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 --> 00:00:19,239 my daily show prep with all the links, become a patron, 6 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,640 go to dpeakclendershow 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 --> 00:00:31,519 your support. And it's Tuesday. It's noon, and that means 10 00:00:31,559 --> 00:00:35,200 we chat with Andrew Dunn. He is a contributing columnist 11 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,520 over at the Charlotte Observer and the publisher of long 12 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:42,280 Leaf Politics. That website is longleafpol dot com. Andrew, how 13 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:42,840 are you, sir? 14 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,840 Speaker 2: I'm fantastic and great to be back with you. My 15 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,200 whole week last week was thrown off because I wasn't 16 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:51,799 on your show. 17 00:00:52,039 --> 00:00:56,719 Speaker 1: Just really depressed and just lamenting the loss of this 18 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,759 nine minute chat. I understand, I understand, I thinking about 19 00:01:00,799 --> 00:01:04,760 you two. All right, So let's let's talk burger and shrimp. 20 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,920 What do you say talking about Phil Berger and his challenger, 21 00:01:09,599 --> 00:01:13,519 Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. Phil Berger is the leader 22 00:01:13,599 --> 00:01:17,040 of the North Carolina Senate Republican and has been in 23 00:01:17,079 --> 00:01:20,120 that position for many years now and is arguably the 24 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:23,799 most powerful politician in the state. But he's got this challenger, 25 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:28,680 Sam Paige, and he's actually polling pretty well against Burger 26 00:01:28,799 --> 00:01:34,560 in his Rockingham County district. So what does Burger and shrimp, 27 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,799 specifically shrimp trolling have to do with each other. 28 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, let's unpack that a little bit. You know, 29 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,760 as we head toward the March third primary, which seems 30 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,359 like it's far off, but it's really not all that 31 00:01:48,519 --> 00:01:51,200 far off, you know, especially a lot of campaigns are 32 00:01:51,239 --> 00:01:54,439 starting to ramp up right around now. In that primary 33 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,159 election is the most interesting race in the state of 34 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,760 North Carolina by far. You know, You've got Phil Berger, 35 00:01:59,799 --> 00:02:04,000 who longest tenured leader of the state Senate, and then 36 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:08,280 you've got his challenger, Sheriff Sam Page of Rockingham County, 37 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,759 who's been in office just as long as Berger has, 38 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,599 but as sheriff in Rockingham County. You know, and in 39 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:18,280 my columns, I like to look for little revealing moments 40 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:22,039 that people might overlook, but that tell us something about 41 00:02:22,039 --> 00:02:25,680 North Carolina politics. So when I saw Sheriff Sam Page 42 00:02:25,759 --> 00:02:28,919 kind of out front and center when the shrimp trawlers 43 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:31,240 were in Raleigh. It made me think, you know, what's 44 00:02:31,319 --> 00:02:34,479 going on here? What does what does the Rockingham County, 45 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,400 which is not close to the ocean, there's a sheriff 46 00:02:37,439 --> 00:02:39,360 they're at, you know, have anything to do with that. 47 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,960 Just for a little background for your listeners if they're 48 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,840 not up to speed on shrimp trawling, there was a 49 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,599 provision in some bill somewhere that was going to prevent 50 00:02:49,479 --> 00:02:54,439 small you know, fishermen essentially from trawling for shrimp and 51 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,240 inland waterways. You know, there's a lot of most other 52 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,360 states have already done that, but North Carolina had hasn't 53 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,319 you know. There's good arguments on both sides for you know, 54 00:03:03,479 --> 00:03:07,439 environmental concerns versus you know, livelihoods. I don't really have 55 00:03:07,479 --> 00:03:11,919 a position on it either way. But Senator Berger was 56 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,840 in favor of restricting the shrimp trawling in the inland waterways, 57 00:03:16,879 --> 00:03:20,159 and so here comes Sam Page, of course, taking the 58 00:03:20,159 --> 00:03:23,879 opposite position. He is very much in favor of the 59 00:03:23,879 --> 00:03:27,479 shrimp trawlers and protecting their way of life. And it 60 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,639 made me question, well, is this something that Sheriff Page 61 00:03:32,039 --> 00:03:35,560 really feels passionately about or is he mostly just trying 62 00:03:35,599 --> 00:03:38,879 to cast himself as the as the anti Phil Burger. 