --> 00:20:13,839 which tends to right how Trump's megabill would change medicaid, 392 00:20:14,279 --> 00:20:16,599 and then the New Republic is like their headline is. 393 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 3: The undeserving poor deserve Medicaid. 394 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 2: And then the next one is kind of a right lanning. 395 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:26,720 It says Medicaid work requirements. Democrats want to infantilize the poor, 396 00:20:27,559 --> 00:20:30,079 and that's an allusion to the fact that many Democrats 397 00:20:30,319 --> 00:20:33,720 almost see the government is a cradle to grave, not 398 00:20:33,839 --> 00:20:37,400 a hand, a hand helping you up, but just a 399 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:41,400 hand out. The next word, Christopher Jacobs at the Federal 400 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,279 it's kind of right Lanning. Experts and advocates lied about Medicaid. 401 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,359 That's just on real clear health. If you were looking 402 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:51,480 at real clear markets, it's you know, the sheer human brutality. 403 00:20:51,599 --> 00:20:54,000 The New York Times, Laurence Summers over the New York 404 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,599 Sizys the brutality of the big beautiful bill. 405 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 3: Here's the reality. 406 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,079 Speaker 2: It's not brutal. It's not going to be brutal. And 407 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,319 the way it's implemented. If it were brutal, it would 408 00:21:02,319 --> 00:21:04,119 be stopped, it would be changed, it would be altered. 409 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:05,039 Speaker 3: It's not brutal. 410 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,559 Speaker 2: The static way of looking if I lower taxes, oh, 411 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:10,480 we're not going to get any more money, and it's 412 00:21:10,519 --> 00:21:13,680 gonna just kill the income revenue for the government. No, 413 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,559 because reducing people's taxes means that they will do other 414 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:20,920 things with their money. It's the general premise that people 415 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:23,440 know what to do best with their own money, and 416 00:21:23,559 --> 00:21:28,680 in so doing create economic activity. It's a beautiful thing, 417 00:21:28,799 --> 00:21:32,839 which leads to more economic activity, which leads to more revenues. 418 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:34,880 And almost every time in history where taxes have gone down, 419 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:40,279 revenues have surged. Is there still a tax on SoC security? 420 00:21:40,279 --> 00:21:42,839 In Trump's bill? Where's the US economy heading? It's all 421 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:46,400 about earnings, Powell's odd case for abundant reserves. These are 422 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:50,920 all headlines. So the more we move down this track, 423 00:21:51,079 --> 00:21:56,759 the more people want to make things complicated, and the 424 00:21:56,839 --> 00:22:00,960 more you can make things complicated, the more confused things 425 00:22:01,079 --> 00:22:04,680 can seem that are very complex. So the goal of 426 00:22:04,799 --> 00:22:06,720 many and media on the right in left. Hey, look, 427 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:08,680 I'm a conservative. I challenge that belief every day. I've 428 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:10,559 been a conservative since I had to register for selective 429 00:22:10,559 --> 00:22:15,599 service under Reagan. I absolutely, steadfastly believe in a limited 430 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,279 role of government. I'd like to see it contracted massively. 431 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:20,559 I believe the states can do better left to their 432 00:22:20,559 --> 00:22:22,759 own devices, than the federal government ever can do. And 433 00:22:22,839 --> 00:22:24,799 I can look at the Great Society and see it's 434 00:22:24,799 --> 00:22:28,000 been an abject failure. It just has It's a b 435 00:22:28,079 --> 00:22:32,680 a month it's over overstaffed, underperforming, full of waste, fraud, abuse, 436 00:22:32,759 --> 00:22:35,759 and I absolutely want to see DOGE cuts. I want 437 00:22:35,799 --> 00:22:38,119 to see cuts, not just cuts in the rate of growth, 438 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:38,839 but actual cuts. 439 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 4: That's me. 440 00:22:40,599 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 2: But these issues, the more complex they become, the more 441 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,440 there is an attempt to overly simplify them and get 442 00:22:48,519 --> 00:22:53,240 you angry about them. They don't need to be overly complicated. 