WEBVTT - 7-29-26: NC Senator Sawyer Talks $300M NCDOT Offer

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<v Speaker 1>Six point twenty one here on this Wednesday night of

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<v Speaker 1>breaking with Brett Jensen here on Charlie's News Talk one

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<v Speaker 1>is seven point nine FM. Okay, So by seventy seven Totlanes,

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<v Speaker 1>I explained some things to you, and I am really

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<v Speaker 1>really interested to hear what this person has to say

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<v Speaker 1>about all of this and the fact that the NCDOT

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<v Speaker 1>has offered basically a three hundred million dollar bribe or

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<v Speaker 1>is paying a three hundred million dollar ransom, whichever way

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<v Speaker 1>you want to look at it. So joining us now

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<v Speaker 1>here I'm breaking with Bret Jensen is North Kinnta State

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<v Speaker 1>Senator Vicky Sawyer. First of all, thank you for joining

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<v Speaker 1>us tonight. And second of all, is NCDOT just came

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<v Speaker 1>out and said, look, if you let us build our

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<v Speaker 1>Tolane expansion on I seventy seven between caroen Wan's Boulevard

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<v Speaker 1>and uptown, we'll give that whole community three hundred million

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<v Speaker 1>dollars and you can build parks and grocery stores and whatever.

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<v Speaker 1>So when you first heard about all of that, what

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<v Speaker 1>was your initial reaction?

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<v Speaker 2>Concern? Complete concern, Because I know that the pressure is

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<v Speaker 2>on to get this project done or underway, and I

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<v Speaker 2>completely feel for those in charge who are just trying

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<v Speaker 2>to get that to happen. But what president are we

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<v Speaker 2>setting for other communities across the stage. Are they now

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<v Speaker 2>going to be able to hold the got in a

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<v Speaker 2>state hostage for personal or gain through redevelopment of property.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, that is just really setting a horrible precedent

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<v Speaker 2>for very precious resources that we don't quite frankly have

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<v Speaker 2>enough to build the roads that we already have promised

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<v Speaker 2>to build across North Carolina.

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<v Speaker 1>Speak with North counta state Senator Vicky Sawyer, who has

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<v Speaker 1>parts of Mecklenberg County and Irondale County in her district.

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<v Speaker 1>So do you think the NCDOT maybe did this on

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<v Speaker 1>their own, or that there was outside influence from groups

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<v Speaker 1>or individuals, or do you think Josh Stein had something

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<v Speaker 1>to do.

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<v Speaker 2>With this great question? I think probably all of the above.

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<v Speaker 2>To be honest. There are the lobbyist class who has

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<v Speaker 2>been working very hard to get this project done. They're

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<v Speaker 2>in dot in the governor's office. I mean, this is again,

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<v Speaker 2>Charlotte is our biggest economic driver in North Carolina and

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<v Speaker 2>this is a much needed project, so it has got

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of attention. So I could imagine all of

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<v Speaker 2>the above probably had influence on this decision.

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<v Speaker 1>North Conina State Senator Vicki Sawyer joins us here on

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<v Speaker 1>breaking with Brad Jensen. So let's say the community actually

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<v Speaker 1>accepts this offer of three hundred million dollars. I'll call

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<v Speaker 1>it a bribe. They call it an offer, but I'll

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<v Speaker 1>call it a bribe. How do you think this will

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<v Speaker 1>actually come across if they actually accept this offer.

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<v Speaker 2>It's kind of sad that a person or a grouse

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<v Speaker 2>morality is for sale. And I guess now they have

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<v Speaker 2>put the price on their morality. And I don't know

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<v Speaker 2>that that's a good look for them, because now it's

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<v Speaker 2>going to undercut their value, say some and their virtue

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<v Speaker 2>signaling that they are really there to help folks that

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<v Speaker 2>have been disadvantaged in the past, but they'll help them

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<v Speaker 2>until they get paid. That's a really bad look.

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<v Speaker 1>Speak with North Kinda State Senator Vicki Sawyer. I don't

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<v Speaker 1>know if you know this off the top of your head,

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<v Speaker 1>but do you know how many requests are put in

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<v Speaker 1>for road repair or road expansion, either from a dollar

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<v Speaker 1>figure side or whatever, from across the state. Do you

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<v Speaker 1>have any idea about that?