63 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:44,039 Speaker 1: So, and as I understand it too, the shrimpers are 64 00:03:44,159 --> 00:03:47,840 at odds with other fishermen I guess specifically like the 65 00:03:47,879 --> 00:03:51,439 sports fishermen or something, because when they trawl for shrimp 66 00:03:51,439 --> 00:03:53,280 with the nets, they catch a lot of other fish 67 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:55,960 and stuff, and so there's like a depletion, I think. 68 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:57,759 And yeah, so this has been going on for a 69 00:03:57,759 --> 00:03:59,479 long time. This fight's been going on for a long time. 70 00:03:59,479 --> 00:04:01,479 And there was a big well and a bunch of people, 71 00:04:01,479 --> 00:04:03,680 a bunch of the shrimp trawlers showed up, and they 72 00:04:03,759 --> 00:04:07,400 successfully got it removed from that bill. So the shrimp 73 00:04:07,439 --> 00:04:11,840 trawling will continue in the inland waterways. So when you 74 00:04:11,879 --> 00:04:14,560 looked at this issue, you saw Sam Page there and 75 00:04:14,599 --> 00:04:17,040 you thought, okay, is he really a big, you know, 76 00:04:17,199 --> 00:04:22,079 proponent of the trawling. What did you determine and is 77 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,680 he is he a big shrimp trawling kind of guy 78 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,600 or is he staking out positions just in opposition to 79 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:31,360 Phil Berger on stuff? 80 00:04:32,079 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, Well that's what I what I called him, That's 81 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:35,959 what I was trying to suss out. And you know, 82 00:04:36,079 --> 00:04:39,279 he actually had a pretty good answer for for why 83 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,160 he you know, he was talking about the agricultural heritage 84 00:04:43,199 --> 00:04:45,399 and was telling me about how head of the Sheriff's 85 00:04:45,439 --> 00:04:50,519 Association he's been, you know, involved in in statewide issues 86 00:04:50,519 --> 00:04:52,800 for a long period of time. And I buy all that, 87 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,360 but I do think at you know, the core of 88 00:04:57,439 --> 00:05:02,279 it is he wanted another posi to be contrary to Burger, 89 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:05,800 which which I understand from a campaign perspective. You know, 90 00:05:06,199 --> 00:05:09,519 when you're going against an incumbent, and especially one is 91 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,720 powerful and well known as Senator Phil Berger, you want 92 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:16,800 to draw those distinctions. It's not always easy in a primary, right, 93 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:19,399 so I totally get that. But you know what I 94 00:05:19,519 --> 00:05:22,720 argued in my column is it's easy to get carried 95 00:05:22,759 --> 00:05:27,439 away with that right, you know, if you it's easy 96 00:05:27,439 --> 00:05:30,800 to pick the wrong issue to just reflectively, you know, 97 00:05:30,959 --> 00:05:34,720 go against your opponent and just kind of a caution 98 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,240 throwing a caution flag out there that you know, if 99 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,800 he wants to be taken seriously as a candidate, he's 100 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,040 got to be really judicious and you know where he 101 00:05:44,079 --> 00:05:44,600 plants his. 102 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,600 Speaker 1: Flag, right, and this started with his position. In fact, 103 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,199 that's what got him. I think a lot of attention 104 00:05:49,439 --> 00:05:53,120 was the casino measure that Phil Berger tried to slip 105 00:05:53,319 --> 00:05:56,600 through the legislature a couple of years ago. I guess 106 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:58,560 it was. And he came out as one of the 107 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,560 biggest opponents of the casino that was actually slated for 108 00:06:03,759 --> 00:06:05,639 Rockingham County. He was like, we don't need that here. 109 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,079 He got a lot of publicity off of that. But 110 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,360 then he also has come out he's taking positions on 111 00:06:11,519 --> 00:06:15,399 chemical company immunity, you say, and the raw milk crackdown, 112 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,160 and all of those were in opposition to Burger. But 113 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,959 if that's all, if that's all he's going to be, 114 00:06:22,879 --> 00:06:25,720 that's not enough, you say, to what to get past 115 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:26,759 him in a primary? 116 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 2: I mean it may be. I mean, I there's a 117 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,480 lot going on, a lot of rumblings in Rockingham County 118 00:06:35,519 --> 00:06:38,160 about people just kind of wanting some new blood and 119 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,920 sheriff same page is just as well known as as 120 00:06:41,959 --> 00:06:45,920 Senator Berger is in Rockingham County. Maybe it's enough, but 121 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,800 it sure makes them easy to attack as an unserious 122 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:54,439 challenger if if he's not really dedicated to these positions. 123 00:06:54,639 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, and that was a yeah, that was an op 124 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,360 ed over at the Charlotte Observe or Candidate tries risky 125 00:07:01,399 --> 00:07:04,600 approach and bid too topple North Carolina's most powerful lawmaker. 