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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to Bill Handle on demand from KFI AM

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<v Speaker 1>six forty. That's good. You are listening to the Bill

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<v Speaker 1>Handle show. You tell me how you and that.

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<v Speaker 2>You at KFI AM six forty Bill Handle. It is

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<v Speaker 2>a Tuesday morning Taco Tuesday.

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<v Speaker 1>February twenty five.

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<v Speaker 2>If anybody has any doubts whatsoever that Karen Bass is

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<v Speaker 2>a political animal, I do not have any doubts but

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<v Speaker 2>Karen Bass being a political animal.

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<v Speaker 1>She won the mayor oralty simply because she's a Democrat.

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<v Speaker 1>What's that? No other reason?

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<v Speaker 2>Because when Caruso, Paul Caruso ran, they both were on

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<v Speaker 2>the same page. The only difference is he has vast

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<v Speaker 2>experience as a business person, is an administrator of the

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<v Speaker 2>first order, and Karen Bass is simply political. How do

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<v Speaker 2>I know, Well, let's look at what she just pulled off,

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<v Speaker 2>firing Kristen Crowley has had the LA Fire Department. Now

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<v Speaker 2>we start with Karen Bass promising she would not travel

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<v Speaker 2>to Africa when she ran for office. I will not travel.

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<v Speaker 2>Where was she when the fires broke out? Strangely enough,

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<v Speaker 2>in Africa?

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<v Speaker 1>Karen Bass says. The reason she didn't.

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<v Speaker 2>Know the fires were going to be this bad this

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<v Speaker 2>devastating is because Crowley did not tell her. That's the reason,

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<v Speaker 2>even though the National Weather Service had reported days earlier

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<v Speaker 2>that this fire it's going to be a life threatening

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<v Speaker 2>situation because of the potential of fires because the winds

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<v Speaker 2>were so high. So I guess by implication, Karen Bass says,

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<v Speaker 2>no one in the Mayor's department looks at the National

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<v Speaker 2>Weather Service at all.

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<v Speaker 1>They ignore it.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's the fire chief that has to tell the

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<v Speaker 2>Mayor's office that there is a problem. So Karen Bass,

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<v Speaker 2>who's already admitted it was a mistake to go to Africa,

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<v Speaker 2>knows about the fire, or should have known, decides to

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<v Speaker 2>stay in Africa until the next day after the fires

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<v Speaker 2>break out, And she's blaming Crowley and why Crowley is

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<v Speaker 2>being fired because of a lack of leadership, and it's

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<v Speaker 2>in the best interests of the City of Los Angeles

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<v Speaker 2>to can her And she cited report that's Bass that

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<v Speaker 2>fire officials decided not to assign about a thousand available

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<v Speaker 2>firefighters and dozens of water carrying engines for emergency deployment

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<v Speaker 2>in the Palisades. Okay, what the United Firefighters of LA

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<v Speaker 2>have said, and that is the biggest union. She was

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<v Speaker 2>dismissed without a full investigation, and they went on.

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<v Speaker 1>We still have.

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<v Speaker 2>Nearly one hundred broken down fire engines, trucks, ambulances in

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<v Speaker 2>the maintenance yard because of civilian mechanic job cuts.

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<v Speaker 1>And who cut the budget.

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<v Speaker 2>Of the fire department Why, strangely enough, Karen Bass cut

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<v Speaker 2>tens of millions of dollars. But it's Crowley's fault. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>what a cheap shot at just pushing the blame on

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<v Speaker 2>someone else. Just suck it up and say, yeah, we're

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<v Speaker 2>gonna investigate before I'm at a can Crowley. We're going

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<v Speaker 2>to see what happens. Now, Crowley has the ability to appeal.

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<v Speaker 2>She's got ten days to appeal her firing, and that

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<v Speaker 2>can be overturned by two thirds of the city council.

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<v Speaker 2>City council in la is one of the strongest city

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<v Speaker 2>councils of any major city in the United States. They

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<v Speaker 2>wield enormous power and they can overturn the firing even

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<v Speaker 2>though the mayor has the ability to fire department heads.

