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Crooked River Cast Show 56
61 Plays1 day ago
Crookedrivercast.com
Crookedrivercast@gmail.com
- Artemis II.
- Iran “negotiations”.
- Husted gets a promotion.
- Amy has lots of ideas.
- Secretary of State Candidate race.
- Can we live without property tax?
- It’s Levy season again! With a new twist.
- Parents “blindsided” after collage savings account closes.
- Subscribe and share the show. Leave a comment.
- Ohio AG pushing to resume executions.
- Ohio ICE lawsuit.
- Gorge Dam Removal.
- Fracking on public land in Ohio.
- Flock camera’s in Ohio.
- Akron’s new Police policy.
Good Things:
- Whirlpool Picks Ohio.
- Fury drone factory in Ohio.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction & Hosts Background
00:00:12
Speaker
This is the Crooked Rivercast. I am Robert, and the other voice you're about to hear is Tom, and we are two guys trying to keep track of what is going on in the great state of Ohio.
00:00:23
Speaker
This is show 56 for the week of April 13th, 2020. Let's get right to it.
00:00:31
Speaker
Let's go.
00:00:36
Speaker
I got to date right this week. Good morning. In the morning, sir. What's
00:00:44
Speaker
I don't know why I just did that.
00:00:48
Speaker
The microphone does weird things you. Put it in front of your face and hit record.
Vintage Guitars as Investments
00:00:54
Speaker
I got the date right because i was I actually flipped the calendar this week. 1954 Gold Top Month for my guitar calendar I have up on the wall. Okay, it's something I can't afford. Most of us can't afford. What's that run, Tom?
00:01:14
Speaker
1954 gold top? I'm not sure. You know, I don't know. I couldn't tell you. i would say probably in the... Huh? Tens of thousands? i I think... i Yeah. Yeah, that one maybe.
00:01:28
Speaker
this one i think I mean, this one looks really good. I mean, you know, it's unless it's been photoshopped, it's probably in near mint condition looking at the photo. For sure, tens of thousands. i'm I'm trying to... Because like 59 Les Paul flametop?
00:01:42
Speaker
You know, you're you're you're getting into the million dollar range. Yeah, there's like five of them. Well, no, there's more than that. But they range anywhere from like 400,000 to, them I think one just sold for like over 900,000.
00:01:58
Speaker
Yikes. Yeah. Hope they play it. A few of the guys do, ah but I think most of them are just held by collectors.
00:02:09
Speaker
Petrified. $900,000 guitar. I don't know. Yeah, no, I think they're just collectors. They're investments. Yeah. it's yeah it's right and And how many players? I mean, I know Vince Gill owns one.
00:02:21
Speaker
ah Tom Bukovac used to own one, and then you know he sold it, when he which is he's just a studio guy. So he he said he mortgaged his house. He got it for like 250 grand a decade ago.
00:02:34
Speaker
Yeah, he sold it and he had it on loan from the person that buys it because you can kind of be the ah but basically the steward of it, you know. And he used it for a while and I see he doesn't use it anymore and in his videos. So I'm assuming the the investor probably took it.
00:02:54
Speaker
And, you know, he probably doubled his money. for it so that was a gold top because I think I've seen the flame top yeah burst yeah yeah some people I call it flame top it's a burst it's a sunburst with a flame top 59 was the first year those came out but a 58 57 you can get them a lot cheaper but at the same time it's still probably pushing six no yeah six figures
00:03:27
Speaker
Yeah, I looked at a, I think original 60 base, a Fender P base. It was 73,000. I think that's the most expensive one I've seen. Yeah, I don't, I don't know. i mean, Fenders, I, man, I'll tell you what, I regret how I could have, there was a couple of chances I could have bought like a 60 strap, but they were, even back then in the, in the nineties,
00:03:50
Speaker
I couldn't afford like a clean one, you know, one that was, I wouldn't say mint, but just really nice condition because they were pushing about 7,500 back then. And, but I had a couple of chances to buy play. There's like player grade ones. They're, they're beat up, but there's, there's still really good guitars and you can get them for m shoot half the price of what a nice clean one costs.
00:04:17
Speaker
And you're still getting the benefits of, You know, some people don't think there's benefits, but I i do. And ah you're you're still getting a vintage Strat. You're getting the the way they play, the way they sounded for like less than half the price. And I i kick myself for not picking those up. They were about three grand. And you know what? And you're 20, 21, 22.
00:04:39
Speaker
That's a lot of money back then. Oh, yeah. lot money now. Shoot. And in 22 now. Well, yeah. That's just rent now. now that's That's just one month rent now. Yeah, but you know what? Back... But like ah like a clean one now, i mean, you're you're getting into the, if you're if you're going pre you know pre-Fender CBS, pre-CBS, they call that. think that's 65 and older, I believe. I'm i'm not an expert at those things. But you're you're getting into the $40,000, $50,000, $60,000, $70,000 range.
00:05:08
Speaker
seventy thousand dollars range And you could have had that for seven grand back then, you know, I so i just said it's a house and that, that, uh, slap me. That's not a house. single That's a car.
00:05:19
Speaker
The house in Cleveland. That's, that's barely a house in Cleveland. Uh, that's a really, really bad house in Cleveland and a medium sized truck. Not totally. No, 70 grand. ah Yeah. Cleveland. Sure. I mean, depends where in Cleveland, you could get one for three grand in
Robert's Airbnb Experience in Columbus
00:05:34
Speaker
Cleveland.
00:05:34
Speaker
I mean, we we just stayed we stayed, we went to, last week we were Columbus for a night. Girls are on Christmas or Easter vacation, so we decided to take a trip because Wife wanted to go to Amish country or Hartford. I'm like, can we go somewhere other than, you know, it's like, let's go to the city.
00:05:49
Speaker
Let's go to Columbus. i'm I'm there all time for work. But real quick, we got an Airbnb because most places you go, you got, it's like a three or four night minimum for an Airbnb. Well, Columbus has like one nighters all over the place. And I'm like, well, that's weird. But they think about it. There's college there. Right.
00:06:04
Speaker
Parents come into town. There's lots of events too. Lots of events, lots of sporting events for parents. And then there's a football and stuff. That makes sense. Anyway, we went, we, we get this house for one night and it looks nice. pictures look nice. It's, ah you know, it's like an older house that they redid.
00:06:20
Speaker
1900s, it was early It was built. All solid brick inside. So I mean, not just a brick facade like my house, but it's all brick. Nice. $450,000. Like we're talking, don't know, on the outskirts of downtown Columbus.
00:06:36
Speaker
e Almost, it's kind of weirdest thing. Cause it was kind of like the ghetto. Yeah, you're right. But it's been, it's being re trying to come back from being in the ghetto. So it's yeah very mixed now. The house next door on the one side, I went in the back. I'm like, that house looks pretty beat.
00:06:53
Speaker
I go in the backyard and the backyard is full of garbage, just boarded up windows. Zillow had it at 200,000 for the abandoned house next door. Right. i was like, holy cow. So it was a very weird, it was a very weird vacation trip. It was short, but man, i was like like, I'm not sure.
00:07:11
Speaker
yeah Isn't that kind of like being in Ohio city or a Tremont here in Cleveland? Yes. And you're kind of like, yeah you're right in the border. You could, you could be next to the projects, but you're living or you're staying in a house that costs 400 grand.
00:07:26
Speaker
Yeah, but on the same street, that was the thing. It was like, I've seen that you turn down one street and all of a sudden you're in, you new built condos and then turn down another street and you're in old, you know, 1900s homes. But this was on the same street.
00:07:38
Speaker
But I mean, more power to them. there It looks like this house... Don't worry. Oh, that's where it's house costs and in Cleveland. um But anyway, so that this was, ah it was cool. it was cool time, by the way. Columbus was nice. a couple nice
Moon Landing Skepticism
00:07:53
Speaker
restaurants. Shopping.
00:07:55
Speaker
Shopping. Lots of shopping. So anyway, but the big news of the week, Tom. What's that? To the moon!
00:08:06
Speaker
Back to the moon, Tom. To the moon, Alice. I mean, some would say we never went to the moon. i'm I'm on the fence on that one. But it appears, according to what they're telling us, we've made it to the moon again. And these, well, we made it around the moon again.
00:08:23
Speaker
I thought they were having problems getting past some radiation belt. They they weren't sure what they were going to do. Mm-mm-mm.
00:08:32
Speaker
Okay. So apparently they, they're farthest a human has ever been from earth. Cause they did a a long, some deep circling of the moon orbiting the moon, went really far out, slung, shot back around, took some pictures.
00:08:44
Speaker
And I saw some cold memes on, did you know, president Trump's face is on the dark side of the moon. Somebody engraved it. It's his mouth is the opening to the base. that That's inside. of it His hair flips up and that's how you get in. That's it. Yeah.
00:09:02
Speaker
So anywho, that was, uh, that was in the splashdown safely. apparently after 60 some years or 70 years, that's still the best way to get astronauts back from the moon is with parachutes.
00:09:14
Speaker
Just like 1969. Okay.
00:09:19
Speaker
Yes. Maybe this time we actually did it. I hope so. I always. Yeah. don't know. I'm so on the fence one. Some days I'm like, no, definitely Sometimes I'm like, yeah, there's no way they couldn't.
00:09:32
Speaker
There's way they can hide it. Yeah, I go back and forth. I go back and forth. It's silly. It's silly to think they didn't. But at the same time, there's so many things. Yeah. My initial, where I stand right now is I'm halfway in between. I'm thinking they did go. It just wasn't maybe the first couple times they went. I don't know. That's my thing.
00:09:52
Speaker
But I'm working my way towards none of them are real. I don't know. But I mean, I don't know. My biggest thing for me is... ah How can you keep it that secret that big for so long?
00:10:03
Speaker
ah It's compartmentalized. Yeah. I mean, they could do it. you know they They could do it easy. They've done it. They have done it. Yeah. With other things. so But anyway, the other, the other. um How do you lose everything?
00:10:14
Speaker
All the data.
00:10:18
Speaker
And lots of videos and film and all that stuff. And then the film that came out with them going, hey, well, no, they're they're like ah behind the scenes or cut, you know, stuff that was cut out that they're like trying to position the camera, thinking that they were in orbit, but not really on the moon.
00:10:35
Speaker
Yeah, Stanley Kubrick filmed that. I don't know. um but more More make-believe is, ah ah what more possible make-believe is the Iran, we're in negotiations
Iran Negotiations & U.S.-Israel Tensions
00:10:46
Speaker
with Iran. I haven't heard any updates this morning as ah as of recording this, but they were flying out there yesterday.
00:10:51
Speaker
ah Expectations were pretty low, considering we're just, they're firing missiles and we're loading up more bombs currently as we speak. So, yeah.
00:11:03
Speaker
Sounds to me. don't have low expectations. Of the negotiations. I do. Yeah, I mean, you got the Persians that'll screw it up, right? The Iranians are are asking for the war to to completely stop and treaties to be signed before the Strait of Humus is opened, which is not what they originally agreed about. They originally agreed to the ceasefire was to open the Strait and then we'll talk.
00:11:30
Speaker
Well, then Israel effed that up. Yes, possibly. It's always the Jews, Rob. It is. it's You're the Jews or the Arabs, one of the two. That's all we could blame. And I mean, not's not it's not a stretch.
00:11:44
Speaker
But was it their bombing or was it the fact they never opened up the strait? Because Iranians never opened up the strait. I thought it was for never. There was a couple of ships that went through, but not open to where it was before, anywhere close to where it normally is.
00:12:02
Speaker
And then the next thing I heard is the Arrangeas are now saying, oh, you know, we don't know where we put any of our minds.
00:12:10
Speaker
Yeah, sure you don't. But you're able to you're able to send ships through because you can contact, there there's ships that have gone through, as a Russian flagship that went through. There's Iranian flagships that haveve gone through, or not reading, but Iranian friends of Iran have gone through in this and that. So they they know where they're at.
00:12:26
Speaker
So they're they're putting, why I'm not at expectations, they're putting up, they're they're putting up things that need they need they want that they're never going to get. You're never going to get a war to end and everything to be agreed upon before the strait is open. Sorry.
00:12:41
Speaker
I'd like to see the United States start hammering the straight and the shores around it because I don't think we've done that yet.
00:12:50
Speaker
So back to bombing that next week, I'm sure. um It's all about that, I guess.
John Houston's Senate Committee Role
00:12:58
Speaker
And then under our Ohio stories, the first one we have on the list is Houston.
00:13:06
Speaker
Good old Houston. He gets he gets you ah and and a promotion, Tom.
00:13:13
Speaker
Houston gets John Houston appointed to the U S Senate appropriations committee, the most powerful committee in Congress, far as I understand, maybe the defense appropriations, but no, it's actually not. It's the defense. the The second highest, I think is the defense appropriation committee, which is a subcommittee of the appropriations committee.
00:13:31
Speaker
So he got promoted to the most corrupt committee. How did he get on that committee? He's a pretty new Senator, isn't he? Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:42
Speaker
Well, as I quickly pulled this morning, maybe, let me step back for a second. We've been talking about First Energy for a while. Yeah. And asking where the money went, the $61 million that was supposedly given to politicians to get these bills passed.