126 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:09,519 Over at your site, long Leaf Politics, you had some 127 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:13,680 words about Tom Tillis's interview that he did with CNN 128 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:17,199 the other day, and you say that he gave one 129 00:07:17,199 --> 00:07:21,000 of his most spirited, confident defenses of his conservative record, 130 00:07:22,639 --> 00:07:25,519 But then you say he also he made clear, if 131 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:30,879 slightly condescending, an argument for the value of governing experience. 132 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:35,000 You say he was feisty, he was focused, but then 133 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,319 you also said that you got to be willing to 134 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:41,560 explain yourself without sneering at the people you're trying to lead, 135 00:07:41,879 --> 00:07:47,839 and that too often he shades into disdain for people. Okay, 136 00:07:47,879 --> 00:07:50,720 So is that how you think? And by the way, 137 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,319 I agree. I think that's one of the Tom Tillis's 138 00:07:53,519 --> 00:07:57,199 liabilities is that he comes across as these very things, 139 00:07:57,279 --> 00:07:59,680 even if I don't know if he's trying to be 140 00:07:59,839 --> 00:08:02,040 or if that's just sort of the way he naturally speaks. 141 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:04,959 So is this sort of like a style issue for you? 142 00:08:07,519 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 2: I think so. I do think if you're representing the people, 143 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,199 it's important to be out in front of them, And 144 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,360 you know, I just I haven't seen on him. Maybe 145 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:21,279 you have. I haven't seen Senator Tillis in North Carolina 146 00:08:21,399 --> 00:08:23,920 nearly as much as I would I expect to for 147 00:08:24,639 --> 00:08:27,839 a senior senator from North Carolina. You know, my overall 148 00:08:27,879 --> 00:08:31,639 point was, you know, everything that he said in that 149 00:08:31,759 --> 00:08:36,000 interview was accurate. You know, he was defending his conservative 150 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,440 you know, values and what he's done for the state. 151 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,759 And he certainly has done a lot for the state 152 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:47,120 in terms of moving in a conservative direction. But I question, 153 00:08:47,279 --> 00:08:50,960 you know, why do that on CNN after you've dropped out, Like, 154 00:08:51,039 --> 00:08:54,039 why not go to the North Carolina GOP convention and 155 00:08:54,039 --> 00:08:56,759 make that case? You know, why not be at Lincoln 156 00:08:56,799 --> 00:08:59,440 Reagan Day dinners around the state making that case. I 157 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,279 think people would be willing to hear it. And yeah, 158 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:06,360 I think he'd still get some heckels and whatnot. But 159 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:11,120 you know, when I was a full time reporter, I 160 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:15,360 was interviewing the school superintendent of Charlotte Mecknenberg Schools and 161 00:09:15,799 --> 00:09:17,639 I was a little nervous, you know, I was young then. 162 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:22,200 I was nervous about asking him some hard questions. And 163 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:25,279 the superintendent told me, he said, hey, this is a 164 00:09:25,279 --> 00:09:28,200 full contact position. I know what I signed up for. 165 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:30,480 I knew I was going to get hard questions, so 166 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,639 fire away. And I just thought that was you know, 167 00:09:33,919 --> 00:09:36,919 more people should have that approach if they're in positions 168 00:09:36,919 --> 00:09:39,559 of leadership. You've got to be willing to take the 169 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,519 hard questions with grace and with confidence. 170 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:47,039 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, and I'll tell you the only time I 171 00:09:47,039 --> 00:09:50,399 ever heard from his office usually was when he was 172 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:53,720 running for reelection or election to reach out to Hey, 173 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,000 can we get on the show or anything like that. 174 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:57,720 That was the only time I ever really heard from 175 00:09:57,759 --> 00:10:00,840 his office as well, saying goes for Mark Robinson. As 176 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:02,360 a matter of fact, you have a piece about him 177 00:10:02,399 --> 00:10:06,679 at the Charlotte Observer that he is Apparently he's lost 178 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:10,039 one hundred pounds and he sounds like he's gearing up 179 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:14,000 for a comeback. He went on a podcast and is 180 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:16,480 I guess, is he starting his own podcast too? Is 181 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:17,559 that what I read in here? 182 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:20,639 Speaker 2: He said, he was, I haven't seen it yet. You know, 183 00:10:20,879 --> 00:10:24,480 I'll certainly listen, but I haven't seen it yet. 184 00:10:24,519 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: All right, So he he says that, well, you're right 185 00:10:27,519 --> 00:10:31,000 that he blamed his blowout loss in last year's governor's 186 00:10:31,039 --> 00:10:35,600 race on consultants, the media cowards who abandoned him. I 187 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:40,080 guess his Republican colleagues. Those are the people who wouldn't 188 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:42,840 and the people that would not let Mark be Mark. 189 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,240 And so, in other words, he blamed everybody else but himself. 