443 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:55,480 People make them that way, and then they use that 444 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:59,359 complexity to get you angry. The Inflation Reduction Act, it 445 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:03,559 didn't reduce it inflation, it just didn't. The Affordable Care Act, 446 00:23:03,799 --> 00:23:06,359 it was a multi The bill was so large Pelosi 447 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:07,640 had to say you had to pass it and find 448 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:09,599 out what's in it. There was nothing about it that 449 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,880 made things more affordable. So the big beautiful bill, at 450 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:14,599 least it's got a name. That's not going to tell you. 451 00:23:14,839 --> 00:23:17,519 But I think it's going to be a lot of it, 452 00:23:17,599 --> 00:23:19,400 and there'll be a reconciliation bill in the fall. There'll 453 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,480 be one in the spring, modifying, making it better. 454 00:23:21,799 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 1: Here's a great idea. How about making an escape to 455 00:23:24,519 --> 00:23:28,000 a really special and secluded getaway in western North Carolina. 456 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:30,279 Just a quick drive up the mountain and Cabins of 457 00:23:30,319 --> 00:23:34,640 Asheville is your connection. 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It's the perfect balance of seclusion and 467 00:24:01,839 --> 00:24:06,000 proximity to all the local attractions with hot tubs, fireplaces, 468 00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:10,279 air conditioning, smart TVs, Wi Fi, grills, outdoor tables and 469 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:14,640 your own private covered porch. Choose from thirteen cabins, six cottages, 470 00:24:14,799 --> 00:24:18,680 two villas, and a great lodge with eleven king sized bedrooms. 471 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,039 Cabins of Ashville has the ideal spot for you for 472 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,960 any occasion, and they have pet friendly accommodations. Call her 473 00:24:26,039 --> 00:24:29,319 text eight two eight, three, six, seven seventy sixty eight 474 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:31,759 or check out all there is to offer at cabins 475 00:24:31,799 --> 00:24:35,319 Offashville dot com and make memories that'll last a lifetime. 476 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,160 Speaker 2: Appreciate you call it. I appreciate you waiting and appreciate 477 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:38,519 your calling. 478 00:24:38,559 --> 00:24:43,279 Speaker 3: Brian, Welcome to the show. What's on your Brain Today? Uh? 479 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:47,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, I was asking the gentlemen, how are the like 480 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,720 common person? And I say, I make twenty thousan an hour, 481 00:24:49,839 --> 00:24:53,359 work forty hours a week. How is the big beautiful, 482 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:57,440 beautiful bill say to me on taxes? 483 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:01,079 Speaker 3: So are you are you married? Are are you married 484 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:02,039 or are you single? 485 00:25:03,599 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 2: Well? 486 00:25:03,799 --> 00:25:04,519 Speaker 5: No, I'm married. 487 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,200 Speaker 2: Okay, So your deduction goes up fifteen hundred dollars right there. 488 00:25:08,759 --> 00:25:10,440 So the amount of money you'd get. 489 00:25:11,759 --> 00:25:12,799 Speaker 5: What what do you mean deduction? 490 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:16,519 Speaker 2: That means the standard deduction that's used by ninety percent 491 00:25:16,559 --> 00:25:19,359 of taxpayers who file goes up fifteen hundred. That's that's 492 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:21,200 fifteen hundred dollars more that you don't have to pay 493 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:21,720 taxes on. 494 00:25:22,599 --> 00:25:23,400 Speaker 3: That's that's okay. 495 00:25:23,519 --> 00:25:28,480 Speaker 5: So the so okay, say I made forty thousand dollars 496 00:25:28,519 --> 00:25:31,640 a year, so they take they reduced that fifteen hundred 497 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,000 dollars and I pay taxes on on that amount. 498 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:36,799 Speaker 2: So whatever the standard deduction I don't have it right 499 00:25:36,799 --> 00:25:38,359 in front of me, but I know that yours, whatever 500 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:42,160 your standard deduction is now increases by another fifteen hundred dollars, 501 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,519 this shielded from taxes, and then coming on what rate, 502 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,200 depending on what rate you and your wife fall under, 503 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:51,359 probably in the twelve to fifteen I mean twelve percent, 504 00:25:51,599 --> 00:25:54,160 so they were getting ready to expire, and your new 505 00:25:54,279 --> 00:25:56,680 rates would have been fifteen percent in the lower brackets, 506 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:59,559 twenty five percent, twenty those all get to be made 507 00:25:59,599 --> 00:26:02,480 permanent that at twelve percent instead of fifteen percent for 508 00:26:02,599 --> 00:26:05,480 that level, twenty two percent instead of twenty five percent, 509 00:26:05,759 --> 00:26:07,960 twenty four percent instead of twenty eight percent. So on 510 00:26:08,079 --> 00:26:10,119 the money that you do have to pay taxes on, 511 00:26:10,599 --> 00:26:12,359 the rates are going to be lower than they would 512 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:12,599 have been. 513 00:26:13,759 --> 00:26:17,119 Speaker 5: Okay, So so get like, give, give, give us give 514 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:19,960 an example of a dollar amount. How much would I 515 00:26:20,039 --> 00:26:20,519 be saving? 