1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: It's that time. Time, time, time, luck and load. The 2 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: Michael Arry Show is on the air. Things like libraries. 3 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 2: Everybody loves the concept of the library, right, the library, 4 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 2: Come on the library, the Pratt Library in Baltimore, the 5 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 2: Great Public Municipal Library, August institutions. You imagine the home library, 6 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 2: the private library of Henry Higgins. 7 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 3: And he's got the ladder that he rolls around the high. 8 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 2: Shells, and he goes up and he pulls off a 9 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 2: book and dusts it off, and ah ah, there's virgils 10 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 2: in neid. Ah, there's the writings of Aristotle. Ah yes, yes, 11 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 2: the great writings of history. The books, Bradberry's Fahrenheit four 12 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:33,639 Speaker 2: or five. You don't want to burn the books, because 13 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 2: that is the knowledge. The books the place of learning 14 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 2: and truth be told. Ninety nine percent of people never 15 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 2: went to libraries, checked out a book, read the book, 16 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 2: brought it back. No, but the library was a place 17 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 2: you were supposed to respect. 18 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 3: Like when you were a little kid and you knew 19 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 3: you were going to church. 20 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 2: You might not known why yet, but you knew when 21 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 2: you go in there, because you'd have your your hair 22 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 2: all combed and your bow tie on, and well you 23 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 2: weren't supposed to fidget or make noise or nothing. Now 24 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 2: we're going to church. This is a serious place for 25 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 2: serious people. When everybody was on their best behavior. Ah, 26 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 2: the library. We all have such respect for the library. Uh, yes, 27 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 2: the library. We can't cut back on the library. And 28 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 2: I've had people over the years when I was on 29 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 2: city Council and fought to close the Downtown Library. But 30 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,359 Speaker 2: since then, since I talk about it, I get a lot. 31 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 2: It's usually older white women, the kind of older white 32 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 2: women who love to correct your grammar if I drop 33 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,799 Speaker 2: g's on Facebook, or or do something silly on Facebook, 34 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: or make a joke about language, you know, using language 35 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 2: inappropriately and obviously, so I mean it should be all right, 36 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 2: queen little. And these are the types of people that 37 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 2: love the school bar. 38 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 3: You know, that's just me. 39 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 2: I'm just really I just love the English language. You know, 40 00:02:58,200 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 2: you got to get it right, you know, I really have. 41 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 2: And like that's their thing, and they love they love that. 42 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 2: They love the library. It's one of those things that 43 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 2: everyone loves because you're supposed to love it. We can't 44 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 2: have cuts to the library, can we. 45 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 3: Well? 46 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 2: Uh, I don't know what are we funding now, but 47 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 2: we can't have cuts to the library the children. No 48 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 2: cuts to library children. Wait what yeah, no cuts library children. 49 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 2: All right, all the children have died off minorities. Minorities 50 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 2: need libraries because they're poor. Those poor people need some books, 51 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 2: books for the pores. Okay, well, let me ask you this. 52 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 2: How many new books are we adding to the collections? 53 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 2: She started curiosity. We're spending a lot of money on 54 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 2: new books. If so, what are those new books? Because 55 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 2: I don't want my tax dollars going to buying books 56 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 2: for the poors that are polluting their minds books. Michelle Obama, No, 57 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: she can donate those damn books. In fact, why don't 58 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 2: we have some rich folks donate to up keep the 59 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 2: library if it's that important. Biggest expensive library is the 60 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 2: staff who work there, reliable, good old fashioned Democrat voters. 61 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 3: Biggest, biggest issue. 62 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 2: With the Downtown library when I was there, a very 63 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 2: very expensive library, multi floor. Just the air conditioning alone 64 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 2: costs more than the mortgage on your house. Of course, 65 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 2: after you pay the mortgage on your house, then you 66 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: pay exorbitant taxes to the county so they can air 67 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 2: condition a library you've never been to. 68 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 3: There's no parking there. 