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<v Speaker 2>And we'll see what happens. Lack of leadership. Really, I'll

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<v Speaker 2>tell you where lack of leadership is going to hit.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think that if Karen Bass loses the next

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<v Speaker 2>election her second term, which I hope she does, because

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<v Speaker 2>she's just throwing She's looking for a scapegoat and she

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<v Speaker 2>found it with a fire chief. I think this is

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<v Speaker 2>going to hurt her big time as it should. Just

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<v Speaker 2>suck it up, you know, just say hey, you know

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<v Speaker 2>I blew it. You know I made a mistake. It's

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<v Speaker 2>going to hurt her in the next election. But I

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<v Speaker 2>think the defense is I'd like to meet anybody who

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<v Speaker 2>has not made a mistake, have them come up here

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<v Speaker 2>and argue they have led an exemplarily an exemplary.

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<v Speaker 1>Political or professional.

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<v Speaker 2>Wife, never made a mistake. I think that's a terrific defense.

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<v Speaker 2>God forbid honesty. And the problem is what she's doing

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<v Speaker 2>is so hamhanded, so ridiculously transparent. Somehow people are going

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<v Speaker 2>to agree with her. Oh yes, we don't need an investigation.

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<v Speaker 2>Karen Bass is absolutely right. She has nothing to gain,

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<v Speaker 2>She has no skin in the game, really, so I'm hoping,

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<v Speaker 2>hoping that Kristin Crowley does appeal. Here's the other problem though,

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<v Speaker 2>and I would think, and I put myself in the

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<v Speaker 2>shoes of Kristin Crowley, is even if I get the

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<v Speaker 2>city council to reinstate me. I still have to have

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<v Speaker 2>a relationship with Karen Bass, and can you imagine how

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<v Speaker 2>poisoned that relationship is going to be, how tainted it's

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<v Speaker 2>going to be.

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<v Speaker 3>You know what's a weird part of this bill is

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<v Speaker 3>there's so much talk about out whistle blowers and protecting

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<v Speaker 3>whistle blowers.

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<v Speaker 1>Couldn't the chief be seen as.

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<v Speaker 3>A whistle blower of sorts when she was saying, hey,

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<v Speaker 3>we were let down and the city has been let

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<v Speaker 3>down by.

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<v Speaker 2>She No, she's not a whistle blower. A whistle blower

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<v Speaker 2>is usually anonymous. It talks about how horrible what's going on.

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<v Speaker 2>I guess you could argue that, but it wouldn't be

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<v Speaker 2>in this circumstances.

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<v Speaker 1>She just went public.

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<v Speaker 2>This is what she said in front of the news

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<v Speaker 2>cameras and said.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, we failed the city, the city failed us. Oh

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<v Speaker 1>does that mean Karen Bass failed the city?

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<v Speaker 2>Oh no, no, no, no, because Karen Bass had no

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<v Speaker 2>idea Because even though she promised not to be in Africa,

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<v Speaker 2>she was in Africa. By the way, it was for

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<v Speaker 2>the inauguration of the Ganadian president, the GANAD. What's the

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<v Speaker 2>plural Gannadian? Is it Canadians to be confused with Canadians.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm not sure anybody knows that.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't either, Yeah, Ganonese Canadians Canadians, not Guinea Guinesians

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<v Speaker 2>or Ganesians.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I know, I know. You stop correcting me. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>that's not your job, all right.

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<v Speaker 2>Coming up, as I have told you, Oh, I don't know,

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<v Speaker 2>maybe two hundred times that whether Trump presidency, big changes

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<v Speaker 2>are coming have already come, and I think the biggest one,

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<v Speaker 2>certainly internationally, is Trump siding with Putin. Up to this point,

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<v Speaker 2>the United States has been firmly on the side of Ukraine,

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<v Speaker 2>even though there was some issues about supplying the latest

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<v Speaker 2>weaponry out there.

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<v Speaker 1>The United States high high end weaponry.

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<v Speaker 2>But for the most part, the Biden administration was very

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<v Speaker 2>pro Ukraine, as Europe has been. Now it's gone the

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<v Speaker 2>other way. Putin is the good guy as far as

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<v Speaker 2>Trump is concerned. The war in Ukraine was started by Ukraine.

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<v Speaker 2>Putin is not a dictator. Zelensky is a dictator, and

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<v Speaker 2>Putin and Trump are going to figure out the end

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<v Speaker 2>of the war without Ukraine being involved in any of

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<v Speaker 2>the discussion. Pete's talks, because what does Ukraine have to

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<v Speaker 2>do with that. This is between Putin and the president.

