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Speaker 1: I'm Hillary Clinton, and this is you and me both.

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Speaker 1: You know, with our federal government so often paralyzed these

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Speaker 1: days by infighting between the extreme and the more extreme

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Speaker 1: wings of the Republican Party, more than ever, it's up

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Speaker 1: to our state and local leaders to get things done,

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Speaker 1: and that puts a lot of responsibility in the hands

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Speaker 1: of our governors.

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Speaker 2: Some use that power in cruel and.

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Speaker 1: Destructive ways, by implementing abortion bands, taking away voting rights,

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Speaker 1: or treating migrants not as human beings but as political pawns.

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Speaker 1: But meanwhile, others are using that power for good. Today,

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Speaker 1: I'm talking to two recently minted governors who are doing

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Speaker 1: everything they can to improve the lives and future prospects

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Speaker 1: of the citizens whom they serve. Both of my guests

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Speaker 1: have broken through all kinds of barriers to get to

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Speaker 1: where they are today. Later we'll be hearing from Governor

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Speaker 1: Wes Moore of Maryland, But first I want to introduce

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Speaker 1: you to Maura Healy, Governor of Massachusetts. Before taking office

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Speaker 1: as the first woman and first openly gay governor of Massachusetts,

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Speaker 1: Maura had already accomplished a lot. She'd played professional basketball,

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Speaker 1: Despite it has to be said, her kind of small stature.

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Speaker 1: She'd served as the chief of the Civil Rights Division

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Speaker 1: of the Attorney General's Office in Massachusetts and then been

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Speaker 1: elected as the first openly gay attorney general. Now, Maura

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Speaker 1: is an unabashed progressive, but first and foremost, she is

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Speaker 1: dedicated to getting things done, bringing the people of Massachusetts

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Speaker 1: together to deal with everything from the climate crisis to

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Speaker 1: the opioid epidemic, to housing shortages, poverty, to civil and

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Speaker 1: human rights. She's off to a great start, and I'm

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Speaker 1: thrilled to welcome her to the podcast.

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Speaker 2: There she is the governor.

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Speaker 1: Good morning, time I see you, and every time I

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Speaker 1: get to say that, I get a big thrill.

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Speaker 3: Secondary It is always so great to see Thanks for

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Speaker 3: having me on.

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Speaker 1: I want to start with your athletic career because one

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Speaker 1: of the things that is very clearly connected among many

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Speaker 1: women in public life is that they did have some

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Speaker 1: kind of sports background. And I want to know how

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Speaker 1: you decided to compete in basketball, because you know, our

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Speaker 1: listeners can't see you.

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Speaker 2: I mean, you're a mighty person, but you're not six

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Speaker 2: feet tall.

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Speaker 4: Well that that is true.

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Speaker 3: I am five four and probably shrinking every day, so

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Speaker 3: obviously I was a point guard when it came to basketball,

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Speaker 3: But for me as a young kid, it's sort of

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Speaker 3: found me. I was athletic, and I loved playing sports,

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Speaker 3: and probably about the time I was ten years old,

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Speaker 3: really serious about basketball. I kept playing other sports, soccer

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Speaker 3: and tennis, but basketball I really loved and it.

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Speaker 4: Also provided a real release to me.

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Speaker 3: When I was about ten, that's when my parents split up,

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Speaker 3: and I think as the oldest of five, I sort

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Speaker 3: of threw myself into school, threw myself into athletics right

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Speaker 3: and it provided a really healthy outlet for me. You know.

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Speaker 4: I grew up in a little.

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Speaker 3: Town in New Hampshire, as you know, and so going

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Speaker 3: to Roanoak, Virginia, or down to Oxford, Mississippi to play

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Speaker 3: in junior Olympic tournaments when you're thirteen, fourteen, fifteen years

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Speaker 3: old also opened up my eyes and my worldview. That

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Speaker 3: continued through college, where I had the chance to captain

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Speaker 3: the team at Harvard, and then I played professionally overseas

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Speaker 3: for a couple of years in Europe because at the

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Speaker 3: time there were no women's pro leagues here in the States.

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Speaker 3: So that's what you did. I carry the experiences of

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Speaker 3: athletics with me every day. And I think this gets

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Speaker 3: to your comment about women in leadership. You learn a

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Speaker 3: lot about how to build confidence self esteem. Literally, when

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Speaker 3: you're out there on a court at the foul line

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Speaker 3: shooting a one on one, people are watching, so you

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Speaker 3: sort of get used to having to perform. Sometimes you

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Speaker 3: fail and you don't make the shot, and you learn

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Speaker 3: to get up and go forward and move on. I

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Speaker 3: think also you learn a lot about discipline. And when

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Speaker 3: I ran as a very unlikely politician, I treated every

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Speaker 3: day of the campaign just like a season. Every day

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Speaker 3: was practice, get up, get after it. You don't just

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Speaker 3: show up and play in the files, right, So you

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Speaker 3: learn a lot about discipline. You learn a lot about

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Speaker 3: hard work, really, and I think something women are particularly

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Speaker 3: good at teamwork.

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Speaker 2: Right. I think that's a terrific explanation.

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Speaker 1: And as someone who has you know, been on the

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Speaker 1: front lines of athletics, and then through your service and

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Speaker 1: the Attorney General's office, then becoming Attorney General yourself, and

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Speaker 1: now governor, you've been able to see how getting that

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Speaker 1: sense of commitment every day makes a difference. Because if

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Speaker 1: you get knocked down, which we all do, you got

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Speaker 1: to get back up.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, you do. And you know, along the way it's

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Speaker 4: important to have fun.

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Speaker 3: So you know, I do continue to get out and

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Speaker 3: play basketball with kids and youth programs and do that

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Speaker 3: while you know, doing work that can be really grueling.

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Speaker 3: And you know, I think that's just part of what

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Speaker 3: it means to be in government, particularly these days.

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Speaker 4: But you know, I have to say I do this job.

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Speaker 3: And people can evaluate how well or how poorly I

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Speaker 3: do it. I do it with a view that I'm

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Speaker 3: here for as long as I'm here, I want to

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Speaker 3: make the most of every day.

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Speaker 4: It's why I probably operate with a heightened level of urgent.

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Speaker 3: See that is probably too much sometimes for people to

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Speaker 3: take around me as we're trying to you know, execute

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Speaker 3: and move on a lot of fronts. But you know,

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Speaker 3: I don't really pay attention to the critics. You sort

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Speaker 3: of follow you and you do what you think is

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Speaker 3: right and just keep moving forward. And you know, part

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Speaker 3: of the discipline I guess of athletics is you literally

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Speaker 3: learn to block out the crowd.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, right, you have to. You're at the foul line.

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Speaker 3: You have to block out the booze and the jeers

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Speaker 3: and all that and just focus on the shot.

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Speaker 2: Well, boy, does that resonate with me, because yeah, you

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Speaker 2: and I have both been the.

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Speaker 1: Subject of more than a few jeers and razzing during

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Speaker 1: our political careers. Well, I want to talk about the

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Speaker 1: state that you are now privileged to be governor of,

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Speaker 1: because you know, people think of Massachusetts as, you know,

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Speaker 1: this blue state that is so liberal. And you know,

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Speaker 1: I've spent enough time in Massachusetts, went to college in Massachusetts,

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Speaker 1: campaign for my self and others, and I love your state.

