1 00:00:04,879 --> 00:00:05,599 Speaker 1: What's going on. 2 00:00:05,759 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for listening to this podcast. It 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:10,080 is heard live every day from noon to three on 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,839 WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you want exclusive content 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,160 like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, my daily 6 00:00:17,199 --> 00:00:19,480 show prep with all the links, become a patron, go 7 00:00:19,559 --> 00:00:23,399 to dpeteclendershow dot com. Make sure you hit the subscribe button. 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,320 Get every episode for free right to your smartphone or tablet. 9 00:00:26,359 --> 00:00:29,039 And again, thank you so much for your support. You've 10 00:00:29,079 --> 00:00:32,479 got cash, Bettel, You've got In front of the Senate 11 00:00:33,119 --> 00:00:37,079 confirmation hearing, rfk Jr was back at at Tulsea. 12 00:00:37,079 --> 00:00:40,359 Speaker 1: Gabbard was up there. We had the you know, the. 13 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,359 Speaker 2: Press conference from Donald Trump on the plane crash overnight. 14 00:00:43,759 --> 00:00:48,280 And then we also have two legislative hearings up in 15 00:00:48,359 --> 00:00:53,359 Raleigh yesterday and then another one today focusing on Hurricane 16 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:58,880 storm relief and specifically recovery. And I was watching on 17 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,799 Twitter as my co Nick Craig, the host of the 18 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,719 Carolina Journal News Hour that's heard right here on WBT 19 00:01:04,799 --> 00:01:06,799 at five am week days, also the host of the 20 00:01:06,879 --> 00:01:10,840 Nick Craig Show. I saw Nick tweeting through the meeting 21 00:01:10,879 --> 00:01:12,120 and so I said, hey, Nick, why don't you come 22 00:01:12,159 --> 00:01:14,120 on and talk about what you're watching, so I don't 23 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:15,040 have to Nick. 24 00:01:15,079 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: Welcome Sarah, thank you for your service. 25 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 3: Hey, it's a true honor and pleasure to be able 26 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,400 to post on X and for five books with the information. 27 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: Yeah. 28 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:24,439 Speaker 2: So, so where do you want to do? You want 29 00:01:24,439 --> 00:01:26,840 to start with today? Is that freshest in your mind? 30 00:01:26,879 --> 00:01:29,439 You want to do that and then backtrack to yesterday 31 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,280 and talk about what happened yesterday, or I'll just I'll 32 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:32,959 take your lead. 33 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:36,359 Speaker 3: Let's start with today. And it's pretty confusing because we've 34 00:01:36,359 --> 00:01:38,560 got two different things that we're talking about here. There's 35 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,719 storm recovery for storms that hit the eastern half of 36 00:01:42,799 --> 00:01:46,120 North Carolina in twenty sixteen and twenty eighteen. Those were 37 00:01:46,159 --> 00:01:49,239 Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. And there's an agency in a 38 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,560 group known as ENCORE, the North Carolina Office of Recovery 39 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,519 and Resiliency also known as rebuild NC, that is responsible 40 00:01:56,599 --> 00:01:59,599 for that situation in the east. And now we've got 41 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,599 a new group under the new governor, Josh Stein, the 42 00:02:02,599 --> 00:02:06,079 former Democrat Attorney General, called a GROW and see that's 43 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,240 the Governor Recovery's Office for Western North Carolina. 44 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 1: So Pete. 45 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 3: I know you love acronyms so much, so a lot 46 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,599 of acronyms all over the place. But the committee meeting 47 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:16,879 that took place early this morning in Raleigh around eight 48 00:02:17,039 --> 00:02:20,919 thirty focused on the storms from at this case almost 49 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,280 a decade ago in the eastern half of the state. 50 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,319 And this group en Corpete, really has had a huge 51 00:02:27,319 --> 00:02:31,479 amount of issues since the start. As it stands right now, 52 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,919 we learned that they're needing about an additional two hundred 53 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,360 and sixteen million dollars if everything is supposed to go 54 00:02:38,439 --> 00:02:42,159 as planned, two hundred and sixteen million additional dollars to 55 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,680 get more than twelve hundred individuals back into their homes 56 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,960 that have been waiting in some cases since twenty sixteen 57 00:02:49,319 --> 00:02:51,960 to have their homes rebuilt by the state. The number 58 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,840 continues to rise for how much money they need. They 59 00:02:54,879 --> 00:02:57,479 have a two hundred plus person staff, and the work 60 00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:59,599 is not being done in a timely and efficient manner. 61 00:02:59,599 --> 00:03:02,199 In law masers are incredibly frustrated with it. 62 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so I said, Okay, So I lied, I 63 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,360 didn't Well, I didn't lie. I didn't have to watch it, 64 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:12,360 but I did watch some of it. So I started 65 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,280 I listened on the way in and I caught some 66 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:18,159 of the comments, and maybe you can correct the number, 67 00:03:18,159 --> 00:03:21,800 but I heard somewhere around eleven hundred homes still to 68 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,479 be built, and they are promising Prior Gibson who's now 69 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,599 in charge, although I'm more respectful I call him Previous Gibson. 70 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,639 But Prior Gibson's in charge of this agency now because 71 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,520 the previous head, Laura hoggshead, she was shown the door 72 00:03:38,879 --> 00:03:43,000 about a month or so ago because of the ineffectiveness 73 00:03:43,439 --> 00:03:46,319 of the agency under her leadership. And I think he said, 74 00:03:46,319 --> 00:03:48,879 like eleven hundred or so homes that they're trying to 75 00:03:48,919 --> 00:03:51,280 get built before the end of the year. 76 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: Is what is the promise that he would like to make. 77 00:03:54,039 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 3: But you never know well, and that's part of the 78 00:03:56,439 --> 00:03:59,439 issue here. There's so many different numbers that are being 79 00:03:59,479 --> 00:04:02,039 thrown out of You look at certain set of screenshots 80 00:04:02,039 --> 00:04:05,039 in the presentation, it shows that there are eleven one 81 00:04:06,039 --> 00:04:09,879 and seventy and nine homes under construction or a waiting construction. 