516 00:26:21,279 --> 00:26:24,039 Speaker 2: So if you if you had taxable income of let's 517 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:26,119 just say thirty two thousand, and then you had a 518 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:28,640 standard deduction, I can't remember, it is twelve thousand, five hundred, 519 00:26:28,799 --> 00:26:30,960 then you would subtract that off the thirty two thousand, 520 00:26:31,039 --> 00:26:33,079 so you would be paying tax on twenty nine thousand 521 00:26:33,079 --> 00:26:35,000 and five. Now that goes down to you'd only be 522 00:26:35,079 --> 00:26:38,359 paying taxes on twenty five hundred or twenty eight hundred, 523 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:40,680 twenty eight thousand dollars sorry, and then depending on that, 524 00:26:40,799 --> 00:26:43,279 I think the bracket would be around twelve percent instead 525 00:26:43,279 --> 00:26:45,759 of it going to fifteen percent, you'd be paying twelve 526 00:26:45,799 --> 00:26:47,759 so you make another three percent that you get to 527 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:51,400 keep in your pocket. Those are just two other things. Now, 528 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:54,039 if you're in if you're making tips, if you're doing 529 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:56,559 that kind of stuff, then twenty five thousand dollars of 530 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,519 that is shielded from any kind of taxation, so you 531 00:26:59,559 --> 00:27:01,599 don't pay taxes on that. Also, if you have a 532 00:27:02,279 --> 00:27:06,000 passenger vehicle loan, then you get a deduction of up 533 00:27:06,079 --> 00:27:10,119 to ten thousand dollars on that, so you getta you 534 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:12,920 get to take that off as well. So there's just 535 00:27:13,079 --> 00:27:14,519 even SUVs and minivans. 536 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 3: So if you have a family and you're. 537 00:27:15,799 --> 00:27:19,519 Speaker 5: Trying to get it's not really affecting my takeco pay though, 538 00:27:19,559 --> 00:27:21,960 it's not. That's just something when I'm fouling. That's not 539 00:27:22,039 --> 00:27:22,960 really no no no no no no. 540 00:27:23,079 --> 00:27:24,640 Speaker 2: Well yeah, when you find but you get your deduction, 541 00:27:24,799 --> 00:27:26,519 so you get to keep more of what you earn. 542 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:29,160 So yeah, you could if you depending on how you 543 00:27:29,599 --> 00:27:31,759 how you what you have taken out of your paycheck, Yeah, 544 00:27:31,799 --> 00:27:33,359 you could, you could have it. You could lower you 545 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:35,559 could keep more of your paycheck so that when you file, 546 00:27:35,759 --> 00:27:38,400 you you pay less, I mean you pay less all off. 547 00:27:40,319 --> 00:27:43,440 Speaker 5: Okay, all right, I appreciate that. Thank you so much. 548 00:27:44,039 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 2: Oh well, I appreciate your calling. So, uh, there's addition, 549 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:49,680 so older citizens get something out. There's a six thousand 550 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:53,480 dollars bonus deduction, uh for so Security. That's kind of 551 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:55,799 that's gonna shield a lot of older folks that are 552 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:57,319 you know, you're you're getting to. 553 00:27:57,319 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 3: Take that out. 554 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:01,319 Speaker 2: That's just taxes and social Security. Understood, you paid taxes 555 00:28:01,319 --> 00:28:03,759 when you earn the money, and then when you're getting 556 00:28:03,759 --> 00:28:06,079 the money that you put into that back and remember 557 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:07,359 your company has to match that. 558 00:28:07,839 --> 00:28:09,799 Speaker 3: So when you get that money back, you're having. 559 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:12,079 Speaker 2: To pay taxes on it. And I've never understood that, 560 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:16,119 but hopefully, look, I'm not gonna this is a step 561 00:28:16,319 --> 00:28:17,119 in the process. 562 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:19,039 Speaker 3: This is not the end all. 563 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:22,559 Speaker 2: But those what people forget is had this not passed, 564 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:27,079 all of the Trump tax deductions or tax cuts would 565 00:28:27,079 --> 00:28:29,599 have been expired and we would have seen one of 566 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:32,440 the largest tax increases in history. There would have gone back. 567 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,240 It would have been a huge tax increase on where 568 00:28:35,319 --> 00:28:38,559 we found ourselves. So I appreciate the call it's not magic, 569 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:42,480 but I completely get is this again what he called 570 00:28:42,559 --> 00:28:45,240 in And what I appreciate is it's complicated sounds it 571 