1 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: Good morning, peeps, and welcome to woka F Daily with 2 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: Meet your Girl Danielle Moody, recording live from our podstream 3 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: studios in Times Square. You know, folks, at the beginning 4 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: of every week, I really try and kind of work 5 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:34,880 Speaker 1: myself up a bit, right to really produce endorphins, to really, 6 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: you know, get some positive energy moving, because I know 7 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:42,200 Speaker 1: that by the time that we get through yet another 8 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: week in this fuck show we call America, you're exhausted, depleted, 9 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: and are outdone. Over the weekend, I did MSNBC with 10 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: Aimon Mohadeen and I shared the link on Facebook's woka 11 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: F Nation and on Twitter, and one of the questions 12 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: that I was asked was, didil do you think that 13 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: Democrats are going to work on expanding the court? And I, 14 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: you know, I wanted to laugh, not because I thought 15 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: that the question was bad, but because do I think 16 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: that Democrats are going to do anything? Full stop? Should 17 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: just be the question, and my answer is no, They're 18 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: not what we've seen over the past. I don't know. 19 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: Eight god awful months, right, It's been eight months, folks 20 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: since the Biden administration came into office. And I got 21 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: to tell you, I know that I asked this question, 22 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: you know, earlier in the week, But I really do 23 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: not feel better off. And what does that say for 24 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: a person like myself, whose job is politics, whose job 25 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: is media, and to be in the no, what does 26 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: it say that for so many years I have spent 27 00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: countless hours right working on advancing you know, anti discrimination policies, 28 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: lobbying on the hill, being on radio, being on TV. 29 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: Because I believe that America can be better than it is. 30 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: I believe in the responsibility of each generation to do 31 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:18,119 Speaker 1: more to move the boulder of equality up the fucking mountain, right. 32 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: But I gotta tell you that the images, the images 33 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: that we are seeing, whether it is you know, half 34 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: the state of California under on fire or underwater, whether 35 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 1: it's you know, the hurricanes that have gone through Louisiana, Mississippi, 36 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: whether it is the flooding that happened in Philadelphia and 37 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: New York and New Jersey, you know, whether it's now 38 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: what is troubling me so much this goddamn week is 39 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 1: the fact that we're not going to get a three 40 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:57,399 Speaker 1: point five billion dollar infrastructure bill. And you know why 41 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: we're not going to get that three point five billion 42 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: dollar Structure Bill because Kirsten Cinema and Joe Mansion, the 43 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: two bullshit Democrats in the Senate, think that the you know, 44 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: the price tag is too big, right, They didn't seem 45 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: to think that there was anything wrong with the price 46 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: tag to give to the Pentagon. They don't seem to 47 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: think that there's anything wrong with the seven hundred and 48 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: twenty billion dollars budget that the Pentagon has. Right. But 49 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: whenever we're asking, whenever we are demanding that our tax 50 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: dollars be used to strengthen our social safety nets, to 51 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: strengthen our own communities, we always receive pushback. I don't 52 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: know how many more storms and fires, crumbling bridges, subway 53 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: stations turning into full geysers that we need to see 54 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: on the news on repeat for us to recognize that 55 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: something needs to be done. I don't you know. I 56 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: read an article over the weekend about childcare workers and 57 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: how childcare workers who make minimum wage, and depending on 58 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: what state you are in, that minimum wage could be 59 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: as high and I use that in air quotes as 60 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: high as fifteen dollars an hour or as low as 61 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: seven dollars and twenty five cents an hour and childcare 62 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,919 Speaker 1: workers are quitting in mass There is a deficit of 63 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty six thousand childcare workers. So what 64 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:35,559 Speaker 1: does that mean for working families, working parents. It means 65 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: that you are going to struggle to be able to 66 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 1: find childcare for your children, which is going to prevent 67 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: who from having to leave the workforce in order to 68 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: be able to rear your children at home. Women. Everything 69 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: always falls back on the backs and the shoulders of women. 