69 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 2: There's one floor of underground parking, insufficient, it's impossible to 70 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 2: get to. 71 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 3: But oh, we have to keep it. 72 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:47,599 Speaker 2: Yes, we have to keep it because a lot of 73 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 2: rich oil and gas guys from Houston. Their wives have 74 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 2: a hang up because when they go to New York 75 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 2: to buy purses and shoes and they. 76 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 3: Tell them, we're down there from Houston. But we ain't 77 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 3: hicks like y'all think we is. We got libraries and things. 78 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 3: They got a chip on their shoulder. 79 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 2: They don't want New Yorkers and Californians to think we're hillbillies. 80 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 2: We've got to have libraries, big, fancy, extravagant libraries. You know. 81 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 2: The only time the library ever came up, the only 82 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 2: time the library ever mattered, oh about once a week, 83 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:26,720 Speaker 2: a homeless dude would walk through the halls wanking it. Now, 84 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 2: if you'd just stay over in the corner surfing the 85 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 2: porn on the free public computer for the homeless people. 86 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 2: And by the way, they're only for the homeless people. 87 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 2: Because once you get a filthy, smelling homeless dude wanking 88 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 2: it at ten o'clock in the morning over at the 89 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 2: public computers, well you can't let the kids come around 90 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 2: because he's wanking it to the kids, and women don't 91 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 2: want to go around because they'll get raped or murdered 92 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 2: and the guy will be back out on the street 93 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 2: in ten minutes. Yeah, that's what the library was. So 94 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 2: I dared propose, why don't we sell that piece of property. 95 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:09,840 Speaker 2: I think it was worth seventeen million at the time. 96 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 2: We had an appraisal on the record. Why don't we 97 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 2: sell that. Rick Campo, who owns Camden Properties, has offered 98 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 2: to donate to us a nice big tract in midtown. 99 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: So let's say you got Smith got Louisiana's You got Smith, Louisiana, 100 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 2: Travis Milm. It was on Mileam outside of downtown cross 101 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 2: under the the UH Pierce elevated. 102 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 3: And grew up there. 103 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 2: And Rick Campo was going to donate and I believe 104 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 2: build a big, beautiful library. Now he gets a write 105 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 2: off for that, But my goodness, that was an act 106 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 2: of generosity. That was a no bless Obleizius. This was 107 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 2: a wonderful thing. You think we'd jump at it by 108 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 2: Why so we're not gonna do that. Library board will 109 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 2: eat me alive. The library board. 110 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know the women that go to New York. 111 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 3: We not, He'll belly down there in Houston. That give 112 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 3: me one in four thousand. 113 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 2: Dollars purses Julia Roberts when she goes through the boutiques. 114 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 3: On Rodeo Drive. 115 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 2: Well, those people all serve on the library board and 116 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 2: other such boards, and once they get there, they don't 117 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 2: have anything else to do. Rose is not till eleven 118 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 2: this morning. It's nine o'clock. Once they get there, they decide, Oh, 119 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 2: now that I'm on the library board, I'm gonna do something. 120 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 2: We're gonna raise money for the library. Okay, raise all 121 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 2: the money you want. Also, we want the city to 122 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 2: match it. Wait, we don't have enough cops. 123 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 3: You see. 124 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 2: This is the reason I always prioritize things, because everything 125 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 2: can't be equally important, because if it is, nothing's important. 