190 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,000 And then he said, I was a lot smarter than 191 00:10:50,039 --> 00:10:53,399 most of the people who worked on my campaign, which 192 00:10:54,159 --> 00:10:56,039 I don't know. I don't know if you're gonna win 193 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,039 a lot of people to your campaign, if you are 194 00:10:58,039 --> 00:11:00,720 going to run again by trashing everybody that helped get 195 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:02,200 you elected the first two times. 196 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:08,399 Speaker 2: No, it certainly doesn't speak well of former Lieutenant Governor 197 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,960 Robinson to have that sort of reaction. I mean, the 198 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:16,000 reality is his implosion was completely his own fault. And 199 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,600 I honestly think that voters, the American people, are very 200 00:11:20,639 --> 00:11:23,759 willing to be forgiving if you ask for forgiveness and 201 00:11:24,159 --> 00:11:28,559 act like you need forgiveness. And you know, I don't 202 00:11:28,639 --> 00:11:31,679 think that Robinson is going to run for the US 203 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:35,080 Senate seat, but I do see a scenario in which 204 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:38,519 he runs for a House seat, which is what everybody 205 00:11:38,639 --> 00:11:41,000 was telling him to do, you know, a couple of 206 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,919 years ago, and he rejected that. I think he would 207 00:11:43,919 --> 00:11:45,799 have avoided a lot of pain if he had taken 208 00:11:45,799 --> 00:11:51,480 that advice. But it's just really disappointing to see someone 209 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:55,360 in such a you know, a position of prominence fail 210 00:11:55,559 --> 00:11:57,080 to be self reflective. 211 00:11:57,840 --> 00:11:59,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, you wrote, I thought you had a couple of 212 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,559 really good lines in this piece. Robinson didn't lose because 213 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,399 the party abandoned him. The party abandoned him because he 214 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:09,639 can't win. And that people love you when you are 215 00:12:09,759 --> 00:12:14,679 useful to them. Robinson should have learned that, but he didn't. Yeah, 216 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:16,360 that's one of the things in politics. Like you may 217 00:12:16,399 --> 00:12:20,759 not like that aspect of it, but that is absolutely true. 218 00:12:21,039 --> 00:12:23,360 If you are you. Yeah, if you can't deliver for 219 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:26,840 people as an elected leader, then there isn't really a 220 00:12:26,919 --> 00:12:29,919 lot of value that you're bringing to the table. 221 00:12:33,039 --> 00:12:35,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's exactly right. And it's you know, that's why 222 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,960 a lot of people think politics is a dirty business. 223 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,480 In a lot of ways, it is, and but that's 224 00:12:40,519 --> 00:12:41,480 the reality of it. 225 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, all right, Andrew Dunn. I appreciate the time as always, sir, 226 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:48,039 and we'll talk with you next week, same time. 227 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 2: Great, looking forward to it. 228 00:12:50,279 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: Thanks, man, appreciate it. That's Andrew Dunn. 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This time it is for 257 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:44,679 withholding not necessarily yet like rejecting it or or canceling 258 00:14:44,679 --> 00:14:48,720 it or whatever, but withholding at this point almost seven 259 00:14:48,799 --> 00:14:54,399 billion dollars in federal education funding in a federal lawsuit 260 00:14:54,559 --> 00:14:58,919 filed yesterday in US District Court up in Rhode Island, 261 00:14:59,639 --> 00:15:02,759 where there are so many conservative judges that I'm sure 262 00:15:02,759 --> 00:15:06,039 they'll get a fair hearing up there. The twenty four 263 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:10,799 mostly Democratic led states accused the US Department of Education 264 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:16,399 and Office of Management and Budget or OMB, of unconstitutionally 265 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:20,080 withholding six point eight billion dollars that had been authorized 266 00:15:20,159 --> 00:15:25,200 by Congress. This story at The Observer by T Kung 267 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:30,399 Hui quote. Jackson said, the decision to withhold the money 268 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:34,080 is costing North Carolina schools one hundred and sixty five 269 00:15:34,159 --> 00:15:38,320 million dollars in needed funding as teachers and students prepare 270 00:15:38,399 --> 00:15:40,759 for the new school year. The money was supposed to 271 00:15:40,799 --> 00:15:44,360 be given out by July one. What is this all about? 