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<v Speaker 1>So a little bit of history.

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<v Speaker 2>One of the things that the president, our president wants

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<v Speaker 2>is basically out of NATO.

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<v Speaker 1>NATO was created in nineteen forty nine.

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<v Speaker 2>Because the fear of just the start of the Cold

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<v Speaker 2>War big time, and the fear was a Russian invasion

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<v Speaker 2>into Western Europe. There was a real fear of atomic

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<v Speaker 2>weapons being used launched first by Russia, the space race,

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<v Speaker 2>which Russia initially was winning, but the fear that Russia

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<v Speaker 2>far outpaced the United States and technology, certainly missile technology.

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<v Speaker 1>In reality, Russia was.

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<v Speaker 2>Basically only concerned with the space race and did not

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<v Speaker 2>have anywhere near the missile technology.

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<v Speaker 1>Kennedy was the ultimate Cold warrior, just for your information.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, he came in and he stayed frightened, and

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<v Speaker 2>he wanted to bulwark against Russia.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, so that's the background of NATO. NATO was created

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<v Speaker 1>to make sure Russia doesn't invade.

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<v Speaker 2>The United States was the primary source of not only men,

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<v Speaker 2>but of money power, of money power and weaponry. Well,

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<v Speaker 2>as the years go past, you know, not so much

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<v Speaker 2>is Western Europe going to be invaded by Russia. Certainly

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<v Speaker 2>Ukraine was, but Ukraine is an outlier and comparison is Hitler.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh my, look what happened in Hitler in nineteen thirty

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<v Speaker 2>eight with the annexation of Austria and then the attack

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<v Speaker 2>of Poland.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not the same.

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<v Speaker 2>And the Western world at that time Europe just let

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<v Speaker 2>it happen because they were frightened and they wanted peace.

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<v Speaker 2>No matter what, It's a very different animal. Does anybody

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<v Speaker 2>you know here?

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<v Speaker 1>It is? No one believed that what Hitler was going

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<v Speaker 1>to do.

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<v Speaker 2>But is Russia going to attack any other country than Ukraine?

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<v Speaker 2>Ukraine not being a member of NATO, NATO of which

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<v Speaker 2>most of Western Europe, those countries are members of By

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<v Speaker 2>treaty Article five of a NATO treaty, an attack on

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<v Speaker 2>one is an attack on all, which means Europe is

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<v Speaker 2>committed to going to war with Russia in the event

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<v Speaker 2>of an attack on any of the NATO countries.

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<v Speaker 1>Putin knows that.

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<v Speaker 2>There is no sense that Europe would back down at all.

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<v Speaker 2>Is Putin able to successfully fight Europeans? He can't even

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<v Speaker 2>fight Ukraine. The number of men he has lost, the

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<v Speaker 2>amount of equipment he has lost, The economy is a mess.

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<v Speaker 2>All because of the war in Ukraine. Is he going

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<v Speaker 2>to expand that? I can't imagine it. Also, he has

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<v Speaker 2>since he has become President of Russia and the dictator,

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<v Speaker 2>and then even way way before when he was a

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<v Speaker 2>colonel in the KGB, in the spy services, he has

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<v Speaker 2>always maintained that Ukraine, at least the eastern part of Ukraine,

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<v Speaker 2>is part of Russia. It is part of Russia. He

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't think Germany is part of Russia. He doesn't think

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<v Speaker 2>France is part of Russia. He doesn't think Spain is

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<v Speaker 2>part of Russia.

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<v Speaker 1>So what does he do? He goes to war.

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<v Speaker 2>So here is President Trump saying we don't want any

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<v Speaker 2>part of it.

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<v Speaker 1>Russia effectively has to grow up.

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<v Speaker 2>Russia relying on Europe has to grow up Europe relying

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<v Speaker 2>on the United States. Well, those days are basically done.

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<v Speaker 2>And our involvement in NATO is big time. A lot

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<v Speaker 2>of troops, for example, in Germany. Why are there troops

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<v Speaker 2>in Germany? Well to protect Western Europe from the Russian invasion, which.

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<v Speaker 1>At this point is kind of hard to believe. Maybe

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<v Speaker 1>I'm wrong, I have no idea.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe Putin is crazy enough to invade a NATO country

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<v Speaker 2>and go to.