70 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: And what economists are saying about this shortage of childcare 71 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,799 Speaker 1: workers is that let this be a first of red 72 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: flags and sirens about how unstable our economy is about 73 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: to be. Because again, if people don't have childcare work right, 74 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 1: they don't have childcare workers. That means that families will 75 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: have to leave the workforce, which means that then they 76 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: are not contributing to our economy in the ways that 77 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: need to be contributed to. These people childcare workers are 78 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: leaving in mass Why because the pay sucks and they're 79 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: going to get jobs as bank tellers or assistants or 80 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: anywhere frankly that's going to pay them a living goddamn wage. 81 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: Staying on this tip, listen to this, I guess the 82 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: happiest place on Earth. Actually isn't the happiest fucking place 83 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:53,720 Speaker 1: on earth looking at you, Disneyland. So evidently twenty five 84 00:05:54,240 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: thousand Disneyland employees are suing right in a class action 85 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: lawsuit because they don't have living wages. Listen to this 86 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: report that was done by Occidental and let me tell 87 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: you something I gotta tell you, but done by Occidental College. 88 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: So this is a survey of five thousand what Disneyland 89 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 1: refers to their workers as cast members. I guess that 90 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: makes you feel great that you can't afford to pay 91 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 1: any of your bills if you are called the cast 92 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: members opposed to a worker or a staff or whatever 93 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: the fuck. But listen to this. So in this report, 94 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: in this study called Working for the Mouse, a study 95 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: by Occidental College and the Economic Roundtable published back in 96 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: February twenty eighteen, found that eleven percent of Disneyland employees 97 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: reported experiencing homelessness. Can you imagine working for a multi 98 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:57,039 Speaker 1: billion dollar company? I want you to understand what the 99 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: fuck Disney owns? Like everything? Right, They own networks, they 100 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: own amusement parks, they own media platforms. You have Disney plus, 101 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: you have all of these things that Disney owns, and 102 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: eleven percent of the people that are working at Disneyland, 103 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: according to this Occidental College report from twenty eighteen, and 104 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 1: mind you, twenty twenty fucked us all right, So numbers 105 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: did not look better in twenty twenty. They actually looked worse. 106 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: So eleven percent of employees. This means people that are 107 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: working were homeless. Okay, sixty eight percent of the five 108 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: thousand people that were studied were food insecure, meaning that 109 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:46,119 Speaker 1: they did not know where their next meals were coming from, 110 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: and seventy three percent said that they do not earn 111 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: enough for basic living expenses. Folks, how can we justify 112 00:07:56,720 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: multibillion dollar corporations who who have made their riches on 113 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: the backs of their lowest paid workers, and justify the 114 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: fact that you are working forty hours a week and 115 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: that is not enough to put food on the table 116 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: for three meals a day. It is not enough to 117 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: pay all of your bills. At the same time, it 118 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: is not enough for you to have a roof over 119 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: your head, and you So here's the myth that Republicans 120 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: always like to push, right, is that, like, we don't 121 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: need to raise the minimum wage because it's just kids 122 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: that have these jobs. No, the fuck, it's not right. 123 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 1: It is actually adults, adults with families, right, who cannot 124 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: afford to live. They can't afford to live. How do 125 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,680 Speaker 1: you tell people to work forty hours a week? And 126 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: the assumption that Republicans make is that, oh, those that 127 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: are on minimum wage are lazy? Are you fucking kidding me? 128 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: These people are busting their asses in jobs and in 129 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:05,320 Speaker 1: places that those members of Congress would never even step 130 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 1: fucking foot in. Right. I remember back in the day 131 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 1: that Senator Corey Booker had set up a challenge, and 132 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: I think that he might have been the only member 133 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: of the Senate that took it up, but he decided 134 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: for a month to try and live on minimum wage. Right. 