82 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,120 But then you add up numbers in a different slot, 83 00:04:12,199 --> 00:04:15,520 it's closer to twelve hundred. So it's somewhere between eleven 84 00:04:15,599 --> 00:04:18,439 and twelve hundred homes that need to be that still 85 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,360 need some level of construction, whether that's a complete and 86 00:04:21,439 --> 00:04:24,199 total rebuild, which we found out costs the state about 87 00:04:24,439 --> 00:04:27,279 the taxpayers more accurately to say about two hundred thousand 88 00:04:27,319 --> 00:04:31,560 dollars or some sort of serious remediation, mold water, whatever 89 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:33,920 it might be. So somewhere between eleven and twelve one 90 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:34,600 hundred homes. 91 00:04:34,639 --> 00:04:36,639 Speaker 2: Now, one of the things that they focused on towards 92 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,040 the end that I heard that I think is actually 93 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,319 overlooked in a lot of these discussions, and I think 94 00:04:41,319 --> 00:04:47,000 Gibson is correct to hammer this, which is the essentially 95 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:51,079 the infrastructure of contractors, the vendors that the state is 96 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,759 using to do the work and in these types of trades, 97 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:57,399 like you got to keep the pipeline filled with work. 98 00:04:57,759 --> 00:05:01,000 And so this is what is jamming up the the legislature, 99 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,759 is that Gibson keeps coming back saying we need more money, 100 00:05:03,759 --> 00:05:07,560 because if there's no money in the pipeline, then the vendors, 101 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,040 the contractors don't get paid or they're not going to 102 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,839 be able to do the work because they're scheduling their 103 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,040 jobs out into you know, months into the future. So 104 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,639 if you've got this sort of network, this infrastructure of 105 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,879 builders that you have compiled for this work, and then 106 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,240 the funding drives up, they're going to go and do 107 00:05:27,319 --> 00:05:31,480 other stuff and then that delays it even further. But again, 108 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:35,240 like you heard, the legislators do not like being put 109 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,279 in the position where they basically have to say yes. 110 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 3: Right well, and that was one thing that was brought 111 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:42,079 up and I don't remember. I think it may have 112 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,680 been Representative Plus brought this up right at the end, 113 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,600 is that you know you're going to start doing things 114 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:48,399 and then you're going to come to the General Assembly 115 00:05:48,439 --> 00:05:51,600 and essentially force our hand into doing it. And you're 116 00:05:51,639 --> 00:05:54,920 right on the whole pipeline issue. Unfortunately, for from the 117 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:58,399 General Assembly standpoint, they have over just the last couple 118 00:05:58,399 --> 00:06:00,879 of months, they have given this age and see a 119 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:04,600 couple somewhere in the ballpark of like eighty or ninety 120 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,480 million dollars that was just for them to get their 121 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,920 shortfall dealt with where they were not paying employees and 122 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,199 contractors weren't getting invoices paid. They just gave them that 123 00:06:14,319 --> 00:06:17,600 money in October and November of last year. And here 124 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,120 we are in the final week of January saying we 125 00:06:20,199 --> 00:06:23,519 need another two hundred and sixteen million dollars for this 126 00:06:23,639 --> 00:06:26,480 project to be completed. Oh and by the way, it's 127 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:28,480 going to take a whole year. And as you noted, Pete, 128 00:06:28,519 --> 00:06:30,079 if you don't give us the money, none of the 129 00:06:30,079 --> 00:06:32,000 contractors are going to want to work with us, and 130 00:06:32,079 --> 00:06:34,240 all of these people in eastern North Carolina will never 131 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:36,519 get their houses rebuilt, is essentially what was said. 132 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, and then the infrastructure that you have built collapses 133 00:06:39,319 --> 00:06:41,839 if it hasn't already, and you got to start from 134 00:06:41,879 --> 00:06:45,600 scratch and getting new vendors and everything else. So from there, 135 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,160 let me pivot to the west, because, as you mentioned, 136 00:06:48,199 --> 00:06:51,639 it's a different recovery effort grow and see Governor's Recovery 137 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,680 Office for Western North Carolina that Josh Stein set up, 138 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:58,759 probably recognizing the political hit he would take if he 139 00:06:58,959 --> 00:07:04,199 allowed end to manage this problem. And Senator Tim Moffatt 140 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:09,079 from Henderson County out west, he made a comment where 141 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,839 he said something like, if you did to Western North 142 00:07:11,879 --> 00:07:15,879 Carolina what you have done to Eastern North Carolina, He's like, 143 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:20,600 we'd probably secede from the state. Like yes, And so 144 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,800 that is definitely in keeping with the Western North Carolina mindset. 145 00:07:23,879 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: So let's shift over there. 146 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 2: This was yesterday right that they took a presentation and 147 00:07:30,199 --> 00:07:31,879 held a hearing on the Western effort. 148 00:07:32,319 --> 00:07:34,879 Speaker 3: Yes, so, yes, the House and the Senate. We're back 149 00:07:34,879 --> 00:07:37,240 in Raleigh for really the start of the twenty twenty 150 00:07:37,279 --> 00:07:40,920 five session. At noon yesterday and around two o'clock, members 151 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:45,199 of Destin Hall's new Helleen Select Committee, which are members 152 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,759 of the House, sat down and got a presentation for 153 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,199 members of Grow and Scene. I've got to give Josh 154 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:53,800 Stein credit of which may be hard for many people 155 00:07:53,839 --> 00:07:55,879 to do, but I got to give Josh Stein credit 156 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:58,720 for getting ahead of this. Yeah, Encore has been broken. 