272 00:15:45,679 --> 00:15:47,799 If you had to take a guess, why do you 273 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:53,320 think the Trump administration might be withholding one hundred and 274 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:57,080 sixty five million dollars to North Carolina school systems? What 275 00:15:57,159 --> 00:16:02,279 do you think that's about? Care to take a guess? Well, 276 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:08,960 if you said DEI initiatives or divisive topics or stuff 277 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:13,480 related to illegal immigration, you would be correct. Congratulations, give 278 00:16:13,519 --> 00:16:17,200 yourself a gold star. Now, I don't think they talked 279 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,039 about any of that at their press conference. They were 280 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:22,440 just talking about how, you know Trump hates children? All right, 281 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:24,279 if you're listening to this show, you know I try 282 00:16:24,279 --> 00:16:26,080 to keep up with all sorts of current events, and 283 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,159 I know you do too. And you've probably heard me 284 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:32,440 say get your news from multiple sources. Why, Well, because 285 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:35,120 it's how you detect media bias, which is why I've 286 00:16:35,159 --> 00:16:38,480 been so impressed with ground News. It's an app and 287 00:16:38,679 --> 00:16:41,600 it's a website. And it combines news from around the 288 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,279 world in one place so you can compare coverage and 289 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:48,240 verify information. You could check it out at check dot ground, 290 00:16:48,559 --> 00:16:51,600 dot news slash pete. I put the link in the 291 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,840 podcast description too. I started using ground News a few 292 00:16:54,879 --> 00:16:57,600 months ago and more recently chose to work with them 293 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,399 as an affiliate because it lets me see clearly how 294 00:17:00,519 --> 00:17:03,919 stories get covered and by whom. The blind spot feature 295 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,640 shows you which stories get ignored by the left and 296 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:10,720 the right. See for yourself check dot ground, dot news 297 00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:14,200 slash pete. Subscribe through that link and you'll get fifteen 298 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,319 percent off any subscription. I use the Vantage plan to 299 00:17:17,319 --> 00:17:20,759 get unlimited access to every feature. Your subscription then not 300 00:17:20,839 --> 00:17:23,839 only helps my podcast, but it also supports ground News 301 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:28,519 as they make the media landscape more transparent. The Charlotte 302 00:17:28,519 --> 00:17:33,920 Observer reporting that the North Carolina Attorney General aka Baby Jesus. 303 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:36,000 That is not my nickname for him, although I do 304 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,440 use it, But that's the nickname that he was given 305 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,160 by his colleagues when he was in the North Carolina 306 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:47,880 General Assembly because like he was, you know, he simply 307 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,839 showed up and everybody treated him like he was this 308 00:17:52,079 --> 00:17:55,799 savior and he could do no wrong and whatever. So 309 00:17:56,319 --> 00:17:59,000 that's what they called him. So I just figure, well 310 00:17:59,039 --> 00:18:01,480 they would know him best, so I'm going to, you know, 311 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:06,640 use the moniker. It's probably a term of endearment. They 312 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:12,680 really love him, like Jesus. So Jeff Jackson does this 313 00:18:12,759 --> 00:18:16,160 press conference along with a bunch of others and including 314 00:18:16,279 --> 00:18:20,640 Superintendent Moe Green, formerly of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District. 315 00:18:21,039 --> 00:18:23,480 He was the former lawyer for the board. And then 316 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:25,640 he went up to Greensboro, i want to say, and 317 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:28,000 he was the superintendent up there, and now he is 318 00:18:28,039 --> 00:18:31,799 in charge of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 319 00:18:32,799 --> 00:18:36,279 and so he was there and he said that the 320 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:41,839 withholding of funds makes up about ten percent of the 321 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:49,839 entire federal funding for the state. Okay, so recognize what 322 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:55,240 that means. The vast majority of the state spending is 323 00:18:56,279 --> 00:19:01,119 K twelve education, along with community colleges and the university system. 