135 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: So Corey Booker took up this challenge so that he 136 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:32,199 Speaker 1: could understand exactly what he was fighting for and why 137 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,320 Speaker 1: these policy changes needed to be made so that people 138 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 1: could have a living wage. Right? What does it mean 139 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: to have a living wage that you can pay rent, 140 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: pay for groceries, pay your utilities, right, and still maybe 141 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,439 Speaker 1: just maybe have a little bit left over so that 142 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: I don't know, you could see a movie, you could 143 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:56,720 Speaker 1: do something because you see, Republicans also believe right that 144 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 1: you are undeserving. So we don't want to give you welfare, 145 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: We don't want to give you any help or assistance whatsoever, 146 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 1: because you know that discourages work. So when Corey Booker 147 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: did this experiment, right, and he offered it up to 148 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: other members, but of course they didn't take him up 149 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: on that, with their six figures that they make out 150 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,679 Speaker 1: a taxpayer dollars, not to mention the millions that they 151 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 1: make with their fucking insider trading and all of the 152 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,560 Speaker 1: other hot shit that they do on a regular basis 153 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 1: that they mind. You don't get caught for, right, like 154 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: nobody says anything about it. They get tips and they 155 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 1: decide what they're going to invest in and what they're 156 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 1: not and what they're going to pull their money out of. 157 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:41,319 Speaker 1: But that's all considered okay and above fucking board, because 158 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: those are white collar crimes for white people. Nonetheless, when 159 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 1: I'm looking at this horrible situation in Disneyland where workers 160 00:10:54,720 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: have been there for some fifteen years, right making Hennis 161 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 1: and in one circumstance, this gentleman who I this is 162 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: a story from the San Francisco dot Com But this man. 163 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 1: I have to tell you, I was reading this story 164 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: and I always have to stop myself because oftentimes I 165 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: have to check my own privilege, which I think is 166 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: really important to do. Because the person that is interviewed 167 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: in here has been working for Disneyland for fifteen years, 168 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: and according to the article let Me read Saraceno has 169 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,199 Speaker 1: worked at Disneyland Hotel for fifteen years as a valet, 170 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: parking cars and assisting guests with their luggage. For all 171 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 1: of those fifteen years, he's earned minimum wage from Disney 172 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: and supplemented his income with tips, but a recent decision 173 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:57,839 Speaker 1: from leadership that prevents valets from handling luggage has cut 174 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: substantially into his earnings. He's now one of the twenty 175 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: five thousand cast members as Disneyland calls its employees who 176 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: are participating in a class action lawsuit against Disneyland that 177 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: alleges the company is legally obligated to pay a living wage. 178 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: He says this, I couldn't make it on minimum wage, 179 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,719 Speaker 1: which is how much they pay me. If they are 180 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: going to make changes where I have less opportunity for tips, 181 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: then that's half my income is gone. I hope to 182 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: some day buy a house that extra money, I should 183 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,679 Speaker 1: be able to invest in my community and my children 184 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: have an edge. He considers himself fortunate that his wife 185 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,200 Speaker 1: and two children are getting by in affordable housing, but 186 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 1: not every cast member at Disneyland can claim the same. 187 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: So here's where I have to check my privilege, because 188 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: when I initially read the article, I said, how could 189 00:12:53,640 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 1: anybody work anywhere for fifteen years for minimum wage? How 190 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:06,199 Speaker 1: do you not go after getting a certificate or a 191 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:10,079 Speaker 1: degree or something that is going to move you out 192 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 1: of this kind of cyclical poverty? And then I was 193 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,719 Speaker 1: checked and it was just like, well, how can you 194 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: even entertain other ideas of how to move up, of 195 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: how to expand when your basic needs are not met, 196 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: when you are living paycheck to paycheck? You see, dreaming 197 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: right and innovating and creating and having the time in 198 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: the bandwidth to do so is in fact a privilege. 199 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 1: It's a privilege for middle income folks like myself. It's 200 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: a privilege for those that are clearly upper middle class 201 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: and upper class right to have that kind of luxury 202 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,079 Speaker 1: dream time, right to be able to think to yourself, 203 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:02,839 Speaker 1: what is next, what their opportunities? Can I go after right, 204 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 1: but that those are things that you can do when 205 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: your basic needs are met, when you know where your 206 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 1: next meal is coming from, when you have clothing right 207 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: that doesn't have holes in it. Right that you have 208 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: like a transportation or the access to transportation to get 209 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: to work, right, that your rent is paid, that your 210 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: utilities are paid, right, that your kids are taken care of, 211 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: that you have healthcare. You see, when you start to 212 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 1: check all of those boxes, that then provides you with 213 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 1: a certain level of privilege. And regardless of whether or 214 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: not you look at me and