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<v Speaker 2>A little bit. The DT came out and there are

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<v Speaker 2>one hundred and forty four billion dollars worth of requests

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<v Speaker 2>for new road construction across North Carolina in the next

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<v Speaker 2>ten years. Now, we have a state budget of around

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<v Speaker 2>eight to nine billion dollars annually, so you can see

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<v Speaker 2>that we do not have enough money in transportation to

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<v Speaker 2>honor the commitments that we already have on the books,

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<v Speaker 2>much less expanding current commitments by three hundred million dollars.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know if this is true or not, so

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<v Speaker 1>maybe you can clear something up for me. I've been

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<v Speaker 1>told for a long long time that if they pull

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<v Speaker 1>out of the I seventy seven expansion and it does

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<v Speaker 1>not go through, that the next time that they want

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<v Speaker 1>to do the expansion, they actually go back to the

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<v Speaker 1>bottom of the list that you are just describing and

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<v Speaker 1>they have to start from square one and wait their turn.

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<v Speaker 1>Is that true?

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<v Speaker 2>It can be accurate? Now again, this ten year construction

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<v Speaker 2>plan that we call the Step that Governor McCrory helped

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<v Speaker 2>shephard during his time in office, is a fluid document.

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<v Speaker 2>So that means every two years, the DOT selects the

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<v Speaker 2>committee and that committee sets standards for those projects to

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<v Speaker 2>be considered. So I can say for now that is accurate,

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<v Speaker 2>but you never know two years for now what that

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<v Speaker 2>those standards could have been changed at that time. So

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<v Speaker 2>it is a fluid document. So for now it goes

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<v Speaker 2>to the back of the Arne Growth.

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<v Speaker 1>Gone and State Senator VICKI soy here, I'm breaking with

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<v Speaker 1>Brad Jensen. So is there anything that you want to

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<v Speaker 1>talk about that I didn't ask you about? Is there

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<v Speaker 1>anything going on up in Raleigh right now? Is there

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<v Speaker 1>anything happening that you want to discuss that I didn't mention?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I'm on the road back now from Raleigh, but

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<v Speaker 2>the answer is no, there's all there's always some things

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<v Speaker 2>going on in Raleigh and but there's nothing currently that

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<v Speaker 2>I can report on North.

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<v Speaker 1>Kina State Senator Vicky Sawyer. Is there anything you'd like

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<v Speaker 1>to say to the listeners and your constituents and the

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<v Speaker 1>people of Mecklinborog County right now?

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<v Speaker 2>No, just want to thank you for listening to the

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<v Speaker 2>Brett Jenson Show. You do an amazing job with contacting

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<v Speaker 2>and really working with electives and to get the answer

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<v Speaker 2>to the people, and I enjoy being a listener.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, that was clearly unexpected and now I feel like

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<v Speaker 1>I have to send you flowers or something.

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<v Speaker 2>Honestly, it came to nine because I had someone who

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<v Speaker 2>listened to our interview about the seventy seven tolls and

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<v Speaker 2>he complimented and said he listened to the show and

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<v Speaker 2>that was made a lot of sense after we listened.

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<v Speaker 2>So I am very grateful for that.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I really really do appreciate the kind words. That's

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<v Speaker 1>really nice of you. So North Coulnta State Senator Vicky Sawyer,

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<v Speaker 1>thank you for joining us tonight. I really mean it.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you, thanks for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, there she goes North Kountin State Senator Vicky

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<v Speaker 1>Sawyer and again her districts are Idoll County and then

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<v Speaker 1>the northern part of Mecklemberg County, which is Cornelius and

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<v Speaker 1>Davidson talking about the I seventy seven tollans selling your

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<v Speaker 1>morals exactly what I talked about last segment. And I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't think about this when she said, it's like a

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<v Speaker 1>light bulb went off. Oh, well, now you're given the

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<v Speaker 1>blueprints for every town across all over North Carolina to

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<v Speaker 1>try and ransom or trying to get more money, negotiate

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<v Speaker 1>to get more money, how to hold the NCDOT hostage,

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<v Speaker 1>because if they're doing it for Charlotte, if you're in

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<v Speaker 1>Rocky Mount, or you're in Blowing Rock, or you're in

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<v Speaker 1>Brunswick wherever, Brunswick County, it does not matter. Now anywhere

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<v Speaker 1>can say no, no, no, we want more money. You gave

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<v Speaker 1>it to Charlotte, why not give it to us. Are

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<v Speaker 1>you playing favorites, dude, based on race? You playing favorites

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<v Speaker 1>based on location? Like, now, that's what's happening. That's what's happening.

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<v Speaker 1>So again, we'll see if that community sells their black

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<v Speaker 1>heritage or not. Because it's seventy five million dollars, they

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<v Speaker 1>were steadfast against it. Three hundred million dollars. We'll see

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<v Speaker 1>what happens in a couple of grocery stores, a park,

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<v Speaker 1>We'll see what happens