WEBVTT - No Transparency From High-Speed Rail (10/12) 0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:04.240 KFI AM 640. You're listening to the John Cobell podcast 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:06.279 on the iHeartRadio. 0:00:08.539 --> 0:00:08.639 App. 0:00:08.660 --> 0:00:13.040 KFI AM 640 live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. It 0:00:13.160 --> 0:00:16.720 is the John Cobell show. Uh, welcome. How are you? 0:00:18.280 --> 0:00:20.380 We're on from three to six, six o'clock John Cobell 0:00:20.400 --> 0:00:23.470 show on demand. We're live on YouTube, live on X. 0:00:23.660 --> 0:00:27.920 All right. So that's all the different platforms and we 0:00:27.960 --> 0:00:32.390 stream too. And, uh, Debra and I will come over 0:00:32.409 --> 0:00:36.270 to your house. We will? We'll do a recap of 0:00:36.290 --> 0:00:39.030 the show. You can recap the news. I can recap 0:00:39.050 --> 0:00:43.600 whatever we discussed here. Any way for the audience to 0:00:43.900 --> 0:00:47.240 get access to what we do. We're going to go 0:00:47.260 --> 0:00:50.190 on a tour. Try to hit about 50 homes tonight. 0:00:51.310 --> 0:00:54.130 Tonight we're starting? Yeah, tonight we're starting. Oh. Right at 0:00:54.130 --> 0:00:59.330 6 o'clock. Okay. How much are we getting paid for that? 0:00:59.550 --> 0:01:06.090 You know we don't get paid. It's because we love this. Oh, right. 0:01:06.190 --> 0:01:11.730 We love this. That's right. That's the company line. All right. 0:01:12.390 --> 0:01:17.760 Let's talk about the criminals who run high-speed rail. Now, 0:01:19.580 --> 0:01:22.420 I've mentioned before, I grew up in New Jersey. and 0:01:22.920 --> 0:01:27.440 watched New York City media. New Jersey didn't have very 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:30.869 much media of its own. And so all I saw 0:01:30.930 --> 0:01:33.830 was New York City coverage all the time. And they 0:01:33.870 --> 0:01:37.209 had a lot of mobsters in New York. And, you know, 0:01:37.250 --> 0:01:40.310 mobsters would shoot each other at Italian restaurants and they'd 0:01:40.390 --> 0:01:44.360 end up splayed out, face down in a bowl of 0:01:44.970 --> 0:01:52.330 tomato sauce and pasta. They would... End up getting slaughtered 0:01:52.370 --> 0:01:55.250 on the streets. The blood would be gushing all over 0:01:55.280 --> 0:02:00.740 the sidewalks. Sometimes the mobsters would be chased. Sometimes they'd 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:04.870 get arrested. The thing is, they never wanted to answer questions. 0:02:05.750 --> 0:02:06.650 So they always ran. 0:02:06.790 --> 0:02:07.210 In fact. 0:02:08.230 --> 0:02:10.730 Any politicians, because there was the New York City media 0:02:10.790 --> 0:02:13.650 years ago, and they were really tough. They were nothing 0:02:13.710 --> 0:02:18.240 like the delicate flowers here in Los Angeles in 2026. 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:20.120 These guys were tough. I mean, the media guys were 0:02:20.139 --> 0:02:23.139 like gangsters themselves, the men and the women. And they 0:02:23.160 --> 0:02:27.930 were relentless, and they asked obnoxious questions, and they never 0:02:27.970 --> 0:02:31.150 gave up. And they were out there 24-7. And it 0:02:31.169 --> 0:02:36.810 was really entertaining. Really entertaining. And the corner politicians at 0:02:36.850 --> 0:02:41.470 the press conference surround them. Here, we don't have any 0:02:41.510 --> 0:02:43.730 in Los Angeles at all. They have two up north. 0:02:44.630 --> 0:02:48.090 Julie Watts, who works for CBS, and Ashley Zavala, who 0:02:48.130 --> 0:02:52.440 works for KCRA. So you have two up north, and 0:02:52.470 --> 0:02:56.220 they go after everybody, the governor, the assembly, the state senate, 0:02:56.400 --> 0:02:59.300 high-speed rail. Down here, nothing. 