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 --> 00:00:12,480 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 --> 00:00:19,239 my daily show prep with all the links, become a patron, 6 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,640 go to dpeteclendershow dot com. Make sure you hit the 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,160 subscribe button. Get every episode for free right to your 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,719 smartphone or tablet. And again, thank you so much for 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,640 your support. All right, let us turn our gaze to 10 00:00:32,359 --> 00:00:39,840 the west, San Francisco. The Wall Street Journal with their 11 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:47,679 latest dispatch from the dystopian Bay area. Apparently they have 12 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:56,200 cracked the code now on combating homelessness. I know, I 13 00:00:56,399 --> 00:01:00,600 was just as surprised as you because I I remember 14 00:01:00,759 --> 00:01:04,400 when like dating myself here obviously, but I'm old enough 15 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,840 to remember when it was a national scandal that somebody 16 00:01:07,879 --> 00:01:11,280 had developed an app to track all of the human 17 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:17,079 feces on the sidewalks in San Francisco. But apparently now 18 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:21,439 they've really turned a corner here. The paper recently observed 19 00:01:21,519 --> 00:01:25,519 that since a twenty twenty four Supreme Court decision provided 20 00:01:25,519 --> 00:01:29,319 cities with quote more power to penalize people for sleeping outside. 21 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,519 San Francisco has been among the most aggressive in wielding 22 00:01:33,799 --> 00:01:38,319 this new power. It's a brand new power. People they yeah, 23 00:01:38,359 --> 00:01:40,480 they got the power, and they were like, man, this 24 00:01:40,519 --> 00:01:42,400 is the reason why we haven't been able to do 25 00:01:42,439 --> 00:01:47,159 anything about this crazy homeless problem that we've got. In 26 00:01:47,239 --> 00:01:51,079 the years since the city has arrested more than one 27 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:57,680 thousand people on illegal lodging charges. That is more than 28 00:01:57,719 --> 00:02:00,840 ten times the number of similar arrests that the city 29 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,480 made in the year that preceded the court's ruling. And 30 00:02:04,519 --> 00:02:07,200 that may sound like a lot, but Noah Rothman, a 31 00:02:07,319 --> 00:02:10,000 National Review, points out that when you're starting from a 32 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,680 baseline that approaches zero, everything is pretty relative there. Okay, 33 00:02:14,719 --> 00:02:17,520 so like, yes, it's a very large increase, but that's 34 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,800 because you weren't really doing anything for a very long 35 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,000 period before that. At one point last year, San Francisco 36 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,120 counted a staggering And I don't know if that, like 37 00:02:26,159 --> 00:02:28,479 the number is staggering or if he's talking about the 38 00:02:28,479 --> 00:02:33,080 individuals staggering around. I'm not sure, but eighty three hundred 39 00:02:33,439 --> 00:02:37,360 homeless in one night. That was a one night count 40 00:02:37,479 --> 00:02:44,000 in San Francisco. Eighty three hundred. That population vastly exceeds 41 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:53,120 the city's shelter capacity. City officials, and even the tone 42 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,639 of the Wall Street Journal's story make it sound like 43 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,919 San Francisco's hands were just tied before the Supreme Court 44 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:07,599 cast off these shackles. However, when you look at the data, 45 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:12,280 if you look at the statistics, and he provides a 46 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,199 very helpful graph, and I will endeavor to describe it 47 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:20,400 to you. It is you got a line across the bottom, 48 00:03:20,439 --> 00:03:22,599 a horizontal line across the bottom, and those are the 49 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:28,599 years going back to twenty eighteen right through twenty twenty five, okay. 50 00:03:29,159 --> 00:03:34,120 And then on the left side, going up vertically is 51 00:03:34,199 --> 00:03:41,199 the number of illegal lodging citations and arrests per month. Okay. 52 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,080 And then there's like and then you got a bar graph, 53 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:46,919 the little chart with bar charts and stuff. Right, there's 54 00:03:46,919 --> 00:03:52,080 a little vertical rising bars. So when you look at 55 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:57,120 the left side of the chart, in twenty eighteen through 56 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:03,800 twenty twenty, you see, I don't know, you're going somewhere 57 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:09,039 like anywhere from twenty to fifty of these citations or 58 00:04:09,159 --> 00:04:14,240 arrests per month. And then right around say the first 59 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:20,560 quarter of twenty twenty, the number goes to zero. It's 60 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,600 like there, and then there is nothing else. There's like 61 00:04:24,639 --> 00:04:27,560 a blip here, there's like one arrest, one citation here 62 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,959 or there on a monthly basis, basically for the let's 63 00:04:31,959 --> 00:04:37,279 say one, two, three, four years. Yeah, so for four 64 00:04:37,399 --> 00:04:42,720 years from twenty twenty through twenty twenty four, there's like nothing, 65 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:49,399 and then after twenty twenty four you start seeing or 66 00:04:49,399 --> 00:04:52,240 at the beginning of twenty four you start seeing an increase. 