1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: It is the News Blitz with Randy Wang on Talk 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: radio seven ninety KABC. Let's get right into today's California 3 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 1: report at Randywangradio dot substack dot com. 4 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 2: This is a wild one. 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: We start in Carson, where the United States Postal Service 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: has told residents of one neighborhood, we are no longer 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: delivering your mail. And the reason that they are no 8 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: longer delivering mail to this neighborhood in Carson is because 9 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: there are way too many feral wild coyotes in the 10 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: neighborhood and the postal employees don't want to get attacked 11 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 1: by the coyotes that now have a taste for human blood. 12 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: So a lot of the residents are very upset about this. Notably, 13 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: they interviewed a lot of older people who were very 14 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: upset about not getting their mail. It's one of these 15 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: dividing lines. I think, if you're under fifty, the mail 16 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: is mostly a headache for you, and if you're over fifty, 17 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: you are so excited about stuff that comes in the mailbox. 18 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,479 Speaker 1: Oh boy, I mean ninety nine percent of the time, 19 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: nothing good comes in my mailbox, except for when I 20 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: got that check from claim it dot CA dot gov. 21 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: But let's talk about the real issue here, the coyotes 22 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: problem in Carson. We know there was that video just 23 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago of a child getting attacked 24 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 1: and dragged by coyote and Carson and yeah, at that 25 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: point they caught that one and they euthanized it. But 26 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: why do we have to wait until the coyotes draw 27 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: first blood. I don't care who drew first blood. We 28 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: got to take them out. The coyotes are doing nobody 29 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: any good, and I don't care that they're being driven 30 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: out of their natural habitats. They are disrupting us. They 31 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: are a pest and they gotta go. Now, another issue 32 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: going on in southern California, but affecting the entire state 33 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: is get ready to see a big shortage when it 34 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: comes to truck drivers. Now this has to do with 35 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: the fact that the state of California is now complying 36 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: with that new federal rule revoking any commercial driver's licenses 37 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: of non citizens, whether that's people here in the country 38 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 1: legally but just aren't a citizen or illegally, which was happening. 39 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: And notably, you saw that incident where someone in a 40 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: truck got into an accident and killed people. And apparently 41 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: he couldn't even read English. So there's a real issue there. 42 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:38,839 Speaker 1: But we're also coming up to an issue of it's 43 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: getting harder and harder to find people that want to 44 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: do these jobs. One these jobs, especially being an owner 45 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,399 Speaker 1: and operator, getting even more expensive because of gas prices, 46 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: and it is a tough job being a long haul 47 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 1: truck driver, going long places, being in the car for 48 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: days at a time. 49 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 2: It's a big ask. 50 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: And if we're we're not gonna find people that can 51 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:03,519 Speaker 1: do it, two things are gonna happen. We're gonna have 52 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: to raise the wages for getting people into this, or 53 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: we're gonna have to lower the standards. Lowering the standards 54 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: is not a good idea. Raising the wages might be, 55 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: but you raise the wages for truck drivers, you will 56 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,919 Speaker 1: increase the cost of everything because then transportation goes up. 57 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: It's just a notable issue and one thing that we 58 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: will see. And I know the technology is already being 59 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: talked about being out there. The robo trucks are coming, 60 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: and the robo trucks are going to completely change the 61 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: way that transportation happens. So it seems like with a 62 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: lot of industries where we're starting to see shortages of employees. 63 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: It's almost like a self fulfilling prophecy. But you know, 64 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: we do love our truck drivers out there. We wouldn't 65 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: have things to buy at the stores if the truck 66 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: drivers didn't put it in there. But that's the latest 67 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: update on the shortage going on in the trucking industry 68 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: and the company's tying really hard to hire people. Matthew 69 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,119 Speaker 1: Sidorf at Fox eleven continues his series of exposing all 70 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: of the nonsense when it comes to homeless encampments in 71 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: the city of La. This time he went to South 72 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: La int a notorious homeless encampment that's right outside an 73 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: elementary school in Current Prices district. And apparently this homeless 74 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 1: encampment is not just full of trash, it's full of condoms. 75 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: Why well, some of them could be from in the encampment, 76 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: but some of them can be discarded from the people 77 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: that are doing things in their cars, most likely with prostitutes. 