157 00:07:58,839 --> 00:08:01,360 It's been broken for a year. Governor Roy Cooper was 158 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:05,079 essentially silent about ENCORE for the longest period of time. 159 00:08:05,319 --> 00:08:07,439 He never got in front of any of the issues, 160 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:09,920 and to the to the new Governor's credit, within a 161 00:08:10,079 --> 00:08:13,360 day of being in the Governor's mansion, he admitted that 162 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,360 this previous agency in group was not capable of doing 163 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,560 the work and has spawned his own. The question and 164 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:22,399 kind of the issue that is already arising with this 165 00:08:22,519 --> 00:08:26,360 pete is now you are at training wheels again for 166 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,560 a new state agency. You are starting at the absolute 167 00:08:29,639 --> 00:08:32,919 ground floor. While ENCORE has its issues. At least it 168 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,360 has six years plus worth of a track record that 169 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:38,919 it can't that it likely is not to repeat some 170 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:42,519 of those same mistakes over again, versus grow NC, which 171 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:46,200 is brand new and could be susceptible, not guaranteed, but 172 00:08:46,279 --> 00:08:49,480 could be susceptible to creating causing some of the same 173 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:51,200 issues that we saw in the eastern half of the 174 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,240 state because it's a whole new group of people. 175 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, and Gibson mentioned some of this stuff where he 176 00:08:56,279 --> 00:09:00,279 talked about like these exceptional cases where you know, you think, oh, 177 00:09:00,279 --> 00:09:01,879 it's just a rebuild of a house, and then it 178 00:09:01,919 --> 00:09:04,639 turns out well, actually, no, like you don't own the house. 179 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:07,080 It was your cousin's house, and they let you put 180 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,440 a trailer on it, and actually the lot lines were 181 00:09:10,519 --> 00:09:11,360 drawn in correctly. 182 00:09:11,399 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 1: Oh and you're not permitted for this. 183 00:09:12,919 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 2: Oh and you owe back taxes and so all of 184 00:09:15,519 --> 00:09:17,960 these other things start arising as you're going through these 185 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,919 rebuild efforts. And yeah, like this is a concern that 186 00:09:22,039 --> 00:09:24,639 Grow and See is not going to be as prepared 187 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:28,120 to identify those pitfalls because they are building from the 188 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:28,600 ground up. 189 00:09:28,879 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 3: Well, I mentioned this on my podcast this morning. Not 190 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:33,360 to take anything away. I'm, by the way, in the 191 00:09:33,399 --> 00:09:35,399 eastern half of the state, so not to take anything 192 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:39,200 away from Florence and Matthew I lived in Wilmington during Florence. 193 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,399 It was a nasty storm. But Pete, you can't compare 194 00:09:42,639 --> 00:09:46,600 the flat, relatively low lying coastline of the eastern half 195 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:49,320 of the state to the geography out west. I mean, 196 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:52,000 it's not even an apple sta You're not even comparing 197 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,000 fruit to fruit. I mean, it's a completely different ballgame. 198 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,960 When you talk about septic sewer systems, piping all of 199 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,639 that stuff in the western half of the state, you 200 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:03,720 can't even draw an analogy to some of that in 201 00:10:03,759 --> 00:10:06,120 the eastern half. So rightfully, so, I think there's a 202 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:09,799 lot of concern from lawmakers that we don't want and 203 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,600 we heard it today in the hearing, is we can't 204 00:10:12,639 --> 00:10:14,600 keep doing the same thing over and over again. We 205 00:10:14,639 --> 00:10:18,039 heard that from Representative Brandon Jones, who was irate over 206 00:10:18,279 --> 00:10:20,480 what we had seen with encre and doesn't want similar 207 00:10:20,519 --> 00:10:22,440 things to be done by grow and see in the 208 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:23,519 western half of the state. 209 00:10:23,799 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 1: So finally, I'll just make one prediction. 210 00:10:26,159 --> 00:10:30,159 Speaker 2: You're going to hear the term learning curve a lot 211 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,440 in the recovery efforts in the West. 212 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:33,759 Speaker 1: That's my fear. 213 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:36,960 Speaker 2: I suspect we're going to hear that term or something 214 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,480 similar as this thing gets underway. 215 00:10:39,519 --> 00:10:42,159 Speaker 1: I hope not, but that's my suspicion. 216 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 3: So well, yeah, Pete, it's a great point, I'll say 217 00:10:44,519 --> 00:10:48,120 real quickly. To Laura Hogshead's credit, the former Encore director, 218 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,080 she said on her way out of the door, we 219 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,279 already made the mistakes. Don't let another group start up 220 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:56,480 and create and have the same issues that we did. 221 00:10:56,519 --> 00:10:59,039 We made the mistakes, we learned our hard lesson and 222 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:00,919 we don't want to repeat. So there is some truth 223 00:11:00,919 --> 00:11:01,600 to that as well. 224 00:11:01,799 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: Well, that explains it. 225 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,679 Speaker 2: Then maybe she had a checklist of all the mistakes 226 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:06,960 to make and she was just going down a checklist. 227 00:11:08,879 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: Did that one? 228 00:11:09,399 --> 00:11:09,679 Speaker 4: Do that one? 229 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: All right? 230 00:11:10,159 --> 00:11:12,879 Speaker 2: Nick Craig, host of the Carolina Journal News Hour heard 231 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,559 right here on WBT every morning five am, and also 232 00:11:15,879 --> 00:11:17,480 his own show, The Nick Craig Show. 233 00:11:17,799 --> 00:11:18,639 Speaker 1: Where do people get that? 234 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,799 Speaker 3: You can get The Nick Craig Show over at nickcraig 235 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:23,879 dot com or give me a follow over on x 236 00:11:23,919 --> 00:11:25,440 as well. Just search for the Nick Creig Show. Thanks 237 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:26,720 for the time, Pete, appreciate it, Yes. 238 00:11:26,639 --> 00:11:28,399 Speaker 2: Sir, Thanks Nick, get some sleep. He'll be up with 239 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,399 you bright and early tomorrow. And that's Nick Craig. Here's 240 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,039 a great idea. How about making an escape to a 241 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:37,600 really special and secluded getaway in western North Carolina. Just 242 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,159 a quick drive up the mountain and Cabins of Asheville 243 00:11:40,279 --> 00:11:44,080 is your connection. 