you say, well, I'm black, 215 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: and I'm queer, and I'm a woman. So there are 216 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: a lot of things that are against me. Sure, But economically, 217 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: I have never known what it's like to have to 218 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: juggle between paying one bill and not paying another. I've 219 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: never had to wonder about where I was going to 220 00:14:57,600 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: sleep or if I was going to be able to 221 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: pay rent, right, I have never had that challenge. And 222 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: so when thinking about this gentleman and him having been 223 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 1: in this company for fifteen years making seven dollars in 224 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: twenty five cents an hour, where they have raised the 225 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 1: minimum wage right in parts of Californy, in California to 226 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: fourteen dollars. What you think about that? Folks think about 227 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: how much right because of COVID, how much the cost 228 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 1: of things has increased. Right? The other day, I was 229 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: home on Long Island with my family, and because I 230 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 1: don't have a car, I don't ever pay attention to 231 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: gas prices, and I'm driving around in my mother's car, 232 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: and I'm like passing gas stations and I look up 233 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: and I'm like, holy shit, gas is three nineteen. That 234 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: seems really fucking expensive. Right, But again, these are things 235 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: that I don't have to think about, And so I 236 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: offer that tidbit to say that when you read or 237 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: you see news reports about people who are low income 238 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 1: and about the struggles that they have, I really want us, right, 239 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 1: those of us who live not paycheck to paycheck, Those 240 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: of us who have some means, even if it's not 241 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: a lot, but have more right than folks that are 242 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: making minimum wage, think about what it's like to live 243 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: in their shoes. Think about what it's like to wonder 244 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: and pray that no one in your family falls ill 245 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,720 Speaker 1: because you don't have any fucking healthcare, and that could 246 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: very well send you literally into the poorhouse. Disneyland, and 247 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: the company Disney makes so much fucking money that it 248 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: is disgraceful the twenty five thousand of their employees have 249 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: to put together a class action lawsuit just to get 250 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: a living god damn wage. What is wrong with this country? Right? 251 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,880 Speaker 1: And what I keep saying is that, you know, capitalism 252 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 1: is really some fuck shit. And I say that because 253 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 1: I recognize that a lot of our problems, right if 254 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: we just follow the money or follow who has the money, 255 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:31,360 Speaker 1: we realize that capitalism causes more problems than itselves. Right 256 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: that when you know we were in if you can 257 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: remember back to the Democratic primary, and you had folks 258 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: talking about a basic you know, basic income, right, universal 259 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:53,200 Speaker 1: basic income which many countries have, which provides your basic needs. Again, 260 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 1: I've said this before. What would happen if your basic 261 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:02,360 Speaker 1: needs were met? If every America we're receiving right that 262 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: had a certain you know, I'm not talking about the 263 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: bezos and you know those that are in the one percent. No, 264 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 1: I'm talking about what if every American who needed, right, 265 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:20,200 Speaker 1: middle class and down, received twenty five hundred dollars a month, 266 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: right just to cover basic things, right, your utilities, groceries, whatever, 267 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 1: you could spend it. However, right we're looking at what 268 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 1: you know, close to thirty thousand dollars a year, and 269 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: that would be what the federal government would pay, so 270 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:46,480 Speaker 1: that at the bare minimum, people are not housing insecure, 271 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: they're not food insecure, and maybe they can pursue degrees 272 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:56,359 Speaker 1: and certificates that will allow them to make more money, 273 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:59,120 Speaker 1: but we also know that that's a lie as well. 274 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 1: How many fucking people right now are saddled with six 275 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: figure student loan debt, many of which didn't even complete 276 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 1: their degrees and are in debt because they had to 277 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 1: drop out because they couldn't fucking afford the school. That 278 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: is a lot of black and brown people right who 279 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: midway through are like, yo, I can't afford this, and 280 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 1: I can't afford the payback, and then you get looped 281 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: into low paying jobs just so that you can pay 282 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: the minimum of your student loan debt back. This cycle 283 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 1: is so vicious and it's so strategic because it is purposeful. 