0:03:01.020 --> 0:03:01.300 I don't know. 0:03:01.320 --> 0:03:07.419 We get a lot of lifestyle reports down here. So 0:03:07.820 --> 0:03:10.690 what you're going to hear is how journalism used to be, 0:03:11.470 --> 0:03:14.169 might still be in other cities, but you won't see 0:03:14.190 --> 0:03:18.610 this in Los Angeles. Now Ian Chowdhury had a meeting 0:03:18.650 --> 0:03:28.490 before the High Speed Rail board because all these consultants 0:03:28.590 --> 0:03:33.350 from out of town were flying into L.A. and they 0:03:33.380 --> 0:03:37.320 were running up big expense accounts. Not only here, but 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:40.080 in their hometowns. And you probably heard the story. They're 0:03:40.100 --> 0:03:42.880 going to cigar bars and they're going to strip clubs 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:47.100 and expensive restaurants. And there's a lot of alcohol involved. 0:03:48.130 --> 0:03:51.090 But what they found in one of these investigations is 0:03:51.970 --> 0:03:57.240 they were leaving Ian Chaudhry's house and taking Uber rides. 0:03:59.390 --> 0:04:03.830 to other destinations from his house and charging it to us, 0:04:03.890 --> 0:04:07.460 the state taxpayers. Like Chaudry wouldn't give his buddies a ride. 0:04:07.510 --> 0:04:10.380 Like his, these consultants who work on high-speed rail are 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:14.380 all his friends. So his friends come over his house 0:04:15.260 --> 0:04:17.800 and then they need a ride back to the hotel and, 0:04:17.940 --> 0:04:20.600 or go out to a restaurant. And, and Chaudry says, Oh, 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:24.400 just use my, my credit cards. I got an expense 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:29.120 account for this. So they got caught. Now, you're going 0:04:29.130 --> 0:04:33.500 to hear reporters, Ashley Zavala from KCRA, Julie Watts from 0:04:33.640 --> 0:04:38.420 CBS California. She's based up there as well. And another 0:04:38.779 --> 0:04:43.089 reporter hounding Ian Chowdhury with questions. And the whole time, 0:04:43.550 --> 0:04:46.950 Chowdhury is running away. Play cut number one. Do you 0:04:47.010 --> 0:04:49.250 have time to speak with us? Just a few questions. 0:04:49.290 --> 0:04:51.529 Just a few questions. We'll be on in about 30 minutes. 0:04:51.589 --> 0:04:51.810 Sure. 0:04:51.830 --> 0:04:52.550 Well, we can. 0:04:52.589 --> 0:04:52.710 Mr. 0:04:52.730 --> 0:04:54.710 Chowdhury, do you just have, like. 0:04:55.600 --> 0:04:55.979 I know. 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:57.179 The board is, but. 0:04:57.080 --> 0:05:01.000 Your team is telling us that you're going into that 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:01.580 closed session? 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:04.339 Yes. So will you come out after the closed. 0:05:04.200 --> 0:05:05.560 Session, sir? 0:05:05.990 --> 0:05:08.510 He's told us no, but we're asking you directly. Excuse me. 0:05:09.010 --> 0:05:13.430 Stop a second. Stop a second. So there's this little 0:05:13.470 --> 0:05:18.890 hairless weasel. What's his name? Matt Rocco, chief of external 0:05:18.940 --> 0:05:22.460 affairs and communications. He gets in the way and tries 0:05:22.520 --> 0:05:27.210 to disperse the reporters from finding out the truth. Continue. 0:05:27.430 --> 0:05:33.120 Mr. Chaudhry is a public employee and the taxpayers deserve 0:05:33.130 --> 0:05:37.580 to hear from him. So we have a right to 0:05:37.680 --> 0:05:43.150 ask him why they were going out to your state 0:05:43.190 --> 0:05:46.650 house that you frequent and driving home in Ubers paid 0:05:46.690 --> 0:05:47.590 for by taxpayers. 0:05:48.580 --> 0:05:50.960 Why would he consult with your house after the meeting? 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:51.070 Mr. 0:05:51.080 --> 0:05:53.250 Chaudhry, what is your response to the calls for you 0:05:53.260 --> 0:05:53.820 to resign? 0:05:53.850 --> 0:05:56.170 Sir, we would have loved to just have a sit-down interview. 0:05:56.190 --> 0:05:57.190 Yeah, just getting to the closed session. 0:05:57.690 --> 0:05:57.950 Right. 