00:13:59
Speaker
Right. Yeah. Hmm. Well, I'm thinking maybe. Maybe if we remind our listeners what Matt Gaetz explained to us about how Washington works.
00:14:13
Speaker
Let's listen to Matt Gaetz on, this is Tim Pohl IRL program from four years ago, maybe. why Maybe be longer than that. um on what happens when you get in into Congress. So this is lukreoww's rent Luke, did he pronounce his last name? Rudowski.
00:14:31
Speaker
He asks Matt Gaetz a question on, you know, how how this works and and all this stuff. And maybe we can, maybe we can listen to this story, maybe kind of connect the dots and see how Houston got where he got.
00:14:42
Speaker
so There's a lot of compromise, um especially in Washington, D.C. but But how deep does the rabbit hole goal go? Because there's a lot of people talking about, you know the deep state, the intelligence agencies having a lot of control, using a lot of extortion, special interest interest groups pulling the strings. What's your understanding of how things really work in Washington, D.C. compared to to what the average American kind of sees? Well, I think like the most corrupt, like,
00:15:07
Speaker
foray into this is like freshman orientation. Cause like you show up here and I mean, you know, imagine showing up from Northwest Arkansas, from like, you know, Southern Mississippi and you see the architecture of DC. They take you out to like the finest steakhouse, the best wine you've ever had and co-located at your table are the lobbyists for the major special interests for the committees that you're interested that you want to serve on. And so like I get here and they're like, oh, Gates, you want to be on the armed services committee. Have you met these defense contracts? These are the key lobbyists that round up the defense money. And they put you with them from the very beginning.
00:15:43
Speaker
And you start to get the joke that if you give your vote card to the leadership and your calendar to the lobby corps, you just kind of get enveloped into a system that's there to nurture you and protect you and keep you out of harm's way. And all costs you is your own belief set.
00:15:57
Speaker
And I don't think that's compromised so much as selling out. Now, you know so that is like what if you don't step one And that catches a whole lot of the people who get here. And then beyond that, if you kind of resist that system, then they do try to extort you, engage in anything they can do to compromise you, cancel you, find some joke that you liked on Instagram years ago that like doesn't fit with the mores of this time. Find some email that you were on like the forward chain of. It's like some basis to say that you're a white supremacist or you're you know some sort of ah unacceptable human that can't be in polite company. And ah you know then if that doesn't work, it's abject destruction through the political process where there are-
00:16:42
Speaker
Many, many dollars lined up solely for the extermination of those who push back against against. nation Yeah, this is detailed extensively in books like the the economic hitman that I think are definitely worth reading and checking out here. But talking to previous members of Congress, it's really kind of daunting to see what they have to go through, how much pressure they have to go through, how much agreements. they have to agree to before even getting into some of those positions of power. Well, and the dues, it's money. I mean, there's specific dollar amounts. I mean, I remember, you know, going in and saying, well, I want to be on the Armed Services Committee. And someone looked at me dead in the eye and said, well, that'll be $75,000 that you owe to the leadership funds and and to the Republican Congressional Committee. And so, you know, i I go home and think, well, you know, part of you wants to say, screw you. Or like, are you wearing a wire?
00:17:33
Speaker
Hmm. So how does a new Senator get on the appropriations committee?
00:17:41
Speaker
Sell out questions. I don't know. I have no idea. just weird that normally gotta, no, you gotta put some time in or money. And if, and if what Matt Gates says is even remotely true, ah Houston will serve each of the following subcommittees.
Speculation on Houston's Political Moves
00:17:58
Speaker
ah labor, health, and human services, education and relations agencies, architecture, rural development, food and drug administration, and related agencies, state, foreign operations, and related programs, interior, environment, and related agencies, legislative branch, financial services, and general government.
00:18:17
Speaker
That's a lot for a new guy. ah you know. I mean, wow, there's a lot of committees. ah there's There's a legislative legislative branch committee. that's That's a, I mean, isn't that like,
00:18:29
Speaker
Your job? um Okay. So that's just one of the reasons I brought that up was, hmm, interesting. That's a very powerful committee to be on for your third year, and second year in Congress, third year in Congress, third second, second, starting your second year.
00:18:43
Speaker
If he gets, I don't know, we don't know if he'll get passed. Right. If he'll get reelected. Yeah. Yeah. In that case, well, I mean. I don't know. Protection money. I mean, they they say you you follow the follow along and they will get they will keep you protected as much as they can. And I see that all the time. Okay.
00:19:04
Speaker
that's where That's what Matt Gaetz is saying. I'm just going by what Matt Gaetz is saying. Could be wrong. You do what we say and we'll get you reelected. We'll keep you your name out of the papers.
00:19:17
Speaker
keep that Keep an eye on that. i don't know. Where did the $61 million dollars go? Just curious. Moving on to, well, well, Tom, Amy's got some ideas.
00:19:29
Speaker
Here's an idea stream story. By the way, that last story was by Houston was from the Ohio Press Network.
Amy Acton's Gubernatorial Campaign
00:19:35
Speaker
And this one, the idea idea stream has Ohio governor race act and releases lots of affordability ideas, but few specifics i fund on funding.
00:19:44
Speaker
Act on lowering costs. That's her title of her program or whatever you want to call it. Build back better. Act on. let's Look, she took her name and made a thing.
00:19:56
Speaker
She did a funny. She did an ironic thing with her name. Should say quit lowering costs. Because she quit. ah Never mind.
00:20:08
Speaker
I got it. It'll land eventually. ah Let's hear from the idea stream on some of Amy's ideas. What is she going to act on? See what i did there? That was so funny.
00:20:20
Speaker
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton has rolled out her plan that she says would make Ohio more affordable. It includes a refundable earned income tax credit, child care tax credit and medical debt forgiveness.
00:20:35
Speaker
she knows she's a democrat These can be paid for by making them priorities. Many elements are in bills proposed by statehouse Democrats. Connie, look, with Republican governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign, says Acton's plan would mean higher taxes and bigger government. But Acton says it's Ramaswamy's policies that would hurt Ohioans.
00:20:58
Speaker
I think he's frankly a danger, a real danger his leadership is to, I think, has no idea of how to do this. Ramaswamy has proposed eliminating the income tax and rolling back property taxes to pre-pandemic levels. Joe Ingalls at the Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau.
00:21:17
Speaker
I know you are, but what am i Sorry. Sounded like she was hammered there. i just can't help it. I can't help it. I know she's probably not, but still sounds like I can't take her seriously. i don't Again, she wants to make everything.
00:21:30
Speaker
Tax cuts? Does she know she's a Democrat? There's no way she's going to get through. Did you go on her website? no No, protect against attacks on Medicaid and Medicare from Columbus and Washington, reduce prescription drug prices, forgive medical debt, so lowering health care premiums, crack down on surprise billing and aggressive collections, tackling high energy bills, put consumers first. And then there's a bunch of other things here.
00:21:57
Speaker
Oh, you know, a lot of her things are actually kind of MAGA. I, yeah that's what I'm saying. Tax cutting. Her, her main point is she, she wants to cut taxes.
00:22:08
Speaker
Like, okay, now we're going to have a battle over which governor is going cut more taxes. Well, in that case, let's go baby. Let's see what they really do. But Amy says on utility costs, Acton said she'll push for enhanced energy production of the lowest cost.
00:22:27
Speaker
And cleanest sources of reliability available. So no that tells me you're going to get rid of the windmills and the solar farms then, right? No. She said she'll expand access to cost-saving programs to lower-income Ohioans.
00:22:43
Speaker
Can already have that. And restore energy efficiency programs, program cuts in House Bill 6. Wait. You're bringing up House Bill 6 in your policy statements?
00:22:58
Speaker
Wow. ah you Can you read the room, Amy? Acton also said she wants more guardrails for data centers, including demanding they pay extra utilities and environmental costs and require union workers construction, construct these, those facilities.
00:23:16
Speaker
Okay. That I can get aboard with more, you know, more, guardrails and data centers and stuff like that. Um, the union thing, Hey, whatever, fine. Um, good luck finding even the union guys to work, but, uh, house bill six, that's shocking. She, she brings, she wants to bring back parts of house bills.
00:23:32
Speaker
What's house bill six. Oh, hospital six is the, uh, the one they just repealed. Finally at the hospital six is Houston is and not Houston, but is, um, um, uh, Marino?
00:23:43
Speaker
No, the ah First Energy. Oh, yeah okay. yeah That was what First Energy hired Randazzo for. They supposedly bribed him or didn't bribe him. According to First Energy itself, they bribed him, but not and nobody but nobody actually did the bribing, only the dead guy. And that's where you're talking about $61 million dollars for Houston.
00:23:59
Speaker
Okay. Thanks for the reminder. Yeah. Went to the $61 million, dollars went to legislators. He told us in all these news articles, but never told us which one, except for the householder who's spending time in jail.
00:24:11
Speaker
And then the two guys who killed themselves quotes, air quotes, killed themselves. um So yeah, that's crazy that she would bring up house bill six, but.
00:24:23
Speaker
Yeah, that's hey that's Amy Acton. she has got She's got plans. I haven't seen anything really from... Wait, wait, wait. No, she doesn't have plans. She just has things she said. she she has ideas. Okay, I think she's just saying things people want to hear.
00:24:41
Speaker
I got plenty of ideas, Tom. I spewed through this mic weekly and most of them. ah worth about that much. But yeah, she, uh, she's got ideas, but as the, is an idea stream says, but not many specifics on funding them other than we're going to make these things priority. Okay. You make everything a priority. Then, you know, nothing's a priority.
00:25:03
Speaker
Moving along. Anything else, Tom? Good. Yeah. Cause then the next one, whew. Next one. We got, we got running, we got four people running for Ohio secretary
Ohio Secretary of State Candidates
00:25:15
Speaker
of state. Here is a news channel five article and good old, our good old buddy Morgan is, uh, is in, is in rare form this week, rare form this week.
00:25:27
Speaker
ah She goes through this story on the four candidates, two Democrats, two Republicans. Actually, that's why when you were, we were coming on this morning, I was listening to some of the raw interviews and to her credit,
00:25:39
Speaker
She put up all the raw videos. Yeah, but she doesn't, she knows nobody watches that. Right. Yeah, but most, they don't even do that. And they cut, because I'm looking looking at, listen, you'll hear the clip from the from the news article, news report about, you know, she cuts, she's, oh, she's being Morgan. What am I saying? Let's just get right to the clip.
00:26:01
Speaker
Ohio will soon have a new chief elections officer. Columbus Bureau reporter Morgan Trow introduces us to the four candidates on the May ballot for secretary of state. We asked the two Democrats, Cincinnati doctor Brian Hambly and lawmaker Allison Russo, the same question as the two Republicans, Treasurer Robert Sprig and Air Force veteran Marcel Sribbage. What do you think it right now is the greatest threat to elections? Voters in Ohio cannot influence their politicians because of gerrymandering. active disinformation about the security of our elections. That the populace trust the elections. Hodgepodge of board of elections who interpret but how they qualify information differently. Do you think that mail-in voting is fraudulent? Both the Democrats supported mail-in voting, while both Republicans said that it should only be for specific cases. And you're always a little bit suspicious because you don't know if the person on the other end of that mail-in ballot is the elector.
00:26:59
Speaker
Please cite some cases of mallet fraud in Ohio. In Ohio. ah Well, we know that this happens every year. Matter of fact, when ah I can't give you if you give me time, i can get back to you. The Democrats said that there is no widespread voter fraud in Ohio, which is confirmed by the current Republican secretary of state. Who won the 2020 election? joe Biden. Both Republicans wouldn't answer. I will say that we know we did elections right here in the state of Ohio.
00:27:28
Speaker
I'm not sure about the other states. Joe Biden was certified to be the president. That doesn't mean that 100 percent or 50 percent of people believes in the outcome of the result. That's the problem. But do you know, no, it's not about me.
00:27:41
Speaker
It's not about me. you're You're wanting to you're wanting to localize that question about me. You are running for secretary of state. Each candidate, regardless of party, said the secretary of state shouldn't be partisan. And they all said that they didn't want the federal government to take over Ohio elections at the Ohio Statehouse. I'm Columbus Bureau reporter Morgan Trout.
00:28:01
Speaker
Twat.
00:28:06
Speaker
Twat. thanks for the reminder. um Why can't they answer that question?
00:28:13
Speaker
Why, why, why Republicans get tripped up on that question? Joe Biden won the election. You know, when he did, when, when a cheater wins, they all did, they do win. Yeah. ethnicly So I don't understand why they, I think and honestly, not, it just caught kind of popped in my head.
00:28:30
Speaker
Maybe they don't, they don't want Trump to hear them say Joe Biden won.
00:28:37
Speaker
It's just a thought because he might put something untruth about Maybe. I mean, they they should they should they should figure out a way to answer that without sounding sounding like a lunatic.