284 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: For capitalism to work, you have got to have people 285 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: that are consistently on the bottom, so there's no incentive 286 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 1: to change anything. And it's the greed of the one 287 00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:00,640 Speaker 1: percent that is driving all of this with court from 288 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:06,360 Speaker 1: both fucking parties, Because the only difference I see when 289 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 1: we talk about capitalism, when we talk about investment, frankly, 290 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:14,360 Speaker 1: between the Republicans and Democrats, is the slogans that they use. 291 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 1: Democrats want to say, oh, let's tax the rich and 292 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: let's offer this, that and the other thing. Knowing good, 293 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: goddamn well, they don't have the numbers to even be 294 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:25,959 Speaker 1: able to bring up something like that for a vote 295 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,439 Speaker 1: because too many of them are receiving funds from the 296 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: fucking rich. So are you gonna cut off your nose 297 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: to spite your face? Are you going to bite the 298 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: hand that feeds you? No, you're not. But you see, 299 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: we set this up, and by we I mean the 300 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 1: United States Supreme Court set this up. You see, when 301 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:56,439 Speaker 1: they allowed for companies and corporations to act as people 302 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 1: and give as much money and flood as much money 303 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 1: into election, they turn politicians into two bit hookers, right, 304 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 1: doing a trick for whoever is going to put money 305 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,639 Speaker 1: into their pockets. So if that means, oh, I'm going 306 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 1: to talk out of both sides of my mouth, oh yeah, 307 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 1: tax the rich, but the riches, what is affording me 308 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 1: my lifestyle? As a senator or as a member of Congress, 309 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: then I'm gonna go easy on them, because God forbid, 310 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:28,719 Speaker 1: these fucking people pay their fair share. And that's again 311 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,680 Speaker 1: another line of rhetoric that we hear, oh, folks need 312 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 1: to pay their fair share? Really do they? Clearly they 313 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 1: don't because they never have and they never will because 314 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: that's how the system is set up. If you can 315 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 1: afford the lawyers and the tax people to maneuver around 316 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:52,439 Speaker 1: all of these loopholes, then you are golden. But for 317 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: the rest of us, you're pretty much fucked because you 318 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 1: don't even know the rules of the game that you're 319 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: being forced to play that shift depending on the year, 320 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 1: depending on who's in office. You have no idea because 321 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:07,640 Speaker 1: once you start to get a hold of things, they 322 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 1: come in flip the fucking table over like Tiffany Guidise 323 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:15,880 Speaker 1: in The Real Housewives, and you're over. You're done. Starting 324 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 1: back from zero, I gotta tell you you know this story, 325 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: among so many other stories about how our economy is 326 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:30,639 Speaker 1: essentially collapsing. A couple of weeks ago, I reported on 327 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 1: the fact that eleven and a half million people have 328 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 1: left the workforce, right that finally we are setting up 329 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,639 Speaker 1: in a way where you have some companies like the 330 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: Amazons of the world, which we talk about, who have 331 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 1: mass production quotas that they need to set up so 332 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: much so that people aren't allowed to go to the bathroom. 333 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: They are now having to compete for workers because people 334 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 1: are quitting in mass because why the fuck am I 335 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: doing this? So hopefully we are moving towards a place 336 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:02,400 Speaker 1: where workers right get to be the ones that are 337 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 1: in charge and get to dictate the terms of how 338 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: they work. But to me, that's like a pipe dream 339 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 1: because it's always those that can write the checks that 340 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:15,719 Speaker 1: are going to be the ones that are in power, 341 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 1: and it makes me fucking sick. I will leave you 342 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 1: with this, folks. Times are getting tougher. The days are 343 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 1: going to start to get shorter because we're headed into 344 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: the fall and winter months, and I think that depression 345 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: and anxiety are going to continue to be at an 346 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: all time high. You must make your mental health, your 347 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 1: emotional well being, your physical wellbeing a priority because as 348 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: things get darker and harder, you're going to need to 349 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 1: dig deeper in order to keep yourself buoyed above the toxicity, 350 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:03,640 Speaker 1: above the fray. So please do stay well, and be well. 351 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: That's it for today's Woke AF Daily Podcast. To hear 352 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 1: more from me, including five full hour long shows every 353 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 1: single week, exclusive guest interviews, and more, support me on 354 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 1: Patreon at patreon dot com slash woke AF. Power to 355 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 1: the people and to all the people power, get woke 356 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 1: and stay woke as fuck.