78 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 1: Because it's South La and the lawlessness continues. And I 79 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: just can't wait for all the international tourists to come 80 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: here for the Olympics and the World Cup. And I 81 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: also attach this story. It comes from Ksby in Santa 82 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: Barbara County and that technically counts as southern California. But 83 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: I don't know if you've seen these studies, but alcohol 84 00:04:56,040 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: consumption is at a big li It might be an 85 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: all time low since Gallup started recording how many people 86 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: are out there drinking. There are I think more people 87 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: not drinking than are drinking, and people that are drinking 88 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: or drinking less. But it's one thing to talk about 89 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 1: the health aspects of it, and it's all a very 90 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: good thing. I find myself drinking a lot less than 91 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: I used to, and I really think it is a 92 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: good impact towards hell. That being said, I enjoy my wine, 93 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: I enjoy my tequila. But how does it affect the 94 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: local producers when you're talking about specifically the wineries in 95 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: places like Santa Barbara County, the breweries and the people 96 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: who do distill spirits in the state of California. And 97 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: one of the things that they're figuring out is adapting 98 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: and adapting to people's tastes. One, if you're a brewery, 99 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: you got to make sure you have options for everybody, 100 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: because in a state like California, you probably have quite 101 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: a few dietary conscious people, like, if you are a brewery, 102 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to give you a perfect example because it's 103 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: something that comes true in my life. I think breweries 104 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: are a lot of fun, but if you don't have 105 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: some kind of gluten free option, I just can't go 106 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: there because my wife has a gluten analogy, so she 107 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,919 Speaker 1: cannot enjoy beer. So, for instance, there are ways around this. 108 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 1: You can have cider on tap. In fact, every Irish 109 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: pub that we went to in Dublin they had cider 110 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: on tap, although we didn't get her. She wasn't brave 111 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: enough to try it. But apparently some people say that 112 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: in Ireland even the gluten free people can sip the 113 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: guinness and they're okay. But it wasn't worth putting her 114 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: out of commission for a night of our only three 115 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 1: nights in Dublin to try that. So cider's an option. 116 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 1: Celts are on tap, there's a lot of places doing that, 117 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: and I also have seen the rise in these pre 118 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: made cocktails and apparently it's one of the few growth 119 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:53,720 Speaker 1: industries where people are getting stuff that like, you know, 120 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: different breweries and stuff. They're not just canning beer and wine, 121 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: they're canning little cocktails or spritzers, and we haven't had 122 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,359 Speaker 1: one of those in Madrid one time. But interestingly enough, 123 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: there's even another thing going on. There are breweries out there. 124 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: I know there's a couple in San Diego and there's 125 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: one in Santa Fe where they actually have a process 126 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: where they've remove the gluten out of the beer and 127 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: it works, and it's crazy. 128 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 2: But you know, the wine. 129 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: Industry of the beer industry, these are big industries for 130 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: a lot of people in the state, and you've got 131 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: to adapt to the market and figuring out how to 132 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: attract people to drinking when drinking becomes less and less attractive. 133 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: It's an interesting one and there's a lot of reasons 134 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: for it. I think younger people are priced out of it, 135 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 1: and the competition of marijuana is definitely a thing. Although 136 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: I will say I just for me personally, I can 137 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: see how alcohol is a social lubricant. I don't think 138 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: pot is, and I don't know if that's whether you're 139 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: doing edibles what have you. I always found myself way 140 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: more introverted when I was smoking, but it's all different 141 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: for very different people. 142 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 2: Now. 143 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: In the Bay Area, in Alameda County, the district Attorney 144 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: Ursula Jones Dixon is doing a tour of different retail 145 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: establishments because she wants to crack down an organized retail crime. 146 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: Unlike her predecessor, Pamela Price. 147 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 2: She's too soft on crime. 148 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: And one of the things they went to is a 149 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: Walmart in the East Bay where they found that this 150 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: store had to lock everything up because of retail theft. First, 151 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: people were stealing men's genes, so they locked up the 152 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:41,319 Speaker 1: men's genes. Then they were stealing women's genes, so they 153 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,960 Speaker 1: locked up the women's genes. Then they stole the kid's genes. 154 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: So they just went up and locked up everything. And 155 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: that is not the answer. But having a DA matters 156 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: that wants to prosecute crime. Prop thirty six was a 157 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: big change. And here's something that's notable. The Whole Foods 158 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: in Oakland used to be the Whole Foods in the 159 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: entire chain of Whole Foods, which is multiple countries in 160 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: five hundred locations that had the most amount of theft. 161 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:13,839 Speaker 1: With Prop thirty six in effect, that is no longer true. 162 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: Here's an interesting story out of San Pablo. Somebody was 163 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 1: moving out of their house and as you do when 164 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: you're trying to clear out all the crap you've accumulated. 