00:28:50
Speaker
Yes, he won by cheating. Well, you don't know. i they didn't cheat. No? No. He won, right? Yeah. They might have skipped some procedure.
00:29:03
Speaker
They may have ah leveraged... Mail-in voting, where you where there's a lot of fraud. They may have had you know hundreds of thousands or more votes cast than people.
00:29:18
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but but none none of that's been proven, really. Well. It hasn't really gone anywhere, so you can't say that stuff until it's until there's a... That's been proven, hasn't it?
00:29:31
Speaker
mean, all you got to look at how many people voted and how many people are on the voter rolls. And if it's 10,000 more. Yeah, but before you start using stuff like that, they can discount that. They do, yeah. Good point. They shouldn't. But there's an answer to that. And they've got lots of money into public relations people that should be able answer that question.
00:29:50
Speaker
It should be able help them answer that question. and taste Yeah. you know why didn't I didn't do a good job there, but there is a way to answer that without sounding like a lunatic or saying they cheated. Something other than Biden by cheating. I get that.
00:30:03
Speaker
But there's got to be. Yeah, he won. Doesn't mean it was legit. yeah That's not even a good way to approach that. You can't say that. You really can't say that. Not if you're running. Yeah. Because you're going to get rid of the people that are in the middle.
00:30:20
Speaker
You can't, you can't do that. You can do it if you're Rob and you're on a podcast. I understand. Or if you're Tom, but you can't do that you're running. But the they answer it to me, worse. Because then you you lose the people in the middle and everybody else. I don't think they lost anybody else.
00:30:36
Speaker
I mean, I'm just saying. Not all of them, but you know what I mean? To me, it's I'm going to go. okay He didn't lose me. i like the way Stribbick. I think it's pronounced Stribbick. Yeah, Stribbick. I like that guy. He answered it the way, and she cut she edited that. i mean Yeah, that's what it gets to the point where at least she put the...
00:30:54
Speaker
the full, that's kind of why I just noticed that this morning and I should have pulled the rest of it to compare, but i didn't. afterta Sprague was the one that was ah kind of ah dodging things there.
00:31:07
Speaker
Stripik was pretty good. i I don't know what the rest of his answer was like, because she cut it there. I didn't listen to the interview. I and would imagine if consider she cut it, it was probably pretty good. yeah Yeah, exactly. exactly she She's being a little activist and that's what they got to deal with. So it's really difficult to try to maneuver around questions like that, that can easily make you sound like you're are part.
00:31:33
Speaker
What make you sound like Hillary Clinton? What do you mean? Like she was complaining for two years after she lost how she. Oh, well, no, not complaining, but I mean, you could, you could conspiratorial.
00:31:46
Speaker
You know what I mean? You don't want to sound conspiratorial. I guess that's the best way to say, i mean, you could, you could point to all the things that maybe there could be ah fraud, but I don't, i don't think you can just throw that stuff out there. and A Republican can't.
00:32:06
Speaker
Well, yeah. Okay. Yeah, you're right. That's because of the media. Yeah. That's what was saying. hillary Unless you're Hillary Clinton, then you can say anything you want. and they're like, oh, poor Hillary. Yeah. Yeah. If you question anything that a Democrat won, and oh my gosh, you're a denier. Yeah. Well, you've been denying some, you've been denying every Republican presidential win since 2000. So.
00:32:25
Speaker
so Yeah, the thing is, like if look if somebody says that, if they're a Republican they say that and they and they and they hit it hard and they do a real good job at it, you still, you still ah yeah you're you're, it's meat for the for the base. you know but it's it's But it's not exactly something that wins over the but people in the middle.
00:32:48
Speaker
ah guess yeah I guess that's the best way to put it. It's hard it's hard to maneuver that, man. Yeah, I think I would just, I think I would just say Joe Biden done with it because technically that's the correct answer. Yeah. well Okay. i'm I don't know.
00:33:02
Speaker
Why beat around the bush? But anyway, that was a good, uh, that was a good beat around the place. That was funny because, well, because you're running. That's, that's why that's the, that's the hard part.
00:33:13
Speaker
And that's, I know. Yeah. And that's what, that's one of reasons I wouldn't be a horrible politician, but also one of the things that makes Trump a great politician. Yeah, yeah. he Somehow he gets away with it because of his previous 40 years and he can handle the media and he has to the ability to get past all that with most people. i get it. me Stribich isn't going to be able to do that. but No, he won't be able to do that. public Well, there's that. And the other thing is they went so hard at Trump that people were like, oh, okay, this is retarded.
00:33:46
Speaker
Yeah.
00:33:49
Speaker
All right. What is our biggest threat to elections right now? Mail-in ballots, I believe. Morgan Trowell. Morgan Trowell. They're fine. Mail-in ballots are fine, Tom. They're perfectly fine. hopeful no No, nothing to see here.
00:34:04
Speaker
i i think ohio's I think Ohio's is pretty good pretty darn good compared to other states. But to say to ask to for the politician to say there's voter fraud every election and for Morgan to say, well, give me one week. I get the question, but we all know it happens.
00:34:22
Speaker
Maybe very little in Ohio, but for her to come back, give me one, give me one. It's like, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's ah just 20. Yeah. I have another word for her, but yeah, mean, I'm not family, family friendly.
00:34:35
Speaker
That's what's kind bad. What's kind of bad enough?
00:34:41
Speaker
As I was saying that, I was like oh wait. we Anyway, ah moving on. Secretary of State. let's I like Stribich. I think he's the he's the he's a like kind of the long shot.
00:34:53
Speaker
i you i I've been thinking about it. do I really want to talk about the people I'm going to vote for, you know, on this podcast? But I mean, I, you know, cause I don't know.
00:35:04
Speaker
Yeah. Up to you. don't know if I'm going to, I'm just wondering if he's, i'm he's the only guy, he's the only reason I'm thinking of going to vote in the midterms or the, um, not the midterms, the primary. i'm here Oh, I see. Yeah. Cause the gubernatorial is kind of set.
00:35:19
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Um,
00:35:23
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know. He seemed, I see, he got some endorsement from Michael Flynn. Stribich did? Yeah. Yeah. I had had that as original story in this and a lineup and then pulled it out for this one because it's more, marie much more entertaining.
00:35:38
Speaker
Marino endorsed him too. Okay. yeah that's actually he's actually He's actually doing... I thought Sprague was going to run away with this, but ah I think he's doing really good against Sprague. Stribbitch is doing really well.
00:35:53
Speaker
Surprisingly. i didn't think I didn't think he had the money behind him, but it looks like he might. Well, if he's getting endorsements from... Marino's a big one, you know? know yeah yeah Yeah, I think so. I mean, Flynn's cool, but yeah, exactly. That's what I mean. Yeah. Well, Flynn's cool, but it's not exactly like yeah most people don't know who he is even. Right. Yeah. So yeah, for the Ohio politician, yeah, that's that's huge.
00:36:20
Speaker
Marino's a big, big name too. so See what happens. We'll keep an eye on it i even know where the polling's at. I didn't even look up i mean look it up. god I don't know if there's any polling for that. Yeah, it's true. It seems like they're just waiting.
00:36:32
Speaker
The state treasurer, right? No, not treasurer. Secretary State. Secretary of State. Yeah, it's not a... I don't know if there's any polling for that. All right.
00:36:42
Speaker
move We'll keep an eye on that. That'll be a a nice race to might maybe see some surprises there. And moving on to the next story, which of course is probably the most exciting topic for our listeners out of all of them. I'm sure completely positive on that school funding, school funding, everybody got to talk about it again.
00:37:04
Speaker
I just love talking about school funding. It's so much fun. But it does kind of open up your eyes to how messed up things are in our tax system and all that stuff. So here we have a story from Fox 8, which is, i mean, the sky is falling.
00:37:19
Speaker
What are we going to do if we abolish property
Abolishing Property Taxes in Ohio
00:37:24
Speaker
taxes? What is going to happen? Will we live? Is the only thing holding up the sky property taxes? It seems that way because it seems like without it, we we're we're not going to be able to anything.
00:37:35
Speaker
It's going to be. Chaos. Cats and dogs living together. It's going to be crazy. And let's hear from Fox 8 on the chaos. If Ohio abolishes property taxes, how would it impact schools and the metro parks?
00:37:52
Speaker
From Fox 8.
00:37:55
Speaker
if we stay on this path of ever increasing property taxes, they're going to price me out of my home. Brian Massey and Leonard Gilbert are co-founders of a movement offering a referendum that could make it to Ohio voters in November. There is a a very basic goal and that is the absolute elimination of property taxes.
00:38:16
Speaker
throughout the state of Ohio. It is an effort that, if packed, the State Office of Budget and Management calculates would have catastrophic impacts on essential local services. We've got to support our local kids and we've got to support fire and our ah for all our first responders and the police. By eliminating property taxes and not having a plan to make up that gap, it's going to make your community less safe. I also am empathetic to the fact that nobody wants to increase their taxes. I get that, but Unfortunately for us, that's the only way that we can gain additional revenue in our schools.
00:38:51
Speaker
The State Office of Budget and Management estimates communities across the state would collect a combined $24 billion dollars less each year, three-fifths of which supports already struggling local school districts. 67% of our budget is based on local property tax.
00:39:06
Speaker
ah So that's a difficult one to overcome when you talk about how do you how else do you generate difficult dollars. that's That's two-thirds of our budget. Not in impossible. as The report suggests police and fire services would be dramatically impacted, particularly in smaller communities and townships with station closures, reduced staffing, and slower response times. And property taxes and levies also help support libraries and parks.
00:39:32
Speaker
We are part of the economic engine for this community and without the support, if this ballot initiative were to pass, we wouldn't exist in the fashion that we do today.
00:39:43
Speaker
That includes Cleveland Metro Parks, where more than 60% of their budget comes from a property tax renewal levy that overwhelmingly passed in November. And when we think about the the potential of losing 60% of our funding, um there will have to be either severe cuts or actual closures.
00:40:00
Speaker
Parks like Edgewater Beach, which the Metro Parks maintains and operates, potentially reverting what it was before they took over. Those amenities that you have, um they will cease to exist. There won't be anybody to take care of them. The state says compensating with higher sales and income taxes are not viable solutions. You go you have to raise the sales tax to some astronomical amount.
00:40:23
Speaker
So you're going to pay for this one one way or the other. if you raise the rate, people will leave the state and shop elsewhere. So he knows that everyone in Northeast Ohio is going to go to Pennsylvania. If you have a 20% Ohio sales tax rate, you'd actually raise less revenue by raising the sales tax to such an oppressive level. If you confirm that you do not want to pay property taxes and it passes, um the state will have to find a way to fill 22 to $24 billion dollars worth of funding. No kidding. Right now, there isn't a proposal that I have seen that addresses that number at this point in time.
00:40:58
Speaker
Dave Nethers, Fox 8 News. Oh, my God. You big dummy. No kidding, really? We're going to have to come up with more money? No. No kidding, really? That's the whole point, you Dumas.
00:41:10
Speaker
That's the whole point. is to force you guys to do something about a broken system and you just keep wanting to put band-aids on it.
00:41:22
Speaker
But one community, multiple communities actually. So what would happen without property tax? Well, oddly enough, one city, very close to us, Tom, Parma city schools to eliminate property tax levies, but only if voters approve an income tax.
00:41:41
Speaker
Right. This is kind of what we're talking about. But Parma's going even a little further. And let's, so I guess, we I don't want to ruin my clip. I'll spend a lot of time clipping it.
00:41:54
Speaker
Let's listen to what Channel 5 News, of course, it's very heavy this week with Channel 5 for some reason. They've got, let's hear from their story about Parma wants to put in 1.75% earned income tax with a twist ah but moves sorry The Parma community is weighing in on a proposed income tax levy, one the local school superintendent says is necessary to keep the district to float. News 5's Kaylee Olivas covers Cuyahoga County for us. She is speaking with those both for and against that new tax tonight.
00:42:28
Speaker
This is the investment that needs to be made for the future of 9,000 students. And after more than a decade of failed Parma City school levies, the most recent being this past November, the proposed investment needing to be made comes in the form of an earned income tax levy, a first of its kind for this community to consider. We had some discussions around some higher percentages. We landed on the 1.75. That 1.75% would only apply to wages, salaries, and self-employment income starting next year.
00:42:59
Speaker
to incentivize voters to say yes, the school board passed a resolution in mid-March, essentially promising it would eliminate three property tax levies set to expire 2030, 2031, and 2034. thirty one and twenty thirty four Collection on these would end January 2028. But even then, when I asked a Parma group chat whether people would go for it or not, the overwhelming answer no. Lettuce can be good things, necessary things, but they push it with little real information. They want to build a school.
00:43:28
Speaker
They're not really showing any plans to make things better for the students, to make education actually better. There's only much. There you go. money in everyone's wallet and they keep asking for these exorbitant amounts to support them. The school district confirms this income tax levy would collect a little more than $50 million dollars as opposed to $40 million that came from the three property levies.