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Speaker 2: But it's a tough political environment.

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Speaker 1: I mean it is lots of sharp elbows, lots of

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Speaker 1: you know, really tough battles. And you actually flipped that

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Speaker 1: governor's seat from your predecessor, who was a Republican. So

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Speaker 1: tell us a little bit about the politics and the

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Speaker 1: political landscape of Massachusetts that people outside might not understand.

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Speaker 3: Well, let me just say I think Massachusetts it's the

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Speaker 3: greatest state in the country, right, I just you know,

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Speaker 3: aren't you.

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Speaker 2: Running billboards and places like Florida?

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Speaker 4: I am, and my message has come here.

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Speaker 3: You know what, We'll make sure you have access to healthcare,

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Speaker 3: We'll protect voting rights and civil rights.

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Speaker 4: We stand up for LGBTQ.

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Speaker 3: Plus you know, members of our community we make sure

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Speaker 3: that women have access to the reproductive health care that

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Speaker 3: they need, and we really value and invest in education

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Speaker 3: and workforce. So you know, that's my stump on Massachusetts politically.

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Speaker 4: You're absolutely right. It's a state.

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Speaker 3: Where you know, for many, many years, the majority of

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Speaker 3: governors have been Republican see Mitt Romney, Bill Weld, Charlie Baker.

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Speaker 3: So yes, I happen to be the first woman ever

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Speaker 3: elected governor, first gaye person elected governor in our state.

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Speaker 4: And you know, I ran.

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Speaker 3: As a proud Democrat with a progressive record, and now

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Speaker 3: have the opportunity to serve and to serve a state

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Speaker 3: that really is in many ways a microcosm of this country.

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Speaker 3: We have very blue areas, particularly in our cities, we

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Speaker 3: have red areas, and we have purple areas. It really

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Speaker 3: is truly a microcosm. And I think that's something that

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Speaker 3: sometimes is missed in how Massachusetts is talked about or perceived.

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Speaker 3: It's why, you know, nothing's a layup nothing.

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Speaker 4: You take nothing for granted.

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Speaker 3: If you're running a race and campaigning here, if you're

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Speaker 3: looking to push forward your agenda, you have to get

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Speaker 3: out and earn every vote and earn every opportunity for

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Speaker 3: support for your agenda. You know, my job as governor

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Speaker 3: is to make sure that everybody, no matter what their

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Speaker 3: zip code is, right in Massachusetts, has a shot, has opportunity. Right,

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Speaker 3: We're really really focused on an economic growth agenda here.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, And do you think that was the political message

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Speaker 1: that most resonated with voters as you were campaigning?

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Speaker 3: Well, I think we ran a really positive campaign, positive

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Speaker 3: in the sense of like, let's go, you know, let's

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Speaker 3: get it done, Let's make the investments in our people.

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Speaker 4: You know, coming out of COVID.

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Speaker 3: Where I think there was a lot of I wouldn't

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Speaker 3: say malaise, but depression, just people down, a lot of dislocation,

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Speaker 3: tremendous disruption, people needing to sort of see a sense

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Speaker 3: of purpose, opportunity like this is where we're going, this

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Speaker 3: is what we can make happen. And I think that

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Speaker 3: really resonated with people. And I definitely was offering up

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Speaker 3: an agenda of making life in Massachusetts more affordable by

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Speaker 3: cutting tac by increasing housing because we've got a challenge

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Speaker 3: with housing costs here, making life more equitable and fair,

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Speaker 3: more opportunity for more people, and making our state more competitive,

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Speaker 3: which is why I'm leaning in on a package of

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Speaker 3: tax cuts and some other measures to make Massachusetts attractive

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Speaker 3: not only to residents, I also want employers coming to Massachusetts,

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Speaker 3: where you know, I think there is this incredible amount

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Speaker 3: of human talent, intellectual talent, innovation, entrepreneurship.

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Speaker 4: My job as governor is to help support and seed that.

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Speaker 5: Right.

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Speaker 1: Well, that's a great campaign outline because it certainly caught

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Speaker 1: the imagination of your voters, and you won overwhelmingly. But

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Speaker 1: as you know, the late great Mario Cuomo once famously said,

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Speaker 1: you campaign and poetry and your government prose. And so

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Speaker 1: now you've been governor and you've had to translate those

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Speaker 1: really important aspirations into policies.

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Speaker 2: So give us a quick update where you.

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Speaker 1: Are, as you're now into that hard but essential task

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Speaker 1: of governing your state.

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Speaker 3: It is, It is hard, and some days you're making

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Speaker 3: more progress than other days. But I have to say,

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Speaker 3: eight months in, I am really pleased with what we've accomplished.

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Speaker 4: We've been able to.

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Speaker 3: Do universal free school meals for students across Massachusetts.

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Speaker 4: That's a big deal to me.

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Speaker 3: Too many dealing with food and security, Now they don't

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Speaker 3: have to worry about that. We got that done. We

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Speaker 3: made community college free for everyone twenty five years and older.

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Speaker 3: It turned out we had seven hundred thousand people in

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Speaker 3: Massachusetts who had some credits towards a degree, but then

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Speaker 3: life got in the way and they could no longer

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Speaker 3: afford it. Now we're bringing them in back off the

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Speaker 3: sidelines free community college, which is absolutely essential to our workforce.

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Speaker 3: I appointed the country's first climate chief. She sits atop

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Speaker 3: all my secretariats and drives a climate agenda on transportation,

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Speaker 3: on healthcare, on workforce and labor, you name it, it's

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Speaker 3: happening there. I just went out another accomplishment. I just

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Speaker 3: went out with the largest bid for offshore wind great

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Speaker 3: and I'm really excited about what that's going to mean

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Speaker 3: for our move from fossil fuels to renewables. It's also

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Speaker 3: a huge economic engine and driver, and Biden Harris administration

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Speaker 3: came through with some funding to support us because they

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Speaker 3: see what we're trying to do in a space where

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Speaker 3: we're going to address climate, we're going to grow great

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Speaker 3: paying jobs and healthier communities. So that's just a little

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Speaker 3: snapshot of a day in a life. We've got an

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Speaker 3: issue that is not unfamiliar to you where we have

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Speaker 3: migrants coming to Massachusetts. I have been leaning hard on

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Speaker 3: the Biden administration. These folks need to work, they want

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Speaker 3: to work, and we have a workforce challenge when it

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Speaker 3: comes to so many industries out there. These are folks

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Speaker 3: who could be working tomorrow in construction and hospitality at

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Speaker 3: our hospitals and nursing homes, and so you know, my

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Speaker 3: goal is to get expedited work permits and authorizations for them.

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Speaker 3: But those are just some of the things that we're

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Speaker 3: working on.

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Speaker 2: There is so much work. And for somebody like you

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Speaker 2: who loves to roll your sleeves.

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Speaker 1: Up and get into that nitty gritty, you are blessed

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Speaker 1: to be governor at a time when there are federal resources.

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Speaker 2: But there are also federal problems. And you mentioned one,

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Speaker 2: which is immigration and the failure to move more quickly

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Speaker 2: to enable people to work who want to work. And

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Speaker 2: early on you mentioned reproductive health, and you and I

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Speaker 2: are both reading how some states are trying to literally

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Speaker 2: criminalize leaving your state to get the reproductive health care

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Speaker 2: that you need and deserve. But I think on immigration,

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Speaker 2: on reproductive health, you're going to be you know, having

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Speaker 2: to join forces with other like minded governors, because this

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Speaker 2: is a battle that unfortunately is not easily solved, because

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Speaker 2: the other party wants a problem with immigration, not a solution,

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Speaker 2: and the other party is driven by the most extreme

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Speaker 2: views about abortion.