0:05:58.170 --> 0:06:00.670 You know, if you want to offer us a sit-down interview, 0:06:00.690 --> 0:06:01.770 we don't have to. 0:06:01.510 --> 0:06:02.390 Chase you around. 0:06:02.550 --> 0:06:04.810 Excuse me, I need to direct the board members' closed session. 0:06:09.050 --> 0:06:14.080 He only sees Ian Chowdhury's back most of the time. 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:17.620 Sometimes it was after 1 a.m. that they were consultants 0:06:17.680 --> 0:06:23.390 leaving her Chowdhury's home. After 1 o'clock in the morning, 0:06:24.450 --> 0:06:28.330 they were caught leaving Chowdhury's home, going back to their hotels, 0:06:29.370 --> 0:06:34.930 and getting Uber rides on our tab. So are they 0:06:34.970 --> 0:06:37.450 spending the night drinking at his house? They're actually discussing 0:06:37.510 --> 0:06:41.760 high-speed rail policy at one in the morning. And Chaudhry 0:06:41.779 --> 0:06:43.440 can't give him a ride back to the hotel. We've 0:06:43.480 --> 0:06:45.720 got to pay for it. Play some more. 0:06:45.900 --> 0:06:49.060 We have specific questions. Did you see our CBS investigation 0:06:49.120 --> 0:06:51.250 that dropped today? We looked at the receipts. They show 0:06:51.270 --> 0:06:52.970 UberEats holding their house, sir. 0:06:53.410 --> 0:06:54.529 After midnight, the. 0:06:54.430 --> 0:06:57.630 Consultants billed those to taxpayers. Did you approve that? 0:06:58.670 --> 0:06:59.730 Did you read our investigation? 0:07:00.270 --> 0:07:02.330 So, Julie, we're going to, if you have any questions, 0:07:02.380 --> 0:07:03.760 please direct them to me. 0:07:03.779 --> 0:07:04.260 Fantastic. 0:07:04.279 --> 0:07:05.560 Did you read our investigation today? 0:07:05.580 --> 0:07:08.860 Can you tell us why these consultants were charging taxpayers? 0:07:08.900 --> 0:07:10.660 You guys aren't interviewing me. 0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:14.000 I'm asking. You just asked us a direct question to you. Right, right. 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:14.260 So. 0:07:14.750 --> 0:07:16.970 Go ahead and direct any questions you have for me, 0:07:17.570 --> 0:07:19.050 and we'd be more than happy to respond. 0:07:19.090 --> 0:07:19.320 Can Mr. 0:07:19.330 --> 0:07:21.490 Chaudhry not take questions just on his own? 0:07:21.510 --> 0:07:22.950 I mean, is everything. 0:07:22.830 --> 0:07:25.910 Expected to be pre-submitted? Because we've also asked for an 0:07:25.930 --> 0:07:30.200 interview repeatedly. We've showed up to numerous meetings, like this one, 0:07:30.320 --> 0:07:30.700 where Mr. 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:33.580 Chaudhry won't speak to journalists or really to the public 0:07:33.620 --> 0:07:34.920 that he is serving right now. 0:07:35.000 --> 0:07:38.920 Well, actually, we made you available to interview the chair 0:07:39.020 --> 0:07:40.890 at our last meeting. Well, not me specifically. Well, actually, 0:07:40.930 --> 0:07:41.110 we did. 0:07:41.230 --> 0:07:44.410 Another journalistic hour at our, I acknowledge, but after a 0:07:44.430 --> 0:07:49.410 public meeting, public officials are typically generally, hopefully, expected to 0:07:49.450 --> 0:07:51.960 speak with the public that they are, you know, their 0:07:52.000 --> 0:07:54.820 business that they're discussing following these meetings and following the 0:07:54.860 --> 0:07:55.780 results of this one. 0:07:55.800 --> 0:07:58.380 I mean, it would be great to get a comment out. 0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:00.440 The public is paying a salary, and we would love 0:08:00.460 --> 0:08:02.170 to be able to ask them questions directly. 0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:05.330 Of course, and that is why the CEO as well 0:08:05.370 --> 0:08:09.250 as the entire board showed up today to address this. 0:08:09.430 --> 0:08:10.570 But not talk to the media? 0:08:11.370 --> 0:08:14.290 Well, he was speaking to the public as well as 0:08:14.310 --> 0:08:16.390 the media. You guys have been in the meeting all day. 0:08:17.180 --> 0:08:20.140 So that little gerbil there, Matt Rocco, you follow what 0:08:20.160 --> 0:08:26.240 he's saying? Chaudhry will not speak directly to the reporters. 