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<v Speaker 1>War with Europe, all of Europe don't know. My guess

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<v Speaker 1>is no.

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<v Speaker 2>So Trump's position, and I think to a great extent,

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<v Speaker 2>he's right, Hey, it's time for us to stop being

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<v Speaker 2>the policeman of the world. Now for those of you,

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<v Speaker 2>and he's talking to Europeans, do you want that kind

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<v Speaker 2>of security?

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<v Speaker 1>You guys do it? Don't rely on us anymore.

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<v Speaker 2>And the reality is Europe has relied on the United

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<v Speaker 2>States as a default. They'll take care of us, the

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<v Speaker 2>US will take carebus. So I think that's a legitimate argument.

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<v Speaker 1>I do.

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<v Speaker 2>There are many people that think, in the amount of

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<v Speaker 2>money we spend the defense of Europe, is it really

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<v Speaker 2>are battle? I mean, it will be if it turns

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<v Speaker 2>out that Russia invades any one of the NATO countries.

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<v Speaker 2>And how you think Russia is going to do with

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<v Speaker 2>the United States as well as all the other European countries.

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<v Speaker 1>The vast majority of Europe, you know, is proutent it

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<v Speaker 1>and go to war.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I doubt that. So Europe has to grow up.

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<v Speaker 2>Now you couple that, which is a legitimate stand. Whether

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<v Speaker 2>you believe it or not, you can't argue it's a

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<v Speaker 2>legitimate stand, at least in my opinion with the statements

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<v Speaker 2>that it's Zelenski who is the dictator Ukraine started the war.

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<v Speaker 1>Putin is the nice guy, He's the good guy. Do

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<v Speaker 1>you remember during the first term where.

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<v Speaker 2>Donald Trump said, I believe Putin more than I believe

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<v Speaker 2>seven All of the intelligence agencies in the United States,

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<v Speaker 2>all seventeen of them are liars.

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<v Speaker 1>They are part of the deep state.

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<v Speaker 2>Putin is the one who's telling the truth and said

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<v Speaker 2>he's a good guy. On top of that, you know

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<v Speaker 2>who's jumping up and down for joy Putin. He's getting

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<v Speaker 2>exactly what he wants. He's the big winner on this one. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>Trump may be considered the big winner in certain circles,

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<v Speaker 2>those who want the US out of Europe, but there

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<v Speaker 2>is no question to the extent that Donald Trump wins this.

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<v Speaker 2>Putin is on a whole different level in terms of

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<v Speaker 2>the wind, in terms of the win. All right, another

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<v Speaker 2>chapter in the digital aid. On Sunday, our Governor Gavin

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<v Speaker 2>Newsom announced an initiative, a new Digital Democracy initiative. And

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<v Speaker 2>what it's going to do is connect residents, all residents

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<v Speaker 2>in California who want to go online. It will connect

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<v Speaker 2>those residents directly with government officials in times of disaster

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<v Speaker 2>allow them to express their concerns. So how do normal people,

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<v Speaker 2>those of us who are not in government. What is

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<v Speaker 2>the way that we connect with our government officials? We

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<v Speaker 2>go to town halls, we write letters or now send emails.

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<v Speaker 2>We accost them on the street. That's the fun part,

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<v Speaker 2>bashing them on the street. We do it via the

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<v Speaker 2>news organizations who shove microphones in their faces.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, most people don't have a chance.

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<v Speaker 2>Keep in mind, California is what forty million people, I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>how many of us actually deal directly with our politicians.

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<v Speaker 2>So engaged California is going live with a focus on

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<v Speaker 2>adying victims of the wildfires and Pacific Palisades now Tadina

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<v Speaker 2>who are struggling to recover. And the comments shared online

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<v Speaker 2>well could potentially will prompt government action regarding insurance coverage,

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<v Speaker 2>for example, building standards, efforts to require utilities to bury

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<v Speaker 2>power to bury power lines. But herein lies the problem,

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<v Speaker 2>and that is already at town hall meetings, you get

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<v Speaker 2>disparate views. You get people in favor, people against any

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<v Speaker 2>proposed procedure and he proposed law.

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<v Speaker 1>You get people that are.