00:43:51
Speaker
If this proposal doesn't pass in May. We will be in dire straits and so the reductions that we're talking about right now will likely increase more significantly and Parma City schools will look vastly different When you talk about reductions, do you mean reductions in programs, staffing? 83% of our budget is in staffing. And so ultimately it does boil down to people in programs that we have to eliminate to make sure that we can keep a budget in the black.
00:44:21
Speaker
Does that change anything for you? You know, it it doesn't change anything for me because that's always the threat you hear from everyone is it's always about cutting people. If we need to cut people, then we have to be judicious about it and cut where needs to be cut. I'll continue to follow through as it goes for a vote on May 5th.
00:44:41
Speaker
In Parma, I'm your Cuyahoga County reporter, Kaylee Olivas. So yeah, levy season. So you're telling me they're going to get $10 more million dollars yeah through this?
00:44:55
Speaker
hu Yes. and Why is it 1.75? Why not 1.5? Maybe you would kind of even up and not rip us off? I think they need their they need more money according to them, right? This is one of the reasons they need additional levies to increase the funding. not at okay At current rate, they don't have enough. So this would two birds, one stone.
00:45:15
Speaker
Get rid of the levies and increase their funding. Well, my research, I'm trying to figure out what does Parma people, what do people in Parma pay for property taxes? So on average, I think it's, uh, yeah, but it's, it's different per city because school levies and everything changed. So it's right.
00:45:32
Speaker
In Parma, they said the average is like $3,300 according to Google. So let's figure four grand for easy math and to get a little bit above the average. So if you're, if 60 and I think 60 to 65% of property taxes go to schools, so you're saving $2,000 a year roughly.
00:45:55
Speaker
Okay. Like like your your property taxes would get cut by, it let's say about $2,000 a year, a little bit more than that, maybe $2,200. How much more taxes would you pay? Right. So I don't know. that Depends on how much you make.
00:46:06
Speaker
But if you're making a hundred, if your family, if your house is making a hundred thousand dollars a year, again, easy math, you'd be paying $2,000.
00:46:13
Speaker
$1,750 year? Is that math right? If you're making $100,000, 1.75% $1,750, right? I guess, yeah. Yeah. like win. one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars right i guess yeah yeah
00:46:26
Speaker
seems like a win
00:46:29
Speaker
In some cases, right? Some cases, yeah. Like it depends on much money you're making, obviously. But I guess if you're making a lot more money, and this is Parma, so it's not like you're going to a very high-end neighborhood or anything. It's not like Solon or of those places. But um I think unless you're making more than, unless you're making, ah if you're making $250,000 a year, probably in a much bigger house paying more taxes anyway.
00:46:53
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. So there, I'm not sure there's some level it doesn't work out, but at some point, if you're making $500,000 a year, you know, you're know going to, if it's a a thousand dollars difference, are you going to, you know, text the millionaires in the billionaires?
00:47:09
Speaker
I just want it to be, it's a to me, it's a flat tax, so it's fair, right? I think the only the only thing only problem I see with this, and there's a couple other communities doing this. I don't know of any other community that literally the school board has passed a resolution that if this passes, they will, and within a year before January 28, they will get rid of the current three current levies.
00:47:30
Speaker
All the other ones I've seen are just adding on to, instead of getting a school levy, they're going to keep the levies and add an income tax. I think the only flaw in this plan is it's an earned income tax and not just taxed.
00:47:44
Speaker
Like I think anybody who has taxable income in the city should be taxed the same. ah Then you're going to go after people on social security and pensions and stuff like that. What was that? I'm not going after anybody.
00:47:58
Speaker
No, I'm just saying, cause right now they don't get taxed, income taxed, not, not from the city. So if you're if you're pulling from your 401k, you don't pay income tax?
00:48:11
Speaker
Not for the city, no. No? No. That's what ah one of our boots on the ground guys emailed us. Oh, okay. didn't forget about it. That's what he said in there?
00:48:22
Speaker
Yeah, I believe so. Okay. i think i I don't know. I don't think that works with state income tax, but I think with the city, yeah. Okay. Then I'm fine with it, I think. I just don't want, I think if, i don't think you should carve out anybody out of the system if they're already paying, you know, if they're paying, if you're getting taxable income from the city, it should stay that way. It just should be included. This is really, this sounds like it, I mean, I guess, you know, the our our boots on the ground guy has to reach out to us and tell us what he thinks of this. But he's a tax guy.
00:48:53
Speaker
Yeah. He, he um because right now it seems like retirees don't really hay into this stuff for the city income tax. Like if you're retired and you're collecting pension, I think it's pensions. I'm not sure about 401.
00:49:09
Speaker
But pensions are taxed differently than foreign ones aren Aren't they or no? I don't know. I don't know. I know 401k, you pay tax when you pull from it, right? An IRA, you don't. You pay tax. It's after tax. I don't know anything about that. just sounded like when you're if you're on a pension or your social security doesn't get taxed for income tax for cities, you city income tax. That could be, a I guess.
00:49:30
Speaker
i don't I'm not sure about like how ah four a 401, you know, I don't yeah i don't have that. Yeah. And I'm not at that point to start looking into it. Yeah. I know 401ks are tax. You put in before taxes.
00:49:45
Speaker
Right. But when you pull out, you pay income tax on it. I don't know. yeah I don't know how exactly what the rate Exactly. yeah Yeah. Federally and state, I'm sure there is. when Once it comes into city, I don't know.
00:49:58
Speaker
And that's my point. I think if you're, if, if let's just say for argument's sake, you're pulling from your 401k and the city of Parma is taxing you on that and you're retired. I think that's that's an earned income that should be taxed.
00:50:14
Speaker
If you're not getting, if say your pension doesn't get taxed by the city, I think that should stay the same. It shouldn't be taxed. Right. But if you're, if you have earned income and and if 401k is considered earned income, then you should be, you should pay the tax it.
00:50:28
Speaker
Cause you haven't paid tax on that money yet. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That's just me though. I don't know. Uh, I, I, I like it. I'm, I'm, I'm actually going, I'm looking at it very suspicious eyes, Tom.
00:50:40
Speaker
I'm like, does it sound too good to be true? Well, because it's too early to do this. Yeah. I think, I think we, I think they, think they're trying to preempt the possibility of losing off property taxes.
00:50:58
Speaker
ah you know what i mean like yeah i think they're just trying they also haven't passed the levy 20 some years but at some point suck at some point you gotta i've been saying this for us you know all these cities like you've gone 15 or 20 years and you can every year you sometimes twice a year you get turned down for a levy maybe you need to think differently because people are saying they're kind of telling you no
00:51:23
Speaker
Average $100,000 district homeowner in Parma Heights, Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills would annually save $500 in property taxes with the elimination of these levies. That's it.
00:51:38
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. Let's keep an eye on this. This will be interesting to see kind of a little, kind of had something like this in Moraine County. And that's kind of our next story, which added onto this from the, oh, just jumped the idea stream, which is, i mean, it's levy season, right?
00:51:54
Speaker
It's, it's ah election time is levy season and idea stream as a ah little article here, kind of with a rundown of some of the bigger, Bigger places, stakes are high for some Northeast Ohio districts with levies on the ballot, on the May ballots.
00:52:10
Speaker
And they go through some of the ones that, including Parma, but Lorain city schools is cutting more than 160 jobs. Many of them teachers due to losing the almost $6.7 million dollars in state, local and federal funds over the last year.
00:52:24
Speaker
And kind the sum of this story is, i mean,
00:52:32
Speaker
They say tensions around funding are high locally and across the state. The Republican majority in ohio and the Ohio legislation has argued it's providing more school funding than ever before for public schools in its current budget.
00:52:46
Speaker
John Fortney, director of communications for the Ohio State Majority Caucus, in a statement Thursday, highlighted state data showing that even though schools have lost enrollment, their expenses are still rising.
00:53:01
Speaker
He says, for far too long, school districts have complained to voters about not having enough money, threatening to cut athletic programs and other extracurricular activities, Fortney said.
00:53:13
Speaker
Now that the game of leveraging levies on taxpayers' expense is over, they continue to malign the General Assembly for linking funding to enrollment and requiring results for billions the billions invested in K-12 education.
00:53:32
Speaker
Should the property tax repeal make to make the ballot and pass, these districts would only have themselves to blame for the consequences to come. And to that, I'd have to say only that... And that's the bottom line, because Stone Cold said so.
00:53:52
Speaker
Because that's the key. they're They're saying, well, they cut our funding. They cut our funding. Well, yeah, now it's based the state funding is based on enrollment, a lot of it. So if you're getting less people, less people, kids in school, yeah,
00:54:07
Speaker
and that's ah kind of kind of the gist of this article. They're they're basically complaining that the state isn't giving them enough, which, I mean, I guess is an argument because they're not giving them as much as they want.
00:54:21
Speaker
but they call for cuts. And I don't think there's been many cuts. 80% of our funding from the state is from by the state. This is a Lorraine superintendent, Jeff ah Graham. He says 80% of their funding is from the state.
00:54:35
Speaker
And when the state cuts his funding like it did, and the federal government cuts his funding like they did, and don't believe it. they Did they cut education funding? No.
00:54:46
Speaker
no They raised it by over $226 million dollars in the state budget. And I don't think the federal government cut education today. Uh, no. Huh?
00:54:57
Speaker
um Unless they got DEI stuff in their school. Well, there's that. but Maybe Lorraine got a cut because their enrollment went down. Yeah. Could be that. Right. Makes sense.
00:55:08
Speaker
And I think a lot state funding is that if you've got to cut, it's because you're losing students. So, but you still need more money. That's kind of the whole point is they've been complaining for years about cutting, cutting. They're going to to staff. We've got to cut staff. Yeah. But you don't have as many, you have like, like we talked to Akron, I think, or Stark over the last 15 years, they've cut their enrollment like by half.
00:55:28
Speaker
But you still same amount of teachers. What are these people, what are these doing all day? What are these teachers?
00:55:34
Speaker
So keep an eye on that stuff. It's levy season. Follow, look at your local, send us what your local, you know, place is doing, a local municipality or village or whatever is doing for levies or for school funding. Anything interesting like Parma is doing, look at rivercast.gmail.com.
00:55:52
Speaker
Send us what you got. Be interested to see what everybody else is doing. I like what Parma is doing, but I'm suspicious. I'm still thinking about it. it sounds good. it's not. I'm worried. I think about it. I i didn't really, i mean, I'm not in Parma, so I didn't really. It's a news channel five again story. This one because I story, just fun i don't so here's a news channel five again story
00:56:22
Speaker
this one i just keep laughing at because i can't believe it's even a story but hey we're covering it and really just to make fun of it because parents blindsided
00:56:31
Speaker
Blindsided. After a Caga County college savings program closure leaves funds in question. What? Get out here. Let's see what News Channel 5 has to say about this stuff.
00:56:44
Speaker
Spring, it can be an exciting time for high school seniors. So many look forward to college, excited to spread their wings for the very first time. A local family though was recently brought back down to earth after finding out a college savings account set up more than a decade ago was empty.
00:57:00
Speaker
News 5's Kaylee Olivas covers Cuyahoga County for us. She spoke with a mother tonight demanding answers. demanding The price tag associated with higher education, it's not getting any cheaper. How much is college gonna cost you?
00:57:14
Speaker
Around $31,000 year. Ariana Vaughn is graduating high school this year, and then she'll move on to Kent State for nursing. To ensure a smooth financial transition into her college career, she's working two jobs. How's that going? Good for you. I'm doing good so far. She figured she'd have a little more in her pocket, though, as she was automatically enrolled into a Cuyahoga County College Savings account when she was in kindergarten. The county kicking off the account with $100, and then families could use these slips to collect and deposit more. Sitting in Ariana's account was just the $100. When her mom went to collect that last month, it was nowhere to be found. There was no no money, no account. It was closed.
00:57:54
Speaker
And um so I went down to the bank to find out and all the accounts had been closed out. i was stunned. it was a bank account. I mean, I didn't think you could just go in and withdraw money from somebody else's bank account. Now she's asking, where did the money go and why wasn't she notified?
00:58:10
Speaker
I would just like to know what their ultimate plan was for it, because this is a program that was started in kindergarten in the in the the students are just becoming seniors now. Wait, wait, wait, hold and hold on, hold on.
00:58:22
Speaker
You want them to tell you what the plan was. The plan was for them to start a college fund for your kid and give you a hundred dollars out out of taxpayer money. And for you to take your money and invest in that bank account.
00:58:35
Speaker
And you decided that after the program has been closed for 10 years, then all of a sudden you want the hundred bucks hey you want. And then you want them to tell you what the plan for the fund was. I think you missed the fricking point woman.
00:58:51
Speaker
The plan was for you to invest in your kid's future, and you didn't any did nothing, but now all you do is complaining. And then you call Channel 5. All right, moving on.
00:59:01
Speaker
A long-term investment. Do you feel like the county owes you answers? No, just $100. I think they they should let us know. So I reached out to Cuyahoga County on Wednesday. did, you twat. A spokesperson tells me the program ended did back in 2015. saying in part, quote, at this time it appears that most everyone who participated received their money. The county does still have a small amount of funds that weren't dispersed slash collected because we could not locate the individuals to pay out or they didn't respond to notices that were sent to out. yeah If your child was enrolled in this savings program and you've yet to see that money from the county, the county tells me you can email fiscalquestions at CuyahogaCounty.gov. In Lakewood, I'm your Cuyahoga County reporter, Kaylee Olivas.