0:08:27.070 --> 0:08:29.010 And Rocco's trying to sell him on the idea. Well, 0:08:29.270 --> 0:08:31.690 he did speak directly, and so did the board at 0:08:31.730 --> 0:08:37.530 the meeting. You know, when they're sitting up there behind 0:08:37.550 --> 0:08:42.970 their long desk, and you had Chaudhry, I guess, at 0:08:43.010 --> 0:08:46.500 the witness stand talking to the board members, and that's 0:08:46.559 --> 0:08:48.980 the statement to the public he's saying. That's the statement 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:52.780 to reporters. Like, no, that's the little game that they play. 0:08:54.160 --> 0:09:00.050 That's their theatrical presentation where Chowdhury explains himself and the 0:09:00.090 --> 0:09:02.590 board members tend to be irritated at all this money 0:09:02.630 --> 0:09:05.079 being spent and blah, blah, blah. But the truth is, 0:09:05.130 --> 0:09:08.179 this has been going on for 17 years. The board 0:09:08.220 --> 0:09:10.500 members know exactly what's going on. In fact, they're busy 0:09:10.540 --> 0:09:13.560 spending money, too. I'd like to see their expense accounts. 0:09:14.380 --> 0:09:16.709 Chowdhury knows this has been going on for 17 years. 0:09:16.730 --> 0:09:16.850 Just. 0:09:19.230 --> 0:09:23.070 Julie Watts happened to get the goods and got some 0:09:23.090 --> 0:09:28.510 of the records and the receipts. So, again, they're over 0:09:28.809 --> 0:09:32.069 Chowdhury's house until 1 in the morning, and then they're 0:09:32.110 --> 0:09:36.550 getting taxpayer-paid rides back to their hotel, among other crimes 0:09:36.590 --> 0:09:40.270 that these people are committing. And so Chowdhury runs away. 0:09:43.150 --> 0:09:48.160 Matt Rocco runs interference, and he's so condescending. With that 0:09:48.300 --> 0:09:50.910 soft spoke, and it's like, well, he does want to 0:09:50.950 --> 0:09:53.569 talk to you. You just submit your question. Yeah, here's 0:09:53.590 --> 0:09:56.870 how it works. Reporters submit the questions, and then a 0:09:56.870 --> 0:10:02.760 month later, you get generic boilerplate nonsense. word salad answers. Well, 0:10:02.800 --> 0:10:05.699 we did send you a response. It's not a response. 0:10:08.679 --> 0:10:11.559 There's no responses. There's no explanation for this. I want 0:10:11.580 --> 0:10:13.940 to hear Shadri say, yeah, we were up till one 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:21.439 in the morning talking high-speed rail policy. Because they weren't. 0:10:22.880 --> 0:10:25.340 They didn't deserve a taxpayer-paid ride back to the hotel 0:10:25.679 --> 0:10:31.520 after they all got sloshed at Chowdhury's house. We've got 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:33.700 another cut to play for you when we come back. 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:39.540 You're listening to John Kobelt on demand from KFI AM640. 0:10:41.140 --> 0:10:45.120 Okay, so the criminals, the mobsters running high-speed rail, they've 0:10:45.140 --> 0:10:50.800 already stolen about $ 17 million from you. And they want 0:10:50.820 --> 0:10:56.900 to steal potentially, last estimate I saw was about $ 236 billion. 0:10:56.920 --> 0:11:02.190 They sold $ 17 billion. They want to steal $ 236 billion. 0:11:03.070 --> 0:11:07.510 And as you know, there are no trains. There's no track. 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:10.040 There are no passengers. There's no nothing. 