324 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,519 But education is the number one priority, top priority in 325 00:19:04,559 --> 00:19:08,319 the budget has been for as long as as long 326 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:10,799 as I've ever looked at a budget, almost thirty years, 327 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:16,000 it's been number one, probably always has been. So what 328 00:19:16,039 --> 00:19:18,440 they're talking about, excuse me, what they're talking about is 329 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:23,440 this ten percent of federal funding? So one hundred and 330 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:28,000 sixty five million dollars is ten percent statewide of all 331 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:33,519 federal money that right now is frozen. On June thirtieth, 332 00:19:33,519 --> 00:19:38,359 the Department of Education told States that nationwide there was 333 00:19:38,799 --> 00:19:42,119 six point eight billion that was being withheld for programs 334 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:46,960 such as teacher training. Oh my gosh, the teachers have 335 00:19:47,039 --> 00:19:52,880 to be trained, trained in what? Trained in? 336 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 2: What? 337 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:57,319 Speaker 1: I feel like that's an important question to be answered, 338 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,480 because if you're training teachers like Charlotte Mecklenburg schools did 339 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:08,119 by bringing in Ibram x Kendy to teach all of 340 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:11,720 the teachers how not to be or how to be 341 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:16,920 anti racist, and you make them all read a book, 342 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:18,720 and then you have them in for like I think 343 00:20:18,759 --> 00:20:21,640 they paid him something like thirty thousand dollars or something 344 00:20:21,759 --> 00:20:26,000 for a ten minute interview with Sonya Gant on a 345 00:20:26,079 --> 00:20:30,720 zoom call. Yeah, like maybe these types of divisive topics 346 00:20:30,759 --> 00:20:35,880 that the state has sought to root out, and at 347 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,480 the federal level they are attempting to root out these 348 00:20:38,559 --> 00:20:45,880 DEI critical race theory, queer theory, right, these different neo 349 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:51,519 Marxist pedagogies. Then I think, yeah, then that is something 350 00:20:51,519 --> 00:20:55,119 that the state or the national Education Department is what 351 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:57,519 it should be looking to root out. And this is 352 00:20:57,519 --> 00:21:00,400 what the President ran on and one on and he 353 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,839 promised to do this. They want to look at what 354 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:06,240 you're using this money for. So it's not just simply 355 00:21:06,319 --> 00:21:09,759 teacher training, it's what kind of training you're giving the teachers. 356 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:14,880 Then there's after school programs and summer programs. And I 357 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:20,680 would ask here such as right like what kinds of 358 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:24,240 programs are you running? Are you doing privileged walks or 359 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,720 something after school? Like what exactly are these programs? That's 360 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,839 what they want to look at. And the final category 361 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:40,559 services for migrant students and English learners. Migrant students and 362 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:44,440 thanks to the media participating in the corruption of our 363 00:21:44,519 --> 00:21:47,400 language in order to make us all stupider in our 364 00:21:47,519 --> 00:21:52,400 discussions of important issues, when they say migrant students, they 365 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:59,880 mean illegal immigrants. That's what the US Department of Education 366 00:22:00,559 --> 00:22:04,759 wants clarity on what are you funding? What is this 367 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:08,480 money being used for, because we now the new administration 368 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,599 do not want you to be using this money for 369 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:16,200 these things. The delay and possible loss of the funding 370 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:20,160 has cost panic for schools across the country. It could 371 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:27,519 cost Charlotte Mecklenberg School System twelve million dollars twelve million. 372 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,319 Do you know how big Charlotte Mecklinberg School's budget is. 373 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:39,279 I want to say it's about two billion. Maybe I forget. 374 00:22:39,519 --> 00:22:42,599 I know it cleared a billion years ago, so it's 375 00:22:42,599 --> 00:22:48,759 somewhere between one and two billion. Republican President yeah. Republican 376 00:22:48,799 --> 00:22:52,359 President Donald Trump's administration has questioned how some of these 377 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:55,319 six point eight billion dollars is being used. The Office 378 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:59,039 of Management and Budget or OMB, pointed to New York 379 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:05,519 schools that had used money for English language instruction to 380 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:09,960 promote organizations that advocate for immigrants in the country illegally. 