WEBVTT - Billionaire Ballot | Angela Rye SoloPod 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:03.720 Native lamdpod is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with 0:00:03.880 --> 0:00:11.080 Reason Choice Media. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Hello, everybody, 0:00:11.160 --> 0:00:14.760 Welcome home, y'all. It is Angela Riie with Native lamppod. 0:00:15.360 --> 0:00:17.759 I am your host today. This is a solo pod 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:21.279 on something that is very near and dear to my heart. 0:00:21.400 --> 0:00:25.119 It is on people power, particularly when it's time to 0:00:25.160 --> 0:00:27.920 go to the polls. As you all know, we look 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:31.840 at November in the general election in this country. There 0:00:31.840 --> 0:00:35.360 were a lot of folks who voted, certainly participated, and 0:00:35.360 --> 0:00:38.360 there were so many more who stayed home. When you 0:00:38.400 --> 0:00:42.400 look at a three way race from November, the entity 0:00:42.440 --> 0:00:44.839 that had the greatest victory was the couch. It was 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:47.360 not Kamala Harris, it was not Donald Trump. It was 0:00:47.400 --> 0:00:49.879 actually the couch. And so when we talk about the 0:00:49.920 --> 0:00:53.240 ways in which we engage in the political process, there's 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:56.160 a holistic view that we should talk about, but often 0:00:56.520 --> 0:01:00.279 we talk about it through the lens of voting. There 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:03.880 is something in our democracy, at least the way that 0:01:03.920 --> 0:01:05.679 it is right now. Don't know how much longer we'll 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:09.720 have it this way, that when democracy comes to bear 0:01:10.400 --> 0:01:13.640 in this country, there are two entities that have the 0:01:13.680 --> 0:01:17.679 greatest amount of power around election cycles. It is the people, 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:20.039 those of you who get out and go vote, And 0:01:20.080 --> 0:01:24.600 it is also the check the folks who write checks 0:01:24.600 --> 0:01:27.200 to candidates. We talked about it at nauseum on the 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:32.080 last Native landpod show. We talked about how much and 0:01:32.080 --> 0:01:34.080 actually it was two shows ago we talked about how 0:01:34.200 --> 0:01:40.640 much people's checkbooks, entities, corporations packs checkbooks impact the way 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:43.559 that politicians vote on the Senate floor, the House floor, 0:01:43.920 --> 0:01:47.080 and all throughout government. And so we know that money 0:01:47.080 --> 0:01:50.920 plays an outsized role in politics. And one recent example 0:01:50.920 --> 0:01:53.720 of that is rooted in an election that will take 0:01:53.760 --> 0:01:57.840 place is taking place currently taking place in Wisconsin today. 0:01:57.920 --> 0:02:03.040 It is a Supreme Court election seat where spending records 0:02:04.600 --> 0:02:08.840 are broken. They have outspent every other Supreme court race 0:02:08.919 --> 0:02:12.720 in that in that in the country, and it is 0:02:12.760 --> 0:02:16.600 the most expensive supreme court state Supreme court. Might I add, 0:02:16.600 --> 0:02:18.720 because you know, on the federal level they are appointed 0:02:18.760 --> 0:02:21.960 by the president, but on a state supreme court it 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:24.720 is supposed to be a nonpartisan entity. But it is 0:02:24.760 --> 0:02:30.359 a very hotly contested race between two candidates, uh and 0:02:30.840 --> 0:02:36.840 these folks. One is a pretty conservative Republican Brad Schimmel. 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:38.680 He is a I don't even know how to pronounce 0:02:38.680 --> 0:02:42.360 this county Wellcousha County judge, Brad Schimmel. And then there's 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:47.240 another candidate who's backed by Democrats. Her name is Susan Crawford, 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:51.240 and it is a hotly contested race. Brad Schimmel's funding 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:56.720 has outpaced Susan crawford spending. And I want to bring 0:02:56.960 --> 0:03:00.200 one central figure into this where you might be asking, now, 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:04.400 what does he have to do with the Supreme Court seat. 0:03:04.880 --> 0:03:05.840 Let's roll this clip. 