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:11.560 But.... 0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:17.080 Julie Watts, CBS California, found that whole bunch of receipts, 0:11:17.220 --> 0:11:22.270 and it looks like she and Chowdhury's buddies are rail consultants, 0:11:22.770 --> 0:11:26.770 and the rail consultants spend the evening drinking at Chowdhury's house, 0:11:26.830 --> 0:11:29.170 and then when everybody has too much, at one in 0:11:29.210 --> 0:11:31.959 the morning, they pile into Ubers or taxis or something, 0:11:32.420 --> 0:11:35.619 and we pay the bill. Julie Watts found this, and 0:11:35.660 --> 0:11:38.319 when she wanted to question Chowdhury about this and other things, 0:11:38.660 --> 0:11:43.780 he ran. and put this little gerbil guy, Matt Rocco, 0:11:43.830 --> 0:11:50.670 the communications chief, in between, who's this soft-spoken little ghoul, 0:11:51.530 --> 0:11:57.330 and treated the reporters very condescendingly because, you know what? 0:11:57.770 --> 0:12:00.970 Nothing ever happens to them. Nothing happens to these people. 0:12:01.010 --> 0:12:06.360 They know this. Nobody's getting voted out of office, right? Nobody. 0:12:06.420 --> 0:12:09.120 So they can steal and steal and steal, and you're 0:12:09.160 --> 0:12:13.780 not going to stop them. So here's a longer piece, 0:12:14.540 --> 0:12:18.260 and you'll hear Ashley Zavala again from KCRA, Julie Watts 0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:24.010 from CBS, and chasing Rocco and chasing Ian Shoudry. 0:12:24.309 --> 0:12:24.880 Why can't Mr. 0:12:24.890 --> 0:12:26.530 Shoudry just answer to this directly? 0:12:26.550 --> 0:12:26.609 Mr. 0:12:26.630 --> 0:12:29.709 Shoudry just spent the last few hours in this board 0:12:29.770 --> 0:12:34.130 meeting with a statement. Right. 0:12:34.230 --> 0:12:37.510 A prepared statement is much different than taking questions from journalists. 0:12:37.550 --> 0:12:37.790 Mr. 0:12:37.830 --> 0:12:42.229 Chowdhury, again, his salary is paid for by taxpayers. That 0:12:42.309 --> 0:12:45.929 job at these public meetings taxpayers might expect isn't just 0:12:46.010 --> 0:12:48.030 limited to the discussion on the dais. 0:12:48.429 --> 0:12:48.729 Mr. 0:12:48.770 --> 0:12:52.310 Chowdhury should be able to answer basic questions about the 0:12:52.470 --> 0:12:56.540 outcome of this hearing. And his activity as CEO, especially 0:12:56.600 --> 0:12:58.120 as he faces calls to resign. 0:12:58.220 --> 0:12:59.980 And if you'd like to contact my office, I'd be 0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:02.070 more than happy to set something up for you. 0:13:02.200 --> 0:13:04.280 We have requested numerous interviews. 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:05.699 Have you all requested interviews with Mr. 0:13:05.720 --> 0:13:06.000 Chaudry? 0:13:06.020 --> 0:13:07.439 Because I know I have. 0:13:07.520 --> 0:13:08.750 And everyone has been denied. 0:13:08.850 --> 0:13:11.710 So you can say this, but you have not provided 0:13:11.730 --> 0:13:12.590 any interviews. 0:13:12.730 --> 0:13:16.370 Stop a second. Stop a second. There's the game. First 0:13:16.390 --> 0:13:19.430 of all, Chaudry was just there, but he disappeared behind 0:13:19.590 --> 0:13:24.469 two closed doors. And so... Rocco stands there and says, well, 0:13:24.490 --> 0:13:27.390 you know, you could just ask us and I'll tell 0:13:27.429 --> 0:13:30.670 you when we could set something up. And I think 0:13:30.710 --> 0:13:33.860 that's Julie Watts speaking. Well, we ask you all the 0:13:33.890 --> 0:13:37.660 time and you just never schedule anything. In fact, all 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:39.359 the reporters there, I think there were at least four, 0:13:39.380 --> 0:13:41.480 they ask him all the time, see how the game 0:13:41.540 --> 0:13:46.840 is played? And again, why not? They're getting paid extremely 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:50.170 well with your tax money and you vote. You kept 0:13:50.210 --> 0:13:54.120 voting for Newsom. and Jerry Brown, and now the polls 0:13:54.160 --> 0:13:57.090 say you're voting for Becerra. Well, why shouldn't they keep 0:13:57.140 --> 0:14:02.230 stealing your money? You're a fool. The voters are clowns. 0:14:02.790 --> 0:14:05.470 You deserve to be bent over the way they're bending 0:14:05.510 --> 0:14:08.489 you over and stealing all your money. What are you 0:14:08.510 --> 0:14:11.030 even going to work for? I love people who say, 0:14:11.130 --> 0:14:15.660 I'm a hardworking. Yeah, you're hardworking, and you give it 0:14:15.679 --> 0:14:20.120 away to these criminals. Okay, good. Keep working hard. Who's 0:14:20.140 --> 0:14:22.070 the fool here? You think it's them? They're not the fools. 