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So this piece appeared in the McClatchy papers, 271 00:13:11,279 --> 00:13:16,559 Charlotte Observer, Raleigh News An Observer. North Carolina lawmakers opened 272 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:19,799 the business of the twenty twenty five legislative session Wednesday 273 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:24,000 with a hearing on Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, attempting to 274 00:13:24,039 --> 00:13:27,159 sort out how much state funding is necessary and raising 275 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:31,720 concerns over the disbursement of federal aid. Testifying before the 276 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:36,279 House Committee on Helene Recovery. Mark Calabria, the Director of 277 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:40,679 the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina or GROW 278 00:13:40,799 --> 00:13:46,000 and See, along with Jonathan Krebs, the Western North Carolina 279 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:50,840 Recovery Advisor, outlined recovery efforts and funding. Governor Josh Stein 280 00:13:51,519 --> 00:13:54,600 created grow NC to focus on the western part of 281 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,200 the state. According to the Office of State Budgeted Management, 282 00:13:58,759 --> 00:14:02,960 damages and needs in Western North Carolina are estimated at 283 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:09,399 just under sixty billion dollars. Sixty billion dollars by comparison 284 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:13,840 the state budget, Well, it used to be like twenty 285 00:14:13,879 --> 00:14:17,120 Now I think it's like it maybe like thirty something. 286 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,960 This is twice our annual budget, more than twice our 287 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:27,279 annual budget, if I recall. In December, Congress approved a 288 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,600 one hundred billion dollar disaster relief package, and a portion 289 00:14:30,679 --> 00:14:35,039 of that is allocated to North Carolina. State lawmakers have 290 00:14:35,279 --> 00:14:39,360 also allocated about nine hundred million dollars, so just under 291 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:43,759 a billion towards recovery efforts across three different relief bills, 292 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,559 which was news to me because I kept hearing that 293 00:14:47,639 --> 00:14:51,120 the North Carolina Republican General Assembly hadn't given the West 294 00:14:51,159 --> 00:14:53,879 any money. Oh wait, a minute, you're saying they have 295 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:56,559 allocated like a billion dollars. 296 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:57,279 Speaker 1: That's interesting. 297 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,799 Speaker 2: The General Assembly is in fact expected to do more. 298 00:15:05,799 --> 00:15:09,360 There is the Rainy Day Fund, and if I recall correctly, 299 00:15:09,399 --> 00:15:14,879 that's got like fifteen billion I think in it. But 300 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:18,080 even that's not enough. And there are all sorts of 301 00:15:18,799 --> 00:15:23,120 rules when you're trying to get federal money, and so 302 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:27,600 if you spend the state money on stuff, the Feds 303 00:15:27,799 --> 00:15:29,600 may look at that and say, oh, well, then we're 304 00:15:29,639 --> 00:15:32,799 not going to give you reimbursement, basically because. 305 00:15:32,559 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: You paid for it. 306 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 2: So there's this whole game that gets played of Okay, yes, 307 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,720 we know you need this money, so yes, we'll pay 308 00:15:44,759 --> 00:15:47,279 for this stuff. But if you already fixed it because 309 00:15:47,279 --> 00:15:48,919 it was such a high priority, well then you you 310 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:50,840 know you paid for it already, so we'll just use 311 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:55,000 it for other stuff. That guy krabs outline the top priorities, 312 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,600 and right now their first priority is debris. 313 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: Removal and then housing. 314 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:05,399 Speaker 2: Debris removal is really really important because it is fuel 315 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,720 for forest fires which have actually now broken out in 316 00:16:08,799 --> 00:16:12,840 McDowell County. The Crooked Creek fire broke out, and I 317 00:16:12,879 --> 00:16:14,720 heard in one of our newscasts that it is now 318 00:16:14,759 --> 00:16:20,519 at like fifty percent contained. It's the downed trees, all 319 00:16:20,559 --> 00:16:23,440 of that debris, all of the wood, everything that's that's 320 00:16:23,519 --> 00:16:28,960 on the ground. It's dried out and it's awesome fuel 321 00:16:29,519 --> 00:16:34,759 for forest fires. And two other fires then broke out 322 00:16:34,799 --> 00:16:38,000 over the last twenty four hours, also in McDowell County. 323 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:42,200 They're much smaller, but the Crooked Creek fire, the first 324 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:46,039 one had burned more than two hundred and fifty acres. 325 00:16:46,559 --> 00:16:49,039 Speaker 1: And hopefully, I. 326 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,039 Speaker 2: Mean, obviously they're out there fighting the fires and they're 327 00:16:51,039 --> 00:16:52,879 trying to clear some of the debris and make fire 328 00:16:52,919 --> 00:16:57,279 lines that kind of stuff. But that was predicted, by 329 00:16:57,320 --> 00:16:59,960 the way, it was predicted that that would be a problem. 330 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:05,319 Back in October, foxweather dot Com did a story predicting 331 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:09,559 that this could occur because of all of the down trees, 332 00:17:10,759 --> 00:17:13,079 and so now it has happened. Hopefully it'll be the last. 333 00:17:13,759 --> 00:17:16,480 All Right, I hope you had a happy holiday season. 334 00:17:16,519 --> 00:17:19,039 But tell me if something like this happened at your house, 335 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:21,960 your family and friends are gathered around, maybe y'all are 336 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,519 in the living room, you're laughing, swapping stories, reminiscing, and 337 00:17:25,519 --> 00:17:29,359 then somebody says, hey, dad, remember those old VHS tapes 338 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,039 Did you ever get them transferred? And then the room 339 00:17:32,079 --> 00:17:35,880 gets all quiet. All eyes are on Dad, who says, oh, 340 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,000 you know, well, I've been meaning to but I just 341 00:17:38,039 --> 00:17:41,000 having gotten around to it. Look, don't let those priceless 342 00:17:41,039 --> 00:17:43,960 memories sit in a box for another year, all right. 