165 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: You have to figure out a way to get rid 166 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,079 Speaker 1: of it. Now, you could go to the dump yourself, 167 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: or you could hire one of these companies that drop 168 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 1: off a dumpster in front of your house, You fill 169 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: it up, and then they take it to the dump 170 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: Sounds great, right, Well, this couple hired the dumpster and 171 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: as the dumpster was dropped off and they were filling it, 172 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: the credit card that they used was declined, and they said, 173 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: don't worry, we got you. 174 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 2: We'll pay you. And then another day went by and 175 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 2: don't worry, we got you. 176 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: We'll pay you. Don't worry, we got you, We'll pay you. 177 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: And after stonewalling and still not paying the dumpster people, 178 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: when it came time to pick up the dumpster that 179 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 1: was now full of garbage, and the people who hired 180 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 1: the dumpster company still wouldn't pay the dumpster people decided, okay, 181 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: well we're gonna dump this thing right on your front lawn, 182 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: and that's exactly what they did. Now, we've talked a 183 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: lot about transit here, including how all the Bay Area 184 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:25,319 Speaker 1: transit agencies say that they are running out of money, 185 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,679 Speaker 1: and if they do not get this big tax increase 186 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: in the November ballot. They're cutting service and AC Transit 187 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: is the latest one to do this. And I just 188 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: don't like the idea of having a line item tax 189 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: for everything that we're supposed to be already getting with 190 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: the taxes that we pay, which are a lot in 191 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: this state. The state's budget is one and a half 192 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: times bigger than it was seven years ago. And all 193 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: these agencies got huge bailouts, bipartisan bailouts. By the way, 194 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: everyone talks about the American Rescue Plan bailout, but let's 195 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:02,959 Speaker 1: not forget about the Cares Act bailout. And now what 196 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:07,199 Speaker 1: happened during Trump one point zero And these agencies were 197 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: given in such a huge infusion of cash because of COVID, 198 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 1: and they use that to spend a whole lot of 199 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: money that was not ongoing because thinking, oh, maybe we'll 200 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: get more down the line. But we've got to figure 201 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:24,319 Speaker 1: out ways to effectively manage these systems. And the one 202 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: thing that's never talked about, and I do understand why, 203 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: but if the transit agencies are declining in revenue, they 204 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 1: are not making enough money, they're not bringing enough in. 205 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: It's no point do they ever talk about raising fares. 206 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: It's always okay, we need to pass on the cost 207 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: to all the people not using the system, not to 208 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: the people using the system. And I do understand that 209 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: because you're talking about a lot of lower income people. 210 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 2: I just find it interesting. 211 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: Now, speaking of money, ABC seven in the Bay has 212 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: a great story, and this is a public service announcement. 213 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: Do you remember during the inflation crisis of twenty twenty 214 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: two when Gavin Newsom had a one hundred billion dollars surplus. 215 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: Were in those interesting days and one of the things 216 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: the state did is they spent billions of dollars on 217 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: the middle class tax refund, where if you qualified, I 218 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 1: think you had to make less than like ninety five 219 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 1: thousand dollars, you would get a debit card in the 220 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: mail for up to one thousand dollars. Well, here's the thing. 221 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 1: Those debit cards went out and there's still millions of 222 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,959 Speaker 1: Californias that have money on those debit cards, and they 223 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: may not be aware that they even have them, or 224 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: that they're all going to expire at the end of April, 225 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: and when they expire, all that money goes back to 226 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: the state. I think like four hundred million dollars is 227 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: still sitting on these cards, and some of the people 228 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: that realized this went to go use the cards, and 229 00:12:57,440 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: what they found out was is that a lot of 230 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 1: the cards have been deactivated, and trying to get a 231 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: hold of the contractor the company that put out these 232 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: visa cards was almost impossible until, of course they reach 233 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:12,079 Speaker 1: out to ABC seven in the Bay. But it's very 234 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 1: similar to how we've dealt with snap fraud and EDD fraud. 235 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: For some reason, any time we need to give out money, 236 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: we do it in the least efficient way possible, and 237 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: usually with some contractor that doesn't really know what they're doing. 238 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: For instance, how many years have we had tap to 239 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 1: pay cards and RFID cards with the chips. California's EBT 240 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 1: cards did not have the chips and they were ripe 241 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 1: for fraud. These debit cards, I don't think had the 242 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: chips and they were ripe for fraud. But we already 243 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: have bank accounts of every taxpayer in the state because 244 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 1: that's how they get their refunds. So why can't you 245 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: just directly wire this money into people's accounts. 246 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:55,320 Speaker 2: Or I don't know. 247 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 1: VENMO is pretty darn easy and pretty simple. There's so 248 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 1: many things in the tech world that make total sense 249 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: that we already have at our fingertips, But of course, 250 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: when it comes to government contracts, we have to find 251 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 1: some random ass bid and it doesn't matter if they're 252 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:17,320 Speaker 1: good at it or not. In San Francisco, we are 253 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: seeing the new appointment of a Homelessness chief, and this 254 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: is as a lot of these shelter sites are actually 255 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: starting to lose funding because the way that we fund 256 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: homeless shelters and permanent support of housing and affordable housing 257 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 1: is so weird and it's so overly complicated, where there 258 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: are several different buckets of money from different programs, and 259 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 1: it's just we need to restart the plan from the beginning. 