1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,319 Speaker 1: The federal contracts that should go to small businesses. So 2 00:00:03,359 --> 00:00:06,639 that's our primary. But California, where we are based and 3 00:00:06,679 --> 00:00:11,279 where I live, is you know, suffering from these kind 4 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:15,640 of policies, and it's just a head scratcher, right, you know, 5 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:19,719 how do you begin to re educate a population that 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:23,480 could appreciate positions that could help them and long term 7 00:00:23,519 --> 00:00:25,800 and who's got patients? If you need that kind of 8 00:00:26,039 --> 00:00:28,519 a job right now, or you need that you think 9 00:00:28,559 --> 00:00:30,399 you need that kind of a minimum wage. So now 10 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,159 it's an animal chasing its own tail and a bad cycle. 11 00:00:34,359 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 2: You're listening to Carrie. 12 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,679 Speaker 3: Let'sa's financial survival Network where you get valuable information you 13 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:44,119 just can't find anywhere else to thrive in today's trying times. 14 00:00:44,399 --> 00:00:48,399 You need the Financial Survival Network now more than ever. 15 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,479 Go to Financial Survivalnetwork dot com and get your free 16 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:58,280 newsletter and gift. Financial Survival Network now more than ever. 17 00:01:01,759 --> 00:01:05,159 Speaker 2: And welcome you are listening to and watching the Financial 18 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,519 Survival Network. I'm your host, Carry Lutz. Well today, Bruce 19 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,959 Detres is with US now and he is director of 20 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:18,359 communications the American Small Business League, and we're talking pre 21 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,439 call Bruce. We got a few issues to talk about. 22 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:26,120 But what's been on my attention lately is the boondoggle, 23 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:33,840 the disaster of the state that used to epitomize American 24 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:41,400 ingenuity and entrepreneurism. I'm talking about California and their twenty 25 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:46,879 dollars minimum wage rate that they've implemented. Actually it's like 26 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,480 twenty dollars and thirty five cents, and it's leading fast 27 00:01:50,519 --> 00:01:56,319 food places, Starbucks, all sorts of small businesses to shut 28 00:01:56,359 --> 00:02:03,439 down in the fast foods now RFK. Junior might be 29 00:02:03,519 --> 00:02:06,599 happy about it because then people will be eating less junk. 30 00:02:07,079 --> 00:02:09,759 But the people who are losing their jobs here, Bruce, 31 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,639 no one ever thought about them. And yet we have 32 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:18,719 so much research that proves exactly what's happening now is 33 00:02:18,759 --> 00:02:22,360 so predictable that when you raise the minimum wage, you 34 00:02:22,479 --> 00:02:28,479 hurt the most, the least paid, poorest workers. Nothing changes. 35 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:36,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's a symptom of decades of terrible economic 36 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:41,360 policies and also bad education, so that this is what 37 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:45,800 young people could support, which ultimately, you know, a policy 38 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,280 that sounds like short term, quick cash in their pocket, 39 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:54,360 but long term it's destructive of businesses. And we've got 40 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,319 a mile high view from the about the federal contracts 41 00:02:58,319 --> 00:03:02,000 that should go to small businesses. That's our primary. But California, 42 00:03:02,039 --> 00:03:05,719 where we are based and where I live, is you know, 43 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:10,919 suffering from these kind of policies, and it's just a 44 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,400 head scratcher, right, you know, how do you begin to 45 00:03:14,039 --> 00:03:18,719 re educate a population that could appreciate positions that could 46 00:03:18,879 --> 00:03:21,159 help them in long term and who's got patients? 47 00:03:21,199 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 2: If you need that kind of a. 48 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: Job right now, or you need that you think you 49 00:03:25,319 --> 00:03:27,840 need that kind of a minimum wage. So now it's 50 00:03:27,879 --> 00:03:30,759 an animal chasing its own tail and a bad cycle. 