343 00:17:44,079 --> 00:17:46,920 Create a Video has been helping families in the Charlotte 344 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:50,759 area preserve their history since nineteen ninety seven. Simply bring 345 00:17:50,799 --> 00:17:53,720 in your old cam quarter tapes and Creative Video will 346 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:57,119 transfer them to a USB flash drive for just fourteen 347 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:59,640 ninety five per tape. You have a big collection, They've 348 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:02,480 got a discount for you. And next year, instead of 349 00:18:02,559 --> 00:18:07,000 talking about those memories, imagine gathering the family to watch 350 00:18:07,079 --> 00:18:10,240 them together. Talk about a memorable gift. So do what 351 00:18:10,319 --> 00:18:13,680 I did. Trust the experts at creat a Video, conveniently 352 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,480 located in Minhill right off I four eighty five and 353 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:22,039 online at create a Video dot com. So the President 354 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:27,279 has named four North Carolinians to be part of a 355 00:18:27,319 --> 00:18:33,920 panel evaluating FEMA President Donald Trump. According to ncnewsline dot com, 356 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:38,680 a piece by Christine ju President Donald Trump has designated 357 00:18:38,759 --> 00:18:42,839 Republican National Committee Chair Michael Wattley and three other North 358 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:47,000 Carolinians to serve on a panel charged with reviewing the 359 00:18:47,039 --> 00:18:51,519 work and the future of FEMA. Trump signed an executive 360 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:57,920 order Friday that created the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council, 361 00:18:59,079 --> 00:19:02,640 or the FEARC or as I call it, the FEMARK. 362 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:07,960 The group analyzes the federal response to Hurricane Helene and 363 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,319 other natural disasters. Later on in the piece, she writes 364 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:15,400 that it's unclear what Trump's plan to reform FEMA would entail, 365 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:19,119 asked by reporters to elaborate on the proposal. When he 366 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,680 came to western North Carolina last week, Trump said that 367 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,839 he would prefer for states to get direct payouts from 368 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:30,279 the federal government rather than coordinating with FEMA. By the way, 369 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:32,599 just as an aside on this idea where a lot 370 00:19:32,599 --> 00:19:37,079 of our friends on the left don't understand how this 371 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:37,920 would even work. 372 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 1: Well, just think of it in terms of, like, oh, 373 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:41,799 I don't know virtually every other. 374 00:19:41,599 --> 00:19:45,880 Speaker 2: Federal program that you guys support, right, It's kind of 375 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:47,799 like this blind spot that a lot of leftists have 376 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:49,720 for school vouchers and. 377 00:19:49,839 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 1: Like, oh my gosh, vouchers. Vouchers are bad, vouchers. 378 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 2: Are terrible, and all this stuff, and it's like yeah, but 379 00:19:53,759 --> 00:19:58,920 we use vouchers basically for Medicare and Medicaid. You guys 380 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:04,319 don't have any problem with that system, right, So how 381 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:04,960 is that different? 382 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:06,519 Speaker 1: Same thing here? Right? 383 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 2: The federal government disperses all sorts of grants. I mean, 384 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:11,960 haven't we heard over the last forty eight hours, like 385 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,000 the meltdowns from the left and these NGOs. 386 00:20:15,599 --> 00:20:16,920 Speaker 1: Like, oh, we can't survive that. 387 00:20:17,039 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 2: People will die, you know, children will starve and all this. 388 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:23,799 If we don't get all of this grant money that 389 00:20:23,839 --> 00:20:31,319 Trump tried to freeze for review, you can't possibly do that. 390 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:36,559 We rely on these grants. People will die. Well, why 391 00:20:36,599 --> 00:20:40,119 wouldn't you just apply that same defense of the grant 392 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:45,359 making process over to the emergency response? Just as like 393 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:49,039 these NGOs, I think you would argue, do this great 394 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:51,279 work and probably do it better than Gov. 395 00:20:51,319 --> 00:20:53,759 Speaker 1: Co does. Why wouldn't you just apply that same logic 396 00:20:53,799 --> 00:20:57,039 to FEMA? Right now? 397 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 2: It does rely admittedly so on states being competent, and 398 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:10,519 what we saw in North Carolina with Hurricanes Matthew and Florence, 399 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:17,359 our governor was not very competent in disaster relief. Governor 400 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:22,839 Roy Cooper was not good at statewide or even regional disasters. 401 00:21:23,319 --> 00:21:30,839 He wasn't Matthew Florence Covid, Right, he wasn't good at this. 402 00:21:32,079 --> 00:21:34,640 And it makes sense because he never had really any 403 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:39,960 executive leadership, right. He was in the attorney general's position 404 00:21:40,079 --> 00:21:43,680 for sixteen years. And while you could say, yes, that's 405 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:47,400 executive branch, but remember he never did email, remember that, lie, 406 00:21:47,559 --> 00:21:53,240 I'm sorry that story. He would only deal with people 407 00:21:53,279 --> 00:21:56,559 in person and on the phone. And that's so this way, 408 00:21:56,559 --> 00:21:59,079 there's no public record of anything that he says or does, 409 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:02,599 except for like, like, hey, it's you know, your coworker 410 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:05,839 Joe's birthday today. Everybody was Joe, happy birthday, you know, 411 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:10,680 something like that. He had, Yeah, he had like it 412 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:12,920 was it like thirty emails that he had sent over 413 00:22:13,039 --> 00:22:15,359 sixteen years. Then that was all they could find when 414 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:18,200 they did the foyer request for his office. It was ridiculous, 415 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,480 like guys totally using a burner account. I do not 416 00:22:21,559 --> 00:22:23,680 believe that he does not use emails. 417 00:22:24,279 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: Anyway. 