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Speaker 3: I think that governors really sit at this point where

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Speaker 3: you know, we can act for good or we can

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Speaker 3: act for ill. And I think you've seen that play

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Speaker 3: out across the country where frankly, you've seen governors take

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Speaker 3: actions that are about stripping voting rights, stripping civil rights,

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Speaker 3: demonizing and dehumanizing members of the LGBTQ plus community, going

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Speaker 3: after and attacking migrants and those who are simply coming

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Speaker 3: to this country looking for a better way of life

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Speaker 3: and wanting to contribute. Those who will deny, you know, science,

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Speaker 3: and deny what's happening with our climate, even though storms

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Speaker 3: and floods and hurricanes. I had nine tornadoes, Hillary, I

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Speaker 3: had nine tornadoes in Massachusetts this summer.

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Speaker 4: Okay.

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Speaker 3: I talked to my friend Governor Kelly and Kansas. I said,

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Speaker 3: what am I supposed to do with the tornado? She's like, what,

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Speaker 3: just you get under a desk? I mean, we never

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Speaker 3: had to talk about these things before. So it's just

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Speaker 3: to say there are these forces out there, right, governors

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Speaker 3: who are out there just furthering, perpetuating misinformation, disinformation, harming

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Speaker 3: their own people, right exactly, I guess further into some

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Speaker 3: perceived political gain. And we have an opportunity, and I

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Speaker 3: have an opportunity to offer up something different.

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Speaker 2: We're taking a quick break. Stay with us.

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Speaker 1: You know one other thing I wanted to mention because

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Speaker 1: this struck me when I was looking at the accomplishments

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Speaker 1: in the record you've already acquired, and that is, you know,

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Speaker 1: lots of governors, In fact, I'd say probably most governors

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Speaker 1: don't grant pardons until the ends of their term.

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Speaker 2: But you've made headlines for granting more pardons than your

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Speaker 2: recent predecessors, and you've said justice can't weight. How do

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Speaker 2: you make those decisions, and why are you doing it?

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Speaker 2: And what do you hope the results will be?

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Speaker 4: Well, this is.

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Speaker 3: One of the most important powers that you have as governor,

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Speaker 3: the power of clemency. And my backstory is that I

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Speaker 3: was a business lawyer for many years, a big law firm,

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Speaker 3: and then I sort of did a one to eighty

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Speaker 3: left to become chief of the Civil Rights Division in

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Speaker 3: the Massachusetts Attorney General's office. I bring a civil rights

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Speaker 3: lens to the work that I do, and as somebody

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Speaker 3: who's been both a civil rights lawyer and a prosecutor,

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Speaker 3: I have seen up close the real disparities and failures

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Speaker 3: in a criminal justice system, and also seeing so many

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Speaker 3: of the things that lead people unfortunately into the criminal

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Speaker 3: justice system. We talk a lot about the social determinants

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Speaker 3: of health, there are the social determinants of justice, right,

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Speaker 3: And you know, being presented with the profiles of these

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Speaker 3: individuals who are considered for pardons is very clear to me.

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Speaker 3: You know, people should not be held back in many instances,

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Speaker 3: serve their time. They've done everything that they were supposed

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Speaker 3: to do, and they did the work, and all they

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Speaker 3: want now that they're out is a fair shot at

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Speaker 3: a job, right that's going to provide for.

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Speaker 4: Them or their families.

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Speaker 3: And isn't that what we're supposed to insent in our

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Speaker 3: criminal justice system. You know, it's about accountability, it's about reform,

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Speaker 3: it's about rehabilitation, and that too often gets lost in

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Speaker 3: tough talk and the conversation around criminal justice and its purpose.

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Speaker 1: Well, I'm thrilled that you're taking that on as well,

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Speaker 1: because it's really important you know we're about to have

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Speaker 1: a big election again in twenty twenty four, and I've

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Speaker 1: bet a lot of young people ask you what it's

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Speaker 1: like being in politics, and you know, whether you'd recommend

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Speaker 1: that they maybe think about going into politics or going

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Speaker 1: into government, what advice do you give them?

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Speaker 4: Go for it?

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Speaker 2: Now?

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Speaker 3: You and I know, I mean running isn't for everyone, right,

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Speaker 3: and there are some of us who would probably prefer

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Speaker 3: to be behind the scenes, and there are so many

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Speaker 3: ways to be involved in politics without having to be

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Speaker 3: the actual candidate.

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Speaker 4: But I can tell.

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Speaker 3: You now more than ever, we need young people to serve.

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Speaker 3: It's why I've set up a Youth Advisory Council, It's

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Speaker 3: why I incorporate young people into all the work that

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Speaker 3: we do across my office, because they are the energy.

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Speaker 3: They bring a focus, they bring a drive, and frankly,

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Speaker 3: who has a more vested interest in what's going to happen,

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Speaker 3: in what our laws and policies are going to be

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Speaker 3: than are young people. We need them really engaged. We

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Speaker 3: need them voting, We need them not to be turned off.

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Speaker 3: We need them to see that their government is here

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Speaker 3: for them, right here for them. I'm looking up, I'm

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Speaker 3: in my office here. One of the things that every

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Speaker 3: governor in Massachusetts gets to do when they're elected is

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Speaker 3: by tradition, they're supposed to hang a portrait of a

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Speaker 3: former governor, and that is to hang in their office

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Speaker 3: to provide inspiration. Well, I did something a little different.

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Speaker 3: I opened it up and I asked school children across

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Speaker 3: Massachusetts to submit essays with recommendations for whose portrait I

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Speaker 3: should hang. I received one essay and I read it

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Speaker 3: and I just knew this is it. It was from

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Speaker 3: a group of high school students and they said, you

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Speaker 3: should hang just a frame. You should look forward for inspiration,

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Speaker 3: not backwards. Every time you walk into your office governor

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Speaker 3: in the morning, you should look up at that empty

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Speaker 3: frame and think about those who are voiceless, those who

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Speaker 3: aren't walking the halls of power, and make sure you

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Speaker 3: bring it every day for them.

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Speaker 4: And I just thought the combination and what that message

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Speaker 4: evoked for me. It was like so clear.

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Speaker 3: So when you come you'll see in my office there's

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Speaker 3: an empty gold frame, but it does to me represent

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Speaker 3: what our young people are all about. And you know

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Speaker 3: what's cool. You've had the kids in right, I mean,

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Speaker 3: the kids come in their school field trips, and you know,

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Speaker 3: they come into your office and they ask you questions

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Speaker 3: and then they take pictures. Now, they take pictures and

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Speaker 3: they superimpose their pictures inside that empty frame and they

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Speaker 3: send me the text and it's like, cool, That's exactly

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Speaker 3: what I want them to see. I want them to

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Speaker 3: see themselves in government, and I want to see that

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Speaker 3: they can be anything they want to be.

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Speaker 2: Oh, you're giving me goosebumps tomorrow. I love that. Okay.