381 00:23:11,839 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 2: Right. 382 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,880 Speaker 1: That's why they put a freeze on the funding. They 383 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:18,839 were made aware that you're using these funds for things 384 00:23:18,839 --> 00:23:21,559 that you should not be using these funds. You ask 385 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,279 for funding, and you're like, oh, we're going to use 386 00:23:23,279 --> 00:23:26,759 it for you know, promotion of the English language or 387 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:29,480 instruction in the English language, and then you turn around 388 00:23:29,519 --> 00:23:32,000 and hand it off to some you know, pro illegal 389 00:23:32,039 --> 00:23:38,079 immigrant nonprofit. So no, you don't get to do that. 390 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:43,839 Washington State used money to direct immigrants without legal status 391 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:50,039 once again corrupted language illegal aliens. Okay, Washington State used 392 00:23:50,039 --> 00:23:54,400 the money to direct illegal aliens towards scholarships that the 393 00:23:54,480 --> 00:24:01,240 Trump administration says we're intended for American students. Are we 394 00:24:01,279 --> 00:24:04,680 at the point in the debate where it's not happening. No, no, 395 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:07,400 we can't be there because we just have now evidence 396 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,960 that it does happen. So now we're at the second 397 00:24:11,039 --> 00:24:16,079 level in the argument where they say, Okay, fine, it's happening, 398 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:19,279 but it's not a lot. They do this on everything, 399 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:24,440 particularly like the trends in sports, vote fraud. Right, it's 400 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:27,319 the same pattern, voter ID whatever, it's the same pattern. 401 00:24:27,519 --> 00:24:29,799 It's not happening. And then okay, maybe it's happening, but 402 00:24:29,839 --> 00:24:32,519 it's not a lot. It doesn't affect anything. And it's like, okay, 403 00:24:32,559 --> 00:24:35,200 find it may have influenced some particular races or something 404 00:24:35,759 --> 00:24:39,920 or instances, but it's not widespread. You know. 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So kudos you know credit where it is 424 00:25:45,319 --> 00:25:49,720 due to the Charlotte Observer Raleigh News and Observer reporter 425 00:25:49,839 --> 00:25:54,200 t Qonghuei, who did put in this story. A response 426 00:25:54,279 --> 00:25:58,119 from the Administration and the Office of Management Budget as 427 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:03,640 to why the funding has been frozen while a review 428 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:09,279 is done because the administration has identified some problems, shall 429 00:26:09,319 --> 00:26:12,519 we say, with the way the funds this six point 430 00:26:12,559 --> 00:26:15,799 eight billion dollars is being used in various states and 431 00:26:15,839 --> 00:26:20,559 school districts. Right, I mentioned the New York schools funneling 432 00:26:20,559 --> 00:26:23,559 money that was supposed to be for English language instruction 433 00:26:24,079 --> 00:26:28,440 instead using it to promote organizations that advocate for illegal 434 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,920 immigrants or as they say in the story, immigrants in 435 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:35,480 the country illegally, which that just flies in the face 436 00:26:35,519 --> 00:26:38,720 by the way of like all journalism and training, which is, 437 00:26:38,799 --> 00:26:41,240 you use as few words as possible to tell the story, 438 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:45,839 because the more you can edit it down, the more 439 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:49,039 information you can put in the story. Whether you're print 440 00:26:49,279 --> 00:26:53,519 where you're constrained by you know, word counts and column inches, 441 00:26:54,039 --> 00:26:58,119 you're radio constrained by time, TV constrained by time. So 442 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:01,000 you want to tell the story few words as possible. 443 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:03,920 And so rather than say illegal immigrants, they've constructed all 444 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,759 of these longer ways to say immigrants in the country 445 00:27:07,839 --> 00:27:12,960 illegally or immigrants without legal status, all to sanitize the 446 00:27:13,039 --> 00:27:18,119 issue and to conflate two different groups of people, two 447 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:23,519 different categories. What else did they find, Oh, grant funds 448 00:27:23,559 --> 00:27:27,599 were used for a seminar on queer resistance in the arts. 449 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:30,720 So yeah, they want to take a look at the funds. 