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:08.800 Let me first hand out two one million dollar checks 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:13.400 in appreciation. You know, the reason for the checks is 0:03:13.400 --> 0:03:15.919 that it's it's really just to get get attention. It's 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:19.240 it's like we need to get attention. And and it's 0:03:19.240 --> 0:03:23.920 somewhat inevitably when I do these things, the you know, 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:27.480 the sort of uh it causes the legacy media to 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:31.040 like kind of lose their minds, and and and then 0:03:31.080 --> 0:03:33.680 and then they'll they'll run it on every news channel, 0:03:33.960 --> 0:03:36.320 and I'm like, I couldn't pay them to the it 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:40.320 would cost like ten times more. Or you know, it's 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:42.000 it's to get the kind of coverage that we get. 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:46.520 So so I want to play this because it's important 0:03:46.560 --> 0:03:52.040 for us to understand. One. This is the same country 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:58.480 where there was a hotly debated conversation around whether or 0:03:58.600 --> 0:04:01.320 not it would be a would be breaking the law 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:05.560 in Georgia to give people who are standing in line 0:04:06.080 --> 0:04:09.720 bottles of water so they can can continue to stand 0:04:09.760 --> 0:04:13.760 in line. Elon Musk has told people that he could 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:17.840 pay twenty dollars per vote, and somehow they figured out 0:04:17.880 --> 0:04:20.200 a way to make that be acceptable and not really 0:04:20.200 --> 0:04:24.080 be in the public discourse. There have also been conversations 0:04:24.200 --> 0:04:27.680 about this million dollar check. So he gave two one 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:32.320 million dollar checks in Wisconsin, so he spent twenty million 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:35.320 dollars from America pack It's twenty two million dollars if 0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:38.800 you count these checks. And I just have to say, 0:04:39.839 --> 0:04:43.400 it is alarming to me that the Wisconsin Supreme Court, 0:04:43.480 --> 0:04:45.839 the very seat that this is about. Right there's a 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:48.880 seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court that sways can sway 0:04:48.920 --> 0:04:52.919 the balance of power around redistricting, around many other cases 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:56.760 that are central to the public discourse right now, and 0:04:56.839 --> 0:05:00.480 he is offering a million dollars. He said it was 0:05:00.520 --> 0:05:04.480 as a gift of gratitude to thank people for their 0:05:04.520 --> 0:05:07.760 engagement around this race. But really we know what this is, right, 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:13.840 if black voters matter, if the NAACP IF collective pack, 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:17.600 if any other entity offered a black voter or a 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:22.599 black constituency money for ingratitude, for their support of this race, 0:05:22.640 --> 0:05:25.960 for paying attention to this race, and right before the election, 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:28.640 do we really think there would be no conversation about this? 0:05:28.760 --> 0:05:31.440 Do we really think there would be no charges pressed? Like, 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:33.599 let's be for real. And I think that that's what 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:36.480 we really have to discuss here. I talked a little 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:41.640 bit about Elon Musk and his paying members of Congress 0:05:41.680 --> 0:05:46.000 through campaign contributions who have written articles of impeachment to 0:05:46.960 --> 0:05:50.840 oppose judges, to impeach judges who have ruled against the 0:05:50.880 --> 0:05:55.000 Trump administration. This is the same type of not just 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:59.520 fraudulent activity, but it is. It looks like extortion, it 0:05:59.560 --> 0:06:03.200 looks like bribery, it looks like quid pro quo kind 0:06:03.200 --> 0:06:06.200 of behavior. And I'm trying to understand where the great 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:09.480 area for them is when we're talking about water going 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:13.799 to voters and someone just giving blank checks, a million 0:06:13.880 --> 0:06:16.520 dollar checks at that to voters and people who are 0:06:16.640 --> 0:06:21.800 organizing voters. So that is what I am questioning right now. 