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Speaker 3: What keeps you up at night, you know, just wondering

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Speaker 3: if you've done enough, you know, because I think about

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Speaker 3: the kids who are going to bed hungry. I think

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Speaker 3: about the families who are you know, making calls to

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Speaker 3: police because one of their loved ones is in the

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Speaker 3: throes of an overdose.

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Speaker 5: You know.

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Speaker 3: I think about those moments and what am I doing

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Speaker 3: or not doing as governor. That's what keeps me up

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Speaker 3: at night, you know, apart from from thinking about just

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Speaker 3: the vulnerability of seven million people for whom I have

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Speaker 3: some measure of responsibility. Apart from that, the thing that

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Speaker 3: I worry about most is democracy. You know, what we

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Speaker 3: saw in twenty sixteen, what we saw in twenty twenty,

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Speaker 3: none of that's gone away, and we have to be

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Speaker 3: vigilant and fight back, fight back at these efforts to

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Speaker 3: undermine and erode democracy and fundamental tenants principles that build

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Speaker 3: this country. We need leaders, and you know, I will

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Speaker 3: work with anyone in any party if they're about some

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Speaker 3: fundamental principles and truths, and one of them has to be.

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Speaker 4: We believe in democracy.

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Speaker 3: We're going to protect the freedom to vote, and we're

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Speaker 3: going to fight for and ensure accountability at every level.

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Speaker 4: That's what keeps me up at late yep.

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Speaker 1: Well, I join you in that insomnia, my friend. But

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Speaker 1: at the end of the day, you've got such a

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Speaker 1: tough job. What do you do to recharge, to rest,

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Speaker 1: to relax, to you know, find some time to you know,

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Speaker 1: just take a deep exhale.

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Speaker 4: Well, you do need to do that.

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Speaker 3: And I'm grateful when I get to come home at

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Speaker 3: night to my partner and you know, her kids and

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Speaker 3: the dog and take a walk. I love to get

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Speaker 3: to the beach or any anywhere near water or the woods.

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Speaker 2: You know.

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Speaker 3: I find walking in those places really calming and restorative.

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Speaker 3: The other thing I do is I clean.

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Speaker 4: I don't know about you. I feel like if whatever

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Speaker 4: has happened to me in the course of the day.

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Speaker 3: It's probably like you know why I like laundry right,

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Speaker 3: like I did it. It's done same with cleaning. Two

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Speaker 3: nights ago, I was cleaning out the freezer, right. I

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Speaker 3: think it's this where there is so much chaos and

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Speaker 3: disorder and things coming at you. It's like, what can

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Speaker 3: I find at the end of the day that will

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Speaker 3: give me some semblance of like okay, peace? So sometimes

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Speaker 3: it's the freezer.

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Speaker 2: Oh do I relate to that? Do you totally?

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Speaker 1: I mean, just get me a drawer to clean out,

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Speaker 1: a closet to declutter.

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Speaker 2: And I'm a happy person.

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Speaker 1: But I'm especially happy that I got to talk with you,

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Speaker 1: my friend, and I can't wait to come up and

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Speaker 1: get my picture taken in front of the empty frame.

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Speaker 1: I'm not going to shoot hoops with you, and I

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Speaker 1: played half court basketball. That was what we did in

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Speaker 1: my day. But maybe I'll help you clean out your basement.

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Speaker 5: Well.

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Speaker 4: I welcome any and all of that. It is so

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Speaker 4: great to be with you. Thank you for having me on.

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Speaker 2: Thank you, my dear.

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Speaker 1: Keep an eye on Maura Heally, and keep an eye

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Speaker 1: on Massachusetts. My next guest is someone I've had an

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Speaker 1: eye on for quite a while now.

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Speaker 2: Full disclosure.

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Speaker 1: We first met about twenty years ago when he and

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Speaker 1: Chelsea became friends at Oxford University, where he was serving

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Speaker 1: as a Rhodes scholar. Later, he caught my attention for

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Speaker 1: his excellent work as CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation,

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Speaker 1: a not for profit organization dedicated to fighting poverty in

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Speaker 1: New York City. Wes Moore is an Army veteran and

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Speaker 1: a dad to two children. He's done so much in

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Speaker 1: his life, but one thing he'd never done before recently

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Speaker 1: was actually run for elected office.

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Speaker 2: But that's just what he did.

440
00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:27,600
Speaker 1: In twenty twenty two. He ran and he won, making

441
00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,280
Speaker 1: him the first black governor of Maryland and only the

442
00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:36,840
Speaker 1: third elected black governor of any state. Since taking office

443
00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:41,800
Speaker 1: in January, Wes's administration has been busy passing bills to

444
00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:47,440
Speaker 1: alleviate child poverty and creating a ground breaking public service

445
00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:51,720
Speaker 1: program for high school graduates, among many other things. I

446
00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:56,639
Speaker 1: am so delighted to welcome him to the podcast. Hello,

447
00:24:56,840 --> 00:25:00,000
Speaker 1: Governor Wes Moore, Welcome to the show.

448
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,520
Speaker 2: Oh are you in your office in Annapolis?

449
00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,639
Speaker 5: I'm in the office in Annapolis and it's still a

450
00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:09,760
Speaker 5: bit surreal, uh, you know, being here and you know,

451
00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:11,960
Speaker 5: knowing that this is my everyday office and I live

452
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,680
Speaker 5: across the street. Now, I mean it is Uh, it's

453
00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:15,720
Speaker 5: quite fascinating.

454
00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:18,399
Speaker 2: How's your family getting settled in? How's everybody doing?

455
00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:21,200
Speaker 5: You know, they're they're doing great. The kids have really

456
00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:23,639
Speaker 5: done well. And you know, and I tell you, I

457
00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:25,840
Speaker 5: think a lot of it was a lot of counsel

458
00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,120
Speaker 5: we got from friends. I had to be very honest

459
00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:30,320
Speaker 5: with the council that we got from Chelsea, you know,

460
00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:32,000
Speaker 5: and I was asking her about, you know, like how

461
00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,760
Speaker 5: should I be thinking about this, and some great advices

462
00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,600
Speaker 5: she gave was just keep their schedule and their lives

463
00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:43,080
Speaker 5: as consistent and normal as it was before, because the

464
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:44,679
Speaker 5: number one goal is that you want them to be

465
00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,359
Speaker 5: as unaffected as possible in all this. And uh, and

466
00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:49,840
Speaker 5: so what we've been we've been very fortunate that we've

467
00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:50,800
Speaker 5: been able to do it so far.

468
00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:51,600
Speaker 2: Well.

469
00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:54,159
Speaker 1: I am lucky enough to have known you because you

470
00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:57,200
Speaker 1: and Chelsea have been friends for a number of years,

471
00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:01,240
Speaker 1: and she, I think has a pretty clear idea of

472
00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:06,240
Speaker 1: what will work and what doesn't work. I was especially touched,

473
00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:09,479
Speaker 1: Wes that you were sworn in using two Bibles, one

474
00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:14,720
Speaker 1: of which belonged to one of our great Americans, the abolitionists,

475
00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:19,080
Speaker 1: the newspaper publisher and so much else, Frederick Douglas. What

476
00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:22,800
Speaker 1: was that moment like that you put your hand on

477
00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:27,040
Speaker 1: that Bible, knowing that Frederick Douglas had been there before.