450 00:27:30,759 --> 00:27:32,799 They want to know what you're spending it on. Many 451 00:27:32,839 --> 00:27:36,960 of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize 452 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:39,519 a radical left wing agenda, the OMB said. In a 453 00:27:39,559 --> 00:27:43,119 statement to the Associated Press, the administration said that it 454 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,920 had not made any final decisions about whether to withhold 455 00:27:46,079 --> 00:27:49,640 or release individual grants, but school leaders fear they may 456 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,279 not get the six point eight billion because Trump's twenty 457 00:27:52,319 --> 00:27:56,359 twenty six budget proposal called for Congress to zero out 458 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:00,200 all of the programs under review. So that's why North 459 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,880 Caro North Carolina taxpayers now are going to be joining 460 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:08,440 a lawsuit and having to pay to litigate something that 461 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:14,079 hasn't even been decided. Back in February, the Education Department 462 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:18,599 canceled six hundred million dollars in teacher training grants, ninety 463 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,200 million of that was earmarked for North Carolina, on the 464 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:24,119 grounds that they were being used to promote devisive ideologies. 465 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,960 Then in April, the Education Department announced that it was 466 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:32,279 canceling a billion dollars in school mental health grants. The 467 00:28:32,319 --> 00:28:37,720 Trump administration again cited the promotion of DEI. Trump is 468 00:28:37,759 --> 00:28:40,559 also pursuing a plan to dismantle the Department of Education, 469 00:28:40,759 --> 00:28:44,200 and actually yesterday the Supreme Court allowed him to go 470 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:48,480 ahead with the plan to layoff some fourteen hundred Education 471 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:54,440 Department employees. North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined in 472 00:28:54,599 --> 00:28:57,519 seven of the thirty eight lawsuits so far filed by 473 00:28:57,519 --> 00:29:02,200 Democrat attorneys generals against the Trump administration. So that's what 474 00:29:02,319 --> 00:29:07,559 our attorney general is focusing his time on. By the way, 475 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:14,319 maybe completely unrelated here this story the other day, actually 476 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:19,319 a couple weeks ago, out of real clear politics, out 477 00:29:19,359 --> 00:29:25,200 of Carl'sbad, California. If I was living in Carlsbad, I 478 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:30,160 would name my kids Carl I mean, if they were bad. Anyway, 479 00:29:30,519 --> 00:29:34,960 parents are demanding answers after a self described science of 480 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:42,319 BDSM expert from a clinic providing transsurgeries, as well as 481 00:29:42,359 --> 00:29:46,960 representatives from organizations that help facilitate gender transitions. We're all 482 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,480 scheduled to speak at a California high school during a 483 00:29:49,519 --> 00:29:56,599 recent week of events supporting LGBTQ students LGBTQ students, and 484 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,759 that opens the door for BDSM. Do you know BDSM 485 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:03,440 is you got kids in the car, may just want 486 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,240 to turn the volume down for like just two seconds, 487 00:30:06,319 --> 00:30:10,640 maybe three seconds. That's it, okay, ready, go. BDSM stands 488 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:17,000 for bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism. Okay, and we're back 489 00:30:17,279 --> 00:30:23,160 so BDSM. They brought in some self described BDSM expert. 490 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:31,680 Parents learned that this individual meta Beach, who lists his 491 00:30:31,799 --> 00:30:35,000 pronouns as They then planned to speak as part of 492 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:40,079 the Gender Sexuality Alliance Club's ally week. After looking into 493 00:30:40,119 --> 00:30:43,039 his business websites and social media accounts, which contained at 494 00:30:43,119 --> 00:30:46,720 least one photo of Beach engaged in BDSM and listed 495 00:30:46,759 --> 00:30:50,039 workshops that he has led called kink one oh one 496 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:54,680 and examining self injurious behavior, erotic play, and body modification. 497 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:59,799 Several concerned parents contacted the high school and the superintendent's office, 498 00:31:00,279 --> 00:31:06,640 not happy. A bunch of bigots, right, all right, that'll 499 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:09,319 do it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening. 500 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:11,559 I could not do the show without your support and 501 00:31:11,599 --> 00:31:14,319 the support of the businesses that advertise on the podcast, 502 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:16,759 so if you'd like, please support them too and tell 503 00:31:16,799 --> 00:31:18,519 them you heard it here. You can also become a 504 00:31:18,559 --> 00:31:23,240 patron at my Patreon page or go to thepetecleanershow dot com. Again, 505 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:25,960 thank you so much for listening, and don't break anything 506 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:30,599 while I'm gone.