418 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:28,559 Speaker 2: If we had a press corps that was interested in 419 00:22:28,599 --> 00:22:31,839 this up in Raleigh, I suspect there could have been 420 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,920 a lot more pressure brought to bear to get the 421 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:39,400 problems fixed down in eastern North Carolina and So if 422 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:42,279 you are going to do the block grant thing with 423 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:44,200 FEMA going to the you know, send money to the 424 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:46,559 states and let the states handle it, it's going to 425 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:53,160 require governors to be better at disaster response. And when 426 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,640 you elect a governor who is not good at disaster response, 427 00:22:57,079 --> 00:22:57,799 you end up. 428 00:22:59,200 --> 00:22:59,920 Speaker 1: With what we saw. 429 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,079 Speaker 2: And we're going to find out if Governor Josh Stein 430 00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:07,119 is good at disaster response. Now, we're going to find out, right, 431 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:10,640 and a lot of people will either benefit or suffer. 432 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:15,519 Speaker 1: All right, let me jump over and get Steve. Hello, Steve, 433 00:23:15,559 --> 00:23:16,279 welcome to the show. 434 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 5: Thank you. Yeah. The reason they don't want to have 435 00:23:20,799 --> 00:23:22,960 money go directly to the states and they'd rather have 436 00:23:23,039 --> 00:23:27,079 it through an organization like FEMA is so they can 437 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:31,400 launder it. They need to launder the money back to 438 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:36,160 their whoever. That's why the Democrats don't ever like to 439 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:40,039 have direct payments or vouchers. They want to be in control. 440 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,400 Speaker 2: Well, I mean theoretically the states would then be able 441 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:44,480 to do the laundering too. 442 00:23:44,559 --> 00:23:49,119 Speaker 1: If that's the true motive, Well, I think is. 443 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:52,880 Speaker 5: Trying to take one corrupt organization out of the equation completely, 444 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:56,200 which would be FEMA, and hoping that the States will 445 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:57,559 do a little bit of a better job. 446 00:23:57,599 --> 00:24:03,759 Speaker 2: But yeah, well there, So I have heard this argument 447 00:24:03,799 --> 00:24:07,000 that that FEMA you know, funnels the money to their 448 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:12,640 to their friends or whatever. Now this goes to an 449 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:17,200 aspect of the of the recovery efforts that they touched 450 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,359 on in these hearings up in Raleigh, which is the 451 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:23,000 infrastructure of your vendors, of your your service providers, basically 452 00:24:23,079 --> 00:24:26,759 your contractors. And if they are if they're not given 453 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,680 a sustained amount of work, they will go and get 454 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,119 that work someplace else. And then when something happens and 455 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:35,759 you've got to call them back, they're going to be busy. 456 00:24:35,799 --> 00:24:37,759 They've got other work that they're doing, you know, six 457 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,000 seven months planned out into the future. So it's hard 458 00:24:41,039 --> 00:24:44,440 to mobilize that. And so the idea was that, well, FEMA, 459 00:24:44,799 --> 00:24:47,279 with all of its money, they can mobilize that because 460 00:24:47,279 --> 00:24:50,359 they'll be able to send these people, these agents or 461 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:52,960 these vendors rather, you know, to all different areas of 462 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:54,039 the country that need it. 463 00:24:54,319 --> 00:24:55,319 Speaker 1: That was the idea. 464 00:24:55,759 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 2: And if a state doesn't have a lot of disasters 465 00:24:58,039 --> 00:25:00,559 all the time, then maybe they can't mobilize quickly. 466 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:01,039 Speaker 1: I don't know. 467 00:25:01,799 --> 00:25:03,799 Speaker 2: I mean, I feel like that's a concern. It's I 468 00:25:03,839 --> 00:25:06,160 feel like it's a reasonable concern and that needs to 469 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:07,720 be addressed. Now, the flip side of that is that 470 00:25:07,759 --> 00:25:11,519 you end up with these companies that rely on that 471 00:25:11,599 --> 00:25:15,680 FEMA gravy train, right, and so are they doing the 472 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:18,799 best work If they get there first and they show 473 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,279 up whenever FEMA calls, that's great, But maybe they're not 474 00:25:21,319 --> 00:25:24,200 doing the best job, and so FEMA then gives them 475 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:27,400 like a preference for this work because they show up fast, 476 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:31,240 but maybe the work isn't great. So, I mean, it's 477 00:25:31,279 --> 00:25:34,559 a very complex problem when you're trying to rebuild homes 478 00:25:34,559 --> 00:25:35,000 for people. 479 00:25:35,279 --> 00:25:38,160 Speaker 1: Steve, I do appreciate the call. It is it's tough. 480 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:40,640 Speaker 2: It's tough to figure it out if you're in a 481 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,680 state that doesn't see a lot of massive natural disasters. 482 00:25:45,039 --> 00:25:47,319 But I would point out if you are of the 483 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:50,680 mind that climate change is calling causing all sorts of 484 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,960 massive natural disasters more and more frequently, then I kind 485 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,640 of feel like you should have a system then put 486 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:58,839 in place, right, I mean, if you believe that this 487 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:02,720 was really happening, then you should stand up this kind 488 00:26:02,759 --> 00:26:05,799 of operation like an official state builder. 489 00:26:07,559 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: Oh crap, did I just give somebody a bad idea. 490 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:13,480 I apologize, that's a terrible idea. Don't do it all right. 