1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Can't I am six forty. You're listening to the John 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Cobelt podcast on the iHeartRadio app. Welcome, It's the John 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:10,319 Speaker 1: Cobelt Show and we're on every day from one until 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: four and then whatever you miss it's the podcast after 5 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: four o'clock. John Cobelt's show on demand on the iHeart app. 6 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: We're about to talk to the Governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, 7 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: and he and his staff is coming to Los Angeles Friday. 8 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: They're going to be at the Los Angeles Athletic Club 9 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: in downtown LA and. 10 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 2: They have. 11 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: They're trying to lure California businesses to Oklahoma and they 12 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: have all the whole presentation that they're going to do. 13 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: Let's get Governor Kevin Stitt from Oklahoma on. Welcome Governor, 14 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: how are you. 15 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 2: All doing great? How you guys doing today? 16 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 3: We're doing well. 17 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: Tell me what is the presentation going to look like 18 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: to these California business owners. What are you going to 19 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: be telling them? 20 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 4: Well, first off, we just want to we want all 21 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 4: businesses to know that Oklahoma is open for business. We're 22 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 4: the most business friendly state in the country and unlike 23 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 4: you know, some of the other states that are just 24 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 4: over regulating, and their idea is that business is bad 25 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 4: and they're trying to harm people and we need to 26 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 4: over regulate them. In Oklahoma, we are excited when people 27 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 4: start businesses and invest capital. And our overall philosophy is 28 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 4: that businesses are trying to do the right thing. They're 29 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 4: trying to take care of their employees, their customers, the environment. 30 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 4: And that's the philosophy we have in Oklahoma. And I 31 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 4: come from the business world, and before I ran for governor, 32 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 4: I've never been in public been in public office, and 33 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 4: so we just have a different perspective. And I just 34 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 4: started realizing it's not like this in other states. And 35 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 4: so every time I have We've got tons of companies 36 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 4: that have moved here and they were California businesses. Now 37 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 4: they're thriving in Oklahoma. And they said, Governor, you've got 38 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 4: to come over here and tell some of my friends 39 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 4: how great it is in Oklahoma with the cost of 40 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 4: living and just the overall quality of life. 41 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 2: And and so that's what we're doing. 42 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 4: It's lower taxes and you can make more money and 43 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 4: without the headaches in Oklahoma. 44 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: That was the next thing I wanted to get into 45 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: because we had been hemorrhaging thousands and thousands of jobs 46 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: for years, and when you look at lists, it was 47 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: they were going to Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Nevada, Arizona, the 48 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: usual suspects. Oklahoma, you're you're actually getting a lot of 49 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 1: businesses in recent years contacting you to move. 50 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 2: That's exactly right. 51 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 4: I mean, energy is a is a big plus, and 52 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 4: Oklahoma has the most affordable, reliable energy grid in the country. 53 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 4: So as far as data centers manufacturing, you'll pay about 54 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 4: a third for your energy costs in Oklahoma than you 55 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:48,799 Speaker 4: do in California. The cost of living, it's just it's 56 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 4: amazing the difference. I think we're about four hundred percent 57 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 4: cheaper in housing than than California. So just a lot 58 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 4: of a lot of reasons that people are moving to, 59 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 4: like you said, states like Oklahoma and Texas and Tennessee, 60 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 4: and yeah, we just we're top ten right now and 61 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 4: people move into our state. Oklahoma has four point one 62 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 4: million people in Oklahoma City Go Thunder, the NBA reigning champions. 63 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 4: We're the twentieth largest city in the country now, and 64 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 4: people just don't realize that. 65 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I didn't know that crazy, I know, I know 66 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 2: and listen. 67 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 4: We've got a lot of friends in California, and we 68 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 4: love California, but as governor of Oklahoma, we're just I 69 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 4: want to I want to try to recruit every company. 70 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 4: I came from Texas to Oklahoma, from Kansas to Oklahoma, 71 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 4: and from California and Oklahoma. So we just want everybody 72 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 4: to know that Oklahoma's open for business. 73 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: Everybody I talked to business out here. Two main categories 74 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: of discussion. Number one, Texas business taxas what's it like 75 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: in Oklahoma. 76 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, well, if you're a sea corp, if you're a 77 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 4: Sea court versus an S corp, our C corporate is 78 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 4: down to is four percent. I don't know exactly what 79 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 4: it is in California, but I think it is much 80 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 4: higher than that. 81 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 2: And then personal income. 82 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 4: Tax in California, I think you pay thirteen point three 83 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 4: percent is the top end, and we're at four point five. 84 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 4: Four point five ordered this four point five And do. 85 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: You have an empty radio studio in Oklahoma City? 86 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 4: I could use absolutely, and then I put us on 87 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 4: a path to zero. So next year when we have 88 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 4: growing revenue, it automatically triggers a court of a point 89 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 4: tax cut to the people because after all, it's the 90 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 4: people's money, it's not the government's money. We don't when 91 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 4: we have access revenue, we don't create more government programs. 