51 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:36,719 Speaker 2: Yeah. So obviously you talk about re education and not 52 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:43,120 in the North Korea or the Soviet Union China sense 53 00:03:43,159 --> 00:03:47,599 of the word, but actually re educating people to understand 54 00:03:47,719 --> 00:03:53,759 economic truths, because nobody should be surprised about the fallout 55 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:58,199 from that policy in California. There has been so much 56 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,639 research done post World War Two about the minimum wage 57 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:07,719 and that it's a job killer. And you know, to 58 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:12,919 see you Starbucks close three hundred stores in California, it's 59 00:04:14,039 --> 00:04:16,439 you know, I'm surprised they're not closing more. 60 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,199 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, And you know, forgive me for you know, 61 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,680 cutting to not cutting to the chase. But maybe extrapolating 62 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,000 to the end of the line, which is again I 63 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:33,319 accuse this of being a symptom of decades, maybe a century, 64 00:04:33,959 --> 00:04:39,720 of policies that have squeezed small businesses, that are squeezing 65 00:04:39,759 --> 00:04:42,959 small businesses that the person who can work for themselves. 66 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:46,959 This used to be a nation of individuals working on 67 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:48,399 the farm, small businesses. 68 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 2: And maybe one. 69 00:04:51,079 --> 00:04:54,399 Speaker 1: Could argue, well, it's just industrialization. It's been modernization, Bruce, 70 00:04:54,439 --> 00:04:57,199 you're talking about, you know, the Industrial Revolution. It's one 71 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:02,199 hundred and fifty years of development. Hasn't it been natural? 72 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:02,879 Speaker 2: Now? 73 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: I don't see it as being very very natural, And 74 00:05:05,199 --> 00:05:07,319 I certainly see it as a betrayal of the American 75 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:11,120 people because we are a small business nation. Ninety nine 76 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,079 percent of all businesses or small businesses by the government's 77 00:05:14,079 --> 00:05:17,800 definition about the five hundred employees. Ninety eight percent of 78 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,879 all businesses in America have less than one hundred employees, 79 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,480 and the vast majority of federal contracts go to support 80 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,439 the big businesses. It's a complete betrayal of who and 81 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,439 what we are. And the education's part of it. And 82 00:05:30,759 --> 00:05:34,319 these are the macro things that we're obsessed about talking 83 00:05:34,319 --> 00:05:35,519 about obviously. 84 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:44,319 Speaker 2: Right, so and obviously the country's policies, the government's policies 85 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:49,759 towards small business it seems to be not even in 86 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:53,680 the dialogue here. I mean, I heard what's her name, 87 00:05:53,759 --> 00:05:59,040 Kelly Loffler talking about fraud in Minnesota. That's the only 88 00:05:59,079 --> 00:06:05,639 thing I've heard her say since since she became secretary 89 00:06:05,759 --> 00:06:10,959 or whatever of the head of the Small Businesses SBA. 90 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:13,279 She's a business association. 91 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: Yes, administration exactly. Yeah, we accuse the federal government of 92 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:22,319 doing next to nothing for small businesses. For all the 93 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,959 balloons and confettis and press releases at the SBA under 94 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:30,199 every administration for decades now, they pretend and pose as 95 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:33,480 if they're doing anything for small businesses, but they're not. 96 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,720 And I could go into kind of you know, specific 97 00:06:36,759 --> 00:06:38,319 accusations along those lines. 98 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,199 Speaker 2: Yeah. So yeah, tell us like, you know, not only 99 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,319 not doing anything to help, but going out of their 100 00:06:45,319 --> 00:06:49,519 way to harm at times too, right, I agree. Yeah. 101 00:06:49,759 --> 00:06:52,720 Speaker 1: For instance, like I said, ninety eight ninety nine percent 102 00:06:52,759 --> 00:06:56,279 of all businesses in America or small businesses, we see 103 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,839 ninety nine point nine percent of small businesses with that 104 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:04,079 five hundred employee definition, okay, Yeah, and they're represented by 105 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,800 the SBA. Is protecting their interests. Well, the SBA is 106 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:12,480 always under attack by every administration. It's got one of 107 00:07:12,519 --> 00:07:16,079 the smallest budgets. Hmm, shouldn't it have one of the 108 00:07:16,079 --> 00:07:20,879 biggest budgets, representing as it does, such almost the totality 109 00:07:20,959 --> 00:07:27,199 of American businesses. Whereas the Department of Commerce has a 110 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,839 ten billion dollar budget, I believe her an eight billion 111 00:07:29,879 --> 00:07:33,040 dollar budget, and the SBA has a budget of less 112 00:07:33,079 --> 00:07:36,639 than a billion and it's been cut in half I 113 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:40,040 think by Trump last year, down to something like six 114 00:07:40,199 --> 00:07:45,480 hundred million dollars. So right there, whoa wait a minute, 115 00:07:45,759 --> 00:07:46,680 what's the disconnect? 