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:24.640 So Wisconsin is one thing, but now I want to 0:06:24.680 --> 0:06:28.760 turn our attention to another very important race. So Wisc 0:06:28.760 --> 0:06:31.000 Consin is going on today. So you all know there 0:06:31.000 --> 0:06:35.560 are two congressional seats open in Florida right now, one 0:06:35.680 --> 0:06:37.720 vacated by Matt Gates, and I can't think of who 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:40.640 the other one is vacated by. But these two races 0:06:40.920 --> 0:06:42.960 are not likely to be closed. I don't think that 0:06:43.040 --> 0:06:46.719 Democrats are going to prevail in these races today, but 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:50.760 we'll see. I think that miracles happen every single day. 0:06:50.800 --> 0:06:54.200 And if people get out and vote, even in districts 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:58.000 that Trump, you know, won in twenty four by double 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:00.880 digit margins, you know, maybe so that's sick of Matt 0:07:00.920 --> 0:07:02.920 Gates and don't want anything like it. I don't know, 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:05.479 but I think that what we have to understand here 0:07:05.640 --> 0:07:07.920 is money play a role here as well. These are 0:07:08.040 --> 0:07:12.120 very expensive special elections, and people got to get out 0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:14.360 the vote and turn out and we'll see what happens. 0:07:14.360 --> 0:07:16.800 But I think that it would be truly a miracle 0:07:17.600 --> 0:07:21.560 if Florida were to pick up some seats for Democrats 0:07:21.880 --> 0:07:28.200 in this special election today. Now that said, there are 0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:31.120 miracles that happen sometimes, and I think one of the 0:07:31.200 --> 0:07:37.720 latest examples of a miracle happening is in Louisiana this 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:42.480 weekend where there was a special election on four amendments 0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:49.160 to the state constitution. So there's someone who decided to 0:07:49.240 --> 0:07:54.120 weigh in all four of these constitutional amendments were defeated, 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:56.720 by the way, But there's someone who a lot of 0:07:56.800 --> 0:08:00.640 us will recognize, who does a lot of stuff in 0:08:00.720 --> 0:08:03.960 terms of putting black people on on air, on TV, 0:08:04.200 --> 0:08:10.320 on movies, and film on TV shows, who has business 0:08:10.360 --> 0:08:14.360 now in Louisiana, and he was encouraging the black community 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:18.320 and others in Louisiana to vote against their interests. 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:22.080 Let's roll that as election day looms tomorrow, Curtis fifty 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:25.200 cent Jackson throws his support behind Louisiana Amendment two. 0:08:25.520 --> 0:08:26.840 But some question the timing. 0:08:27.200 --> 0:08:29.240 NBC six is Lynn Vance shares our time. 0:08:29.320 --> 0:08:29.920 Sorry tonight. 0:08:33.679 --> 0:08:35.600 I'm hoping that reporters are smarter than that. 0:08:35.960 --> 0:08:39.560 Residents and Tree were taking to social media saying they 0:08:39.600 --> 0:08:44.080 received text messages and emails with Curtis fifty cent Jackson 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:48.240 asking them to vote yes for Louisiana. I'm in two. 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:50.720 I want to see more jobs and prosperity in the 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:53.720 state of Louisiana. This is why I support the amendment too. 0:08:54.080 --> 0:08:55.360 On your ballads the side of it. 0:08:55.720 --> 0:09:00.080 But one state representative questions fifty cents timing as well 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:03.080 as others coming out in support of the amendment right 0:09:03.160 --> 0:09:04.120 before the election. 