67 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,600 Now it starts going up to about ten fifteen twenty 68 00:04:55,639 --> 00:04:59,439 a month, and then halfway through the year it jumps 69 00:04:59,639 --> 00:05:03,319 to more more than sixty, goes to over one hundred, 70 00:05:03,439 --> 00:05:07,160 then one hundred twenty. So you got a chart if 71 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,079 you're just like stepping back and looking at it, you're 72 00:05:09,079 --> 00:05:11,680 looking at a bar chart. On the left side, it's 73 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,040 a little bit lower, it's like some spikes here and there, 74 00:05:14,319 --> 00:05:17,000 and then in the middle it's like this vast wasteland 75 00:05:17,079 --> 00:05:20,079 of nothing, no activity. And then in the last year 76 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,480 it's like almost off the chart. Okay, all the bars 77 00:05:23,519 --> 00:05:24,800 go all the way to the top of the chart. 78 00:05:25,639 --> 00:05:32,160 So what does that indicate? Something happened? Because they were 79 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:36,199 doing some stuff. They were issuing some citations, right, they 80 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:40,160 were making some arrests from twenty eighteen to twenty twenty. 81 00:05:40,199 --> 00:05:46,759 But then something occurred in twenty twenty. What one might 82 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:52,480 that have been? Could it have been the COVID pandemic? 83 00:05:56,199 --> 00:06:01,759 Could it have been the martyrdom of Saint George Floyd. 84 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,399 What Rothman points out is that it indicates something happened 85 00:06:05,439 --> 00:06:08,160 in the spring of twenty twenty which compelled San Francisco 86 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:13,319 to stop following the law. Then lo, this policy was 87 00:06:13,399 --> 00:06:16,480 slowly abandoned at the outset of a presidential election year, 88 00:06:16,519 --> 00:06:21,240 more than six months prior to the court's ruling. Right, 89 00:06:21,319 --> 00:06:25,839 so twenty twenty they stopped enforcing the law, but then 90 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,519 six months before the election in twenty four you start 91 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,920 seeing enforcement of the law again. What happened, well, what 92 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:39,199 happened like in San Francisco. Like every dark blue municipality 93 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:43,959 in twenty twenty, San Francisco succumbed to a fatish progressive 94 00:06:44,079 --> 00:06:48,360 hostility to law enforcement. City officials proceeded from the presumption 95 00:06:48,639 --> 00:06:52,360 that police in quality of life crimes amounted to oppression, 96 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:57,639 and they just stopped doing it. Rothman goes on to 97 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:02,639 note in this piece at the National Review, you got 98 00:07:02,639 --> 00:07:07,560 two paradigms. The notion The first is that the notion 99 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:15,920 that proactive policing is itself oppressive, and that vagrancy is 100 00:07:15,959 --> 00:07:21,279 a condition that is imposed on the homeless. These two paradigms, 101 00:07:22,839 --> 00:07:30,839 policing is oppressive and vagrancy is imposed, not chosen freely, right, 102 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,439 and therefore that it's a status that should render its 103 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:39,120 sufferers immune from prosecution. So these two ideas put San 104 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,120 Francisco in the position that it faced, and the Supreme 105 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,839 Court did not rescue San Franciscans from their unfortunate lot. 106 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,160 It was plain old politics. Actually, that led to a backlash, 107 00:07:50,639 --> 00:07:55,040 convincing former Mayor London Breed to abandon the lacks policies 108 00:07:55,079 --> 00:08:02,279 over which she presided. That political evolution culminated in a 109 00:08:02,399 --> 00:08:07,240 new mayor being elected, Daniel Lurie, who ran for office 110 00:08:07,839 --> 00:08:13,560 on a platform that committed him to a crackdown on homelessness. 111 00:08:14,319 --> 00:08:18,040 What do I keep saying? These things are a choice, people. 112 00:08:18,879 --> 00:08:21,639 This stuff is a choice, whether it's crime, whether it's 113 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,920 letting criminals out of jail, giving them no cash bail, 114 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:27,079 or give them the cash bail and no bonds, and 115 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,920 all this like homelessness, how you respond to it? These 116 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:36,440 are all choices. San Francisco's elected leaders should actually be 117 00:08:36,519 --> 00:08:41,240 taking some pride in their success here. They should not 118 00:08:41,279 --> 00:08:47,720 be allowed to blame their belated assumption of civic responsibilities 119 00:08:47,799 --> 00:08:50,360 on the Supreme Court or any other outside force. Right, 120 00:08:51,159 --> 00:08:53,399 the city is at long last seeing to the interests 121 00:08:53,399 --> 00:08:56,879 of its tax paying residents, and they deserve credit for that, 122 00:08:57,399 --> 00:08:59,159 even if they would like you to think that they 123 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:03,399 don't deserve credit for that. They're claiming, oh, it was 124 00:09:03,639 --> 00:09:07,159 the Supreme Court ruling that caused all this. It was 125 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:10,679 not you guys were able to issue these citations and 126 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:15,639 make arrest but you refused. It was only in the 127 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,360 run up to an election, and then a new mayor 128 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,600 who ran on a platform of cleaning up the homelessness, 129 