116 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:47,199 Speaker 2: Right there? 117 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,759 Speaker 1: But then folks can go to our site asbo dot 118 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:56,199 com and see our documentation that the twenty three percent 119 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,879 of federal contracts that are supposed to go to small 120 00:08:00,079 --> 00:08:06,519 businesses every year don't don't even though the ESBA announces 121 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,959 every year we met that goal, we surpassed that goal. 122 00:08:10,399 --> 00:08:13,079 How about alone. They really don't want you to know 123 00:08:13,519 --> 00:08:18,120 that our small businesses could and should be applying for 124 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:23,120 federal contracts. That's our that's the elephant in the room 125 00:08:23,399 --> 00:08:25,639 that we're in the business of exposing. 126 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,399 Speaker 2: Right, So it's education for the small businesses too. 127 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:35,039 Speaker 1: Right, well, for all America, because well just especially for 128 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:39,639 small businesses, because most don't know, huh, there's billions of 129 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,919 dollars in business I could be applying. For those that 130 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:47,600 do attempt to do that typically give up because it's labyrinthine. 131 00:08:47,639 --> 00:08:51,120 It's it's very hard to qualify to see exactly what 132 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:54,320 to do. In other words, the giant corporations that have 133 00:08:54,399 --> 00:08:58,039 a lock on those federal contracts carry then they don't 134 00:08:58,039 --> 00:08:59,799 want to make it easy, and the ESBA doesn't help 135 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:02,360 myke it easy. You click ity click into how to 136 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:04,159 get started and things like that, and then all of 137 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,840 a sudden you're pretty much in the weeds. But it's 138 00:09:06,879 --> 00:09:08,799 the best that's out there, and we're just trying to 139 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:12,799 call attention to it because maybe one brave Congressman or 140 00:09:12,879 --> 00:09:16,519 senator could introduce legislation or squeeze a plank into some 141 00:09:16,639 --> 00:09:21,480 bill that's advancing that could declare and show how the 142 00:09:21,519 --> 00:09:25,120 emperor has no clothes. The big businesses that get these 143 00:09:25,159 --> 00:09:27,480 contracts a year after year, carry they're already big. They 144 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:30,799 don't create any new jobs to do this work, whereas 145 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:35,360 real small businesses would create right now with the numbers. 146 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:37,200 If you don't change the numbers. If they really got 147 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,200 their contract you know, the contracts that they're supposed to 148 00:09:40,279 --> 00:09:44,120 small businesses would create more than likely around two million 149 00:09:44,879 --> 00:09:47,720 extra new jobs each year on top of the new 150 00:09:47,799 --> 00:09:50,600 jobs in America creates every year. It would be an 151 00:09:50,639 --> 00:09:54,440 economic boom as intended by the nineteen fifty three Small 152 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,639 Business Act that created the SBA to steer a fair 153 00:09:58,639 --> 00:10:01,279 portion that's what it said in a federal contracts. Now 154 00:10:01,279 --> 00:10:04,159 it's twenty three percent, and also provide loans and other 155 00:10:04,279 --> 00:10:07,879 kind of you know, assistance. But it's part of the 156 00:10:07,879 --> 00:10:11,360 corporate capture of the federal government across the board. 157 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:17,519 Speaker 2: So you know, like I said, always having been in 158 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:22,360 small business myself, some larger, some smaller small business. Now 159 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,320 the capabilities of small businesses with technology have never been greater. 160 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:34,039 And with AI now you could bang out an RFP 161 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:40,399 in minutes on any of these contracts. How are we 162 00:10:40,519 --> 00:10:45,240 using AI to help educate or re educate small business people? 163 00:10:46,279 --> 00:10:48,399 Speaker 1: Well, a lot more couldn't should be done. We don't 164 00:10:48,399 --> 00:10:50,960 particularly use it a lot because of our efforts are 165 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:52,840 focused on the way that we're trying to get the 166 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:56,480 word out there. But I'm glad you appreciate the opportunity 167 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:58,279 in the palm of our hands. There are thirty six 168 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:02,639 million small businesses in America. Thirty two million are in 169 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:07,480 the nai CS codes of the things that the government buys. 170 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:09,919 The federal government is the world's largest. 