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:48,759 shouldn't be that complicated. And what I'm hoping as it 572 00:28:48,839 --> 00:28:51,920 gets done and finalized and that they'll be kind of 573 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,920 a cheat sheet. For lack of a better word, here's 574 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:56,960 what it means to you, because because right now people 575 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,319 are screaming, the people that are propagandizing the bill are saying, 576 00:29:00,359 --> 00:29:01,680 look it does all these great things. Look at the 577 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:03,480 greatest things in slice bread. Oh my gosh, I can't 578 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,240 believe we ever lived without it. And the people who 579 00:29:05,319 --> 00:29:07,839 hate it like, oh my god, it's the end. It's dooming, gloom, armygeddness, 580 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:09,880 It's time for megido and everything that's going to happen. 581 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:11,440 The world is over, the Son's going to explode, and 582 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:13,839 title ways are gonna be everywhere. That's the kind of 583 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,240 rhetoric we see. And the truth of the matter is 584 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:18,160 it is good for you. 585 00:29:18,599 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 3: I mean for almost everyone. It's not a it's not 586 00:29:22,039 --> 00:29:22,920 a for the rich. 587 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,759 Speaker 2: It's for the common man and woman that's out there 588 00:29:25,839 --> 00:29:28,960 making ends meet. You're making if you're relying on tips, 589 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:29,880 it's going to be better for you. 590 00:29:30,319 --> 00:29:32,839 Speaker 3: But it's not the end all for everything. It's certainly not. 591 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:35,960 Speaker 2: By the way, calls always come first. I was going 592 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,960 to get to one, by the way, about this war 593 00:29:39,039 --> 00:29:40,960 on motherhood. I've tried to get to it for two days. 594 00:29:41,039 --> 00:29:42,599 I'm not going to get to it in this in 595 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,160 this last segment, but I do want to get to it. 596 00:29:45,559 --> 00:29:49,039 I do hope that at some point, you know, we 597 00:29:49,119 --> 00:29:51,200 already have, like I said, that gentleman to call before 598 00:29:51,279 --> 00:29:52,880 he's married, so his standard. 599 00:29:52,519 --> 00:29:53,839 Speaker 3: Deduction will go up more. 600 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 2: I do hope that we reach a point in society 601 00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:02,119 where the value of a of being a couple is 602 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:07,079 more roundly made heroic. I mean, the enterprise, just like 603 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:09,519 being an entrepreneur has a great. 604 00:30:09,359 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 3: Deal of value to society. 605 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,359 Speaker 2: We are a society of innovators, we are society of entrepreneurs. 606 00:30:13,759 --> 00:30:17,200 I do hope we will value relationships more because I 607 00:30:17,319 --> 00:30:20,440 think that's that's one of the side effects of this 608 00:30:20,799 --> 00:30:26,119 fully independent, self realized kind of it's kind of a 609 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,480 societal narcissism. That we just don't need people in our 610 00:30:29,559 --> 00:30:33,400 lives as much anymore. I am eternally hopeful that we 611 00:30:33,599 --> 00:30:36,920 reach a point where being with someone that the value 612 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,880 of that is more recognized, that having kids is valued 613 00:30:41,279 --> 00:30:43,440 more than it is. We've seen a massive decline the 614 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:46,880 average American you know, woman is having fewer and fewer 615 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:49,759 and fewer kids. We're not even at replacement anymore. We're 616 00:30:49,799 --> 00:30:51,880 like at one point six and people being told don't 617 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:53,640 have kids, it's bad for the environment, don't have kids, 618 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:58,200 they're expensive. Divorces are you know, now seen as kind 619 00:30:58,200 --> 00:30:59,480 of a ride of passage from many. 620 00:30:59,799 --> 00:31:01,160 Speaker 3: So we'll see if that changes. 621 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:04,960 Speaker 1: All right, that'll do it for this episode. Thank you 622 00:31:05,119 --> 00:31:07,079 so much for listening. I could not do the show 623 00:31:07,119 --> 00:31:09,599 without your support and the support of the businesses that 624 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,799 advertise on the podcast, so if you'd like, please support 625 00:31:12,839 --> 00:31:14,480 them too and tell them you heard it here. You 626 00:31:14,519 --> 00:31:17,119 can also become a patron at my Patreon page or 627 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,839 go to dpetecleanershow dot com. Again, thank you so much 628 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:23,359 for listening, and don't break anything while I'm gone.