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,919 who won, and now he's cleaning up homelessness. It is 130 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:27,240 a choice, all right. So you've heard me talk about 131 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,720 Creative Video for almost a year. But did you know 132 00:09:29,799 --> 00:09:33,039 they also offer a game changing app for businesses that 133 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:36,240 reward their teams with incentive trips. Well they do. It's 134 00:09:36,279 --> 00:09:38,919 called Incentive Trip Kit. If you want a business or 135 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:41,840 work at one that offers these incentive trips, this is 136 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,960 a must have. It maximizes the impact and value of 137 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,360 these motivational trips. It's a super easy to use app 138 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:52,159 built just for your group, with private messaging, shared photos, 139 00:09:52,279 --> 00:09:55,960 important trip documents, even a find the group locator just 140 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,639 in case somebody gets separated. And when I say it's private, 141 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:02,120 I mean it. No personal email, no phone numbers, no ads, 142 00:10:02,279 --> 00:10:05,559 no account sign ups. Everyone uses one shared login, so 143 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,639 it's super easy, no hassles. During the trip, everybody can 144 00:10:08,639 --> 00:10:11,279 post their best photos and short video clips, and folks 145 00:10:11,279 --> 00:10:13,320 back at the office can even follow along. And then 146 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,559 after the trip, incentive trip Kit turns those memories into 147 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:20,200 a professional storytelling video you can use to motivate, inspire, 148 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,200 and get people fired up for next year's trip. More fun, 149 00:10:23,399 --> 00:10:26,960 more memories, more ROI check it out now at incentive 150 00:10:27,039 --> 00:10:30,159 tripkit dot com or call Eric at eight eight eight 151 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,399 five three three seventy six thirty seven Extension two O 152 00:10:33,519 --> 00:10:37,559 seven for the details. Here's another story from San Francico, 153 00:10:38,279 --> 00:10:41,559 John Sexton writing at howdair dot com, quoting a piece 154 00:10:41,879 --> 00:10:47,039 from the San Francisco Chronicle at Times that last week 155 00:10:47,519 --> 00:10:52,480 San Francisco Center, which is the city's largest mall, lost 156 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:58,639 another half dozen food joints in the food court. That 157 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:04,120 is never a good sign when you can't like when 158 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:08,559 you can't keep your food court full, that's not good. 159 00:11:09,799 --> 00:11:14,360 This follows the closure of eight other stores in the 160 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:20,399 last few months. So the food court just lost Jamba Juice, 161 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:29,480 a sandwich shop called Izzy, and wukes Miha Coachinita Taco shop, 162 00:11:30,759 --> 00:11:35,679 My Savory hot Dogs Mai Savory, not my savory hot dogs, 163 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:39,480 but may I my savory hot dogs anyway, fires of 164 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:44,960 Brazil Barbecue, as well as Blondie's Pizza all closed. Kitchen 165 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,639 equipment was gone from all the food stands and only 166 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:52,919 a handful of restaurants remained. Food traffic was anemic or sorry. 167 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:58,039 Foot traffic was anemic, with many areas seeing more yellow 168 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:02,600 suited security guards and store works than shoppers. Now, the 169 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,600 biggest news there to me was that they actually have 170 00:12:07,759 --> 00:12:11,279 security guards at the mall. So anyway, well over half 171 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,440 of the mall, which spans one point five million square 172 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:17,960 feet of retail end offices, so half of that, more 173 00:12:18,039 --> 00:12:22,480 than half of that space, is vacant Sexton Rights. At 174 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,759 this point, it is clear to everybody, including the remaining tenants, 175 00:12:25,759 --> 00:12:30,039 that the mall is going to close for good, probably 176 00:12:30,159 --> 00:12:30,720 any month. 177 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:31,039 Speaker 2: Now. 178 00:12:32,399 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 1: Whatever comes next isn't clear. There's an architectural firm that 179 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:40,000 created some drawings of the space that's transformed into a 180 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:43,720 mixed use outdoor area. But that would mean you've got 181 00:12:43,759 --> 00:12:46,000 to demolish most of the current building and start all 182 00:12:46,039 --> 00:12:49,279 over again, and that would take years to do and 183 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:55,639 be prohibitively expensive. Other suggestions, which were floated two years 184 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:59,360 ago by the city's former mayor, have included turning the 185 00:12:59,399 --> 00:13:04,279 space into a soccer stadium, but again, the cost and 186 00:13:04,399 --> 00:13:11,080 time to build it would be significant. So I was thinking, 187 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,879 because you know me, I am all about solutions, right, 188 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:17,600 That's what we do here between noon and three. We 189 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:21,120 solve the world's problems. Pretty good track