171 00:11:09,639 --> 00:11:11,159 Speaker 2: Purchaser of gun services. 172 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,399 Speaker 1: They buy everything on the planet. And thirty two million 173 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,320 of them could and should know, like I could apply 174 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:20,679 for these contracts, and it should be a lot easier 175 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:26,480 to do that. There's only a small fraction of our 176 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:30,519 thirty six million small businesses that ever get a federal 177 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:35,639 contract every single year. And to the small business who 178 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:39,440 hear this and say, I'm a hair salon, I clean gutters, 179 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:41,919 I repair garage doors, I'm never going to apply for 180 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:44,440 a federal contract. I don't care about this stuff. Wait 181 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:47,759 a minute, you do, because the small businesses in your 182 00:11:47,759 --> 00:11:50,519 community that would get those or could get those contracts 183 00:11:50,519 --> 00:11:54,759 and hire all those new hires. They need haircuts, they 184 00:11:54,759 --> 00:11:57,120 need their garage there's fixed, they need their gutters clean 185 00:11:57,159 --> 00:11:59,440 and bloom and raise, you know, the whole economy. 186 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 2: Across the board. Yeah. So, you know, when I think 187 00:12:05,039 --> 00:12:12,200 of this, where's that movie comes back to me? War Dogs? 188 00:12:13,879 --> 00:12:18,600 If you remember they were they were bidding on contracts 189 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:22,799 in Afghanistan and other places, and there was a small 190 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,440 business set aside, and these guys got like super wealthy 191 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:31,039 and they were cutting corners and everything. How how do 192 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:37,919 we protect because, like I said before, Kelly Loffler, the 193 00:12:38,159 --> 00:12:41,480 head of the SBA, said, there was like millions and 194 00:12:41,519 --> 00:12:47,840 millions of dollars worth of fraud in Minneapolis. We've got 195 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,600 to be able to make sure that only the people 196 00:12:51,039 --> 00:12:55,559 who deserve to get these contracts, who will faithfully perform 197 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:59,000 them are are awarded them. 198 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 1: Right, Yes, and to that extent, the light needs to 199 00:13:03,519 --> 00:13:08,039 be shine on that malfeasance. The caution is do not 200 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:13,080 let that be used as an excuse to say and 201 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:17,519 we're ready to hear this any day. Uh, the SBA 202 00:13:17,759 --> 00:13:20,679 is so bad at doing that, we're going to push 203 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:23,240 all of its functions into the Department of Commerce or 204 00:13:23,279 --> 00:13:24,080 the Department of the. 205 00:13:24,039 --> 00:13:26,759 Speaker 2: Treasury where it's better. 206 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 1: Managed, and it'll be lost in the fog of bureaucracy. 207 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:34,200 So yes, please find and clean up and prevent that 208 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:38,120 kind of fraud. But it's almost a joke because last 209 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,080 year around March, I think we learn it was announced 210 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:45,720 that the SBA had mismanaged about six hundred million dollars 211 00:13:45,759 --> 00:13:50,399 in loans, and we're going to phase out the Department 212 00:13:50,399 --> 00:13:54,720 of Education, and we're probably going to give the one 213 00:13:54,720 --> 00:14:00,159 point seven I think trillion dollar student loan portfolio to 214 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:04,320 the SBA to manage. Wait a minute, you just said 215 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,240 they couldn't manage six hundred million dollars in loans. You're 216 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:10,720 gonna give them almost two trillion in loans to manage. 217 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,039 While at the same time last year, same time, they 218 00:14:13,039 --> 00:14:16,840 announced we're cutting they budget in half, which presumably will 219 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:20,279 shrink the SBA staff in half. And we have seen 220 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,840 that happening over the last year plus. We're closing offices 221 00:14:22,919 --> 00:14:27,039 because of they're resisting, you know, federal federal policies. So 222 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:31,519 it's this assault on the SBA, which fine, if they 223 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,480 eliminate it, and they eliminate these programs, then no one 224 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,240 will ever talk about one hundred percent of the federal 225 00:14:37,279 --> 00:14:41,000 contracts going to big businesses while there's a law on 226 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:43,159 the books that says twenty three percent ought to go 227 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,519 to legitimate small businesses. So we need to