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<v Speaker 2>Saying you should change it. And these are the few

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<v Speaker 2>hundred people that show up. How does government deal with

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<v Speaker 2>millions or at least hundreds of thousands of comments coming

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<v Speaker 2>in newsom thinks it's going to help. Maybe, I don't know.

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<v Speaker 2>It seems like someone has to go through that. This

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<v Speaker 2>is actually modeled after a program like that in Taiwan,

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<v Speaker 2>and Taiwanese government loves this thing.

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<v Speaker 1>It takes public.

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<v Speaker 2>Comments and as a matter of fact, it actually acts

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<v Speaker 2>on public comments and they view it as pretty valuable stuff. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>the part that they do use or what they utilize

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<v Speaker 2>these town forums, this digital town forum in Taiwan, is

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<v Speaker 2>to stop the disinformation, just shut it. That I think

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<v Speaker 2>is incredibly valuable because there's so much.

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<v Speaker 1>Of that garbage going on, Because well, do we get.

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<v Speaker 2>Our news anymore from normal news sources mainstream media, of course. Not.

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<v Speaker 2>Where we get our news is from the internet, from

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<v Speaker 2>crazy people. Well, these town halls the government is hosting,

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<v Speaker 2>it's online. It's the same mechanism, it's the same platform

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<v Speaker 2>that the crazy people use. And so to straighten out

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<v Speaker 2>crazy people and conspiracy theories, etc. What the government is

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<v Speaker 2>doing not just issuing press releases, not just going public,

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<v Speaker 2>they're going to the same source. They're fighting fire with fire,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think that one makes sense. I'm okay with that,

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<v Speaker 2>so join up and you two can be heard. Also,

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<v Speaker 2>talk radio used to be the mechanism where people could

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<v Speaker 2>affect change. This was the days before the Internet and

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<v Speaker 2>talk radio were people calling in. It was all about Collins.

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<v Speaker 2>Now your regular Joe, which I don't know why it's

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<v Speaker 2>a regular Joe. Why not regular George? Never figure that out.

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<v Speaker 1>You could write a letter to the editor and how

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<v Speaker 1>many get printed?

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<v Speaker 2>Right?

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<v Speaker 1>Three?

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<v Speaker 2>But you go on talk radio and you go ahead

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<v Speaker 2>and spout your views or did spout your views? That

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<v Speaker 2>was the mechanism because it was all about phone calls. Well,

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<v Speaker 2>those days are gone, and there is a way for

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<v Speaker 2>the regular Joe or George to go ahead and have

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<v Speaker 2>people listen, and that is via the internet now TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, whatever,

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<v Speaker 2>And unfortunately more influence is now.

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<v Speaker 1>There is more.

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<v Speaker 2>Influence from the crazy people than there are from the

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<v Speaker 2>normal people. The only thing I found TikTok I loved

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<v Speaker 2>was the cinnamon challenge that to me was the best

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<v Speaker 2>simply the best use of the Internet that.

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<v Speaker 3>Has ever pinnacle, yes, pinnacle of the you bet it

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<v Speaker 3>is people coffing on cinnamon.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh yeah, it's just great.

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<v Speaker 2>It's well worth looking up the cinnamon challenge. Okay, this

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<v Speaker 2>segment is about the US Postal Service. Now, government is

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<v Speaker 2>not particularly trusted by.

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<v Speaker 1>The peoples of the United States. The Postal Service is.

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<v Speaker 2>It's I think the country's most popular institution, approval rating

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<v Speaker 2>as high as ninety percent.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, some stats the USPS US Postal.

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<v Speaker 2>Service delivers forty eight percent of the world's mail. Half

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<v Speaker 2>of the world's mail is delivered by the Postal Service

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<v Speaker 2>one hundred and sixty million homes. So now, what's going on, Well,

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<v Speaker 2>what happened in March, late March the post of this

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<v Speaker 2>last late March, the Postal Service struggled to deal with

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<v Speaker 2>the fallout of the pandemic.

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<v Speaker 1>President Trump now threatens.

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<v Speaker 2>To veto a version of a bipartisan Cares Act two

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<v Speaker 2>point two trillion dollars stimulus package that contained a thirteen

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<v Speaker 2>billion dollar grant to.

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<v Speaker 1>The Postal Service.

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<v Speaker 2>And the Post Service, saying we need it. We have

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<v Speaker 2>to keep meeting payroll, we have to gas our vehicles,

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<v Speaker 2>we have to pay suppliers.