record of it, 190 00:13:21,159 --> 00:13:24,759 i'd like to think. So I would suggest that you 191 00:13:24,919 --> 00:13:31,919 turn the mall into the only permitted homeless camp and 192 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,639 open air drug market obviously, like just lean into this, 193 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,960 you know, and you create the one place everybody will 194 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,320 go there. They got shelter, I mean, they're not gonna 195 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:45,879 have anything else, but they're gonna have shelter, and I 196 00:13:45,879 --> 00:13:50,320 guess there'll be some running water and such and yeah, 197 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,600 so I mean nobody else is using it at this point, 198 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,879 so might as well. There's a guy quoted in the 199 00:13:57,159 --> 00:14:01,679 San Francisco Chronicle. His name is Mark Steiner. He's the 200 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:06,919 founding moderator of a Reddit forum that follows dead malls, 201 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:11,519 which look, everybody's got to have a hobby here. But 202 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:13,759 he said he could not think of any other shopping 203 00:14:13,799 --> 00:14:17,840 center that died quite as fast as San Francisco Center. 204 00:14:18,639 --> 00:14:21,799 He said, even in cities that have been hit hard economically, 205 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,240 the retail usually hangs on longer than this. For a 206 00:14:25,279 --> 00:14:29,879 property this size in a major market, it's pretty unprecedented 207 00:14:29,919 --> 00:14:33,320 in my experience. As the mall emptied out, some of 208 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:39,240 the tenants who stayed privately reported increased concerns about shoplifting 209 00:14:39,919 --> 00:14:46,080 and violent incidents from homeless people who wandered inside. You'll 210 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:50,159 recall American Eagle. This was way before this was in 211 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,399 twenty twenty three, so way before they started doing the 212 00:14:53,559 --> 00:14:58,039 Nazi eugenic ads with Sidney Sweeney. American Eagle sued the 213 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:01,879 mall operator, complaining of select and safety problems, and then 214 00:15:01,919 --> 00:15:07,919 it closed its location the following year. And now word 215 00:15:08,559 --> 00:15:14,919 about bed baff and Beyond and they're saying no beyond. 216 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,919 If Beyond is in California, I will give you details 217 00:15:18,919 --> 00:15:21,120 in a moment. First, let's get stand on. Hello, Stan, 218 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:22,480 welcome to the program. 219 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 2: Okay, So, based on everything you're talking about about all 220 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,639 of the companies, the people moving because of safety, and 221 00:15:28,679 --> 00:15:30,960 what Donald Trump is doing to Washington, DC, I tried 222 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,240 to look up the opposite and look, go, okay, we'll 223 00:15:33,279 --> 00:15:36,519 all the safety cities in the world, and I found 224 00:15:36,519 --> 00:15:40,639 this about basically Abu Dhavi and UAE so here. But 225 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:42,120 then you go down to the bottom of the list 226 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:45,960 and there's this thing that says factors contributing to safety, 227 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:50,799 and the UAE's reputation for safety is attributed to several factors, 228 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:56,679 including stringent immigration policies, regular police patrols, and a robust 229 00:15:56,679 --> 00:15:58,000 emergency response system. 230 00:15:58,399 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, they also I think they also don't allow women 231 00:16:01,279 --> 00:16:03,200 to drive, right, isn't that? 232 00:16:03,919 --> 00:16:05,879 Speaker 2: I mean I think that, Yeah, I guess. 233 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. 234 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:13,759 Speaker 2: But the thing about it is if you if you 235 00:16:13,919 --> 00:16:17,679 choose to have undocumented people living in your country, and 236 00:16:17,759 --> 00:16:22,120 you defund the police and the and the emergency response system, 237 00:16:22,399 --> 00:16:25,440 you're not going to have safety correct, and people will 238 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:28,000 flee and they will move. And so when you say 239 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,960 it's a choice, these cities are choosing to fix it. 240 00:16:32,039 --> 00:16:36,000 So that normal. Everyday people live in unsafe conditions. Correct, 241 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:38,279 it's a choice they're making. Correct. 242 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:41,919 Speaker 1: And the people who keep electing them based on virtue 243 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:47,600 signaling suicidal empathy, they they are making that choice too. 244 00:16:47,759 --> 00:16:50,679 They're there. They are voting for the form of their 245 00:16:50,679 --> 00:16:55,600 own destruction. Yes, yep, yeah, Stan, I appreciate the call, sir. 246 00:16:56,799 --> 00:17:02,159 All right, take care. It's you may recall Bedbath and beyond. 247 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:08,119 They went into bankruptcy protection. Remember that. I don't remember 248 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:09,799 how long ago it's been within like, I don't know, 249 00:17:09,839 --> 00:17:15,960 within the last two years or so. And I did 250 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,240 not know this, but apparently the guy who took it 251 00:17:19,279 --> 00:17:24,519 over is Marcus Lamonis. Do you know who that is? 252 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:33,240 He is the CEO of Camping World, and he was 253 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:38,559 the guy who did the profit on CNBC. He would 254 00:17:38,599 --> 00:17:43,160 go in and help revitalize small businesses and it was 255 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:44,880 a TV show ran for I don't know five or 256 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:48,319 six seasons. I enjoyed it. It was very good. So 257 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:55,119 he's the CEO and he laid the SmackDown on California. 