0:14:23.170 --> 0:14:25.170 They got your number. You're going to keep voting for them. 0:14:25.310 --> 0:14:25.970 Place some more here. 0:14:26.190 --> 0:14:29.690 When you've given us enough time to... Sir, I have 0:14:29.710 --> 0:14:32.100 been requesting interviews for six months. Actually, you asked me 0:14:32.140 --> 0:14:33.340 a question, and you're not. 0:14:33.380 --> 0:14:33.880 I didn't. 0:14:33.940 --> 0:14:34.420 I just told you. 0:14:34.440 --> 0:14:36.120 I have stated a fact. You have denied our interview. 0:14:36.140 --> 0:14:37.660 Well, I'm stating a fact that we have. 0:14:40.610 --> 0:14:42.270 You guys have asked us a question, and when you 0:14:42.290 --> 0:14:45.310 give us enough time to be able to respond, then 0:14:45.350 --> 0:14:46.010 we do respond. 0:14:46.030 --> 0:14:47.910 So are you saying he is available for interviews if 0:14:47.950 --> 0:14:50.030 we just have an open deadline? 0:14:50.110 --> 0:14:51.290 It doesn't matter when the deadline is? 0:14:51.390 --> 0:14:53.270 Is he just available in general for interviews? 0:14:53.290 --> 0:14:55.860 What I'm saying is that if you contact my office, 0:14:56.500 --> 0:14:59.700 we'll be able to address any questions that you have 0:14:59.720 --> 0:15:01.020 about the authority. 0:15:01.520 --> 0:15:03.720 Address, but does that mean he's available for interviews to 0:15:03.820 --> 0:15:04.740 ask our questions? 0:15:04.760 --> 0:15:05.310 You will need to. 0:15:06.110 --> 0:15:08.070 The way it works is that you will contact the 0:15:08.150 --> 0:15:10.350 public in any department in the state. 0:15:10.730 --> 0:15:12.650 I'm very aware of how it works, but will he 0:15:12.700 --> 0:15:15.440 be available to answer our specific questions? 0:15:15.460 --> 0:15:17.940 You need to let me answer your question and not 0:15:17.980 --> 0:15:18.640 cut me off. 0:15:18.660 --> 0:15:19.960 See the game? 0:15:19.980 --> 0:15:22.560 If you contact my office, I'd be more than happy 0:15:22.980 --> 0:15:27.740 to work with any reporter on any questions that you 0:15:27.780 --> 0:15:32.150 guys have. So then we can get... all the information, 0:15:32.230 --> 0:15:36.750 the correct information out to the public. That is your intent, correct? 0:15:36.770 --> 0:15:38.410 Does he not have the correct information? 0:15:38.470 --> 0:15:39.220 Excuse me, excuse me. 0:15:39.270 --> 0:15:41.990 I mean, isn't that his job to have the correct information? 0:15:42.010 --> 0:15:44.010 Let me work with you because they just seem to 0:15:44.050 --> 0:15:48.620 want to talk. So we are, we're more than happy 0:15:48.930 --> 0:15:52.940 to be able to answer any questions that you have. 0:15:53.640 --> 0:15:56.920 Stop, stop a second. Rocco is just, Jesus, he's a 0:15:56.960 --> 0:16:01.510 snake and a skunk and a gerbil. Ian Shadry. You 0:16:01.530 --> 0:16:03.290 want to guess what his salary is, what his total 0:16:03.330 --> 0:16:10.640 compensation was, salary benefits? Anybody just throw out a number? $ 640, 000. Wow! 0:16:11.220 --> 0:16:13.660 That is good. Oh, you should go to the Price 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:22.810 is Right. Really? $ 638, 943. Woo! Although on the Price is Right, 0:16:22.830 --> 0:16:26.170 you went over, right? Yes, you would have lost. You 0:16:26.210 --> 0:16:27.790 would have lost because you were. 0:16:27.710 --> 0:16:27.830 $ 1, 000 over. 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:34.120 What do I get for this? I have nothing for you. 0:16:34.660 --> 0:16:38.700 You have my undying appreciation. Wow, that's a good one. 0:16:42.170 --> 0:16:46.330 Thank you. Yeah, Ian Chadry makes $ 638, 000 plus this guy Rocco, 0:16:47.070 --> 0:16:51.050 and they could just stand there and stonewall and act 0:16:51.490 --> 0:16:55.630 condescending and turn all the discussion back on the reporters. Now, 0:16:55.670 --> 0:17:02.300 you're interrupting me. The reporters are doing the job for 0:17:02.700 --> 0:17:08.790 us taxpayers. Because none of us can get inside these meetings. 