126 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 2: If everything's a top priority, every week at city council, 127 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 2: people would come down and say. 128 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 3: This right here should be our top priority. No it's not. 129 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 3: That's number twenty seven on my list. I got a list. 130 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 3: Do you Oh you care about the library. I care 131 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 3: about cops. We're not the same. Call the library when 132 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 3: they're raping you. Bizar of Talk radio, The Michael Berry Show. 133 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: Life. 134 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 2: You say your family's struggling, trying to figure it all out. 135 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 2: Dad has taken a second job. Mom has taken a 136 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 2: second job. The old, raggedy cars are barely running. But 137 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 2: we can't afford a newer car, much less a new 138 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 2: car rents do. We don't have enough money for it. 139 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 2: Little Cis has got an ailment and they're coming after 140 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 2: payment for her treatment. 141 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 3: Your waist short of cash. 142 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 2: You've gone through the eggs in the fridge, You've gone 143 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 2: through the Kraft mac and cheese, the rice a roni. 144 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,359 Speaker 2: You did hamburger help or with no hamburger. 145 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 3: It's tough. Times are tough. 146 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 2: You don't have enough money, and you give your son 147 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 2: money for lunch or for whatever extras he needs at school. 148 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,719 Speaker 2: You give him ten dollars for the week, and you 149 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 2: find out that he has given that ten dollars to Bobby, 150 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 2: a kid he goes to school with who has not rich. 151 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,560 Speaker 2: We got plenty of money because Bobby needed to borrow 152 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 2: it and hadn't paid it back. Is loaning money to 153 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 2: a friend such a terrible thing? Well, Polonius advised Larties 154 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 2: against it, But in any case, you think to yourself, hey, 155 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 2: that's extra egregious given the condition we're in. Well, we're 156 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 2: that poor family, and now now they're rearranging deck chairs 157 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 2: on the Titanic Lena Hidalgo's concerns. This is how out 158 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 2: of touch she is. We're gonna take more of your 159 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 2: money now. I will admit, your property tax are so 160 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 2: high that I can't afford to buy. She can, but 161 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 2: she's trying to, you know, let them eat cake kind 162 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 2: of commentary. 163 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 3: You stupid pleabs. I feel bad for you too. I do. 164 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 2: Sometimes I too have to pooh pooh and it doesn't 165 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 2: come out nice. 166 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 3: I understand your worries. I got hungry the other day. 167 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:52,439 Speaker 2: Hungry I had to have my staff bring me a 168 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 2: Snickers and that was the worse five minutes of my life. 169 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 2: So I understand your hunger. 170 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:02,719 Speaker 3: I really do. This is the. 171 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 2: Perfect example of how out of touch they really are. Meanwhile, 172 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 2: the paper of record, they're supposed to keep them honest, 173 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 2: Houston Chronicle, they are so obsessed with John Whitmer's bicycle 174 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 2: lanes that they can't see straight. We are now getting 175 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 2: weekly quote unquote investigative pieces on John Whitmeyer and the bicycles. 176 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 2: Same newspaper that couldn't be bothered to investigate the corruption 177 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 2: during Sylvester Turner's administration that added up to untold millions 178 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 2: of dollars during a time that they were telling people 179 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 2: they were going to shut off their water if you 180 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 2: use too much, and by too much, that was your 181 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 2: their standard, not yours. We had water mains busted and 182 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 2: gushing into the streets, rivers of gold taxpayer paid, gushing 183 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:53,559 Speaker 2: through the streets. 184 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 3: Nobody to fix. 185 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 4: It because the fat black lady that was the head 186 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 4: of the water department had hired her brother who didn't 187 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 4: even have a truck, much lesser wrench, and he was 188 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 4: gonna fix them all. 189 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 2: Well, he was gonna get the I think it was 190 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 2: a thirty million dollar contract to fix them all. He 191 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 2: wasn't gonna fix them hisself. A't no slave, And there 192 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 2: went all the money pissed away. But worse, the mains 193 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 2: never got turned off. And then the lit old lady 194 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 2: started getting six, seven, eight, nine, ten thousand dollars water bills. Well, 195 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 2: there's a lot of things you can go without paying 196 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 2: and they'll float you for a while, but your water bill, 197 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 2: City of Houston come out and turn off your water. 