478
00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:32,280
Speaker 5: It was? It was breathtaking because I said it to

479
00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:35,800
Speaker 5: the team almost as a wouldn't it be cool? Thing?

480
00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:39,880
Speaker 5: And my team heard me and actually then reached out

481
00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:42,479
Speaker 5: to the National Archives, which is where that Bible is.

482
00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,400
Speaker 5: And you know, once they said that we're going to have,

483
00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:48,720
Speaker 5: you know, only the third African American ever inaugurated as

484
00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:52,800
Speaker 5: governor in this country, they contacted the Douglas family and

485
00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,280
Speaker 5: they gave permission for the Bible to be released for

486
00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:58,600
Speaker 5: that day. And it was amazing because they literally had,

487
00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:03,160
Speaker 5: you know, an armed escort that took the Bible to Annapolis.

488
00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,520
Speaker 5: It was inside of a case and even when dawn,

489
00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,359
Speaker 5: when my wife is holding a Bible, she had to

490
00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,760
Speaker 5: hold the case. They were very clear in their instructions

491
00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:16,159
Speaker 5: the case would open up and the only hand that

492
00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:20,200
Speaker 5: could touch the Bible was mine. Interesting, I then said

493
00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:22,639
Speaker 5: the oath with my hand on the Bible as soon

494
00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,760
Speaker 5: as I completed the oath, they closed the case and

495
00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,800
Speaker 5: they brought it back to the archives. It was onspiring,

496
00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:32,000
Speaker 5: and it was also just a really important reminder of

497
00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:35,320
Speaker 5: this journey. I mean, I'm a student of Frederick Douglass,

498
00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:36,800
Speaker 5: and you know, I'm proud of the fact that he's

499
00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:41,639
Speaker 5: a Marylander, but I'm also horrified by so much of

500
00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:45,879
Speaker 5: his treatment that happened by Marylanders, and so much of

501
00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:49,439
Speaker 5: the life that he lived, so many the changes that

502
00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,760
Speaker 5: he fought for the impact that he made. It was

503
00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:56,640
Speaker 5: trying to unearth a system that was very much entrenched

504
00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:00,720
Speaker 5: in this state that we call home. And so I'm

505
00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,520
Speaker 5: not just really humble by it. And there's actually a

506
00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:05,200
Speaker 5: picture that I have of Frederick Douglass that sits in

507
00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:08,159
Speaker 5: my office, and I I strategically positioned it where it

508
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:11,520
Speaker 5: almost looks like he's looking at the desk, so every

509
00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:13,760
Speaker 5: time I make a decision, I can look up and

510
00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:15,639
Speaker 5: look at him like he's looking at and he's saying,

511
00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:19,160
Speaker 5: you know, make the right choice here, man, because because

512
00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:21,880
Speaker 5: you know, you're standing on some pretty broad shoulders right now.

513
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:23,280
Speaker 2: Well that's pretty dauntic.

514
00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:27,680
Speaker 1: Got I heard that, Frederick Douglass and looking over your shoulder,

515
00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:32,520
Speaker 1: But I do want to congratulate you on the recent

516
00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:36,080
Speaker 1: passage of the Family Prosperity Act. I love the title,

517
00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:40,520
Speaker 1: which makes the child tax credit permanent in Maryland. Now,

518
00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:44,760
Speaker 1: you have written a lot and spoken a lot about

519
00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:50,080
Speaker 1: the differences that a child's circumstances make on their future,

520
00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:54,680
Speaker 1: and you yourself had some challenges as a child after

521
00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:58,760
Speaker 1: your father passed away. How did your upbringing shape your

522
00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:03,160
Speaker 1: thinking on this program and lead you to make the

523
00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:06,560
Speaker 1: decision to try to ease some of the financial burden

524
00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:07,240
Speaker 1: on families.

525
00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:11,280
Speaker 5: When I thought about my why as to why I

526
00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:13,520
Speaker 5: wanted to run for governor, why I wanted to go

527
00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,640
Speaker 5: this path, the issue of child poverty is at the

528
00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:17,760
Speaker 5: very top of that list.

529
00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:18,640
Speaker 1: You know.

530
00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:21,240
Speaker 5: I ran one of the largest poverty fighting organizations in

531
00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:24,360
Speaker 5: the country before I decided to run for governor, and

532
00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:28,800
Speaker 5: I realized quickly into that job that if we are

533
00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:32,760
Speaker 5: not actually fixing some of these systems that continue to

534
00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:35,040
Speaker 5: allow people to fall into poverty and make it so

535
00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,240
Speaker 5: complicated for people to be able to come out of them,

536
00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:40,040
Speaker 5: then we will just find ourselves cleaning up the debris

537
00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,239
Speaker 5: that comes from broken systems. And so, you know, I

538
00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,840
Speaker 5: was clear when we came on board from both my

539
00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:49,000
Speaker 5: inaugural address to my first State of the State, where

540
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,120
Speaker 5: I said, this was the time that Maryland was going

541
00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:54,760
Speaker 5: to make the most aggressive and full frontal assault on

542
00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:58,200
Speaker 5: child poverty and bipartisan assault on child poverty that this

543
00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:00,560
Speaker 5: state has ever seen. And we're out of the fact

544
00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:02,959
Speaker 5: that in our first months we were able to do that.

545
00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:05,800
Speaker 5: And that included things like the Family Prosperity Act, which

546
00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:08,360
Speaker 5: was able to make the child tax Credit permanent, be

547
00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,400
Speaker 5: able to raise the minimum wage to fifteen dollars in

548
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,000
Speaker 5: our state, because gone should be the days when we

549
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,920
Speaker 5: have people who are working jobs, in some cases multiple jobs,

550
00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:19,280
Speaker 5: and still living at or below a poverty line, and

551
00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:23,040
Speaker 5: creating real pathways for children to be able to have

552
00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:27,320
Speaker 5: a different type of conclusion than their origin might might

553
00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:30,560
Speaker 5: have inspired. And the thing that we're able to see is,

554
00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:33,520
Speaker 5: you know, not just that that bill alone was able

555
00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:36,640
Speaker 5: to lift over one hundred and fifty six thousand children

556
00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:38,920
Speaker 5: up a rung on the economic ladder in the stroke

557
00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,480
Speaker 5: of a pen. But the argument was this helps the

558
00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:45,000
Speaker 5: economy because since we passed this bill, Maryland now has

559
00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:47,360
Speaker 5: the lowest unemployment rate in the entire country. You know,

560
00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,479
Speaker 5: so supporting our children and supporting the most vulnerable and

561
00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:53,240
Speaker 5: having a growing economy is not a choice. These two

562
00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:57,400
Speaker 5: things actually happen simultaneously. And the thing we're really proud

563
00:30:57,440 --> 00:30:59,480
Speaker 5: of as well is we're able to not just get

564
00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:02,120
Speaker 5: these bills past or we're able to get passed bipartisan,

565
00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:04,080
Speaker 5: which I'm really proud of.

566
00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:05,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, you should be.

567
00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:09,920
Speaker 1: Well, it is so clear that what you're doing is

568
00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:13,760
Speaker 1: an economic boost, and you're already beginning to see results.