know about 228 00:14:46,559 --> 00:14:49,080 another scandal in Washington, like we need a hole in 229 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,600 the head. But here's something that speaks right to our 230 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,440 hearts and into our wallets. And it's not a Republican 231 00:14:54,519 --> 00:14:58,840 or Democrat thing. It's a main street thing that absolutely 232 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:02,159 if we're very you know, we're outraged about it. We've 233 00:15:02,159 --> 00:15:04,360 got the you know, the facts and figures, and we 234 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,960 just need some brave people and bless you, you know, 235 00:15:07,039 --> 00:15:09,639 for facilitating this kind of a conversation about it. 236 00:15:11,039 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 2: All right, well, so what can you do about it? 237 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,480 I mean, besides writing your congressman, which we know how 238 00:15:17,519 --> 00:15:22,120 good that's going to be. Well, that's that's. 239 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:24,360 Speaker 1: Still a We apply the eighty twenty rule off the 240 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:26,519 top of my head to that. That's the primary thing 241 00:15:26,559 --> 00:15:30,039 we educate folks about, and then to find more to do. 242 00:15:30,159 --> 00:15:33,440 We have a project called Don't Cheat Women. I recommend 243 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,240 folks go to the site don't Cheat Women dot com. 244 00:15:36,279 --> 00:15:39,399 The major goal we're asking for is raised from five 245 00:15:39,519 --> 00:15:43,960 percent to fifteen percent the federal contracts that must go 246 00:15:44,039 --> 00:15:48,519 to women owned small businesses, the extra you know, the 247 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:53,679 extra revenue and jobs that would get created, the political 248 00:15:53,679 --> 00:15:56,360 benefits to women so they can compete for office more 249 00:15:56,399 --> 00:15:59,039 effectively when they are worth as much as men. That's 250 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,320 all listed there. But to your point, the page called 251 00:16:02,639 --> 00:16:05,480 what you can do it does start Kerry, we say, 252 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:09,000 with swipe the letter we have there that explains this problem, 253 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:12,360 and click the links that we show right there, how 254 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:14,600 to find your senators, how to find you congress person, 255 00:16:15,159 --> 00:16:17,559 how to reach to the White House, and Kelly Loffler 256 00:16:17,559 --> 00:16:20,279 at the SBA and say, we've you know, we're aware 257 00:16:20,279 --> 00:16:23,960 of this, this is the problem, please fix it. And 258 00:16:24,919 --> 00:16:28,440 so many Americans never do anything to fight city Hall. 259 00:16:29,039 --> 00:16:32,879 Most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, so you know, 260 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,799 it's another symptom of the last hundred years making life 261 00:16:37,159 --> 00:16:41,080 harder and harder. Are scrambled just to survive. And the 262 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:46,919 mush that generations have in their heads now about how 263 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:51,679 or to participate in civics, to you know, to do anything, 264 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,559 to lobby for a position, to you tug on the 265 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:58,960 sleeve of your representative, let alone run for office. There's 266 00:16:59,039 --> 00:17:02,840 not nearly enough Americans engaged in doing that that kind 267 00:17:02,879 --> 00:17:06,240 of stuff. So that's you know, the shotgun answer to well, 268 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,319 what can we do about it besides writing them? Well, first, 269 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,200 let's write them and harass them on a regular basis, 270 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:15,039 and then brainstorm about how because until until there's an 271 00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:17,319 Act of Congress, it doesn't get fixed. So how do 272 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:20,799 you influence Congress with every advocacy group under the sun. 273 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,920 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, yes, So let me ask you who is 274 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:28,640 the leading proponent for small business in the in the 275 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:30,279 House and in the Senate. 276 00:17:31,759 --> 00:17:36,920 Speaker 1: Well, the leading targets would be the chair people of 277 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:40,640 the Senate Small Business Committee, on the House Small Business Committee, 278 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:45,200 because how can they avoid an appeal to this issue. 