00:59:49
Speaker
So unclaimed funds. I bet, I bet that includes unclaimed funds. That's including unclaimed funds. and kind of things That's what I, one of the things I thought of it. Come on, really? You, you literally called a news organization and then they came out and interviewed you over ah hundred dollars for program was closed 10 years ago. Probably because nobody used it.
01:00:11
Speaker
Slow news day. Jeez, man. I want to know where my $100 went. Yeah. Okay. So now you're going to hear, here's a hundred bucks. Now you could only owes a 30, 30, 30, it would be $30,900 or whatever. You said $31,000 a year.
01:00:27
Speaker
Yeah. like Now you got a hundred. I'm like, you know, anyway, moving, moving on to something actually news oriented. Gotta pay attention folks. Yeah. Yeah. When, uh, anyway,
01:00:40
Speaker
Tell us what you think about that. How many, did you get your hundred dollars out for your kindergartner? Or did you notice that they sent you a letter and then, and then you just ignored it anyway. Probably what she did. Send us a link. Send us a link. Send us a email.
01:00:54
Speaker
Send us something. Go to the website, quickerrivercast.com. Lord. Send us an email, your feedback. We've gotten, got some good feedback here and there. got a little bit bringing in from, from, ah from last week and a couple of emails here and there. It's always good to hear from yeah you.
01:01:10
Speaker
Give us your feedback. Send us your shenanigans. I swear to God, I'll pistol whip the next guy that says shenanigans. Sorry, geez. Send us your things that are going on in your county, in your town, in your thing. us know what the, in your thing? What the Anyway, I botched this enough. Leave a comment, subscribe, share the show. We love that you listen. Thank you very much.
01:01:33
Speaker
Moving along.
01:01:36
Speaker
Next story. Ohio AG is pushing to reinstate the death penalty.
Death Penalty Debate in Ohio
01:01:44
Speaker
Um, this new Fox eight story that they want to start resuming, capital punishment and executions in Ohio. And I guess in the last, I mean, well, let's listen to the clip here from two channel five.
01:02:02
Speaker
Ohio's death row wait time is now longer than 22 years, with more inmates dying from natural causes or by suicide. The state's outgoing top cop is again urging Ohio to resume executions, but it's highly unlikely before the end of the year. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost writes in his newest annual capital punishment report, the de facto moratorium the last eight years has made, quote, a mockery of the justice system and of the dead and their families. I am aware of the moral weight of this debate, but...
01:02:36
Speaker
This is law of the land. That was Yost in 2024. But Governor Mike DeWine has hinted at taking an even stronger stance against the practice of the death penalty. And now capital punishment opponents like the ACLU of Ohio are asking DeWine to grant some death row inmates clemency or commute their sentences before leaving office. Sarah Donaldson at the Ohio Public Radio State House News Bureau. didn't hear anything that she said.
01:03:01
Speaker
I can't. I can't even listen. want to throw my headphones out the window. I forgot to warn you. I'm so sorry. i gotta to get I even put her name in the clip title and I i missed it. i just gotta admitt my What? No, and I'm sorry. Not that one. isn one Harsh.
01:03:19
Speaker
I mean, they both kind of fit. but a ah I don't actually know that. But hey, death penalty back in Ohio. Right now, the death penalty is um the the form of death penalty is just wait, you'll die.
01:03:34
Speaker
I don't know. what what What's your feeling on this? i Oh, I don't think the state should kill anybody. i don't trust the state. Yeah, was going say, I think the same page on this. Personally, I believe an eye for an eye.
01:03:47
Speaker
ah But as as far as it goes to the state killing somebody, I don't trust them and I don't trust the DA and all that stuff. and Juries.
01:03:58
Speaker
Juries. don't trust people because people are flawed. Yeah, I think I've moved pretty far on this one. i i technical Technically, for capital punishment, I just don't... Yes, yes, same here. don't Yeah, same. don't Don't believe the system is is flawed enough that even...
01:04:16
Speaker
a slight chance that it's not true. I mean, you have I guess you have to like have, don't know, there'd have to be some so crazy serious evidence for me to say, yeah, I put him at death.
01:04:27
Speaker
Yeah, the only way I could do it if I was on the jury is if I actually saw the person doing it. Yeah. I i can't i can't i can't do it. and And no, not by video, because nowadays you can't trust that either. was going say, normally, maybe 10 years ago, you'd said, okay, if there was video surveillance of it or something, you you could you could be confident.
01:04:46
Speaker
um But yeah, not anymore. Yeah, no, no, no. there's There's too much jury tampering. There's too much evidence tampering. There's ah attorneys that want to...
01:04:58
Speaker
Climb the ladder in politics.
01:05:02
Speaker
Yep. Need to get this. You know, you need to prosecute somebody. I should have said not district attorneys, right? Prosecutors. Just whatever. i just don't. District prosecutors. Same.
01:05:14
Speaker
think they're the same. I just don't. I can't trust them. There's a Kamala somewhere out there. Yes. And then add AI into it. Yeah. Yeah. add Add what I saw. I saw, yes, the other day was AI version of if friends came out today, the show friends,
01:05:35
Speaker
it was just AI. So they put a bunch of clips of friend scenes into AI, I'm assuming. And it all came back with, and they're all just looking at sitting in the coffee shop, looking at their phones, looking out the window, looking at their phones.
01:05:48
Speaker
I think it came out yesterday or the day before. i didn't I didn't watch it. My wife watched it. And then I heard about it on another podcast. I forget. Anyways, it was ah somebody made a little movie with, ah you know how re the guy, I don't know the guy's name, Reacher got in a fight. Oh, we talked about it, right?
01:06:07
Speaker
Yeah, I think I saw this. Yeah. Yeah. They made a movie with that Reacher and the and the neighbor, I guess, the the two that got in a fight. Using all AI, no actors.
01:06:18
Speaker
And it's passable for crying out loud. Yeah, it wasn't something about bullying in your neighborhood or something? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like going to start a business where you go in and beat up the bullies in your neighborhood or something? Yeah. Right.
01:06:30
Speaker
Yeah. So it was ah it's it's getting to the point where it's going to be really hard to tell the difference. It already is to hard to tell the difference. It's going to get to the point you can't tell the difference.
01:06:43
Speaker
Yeah, it's be really close now. Yeah. i guessing I guess it got the emotion. You know, that that was kind of the part before that was kind of a sticking point. Now it's actually getting the facial emotion and everything, the voice.
01:06:58
Speaker
It's crazy, man. on my construction site. So I did, I just did some safety training, which I do every once in a while, two hours of be nice to people.
01:07:09
Speaker
Don't offend anybody. You're supposed to know what the other person will be offended by so that you don't say it. It's kind of the thing of it was, but they, um, uh, they, the, the guys on site are showing me I took a picture of one of the guys working and put into AI generator and made them dance like a, like a belly dancer or something, you know, something crazy like a Maracha, you know? And it's yeah like, they're doing in their phone. Like it's like, they're doing it on site. i mean, it's not the greatest. You can easily tell, you know, where the face is and stuff like that, but it's so good. Like for on the spot. I'm like, holy cow.
01:07:44
Speaker
I'll tell you what, i' I've taken some of the stuff I've just on in Grok, some of the photo, photos I took back in the day when we had a studio. And it's making making them come to life. Oh, wow. and And doing a pretty damn good job of it.
01:08:00
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Scary, isn't it? Yeah. Crazy. Very. So yeah, I can't believe the videos. Can't believe the audio. Can't believe the e witnesses, the jury. Yeah. Life in prison.
01:08:16
Speaker
i Yeah, yeah. And I can't remember why they stopped it. Does it say anywhere why they stopped it? They were having a hard time getting the drugs. I know that was a problem. Yeah. That was ah one of the problems.
01:08:27
Speaker
But it's been. You know, it's a shame because i I do think, you know, I do believe in it. But I just don't trust it. There's 113 inmates in death row counting for 115 death sentences.
01:08:40
Speaker
Fifth largest such population in the country. In 2025, one inmate died. One had ah charges dismissed and another was ruled ineligible for execution due to serious mental illness.
01:08:53
Speaker
So no new inmates were added to death row during the year. okay i don't know i i'd imagine they'll probably and eventually continue and start doing it again so we'll keep an eye on it let you know right and before i mean i guess before we move on to our next story here let's uh let's let's let's calm it down you know most i think most men most people on death row are men, right?
01:09:23
Speaker
so and guess So I guess the vast majority, if not most, if not all of them. So I think in a lot of the problems I think is men are very, they don't like therapy. They don't like talking about their feelings.
01:09:34
Speaker
Maybe it's because of the atmosphere that they're in. And the Babylon Bee came up with a great idea. So let's hear what they're talking about. Real men's therapy. For men, sometimes it's difficult to talk about your feelings. But what if good mental health was possible without traditional talk therapy? yeah Introducing Real Man Therapy. Therapeutic solutions for men that actually work. This isn't your grandma's therapy.
01:10:00
Speaker
We know what actually helps men get out of their depression. Kick things off at our wood chopping station. connect with others in meaningful conversation all i'm saying is that a squatermarines could easily take out a whole legion of roman soldiers you're not taking into consideration the tortoise formation route our self-certified man therapy wellness sessions also include a car for you to fix swordwall learn how to quote tombstone bible reading and prayer advance golf simulators an old wizard who gives you clests a tank
01:10:31
Speaker
An old woodworking tool. Bored with little troops you can push around like a general. An anvil. A riding lawnmower. Chainsaw battles. the Stuff for you to punch. A pre-recorded video of Matt Walsh telling you to shut up and stop being an idiot. P-51 Mustang. Books about the Civil War.
01:10:51
Speaker
A gun. And so much more. So if you're struggling with anxiety or depression, don't go to normal therapy. Check out Real Man Therapy Clinics today.
01:11:01
Speaker
Because talking is for women. yeah See any problems with that, Tom? ah The word gun. It should be plural. Yes.
01:11:12
Speaker
They had me at tank. yeah I guess i to your point, I could say just one tank. What if I got buddies? But that is kind of a gun, too. Yeah, but it's only one.
ICE Lawsuit & Immigration Enforcement
01:11:23
Speaker
Actually, they do have sometimes a mounted. I can't drive two. No, but what if you have buddies? What if you wanna to have tank wars?
01:11:30
Speaker
Oh, wait that's awesome. That could pose a problem, but we could figure it out. That's okay. I figured it before, ah after, you know, after the listen about death row and all, you know, we can break up the monotony. A little Babylon Bee always helps us out.
01:11:46
Speaker
That was funny. Before we move on to our next story, which um is, well, there's an there's a lawsuit, Tom. There's an a lawsuit, and apparently...
01:11:58
Speaker
Apparently um lawsuit claims ice agents are illegally arresting immigrants without legal immigrants. It doesn't say that Tom says immigrants. So it must mean, ah you know, the granny who just came over from Poland.
01:12:16
Speaker
like Yeah. Okay. So do you need a warrant to arrest somebody? No, no. Okay. So ah this seems a little hyperbolic because resting,
01:12:28
Speaker
Without warrant. Yeah, well, you don't need a warrant just to arrest somebody. we i mean, there are arrest warrants. You need a warrant to search somebody's house, all that kind of stuff. um Well, ICE agents ah are, according to the claims, the lawsuit claims, are arresting and detaining individuals even before asking their name. Okay. Okay.
01:12:59
Speaker
Yeah. Lawsuit brought by ACLU. Oh, shocker. ah Community refugee and immigrant services. That's Chris. Christ is community refugee and immigrant services.
01:13:11
Speaker
You forgot an I in there. Illegal immigrant services. um And I'll advocates for basic legal equity. ABLE. They really spent a lot of time and money on these things.
01:13:24
Speaker
Ohio and law enforcement firms, or Ohio and local law firms ah represents immigrants who live in Ohio and were detained by immigration and custom and enforcement or customs and border patrol agents.
01:13:37
Speaker
Lawsuit claims immigrants are illegally arrested by federal agents. Again, i can't I can't take this seriously because it when they say immigrants, I know they mean illegal immigrants in some cases.
01:13:52
Speaker
ah do we How do I take them seriously? Well, ah let's let's listen to the Fox 8 clip and see what they have say. With a Republican supermajority in the General Assembly, Democrats are unlikely to gain much traction with this legislation. Still, Attorney General Dave Yost says that some of their proposals would be in the best interest of law enforcement.
01:14:15
Speaker
Responding to immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis and the killing of Renee Good and Alex Preddy by federal agents, House Democrats are pushing a slate of bills to limit what they see as federal overreach.
01:14:26
Speaker
This is about public safety. It's about our communities being able to trust law enforcement. It makes us less safe when people in our communities no longer trust. if they law enforcement officers. And that is what we are seeing because of what's been happening in Minnesota and around the country. Attorney General Dave Yost said the state is limited on what rules it can place on federal agents, but says some of the proposals, especially a bill requiring agents to wear identification, would be in law enforcement's best interest.