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:07.040 If it's strangers or somebody who've never heard before and 0:09:07.200 --> 0:09:12.640 havn't heard how this particular organization feels about it. It's political, 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:14.839 I mean, and we don't have time for that kind 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:15.520 of politicians. 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:19.400 NBC six has reported on several city council members and 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:23.320 cattle commissioners speaking out against Amendment to. This week, just 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:26.600 like fifty Cents, Shreeport's Chamber of Commerce came out in 0:09:26.679 --> 0:09:27.840 support of the amendment. 0:09:28.000 --> 0:09:32.080 It gives teachers permanent pay raise, a doubles senior citizens 0:09:32.120 --> 0:09:34.720 tax deduction. This August Stuff. 0:09:34.600 --> 0:09:38.319 Representative Phelps says it does much more than what fifty 0:09:38.520 --> 0:09:41.960 speaks of in his video. She claims the way the 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:44.880 amendment is written is misleading to voters. 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:48.200 Saturday's election is really really important to the state of 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:52.120 Louisiana because again, we're changing our constitution, things that have 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:56.360 been protected, things that have been best thus far for 0:09:56.400 --> 0:09:58.040 the state of Louisiana. 0:09:58.040 --> 0:09:59.839 Lynn Vance, NBC six. 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:15.200 So I was trying to find another video. Hopefully we 0:10:15.240 --> 0:10:18.800 can find it before we go off today. But fifty 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:23.360 put up a video and I want the full video 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:25.760 to run. So if we couldn't grab that, you all sorry. 0:10:25.800 --> 0:10:27.840 I don't know why I thought that the video I 0:10:27.840 --> 0:10:30.640 pulled earlier was that video. But if we can grab 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:33.400 that video instead, and you could just cut me off 0:10:33.400 --> 0:10:35.199 and play it while I'm talking, because I do think 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:38.760 it's important for people to see the full remarks from 0:10:38.760 --> 0:10:44.160 fifty cent. Now, there were four constitutional amendments on the 0:10:44.200 --> 0:10:50.320 ballot this past weekend in Louisiana, and what I think 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:54.600 is important here is that they were championed by their 0:10:54.679 --> 0:11:00.079 current governor, who is a Republican governor, Jeff Landry. They 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:03.760 were associated with crime, with the courts, and with finances. 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:09.400 As you all can see from the clip before. They 0:11:09.559 --> 0:11:12.440 packaged things in very unique ways, and I think we 0:11:12.520 --> 0:11:16.080 have to be mindful of how things are communicated to 0:11:16.160 --> 0:11:20.079 us when they are on ballots. You know, we are 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:24.439 told like I remember in Washington State when they were 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:28.920 challenging affirmative action work. Connorly was a black Republican who 0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:33.400 was going around throughout the country with Pete Wilson in 0:11:33.600 --> 0:11:36.120 California when they did Proposition two on nine, and we 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:40.280 followed behind them and before Michigan on something called Initiative 0:11:40.280 --> 0:11:44.120 two hundred. Well, they called Initiative two hundred on the 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:49.040 Washington State ballot the Civil Rights Amendment. If you're not 0:11:49.200 --> 0:11:52.200 reading the fine print right, you are going to assume 0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:55.120 that the thing called the Civil Rights Amendment is not 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:58.559 about to take away your opportunity and access to higher education, 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:01.440 to contracts. And that's not what you're thinking is going 0:12:01.520 --> 0:12:06.520 to happen. But that is exactly what happened in Washington State. 