258 00:17:55,279 --> 00:17:57,960 Here's a great idea. How about making an escape to 259 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,480 a really special and secluded getting in western North Carolina. 260 00:18:01,599 --> 00:18:03,799 Just a quick drive up the Mountain and Cabins of 261 00:18:03,799 --> 00:18:08,160 Ashville is your connection. Whether you're celebrating an anniversary, a honeymoon, 262 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,440 maybe you want to plan a memorable proposal, or get 263 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,359 family and friends together for a big old reunion. 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The earlier seasons were the best. 282 00:19:17,039 --> 00:19:20,759 And he had this thing, Marcus Lamonish, the CEO of 283 00:19:20,839 --> 00:19:25,720 Camping World, and he had this deal this saying this phrase, 284 00:19:26,759 --> 00:19:28,519 like he would go in, he would look at the 285 00:19:28,559 --> 00:19:31,039 business and he said, like he's all, it was a people, 286 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:36,039 product and process I think is what it was. And 287 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:39,799 they were small businesses and they were struggling, and he 288 00:19:39,799 --> 00:19:42,440 would come in and he would get a complete, you know, 289 00:19:42,599 --> 00:19:45,440 read on what the business is doing, and then he 290 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:49,839 would offer them a check and he would structure them 291 00:19:49,839 --> 00:19:53,359 a deal where he said, like, I'm going to give 292 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:56,960 you this check for you know, ten percent of your business, 293 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:59,559 fifty percent of your business, whatever it is. But I'm 294 00:19:59,559 --> 00:20:02,920 a one hundred percent in charge. That was what he 295 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:04,880 always said. And then he would go in there and 296 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:09,759 he would just lay waste to the inefficiencies, right, he 297 00:20:09,799 --> 00:20:13,759 would focus them on the things that are working, discard 298 00:20:13,839 --> 00:20:17,400 the things that aren't working, do a better brand management, 299 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:19,319 like all these different things. And he focused a lot on. 300 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:21,000 He did a lot of restaurants. He did a big 301 00:20:21,039 --> 00:20:24,839 restaurant in South Carolina, I want to say it was 302 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:26,960 right off of I ninety five, and he hung up 303 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,640 this massive American flag. And he has done this at 304 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:33,480 Camping World locations too. And remember he got into trouble 305 00:20:33,519 --> 00:20:35,839 with one of the locations here in the Charlotte area 306 00:20:36,319 --> 00:20:38,920 because the town council was like, you can't fly that 307 00:20:39,079 --> 00:20:43,799 American flag. It's too big, and he was like, well, 308 00:20:43,839 --> 00:20:45,440 you can find me. I'm going to keep it up. 309 00:20:45,799 --> 00:20:48,440 And then they got into this big whizzing match over it, 310 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,640 and eventually I think the town caved. That's his thing, though, 311 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:56,000 he's because he's he was adopted. He was born in Lebanon, 312 00:20:56,599 --> 00:20:59,200 but he was adopted by I want to say it 313 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,680 was a Greek fan in America. And his I think 314 00:21:02,759 --> 00:21:05,640 his father owned like a car dealership down in Florida 315 00:21:05,759 --> 00:21:09,880 or something. And so he's, you know, entrepreneur, a business guy, 316 00:21:10,559 --> 00:21:16,319 and like really focused on small businesses, really loves business. Now. 317 00:21:16,319 --> 00:21:21,200 He also had some choice words for Trump and Trump 318 00:21:21,319 --> 00:21:24,119 supporters back in I think twenty fifteen or so. That 319 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:28,160 was very disappointing. But he seems his fever, his TDS 320 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:33,839 fever seems to have broken a while ago. So look, 321 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:37,920 I don't hold that against him. I think he's done 322 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,279 a lot of really good work for a lot of businesses, 323 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:43,799 a lot of small businesses, over the years. And apparently 324 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:45,960 I did not know this, but apparently he has come 325 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:52,240 in to help save and bring back Bedbath and Beyond, 326 00:21:52,839 --> 00:21:58,200 which went bankrupt. So he put out a statement today. 327 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:03,279 Well I'll read the statement in a moment. Here's what 328 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:06,920 he tweeted. With the statement, he said, we will not 329 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:13,119 open retail stores in California. This is not about politics, 330 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:16,880 it's about reality. In fact, by the way, Marcus Lamonis, 331 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,799 I believe ran for Congress back in maybe like the 332 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,680 nineties or something. He didn't win, but and he ran 333 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:28,799 as a Democrat down in Florida. So this is hardly 334 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:34,880 some right winger. Okay, it's not about politics, it's about reality. 