92 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 4: We give it back to the tax payer. And that's 93 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 4: what we believe in Oklahoma. What about regulation, Yeah, so 94 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 4: obviously there has to be makes sense regulation to set 95 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 4: the rules of the road. But I tell all of 96 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 4: my regulatory bodies that, hey, we'll never play got you 97 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 4: with the company. 98 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 2: We want to be clear with the rules. 99 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 4: But then we just let companies go compete. And when 100 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 4: I ran my companies, that's that's all you want is 101 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 4: you just want to level playing field. And uh and 102 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,280 Speaker 4: that's the way we do it in Oklahoma. So you know, 103 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 4: time and time again. I mean I had one big, huge, 104 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 4: billion dollar company that called me and they just said Governor, 105 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 4: they said thank you so much. 106 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 2: They said we we. 107 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,039 Speaker 4: Had a permitt to buy water from a municipality and 108 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 4: for whatever reason, there was a you know, they busted 109 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,840 Speaker 4: the permitt for something that was not unsafe. It wasn't 110 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 4: their fault, it was something, but they were gonna have 111 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 4: to close their plant down and it was going to 112 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 4: be cost them millions of dollars. Well, they called our office, 113 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 4: We called the Department Environmental Quality and we got them 114 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 4: a waiver within thirty minutes, and it saved them millions 115 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 4: and millions of dollars. That's the kind of business friendly 116 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 4: approach that I'm talking about, And I remind them that 117 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 4: would never happen in some of these other states where 118 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 4: the regulators are always playing gotcha. We are, We're we 119 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 4: make common sense in Oklahoma, and we're going to work 120 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 4: with industry because we know they're trying to do the 121 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 4: right thing. 122 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: Well, a few years ago, if you suggested that, hey, 123 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: if you keep up this onerous regulation and this tax 124 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: structure and everything else, companies are going to go. They're 125 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: going to you know, they'll go to Oklahoma. And people 126 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: in government here with scoff at that, Oh, they're not 127 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: going to leave the California sunshine. That's crazy, that's ridiculous. 128 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:31,839 Speaker 1: But it's happening. I mean not just Oklahoma, but all 129 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: those other states that I mentioned. I mean, the place 130 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: here is managed so badly that you know, you're going 131 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 1: to be getting a lot of phone calls because everybody's 132 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: sick of it. Everybody's just fed up with the way 133 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: this place is run. 134 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, well they're in a death spiral what we call 135 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 4: in business because now right now their only option they're 136 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 4: having to raise taxes on the people that are there 137 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 4: to pay for all the services that they promised and 138 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 4: then and then they're going to drive or businesses away. 139 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 2: So they're in a real pickle. 140 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,600 Speaker 4: Over there, and they need to have some common sense 141 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 4: on their leadership that says, hey, we want to be 142 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 4: business friendly, because until you get the economy booming. 143 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 2: Guess what the economy is. 144 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 4: What pays for teachers, and it pays for education and 145 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 4: infrastructure and health care. You have to take care of 146 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 4: the economy first and then all these other things work 147 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 4: with it. The other thing I want to tell you 148 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 4: is we just passed business courts. And what that means 149 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 4: is I was tired of, you know, business is not 150 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 4: getting a fair shake, and you were going to a 151 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 4: maybe a family law judge, or you were going before 152 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 4: this court that didn't understand complex business transactions M and. 153 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 2: A's or business disputes. And so we passed business court. 154 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 4: So now much like Delaware has a chancery court system, 155 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 4: Texas has just passed that. And so we want to 156 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 4: make sure that businesses know that they're going to have 157 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 4: a business minded judge that understands the complex cases, and 158 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 4: they don't have to spend all this money getting them 159 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 4: up to speed. 160 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 2: And also speed of the decision is important to businesses. 161 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 4: We're not going to take five years and run them 162 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 4: through all these different things. These courts will get decisions 163 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 4: out quickly for the business disputes. 164 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: All right, You're gonna be at the Los Angeles Athletic 165 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: Club in downtown LA Friday morning to make this presentation 166 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: to any California business owners who are attending. I have 167 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: never been to Oklahoma. There's four states I haven't been 168 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: to yet, and Oklahoma is one of them. Two of 169 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,559 Speaker 1: my sons have been there in recent years and they 170 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:42,839 Speaker 1: were surprised how much they liked it. So one day 171 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: I want to get there soon. 172 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 4: Well, you've got a personal invite from the governor and 173 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:50,559 Speaker 4: I'll have you over to the Governor's mansion and we'll 174 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 4: grab coffee together and you will love it. 175 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 2: We'll show you around. 