260 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: It's all completely insane, and it is so complicated and 261 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 1: so confusing, and it's a mess almost on purpose. Here's 262 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: another agency that you might not think would be broke, 263 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: but they're broke, and that is in San Francisco. The 264 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: Zoo is facing an eight and a half million dollar 265 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: budget deficit. Apparently the Zoo's not bringing in the money 266 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: like they used to, so the city of San Francisco 267 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: is hiring somebody new to take over the Zoo. Because 268 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: somehow the zoo can't spend within their means and they're 269 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: going to loan the city money. But San Francisco is 270 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: in a billion dollar budget deficit, So how can they 271 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: afford to loan the zoo eight and a half million dollars. 272 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 1: We'll find out at some point. And here's another public 273 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 1: service announcement. We've told you about all of these fires 274 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: that are coming out from the lithium ion batteries in 275 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 1: e bikes and e scooters and how it's a big, 276 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: big deal to make sure that if you have one 277 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 1: of those things, you keep it outside because if it's 278 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: inside and that thing catches fire, the toxic fumes could 279 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: kill you. 280 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 2: Well. 281 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 1: San Francisco wants to really start regulating on this, and 282 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: they want to make sure that the people selling these 283 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 1: e bikes and telling these east scooters and these big 284 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 1: batteries that they are all certified, that they are all 285 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: officially checked by the regulatory agencies, because a lot of 286 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: these fires are started by knockoff I'm going to imagine 287 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: stuff they bought on Amazon Chinese batteries that are exploding. 288 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: Speaking of batteries, we keep hearing that the future of 289 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: energy in the state of California is battery storage, and 290 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: I understand the concept. I've heard a lot of our 291 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: candidates for governor talking about this. 292 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 2: We generate so much solar power in this state. 293 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: We actually generate too much, and we have to sell 294 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: a bunch of that energy to places like Arizona, and 295 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: not even sell. We have so much we're actually paying 296 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: other states to take it for us. But at night time, 297 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: there is no solar because obviously I don't know why 298 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: we haven't figured out moonlight panels, but that's neither here 299 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: nor there. The idea is, well, if you get a 300 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: whole bunch of battery storage facilities, then you can store 301 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: all of that energy we generate during the day to 302 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: keep the lights on at night. And it is a 303 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,120 Speaker 1: really smart idea. And there's even people like Matt Mahan 304 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,400 Speaker 1: talking about how every single car out there can technically 305 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:14,920 Speaker 1: be one of these battery storage things, and he wants 306 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,359 Speaker 1: to figure out a way to incentivize people to charge 307 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: their cars during the day with an EV and then 308 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: plug into the grid at night and we will actually 309 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: power our homes from the batteries in our cars. It's 310 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: an interesting concept. The problem that I have with it 311 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,479 Speaker 1: is what if you commute, because now you're taking your 312 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: car to work, so your car is not at your 313 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: home all day. But something to think about anyway, in Livermore, 314 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: in a rural area in the middle of nowhere, they're 315 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 1: talking about adding another one of these battery storage facilities. 316 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 1: And it's a great idea because it's in the middle 317 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 1: of nowhere. The mistake that we've been making with a 318 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 1: lot of these facilities is putting them near neighborhoods. And 319 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: the thing is, while this technology is very impressive, batteries 320 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: are still full of talkick materials and you can see 321 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,200 Speaker 1: what happened in Moss Landing a few years a last year, 322 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 1: where the entire thing catches fire and you have to 323 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:11,400 Speaker 1: have a hazmat zone around the neighborhood and people evacuated. Now, 324 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: the people behind this battery storage site say that it 325 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 1: is new technology and they're making sure they have precautions 326 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: for that. But I'm for the battery storage sites as 327 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: long as they're not near homes because if there's a fire, 328 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:29,119 Speaker 1: it can be devastating. And finally, once again we have 329 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 1: an update on Blue Shield of California denying care to 330 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 1: San Francisco retired firefighters, specifically firefighters that have cancer because 331 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 1: I don't know, they work in a job where they're 332 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:43,520 Speaker 1: more prone to cancer because they're exposed to fire and 333 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: smog and smoke and fumes. And it's just you watch 334 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: these stories and you get so infuriated with how expensive 335 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:55,880 Speaker 1: our healthcare system is, how these insurance companies, who all 336 00:18:56,040 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: are obviously profit driven, get to make decisions that literally 337 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:03,119 Speaker 1: have people living or dying. And I'm just I'm not 338 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 1: a fan of it. I don't know what the solution is, 339 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 1: but I know that our current system sucks. And this 340 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: is with the government healthcare, and you know, the healthcare 341 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 1: that you're getting if you're a union member, and even 342 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 1: they're getting denied life saving care. Our whole system is 343 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: a mess. And anybody that says our system is great, 344 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: they're full of it. I don't know if there's any 345 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: other system that's better, but I sure as hell don't 346 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: think ours is. There's a lot more today in Today's 347 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:33,680 Speaker 1: California Reports, so check it out at Randywangradio dot substack 348 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:37,360 Speaker 1: dot com. It's the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. 