569
00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:16,880
Speaker 1: But take me back, just for our listeners, give us

570
00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:20,040
Speaker 1: a short overview of your own life and how you

571
00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:23,920
Speaker 1: know what happened to you your family. Your challenge is

572
00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:28,360
Speaker 1: really connected to not just an intellectual understanding of looking

573
00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,000
Speaker 1: at the data and figuring out what will work, but

574
00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:33,440
Speaker 1: really visceral, emotional you know.

575
00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:36,080
Speaker 5: I always say I'm probably the most improbable governor in

576
00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:40,320
Speaker 5: the country because there was nothing about either life trajectory

577
00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:44,240
Speaker 5: or professional background that kind of made this make sense.

578
00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:47,480
Speaker 5: And I say it improbable because I'm the son of

579
00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:50,880
Speaker 5: an immigrant single mother. She immigrated to this country from

580
00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:54,040
Speaker 5: Jamaica when she was young, and when I was only

581
00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:56,320
Speaker 5: three years old, my father died in front of me

582
00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:59,840
Speaker 5: because he didn't get the healthcare that he needed or

583
00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:02,720
Speaker 5: that he deserved. And so then my mother became a

584
00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:04,800
Speaker 5: single mother who was going to then raise three children

585
00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:07,080
Speaker 5: on her own. And she didn't get her first job

586
00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:10,440
Speaker 5: that gave her benefits until I was fourteen, you know,

587
00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:13,440
Speaker 5: her first job that gave her reliable hours, her first

588
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:15,320
Speaker 5: job that allowed her to work one job instead of

589
00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:18,480
Speaker 5: multiple jobs. You know, this is not an academic exercise

590
00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:21,160
Speaker 5: when we're talking about inequitable pay between men and women.

591
00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:23,360
Speaker 5: You know, I don't need a white paper to explain

592
00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:26,480
Speaker 5: inequitable pay between people of color and non like I've

593
00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,239
Speaker 5: seen this. I grew up in this, and you know,

594
00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:31,800
Speaker 5: I got into quite a bit of challenge and trouble

595
00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:33,840
Speaker 5: where you know, I had handcuffs on my wrist by

596
00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:35,520
Speaker 5: the time I was eleven, I was sent to a

597
00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:38,360
Speaker 5: military school for some behavior issues by the time I

598
00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:42,080
Speaker 5: was thirteen. I joined the Army at seventeen, coming right

599
00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:44,600
Speaker 5: out of high school. You know, so I went through

600
00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:48,840
Speaker 5: a lot of pathways that were non traditional, and so

601
00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,280
Speaker 5: I knew from an early age that I wanted to

602
00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:54,720
Speaker 5: focus on public service because I wanted to fight for

603
00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:55,560
Speaker 5: people like my mom.

604
00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,200
Speaker 1: Yes, and you know, you've had a varied career before

605
00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:02,640
Speaker 1: you made the decison to run for governor. You know,

606
00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:05,720
Speaker 1: in addition to being the first black Rhodes scholar at

607
00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:10,880
Speaker 1: Johns Hopkins University and working in investment banking, and as

608
00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:14,000
Speaker 1: you said, being the CEO of a very well regarded

609
00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:19,000
Speaker 1: anti poverty nonprofit, you served on active duty in Afghanistan.

610
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:25,520
Speaker 1: How did you find that experience influencing your decision to

611
00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:27,040
Speaker 1: run for governor.

612
00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:31,440
Speaker 5: You know, I think about, you know, when people said, well,

613
00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:34,800
Speaker 5: you know, how did those things prepare you? It's funny

614
00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:36,920
Speaker 5: amount of secretary. I didn't realize they were when I

615
00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:37,440
Speaker 5: was doing them.

616
00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:38,760
Speaker 2: Yes, you were living your life.

617
00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:42,000
Speaker 5: You living your life right. And there was no point

618
00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:45,000
Speaker 5: when I'm you know, leading paratroopers in Afghanistan and thinking

619
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,000
Speaker 5: to myself, this is gonna be really good one day

620
00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:49,960
Speaker 5: when I run for governor. But the thing was amazing

621
00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:53,560
Speaker 5: was it is actually true. They were all preparing you,

622
00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:56,280
Speaker 5: whether you realized it or not. Right, And I think

623
00:33:56,320 --> 00:33:58,560
Speaker 5: about the work of the military, and one of the

624
00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:02,520
Speaker 5: things that I've really taken from my time there was

625
00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:08,360
Speaker 5: how nonpartisan service really is. And part of the reason

626
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:10,080
Speaker 5: that I've said that I want Maryland to be the

627
00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:14,160
Speaker 5: state that serves because service will save us that in

628
00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:19,359
Speaker 5: this time of this political divisiveness and vitriol, that it's

629
00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:22,680
Speaker 5: it's it's service that's going to bring us together, because

630
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:24,480
Speaker 5: that's the best way for people to get to know

631
00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:26,680
Speaker 5: each other, right, It's the best way for people to

632
00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:28,160
Speaker 5: get out of their comfort zones. And you know, I

633
00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:31,000
Speaker 5: have people who I serve with in Afghanistan who came

634
00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:34,400
Speaker 5: and campaigned for me. Many of them were not Marylanders,

635
00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:36,440
Speaker 5: and many of them were not Democrats.

636
00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,000
Speaker 2: Right I can imagine, but.

637
00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:41,720
Speaker 5: They literally came to my state and were door knocking

638
00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:44,239
Speaker 5: on my behalf and just simply saying, let me tell

639
00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:47,080
Speaker 5: you about the guy that I served with. And so

640
00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:51,360
Speaker 5: I really took from that experience of leading and serving

641
00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:57,000
Speaker 5: with the best and some of the most amazing people

642
00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:59,440
Speaker 5: that I, you know, will ever have the opportunity to

643
00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:02,280
Speaker 5: be a around, that there was a there's a common

644
00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:06,560
Speaker 5: bond that we all now have that is unbreakable. That

645
00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:11,000
Speaker 5: there is no political conversation, that there is no financial

646
00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:14,160
Speaker 5: that there is no family lineage that breaks that apart.

647
00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:17,560
Speaker 5: That bond is unbreakable. And it's the reason that I'm

648
00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:21,800
Speaker 5: so encouraged by the idea of asking people to serve

649
00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:24,000
Speaker 5: because service will save us.

650
00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:27,319
Speaker 1: Well, I love that, and I'm going to underscore what

651
00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:30,080
Speaker 1: you said about, you know, being in the military and

652
00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:32,840
Speaker 1: seeing it as nonpartisan, may it ever be. So I

653
00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:35,840
Speaker 1: want to pick up on this emphasis on service because

654
00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:39,839
Speaker 1: I think you have really zeroed in on something that

655
00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:44,319
Speaker 1: is even more important today than it was when my

656
00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:48,960
Speaker 1: husband created you know, the National Service Corporation, and service

657
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:52,279
Speaker 1: has always been something that I certainly believe in, but

658
00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,120
Speaker 1: we now have what our Surgeon General of the United

659
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,280
Speaker 1: States has called an epidemic of loneliness in this country.

660
00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:04,759
Speaker 1: People are isolated and it doesn't just affect them personally,

661
00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:10,000
Speaker 1: but it has increased polarization that actually threatens our democracy.

662
00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:13,839
Speaker 1: So I was really excited to hear about the one

663
00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:17,719
Speaker 1: year civil service program that you announced for graduating high

664
00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:21,160
Speaker 1: school seniors, you know, because it's not only that there

665
00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:23,800
Speaker 1: is so much we could be doing if we focused

666
00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:27,000
Speaker 1: on service, but it does make people feel like they belong,

667
00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:30,799
Speaker 1: It creates community. How is that actually going to work?