335 00:22:35,319 --> 00:22:40,359 California's system makes it nearly impossible for businesses to succeed, 336 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:44,559 and I won't put our company, our employees, or our 337 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,920 customers in that position. And so here is the statement. 338 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,279 I don't know what precipitated this, what prompted him to 339 00:22:52,279 --> 00:22:56,400 put the statement out, but he says we will not 340 00:22:56,599 --> 00:23:01,000 open or operate retail stores in California. This decision is 341 00:23:01,039 --> 00:23:05,279 not about politics, it's about reality. California has created one 342 00:23:05,319 --> 00:23:10,000 of the most over regulated, expensive and risky environments for 343 00:23:10,079 --> 00:23:13,720 businesses in America. It's a system that makes it harder 344 00:23:13,759 --> 00:23:17,319 to employ people, harder to keep doors open, and harder 345 00:23:17,319 --> 00:23:22,799 to deliver value to customers. The result higher taxes, higher fees, 346 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:27,559 higher wages that many businesses simply cannot sustain, and endless 347 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:31,599 regulations that strangle growth even when the state announces a 348 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:35,119 budget surplus. It's built on the backs of ordinary citizens 349 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:38,240 who are paying too much and businesses who are squeezed 350 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:42,680 until they break. At Bedbath and Beyond, our responsibility is 351 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:46,359 to our customers and our shareholders. We will not participate 352 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:50,599 in a system that undermines both. Instead, we are investing 353 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:54,759 in a California strategy that works twenty four to forty 354 00:23:54,759 --> 00:23:58,359 eight hour delivery and in many cases, same day service. 355 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:02,119 Californians will continue to get the products they love through 356 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:07,200 Bedbathenbeyond dot Com, but without the inflated costs created by 357 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:11,319 an unsustainable model. We're taking a stand because it's time 358 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:16,440 for common sense. Businesses deserve the chance to succeed. Employees 359 00:24:16,559 --> 00:24:23,480 deserve that oh sorry, employees deserve jobs that last, and 360 00:24:23,599 --> 00:24:28,920 customers deserve fair prices. California system delivers the opposite. That's 361 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:33,359 why Bedbath and Beyond will serve California customers directly through 362 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:37,839 Bedbathanbeyond dot com, on our terms and with their best 363 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:44,440 interests at heart. Okay, So that was the statement from 364 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:49,200 Marcus lamonas he is the executive chairman of Bedbath and Beyond. 365 00:24:51,079 --> 00:24:52,799 So I'm not sure if you're aware of this, well 366 00:24:52,839 --> 00:24:54,720 you should because I mentioned it earlier in the program. 367 00:24:54,759 --> 00:25:00,839 But the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, he has apparently 368 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:07,160 employed some punks to run his Twitter account where he's 369 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:09,720 been trolling Donald Trump, pretending to be Donald Trump, like, 370 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:12,480 you know, typing in all caps. You heard Jim Comey 371 00:25:12,519 --> 00:25:15,200 reference it as well. He thinks it's all hilarious, you know. 372 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:18,720 And so these people are the kids that are running 373 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:23,880 this account. Their echo chamber is telling them that they're 374 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:28,200 doing fine. Just tweet through it, you know. And the 375 00:25:28,319 --> 00:25:31,279 right in the maga world is just like, dude, you're 376 00:25:31,279 --> 00:25:33,400 not Donald Trump. Nobody can be Donald Trump. Have you 377 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,039 learned nothing in the last ten years? There's only one 378 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:43,960 Donald Trump. So they saw this statement and they put 379 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:54,200 out a tweet in response, three words bleep you by. 380 00:25:54,960 --> 00:26:00,440 That was their response to a business leader, a well 381 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:04,880 known public figure, Marcus Lamonis. At that right, the guy 382 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:09,960 knows how to get media coverage. And your response, as 383 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:11,839 I mean, when you're the governor of the state. Yes, 384 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:14,519 you're supposed to be the chief executive in all of that, 385 00:26:14,599 --> 00:26:17,240 which he doesn't do very well, but you're also supposed 386 00:26:17,279 --> 00:26:19,720 to be sort of like the head cheerleader for the state. 