198 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 2: If there's one bill, people pay it's your water and 199 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 2: electric because they'll shut them off on you. So they 200 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 2: were shutting off people's water bills. But wait, I don't 201 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 2: have eight thousand dollars to pay a water bill. Too bad, 202 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:55,679 Speaker 2: so said Sylvester. Didn't tell me to put it back on. 203 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 2: But wait, my water bill's been twenty one dollars for 204 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 2: eight years running. I check my taps, I turn everything off. 205 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,320 Speaker 2: I don't run a shower, I run a little tub 206 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:13,839 Speaker 2: of water. I take a bucket. Bath Well says it's 207 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 2: six thousand dollars here, turns out said he was making 208 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 2: a mistake cause a lot of people a lot of problems. 209 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 3: Chronicle wasn't worried. 210 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 2: You know who did that story, A little blonde girl 211 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:31,439 Speaker 2: at Channel two, Amy Davis. And remember Sylvester Turner got real, real, 212 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 2: real ugly with her. There is one thing that you 213 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 2: never want to see, and that is how nasty a 214 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 2: bitchy gay man can be toward a woman. You've never 215 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 2: seen anything like it. It's not intuitive. Until you seen it, 216 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 2: you don't understand it. There is a nasty hatred for 217 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 2: such a thing, and it is really, really ugly. It's 218 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 2: unpleasant to watch. Well, now, the Houston Chronicle. There's more 219 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 2: to this story. I'm gonna tell you what it is. Houston 220 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 2: Chronicle is obsessed with all the problems we have in 221 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 2: city Houston. They're really upset that John Whitmeyer is taking 222 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 2: away some of the bicycle lanes and. 223 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:13,319 Speaker 3: We can't have that. 224 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 2: We're to do an investigative peace. Oh there's a pultzer, 225 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 2: Go get them the pedal pulitzer. 226 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 3: Oh get them Chronicle. 227 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 2: Well, let me tell you what's actually going on there. 228 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 2: Rodney Ellis is the toast of the bicycle community. He's 229 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 2: made bicycling into a big issue. He does the tour 230 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 2: to Houston, he does the Remember they opened the they 231 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 2: opened bike lanes on the on the walkway next to 232 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 2: the Bayou in his district. And so there with the 233 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 2: little pee wee herman white people, this is what their 234 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 2: helmets on. This is so nice. We live in an 235 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 2: urban environment and we're out riding our bicycles on the weekend. 236 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 3: People in Houston need to do more. 237 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 2: Of this and get out of their cars because they're 238 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 2: killing the earth. But look at us, we're a bow. 239 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 2: Here comes one of Rodney's constituents. Knock the snot out 240 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 2: of them, take their phones, take their money, and take 241 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 2: their bicycles, enjoy precinct one, bitches, and they ride off 242 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 2: and they're left thinking, I'm glad I wore a helmet. 243 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 2: That was quite the lump on my head, it was. 244 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 2: And then they went to Rodney and he had nothing. 245 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 3: To say to that. 246 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 2: Oh yes, let's drag a bunch of lily white liberals 247 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 2: right through the hood along to Bayou where there's no 248 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 2: one to protect them and the cops can't get to them, 249 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 2: and let your constituents beat the snot out of them bicycles. 250 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 3: Michael Berry, it was. 251 00:15:58,960 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 4: On to stay. 252 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 3: One hundre hundred and twenty five years. 253 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 2: Ago Galveston's Great Storm. Eight thousand citizens perished that day. 254 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 2: I've read numbers as low as six and as high 255 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 2: as eight. It is generally accepted today that it's probably 256 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 2: closer to eight thousand people perished. 257 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 3: It was a fifteen foot storm surge. 