0:17:08.830 --> 0:17:13.490 We can't go up to Sacramento and grab you people 0:17:13.550 --> 0:17:16.940 and shake you silly. Can't do that. So the reporters 0:17:17.000 --> 0:17:19.879 are supposed to get the information. Now, we're lucky we 0:17:19.920 --> 0:17:21.800 have those two up in Sacramento and a couple others 0:17:22.060 --> 0:17:23.820 because there's nobody down here. Why do you think L.A. 0:17:23.859 --> 0:17:24.720 is so screwed, huh? 0:17:25.670 --> 0:17:25.770 L.A. 0:17:25.810 --> 0:17:27.889 Is screwed because none of the reporters do this. They 0:17:27.910 --> 0:17:33.629 won't even do this. All right. More coming up. 0:17:34.850 --> 0:17:39.290 You're listening to John Kobelt on demand from KFI AM 640. 0:17:39.290 --> 0:17:48.210 KFI AM 640 live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. John 0:17:48.320 --> 0:17:55.710 Kobelt's show, Moistline 877-MOIST-86. 877-MOIST-86. If you've had your fill 0:17:55.730 --> 0:18:00.389 of this nonsense, you could unleash your frustration and aggravation 0:18:00.430 --> 0:18:03.490 and venom on the moist line. 877-MOIST-86. We use the 0:18:03.510 --> 0:18:07.070 Talkback feature on the iHeartRadio app. We're live on X, 0:18:07.330 --> 0:18:10.950 live on YouTube. And this hour we have been playing 0:18:10.990 --> 0:18:16.460 you clips of Julie Watts from CBS California and Ashley 0:18:16.480 --> 0:18:21.140 Zavala from KCRA. And a couple other reporters who chased 0:18:21.380 --> 0:18:25.340 Ian Chowdhury, the head of the criminal operation High Speed Rail, 0:18:25.850 --> 0:18:30.550 and then had to deal with Matt Rocco, who's running interference. 0:18:30.670 --> 0:18:35.690 He is the communications person for Chowdhury. And they don't 0:18:35.730 --> 0:18:37.919 communicate very well. So I played you a couple of 0:18:37.960 --> 0:18:41.979 clips of these reporters chasing Chowdhury. Let me just give 0:18:42.010 --> 0:18:44.910 you some details about the scandal, the reason they were chasing. 0:18:45.330 --> 0:18:51.449 Because Julie Watts at CBS California, apparently, again, this is 0:18:52.210 --> 0:18:58.510 no reporters here in L.A. In her story, she says, 0:19:00.010 --> 0:19:02.970 well after dark one night last September, a highly paid 0:19:03.010 --> 0:19:06.669 consultant for California High Speed Rail expensed a Lyft ride 0:19:07.270 --> 0:19:13.179 that pulled up outside the agency's the agency CEO's home 0:19:13.280 --> 0:19:18.859 in Folsom. This would be Chowdhury's home. And just before midnight, 0:19:20.220 --> 0:19:23.960 another consultant expensed a Lyft ride from the same house 0:19:24.510 --> 0:19:28.930 back to his Sacramento hotel. The first guy was Denver 0:19:29.030 --> 0:19:36.629 attorney Brent Butzin, a legal services consultant. The second, listen 0:19:36.650 --> 0:19:43.580 to this, was Theory Prate, That's the name, T-H-I-E-R-R-Y. Theory Prate, 0:19:43.720 --> 0:19:50.800 managing director at KPMG, a financial advisor. Both successful. rides 0:19:50.990 --> 0:19:58.340 as expenses connected with high-speed rail. KPMG, you know who 0:19:58.380 --> 0:20:04.680 works for that? Chaudhry's wife. So they hired a consultant 0:20:06.310 --> 0:20:10.429 from the company that his wife works for. Remember he 0:20:10.470 --> 0:20:15.869 and his wife and his stepchild were all involved in 0:20:15.890 --> 0:20:19.670 a brawl in front of his house some months back? 0:20:22.090 --> 0:20:27.220 Whistleblowers provided CBS California with underlying expense records after the 0:20:27.280 --> 0:20:33.480 high-speed rail inspector general found widespread failures in consultant travel oversight. 0:20:33.740 --> 0:20:38.490 We looked at 6,000 pages of invoices and expense claims. 