279 00:17:45,559 --> 00:17:47,960 And then it's the you know, the dozens or so 280 00:17:48,079 --> 00:17:51,279 that are on each committee. And then it's your candidate 281 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:54,839 in your district. Confront them with this, with these claims, 282 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:59,200 Confront them with what's on asbo dot com and see 283 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,920 if one can pry an acknowledgment of it at it 284 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:04,960 because if you google search of things I just told 285 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:07,480 you carry, you're going to think, well, Bruce is wrong, 286 00:18:07,519 --> 00:18:12,319 because it's it's gleaning from the official pronouncements of this, 287 00:18:12,559 --> 00:18:16,599 you know, corporate captured government we have the pleasure of 288 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:18,480 living under these days. 289 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,039 Speaker 2: If I didn't know better here, Bruce, I would say, 290 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:24,319 you sound a little cynical here. 291 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,559 Speaker 1: Well, I'm more curious. Tell me about this War Dogs movie. 292 00:18:28,599 --> 00:18:29,799 When did it come out? And who's in it? 293 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:35,319 Speaker 2: Jonah Hill and I can't remember the other guy and 294 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:40,160 there he's like they're both kind of down and out, 295 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:46,759 and the one guy starts getting rich doing military contracts 296 00:18:46,839 --> 00:18:51,359 for Afghanistan the Middle East, and it's all about their 297 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,960 wacky antics of the doing this and then wind up 298 00:18:55,000 --> 00:19:00,839 going to jail. And you see them often quoted about 299 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,759 procurement fraud. You know they were He just went through 300 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,559 there's lists and lists and list of contracts and just 301 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,160 bid on them. He knew how to bid. It's just 302 00:19:11,519 --> 00:19:14,839 preparing the bid packet. And now with AI, I meant 303 00:19:15,079 --> 00:19:18,519 anybody could do this. I mean, what should I do 304 00:19:18,599 --> 00:19:21,079 if I want to go get some government contracts just 305 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:24,440 for fun and profit? What what could I do here? Bruce? 306 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,400 Speaker 1: Don't Youat women dot com we have another page called 307 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,519 resources where we've got the best of the most publicly available, 308 00:19:30,799 --> 00:19:33,799 you know, first doors of how to learn how to 309 00:19:33,799 --> 00:19:36,599 apply for a contract. You know, like I warn you, 310 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,839 it's it's it's cumbersome, but at least we're trying to 311 00:19:39,839 --> 00:19:41,599 put it in one place. So okay, that's where you 312 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,519 start with the basics, and then you dig into it 313 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,160 harder and hardy. You try to hold your personal represent 314 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:49,599 you know, your district's representatives, feet to the fire, your 315 00:19:49,599 --> 00:19:52,640 senator if you're lucky enough to catch their ear and 316 00:19:52,799 --> 00:19:53,839 push push push. 317 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:55,240 Speaker 2: Although I might. 318 00:19:55,200 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: Sound cynical, I'm very, very uh convinced about good things 319 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,400 will happen when enough of us know, because our strength 320 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:07,400 is in our numbers, and we are under bombardment for 321 00:20:07,519 --> 00:20:12,960 decades from propaganda and psychological operations to make us fear 322 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:17,839 and hate each other for thousands of reason. 323 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 2: And that's what you're so spot on that you're so 324 00:20:21,519 --> 00:20:28,000 spot on. It's a psyop, right, Yes, it's all a psyop. 325 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:30,319 Speaker 1: And when you dig into the you know the true 326 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:34,680 history behind things. I'll mention I looked into nine to eleven, 327 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:37,680 for example, and wrote a book about that and many 328 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:45,240 other things that uninformed people call conspiracy theories. Whereas when 329 00:20:45,319 --> 00:20:48,759 someone really sees you know the history behind things, you 330 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:53,039 become an adult and you realize there's a dragon to sleigh, 331 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,079 and it's ever been to us. This is what happens 332 00:20:56,319 --> 00:21:00,400 with power, and this is what happens with republics, and 333 00:21:01,039 --> 00:21:04,039 is we are in late stage dissolution. 334 00:21:04,759 --> 00:21:07,039 Speaker 2: And yeah, mind, the ideals of. 335 00:21:07,039 --> 00:21:10,119 Speaker 1: The Founding could still save us if enough of us 336 00:21:10,319 --> 00:21:13,839 knew and cared and got inflamed about it as protectors. 337 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,799 Not only about our own life, the children and the grandchildren, 338 00:21:16,839 --> 00:21:19,359 and all the generations that are relying on us to 339 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:21,880 create conditions that allow them to come. 340 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:29,319 Speaker 2: You're like you're preaching to the choir here, my friend, 341 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:34,200 I'm about to expose a major scandal. I've got a 342 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:39,039 book coming out myself. It's called, and it's hopefully going 343 00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:43,799 to be this week, called America's Great Parking Scam, You've 344 00:21:43,839 --> 00:21:47,759 been Robbed, and it deals exactly with what you're talking about. 