176 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 4: And Chet hit is another great He was in Oklahoma 177 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 4: that moved to California, started business, very successful. 178 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 2: Had him on yesterday to Oklahoma. 179 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 3: He was on the show yesterday. 180 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,719 Speaker 4: Yeah, great friend. And also Oklahoma is a flat organization. 181 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 4: You can get the governor on the phone, to the 182 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:12,679 Speaker 4: University of Oklahoma president, to. 183 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 2: Our regulatory bodies. 184 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 4: I tell people we're a flat organization. You're not going 185 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 4: to be messed around with bureaucracy. We're all talking and 186 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 4: singing from the same hymnal that we want businesses to 187 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 4: be successful in our state. 188 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: All right, well, Governor Kevin Stick from Oklahoma, thank you 189 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: for coming on, and let's talk again soon as your 190 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:32,439 Speaker 1: planning progresses. 191 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:34,559 Speaker 2: Okay, thank you so much, talk you letters. 192 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: All right, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stick. We got more coming up. 193 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,680 Speaker 1: John Cobelt Show caf I. 194 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 5: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 195 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 5: six forty. 196 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: We just had the Oklahoma governor on, Kevin Stick. I 197 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: hope you heard him, and if you didn't, that's what 198 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: the podcast is for after four o clock John Cobelt 199 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:59,079 Speaker 1: Show on demand and you should listen to what he's 200 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: got to say. He was making a pitch for La businesses, 201 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: California businesses to come to Oklahoma, where there's a lot 202 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: more space. Land is a lot less expensive electricity, I 203 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: mean energy is one third the price. To notice that 204 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:24,200 Speaker 1: energy is one third the price. Top tax rate for 205 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: individuals is four percent. It's an and as I mentioned, 206 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: you know, a couple of my sons happened to go 207 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,200 Speaker 1: through Oklahoma recently. They both were surprised about how nice 208 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: it is, how nice the people were. They do have 209 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: a major league World champion basketball team right now, the Thunder, 210 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: And it's one of those places that we're just conditioned 211 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 1: to think about the world being New York, Chicago, LA. 212 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: But you know, as I was traveling in the southeast 213 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 1: a few weeks ago, uh, it's Florida, North Carolina, and 214 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: it's Tennessee, and it's Texas and maybe Oklahoma now along 215 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: with you know, Arizona and Nevada. These places are growing 216 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: fast because the tax and business environment, for one, is 217 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:29,439 Speaker 1: far better. And it's like you, I have no idea 218 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: why these progressives. Well I do know it's there. It's 219 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 1: their weird ideology from Karl Marx. But they hate business 220 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: so much. Eventually their tax base is going to crumble. 221 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: It's already happened in Santa Monica. It's already happened in 222 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: downtown LA. It happened in San Francisco. The tax base 223 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 1: it gets destroyed and now you have no money for anything. 224 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 1: There is one guy, and we've had him on the 225 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 1: show a couple of times, and I think I wout 226 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,200 Speaker 1: to have him on again. He's the mayor of San Jose. 227 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: He's Matt Mahon, m a h an. It's only forty 228 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: two years old, and. 229 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:16,839 Speaker 3: He was. 230 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:22,959 Speaker 1: A businessman and he ran as a Democrat. He says, 231 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: he's uh, he's been a Democrat all his life. But 232 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: he breaks with all these progressive lunatics. And he really 233 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: dislikes Newsom's anti business attitude. How can you possibly be 234 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 1: an adult, a responsible adult and intentionally try to drive 235 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 1: business away? And Mayhead wrote a piece in the San 236 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: Francisco Standard SF Standard dot com a few weeks ago, 237 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 1: and he was upset with the way Newsom was handling 238 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: bed Beth and Beyond. Bet Beeth and Beyond had had 239 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: hundreds of outlets, ran into trouble, went bankrupt. They've opened 240 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: one store, and the new CEO says, we're going to 241 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: rebuild the chain. It's an extremely valuable, popular brand name 242 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: and eventually we're gonna have three hundred stores. But he 243 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: pointedly wrote a public letter and said none of them 244 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: in California. And I read the letter at the time 245 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: and obvious reasons and the Governor Newsom's press office, but 246 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: this is Newsom. He didn't retract this. Governor Newsom's press 247 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,520 Speaker 1: office responded to bed Bath and Beyond by saying, after 248 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: their bankruptcy enclosure of every store, like most Americans, we 249 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 1: thought bed Bath and Beyond no longer existed. We wish 250 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: them well their efforts to become relevant again as they 251 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: try to open a second store. This is because the 252 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: CEO ripped news them, so the snarky little toddlers over 253 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 1: at the Newsom press office what adults would have done 254 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: is said, you want to expand three hundred stores. Geez, 255 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: obviously you ought to be opening about ten or twenty 256 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: here in California. Let's talk what do you need to 257 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: help you come back. Let's talk about locations, about tax breaks, 258 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 1: about no It's like, oh, well, good luck being relevant again. Hi, 259 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: we have important jobs writing tweets for Gavin Newsom. You 260 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: imagine how insufferable these people are in that office. Can imagine? 