349 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 1: It's the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. California 350 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:46,800 Speaker 1: lawmakers want student athletes to be tested for nicotine and 351 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: an effort to get those kids to stop vaping. Will 352 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: that work? 353 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 2: Maybe? 354 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 1: It's the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. It 355 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 1: is the News Blitz with Randy Wang on Talk Radio 356 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: seven KABC. Make sure to subscribe for free to my 357 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: daily substack, the California Report at Randywangradio dot substack dot 358 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,400 Speaker 1: com so you can see all the stories you probably 359 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: didn't notice because you were getting drowned with news about 360 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: all the stuff that's going on nationally and internationally. I 361 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 1: try to focus locally, so see all the stories you 362 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 1: may have missed at Randywangradio dot substack dot com. Our 363 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 1: next guest is with the Children's Educational Opportunity Act. You 364 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: can go to their website Education Opportunity dot org. Kevin McNamee, 365 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the News Blitz. 366 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,160 Speaker 3: Randy, Thank you for having me on. How are you doing? 367 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 2: My friend doing great? 368 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,720 Speaker 1: Although I'm sure like a lot of people in LA 369 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: right now, we're all on pins and needles wondering if 370 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: we're going to see a strike shutdown at LAUSD next week, 371 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 1: which would be the latest in a series of school 372 00:20:57,160 --> 00:20:59,919 Speaker 1: strikes that we have seen throughout the state of California, 373 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 1: but this notably would be the largest one. And because 374 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 1: you would have these teachers and the support staff all 375 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 1: striking at once, it would effectively close the nation's second 376 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:14,440 Speaker 1: largest school district. What do you make of the upcoming 377 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: possible strike at LAUSD. 378 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 3: Well, let me share some insights on this. This is 379 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 3: not only LAUSD, but Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Diego 380 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:27,439 Speaker 3: teachers union are also threatening to strike as well. Seems 381 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 3: like a consorted effort to shut down education in California 382 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:33,879 Speaker 3: by the teachers union to put pressure on getting better 383 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:38,680 Speaker 3: paid for our teachers. Here's my thought on this. We spend, 384 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 3: as California taxpayers one hundred and fifty thousand, excuse me, 385 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:46,120 Speaker 3: one hundred and fifty billion dollars that's the Carl Sagan 386 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:50,440 Speaker 3: billions with a B to operate our TK through twelfth 387 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 3: grade education system here in California every year, more money 388 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:57,120 Speaker 3: than most countries have to operate, and yet we don't 389 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:00,360 Speaker 3: have enough money to pay our teachers adequately. And that's 390 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 3: because we have increased so much staff and principles vice 391 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 3: principals that the funding is going to the staff and administration, 392 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 3: and not to the teachers, teachers' aids, tutors in the 393 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 3: classroom to benefit the students. So it's not a revenue 394 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,720 Speaker 3: problem here, Randy, it's a spending problem. It's a priority problem. 395 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 3: Why are we spending so much more money on staff 396 00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 3: and administrators when our valuable public school teachers are left 397 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:32,120 Speaker 3: behind where they're struggling taking on second jobs in order 398 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:35,720 Speaker 3: to afford to live in California, live in the city 399 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 3: that they love to live in and teach. We should 400 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 3: be able to pay them a whole lot better instead 401 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:44,159 Speaker 3: of hiring so many more staff and administrators. So you know, 402 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 3: they keep saying, oh, it's for the kids. No, it's 403 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 3: not for the kids. And so the teachers can live 404 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 3: here in the city, they can afford their home living expenses. 405 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 3: And yet we spend twenty five thousand dollars per kid 406 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 3: TK through twelve grade every year in California to go 407 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:06,399 Speaker 3: to public school. That's seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars 408 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,920 Speaker 3: per classroom. And that twenty five thousand dollars per year 409 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 3: is going up to twenty seven thousand dollars per year, 410 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 3: but less than thirteen percent of that funding is going 411 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 3: to the classroom. Why should teachers have to spend money 412 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 3: on supplies out of their own pocket. We've got plenty 413 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:25,399 Speaker 3: of money, it's just the school boards are misdirecting it 414 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 3: by hiring lots of staff and lots of lots of administrators. 415 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,119 Speaker 3: It's pretty clear answer to me. We need better leadership 416 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 3: in our school boards to direct the money towards the 417 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 3: mission and purpose, and that's education, not keeping a lot 418 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 3: of people employed. 419 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:41,879 Speaker 1: Well, and when you specifically look at a place like LAUSD, 420 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 1: you're not only looking at bloated bureaucracy, which I don't 421 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: think there's anybody not disputing that, but you're seeing all 422 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 1: these bizarre contracts, including somebody that was caught embezzling money 423 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,160 Speaker 1: to themselves. And then of course there's the FBI rate 424 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:59,359 Speaker 1: on Superintendent Alberto Carvallo, which may have to do with 425 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 1: a multi million dollar contract out to build an AI 426 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 1: chatbot to teach kids algebra, and the chat pot never 427 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: got developed. 