258 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 2: It raced across the island and caused incredible destruction of 259 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 2: property and of course life. Property loss estimated at thirty 260 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 2: million dollars of nineteen hundred dollars. Considered the worst recorded 261 00:16:53,160 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 2: natural disaster ever to strike the North American continent. The 262 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 2: entire island was devastated one twenty five years ago today, 263 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 2: and it set off a chain of events that would 264 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 2: lead to for many of you, where you're sitting, standing, 265 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 2: or driving at this very moment, seeing the year nineteen hundred, 266 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 2: Galveston was making ground on the great port of the 267 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 2: then Gulf of Mexico now Gulf of America. And if 268 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 2: anybody ever says to you, but it was the Golf 269 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 2: of Mexico for four hundred years, you can't just change 270 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 2: the name. We called a men since the beginning of mankind, 271 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 2: and you changed their name. So there's no doubt in 272 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 2: New Orleans was the Bell of the South. It was 273 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 2: the port incredibly, incredibly important. And as a result of 274 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 2: that international trade. You'll notice that until very recently, all 275 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 2: of the great cities of the world, almost all the 276 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 2: great cities in the world I can name fewer than 277 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 2: five that don't follow this rule, are port cities, because 278 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 2: that's where the money was made. That was telecom and 279 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:37,679 Speaker 2: computers and air travel. The port, including prior to the 280 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:44,879 Speaker 2: train in the car, the individual transport, was everything goods people, 281 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:50,159 Speaker 2: And with that came the carnival characters and the gypsies 282 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 2: and the frosters and the con men and the hustlers, 283 00:18:56,040 --> 00:19:00,919 Speaker 2: but also the artists and the artisans and the craftsmen 284 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 2: and the scholars, and so the great cities were located 285 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 2: on ports. And you had New Orleans, which was the 286 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:16,920 Speaker 2: undisputed great port and the culture that came through it. 287 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 2: Linguists have traced the Galveston yacht accent to the Brooklyn accent, 288 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:27,120 Speaker 2: and if you ever notice on certain words, once you're 289 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 2: aware of that, you will hear the Brooklyn accent in 290 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 2: New York. And that's because that was the number one 291 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 2: trade route. You would take goods, not by FedEx, not 292 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 2: by train yet, but around the eastern seaboard and up 293 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 2: through the Gulf, and you would land them at New Orleans, 294 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 2: and from there you would send them out into the land. 295 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 2: If it was much east of New Orleans, it would come. 296 00:19:57,359 --> 00:20:01,640 Speaker 2: It would come west from the Florida ports and the Carolinas, 297 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 2: but mostly and if it was much west of New Orleans, 298 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 2: it would come eastward from California and those great ports. 299 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 2: But there was this swath of people, largely Bohemian Polish German, 300 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 2: who had landed in Texas and were starting to swell 301 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 2: in population and you needed to service that. And the 302 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 2: port of Galveston was that port. An amazing thing happened. 303 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 2: That represents the greatness of the people who had inhabited 304 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 2: this region of the country. 305 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 3: And the world. 306 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 2: And that is the understanding that this is our moment. Sure, 307 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 2: if you look at a map from west to east, 308 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 2: left to right, you can see that within the harbor 309 00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:59,640 Speaker 2: of that gulf, you need to be able to bring 310 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 2: things up into the dead center of the country and 311 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,639 Speaker 2: then be able to send them northward, eastward, westward to 312 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 2: their final destinations. That was commerce, that was wealth creation. 313 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:17,439 Speaker 2: But Galveston couldn't be it. It was a point. There 314 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 2: were no jetties, there was no means by which to 315 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 2: break the massive, massive flooding that would occur as a 316 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:36,160 Speaker 2: result of storms hurricanes. So three Houstonians. It was Kirby 317 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 2: of Kirby Lumber, It was Jones, and I think it 318 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 2: was Rice. Oh no, maybe it was Will Clayton, the 319 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 2: cotton the man who created the nation's cotton exchange in 320 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 2: downtown Houston. 