491 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,319 Speaker 2: If you're listening to this show, you know I try 492 00:26:15,319 --> 00:26:17,119 to keep up with all sorts of current events, and 493 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:19,200 I know you do too, And you've probably heard me 494 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:23,480 say get your news from multiple sources. Why well, because 495 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,160 it's how you detect media bias, which is why I've 496 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,519 been so impressed with ground News. It's an app, and 497 00:26:29,759 --> 00:26:32,640 it's a website, and it combines news from around the 498 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:35,319 world in one place so you can compare coverage and 499 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:39,279 verify information. You could check it out at check dot ground, 500 00:26:39,599 --> 00:26:42,640 dot news, slash pete. I put the link in the 501 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,880 podcast description too. I started using ground News a few 502 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,640 months ago and more recently chose to work with them 503 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,440 as an affiliate because it lets me see clearly how 504 00:26:51,559 --> 00:26:54,960 stories get covered and by whom. The blind spot feature 505 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,680 shows you which stories get ignored by the left and 506 00:26:57,799 --> 00:26:58,160 the right. 507 00:26:58,359 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: See for yourself. 508 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 2: Check dot ground, dot news slash pete. Subscribe through that 509 00:27:04,079 --> 00:27:07,000 link and you'll get fifteen percent off any subscription. I 510 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:10,440 use the Vantage plan to get unlimited access to every feature. 511 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,400 Your subscription then not only helps my podcast, but it 512 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,599 also supports ground news as they make the media landscape 513 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:22,559 more transparent. So I mentioned Donald Trump said or Donald 514 00:27:22,599 --> 00:27:26,279 Trump named Ford North Carolinians to this panel. I mentioned one, 515 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:29,640 that's Michael Wattley, former head of the North Carolina Republican 516 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:33,079 Party and then he went over and ran the National 517 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:36,480 Republican Party and he still is. He's the chairman of 518 00:27:36,519 --> 00:27:42,680 the RNC. Also on the committee or on the council, 519 00:27:42,799 --> 00:27:46,000 I should say, are members of Congress representing North Carolina 520 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:53,000 Republican representatives Virginia Fox of Banner Elk, Chuck Edwards from 521 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:57,359 Flat Rock, and Tim Moore of King's Mountain. The panel 522 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:00,559 will contain no more than twenty members and for one 523 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:04,640 year to create a quote, full scale review by individuals 524 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:09,200 highly experienced that effective disaster responsor recovery, who shall recommend 525 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:12,440 to the President improvements or structural changes to promote the 526 00:28:12,519 --> 00:28:17,519 national interest and enable national resilience. Homeland Security Secretary Christy 527 00:28:17,559 --> 00:28:22,599 Nome and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will oversee the committee. 528 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:27,279 And again that is from Ncnewsline dot Com. 529 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 1: Got a message here from John. 530 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:31,799 Speaker 5: Oh. 531 00:28:31,839 --> 00:28:33,079 Speaker 1: I love emails. Let's start. 532 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:38,839 Speaker 2: This is a touchy question, John, are you stirring the 533 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:42,960 pot here. Okay, it's a touchy question, not to sound 534 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:50,799 cold hearted, but how much responsibility does the government have 535 00:28:51,319 --> 00:28:55,720 to make individuals hold for their loss? At what point 536 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:58,720 does the government pick up the responsibility over the individuals? 537 00:28:59,079 --> 00:29:00,799 If I have a fire at my house and the 538 00:29:00,839 --> 00:29:04,240 insurance company does not cover all of the losses, government 539 00:29:04,279 --> 00:29:07,200 does not step in to make up the difference. Is 540 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:10,680 there a limit to the losses? For instance, in California, 541 00:29:10,799 --> 00:29:14,319 those are multimillion dollar homes filled with probably a million 542 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:18,240 dollars of personal items. Let's say, is that the responsibility 543 00:29:18,279 --> 00:29:22,559 of the government to replace I understand the urgency and 544 00:29:22,839 --> 00:29:26,119 need to get people into temporary housing, but is it 545 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,680 the role of government to provide permanent housing to be 546 00:29:29,799 --> 00:29:33,440 in charge of the rebuilding process. We know government is 547 00:29:33,519 --> 00:29:40,039 probably the least efficient management out there, so well, this 548 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:45,039 raises the question too. Then why not cut the check 549 00:29:45,319 --> 00:29:48,160 to the individual people rather than wash it through the 550 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:50,400 state government and have them deal with all of. 551 00:29:50,279 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 1: The permits and all that stuff. 552 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:53,720 Speaker 2: One of the things that came out I mentioned this 553 00:29:53,759 --> 00:29:56,920 when I was chatting with Nick Craig at the beginning 554 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:01,039 of the hour, trying to remember the word that the 555 00:30:01,039 --> 00:30:04,720 guy in charge of Encore used guy's name is prior 556 00:30:04,759 --> 00:30:08,599 Gibson or previous Gibson, if you will, And he was 557 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:15,440 saying that like there are like these unusual cases. It's 558 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:17,400 one thing if like, Okay, you know, you bought your 559 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:20,799 home and it's in some subdivision and you've got everything 560 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:24,000 properly platted, and the deed is correct and the lot 561 00:30:24,039 --> 00:30:26,680 lines are drawn correctly, and you're up to date on 562 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:27,599 your taxes all. 563 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:28,039 Speaker 1: Of that stuff. 564 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:31,720 Speaker 2: But when you and and he warned Tim Moffatt, state 565 00:30:31,799 --> 00:30:35,680 senator from Henderson County, he said, somebody's like the case 566 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:39,799 the number of these unusual cases or something, And that's 567 00:30:39,839 --> 00:30:41,319 not the word that he used for it, but it's 568 00:30:41,359 --> 00:30:43,359 a classific classification that they use. 569 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: You're gonna have way more of these out west, up 570 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:49,519 in the mountains. 