428 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:11,679 Speaker 3: Absolutely amazing, and that man's getting paid over four hundred 429 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 3: thousand dollars a year to do what not quite sure. 430 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:17,880 Speaker 3: And if you look at the Burbank Unified School District, 431 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 3: one of their board members hired the daughter to be 432 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 3: the note taker secretary of the meetings that needed to 433 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 3: come up to speed some ninety plus thousand dollars to 434 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,159 Speaker 3: get the notes taken care of as the secretary of 435 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,920 Speaker 3: their board meetings. I mean, come on, how is this happening? Well, 436 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 3: parents are busy trying to keep a roof over their head, 437 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 3: food on the table. They don't have time to oversee 438 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 3: this school board spending. But you would think the other 439 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:49,439 Speaker 3: board members and the superintendent of schools and the school 440 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 3: board's attorney would put a stop to that, saying, no, 441 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:55,119 Speaker 3: that's a conflict of interest, you can't do that. But 442 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 3: that's going on in our school districts, and so voters 443 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 3: need to understandorna public school system is beyond repair. Don't 444 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 3: even try to repair it. It is so damaged. Trying 445 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 3: to tear down the current system and put parents in 446 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 3: charge of running their kids' education, not Sacramento or our politicians. 447 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 3: And that's what the Children's Educational Opportunity Act will do. 448 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 3: That is freaking out the governor of California, Tony Thurman, 449 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 3: superintendent of public Schools. They are going around the state 450 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 3: telling people at press conferences how wonderful our school systems are. 451 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 3: How great our standardized tests are coming out with a 452 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 3: one point eight percent improvement and test scores and reading 453 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 3: in math, well, you know when you're at seventy two 454 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:42,719 Speaker 3: percent of our eleventh graders can't do basic math, and 455 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 3: that improvement says it's seventy percent still can't do basic math, 456 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:49,880 Speaker 3: yet eighty eight percent of our eleventh graders are graduating. 457 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 3: That's like saying, you know, our investment in our college 458 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 3: basketball team is doing so great. Instead of losing games 459 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 3: by seventy two points, we're losing by seventy points. Governor 460 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 3: Tony Thurman, We're still losing. We should be tops in 461 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:07,879 Speaker 3: the country. I don't think the voters would complain about 462 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 3: spending twenty five thousand dollars per year per kid seven 463 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 3: or fifty thousand dollars per classroom if all the kids 464 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 3: were graduating with the ability to read, write, do basic math, 465 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,359 Speaker 3: and our five data cap is going on to great 466 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 3: trades or college and graduating to wonderful professions. That's the challenge. 467 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 3: Am I question to you, Randy, into all your listeners, 468 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 3: why is it that the private school, faith based school, 469 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 3: and homeschool students one hundred percent of them could read, write, 470 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 3: and do basic math, and they do it at half 471 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:41,119 Speaker 3: the price of what we're paying for public school. That 472 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:43,880 Speaker 3: should cause you to pause and wonder where we spending 473 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 3: this money and why aren't we getting a return on it? 474 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:46,880 Speaker 3: Does that make sense? 475 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 2: Randy, Oh, it sure does. 476 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 1: And you know, one of the things that's really interesting. 477 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,719 Speaker 1: You bring up Tony Thurman, who is the superintendent of 478 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: the state of California and also running for governor, and 479 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 1: so he's running around the state. He's doing interviews talking 480 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 1: about the California state school system. 481 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 2: And one of the. 482 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 1: Things that's fascinating anytime he asks about the statistics where 483 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 1: Mississippi now has better reading and math scores than the 484 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:14,159 Speaker 1: state of California, but we're spending even more money than 485 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:16,719 Speaker 1: we ever have before, we're not seeing the results for it. 486 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 1: One of the things that he's saying that is fascinating 487 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,159 Speaker 1: to me is what what we need to do is 488 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 1: we need to start teaching phonics. And what I'm trying 489 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 1: to figure out is when did we stop teaching phonics, 490 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 1: which is like the building block to learning how to 491 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:32,440 Speaker 1: read in the state of California. 492 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 3: Randy, you know, it's called the Mississippi Miracle. About thirteen 493 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:42,639 Speaker 3: years ago, Mississippi for fourth grade reading scores were fifty 494 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 3: out of fifty in the country. A gazillionaire came along 495 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 3: and invested a lot of money in the following steps 496 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:54,120 Speaker 3: in the Mississippi public school system. First, identify those kids 497 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 3: who are having reading problems. Second, bring the resources to them, 498 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 3: like tutoring up to speed. Third, if that kid is 499 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:06,120 Speaker 3: by third grade still not reading at grade level, they 500 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 3: go to summer school. And if after summer school they're 501 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 3: still not doing well, they're not going on to fourth grade. 