01:14:55
Speaker
I think that it would be a good idea to have markings that identify your law enforcement agency on you for purposes of qualified immunity. That's an important fact and a legal determination on use of force. On another proposed resolution, one that would ensure the attorney general can investigate shootings by federal agents in Ohio, Yost said state prosecutors are experts at impartially investigating police use of force.
01:15:20
Speaker
They're experts? Yeah, in Ohio, but not Minnesota. They're expert at looking the other way in Minnesota. um Yeah. they also have legislation, but again, not really going to go anywhere because Democrats and, and we, Yost did say that some of that was was a good idea, not not to put, you know, to put FBI or ICE or police ICE or something like they have in the picture on their uniforms and not just have plain clothes people.
01:15:49
Speaker
Not that it happens that often, but I'm sure it does. But I don't think that's what these this article is saying. These lawsuits or these legislation is not talking about put ice on there because they already basically had all that.
01:16:01
Speaker
No, these people want like name, address, phone number, first born, second born, wife name, grandmother's name, mother's name. They like the whole thing just run down their back.
01:16:12
Speaker
Doxing made easy. Yes. Can you make it easier for us to threaten their families and and you know their kids and all that stuff? it's It's a lot of what happens, unfortunately.
01:16:25
Speaker
i don't think either of us would really like the fact that there's masked federal agents on the streets, but they shouldn't have to worry about the safety of their family when they go do their job every day either.
01:16:38
Speaker
Nowadays...
01:16:41
Speaker
Nowadays, it's too easy. For sure. to To spread all that information online. You know, 20 years ago, was a different story. so You can get a mob riled up pretty quick online.
01:16:56
Speaker
And even if they're, even with their last name on there, even if go ahead and put their last name on there, there's a, there are doxing people that don't, that aren't that person. And that person's getting fired. You know, there's plenty of cases of that crap, misidentifying doxing people. And then, um, you know, it's crazy. So don't There's gotta be ah a line there, happy medium, but, um, in a perfect world, I guess.
01:17:21
Speaker
Dozens of claims of them, uh, the officers are allowed by law to arrest people without a warrant. Oh, okay. So what's the lawsuit about then? don't know. No shit.
01:17:36
Speaker
Anyway, you know, people, that's all they do is complain. Moving along. oh well, those this next one here uh, was brought in by, uh, one of our, well, listeners, but more of a producer.
Gorge Dam Removal Benefits
01:17:51
Speaker
Uh, Sir J stroke sent us this article. He's a, what you call him? a self-proclaimed canoe expert. Yeah. And he's excited about this story because it's the Gorge dam removing removal of Gorge dam is underway apparently. Uh, and they are starting the process to,
01:18:10
Speaker
to remove it and connect the Cuyahoga river. Cause a lot of canoeists and kayaks people would say, you know, you can't, cause all the dams they put in over the years, it's kind of something nationwide that's kind of going on is, uh, remove all these old dams that aren't really doing anything and kind of connecting the river rivers and streams back to where they used to be. And most of the Cuyahoga, you can't,
01:18:33
Speaker
You can't navigate the Cuyahoga River. it's It's been broken up by dams too much, and this is just one of them. That will be eventually coming down, it sounds like. Let's listen to listen a little bit of the Gorge Dam from Fox News, or not Fox, News Channel 5.
01:18:51
Speaker
The power and the beauty of millions of gallons of water rushing over the Gorge Dam brings people to Gorge Metro Park, but it's also caused environmental concerns. So a long-term plan to remove the dam brings mixed emotions to Michael Ronka. grew up here.
01:19:05
Speaker
it was part of my life growing up, you know, but I'm glad to see it removed, actually, see what's under it. Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters says the natural falls have been covered by the dam for more than a century. It's known as the big falls.
01:19:19
Speaker
Well, no one alive has ever seen it. News 5 has covered the push to tear down the dam for years. In 2022, we talked with Metroparks officials about a plan that called for possibly removing it by 2026. The Gorge Dam currently has no benefits. It has no use at all. It was originally built to produce electricity and as a cooling source for a coal-fired plant. But among the concerns raised over the years, 865,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment built up behind the dam.
01:19:48
Speaker
Sensitivity about a clean Cuyahoga River has lingered for decades. Many people still remember the days when this river was so polluted, it literally caught on fire. So just how much is 865,000 cubic yards of sediment? That's equivalent to 11 football fields each 10 to 12 feet high. Or 260 Olympic-sized swimming pools. But change is coming to the Crooked River. The Cuyahoga River will flow freely. You can see the orange buoys in the water. In two weeks, the process to start dredging that sediment will begin, moving at about two miles away to Cascade Valley Metropark, where it will be mixed with concrete and become part of the landscape. That process is expected to take two years and clears the way for the dam to come down. But when? Governor Mike DeWine isn't sure, but he's optimistic for recreational and economic opportunities. And you're going to see more kayaking and more great opportunities for people just to enjoy the river. So we're looking forward to that. The kayakers tell me that we will have nothing close east of the Mississippi to what we'll have here for the whitewater kayaking. So we'll be building hotels, restaurants. In Cuyahoga Falls, Bob Jones, News 5.
01:21:02
Speaker
Yeah, hotels are going build. Restaurants are going to build.
01:21:09
Speaker
It is a scenic, kind of a scenic spot to go look at the the the dam, but. I've never been there. No, I don't think I have either. I don't think I have. Pictures are cool. Yeah, pictures are cool. But like they said in the in the article, there's falls underneath there.
01:21:24
Speaker
I don't know. did They're called big balls. aren we No, they said big falls. Big falls. Yeah, it's different. and Now, did they just pour concrete on top of the falls? I hope not. But we'll find out, I guess.
01:21:36
Speaker
So two years is going to take to remove all that sediment. like many swimming pools. They always use swimming pools as a gauge. You know, it's that, it's like, like the universal kind of, with everybody. oh that means swimming pools. Yeah. Cause, cause everyone's seen an Olympic size pool.
01:21:53
Speaker
Oh, I can, I can, you know, no I'm, I don't think I've ever seen one. I'm being a smart ass. I know you are. I was like, maybe, no I don't think I have. That's big though. That's bigger than, that's probably twice as big as your normal pool as you, uh, as you would see, like, uh, your, um,
01:22:10
Speaker
community. Community pool is much bigger than that. Probably bigger than that even. Probably four times. Yeah. ah But many. That's a lot lot of sediment. Now, I'm kind of concerned. but i don't I didn't know you could mix dirt with concrete and it'll still be okay.
01:22:25
Speaker
That's what they said they were going to do. But and I know they're not going to do that. The sediment, they're going to remove it, move it to another part of the park and kind of incorporate it into some concrete areas and part of some other projects and stuff and take couple years and then after that they're going to guess decide whether they're going to tear it down or not i think they've already decided that i just got to fund it maybe by 2030 it'll be connected there again do some kayak yeah no it's very cool very cool i just looked up olympic size pool just because i'm a weirdo yep it's 160 feet long 82 feet wide and at least two meters deep recommended three meters
01:23:06
Speaker
Hold 660,000 gallons of water. This meters you speak of is foreign language. i didn't know I didn't write this. No one could figure it out. Nobody knows what three meters is in feet. It's impossible to figure out.
01:23:21
Speaker
ah And so cool, good stuff. And I know all the, you know, all the stuff they're doing with the Caga River, they've cleaned it up so much over the past couple of decades. And then we even talked about like the Irish bend and stuff that they put up towards Cleveland that, that they're rehabilitating.
01:23:35
Speaker
was collapsing and they did a bunch of work to it to re-shore it up and then, you know, try to tame the river. And they're going to put a park there so you have more more chances to get in and out of the river with with your kayak or your canoe.
01:23:49
Speaker
So thank you, Sir J-Stroke.
Turtle Imagery & Humor
01:23:51
Speaker
We appreciate the ah help with the show this week. It's a good story. I like it.
01:23:58
Speaker
ah Metro parks are such a gem around here. we We're something that I think most people don't take full advantage of. I wonder if the people that put this picture of the turtles on the website realized if you just take a quick look, it looks like the turtle turtles are humping turtle sex.
01:24:16
Speaker
Yeah. I did not expect to go down turtle sex on this one. All right. This was not on my bingo card, but I'm looking at this going, yeah, this is a, this could be in some cases an X rated shot here. I mean, or he's at least humping the rock, which is weird when painful, painful check chafing issues and stuff.
01:24:40
Speaker
ah Turtle sex. I did not expect that as a topic. Okay. Turtle sex. Yeah. all right. Next. Moving along. ah This next one here, let's say, oh, scene.com.
Fracking on Ohio Public Land
01:24:52
Speaker
Cleveland scene.com has a story here, um which, okay. Let's just read through it.
01:25:00
Speaker
More than 8,500 acres of Ohio's public land approved for fracking.
01:25:07
Speaker
Oh no. Yeah, it's serious. ah So yeah, they're saying was 8,000 acres at Egypt Valley wildlife area and more than 500 acres at Salt Fork State Park were approved to be fracked during Friday's Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission meeting, which lasted less than 20 minutes. So they were they like, yep, we're done.
01:25:30
Speaker
um Let's see, four different bid sections were approved for parts of Egypt Valley Wildlife Area in Belmont County. Let's see, one section approved 513 acres Fork.
01:25:40
Speaker
ah salt fork And, um, it looks like the leases we put out to bid next calendar quarter. So they're going to put it out for who wants to develop that and frack it. You know, what companies, um, so the poisonous fruits of fracking will now grow everyone's backyard says save Ohio parks in a statement.
01:26:04
Speaker
Um, several people booed and shouted in opposition when the commission voted to approve the bids. Um, But they they said they considered all the factors um by the statute and public comments are certainly one of them.
01:26:18
Speaker
And the commission chair, Teresa White, said, when asked how much public comments are taken into consideration. Oh, that's what she said. We consider all of them. Sorry. Botched that completely up. But...
01:26:29
Speaker
um I mean, went through the process, they approved it, and lot of these places are going to get little bit of money from it. So sounds like lease bonuses $12,754 for Valley Run Wildlife Area, including 12.5% royalty, according the Ohio Department Resources.
01:26:45
Speaker
for valley run wildlife area including twelve point five percent royalty according to how department of resources
01:26:53
Speaker
ah For example, another example, Harrison County should get a $2,400 lease bonus and 12.5% royalties according to the ODNR. So it does come with some some probably well-deserved money for some communities depending on where it goes.
01:27:11
Speaker
Think it's going to go where they to the parks or you thinkt you think they're going to... It looks like... It's unclear. It says Harrison County, but... ah You know what? Is it going to the county or is it going to the park? It's a state park, so I'm assuming it's going to the county.
01:27:28
Speaker
I think part of part of it go to the county and maybe ah the park goes to the state. Some other park goes to the state. It doesn't really say. No, no, because this is like a lease, right? Yeah. Well, but you're leasing state park. So, yeah, it's... State park, does county land? I don't know.
01:27:45
Speaker
Like I said, it does say Harrison County will get blah, blah, blah, so... Okay. I don't know. Yeah. Now, are they restricted what they can do with it? Maybe they can only put it in the parks. Maybe, maybe not. But I hope, hopefully in some of these areas, it could be some well, well needed money to be injected into their local economy. Depending on how much they get out. 12 and a half percent. Let's see.
01:28:09
Speaker
12.5% is pretty good. Yeah. The lease, the land lease thing I'm kind of confused about because it doesn't sound like it's that much. but As far as their bonus ticket?
01:28:20
Speaker
Yeah. the you does Is it it like a signing bonus? That's what it sounds like. The lease bonus is That's County. that's like a lot no is is it an an anchor ah doesn't say doesn't say just says for the land in harrison county
01:28:40
Speaker
The other lease bonus is 12,000. How do they get that? um Is it more land? More land, yeah. So the valley-run wildlife area is, did they say?
01:28:51
Speaker
800 acres? No. maybe it's a eight thousand maybe it's a Maybe it's like a ah maintenance bonus. You know, like the park will continue to maintain it. Yeah.
01:29:03
Speaker
Uh, yeah, I think so. Um, well, Egyptian Valley wildlife area in Belmont County, looking at 4,000 acres, about 3,000, 3,800 acres in one area, no more than that. 2,792 in another area, 849. Yeah. So quite a few. That's quite a bit. That's lot. another, mean, they're they're not going to clear cut all these acres, but they have the ability to put, put pumps and fracking units.
01:29:25
Speaker
And generally, yeah I get it. we It can be done responsibly in these um activists. Look at that picture, Tom. Look at that. was great Those great signs they had there.
01:29:37
Speaker
Let me put some work into those. Boomers! Yeah, they are blue hairs for sure. For sure. Every single one of them. There's one, two, three, four, five in this picture. Okay.
01:29:49
Speaker
okay Thank you for your your input. can you Can you keep an eye on these guys and keep them honest? Because we we we need oil because otherwise you die.