387 00:26:19,799 --> 00:26:23,039 You know, you're supposed to help bring businesses to the state, 388 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:30,279 attract and retain them, economic development stuff, and you're your 389 00:26:30,319 --> 00:26:37,480 little daycare comms shop just told this guy blape you by, Like, 390 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,559 I don't think I don't think that's the best thing 391 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,279 to say, particularly given the data we have of the 392 00:26:44,319 --> 00:26:49,319 people and businesses that are fleeing your state already. We 393 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:53,160 want you anyway. You did it to Hollywood. You drove 394 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:57,519 Hollywood out right. They're filming in Bulgaria, right, they can't 395 00:26:57,519 --> 00:27:03,359 make it a go there. They deleted that post instead, 396 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:07,319 they put up another one. After their bankruptcy and closure 397 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:10,680 of every store. Like most Americans, we thought Bedbeth and 398 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,799 Beyond no longer existed. We wish them well in their 399 00:27:13,799 --> 00:27:16,359 efforts to become relevant again as they try to open 400 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:22,079 a second store. This guy took over the company and 401 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:26,039 is trying to bring it out of bankruptcy with an overhaul, 402 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,960 like he's trying to save a business and a brand 403 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:31,240 and jobs. And by the way, he says, they've got 404 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:36,279 stores in every state. Just tweet through at kids. You're 405 00:27:36,319 --> 00:27:38,759 doing fine, all right, if you're listening to this show. 406 00:27:38,799 --> 00:27:40,359 You know I try to keep up with all sorts 407 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:42,400 of current events, and I know you do too. And 408 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:45,920 you've probably heard me say get your news from multiple sources. 409 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:49,640 Why Well, because it's how you detect media bias, which 410 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:52,640 is why I've been so impressed with ground News. It's 411 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,160 an app and it's a website, and it combines news 412 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,119 from around the world in one place, so you can 413 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,519 compare coverage and verify information. You can check it out 414 00:28:01,519 --> 00:28:06,160 at check dot ground, dot news slash pete. I put 415 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:09,119 the link in the podcast description too. I started using 416 00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:12,039 ground News a few months ago and more recently chose 417 00:28:12,079 --> 00:28:14,039 to work with them as an affiliate because it lets 418 00:28:14,039 --> 00:28:17,680 me see clearly how stories get covered and by whom. 419 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:20,920 The blind spot feature shows you which stories get ignored 420 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:23,839 by the left and the right. See for yourself. Check 421 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:28,440 dot Ground, dot News slash Pete. Subscribe through that link 422 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:31,359 and you'll get fifteen percent off any subscription. I use 423 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,519 the Vantage plan to get unlimited access to every feature. 424 00:28:34,759 --> 00:28:37,519 Your subscription then not only helps my podcast, but it 425 00:28:37,559 --> 00:28:40,680 also supports Ground News as they make the media landscape 426 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:45,400 more transparent. So here's the thing. Steven Miller points this out. 427 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:51,920 He's a writer at The Spectator. Gavin Newsom is counting 428 00:28:52,119 --> 00:28:57,960 on being elected president based on his personality alone, and 429 00:28:58,119 --> 00:29:02,240 that is the strategy behind the weird online press account 430 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:08,519 because he is weird. That is Gavin Newsom. These kids 431 00:29:08,599 --> 00:29:11,920 keep doing what they're doing because he thinks this is 432 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:14,599 a good idea. This is who he is, This is 433 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:17,240 his personality, and that's all you got to run on 434 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,839 because he can run on a record. My gosh, I mean, 435 00:29:20,559 --> 00:29:25,319 Ron DeSantis gut him like a fish during that debate 436 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:28,519 when they were going over the Florida versus California records. 437 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:34,240 So that's why this stuff seems so weird. Let me 438 00:29:34,279 --> 00:29:38,839 go to the text line regarding this hour's topics. 439 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 2: To do. 440 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: Anonymous person says, regarding my brilliant idea to turn the 441 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,200 San Francisco Center mall one and a half million square feet. 442 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:53,039 The mall is probably going to be closing in a 443 00:29:53,079 --> 00:29:55,480 couple months because all the businesses are leaving it because 444 00:29:55,519 --> 00:29:58,279 of all the crime and homelessness. And I said, just 445 00:29:58,319 --> 00:30:02,680 turn it into like the only missible homeless encampment. You 446 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:05,480 just have everybody gathered there. And this is a very 447 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:10,079 good idea. You could bathe in the mall fountain. That's 448 00:30:10,119 --> 00:30:13,359 a that's a very good point. In fact, what we 449 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:16,079 could also do now that I'm thinking about it, is 450 00:30:16,119 --> 00:30:19,559 we could stock much like it's a it's taking a 451 00:30:19,559 --> 00:30:23,680 play out of the Zoron Mamdani playbook, you know, where 452 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:26,160 he's like, oh, we'll just have government run grocery stores, 453 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,079 because who doesn't love a good breadline. So let's, uh, 454 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:36,119 let's take that idea and we'll stock stores with you know, uh, 455 00:30:36,599 --> 00:30:45,039 large flat screen TVs, jewelry, right, just stuff that looters 456 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:47,720 like to loot, you know, Like we just make a 457 00:30:47,759 --> 00:30:50,519 looting store and then you could go in, like you 458 00:30:50,519 --> 00:30:52,559 can bust down the front door, you can steal a 459 00:30:52,599 --> 00:30:54,640 bunch of stuff, and then the government will come in 460 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:57,079 and replenish the supply and then just let people keep, 461 00:30:57,319 --> 00:30:59,960 you know, stealing stuff out of those stores in the mall. 462 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:02,640 There won't really be any they're not real stores, right. 