261 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: And Matt Mahon, the mayor mayor of San Jose, said, 262 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 1: I was taking a back when Newsom's vaunted social media 263 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 1: team disparaged an announcement from the CEO of Bet Bath 264 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: and Beyond that it wasn't going to operate any stores 265 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 1: in California because of the state's business climate. The governor's 266 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: team responded to the feedback not with a reasoned argument, 267 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: but with an extended attack in their new Trumpian voice 268 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 1: of belittling those who disagree with them. The message to 269 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: the CEO was take your business elsewhere, given that California 270 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: currently has more than one million unemployed residents. That was 271 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 1: not the reaction I was expecting or that was called for. 272 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: Newsome supporters say he's breaking the Internet. That's stupid phrase. 273 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: He's owning Trump another stupid phrase. But the governor needs 274 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: to own up to the truth that California has the 275 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: highest unemployment rate in the nation at five and a 276 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: half percent, and almost half the nation's unsheltered homeless. 277 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 3: So you've got the highest unemployment rate. 278 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: And almost half the homeless, and you're telling the CEO 279 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: of Bet, Beth and Beyond, who wants to open up 280 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 1: three hundred outlets, to go screw himself because he finds 281 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: the business climates so terrible. And now you have the 282 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 1: Oklahoma governor coming to La to pitch businesses to move 283 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: to Oklahoma. Not because he just thought of this yesterday, 284 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: but because they've been getting many calls from California businesses. 285 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 1: What would it cost to relocate to Oklahoma? California businesses 286 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: are looking for a place to go. They're canvassing other 287 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: states to get out of here. And again it's proven 288 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 1: thousands and thousands and thousands of businesses have left California 289 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: under the Newsom Brown years. It's atrocious. That's why the 290 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: tax rate is so high, because it's got to cover 291 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: all the businesses and all the people who've left, who 292 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: stormed out of here. Now, if there's some kind of 293 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 1: law in life that the governor of California has to 294 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: be a Democrat, it ought to be Matt Mayhan because 295 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: it seems like he's intelligent and grounded and normal. You 296 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: think he'd hire those vicious little snots in his press 297 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: office to put out that kind of snarky garbage, garbage 298 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:30,120 Speaker 1: to it to a CEO wants to open up three 299 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: hundred stores. We should get twelve percent of the three 300 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: hundred stores, you know, we should get about thirty five 301 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 1: of them. We're gonna get zero. We're not at full employment. 302 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:49,679 Speaker 1: We're last in employment, last, worse state for unemployment, worst, 303 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: but a bunch of jackasses in that Newsome office. So 304 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 1: if Matt Mayhan runs to run for governor, would he 305 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:06,920 Speaker 1: even win if he ran in the Democratic Party? More 306 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,440 Speaker 1: coming up? Oh, we got Michael Monks coming. Now here's 307 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: another one. LA is going to be spending billions of 308 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: dollars on a convention center when it's broke and they 309 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: want to get it built real soon for the twenty 310 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:27,640 Speaker 1: twenty eight Olympics, and. 311 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 3: They just don't have any money. 312 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 5: You're listening to John Cobel's on demand from KFI AM 313 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:36,639 Speaker 5: six forty. 314 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,439 Speaker 1: We are on every day from one until four o'clock 315 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: and then after four o'clock whatever you missed. It's the 316 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 1: podcast John co Belt's show on demand on the iHeart app. 317 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 1: Let's get to Michael Monks now, because while the Palisades 318 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:55,679 Speaker 1: is still in ruins, Karen Bass is now obsessed with 319 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 1: building a new convention center two and a half billion 320 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 1: dollars and having it renovated by the twenty twenty eight Olympics. 321 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:08,160 Speaker 1: It sounds absurd, but she had some kind of media 322 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: event today about it, and how are they gonna pay 323 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: for this. 324 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 6: Your cynicism is appropriate in just about everything you mentioned 325 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 6: in that short amount of time. Whether the city can 326 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:21,679 Speaker 6: still give its full attention to the Palisades while the 327 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,359 Speaker 6: conventions that our project goes on, whether the city has 328 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:26,360 Speaker 6: the money to pay the debt service that they will 329 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 6: be financing this project over the next thirty years to 330 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:31,920 Speaker 6: pay for this thing, and whether it can be done 331 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 6: in time for the Olympics, considering the city does not 332 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 6: have the best track record in completing its projects. 333 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 1: So the reason they're doing this is specifically for the Olympics. 