0:12:06.600 --> 0:12:09.120 And I would say that in Louisiana it's no different. 0:12:09.440 --> 0:12:12.520 But what happened here is nothing short of a miracle 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:16.680 because voters came out in droves. There was a thirty 0:12:16.720 --> 0:12:22.240 seven percent increase in black voter turnout, which was significant 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:25.440 and very well could have made the difference. I'm gonna 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:27.320 check really quick, do we have that fifty cent video 0:12:27.440 --> 0:12:28.920 or do I need to keep going? Okay, we don't 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:32.000 have it. So these are the four amendments that I 0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:35.720 that I want to call to your attention. Making it 0:12:35.800 --> 0:12:40.600 easier to charge minors as adults. That was one of them. 0:12:40.840 --> 0:12:47.000 The other amendment was liquidating education trust funds to support 0:12:47.040 --> 0:12:54.880 permanent teacher pay raises. This would have liquidated trust funds 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:58.559 to pay off two billion dollars in public school system debt, 0:12:59.440 --> 0:13:02.880 and then they would use the savings on interest payments 0:13:02.920 --> 0:13:06.160 to boost teacher salaries by two thousand dollars a year. 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:09.920 It's not necessarily permanent and not necessarily the type of 0:13:10.000 --> 0:13:13.360 rays you want to see as a teacher, especially when 0:13:13.400 --> 0:13:19.120 it ends up impacting your retirement and other things that 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:27.000 reduce savings for teachers. It said it received some bipartisan support, 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:30.479 but that the real issue is that there was significant 0:13:30.480 --> 0:13:35.400 amounts of transparency lacking when you're talking about taking savings 0:13:35.440 --> 0:13:40.000 and different education funds. There was also this idea to 0:13:41.120 --> 0:13:47.040 restructure the court system. The Louisiana legislature was seeking to 0:13:47.160 --> 0:13:54.320 broaden power of specialty courts handling cases like veterans affairs, 0:13:54.559 --> 0:13:59.720 drug abuse, and only ensuring that those cases went to 0:14:00.000 --> 0:14:04.839 specific judicial districts. And so there were a number. I'm 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:08.960 trying to see, Oh there was something else, I miss one. 0:14:09.920 --> 0:14:12.680 I miss one. There was a tax reform measure, and 0:14:12.720 --> 0:14:14.960 that is the one that fifty Cent has been so 0:14:15.080 --> 0:14:17.800 vocal about so I want to make sure now that 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:19.760 we go to this fifty cent video so you can 0:14:19.800 --> 0:14:22.600 see that sometimes when it comes to what is in 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:25.920 our best interest, our skin folk don't always move like 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:27.800 kim folk. Let's roll that fifty cent video. 0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:30.360 You might know me as fifty cent. I have a 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:33.200 special message for the people in Louisiana. As you may 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:36.840 have heard, I'm now a proud Louisiana property and business 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:39.920 owner working hard to bring film and television industry back 0:14:39.960 --> 0:14:43.360 to Louisiana. I'm working because I have an opportunity to 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:47.000 use my influence and make real change in the communities. 0:14:47.600 --> 0:14:49.600 I want to see more jobs and prosperity in the 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:52.640 state of Louisiana. This is why I support the amendment too. 0:14:53.000 --> 0:14:55.360 On your balance the side of there, you should too. 0:14:56.000 --> 0:14:58.840 Don't let anyone confuse you about the amendment too. It 0:14:58.840 --> 0:15:03.080 gives teachers permanent pay raise, It doubles senior citizens tax 0:15:03.120 --> 0:15:07.080 deduction is all good stuff. Voting and fatal Amendment two 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:11.160 makes common sense and this is a bipartisan effort. Every 0:15:11.200 --> 0:15:14.800 Louisiana State Senate Democrat voting to get the Amendment too 0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:17.880 on the ballot. This one is about the people coming together. 