571 00:30:49,559 --> 00:30:52,759 Speaker 2: You are gonna have way more because up there you 572 00:30:52,799 --> 00:30:55,559 have a lot of people that are land rich, cash poor, 573 00:30:56,039 --> 00:30:58,240 a lot of people that have land that's been in 574 00:30:58,279 --> 00:31:04,160 their family for generations, and they build additional homes on 575 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:08,920 that land. They'll bring in modular trailers or modular units 576 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:12,680 or trailers, mobile units, whatever, and they will take, you know, 577 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:16,160 a fourteen fifteen acre piece of property, and maybe you 578 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,920 could only actually build on half of it, and then 579 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:21,799 they will keep putting houses, and a lot of places 580 00:31:21,799 --> 00:31:25,240 out there don't even have zoning rules, and so just 581 00:31:25,319 --> 00:31:28,799 over the years, over generations, more and more houses get 582 00:31:28,799 --> 00:31:33,039 put on that buildable acreage. But who actually owns that land? 583 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:39,039 Well maybe it was it was Papa and he's been 584 00:31:39,079 --> 00:31:45,480 dead for fifty years. Okay, So who owns the house? Okay, 585 00:31:45,519 --> 00:31:48,480 well it was my you know aunt, I'll use the 586 00:31:48,519 --> 00:31:52,599 names he used, like Aunt Susie. Aunt Susie owned the house, 587 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:58,279 but she's she hadn't lived there. It's you know, another cousin, Mary, 588 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:01,519 who lives in the house and has been for a 589 00:32:01,559 --> 00:32:03,920 long time, and she's the one that's out of the house. Okay, 590 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,359 So who are you dealing with? Like, when you're having 591 00:32:06,359 --> 00:32:09,640 to do all of the paperwork and stuff, who signs 592 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:13,839 that paperwork? Is it Aunt Susie? You can't get PayPal 593 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:14,240 to do it? 594 00:32:15,079 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: Papa? 595 00:32:15,599 --> 00:32:18,279 Speaker 2: I don't want to say Papa, Papa. It's like papal 596 00:32:18,599 --> 00:32:22,000 like the Pope. The Pope ain't signing it. Papa can't 597 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,279 because he's long gone, never been transferred over. She got 598 00:32:25,279 --> 00:32:27,799 to clean up those records okay. And then you go 599 00:32:27,839 --> 00:32:29,839 in you're like, okay, so now out of the fourteen acres, 600 00:32:29,839 --> 00:32:32,400 you got seven buildable lakers. Okay, you got you know, 601 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:37,400 let's say four houses on the acreage. Where are the 602 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,240 property lines? Oh, we don't have any property property lines. 603 00:32:40,279 --> 00:32:43,359 We didn't need any, right, we're all family. 604 00:32:44,519 --> 00:32:46,000 Speaker 1: Okay. 605 00:32:46,079 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 2: So when you're doing a map for the build right, 606 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,440 you need you need the map. And then it's like, okay, 607 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:54,599 well let's look at then what where the lot lines 608 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:56,920 are or where the property lines are. And it's like, well, 609 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:58,720 we just know it goes down to like that creek 610 00:32:58,799 --> 00:32:59,240 down there? 611 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:01,680 Speaker 1: Does it? When you go have you. 612 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:05,039 Speaker 2: Ever read through how they designate property lines, even in 613 00:33:05,039 --> 00:33:11,279 Meckelberg County, it's nuts. It's nuts. Like it's like three 614 00:33:11,359 --> 00:33:13,279 or four pages. You go pull your property, go look 615 00:33:13,279 --> 00:33:15,279 at your deed or whatever. You'll see like where they 616 00:33:15,319 --> 00:33:17,519 describe what the lot lines are and it takes like 617 00:33:17,519 --> 00:33:21,400 three pages. And some of this stuff like old school stuff, 618 00:33:21,559 --> 00:33:24,279 some of the older documents. They'll say things like there's 619 00:33:24,319 --> 00:33:24,920 this tree. 620 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:28,079 Speaker 4: You know, it's like you go sixty feet to the 621 00:33:28,119 --> 00:33:32,480 tree and then you make a left, like so it's 622 00:33:32,519 --> 00:33:35,519 not just like the coordinates on a map. 623 00:33:35,599 --> 00:33:37,279 Speaker 2: A lot of it is now the modern day stuff is. 624 00:33:37,319 --> 00:33:40,880 But so there's all that that you got to sift 625 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:43,400 through all that, So who is doing all of that work? 626 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:44,079 Speaker 1: Right? 627 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:47,079 Speaker 2: And now you've got state agents coming in and they're 628 00:33:47,119 --> 00:33:50,119 having to track all of this stuff down before they 629 00:33:50,119 --> 00:33:52,400 can even start the rebuilding because they got to get 630 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:57,400 the permits and which permits from which entity all of it. 631 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,839 It's a lot, I mean, it's a huge undertaking. And 632 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,200 that's what he was describing, and so that's why they 633 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:06,079 have their case management mechanism and all that they've been 634 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:09,000 using down East. But obviously that hasn't been working very 635 00:34:09,039 --> 00:34:12,280 well for a lot of people. And to their credit 636 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:16,559 over the last eight to six to eight years, because 637 00:34:16,599 --> 00:34:18,760 eight years ago was Matthew and then six years ago 638 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:22,719 was Florence, they have put back into their homes like 639 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:26,760 thirty I think it was thirty four hundred families. They 640 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:32,400 have rebuilt thirty four hundred over eight years. That still 641 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:36,400 seems kind of slow, but yeah, they're neither going to 642 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:38,880 knock out eleven hundred or twelve hundred in a year 643 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,519 less than a year, and it took him eight years 644 00:34:42,519 --> 00:34:47,719 to build three times as many I'm not supremely confident, 645 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:49,840 let me just say it that way. And what he 646 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:51,880 is saying is out West, it's going to be an 647 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:56,000 even bigger challenge. I think we need to get a 648 00:34:56,039 --> 00:34:59,239 whole bunch of experts and a bunch of builders together 649 00:34:59,320 --> 00:34:59,599 on this. 650 00:35:00,599 --> 00:35:02,880 Speaker 1: All right, that'll do it for this episode. Thank you 651 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:03,920 so much for listening. 652 00:35:04,039 --> 00:35:06,159 Speaker 2: I could not do the show without your support and 653 00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:08,920 the support of the businesses that advertise on the podcast, 654 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:11,360 so if you'd like, please support them too and tell 655 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:13,119 them you heard it here. You can also become a 656 00:35:13,159 --> 00:35:17,800 patron at my Patreon page or go to dpetecleanershow dot com. Again, 657 00:35:18,079 --> 00:35:20,559 thank you so much for listening, and don't break anything 658 00:35:20,599 --> 00:35:25,199 while I'm gone.