502 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:16,200 Speaker 3: They're being held back instead of social promotion, and they're 503 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:21,400 Speaker 3: using quote, scientifically proven methods of reading. They said, we're 504 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:24,640 Speaker 3: using bonyx. Now, Randy phonics has been around for quite 505 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 3: a few hundreds of years and has been shown to 506 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,680 Speaker 3: be the best way to give kids a logical scaffolding 507 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 3: approach to reading. And yet we jumped into this whole 508 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 3: word approach about forty fifty years ago, as though, memorize 509 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 3: those words because that's what expert readers do. Well, you know, 510 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 3: those expert readers are experts because they learned phonetically how 511 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 3: to pronounce the words, the sounds of the words, putting 512 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 3: together to make a word, putting together into a sentence, 513 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 3: a paragraph, and a story. Now. I don't know about you, Randy, 514 00:28:57,560 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 3: but I have found many of our policy makers in 515 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 3: our teachers are the highest educated dummies I have ever met. 516 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 3: To come back to something that everybody who teaches reading 517 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:10,840 Speaker 3: knows how to use phonics to teach kids how to 518 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 3: read as the most effective way to go Well, it 519 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:17,760 Speaker 3: took Mississippi thirteen years to move from number fifty in 520 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 3: the country to number nine. My question is why did 521 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 3: it take so long that should have been done in 522 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:26,120 Speaker 3: one year, But they had to train up the teachers, 523 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 3: show them how to teach using phonics. You know, our 524 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 3: biggest problem, Randy, is that we tie the hands of 525 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 3: our quality public school teachers by all these top down, 526 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 3: Sacramento induced methods of teaching and the latest and greatest 527 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 3: shiny star of how to teach more effectively. You know what, Randy, 528 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 3: We've been doing it well with a lot of the 529 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 3: systems that have been done years ago, decades ago, centuries ago. 530 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,560 Speaker 3: Why are we shifting to something new and better destroyed 531 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 3: generations of kids' ability to read, write, and do math. 532 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 3: Find out? Oops, we made a mistake. Let's go back 533 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 3: and teach phonics. It does not make sense to me, Randy. 534 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 3: And they're so excited about this innovation, this revelation that 535 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 3: that's a scientific way of teaching how to read. It's 536 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 3: it's a lunacy in my opinion, Randy. 537 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 1: We'll speaking with Kevin McNamee from the Children's Educational Opportunity Act. 538 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: The website is Education Opportunity dot org. All right, Kevin, 539 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: there must be a better way to do all of this. 540 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 2: What is the. 541 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: Children's Educational Opportunity Act and what can Californians change about 542 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: our education system potentially this November. 543 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 3: Randy, you're a wonderful host to give me that segue 544 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 3: into this initiative. We currently have in California at top 545 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 3: down education system where Sacramento dictates to these schools what 546 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:51,120 Speaker 3: to teach and how to teach it. And that is 547 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 3: not worked because each school district, each city, each county 548 00:30:56,160 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 3: has unique educational challenges. You cannot do this statewide. Its 549 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 3: education must be local so to allow the education to 550 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 3: be more specialized for that child. Granted, the test scores 551 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:15,200 Speaker 3: in California are terrible. Public school students thirty four percent 552 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 3: can't read or read proficiently. Seventy percent can't do basic map. 553 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 3: The Children's Educational Opportunity Act without raising taxes gives parents 554 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:28,240 Speaker 3: the option, not the requirement, to shift that twenty five 555 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 3: thousand dollars into the child's Education Savings account at the 556 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 3: state level, so the kid gets seventeen thousand dollars per year, 557 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 3: and that number goes up as the California revenue for 558 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 3: education goes up. So now the parents can decide all 559 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 3: the options, just like the students from wealthy families can 560 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 3: opt out of the public school that's failing them. Now 561 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:55,000 Speaker 3: every kid in California those have those same options, regardless 562 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 3: of race, family income, or zip code. By opening up 563 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 3: private school, faith based school, and home school, so the 564 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,680 Speaker 3: money shifts from the public school over to the kid's ESA. 565 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,600 Speaker 3: Parents decide that school or that homeschool environment that kid 566 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:12,240 Speaker 3: will go to. The school notifies the state ESA Trust 567 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:15,400 Speaker 3: board that we've got this kid going out of that 568 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,960 Speaker 3: child's Education Saves account. That money is shifted from the 569 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,680 Speaker 3: ESA account directly to the school. The parents never handle 570 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 3: the money, they never touch it, but they direct which 571 00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:28,800 Speaker 3: school the kid goes to, what tutors, online classes, special 572 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:32,360 Speaker 3: needs transportation to and from school, and a whole other 573 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 3: long list of things they could use it for. The 574 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 3: beauty of it, Randy is any money unspent stays in 575 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:42,760 Speaker 3: that account, rolls over earns interests, and can be used 576 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 3: for education expenses in the future after twelfth grade. Any 577 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 3: money left in that accounts, which could wind up being 578 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:53,240 Speaker 3: tens of hundreds of thousands of dollars, they can use 579 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 3: for trade, technical school, community college, university, postgrad for the 580 00:32:56,840 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 3: rest of the kid's life. And that ESA funds can 581 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 3: be transferred to another family member's ESA account to help 582 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 3: that family member get an education. So this is done 583 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:12,040 Speaker 3: with out raising taxes tax free money. I can tell 584 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 3: you it's freaking out Sacramento politicians because this will allow 585 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 3: the parents to be in charge, not politicians or beer craps. 586 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 3: Politicians are losing the stranglehold over what the kids learn 587 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:26,800 Speaker 3: and how they learn it, and we're allowing the parents 588 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 3: to be in charge to find the best fit because 589 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 3: who knows the kid the best, the parents, not some politician, 590 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 3: bureaucrowd or regulator. That's essentially how this all works. And 591 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 3: we need people to sign the petition that we have 592 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 3: until next Saturday. The fourteenth to get enough signatures to 593 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:46,600 Speaker 3: qualify for the ballot. They're going out right now to 594 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:50,200 Speaker 3: the secret or the county clerks to count it and 595 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:52,600 Speaker 3: hopefully we get enough signatures to put it on the ballot. 