668
00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:33,320
Speaker 1: Wes in practice for young people.

669
00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:36,920
Speaker 5: Well, we're really excited about this, and you know, Maryland

670
00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:40,040
Speaker 5: is now the first state in the country that has

671
00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,719
Speaker 5: a service year option for our high school graduates, and

672
00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:45,600
Speaker 5: so when a person graduates from high school, there are

673
00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:48,000
Speaker 5: many different things they can do. But now in the

674
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,680
Speaker 5: state of Maryland, we have another option. You can serve

675
00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:53,319
Speaker 5: your state and you can choose however you want to

676
00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:55,120
Speaker 5: do it. You know, we're very clear that you know

677
00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:57,879
Speaker 5: with the service year option, you can choose to serve

678
00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:01,600
Speaker 5: in the environment, you can choose to serve returning citizens,

679
00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:03,600
Speaker 5: you can choose to serve veterans, you can choose to

680
00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:07,480
Speaker 5: serve older adults, young people. It is completely your choice.

681
00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:11,080
Speaker 5: But the thing that is going to provide is I'm

682
00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:14,279
Speaker 5: a big believer in experiential learning and giving young people

683
00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:16,560
Speaker 5: a pathway to find out what makes your heart be

684
00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,000
Speaker 5: a little bit faster and then go after it. And

685
00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:21,560
Speaker 5: the way it's basically going to work is for people

686
00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:24,799
Speaker 5: that sign up, they're going to have a chance to

687
00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:27,200
Speaker 5: choose which error they want to go into. We will

688
00:37:27,239 --> 00:37:29,160
Speaker 5: then help them to find the right partner. And we

689
00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:32,960
Speaker 5: have been so fortunate that we are three times subscribed

690
00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:37,399
Speaker 5: with young people signing up. We have hundreds of employers

691
00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:42,200
Speaker 5: and that includes nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, and businesses, government

692
00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:45,359
Speaker 5: agencies who are saying we'll take people because we think

693
00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:48,359
Speaker 5: this is a strong pipeline developer. And then not only

694
00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:52,080
Speaker 5: will the person who's doing the year receive a living

695
00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:55,000
Speaker 5: wage while they're doing it, they'll also receive things like

696
00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:59,160
Speaker 5: financial education and financial literacy, open up bank accounts, and

697
00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:01,759
Speaker 5: also at the end of it, they'll receive a six

698
00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:04,520
Speaker 5: thousand dollars stipend and they can use that towards their

699
00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:07,800
Speaker 5: higher education, they can use that towards a down payment

700
00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:09,839
Speaker 5: on the house, they can use it on whenever they

701
00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:13,000
Speaker 5: want to. But it's important that they know that they

702
00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:16,799
Speaker 5: are going to have a long term benefit from this,

703
00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:19,600
Speaker 5: that we can democratize it by making sure that there's

704
00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:22,680
Speaker 5: financial supports for it, and that you're going to get

705
00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:24,600
Speaker 5: more than just that experience. You're going to have a

706
00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:27,600
Speaker 5: chance to really build a cohort and a connection. And

707
00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:29,400
Speaker 5: part of the reason that I'm so excited and I

708
00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:31,600
Speaker 5: know we can do it is is, as as you mentioned,

709
00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:34,400
Speaker 5: Manim Secretary, it's been done before. We are standing on

710
00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:37,359
Speaker 5: the shoulders of a Mara corps. The fact that we're

711
00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:40,400
Speaker 5: now the first state to say a state can do this,

712
00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:43,320
Speaker 5: we think and we feel very comfortable and confident to

713
00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:45,520
Speaker 5: say that while Maryland is going to be the first

714
00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:47,759
Speaker 5: state in the country to do this. We will not

715
00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:50,600
Speaker 5: be the last. We think the service movement is now.

716
00:38:51,120 --> 00:39:07,120
Speaker 2: Amen. I love that. We'll be right back. You know,

717
00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:07,760
Speaker 2: for our.

718
00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:12,680
Speaker 1: Listeners, you've been governor now for almost a year, actually

719
00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:16,759
Speaker 1: about three quarters of a year. Looking back, what's been

720
00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:19,680
Speaker 1: the hardest choice you've had to make thus far?

721
00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:24,560
Speaker 5: You know, I tell you an interesting example where, you know,

722
00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:27,160
Speaker 5: when we were pushing for the for the Fair Wage Act,

723
00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:31,279
Speaker 5: which is lifting the minimum wage to fifteen dollars, there

724
00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:33,520
Speaker 5: was a component to it that I thought was a

725
00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:36,800
Speaker 5: really important component to it, and that was indexing. And basically,

726
00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:38,920
Speaker 5: you know, for the listeners, amoight of indexing. Basically, this

727
00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,960
Speaker 5: means that you can have that minimum wage that's then

728
00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,080
Speaker 5: pegged to how inflation works. Because if you're raising a

729
00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:47,960
Speaker 5: minimum wage but inflation keeps rising at a faster clip,

730
00:39:48,280 --> 00:39:51,239
Speaker 5: that a it means less purchase power for the person

731
00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:55,080
Speaker 5: who's benefiting from it, but b it lacks predictability for businesses,

732
00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:58,240
Speaker 5: and so businesses have a really tough time being able

733
00:39:58,239 --> 00:40:01,080
Speaker 5: to adjust or adapt when there is not inde And

734
00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:02,640
Speaker 5: I knew that was going to be a real fight

735
00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:05,040
Speaker 5: to be able to get that through our chamber, and

736
00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:07,840
Speaker 5: I remember having a conversation with one of the chairs

737
00:40:07,880 --> 00:40:10,040
Speaker 5: of one of the committees. I won't say her name

738
00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:13,440
Speaker 5: in case she doesn't want me to share private conversations,

739
00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:15,560
Speaker 5: but she told me, she said, listen on the policy.

740
00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:18,040
Speaker 5: You're absolutely right, and I agree with you. She said,

741
00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:19,440
Speaker 5: I just don't know if you're gonna get the votes.

742
00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:22,080
Speaker 5: But the fact that you can get folks to even

743
00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:25,680
Speaker 5: get to a fifteen dollars minimum wage, and knowing that

744
00:40:25,719 --> 00:40:27,759
Speaker 5: you know what, you'll get up tomorrow and you'll keep

745
00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:30,560
Speaker 5: fighting the fight to get to the next level. Now

746
00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:33,480
Speaker 5: I know you want more. I know you do. And

747
00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:36,920
Speaker 5: she said, but don't confuse quitting with quitting while you're ahead.

748
00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:39,920
Speaker 5: And that was a really important lesson. I think when

749
00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:42,400
Speaker 5: we think about the policy making, thing is you're not.

750
00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:44,359
Speaker 2: Going to get everything absolutely.

751
00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:44,960
Speaker 5: That's okay.