463 00:31:04,279 --> 00:31:08,279 You could have like some some big walls, you know 464 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:12,160 where like they wall up the stores like a part 465 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:14,680 in our mess. We're under construction here we grow again 466 00:31:14,839 --> 00:31:16,920 or something. But instead of putting those signs up, you 467 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,720 just allow people to tag at like free Palestine and 468 00:31:19,799 --> 00:31:21,480 kill all the Jews stuff like that, you know that 469 00:31:21,519 --> 00:31:24,920 they're very fond of doing, or ice, defund the police 470 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:27,200 and defund ice, abolish ice. 471 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:27,319 Speaker 2: All of that. 472 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: Just like it would be just sort of like a 473 00:31:30,279 --> 00:31:36,240 one stop shop for the leftists, right they can get 474 00:31:36,279 --> 00:31:38,680 all of their aggression out, and then it protects the 475 00:31:38,759 --> 00:31:41,400 rest of the city for the people who aren't insane, 476 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:46,960 if there are any left in San Francisco. Here's another 477 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:50,440 anonymous person look at the story of the White Plains 478 00:31:50,519 --> 00:31:54,319 Galleria mall in New York, where Westchester County would drop 479 00:31:54,359 --> 00:31:57,640 off the homeless at six am every morning, and ultimately 480 00:31:57,680 --> 00:31:59,359 one of them decided to cut the throat of a 481 00:31:59,359 --> 00:32:01,880 woman walking to her car in the garage. Probably twenty 482 00:32:02,079 --> 00:32:06,519 nine twenty ten timeframe. The mall just closed last year. 483 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:11,279 Scott says, the CEO of Camping World bought Gander Mountain 484 00:32:11,319 --> 00:32:14,799 and reopened some stores as Gander out Doors, and then 485 00:32:14,839 --> 00:32:17,680 he said Trump supporters weren't welcome, and so we didn't 486 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:21,960 go until the stor's closing sales and then we picked 487 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,480 their bones. Right, So that was what I remember Marcus 488 00:32:25,559 --> 00:32:28,839 Lamona's making the comments about Trump's supporters back then. That 489 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,480 was several years ago. I have not heard him say 490 00:32:31,519 --> 00:32:34,960 anything else about Trump's supporter since, so I'm thinking he 491 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:39,960 learned his lesson, but I don't know. Oh, and then 492 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:43,200 there's Yes, there's this story too. I did see this story. Well, 493 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:45,319 hang on, before I get to that story. Maybe Gavin 494 00:32:45,359 --> 00:32:48,759 should profess his love for Taylor Swift as Jim call 495 00:32:48,799 --> 00:32:51,119 Me did. Then they can have a public fight over 496 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:55,559 who she means more to I've been to more shows. Okay, 497 00:32:56,640 --> 00:33:00,680 I did see the story. Yes, the web Space telescope 498 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:08,880 has spotted a new tiny moon orbiting Uranus. It appears 499 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:14,119 to be six miles wide. This tiny moon does which honestly, 500 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:20,119 nobody should be really surprised by a moon around Uranus. 501 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:27,440 That's where the moon is right. Come on, scientists think 502 00:33:27,519 --> 00:33:30,160 that this little moon was able to hide out for 503 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:35,519 so long, even eluding the Voyager two spacecraft during its flyby, 504 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:40,559 which occurred about forty years ago. Because it's small and 505 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:44,480 it's faintness, I don't know what. I guess you can't 506 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:48,400 really see it so well. But also Uranus has twenty 507 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:52,240 eight known moons, so this is now the twenty ninth 508 00:33:52,759 --> 00:33:56,759 known moon, which is interesting because I kind of feel 509 00:33:56,799 --> 00:34:00,359 like you would know it if you saw moon. All right, 510 00:34:00,359 --> 00:34:02,640 that'll do it for this episode. Thank you so much 511 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:04,720 for listening. I could not do the show without your 512 00:34:04,759 --> 00:34:07,559 support and the support of the businesses that advertise on 513 00:34:07,599 --> 00:34:10,360 the podcast, so if you'd like, please support them too 514 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:12,079 and tell them you heard it here. You can also 515 00:34:12,119 --> 00:34:14,719 become a patron at my Patreon page or go to 516 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:18,559 dpetecleanershow dot com. Again, thank you so much for listening, 517 00:34:18,639 --> 00:34:24,519 and don't break anything while I'm gone.