596 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 3: So we need people to go to the website, download, print, 597 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,480 Speaker 3: sign and mail back the initiative and we can get 598 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:02,120 Speaker 3: this on the because it pulls right now. At seventy 599 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 3: two percent of the voters in California want this. They 600 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:09,000 Speaker 3: want to put the parents in charge because public school 601 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:11,520 Speaker 3: is failing our students. Now, we are going to have 602 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 3: tables set up collecting signatures this Saturday from twelve o'clock 603 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 3: to nine pm at the LA Coliseum, downtown La. From 604 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:26,359 Speaker 3: nine o'clock to I'm sorry from ten noontime to nine 605 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,560 Speaker 3: pm at the LA Coliseum this Saturday at a function 606 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 3: called Hope LA. Turns out, there's some seventy thousand people 607 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 3: have already obtained tickets to this, which are free, but 608 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:40,400 Speaker 3: they can get these online. When they come in to 609 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:44,239 Speaker 3: register to attend the event. We will have our tables there. 610 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:47,160 Speaker 3: We welcome people to come by the table sign the initiative, 611 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:51,799 Speaker 3: sign the petition. Seventy thousand people and Colisseum as you know, 612 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:57,040 Speaker 3: can fit more. But that's Hope La La Colisseum This 613 00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:01,360 Speaker 3: Saturday noon to nine pm. Come on by sign the petition. 614 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 3: We look forward to chatting with you. 615 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 1: You can sign that petition in person if you go 616 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:09,520 Speaker 1: to the coliseum this weekend on Saturday for Hope Fest 617 00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:11,239 Speaker 1: La and if you can't make it, go to the 618 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 1: website Education Opportunity dot org to learn more about the 619 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: Children's Educational Opportunity Act. 620 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:18,920 Speaker 2: Kevin Mack to me with. 621 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 1: The Children's Educational Opportunity Act. Thanks so much for joining us. 622 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:24,880 Speaker 3: Thanks Brandy, Thank you my friends. By bye. 623 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:28,799 Speaker 1: It's the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. It's 624 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 1: the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. If you 625 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 1: like to email me, you can do so at Randy 626 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:36,920 Speaker 1: Wang Radio at gmail dot com. Ed writes in just 627 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 1: the thoughts and semi trucks have weight limits and are 628 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:41,880 Speaker 1: required to stop at way stations in various areas in 629 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,839 Speaker 1: the state. When you start using driverless trucks, there's gonna 630 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:47,319 Speaker 1: be two issues. One, they're gonna be way heavier than 631 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:50,280 Speaker 1: the current trucks, will cause more damage to the infrastructure, 632 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:53,239 Speaker 1: that's true. Second, because of the additional weight. It'll mean 633 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:55,759 Speaker 1: they'll be transporting less product in order to meet the 634 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 1: weight limits that are placed on them, which could add 635 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:00,640 Speaker 1: an increased cost that might be even more more expensive 636 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:04,840 Speaker 1: than paying the truck drivers more money. Very very good information. 637 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:08,560 Speaker 1: It's the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. It's 638 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:11,759 Speaker 1: the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. What's coming 639 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 1: out in the movies this weekend? I keep seeing posters 640 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,000 Speaker 1: for this and I think I gotta go see it. 641 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:20,239 Speaker 1: You Me and Tuscany starring Reggae Jehan Page from Bridgerton 642 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,760 Speaker 1: Fame and Hallie Bailey from that awful Little Mermaid movie. 643 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:28,000 Speaker 1: The romantic comedy about one little live, one large Italian 644 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,799 Speaker 1: villa and two people getting lost in the sauce of love. 645 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:34,799 Speaker 1: That sounds like a lot of fun. The Christophers starring MICHAELA. Cole, 646 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 1: is the children of a once famous artist hiring a 647 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 1: forger to complete some unfinished, long ago abandoned canvasses so 648 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:44,320 Speaker 1: they'll have an inheritance when he dies. That could be 649 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:47,880 Speaker 1: a fun little caper. Ian McKellen's in that one and 650 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:51,000 Speaker 1: Faces of Death. A woman employed as a website content 651 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:55,120 Speaker 1: migraator comes across a series of violent videos reproducing death 652 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:57,840 Speaker 1: scenes from a film. I'm gonna pass on that one 653 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,280 Speaker 1: out on streaming. Outcome is on app well tomorrow, following 654 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 1: a Hollywood store as he's forced to confront problems in 655 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:07,239 Speaker 1: a tone for his past after being threatened by a 656 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:10,440 Speaker 1: bizarre video footage from his past. That one is co 657 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:14,239 Speaker 1: directed and starring Jonah Hill, also as Keanu Reeves in it. 658 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:17,960 Speaker 1: Oh Boy and the Boys on Amazon is. I think 659 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:20,120 Speaker 1: this is their final season. I saw the first couple 660 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:22,760 Speaker 1: seasons and it's a lot of fun, but it takes 661 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:24,920 Speaker 1: so long in between seasons you forget it's on. But 662 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:27,800 Speaker 1: that is like the anti superhero show, and it's a 663 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:31,040 Speaker 1: good time. I want to give a quick little shout out. 664 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:33,040 Speaker 1: I was only looking for something to listen to on 665 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:36,919 Speaker 1: my drive home from three to four, and I saw 666 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:39,319 Speaker 1: that my friend Marla Teez was now doing a live 667 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:42,279 Speaker 1: stream on Fox eleven from three to four, So I 668 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:44,600 Speaker 1: turned on the Fox Local app and she sat down 669 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:47,480 Speaker 1: and interviewed Betty Ye for like twenty minutes and then 670 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:49,719 Speaker 1: a whole hour, which sounds like a radio show. 671 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:51,800 Speaker 2: I loved it. Check it out. It's the news Blitz.