752
00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:49,200
Speaker 1: She gave you really good advice, because you know, sometimes

753
00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:53,480
Speaker 1: we do make it really difficult to both make incremental

754
00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:56,880
Speaker 1: progress and then claim credit for it because it doesn't

755
00:40:56,920 --> 00:41:01,480
Speaker 1: meet our highest aspirations. And that's a problem in politics

756
00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:04,640
Speaker 1: because in a democracy, you know, now having been governor

757
00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:09,719
Speaker 1: and been involved in these legislative battles, you have to

758
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:12,080
Speaker 1: find common ground and then you know, you take your

759
00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:14,279
Speaker 1: stand on it, you build a little higher, and you

760
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:19,480
Speaker 1: keep going. And it is important to convey that to

761
00:41:19,560 --> 00:41:23,080
Speaker 1: people who get discouraged by the state of politics. And

762
00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:25,920
Speaker 1: we need more people to step up and dare to

763
00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:30,920
Speaker 1: compete by running, whether it's for school board, congress, governor

764
00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:34,959
Speaker 1: whatever it might be. What do you tell people when

765
00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:37,799
Speaker 1: they say to you, gee, you know, I've kind of

766
00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:40,560
Speaker 1: thought about running, but it's so messy, it's so mean.

767
00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:42,799
Speaker 2: I don't know if I want to do that. How

768
00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:43,600
Speaker 2: do you respond?

769
00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:48,839
Speaker 5: I tell people, tell me what you want to do

770
00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:51,759
Speaker 5: before you tell me what you want to run for.

771
00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:55,759
Speaker 5: What's the issue? Yeah, and I think about it. Where

772
00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:00,399
Speaker 5: for me, I'm clear. I mean child poverty is my issue, yes,

773
00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:04,480
Speaker 5: I just I don't understand why we continue to do

774
00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:07,239
Speaker 5: this to children before they even have a say right.

775
00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:10,920
Speaker 5: And I remember having a when I was running Robinhood.

776
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:13,520
Speaker 5: We were working for six months to get a former

777
00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:17,280
Speaker 5: governor to actually to introduce the child tax credit into

778
00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:20,359
Speaker 5: their budget and showing why this made the most sense

779
00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:23,480
Speaker 5: and literally gave them all the data behind it, told

780
00:42:23,560 --> 00:42:24,960
Speaker 5: him he should include in the state of the state.

781
00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:27,759
Speaker 5: And I got an advanced copy of the State of

782
00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:29,759
Speaker 5: the State, and there was nothing in there about the

783
00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:31,800
Speaker 5: child tax credit and nothing in there about child poverty

784
00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:34,239
Speaker 5: as a whole. And so I'm a little bit frustrated.

785
00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:36,440
Speaker 5: I call up my head of public policy and I

786
00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:39,480
Speaker 5: go on this rant, and I think finally when I

787
00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:42,359
Speaker 5: took a breath, he said to me, you know, we've

788
00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:44,160
Speaker 5: worked for six months to try to get them to

789
00:42:44,239 --> 00:42:47,400
Speaker 5: include a line in the speech. Well, what if you

790
00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:51,280
Speaker 5: could write the whole speech? And that was the point, Yeah,

791
00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:53,920
Speaker 5: what if you could write the whole speech. And so

792
00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:56,200
Speaker 5: that's why our first State of the State it was

793
00:42:56,320 --> 00:42:58,840
Speaker 5: all about child poverty, because I knew that that was

794
00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:02,520
Speaker 5: the place that we could have a unique impact on

795
00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:06,279
Speaker 5: addressing this issue that is so barbaric, and then we

796
00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:09,399
Speaker 5: actually have a chance to fix. And so the thing

797
00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:11,040
Speaker 5: that I would tell people, whether you want to run

798
00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:14,919
Speaker 5: for you know, school board or PTA or congress or

799
00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:18,160
Speaker 5: mayor or whatever role you want to run for, what

800
00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:23,360
Speaker 5: is your issue, Build the credibility on that issue, build

801
00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:27,799
Speaker 5: your coalition with that issue, and then think about, okay, now,

802
00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:30,040
Speaker 5: what is the right seat to be able to impact

803
00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:33,400
Speaker 5: the kind of change that I would make. Because the

804
00:43:33,600 --> 00:43:35,560
Speaker 5: work and trying to get into these offices. It is

805
00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:40,759
Speaker 5: too hard, Yes, it is too challenging and damaging. If

806
00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:43,359
Speaker 5: you don't have your why, and if you aren't able

807
00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:47,560
Speaker 5: to hold onto that every single day, this thing can

808
00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:51,080
Speaker 5: break you. So you got to know your why and

809
00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:53,279
Speaker 5: then you'll have which you need to go after it

810
00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:56,239
Speaker 5: and you get up every morning, if you suit up

811
00:43:56,280 --> 00:43:58,399
Speaker 5: and you get back on the field, that's right.

812
00:43:58,560 --> 00:44:01,160
Speaker 1: Well, I literally could talk to you, my friends, because

813
00:44:01,719 --> 00:44:04,239
Speaker 1: you know, I feel like the mission that you have

814
00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:08,000
Speaker 1: set for yourself in your state is really the most

815
00:44:08,040 --> 00:44:11,600
Speaker 1: American of all missions. I mean, give people the chance

816
00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:13,760
Speaker 1: to make the most out of their own God given potential.

817
00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:14,200
Speaker 5: That's it.

818
00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:17,239
Speaker 1: Governor Wes Moore, thank you, Thank you for talking to me,

819
00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:22,960
Speaker 1: Thank you for demonstrating just extraordinary leadership and as we say,

820
00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:23,680
Speaker 1: just keep going.

821
00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:25,920
Speaker 5: Thank you for all you do for all of us

822
00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:28,320
Speaker 5: and the example that you set in for the friendship.

823
00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:28,680
Speaker 2: Take care.

824
00:44:34,520 --> 00:44:37,080
Speaker 1: I wish we had time to bring on all the

825
00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:41,040
Speaker 1: great governors and mayors and city council members, you name it,

826
00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:43,960
Speaker 1: who are out there actually doing the hard work to

827
00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:48,360
Speaker 1: make our communities thrive. The serious leaders who are interested

828
00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:52,920
Speaker 1: in results, not just rhetoric. Well, I can't talk to everyone,

829
00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:57,240
Speaker 1: you will find some great conversations with folks like Michigan

830
00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:03,440
Speaker 1: Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyata, and Boston

831
00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:06,200
Speaker 1: Mayor Michelle Wou. If you go to You and Me

832
00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:14,640
Speaker 1: Both on iHeart Podcasts and look through our archive, You

833
00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:18,560
Speaker 1: and Me Both is brought to you by iHeart Podcasts.

834
00:45:19,239 --> 00:45:23,880
Speaker 1: We're produced by Julie Subren, Kathleen Russo and Rob Russo,

835
00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:30,759
Speaker 1: with help from Khuma Abadeen, Oscar Flores, Lindsey Hoffman, Sarah Horowitz,

836
00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:36,839
Speaker 1: Laura Olin, Lona Valmoorro and the Lily Weber. Our engineer

837
00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:41,960
Speaker 1: is Zach McNeice, and the original music is by Forrest Gray.

838
00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:44,839
Speaker 1: If you like You and Me Both, tell someone else

839
00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:48,000
Speaker 1: about it. And if you're not already a subscriber, what

840
00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:51,080
Speaker 1: are you waiting for? You can subscribe to You and

841
00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:55,840
Speaker 1: Me Both on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

842
00:45:55,880 --> 00:45:59,399
Speaker 1: you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening and I'll see

843
00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:01,919
Speaker 1: you next week.