334 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 6: It seems that this motivated them to get moving, but 335 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 6: they can't come out and directly say that that's exactly 336 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:49,879 Speaker 6: why they're doing it. Because this was supposed to be 337 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,120 Speaker 6: the no build Olympics. It's not going to cost as anything. 338 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:55,240 Speaker 6: We're not gonna have to build any permanent structures, we're 339 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:58,679 Speaker 6: gonna have to make any significant infrastructure investments to host 340 00:19:58,840 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 6: the Olympics. 341 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: When it is the twenty twenty eight Olympics some years ago. 342 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: They did right after the twenty twenty Yeah, yeah, because 343 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,880 Speaker 1: they gave twenty twenty four to Parish, twenty twenty eight 344 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:11,400 Speaker 1: to LA so they knew about this probably for three 345 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 1: or four years, and they didn't do anything to renovate. 346 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 6: It's been kicked around for a while, but the city 347 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,679 Speaker 6: just finished paying off its long term debt from the 348 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,600 Speaker 6: last time this convention center was renovated back in the 349 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 6: nineteen nineties. The argument from the convention center folks, from 350 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:31,480 Speaker 6: people downtown, and from city and civic leaders is that 351 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:34,639 Speaker 6: LA is the second biggest city in America, but we 352 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 6: are not competitive on the convention market. We're losing to 353 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 6: much smaller cities all across the country. And the reason 354 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 6: john it's not because of the conditions surrounding downtown Los Angeles. 355 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:47,919 Speaker 6: It's because the convention center is not capable of hosting 356 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 6: events the way other cities are able to do. What 357 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:55,600 Speaker 6: is missing. They are looking to add more space. They 358 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 6: think that having a larger convention center more activities, will 359 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 6: will allow for larger events. And this is also supposed 360 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 6: to spur some economic development. So the concern about the 361 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 6: two point six billion dollars price tag is supposed to 362 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 6: be offset because immediately the construction is supposed to create 363 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,199 Speaker 6: about thirteen thousand jobs. Those are temporary, of course, these 364 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 6: are construction jobs, but they estimate and they're forecasting that 365 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 6: there will be each year around two thousand jobs. Additionally, 366 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,959 Speaker 6: like say it opens two thousand jobs that year, two 367 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 6: thousand more of the year after that, and so forth 368 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:35,360 Speaker 6: by the activity that it generates around that area of downtown. 369 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:37,119 Speaker 3: And I got to do this in two and a 370 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 3: half years, not all of it. 371 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,639 Speaker 6: They broke ground today ceremoniously, so Mayor Bass and some 372 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 6: other city and local officials lifted up shovels, spread some 373 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 6: dirt around for the photo. And they're going to do 374 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 6: it in two phases. This center is hosting Olympic events. 375 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 6: The concern and the reason that they weren't sure they 376 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:00,119 Speaker 6: could do it. There was a lot of debate about 377 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 6: this is if that is a construction site when the 378 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 6: Olympics roll through, they will have to move Olympic events. 379 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:07,640 Speaker 3: But the plan is to do this in two phases. 380 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 6: They want to finish the first phase before the Olympic Games, 381 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 6: and then after the Games leave, they'll get started at 382 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 6: number two. But the biggest concern is over the money. 383 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 6: We saw a few council members voice opposition to this. 384 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 6: A couple of the people that seem like they would 385 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 6: vote against it. Councilman Bloomenfield Councilman Rodriguez, they were not 386 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 6: present for this meeting. In fact, Councilman Rodriguez says that 387 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:32,680 Speaker 6: she had already been excused from the. 388 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,160 Speaker 3: Meeting before this vote was scheduled. 389 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 6: She was pretty upset about that, but it did pass 390 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 6: pretty overwhelmingly. Counselman Katie Arslovski's the chair of the budget Committee, 391 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,920 Speaker 6: advise the council not to do this. What has been 392 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 6: interesting is the comments from the supporters, not just on 393 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 6: the council, but also the mayor. 394 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:51,840 Speaker 3: Here's what she said today. 395 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 7: We take bold actions to assure that we can deliver 396 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 7: in a way that is of course fiscally responsible. That 397 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 7: include so it's implementing cost saving measures and streamlining processes 398 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 7: which will be key to ensure that the convention center 399 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:09,400 Speaker 7: has an on time completion. 400 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: What does that mean? 401 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 3: What does that mean? 402 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,199 Speaker 6: It seems to be a recognition that this is an 403 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 6: expensive project. The city is already in dire financial condition. Yes, 404 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 6: they spared those city workers layoffs by moving some money 405 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 6: and people around, but even before this vote, the city 406 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 6: was forecasting very serious budget challenges for at least the 407 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 6: next three to five years, similar to what they just 408 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 6: dealt with significant financial challenges. With this vote, the city 409 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:45,200 Speaker 6: has committed itself to annual debt payments for the next 410 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 6: thirty years in an amount that's been estimated anywhere between 411 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 6: eighty million and two hundred million dollars thirty years of that. So, 412 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:57,520 Speaker 6: if they are already having trouble making their budget add 413 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 6: up correctly, now they have just added this deficit. 