0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:22.320 So yes, this is something where you know, you listen 0:15:22.360 --> 0:15:25.760 to it on its face, an increase for teachers, you know, 0:15:26.640 --> 0:15:33.760 making taxes more affordable for folks, tax deductions for citizens 0:15:33.760 --> 0:15:36.040 over sixty five. There are all these things any here 0:15:36.040 --> 0:15:41.240 that sound very, very favorable. But the challenge comes in 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:46.840 when it's it's not always what it says on its face. 0:15:46.960 --> 0:15:49.720 It's also what you have to read between the lines. 0:15:50.440 --> 0:15:54.320 And I think that I think that what we what 0:15:54.400 --> 0:15:58.280 we have to understand is it is always work to 0:15:58.400 --> 0:16:02.840 be civically engaged, you have to understand what is all 0:16:02.880 --> 0:16:06.360 at stake. And I think that while this is the 0:16:06.400 --> 0:16:11.000 first opportunity for Louisiana's to demonstrate to the governor, look, bro, 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:13.000 were not on your side like that, and they've done 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:18.080 that not by voting down amendments that he suggests supported 0:16:18.200 --> 0:16:20.120 to the Constitution. The other thing that I think is 0:16:20.160 --> 0:16:23.200 important and worth noting is he was recently in a 0:16:23.240 --> 0:16:29.600 press conference with Speaker Mike Johnson, who is who represents Louisiana, 0:16:29.640 --> 0:16:31.200 but he's also the Speaker of the House of the 0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:35.960 United States Congress. He was in this press conference with him, 0:16:35.960 --> 0:16:40.400 and he's essentially saying that there's not broad support, but 0:16:40.680 --> 0:16:44.600 that they are banking on low voter turnout. Y'all be 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:48.360 very concerned and wary of people who are banking on 0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:51.480 people not showing up. That's not what democracy is supposed 0:16:51.480 --> 0:16:54.000 to be about. When we talk about people power. The 0:16:54.080 --> 0:16:57.360 power of the people is not in the smallness of numbers. 0:16:57.400 --> 0:16:59.760 The power of the people is when a majority of 0:16:59.840 --> 0:17:03.400 us feel like we're seen enough in the process to 0:17:03.480 --> 0:17:07.800 continue to participate. So what I think is important here 0:17:07.840 --> 0:17:13.879 again is that two thirds of Louisiana's voted down these amendments. 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:19.359 The amendment to which was also voted down, this is 0:17:19.359 --> 0:17:22.200 the one that fifty cent was talking about supporting. Says 0:17:22.200 --> 0:17:24.919 it would have lowered the maximum income tax rate the 0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:30.960 state could enact, and restricted annual state budget increases, and 0:17:31.040 --> 0:17:36.359 would have made it more difficult to enact new tax breaks. Allegedly, 0:17:36.440 --> 0:17:40.760 but it would have moved hundreds of millions of dollars 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:44.840 in tax revenue from state savings into Louisiana's general fund, 0:17:45.240 --> 0:17:50.080 and that is where Governor Landry and state legislators legislators 0:17:50.080 --> 0:17:52.800 could spend that money more easily. That does not mean 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:55.680 that's in the best interest of taxpayers. So with that, 0:17:56.080 --> 0:17:59.480 I want to pause here and get any questions or 0:17:59.520 --> 0:18:03.879 comments to react to. I think the thing that is 0:18:04.160 --> 0:18:06.679 most pressing to me is Louisiana is a place where 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:08.720 we can look at it as a recent victory. I 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:10.800 think the victory is and the fact that the people 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:13.960 spoke up for themselves, they participated. Of course, we want 0:18:14.000 --> 0:18:19.520 to see voter participation rates going