345 00:21:48,319 --> 00:21:53,880 Parking is like the fundamental syop in America that millions 346 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:57,000 of you deal with every single day. I don't want 347 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,119 to give anything else away, suffice it to say the 348 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,319 book is going to be a killer. It's combined with 349 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:06,279 a lawsuit in US District Court for the Southern District 350 00:22:06,279 --> 00:22:11,880 of Florida, and I'm expecting it to explode literally all 351 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:17,279 over the pages and websites on the web and YouTube 352 00:22:17,279 --> 00:22:20,559 and everywhere else. So wait, it's the title again. It's 353 00:22:20,559 --> 00:22:26,599 called America's Great Parking Scam, You've Been Robbed? And I 354 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:30,759 will shoot you a copy of the cover. The cover 355 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:36,519 is Yeah, I love the cover. It's like one of 356 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:40,720 my favorite creations I have ever made. I'm going to 357 00:22:40,759 --> 00:22:45,079 shoot it to your right. Now, check the chats. 358 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:48,880 Speaker 1: What's the main website where people can find that and 359 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:49,480 any other. 360 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:54,079 Speaker 2: Well, they just go to my site, to Financial Survival 361 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:58,839 network dot com. Okay, thank you. You see the cover, 362 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:00,440 that's the book cover there. 363 00:23:00,799 --> 00:23:03,400 Speaker 1: I'm going to first just quickly click on all these links, 364 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,960 so my tabs are open. Oppositions over. 365 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,599 Speaker 2: We're the same situation that's called being a power user. 366 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:14,559 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, hoping that my system hopefully won't crash. But 367 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:17,160 blah blah blah. 368 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:19,200 Speaker 2: Good. Oh, I liked. 369 00:23:21,759 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: As a guy from New Jersey. Your cover speaks. 370 00:23:24,839 --> 00:23:30,039 Speaker 2: To me, speaks to everyone. Nobody is happy. But I've 371 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:33,880 I got involved. I got a ticket wrongly in a 372 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:38,240 little beachfront community here in Palm Beach County, and it 373 00:23:38,279 --> 00:23:42,160 didn't look right, and I just started researching, and I 374 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:45,599 kind of tell you I was a guess because it 375 00:23:45,759 --> 00:23:49,119 was so there's so many layers of illegality. I'm not 376 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:50,480 going to get into it. You have to get the 377 00:23:50,519 --> 00:23:53,160 book to find out, but we will shoot you an 378 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:55,839 announcement when we got it. I appreciate you coming on. 379 00:23:56,319 --> 00:24:00,359 Just tell us again, how do we find your organation? 380 00:24:00,519 --> 00:24:01,680 How do we connect with you? 381 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:07,319 Speaker 1: Thank you asb l dot com. Also Don't Cheat Women 382 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:08,960 dot com. 383 00:24:08,839 --> 00:24:14,079 Speaker 2: Love it and you know, the parking industrial complex has 384 00:24:14,079 --> 00:24:19,680 been one of the most injury injurious entities for small retailers, 385 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:24,960 for local retailers because the more difficult, the more extractive 386 00:24:25,039 --> 00:24:28,400 parking becomes, the less people want to go into towns. 387 00:24:29,519 --> 00:24:32,759 Originally they go to the mall to avoid having to 388 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:35,680 go through the parking and getting tickets and all that. 389 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,960 Now they just they just buy online and avoid it all. 390 00:24:40,599 --> 00:24:43,759 So anyway, the book will be out soon. Appreciate you 391 00:24:43,839 --> 00:24:47,680 coming on. Any questions and comments for Bruce myself email 392 00:24:47,839 --> 00:24:50,960 k L at Carrie lets dot com. Also, I'd love 393 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:55,319 to know where you're from, what city state you're listening from. 394 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,079 It's just out of curiosity and Bruce, we will talk 395 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:00,920 to you again. Appreciate thank you for coming on. I 396 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:01,319 love it. 397 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:04,880 Speaker 3: Thank you Carry thanks for listening to Carrie Letz's Financial 398 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:09,960 Survival Network, your solution to today's trying times. For the latest, 399 00:25:10,039 --> 00:25:15,839 go to Financial Survivalnetwork dot com. Financial Survival Network now 400 00:25:15,839 --> 00:25:16,680 more than ever