414 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: Are they doing this just for the Olympics, because, as 415 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: you said, and you're open, they had said, we don't 416 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: have to build anything. We already have all the venues 417 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 1: we need, and I think this place is holding uh, fencing, wrestling, 418 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,400 Speaker 1: table tennis, among other things that they can't They can't 419 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 1: do that now. 420 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 3: I mean it's big enough. 421 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 1: To hold a told wrestling matches or play table tennis. 422 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 3: I mean they get it. 423 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 6: The Olympic folks would not have assigned those events to 424 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:29,200 Speaker 6: this center were it not capable of hosting right. Okay, 425 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,399 Speaker 6: So the answer is technically no, because that would be 426 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:34,720 Speaker 6: violation of what the city said originally. This is a 427 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 6: no build Olympics. You know, they're not building the Memorial Coliseum. 428 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:41,400 Speaker 6: You know, they're not doing that for these games. It's 429 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 6: not that period anymore. Everything is already here, you know, 430 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 6: will be you know, spraying some things down. 431 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: But Bay, we've got all these teams in all these sports. 432 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: We've had two Olympics here. I mean, there's there's enough 433 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:58,320 Speaker 1: venues and the universities and whatnot. 434 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 6: You're not the only one flus to a city councilman. Current 435 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 6: price collapsed during this, uh, this presentation day because he 436 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:14,399 Speaker 6: was so upset. Apparently his office now, Eric Sklar, you 437 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 6: are burned in the fiery depths of hell. 438 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:19,399 Speaker 2: For that. 439 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 3: I couldn't resist. 440 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 6: I want to be clear that is not actual audio 441 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:27,679 Speaker 6: from the councilman, uh going around. I did not know, 442 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 6: absolutely not that was Eric Sklar, but it was a 443 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 6: pretty dramatic scene. He was down on the ground and 444 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 6: kind of wiping his brow looking maybe he had been overheated. 445 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 6: Mayor baths attended to him, you know, she's a foreigner nurse, 446 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 6: and they got him into an ambulance. No, his next 447 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 6: court appearance, because he is of course facing multiple felonies 448 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 6: for over allegations of public corruption. 449 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:53,359 Speaker 3: His office says he was dehydrated. 450 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 6: So if you're getting a little dry mouth over the 451 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:58,960 Speaker 6: price of this convention center, you can certainly relate to 452 00:25:59,000 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 6: councilman price. 453 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 1: That's the old purpose excuse dehydration. Yeah, so. 454 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:12,879 Speaker 6: I know it's hard to find the words because this 455 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:14,879 Speaker 6: is a broke city that has just committed to a 456 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 6: very serious purchase. 457 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 3: They can't build anything. 458 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 6: They're very bad at building on time. And another concern 459 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 6: you mentioned the Palisades. The Palisades involves there you go, LADWP, 460 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 6: A lot of the rebuild is going to require utility reconstruction. 461 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:29,439 Speaker 3: And that sort of thing. 462 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 6: So those questions were raised, and initially it seemed that 463 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 6: there was serious concern about whether any LADWP folks could 464 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 6: be moved out of the Palisades to have to focus 465 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 6: on this convention center. Project engineers and those sorts of 466 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:45,680 Speaker 6: things are going to do that they're just going to abandon. 467 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 6: By the time the vote came, there were reassurances from 468 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 6: folks that that was not going to happen. 469 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:51,919 Speaker 3: Believe, the. 470 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 6: City government does not have a great track record with 471 00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 6: maintaining trust from folks. 472 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 1: Rocking on the homeless project. So all the shelters and 473 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: all the low income housing they were supposed to build, 474 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:03,920 Speaker 1: none of. 475 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:04,800 Speaker 3: It ever gets built. 476 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:06,920 Speaker 6: But this is this is what's going to change all 477 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 6: that John the expanded Convention Center, and I know you're 478 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 6: looking forward to seeing the table tennis Olympic event. 479 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:13,359 Speaker 8: You know. 480 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 1: I see a quote in a story here for Politico, uh, 481 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,919 Speaker 1: where Mike Bonnan, of all people, says, uh boy, and 482 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: this is high risk, very high risk optimism. If we 483 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: have to move events, that's egg on the face of 484 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: the city. That's an embarrassment when Mike Bonnan is telling 485 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: you to slow down. 486 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,400 Speaker 6: You know, and he's from the camp politically, I think 487 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:36,960 Speaker 6: it's it's fair to say with some current council members. 488 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:38,600 Speaker 6: He used to be on the council and now some 489 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 6: of the current council members like Unsses Hernandez Maezlado, Oh yeah, yeah, 490 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 6: So he's kind of in the same campus. They voted 491 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:49,160 Speaker 6: for this project. And I did not expect, especially Councilman 492 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 6: Unisses Hernandez, who's been a bit of a budget hawk 493 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,240 Speaker 6: recently about the priorities we're losing out on. Uh, you know, 494 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 6: we spend too much on police and lawsuits and all 495 00:27:57,800 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 6: that sort of thing. We're not spending enough on a 496 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:02,040 Speaker 6: lot of the services that people use every day. She 497 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 6: gave one of these weird responses before her vote that 498 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,440 Speaker 6: I'm not happy about this, but you can bet I'm 499 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 6: gonna keep my eye on this, this budget situation moving forward. 