01:29:59
Speaker
Because you guys go to the doctor a lot, I would imagine. Right? um A lot of plastic in the medical industry. I have a feeling they've used a lot of oil over their years. They've been around a while. Yep. and Before they started using oil. Probably without oil, you'd be dead by now.
01:30:18
Speaker
Yes. Uh, so ah we need the oil because without it, we don't have a lot of the, we don't have the life we have at all and you'd be dead, but it can be done responsibly.
01:30:30
Speaker
It has been done. It has been done responsibly over and over again. And most of what they do can be cleaned up and in within a few years, even was there. You know what? I'm on their side in a way, as long as it's being done responsible. No, I'm, I, let me rephrase that. I'm on the side of the protesters, as long as they keep an an eye on the businesses to keep it, rest you know, make sure they're being responsible.
01:30:54
Speaker
Yeah. Like, I don't like fracking all that much, but I don't want to, you know, i don't want, and don't want to prohibit a business to do it if they're doing it right.
01:31:06
Speaker
Yes. Yes. And I think, think part, probably part of their issue and usually part of fracking issue is when they do it right, they still don't like it because you're, you're injecting what fracking is. You actually inject a high, high pressure fluids into the, into the rocks, and into the right underground to crack it, to a limit, to release more of the gas and oil and stuff that's kind of trapped in little pockets all the over the place.
01:31:27
Speaker
And that's usually their issue is, is the water table.
01:31:32
Speaker
Look at the girl from ah the woman, that not the girl, the the boomer from the second one from the left. She hasn't liked anything in about 60 years.
01:31:45
Speaker
like think Last thing she liked was Kennedy. Yeah, probably. And not RFK, JFK. um Yeah. So, I mean, hey, please keep an eye on them. I appreciate it.
01:31:56
Speaker
But not to to to the point where you're going to ruin, you know, our lives our our lives as we know it. Okay. Come on.
01:32:07
Speaker
You know, they're just old hippies right here. mean, or parents of old hippies or kids of old hippies. All right. Next on the list is another Cleveland scene magazine or Cleveland scene.
01:32:19
Speaker
I said it again. Do they even have a magazine any anymore? I don't think. I don't know. I haven't picked one up in a long time. Cleland scene.com. Now here's an op-ed that at first I'm looking at it going, okay, I can get on board with it. It says op-ed Northeast Ohio officials must protect residents and reject flock.
01:32:38
Speaker
So if you don't know what flock is flock is, these, uh, uh, license plate scanning cameras that are being put up all around the country in state of Ohio. <unk> Yes. Surveillance technology is on the rise, putting Ohioans privacy at risk.
01:32:52
Speaker
Okay. I can be on board with that. People across the nation, including here in Northeast Ohio are realizing protecting our freedoms requires local officials committed to protecting our privacy and not spying on us. Okay. So far so good. Okay.
01:33:10
Speaker
Unfortunately, many of our cities and in counties unwittingly put residents at risk by collecting, ah contracting with surveillance companies to help the Trump administration
01:33:24
Speaker
suppress activism and target immigrants. There's the word again, Tom. There's that word again. Suppressing activism and targeting immigrants.
01:33:35
Speaker
The most notorious among them is flock.
01:33:40
Speaker
um You had me until it was orange man bad because yeah, this is written by a Ohio ACLU employee. Jocelyn Rosnick. Oh yeah. And Jocelyn Rosnick. Okay. That name sounds familiar. Yeah.
01:33:54
Speaker
Um, my question is, it only a problem when, when Trump's in office because these cameras have been around a while? um I think there are 100,000 automatic license plates readers, ALPRSs, in about 5,000 communities nationwide.
01:34:15
Speaker
but this this is Flock was founded in 2017 by Garrett Langley. He quickly garnered high-level investments. It's worse, Tom.
01:34:28
Speaker
It gets worse. They got some high-level investments from, yeah you guessed it, President Trump, billionaire allies. You know what? It's building our allies. I just looked it up because I know my my city was thinking about putting one up.
01:34:42
Speaker
And I just realized they just did. yeah right. So the cameras have scanned 20 billion licenses in a month.
01:34:56
Speaker
They do 20 billion license plate scans in a month nationwide. and business model depends on users sharing data to create large networks. Now, I don't like this, but I don't like it when Trump's in office.
01:35:13
Speaker
I don't like it when Biden's in office. And then the next Democrat gets in office. I'm still not going to like it. And the when the next Republican gets in office, I'm still not going like it. Whether Amy Acton gets in office or or Vivek Ramaswamy gets in office, I'm not going to like it. ah I'm consistent.
01:35:28
Speaker
It's crazy. what But apparently they only like they only don't like it because Trump. Orange man bad.
01:35:37
Speaker
Orange man bad. So there's that's kind of the gist of that. They are, I mean, i i like it like I feel like I want to agree with them, but you had to put in the TDS. You had to do the TDS. You couldn't have taken your pills today.
01:35:51
Speaker
Jocelyn's a hack. Couldn't have taken your TDS pills today. Jeez. Talk to your family about that. Do they have those? but Yeah. Yeah. It's, uh, start sliding in into people's drinks. Yeah. Um, TDS at all.
01:36:06
Speaker
Holidays are going to be completely different. Oh my gosh. Just thought about it. Said, yeah, that would be crazy. I'd like to come to that one, see the transformation on that.
01:36:17
Speaker
Um, but yeah, so they're freaking out and it's really just cause you know, orange man bad. Uh, no, I think these cameras are not good regardless of who's in office. So yeah, It's lazy, you know, lazy policing, honestly. And they just scan everything.
01:36:34
Speaker
and then what do they do with it?
01:36:37
Speaker
Well, here and in my city, it says it notifies the police within 15 seconds of a wanted vehicle entering the area and then typically store data for 30 days.
01:36:50
Speaker
And it automatically deletes it after 30 days. But what do they do with it in those 30 days? Well, according to this article, law enforcement agencies may also provide informal assistance to ICE and Border Patrol. Oh, no.
01:37:06
Speaker
You mean they want to get the criminal criminals with the cameras that are meant to get criminals? So, in fact, 404 Media found the state and local police conduct conducted more than 4,000 lookups on behalf of federal agencies.
01:37:24
Speaker
mainly likely focusing on immigration. Huh. Interesting. Okay. Immigration.
01:37:35
Speaker
Yep. That's what we're doing. Trying to, trying to keep track of all those hardworking, legal immigrants. I'm sure it's nothing to do with, Oh, Hmm. They were so good at changing the the way the wording of names or the meaning of names or words. um Until last August, Flock ah vehemently denied any formal collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security. However, investigative report in Colorado uncovered a secret pilot program with Border Patrol, where communities like ah Woodburn, Oregon and Loveland, Colorado found out their data had been ah accessed.
01:38:11
Speaker
Moreover, Wired.com found that ICE frequently uses administrative subpoenas, which are not signed by a judge, to request agencies turn over their data.
01:38:22
Speaker
So Meta, Google, and Reddit recently compot complied with such a request. And I, I mean, you're okay with, uh, these, you know, social media companies, you know, being controlled by the white house when it was your guy in the white house, but now all of a sudden, no good, you know, be careful what you wish for because you make it the Patriot act and then you get something like Trump in office and then everybody's head explodes.
01:38:48
Speaker
Um, But yeah, um they're saying they don't like the fact that you're collecting it and then that federal agencies can come in and get the get the information. Okay, I agree with you. Let's just get rid of all of them then.
01:39:01
Speaker
Can we just do that? No. Sure.
01:39:05
Speaker
I'm sure not. So that's that's their beef about it. and I see their point and i I do want to agree with them, but I just can't. right. Moving on to something else. Oh, yeah, the next one. So this next story here is Channel three, yeah, WKYC channel three. um Akron announces new public order policy.
01:39:29
Speaker
Here's what it means. This one kind of stuck out to me because my wife goes to Akron for work a lot and they have a lot of protests. You know, every time the police shoot somebody, there's a protest in Akron.
01:39:41
Speaker
ah They're usually pretty good at that. And this is kind of what that falls around. It is a new policy that has been announced for Akron police department, which takes effect immediately. and sets clear guidance on how officers manage demonstrations and large gatherings and focuses on protecting constitutional rights Akron citizens, you know, except ones get work. Prioritizing de-escalation and dialogue preventing preserving safety, according to the press release.
01:40:05
Speaker
Akron's mayor,
01:40:23
Speaker
So why did they change?
01:40:26
Speaker
Why the policy change? Well, background, let's have some background. what's um Let's, let's, do I have an Akron police one? No, I don't.
01:40:38
Speaker
That's right. um Background on this. so the policy comes from, comes after the city says Mayor Malik authorized a settlement to litigation.
01:40:51
Speaker
brought by Akron bail fund.
01:40:57
Speaker
Bail fund, Akron bail fund. This has anything to do with that bail fund that was going around during like all the George Floyd riots where there wasn't Kamala Harris advertising to donate money. yeah I think it might've been the similar fund, maybe the Akron version. It was a bail something bail fund.
01:41:13
Speaker
um And they had brought a lawsuit against Akron, the Akron bail fund in connection with an incident that happened in 2023.
01:41:22
Speaker
So ah curious. So here's this activist group that ah from what I've heard from the mayor of Akron, I'm sure he's agreed. I mean, they're probably in on the same page when it comes to sanctuary city and all this other stuff. So they had this lawsuit for an incident.
01:41:41
Speaker
And then what's the chance of this lawsuit even going anywhere or the city mayor just saying, Oh, We give up. We're going to settle. And the settlement is this.
01:41:55
Speaker
What are they doing? So basically, they're neutered to the cops. So the the there's clear limits on forcing mass arrests, avoiding unnecessary due, unless ah unless necessarily due to immediate threats to safety.
01:42:12
Speaker
Okay. Less lethal impact munitions may be used. They only be used to prevent immediate harm to people or dangerous, dangerous property destruction.
01:42:24
Speaker
Okay. Here's a big one. OC spray is not used against passive resistance or indiscriminately to disperse a crowd. Hmm. Kind of the whole point of it is to indiscriminately disperse a crowd.
01:42:41
Speaker
So they kind of can't use it for what it's intended purposes. CS, which is tear gas is all is used only under, uh, incident commander authority authorization with advanced warnings and clear exit routes when serious harm is imminent and lesser options are ineffective.
01:43:01
Speaker
So you got to get permission. You got to make sure there's exits. You gotta Okay. Water cans are not to be used as a force option. oh Oh, okay. There has never been in use. These have never been in use by the department and will not be used in the future. So good thing they banned them.
01:43:19
Speaker
Good thing they banned them. Transparency measures, of course, uh, they want identification must be worn and body cam body cameras must be worn in accordance to with policy that they already have sounds like in place with Akron PD.
01:43:34
Speaker
Um, and they will conduct after action reviews capturing, uh, to capture lessons learned and improve future responses. Um,
01:43:46
Speaker
It sounds like all these were agreed upon by a guy whose name would be Shamas Malik. Malik Alakam? Malik Alakam? Yeah. That's what I'm saying. He really caved, huh?
01:44:01
Speaker
It's a convenient way to get a policy, maybe a policy that would you might think be tougher to get through, is, hey just...
01:44:10
Speaker
If you sue me, kind of have to do something because it might cost the city money and I don't know. I think he's gay. You think? me He's married, but I think he is.
01:44:25
Speaker
He is. Well, I don't know what descent he is, but it sounds like he might be of eastern Middle Eastern descent of some sort. His name is Shamas Malik. You know, I would never want Malik Madik.
01:44:38
Speaker
What? Whoa. Hey. Real fast. ah I'm assuming he is, but you know, probably is. No, he's married. He's got a wife. Oh, no, I meant.
01:44:48
Speaker
Oh, a Middle Eastern. Well, yeah. I mean, i mean he's he's he's not from Kansas. What do they do with gays in the Middle East? Well, it maybe they threw him off the building so far he ended up here. Exactly.
01:45:02
Speaker
Definitely need a beard if you're Muslim in certain places. but he He actually has a beard. No, he doesn't. he his name His full name is Shamas. Iqbal Kamar Malik.
01:45:15
Speaker
Holy crap. What country am I in? Well, that's why he shortened it.
01:45:22
Speaker
Oh my goodness. um Yep. yeah So that's basically it. They got sued and the the the mayor said, Oh, twist my arm. Okay. We'll put all these policies in place. So basically lesson here is, um,
01:45:36
Speaker
If you're going to Akron, look out for protests. Don't, don't go there to protest because they just neutered the cops. They can't do anything. Um, the protesters have more rights than anybody else in Akron. And, uh, know, whether you gotta get to work or not, or, you know, pick up your kid or anything, it doesn't matter.
01:45:51
Speaker
It's protesters. Don't run them over either. If they get in your way, cause it'll be evil.
01:45:57
Speaker
And that is, um, Well, I guess that wraps up our stories for the main. Now we got to go into our favorite part of the day. Favorite part of the show, Tom.
01:46:13
Speaker
The good thing. All right. right What we have today, a couple of good stories for, ah for those, um you know, looking for work, I guess, and the economy in Ohio is, is growing.