321 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 3: The building where he did. 322 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 2: It, beautiful, beautiful building, is still there to this day. 323 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 2: But these three titans had such a vision and they 324 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 2: went to DC with an idea that people laughed about. 325 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 3: It was written at the time. It's a laughable idea. 326 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 2: They were gonna pledge a million dollars and ask the 327 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:13,399 Speaker 2: federal government for a match of another million dollars, and 328 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 2: they were gonna build inland a deep water port just 329 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,199 Speaker 2: short of fifty miles in. Never been done before and 330 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:27,719 Speaker 2: never been done since. See what we'll do is, if 331 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 2: you look down here, you got Gallason. This isn't the 332 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:34,639 Speaker 2: last storm that's gonna come in and wipe that place out. 333 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 3: That's not a reliable place. 334 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 2: To build your infrastructure. We'll move it up here into 335 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 2: this swamp. This y'all probably don't know this, but Houston is, 336 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:52,160 Speaker 2: for all intents and purposes, a swamp. It's mosquito infested, 337 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 2: it's humid, it's it would surprise you. 338 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:56,680 Speaker 3: It surprised you that people live. They're shocking. 339 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 2: So we're gonna dredge a deep water port. That means 340 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 2: deep water vessels, the biggest ships in the world at 341 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 2: the time that are delivering products have to be able 342 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 2: to draft in that water. This can't be a bathtub. 343 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:17,120 Speaker 2: It's got to be big enough that we can get 344 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 2: them down in there. So the opposition was well, that's 345 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 2: the dumbest idea. It's a one way street into nowhere. 346 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 2: How you going to get them back? Ah, We'll have 347 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,920 Speaker 2: an area at the end, like when you drive into 348 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,480 Speaker 2: a cul de sac, so you can make the loop. 349 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 2: We'll call it the turning basin, and we'll have them 350 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:39,960 Speaker 2: go down in there and turn around and come back out. 351 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 2: And they did. It is hard to imagine in twenty 352 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 2: twenty five how that decision affected if you live in 353 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:53,479 Speaker 2: the greater Houston area, how that decision, how that movement, 354 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:57,960 Speaker 2: how that effort changed your life, because of course you 355 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,160 Speaker 2: live in Houston. Maybe you've lived in Houston your whole life. 356 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:02,880 Speaker 3: I mean, where else would the Oilers play? What else 357 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 3: would they be named? 358 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 2: Where else would a Keen win two championships and Clyde 359 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 2: come home? 360 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 3: Where else would the Astros and Terry Pool play. 361 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:16,199 Speaker 2: If it hadn't been for that court you as you know, 362 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,359 Speaker 2: it would not be a top fifty city. 363 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:21,119 Speaker 3: I mean, yes, it's great weather that was going to 364 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 3: attract people. 365 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:33,640 Speaker 2: And yes, Mosquito see the idea of the library. I'm 366 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 2: not against libraries. I dare say I read more than 367 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:41,840 Speaker 2: ninety five percent of people. My mother was a voracious 368 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 2: reader and taught me to be. Once a week. My 369 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 2: big treat during the summer was to get to go 370 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 2: on her grocery shopping run into Orange. 371 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 3: We would go in. We would would go to the library. 372 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 2: Because groceries were last, because back then you lived in 373 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:03,119 Speaker 2: constant fear. 374 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 3: Of your milk spoiling. If you were in town and 375 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 3: your mother's friends saw you and said, stop, buy for 376 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,359 Speaker 3: a cup of coffee. My mom didn't drink. 377 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:15,919 Speaker 2: Her friend Billy Tucker, would say, stop, buy for a 378 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 2: cup of coffee. 