500 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:13,919 Speaker 6: So I don't know what kind of conversations took place 501 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 6: behind the scenes to convince those folks they're they're strong 502 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:17,919 Speaker 6: allies of Mayor Bass. 503 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 3: Uh that that. 504 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 6: Got you get the sense that everyone voted for this 505 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:28,359 Speaker 6: knowing that it is going to be a challenge, Like 506 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 6: you just heard the mayor say, you know, she kept 507 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 6: the enthusiasm up today, but recognizing and kind of using 508 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:37,360 Speaker 6: those platitudes about how we're gonna, you know, be creative here. 509 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 3: There are a lot of qualifiers and exit rams. 510 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 6: It's scary I think, uh, as someone who watches the 511 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,680 Speaker 6: city dollars and these budget conversations all the time, that 512 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 6: there aren't a lot of specifics about how they're going 513 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:48,560 Speaker 6: to be creative. 514 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 1: Yet all right, well more material for us. 515 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 3: Indeed, very good. 516 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: Michael Monks caf Ie News, excellent reporter. 517 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 3: Uh, best one we have, debor Mark Wise, is any 518 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:00,920 Speaker 3: of the only one quiet? 519 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 1: It's you and your big mouth again trying to give 520 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 1: him a compliment. 521 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 9: I'm just kidding, Michael Monks, He's. 522 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:09,760 Speaker 3: One of a kind. 523 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 6: I'll say that that's better. 524 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: There you go. 525 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 5: You're listening to John Cobels on demand from KFI AM 526 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 5: six forty. 527 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:25,959 Speaker 1: We just had Michael Monks on because sounds really stupid, 528 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 1: But the city of Los Angeles is spending over two 529 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 1: and a half billion dollars to renovate the Convention Center. 530 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 1: They want to do it in time for the Olympics, 531 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:39,000 Speaker 1: not because they need to. They have enough space to 532 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 1: do the wrestling and table tennis and other sports at 533 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: the Convention Center. They just need to get it done 534 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:51,360 Speaker 1: because if the construction makes the Convention Center uninhabitable, then 535 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 1: they're in a lot of trouble. And Mike Bonnen, who 536 00:29:57,040 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 1: I didn't realize was still with us. He he's was 537 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: skeptical of this. I'm telling you, Mike Bonden is saying 538 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 1: you better slow down. Here's another angle from Fox eleven 539 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:13,920 Speaker 1: reporter Gina Silva. 540 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 7: Uh. 541 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 1: People saying, well, wait, there's other parts of downtown LA 542 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: that are neglected. Why why are we blowing all this 543 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 1: money on the Convention Center. 544 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 7: The expansion of the Convention Center is much more than 545 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 7: just another project. It is an investment in our city, 546 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 7: an investment in our economy, and it's a major step 547 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:38,120 Speaker 7: forward in the effort to revitalize downtown LA. 548 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 9: Mayor Caroen Bas announces a two point six billion dollar 549 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 9: convention Center expansion, saying the project will bring jobs, growth, 550 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:48,760 Speaker 9: and a cleaner downtown Los Angeles. 551 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 7: And while we'll do everything to fast track this project 552 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 7: in a fiscally responsible way, we will also continue to 553 00:30:56,400 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 7: focus on the overall revitalization of Downtown LA, including safety 554 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 7: and cleanliness. 555 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 3: Which is at the center. 556 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 9: But while the mayor is making big promises, critics say 557 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 9: the city has neglected downtown Los Angeles for years, leaving 558 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 9: some of its most visible landmarks decayed and ignored. 559 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 8: It is de moralizing to see the state of the city. 560 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 8: I mean, you look at our beautiful skyline of downtown LA, 561 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 8: and what do you see an I sword, You see 562 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:30,160 Speaker 8: three graffiti towers, And it is embarrassing because we become, 563 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 8: in a sense, the laughing stock of other cities and 564 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 8: in some other. 565 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 9: Cities in the world. 566 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 8: How is that allowed to occur here in Los Angeles. 567 00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:42,280 Speaker 9: LAPD Commander Lillian Caranza says she's sped up with how 568 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 9: local officials have led downtown LA slip. 569 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 3: She points to. 570 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 9: The Sixth Street bridge covered in graffiti and left dark 571 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:52,920 Speaker 9: for more than a year. The Third Street tunnel tells 572 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 9: the same story, and even the towers across from the 573 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:59,240 Speaker 9: Convention Center are tagged from top to bottom. 574 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:03,080 Speaker 8: A myriad of reasons as to why we have gotten 575 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 8: to where we're at now, one of them being zero bail, 576 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:11,240 Speaker 8: the progressive policies that we have seen, and some of 577 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:13,520 Speaker 8: elected leaders they do not like. 578 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:16,840 Speaker 9: Working on the police department, Caranza says the current policies 579 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 9: have created a revolving door. Officers arrest taggers and other offenders, 580 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 9: but they're quickly released back onto the streets, making it 581 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 9: harder to keep downtown clean and safe. She says city 582 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 9: officials need to work with the LAPD to really make 583 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 9: a difference. 