01:46:27
Speaker
Things are changing. And I think we need to, when we listen to clip from WTOL on the next story, which is Whirlpool plans, $60 million Perrysburg facility up to 150 The appliance maker to convert former solar plant,
01:46:42
Speaker
ah
01:46:46
Speaker
former solar plant into advanced manufacturing site over site over two years. So it's a two-year project, $60 million. dollars I would almost guess if you look into the solar plant, I don't know if this anywhere except for just pulling it right out of my butt.
01:47:00
Speaker
But remember, remember during the Biden, oh, not Biden, or well, technically, but it's the same thing. But during Obama's administration, when they had a, had some big investment in solar, green energy, and it like almost all of them failed within a year.
01:47:16
Speaker
i I bet when you look at looking at it, I bet this is one of those places. So anyway, former solar panel factory that shockingly doesn't make the solar panels anymore after getting tons of money, probably from the government. There's not going to be whirlpool corporation. And the question we got to answer is why we got to ask ourselves, why, why is this happening now? I don't know.
01:47:36
Speaker
Could it be Tom? Let's listen from WTOL in Toledo. Whirlpool announced plans to invest $60 million dollars in what will be a retooled manufacturing facility in Perrysburg. The plan is to open here. The former Toledo solar plant off Progress Drive would shut down in 2023. One of the most important components are particular plastic components, you know, from injection molding.
01:47:58
Speaker
And what this Perrysburg facility will do, and we have some experience in other parts of the world, it basically acts as a central production hub. Whirlpool CEO Mark Bitzer says the future Perrysburg site will be a critical supply hub for the company's five other Ohio plants. It gives us supply reliability and it gives us a cost efficiency and basically allows us to better control the destiny. Well, on a two-week recess, U.S. Reps Marcy Kaptur, Bob Latta, and Senator Bernie Moreno were there. Thank you for making and continuing to make these kinds of investments. It shows that our policies are working, that by driving prosperity to working Americans, that our tariff policy is working, our tax policies are working, our regulatory policies are working. Also making trip to fly, United States Trade Ambassador Jameson Greer. I love to leave Washington and come to a place like this. to create the conditions for manufacturing boom. So when I come here, see what's happening. I see the workers. I hear about the investments. I know the plan is working. This marks Whirlpool's latest investment in North West Ohio following a $300 million investment in the Clyde and Marion facilities in October 2025. The new plant Perrysburg is eyeing to open by the end of the year with a ribbon cutting.
01:49:07
Speaker
For now in Clyde, I'm Jack Crum, WTOL 11. Nice. Injection molding in in America? Holy cow. be By the way, that ah that solar plant, yeah you're right they got ten over almost $11 million in federal grant money.
01:49:25
Speaker
They opened up the company in 2019, shuttered it in 2024, and they moved. All they did was now they're still around. They just rebranded.
01:49:37
Speaker
How many out of them are of the country? Yeah, yeah. They're just buying Chinese stuff and putting their name on it. So they got rid of the... They got an injection of $11 million dollars to start the company and made it look like they were going to make stuff here and figured they couldn't because... Just took the money and ran. Took the money. Now they're just repackaging Chinese crap. Oh, nice.
01:49:57
Speaker
Yeah. Thanks. I had to look that up when you said that. I was like, oh yeah. I wonder what... and they they Yeah, they definitely... It was a scam. Yeah. Yeah. There's tons of those companies that usually a lot of them were pretty quick within a couple of years, they were already shuttered and all the money was gone and they weren't loans. They were gifts. They were gifts. Yep.
01:50:16
Speaker
It wasn't quite as bad as the PPP loans we find out, but um yeah, it still was pretty bad. And yeah, I was hoping I was wrong, but I i kind of knew I wasn't. ah So good. I like, I mean, huh.
01:50:30
Speaker
This sounds like, um i may have heard this, somebody out there that wants to um ah make America great again. Yeah. Almost like you want to like make it less, maybe a little bit uncomfortable to make things out or little bit less profitable. but doesn't have to be completely reversed, but if you just take it down by a little bit,
01:50:54
Speaker
where it's a little less profitable to send it out ah overseas than it is to make it here. This is kind of what happens. Now, do we have the workers to fill these positions?
01:51:06
Speaker
Well, it's not a huge amount. It's 150. For a place like Toledo, there should be 150 people that want a decent paying job, right? Again, yeah. if Let's hope they're decent paying jobs. It's going to have to be to get people to come there.
01:51:19
Speaker
Right. The labor market's pretty thin right now. and It's... It's there's not people. It's because there's a lot of people that aren't looking at these jobs and they'd rather sit home and collect a, you know, I don't know, start a ah start a medical transportation company in Columbus instead of for Somalians.
Legal Immigration & Labor Shortage
01:51:37
Speaker
um You know, that there's there's a challenge, I think. Half the problem is getting companies to invest in American factories and then the other half to me is filling those factories.
01:51:51
Speaker
Legal immigration. How's that? Well, that that would be a solution. That's where we've always gotten it from, almost almost always over the years. Sure. Yep. Irish, Italians, Polish, they all started with laying bricks or you know doing the labor-intensive parts. And a lot of those people are now Spanish speakers. and Well, that's fine, too. Yeah. I don't care what they speak as long as they come in legal.
01:52:17
Speaker
Assimilate. Learn our language. And they want to assimilate. Yes. I don't even care. I mean, i do want everybody to learn English, obviously. But ah for older people, it's hard. But as long as they're like, they want their kids to assimilate at at the very least. Yes.
01:52:35
Speaker
And... I guess, yeah, I'd like you to assimilate, but if you don't, then that's your problem. Don't, don't ask me to, you know, press, press one for English and two for Spanish. Yeah. yeah but Yeah. Well, there's a lot of that, right? Yeah. And that's been going on for decades, but that's kind of where I'm like, well, if you don't want to assimilate, I guess that's fine. But then you're going to have to deal with how you're going to ah get through society. Are going to be able to work at a plant like this if you don't assimilate? Oh, it's going to lot harder. And then do you have, then you have companies enabling them by, you know, giving them translations. And I see it a lot of the construction sites.
01:53:11
Speaker
Oh, things in Spanish. Well, companies are, you know, I did a safety training and does anyone need a Spanish speaker? You know, oh But a lot of the companies are hiring, you know, they're but kind of either, either they're finding somebody they can trust to do translation or they're actually using technology.
01:53:30
Speaker
Right. And you' using translators on site because you're trying to get somebody to do some craft, you know, some, some trade work. You got to be pretty specific or your things can go wrong pretty fast. So you got the language barrier. A lot of times can hurt. So it makes it harder for you to be a good employee. So assimilate.
01:53:49
Speaker
Just like, just like your country would expect me to do if I moved there. You wouldn't get hired in their country. No, no. i do I went to, that's why you always say If I go to Japan,
01:54:00
Speaker
to live, I usually, unless I already have a job, I'm probably going to have a hard time finding a job because they're going to give it to the Japanese. Oh, if you go to a Sweden or Switzerland, you're going to have a hard time job, finding a job.
01:54:12
Speaker
Good until you open your mouth. And as long as you don't have that accident, they're going to discriminate against you. Yeah. It's crazy. It's almost like it's not an American thing. It's almost like a human condition, you know almost. Well, don't, I don't, it's, I think America is probably the best at it.
01:54:26
Speaker
We are the most diverse country in the world. Yes.
01:54:31
Speaker
Anyway, ah more power to them. they They're investing in Ohio hundreds of millions of dollars. They've got five plants. Now they have six plants. This is going to help feed those plants with parts and stuff. And this is great.
01:54:42
Speaker
It's the dream. It's the dream. but It's what we've been saying now. We just got to perform. Next is kind of along the same lines. ah This one's a little more familiar to me. This is actually place I've been to before. This is next story from WBSN channel 10 out of Columbus area is Andrel begins production of ament autonomous military drones amid tech and workforce expansion.
01:55:12
Speaker
Listen to a little little clip here from them on the drone factory in Ohio. Production for the first autonomous drone in Ohio will start this month at the Andrel factory in Pickaway County. All week long, we've been telling you about the $1 billion dollar development located in Pickaway County. But there are challenges ahead. 10TV reporter Kevin Landers was there today as they opened the facility to the public.
01:55:38
Speaker
556 days, that's how long Andrew says it will take to design and fly an autonomous drone like the one you see behind me. But will it help the military end forever wars? I put that question to the company's COO.
01:55:51
Speaker
Do you believe that these autonomous drones can prevent a forever war? That's a tough question and it's a real strategic question for politicians to answer. What we're really focused on is putting the best possible technology in the hands of the warfighters.
01:56:04
Speaker
That means building an autonomous drone like this one called Fury. The company says while the Department of War has experience with drones that can talk to each other through artificial intelligence, that's not what will be built here.
01:56:16
Speaker
but We're not in a position where we're developing these systems to make decisions on their own. We're saying let a warfighter make that decision, let a commander make that decision, and then have the best possible weapons for them to use. 150 drones a year are expected to roll off this manufacturing floor. Who do you anticipate selling your product to eventually? we going to Out of this factory, we're primarily supporting the U.S. Department of War. But internationally, we support allied nations, allied nations in Europe and East Asia, all over the world, Australia included.
01:56:44
Speaker
250 employees will soon occupy this space. 4,000 are planned over the next decade. The absence of robotics was deliberate as the company purposely built a flexible manufacturing layout so it can adjust to changes in production.
01:56:58
Speaker
Once the drones are built, Andrell says it plans to do test flights at Rickenbacker Airport. Reporting from Pickaway County, Kevin Landers, 10TV News. I want one. I know. you do you think they intentionally made it look like a great white shark from the front?
01:57:13
Speaker
You know what? i That's hilarious. It kind of does, doesn't it? It does. That's a good ah good um observation there. I think that was intentional. Yes. You got to make a scary looking too. And it looks it looks really cool. But I mean, like looking from the front shot on the article, it looks just like a shark.
01:57:27
Speaker
They should have put some nostrils on there. Oh, yeah. some It's got the eyes, the mouth. but It needs nostrils. It would it'd be awesome. They're missing a great opportunity for marketing. Think about World War II planes.
01:57:39
Speaker
They could have painted the teeth on there, too. Like I've seen on P-51 Mustangs and stuff like that. They put, like yeah you know, like... Come on. Everybody's got to go on the website and check this out. The link will be there. Send an email. Say we need teeth on it. It needs to have shark teeth painted on the outside with ah with a with like kind of a kind of a sexy girl on um like riding ah on the side of a bomb too. Ooh.
01:58:04
Speaker
Yeah. Let's, you know, just, I mean, let's go back. Let's go. Let's call way back to world war two. And we're, you know, they had some creativity when they were the pinup girl on there, right? Yeah. Oh yeah. The pinup girl on top of the bomb. Yeah, absolutely. That's classic.
01:58:17
Speaker
Or the Rosie, the riveter kind of, you know, yeah, no, she didn't build this. Well, there might, there might be some chicks. She's back home building stuff and screwing up industry. Yeah.
01:58:29
Speaker
Oh, boy. um But yeah, it's cool. I actually was at this facility. I got a customer that's doing some work in there and I drop off some material. You know, high so and i'll you know i I call the guy up and I'm like hey, know, I've never been to this site. You know, what you what am I going to expect? Because, well, it was pretty easy to get into this a couple weeks ago, at least three weeks ago. He goes, well, was pretty easy. But, you know, recently they put in some new ah new security. I went, oh, I wonder why.
01:58:56
Speaker
Figure out what's going on that. Yeah. Iran. It'd so sweet to hack that thing and fly it home. Like the week, yeah, the week we bomb Iran, hey, they put new security at the drone factory. No kidding.
01:59:07
Speaker
um It's literally like a mile or two away from Rekkebaker Airport, their military base there. Oh, okay. And. Cool. A billion dollar investment. They've got buildings, big ass buildings going up all around this. Probably, probably more data. But this is a tech industry for a mega site that I can get on board with because there's, there's some jobs here.
01:59:28
Speaker
It's not a data center. Pretty cool. couldn't marry I couldn't see the shark, though. They wouldn't let me see the shark. I think you would have to go through some background checks there, Robert. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Background check. and NDA, we wouldn't be able to talk about it. Yeah, for the show. That's why I did it.
01:59:47
Speaker
and didn't I didn't sign the NDA for the show. But i know on those notes, I think we're done with the show. Oh, I think it's over. Are we done? I got no more stories on the list. I've already talked for way too long plus extra.
02:00:02
Speaker
And ah i just want thank everybody for listening. um We appreciate the time you give us. We know your time is valuable. So we we appreciate listening, but ask just one thing in return.
02:00:14
Speaker
Share the show. Tell your friends, tell your family. You got people that you think would be interested in this or benefit from it? Let them know. Send us an email, quickerrivercast.com.
02:00:25
Speaker
Go to the website. Wait, no, go to the website, quickerrivercast.com, and then send us an email, quickerrivercast.gmail.com every Monday when the show drops. On that happy note, we will talk to you next week.
02:00:40
Speaker
Peace.