up. Wisconsin, Mississippi, and 0:18:19.640 --> 0:18:22.880 Florida have an opportunity today. It is an election day 0:18:23.200 --> 0:18:24.879 in this country, and I think this is why we 0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:26.960 often talk about they're not every two years, they're not 0:18:27.040 --> 0:18:29.880 every four years. There are special elections all the time 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:34.639 that impact your daily life in more ways than some 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:37.439 of these major elections. And that doesn't mean to choose 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:40.080 to pick or pick and choose between which one you're 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:43.199 going to participate in. It actually means making sure that 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:45.320 you participate in all of them, and that you know 0:18:45.359 --> 0:18:48.800 what's coming up. I didn't say, and I want to 0:18:48.800 --> 0:18:53.440 make sure I get to that too. Today Mississippi has 0:18:53.600 --> 0:18:58.800 on its ballot It's a municipal primary where local leaders 0:18:58.880 --> 0:19:05.920 decide on policies like public safety, housing, and education. And 0:19:05.960 --> 0:19:08.199 that's what is at stake here. So we want to 0:19:08.200 --> 0:19:11.720 make sure that we're paying attention to what is happening 0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:16.240 on the ground in Mississippi today too. So with that, Lolo, 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:23.880 you have any questions comments, Oh, maybe she's not on Okay, 0:19:23.960 --> 0:19:27.639 so I gotta read it. So what are the Dems 0:19:27.760 --> 0:19:31.760 or others going to do about this? Okay, I don't 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:33.240 know what this is, but I'm gonna tell you what 0:19:33.280 --> 0:19:35.400 I'm gonna do about this. I am going to make 0:19:35.440 --> 0:19:39.800 sure that every opportunity I have to tell y'all about 0:19:39.800 --> 0:19:43.639 what's going on, I do that. So we are in 0:19:43.880 --> 0:19:46.880 unique times. We are in a time where I think 0:19:46.920 --> 0:19:53.800 more more of us than not are concerned about what 0:19:53.880 --> 0:19:56.199 our future looks like and what is at stake, And 0:19:56.240 --> 0:19:58.680 so I want us to continue to engage even while 0:19:58.680 --> 0:20:01.760 we are thinking about if our votes actually matter, if 0:20:01.760 --> 0:20:04.320 they are gaming the system. When you look at someone 0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:07.880 cutting a million dollar checks like Elon Musk and Wisconsin 0:20:08.000 --> 0:20:10.800 for a Supreme Court race in the state, you gotta 0:20:10.920 --> 0:20:14.399 wonder why is it so important that they would try 0:20:14.440 --> 0:20:18.879 to pay people to think their way right? That is 0:20:18.880 --> 0:20:21.080 what is really really important. We got to think through 0:20:21.119 --> 0:20:24.159 that in Mississippi. I want to go back to this 0:20:24.200 --> 0:20:28.480 really quick today is a primary, so it's the primary 0:20:28.520 --> 0:20:32.480 for mayor. It is the primary. My friend Choqui Lamamba 0:20:32.600 --> 0:20:36.280 is the current mayor, aldermen, councilman and more for the 0:20:36.280 --> 0:20:41.119 next four years. This is the primary. Polls opened in 0:20:41.160 --> 0:20:44.920 Mississippi at seven am and they close at seven pm Central. 0:20:45.560 --> 0:20:48.080 Any voter that's in line by seven pm can still 0:20:48.160 --> 0:20:50.280 cast their ballots. So make sure that you all get 0:20:50.320 --> 0:20:53.680 out to vote in Mississippi today. We did talk about 0:20:53.680 --> 0:20:56.520 those Florida races already, but I'm gonna go back into 0:20:57.119 --> 0:21:01.760 the Florida polls for today and what we who's on 0:21:01.840 --> 0:21:08.080 the ballot. These are people who are running to replace uh, 0:21:08.520 --> 0:21:14.240 Matt Gates and Michael Waltz. That's who it is. These 0:21:14.280 --> 0:21:21.719 are in two GOP you know, heavily leaning districts right now. 0:21:21.840 --> 0:21:29.000 Why this is so important is because Democrats hold two 0:21:29.119 --> 0:21:32.639 hundred and thirteen seats. There are two recent vacancies, of course, 0:21:33.000 --> 0:21:38.080 one being after the death of Sylvester Turner from Houston, Texas. 