0:20:39.520 --> 0:20:45.240 said Julie Watts, and Prate and Butson had a dozen 0:20:45.300 --> 0:20:51.669 rides to or from Ian Chaudry's house. Another dozen rides 0:20:51.970 --> 0:20:58.310 went to nearby Folsom restaurants and bars. Many involved late 0:20:58.390 --> 0:21:01.250 night or early morning pickups, two of them after 1 a.m. 0:21:02.800 --> 0:21:07.659 So you're working so that these two consultant characters, Brent 0:21:07.840 --> 0:21:11.520 Butson and Thierry Prate, who works for the same company 0:21:11.600 --> 0:21:15.109 as Chaudry's wife, after spending the evening at Chaudry's house, 0:21:15.530 --> 0:21:18.070 then they go out for eat and drink. They stay 0:21:18.210 --> 0:21:22.149 out until after one in the morning. We pay for everything. 0:21:24.930 --> 0:21:30.920 Just so you know. Last week, I told you. how 0:21:31.480 --> 0:21:37.220 the Manhattan Institute did an extensive poll, and they found 0:21:37.260 --> 0:21:39.639 that most of the people in the state, even large 0:21:39.720 --> 0:21:42.960 numbers of Democrats, are upset with everything about what's going 0:21:43.020 --> 0:21:46.500 on in the state. However, large amounts of Democrats are 0:21:46.560 --> 0:21:49.879 still going to vote for Javier Becerra, who has promised 0:21:49.940 --> 0:21:53.380 exactly the same policies that all these people say they're 0:21:53.400 --> 0:21:56.560 upset about. And this goes for independent voters, too. A 0:21:57.160 --> 0:21:59.460 lot of independent voters are unhappy, and they're going to 0:21:59.480 --> 0:22:02.909 vote for Becerra. even though Steve Hilton is running a 0:22:02.990 --> 0:22:09.100 painstaking detailed campaign about doing all these things differently. But 0:22:10.720 --> 0:22:14.030 the mental state of so many people in California is 0:22:14.210 --> 0:22:23.560 so severely compromised. They literally can't think straight because they're 0:22:23.580 --> 0:22:28.710 so angered by Trump. that they cannot connect a couple 0:22:28.750 --> 0:22:32.690 of simple concepts. Trump has nothing to do with state policies. 0:22:33.150 --> 0:22:37.020 They hate state policies. And in most other states, when 0:22:37.060 --> 0:22:41.820 things get really bad, they vote for somebody different. High-speed rail, 0:22:41.840 --> 0:22:43.980 since we've been talking about this for most of the hour. 0:22:48.400 --> 0:22:51.879 The Manhattan Institute asked this question. Now, pay close attention here. 0:22:53.530 --> 0:22:56.970 Which statement comes closest to your view, even if none 0:22:57.030 --> 0:23:05.260 is exactly right? Here is the three choices. Number one, 0:23:05.880 --> 0:23:11.780 California's government should stop wasting public resources on over-budget, delayed 0:23:11.859 --> 0:23:16.639 transportation projects like high-speed rail and use that money for 0:23:16.680 --> 0:23:24.109 more pressing issues. That got 42%. How about this one? 0:23:25.330 --> 0:23:30.149 California needs major transportation improvements like high-speed rail, but the 0:23:30.210 --> 0:23:33.449 state's current leadership cannot be trusted to manage these products 0:23:33.530 --> 0:23:39.210 efficiently or keep costs under control. That's 27%. So you 0:23:39.270 --> 0:23:44.389 add the 42 and the 27, you get 69% of 0:23:44.430 --> 0:23:48.770 the public unhappy with the way high-speed rail is being run. 0:23:50.350 --> 0:23:54.190 Two-thirds of those people want it The whole thing scrapped. 0:23:54.650 --> 0:23:58.840 One-third said, well, it should be built, but everything they're 0:23:58.880 --> 0:24:06.220 doing is wasteful. And then you have this answer. California's 0:24:06.240 --> 0:24:10.310 government should keep investing in major transportation projects like high-speed rail, 0:24:10.650 --> 0:24:13.430 even though they're over budget and delayed because they're essential 0:24:13.470 --> 0:24:17.330 for the state's growth and development. 25% say that. 25%. 0:24:19.359 --> 0:24:24.440 So only one quarter of the population think we should 0:24:24.460 --> 0:24:30.609 keep going the way we're going. Even though they've stolen 0:24:30.609 --> 0:24:38.590 $ 17 billion and it's decades late. And if you look 0:24:38.630 --> 0:24:47.260 at Becerra voters, even 48% of Becerra voters are unhappy 0:24:47.280 --> 0:24:59.609