584 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:36,480 Speaker 8: This be a premier city that can host not only 585 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 8: a World Cup, but the Olympics in twenty twenty eight. 586 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:43,440 Speaker 8: We need to work in partnership and collaborate, and we 587 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 8: need their support just like they need our support in 588 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:49,560 Speaker 8: order to serve the community that we all love so much. 589 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 9: Councilwoman is Abehuado issued a statement that says, in part, 590 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,920 Speaker 9: public safety begins with the equitable delivery of city services 591 00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:00,320 Speaker 9: and strong the neighborhoods and improve the quality of life. 592 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:02,120 Speaker 3: That's why our office. 593 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 9: Has already taken swift action to add the sixth Street 594 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:08,880 Speaker 9: Bridge to weekly Graffitia Bateman routes and expand cleanup services 595 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:13,440 Speaker 9: across Council District fourteen. The statement goes on to say 596 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:16,840 Speaker 9: that relighting the bridge should be taken care of in 597 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:18,240 Speaker 9: the fall. 598 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:20,800 Speaker 1: Why does Karen Vass turn the city over to the 599 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 1: graffiti animals and all the all the vandals and the 600 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:34,360 Speaker 1: felons who steal the copper wire and turn entire neighborhoods 601 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 1: off at night? I mean, I mean, these neighborhoods go 602 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: to black because there's no electricity. There's no street lights 603 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: working anymore because the copper wires are stolen because Karen 604 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:47,000 Speaker 1: Bass allows it to be stolen constantly, and all these 605 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 1: progressive a holes with their no bail policies, and so 606 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: these guys go out and committed all these crimes. City 607 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:02,440 Speaker 1: looks like Hell Bridge is ruined. They just renovated that thing, 608 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 1: it was glittering just a couple of years ago. That's 609 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 1: a disaster. And the tunnel and then those two disgusting 610 00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 1: towers run across from the convention center. What are they 611 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:20,320 Speaker 1: gonna do about that. A city administrative officer in March 612 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:25,759 Speaker 1: said that the project getting done before the Olympics was 613 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: not feasible, and then a chief legislative analyst said the 614 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:38,440 Speaker 1: same thing. Renovating the convention center not feasible. The city 615 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:42,360 Speaker 1: controller said, you're not gonna generate revenue from the convention 616 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:48,200 Speaker 1: center for thirty years, and then you have the fencing, 617 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 1: the wrestling, and the table tennis. If they don't get 618 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:51,920 Speaker 1: it done in time, then they're gonna have to go 619 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 1: to the Olympic Committee and have these I don't know. 620 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:59,480 Speaker 1: We've already got some Olympic events going to Oklahoma. Speaking 621 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:03,319 Speaker 1: of Oklahom, we had the governor on earlier, so they're 622 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 1: not only getting California businesses. They're all ready getting some 623 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:09,719 Speaker 1: of our Olympic events. Maybe they'll get some more here. 624 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:18,719 Speaker 1: According to Kitty Roslavsky, who's an idiot normally, she said 625 00:35:18,719 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 1: the expansion is unrealistic, unaffordable, and irresponsible. Over the next 626 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 1: nine hundred and ten days, crews would have to work 627 00:35:26,239 --> 00:35:30,080 Speaker 1: six days a week every week, with only twenty float 628 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 1: days and a few more for bad weather and other contingencies. 629 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:38,120 Speaker 1: So there's five weeks of slack time in one hundred 630 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:42,600 Speaker 1: and thirty week construction schedule. The smallest disruption disruption or 631 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:45,759 Speaker 1: supply chain delay or weather or labor shortage, or the 632 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:49,319 Speaker 1: city's own approval process, which we all know what that is, 633 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:52,239 Speaker 1: will push us off schedule. Well, Katie, why don't you 634 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,719 Speaker 1: fix the approval process. That's a second time this month 635 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:58,279 Speaker 1: she's complained about the city bureaucracy. 636 00:35:58,640 --> 00:35:59,200 Speaker 3: Fix it? 637 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:03,080 Speaker 1: What's wrong with you? Who else is supposed to fix it? 638 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:11,920 Speaker 1: If not you, what are you doing? Well, another two 639 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:13,840 Speaker 1: and a half billion will be fleshed down the toilet 640 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:17,399 Speaker 1: and maybe the part of some of the Olympics will 641 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:19,880 Speaker 1: have to be relocated to some other state. 642 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:22,800 Speaker 3: And it's so ugly. 643 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:26,800 Speaker 1: The city is so ugly right now, the bridge, the tunnel, 644 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:32,560 Speaker 1: the towers. It's ugly, it's gross, it's embarrassing. I'd never 645 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:35,800 Speaker 1: bring anybody from out of town to any of these places. 646 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:40,360 Speaker 1: Neither would you. Karen Bath has no shame. We come back, 647 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 1: We are going to talk. Oh yeah, yeah, we discussed 648 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:44,760 Speaker 1: this a bit yesterday. And no, we're gonna have Jamie 649 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: Page on from Westside Current dot com. We're spending one 650 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:49,680 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty thousand dollars a year for a single 651 00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:52,400 Speaker 1: motel bed for the Vagrants deb Remark live in the 652 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:55,120 Speaker 1: KFI twenty for our newsroom. Hey, you've been listening to 653 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:57,719 Speaker 1: The John Cobalt Show podcast. You can always hear the 654 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:00,480 Speaker 1: show live on KFI Am six forty from one to 655 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:03,440 Speaker 1: four pm every Monday through Friday, and of course, anytime 656 00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 1: on demand on the iHeartRadio app