0:21:38.520 --> 0:21:43.800 And then Republicans have two hundred and eighteen seats, which 0:21:43.920 --> 0:21:49.520 is the the minimum needed to keep the majority. And 0:21:49.560 --> 0:21:53.120 so these two seats today in Matt Gates Old District 0:21:53.119 --> 0:21:59.520 which is the first congressional district in Florida is there's 0:21:59.600 --> 0:22:04.239 two candidates running. One is Republican Jimmy Patronis and then 0:22:04.359 --> 0:22:09.800 Democrat Gave Vallomont. Valamont is a gun control activist. And 0:22:09.800 --> 0:22:14.160 then there's Congressional District six, which is Mike Waltz's old seat. 0:22:16.080 --> 0:22:20.880 There are there's a Republican state Senator Randy Fine, who 0:22:20.920 --> 0:22:24.040 is running for that seat, and then Democrat Josh Well 0:22:24.200 --> 0:22:30.639 who's a public school educator. And so these are again 0:22:30.800 --> 0:22:33.879 there're Republican districts, but it's important for us to understand 0:22:33.920 --> 0:22:37.280 that again, things can change. I know that some folks 0:22:37.320 --> 0:22:44.080 were surprised to see the results in Louisiana. Somebody asked 0:22:44.080 --> 0:22:46.199 about the Corey Booker philibuster. I will tell y'all as 0:22:46.200 --> 0:22:47.760 a teaser. We're going to talk about this on the 0:22:47.800 --> 0:22:50.919 podcast tomorrow. But I do want to know if you 0:22:51.040 --> 0:22:54.600 all think that Elon Musk is playing too heavy handed, 0:22:54.800 --> 0:22:57.440 like he got Doge and everything that Doge is doing, 0:22:57.440 --> 0:23:03.080 including making some massive mistakes in the federal government, he 0:23:03.359 --> 0:23:07.600 is benefiting significantly from Doje's overreach with the number of 0:23:07.640 --> 0:23:10.560 contracts that he has in the federal government. And he's 0:23:10.600 --> 0:23:13.720 taking that same outsized influence that he used to the 0:23:13.760 --> 0:23:17.320 tune of two hundred million plus dollars with the America 0:23:17.400 --> 0:23:20.600 pack I believe is how much they spent. Maybe two 0:23:20.720 --> 0:23:23.400 ninety I think it was. I put it in my substack. Oh, 0:23:23.600 --> 0:23:25.399 I got to say about my substack. But just hold that, 0:23:25.480 --> 0:23:28.680 hold that thought. You hold that thought for me. We 0:23:28.760 --> 0:23:33.320 have him playing an outsize role in the federal government 0:23:33.680 --> 0:23:36.920 with the election in November, paying all that money into 0:23:37.000 --> 0:23:40.040 the process and making sure that he wrote his ticket 0:23:40.359 --> 0:23:43.119 to be able to run the Trump administration, which he 0:23:43.240 --> 0:23:47.840 is doing through an agency that is not congressionally approved. 0:23:48.080 --> 0:23:52.679 DOJE is not congressionally approved, y'all. That's something they made up. Okay. Now, 0:23:52.960 --> 0:23:55.439 the other thing that I want you to understand is 0:23:55.480 --> 0:23:59.879 he's taking that same outsize influence into the Supreme Court 0:24:00.080 --> 0:24:04.560 contest in Wisconsin today. They have spent so much money 0:24:04.600 --> 0:24:07.640 on this race, y'all. We gotta pay attention to these 0:24:07.640 --> 0:24:10.600 things at some point if we don't stand up and say, 0:24:11.119 --> 0:24:15.600 you cannot continue to write your checks and think that 0:24:15.640 --> 0:24:18.159 your checks are as meaningful as our votes. And the 0:24:18.200 --> 0:24:20.840 only way we can do that is as a collective. 0:24:21.240 --> 0:24:25.880 So tomorrow we will talk about Corey Booker's filibuster, why 0:24:26.200 --> 0:24:29.280 is it too little, too late? We will talk about 0:24:29.400 --> 0:24:32.000 if it's if all the senators need to be joining in. 0:24:32.080 --> 0:24:34.600 We will talk about what the House can do. I 0:24:34.720 --> 0:24:37.320 talk about in my new substack post. It's my first one. 0:24:37.400 --> 0:24:40.920 I hope y'all subscribe. Angela t Rye. Tea is for 0:24:41.040 --> 0:24:44.919 Teresa Angela t Rye on substack. Please subscribe today. Know 0:24:45.119 --> 0:24:49.360 that I took a moment to really think about what 0:24:49.400 --> 0:24:52.600 we needed to do differently in this very important time. 0:24:53.480 --> 0:24:55.760 So I have five ways to meet the moment. It 0:24:55.880 --> 0:24:58.639 is in my substack. I hope you'll check it out. 0:24:58.680 --> 0:25:00.560 I hope you'll weigh in with way you think we 0:25:00.600 --> 0:25:03.520 should be meeting the moment. What I know is that 0:25:03.560 --> 0:25:06.520 we can't continue to require of our leaders what we 0:25:06.560 --> 0:25:08.919 are not willing to do ourselves, and so let us 0:25:09.000 --> 0:25:11.320 lean into what it means to meet the moment. But 0:25:11.480 --> 0:25:15.080 first make sure you lean into subscribe on our page 0:25:15.119 --> 0:25:17.760