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<v Speaker 1>So what he.

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<v Speaker 2>Finally signed was a ten billion dollar not a grant,

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<v Speaker 2>a loan to the Postal Service, which is a quasi

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<v Speaker 2>into independent agency of the United States, and the ten

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<v Speaker 2>billion dollars has to be approved by the Treasury Department. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>the Postal Service has been attacked by conservatives for years.

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<v Speaker 2>Trump has said the post Office is a joke. This

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<v Speaker 2>was on Friday, And what he wants to do, like

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<v Speaker 2>many Republicans, is a go privatization of the Postal Service.

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<v Speaker 2>And he keeps on saying that it is a mismanaged business.

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<v Speaker 2>And so what's being argued now the Trump administration now

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<v Speaker 2>wants drastic service facilities cuts, more non career labor, more

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<v Speaker 2>out sourcing, and a rollback of employee benefits, which, of

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<v Speaker 2>course that's across the board, that's not just Postal Service.

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<v Speaker 2>And well, the laws have gone south on the Postal Service.

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<v Speaker 2>In nineteen seventy, there was actually a wildcat strike that

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<v Speaker 2>lasted eight days, and so out of that the nineteen

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<v Speaker 2>seventy Postal Reorganization Act, and what it did is replace

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<v Speaker 2>the Post Office Department with this semi government, high bred

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<v Speaker 2>government agency and corporation, and it would provide collective bargaining

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<v Speaker 2>rights to employees they could unionize. It was supposed to

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<v Speaker 2>be financially self supporting and continue to provide universal service

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<v Speaker 2>at reasonable rates. And the Postal Service had to compete

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<v Speaker 2>with well now Amazon but FedEx UPS. But the difference

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<v Speaker 2>is if you live in normal Alaska, UPS doesn't deliver.

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<v Speaker 2>If you live in an igloo up in Burrough, Alaska,

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<v Speaker 2>which is the northernmost city in the United States, it's

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<v Speaker 2>just two feet below the north Pole, the US Postal

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<v Speaker 2>Service delivers. If someone lives at the bottom of the

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<v Speaker 2>Grand Canyon.

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<v Speaker 1>Do they have postal service? Yeah? Buy mule. Post service

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<v Speaker 1>still goes down to the bottom of the canyon, and

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<v Speaker 1>it's the only mule route that the Postal Service has.

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<v Speaker 2>Airplanes that fly into these little tiny villages in Alaska

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<v Speaker 2>at a tremendous loss.

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<v Speaker 1>It just costs more. The Postal Service just costs Is

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<v Speaker 1>that cost a time?

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<v Speaker 2>By the way, the Postal Service was created before the

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<v Speaker 2>United States was Did you.

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<v Speaker 1>Know that, Ben Franklin, That was the postal service? Go figure.

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<v Speaker 2>I like the Postal Service. I just hate what is

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<v Speaker 2>that first damp? A first class stamp now cost I

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<v Speaker 2>think what ninety three cents something like that. Although you

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<v Speaker 2>can go to costco and buy a roll.

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<v Speaker 1>Is it that money? I think it is that high.

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<v Speaker 1>How much is it? Yeah, oh, it's seventy three cents,

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<v Speaker 1>So I got it.

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<v Speaker 2>And they still lose money at seventy three cents. Where

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<v Speaker 2>they lose money, they might they make money on the

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<v Speaker 2>stamps first class, and they lose money in all that

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<v Speaker 2>third class crap.

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<v Speaker 3>What Why is it a quasi government entity?

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<v Speaker 2>It's because it's a government run. It's well, it's it

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<v Speaker 2>became an independent agency sort of because if it's a

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<v Speaker 2>government agency has to be funded one by the government,

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<v Speaker 2>and it brings in money, it should be a money

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<v Speaker 2>a money maker. Most agencies are not money makers. And

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<v Speaker 2>so it's just there was just a huge move to

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<v Speaker 2>privatize it completely, and I think it was a compromise,

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<v Speaker 2>just to compromise issue.

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<v Speaker 1>That's my guess on this.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, this is KFI AM sixty.

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<v Speaker 1>You've been listening to the Bill Handle Show.

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<v Speaker 2>Catch my show Monday through Friday six am to nine am,

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<v Speaker 2>and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app.