379 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 3: Just a cup. You're right, you don't stay long if 380 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 3: you don't want to. Oh I'd love to, but I 381 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 3: got milk in the backseat. Couldn't do that. 382 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 2: You already either didn't have air conditioning in the early 383 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 2: cars I remember, or the air conditioning had wasn't worth 384 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:35,159 Speaker 2: a damn. And you certainly weren't going to leave your 385 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 2: car running outside. Oh my goodness, can you imagine leave 386 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:43,760 Speaker 2: the air conditioning on. That would not only destroy the environment, 387 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:47,399 Speaker 2: it costs you a hundred dollars. So we would go 388 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 2: in and we'd go to the library and we'd check 389 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 2: out our books, our requisite books, and bring back the 390 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 2: books we'd read before I knew where the children's section was, 391 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 2: so I'd go over there and sit. We used to 392 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 2: call it Indian style. What are they call it now, 393 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 2: Chris cross apple sauce. You know, all these things to 394 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,360 Speaker 2: do favors to the Indians are not helping the Indians, 395 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:11,440 Speaker 2: They're not. 396 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:13,640 Speaker 3: Anyway. 397 00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:17,879 Speaker 2: I'd go sit in that area until she'd find her books. 398 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 2: She'd come over and we'd go and there was miss Smith. 399 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:25,399 Speaker 2: Betty Smith played baseball against her son, Sheldon, had the 400 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:29,200 Speaker 2: biggest crush crush on her. We'd check out our books. 401 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:30,479 Speaker 2: My mom would let me do it. 402 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 3: I break thrill. We'd leave from there and we'd. 403 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 2: Do our various errands that she had for the day, 404 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 2: and then we'd go to the grocery store. The library 405 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:44,359 Speaker 2: was a happy place for me during the summer. I 406 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:47,280 Speaker 2: didn't realize until later I got on her nerves. You know, 407 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 2: you love your kids, but sometimes you don't mind stashing 408 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 2: them with ma'mll or you know, somewhere for a minute. 409 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,880 Speaker 2: And so during the summer they had the summer readers 410 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 2: or leaders, whereupon you would drop your kid off, and 411 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 2: we knew all the staff there. We would like my aunts, 412 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 2: drop me off, go inside and you'd sit there. When 413 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:14,199 Speaker 2: I was in high school, I needed to pad my 414 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:18,879 Speaker 2: resume and I wasn't wanted to teach anyway, and so 415 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 2: the library put an article in the in the Orange 416 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 2: Leader that they needed literacy teachers. 417 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 3: So I went down. I hadn't thought about this since 418 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,440 Speaker 3: that day, mom. I went down, starting as a freshman 419 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 3: through my senior year and volunteered as a literacy teacher, 420 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 3: basically just reading, basic reading and writing. I had no 421 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:43,919 Speaker 3: training in how to teach literacy. I just knew I 422 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,399 Speaker 3: could read, and I enjoyed it, and I could sipher 423 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 3: most anything. So I did. 424 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 2: And I remember, you know, looking back now, I wouldn't 425 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 2: let my kid near somebody like this, But it was 426 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 2: like a five time felon this white dude that looked 427 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 2: like I mean, he was straight out of the met trailer. 428 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 2: And I felt so sorry for this guy because I 429 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 2: knew a lot of people, I had relatives like this, 430 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:08,879 Speaker 2: and he was trying to turn his life around and 431 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 2: he'd just gotten out in part of the terms of 432 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,320 Speaker 2: his probation, he brought the documents with him for me 433 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 2: to read because he couldn't read them, or that he 434 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 2: had to do this this and this, but one of 435 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:22,919 Speaker 2: them was engage in some sort of a career training. 436 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 2: Well before he did career training, we did the library. 437 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 2: The library in Orange was and there is nothing wrong 438 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 2: with this, also a center of certain of the soft 439 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 2: social services. The problem with the library is you tie 440 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 2: up land. Every square inch that a government building owns 441 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:48,640 Speaker 2: is a square inch that the private sector who owned 442 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 2: the country. The government doesn't own the country. It's a 443 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 2: square inch that you can't develop. You can't live on it, 444 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 2: you can't build on it, you can't rent on it, 445 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 2: you can't manufacture on it, you can't do anything on it. 446 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:02,880 Speaker 2: You also take it out of production from the tax base, 447 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 2: so it costs you extra money in that way. You 448 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 2: have to air condition it. It's no small feet in 449 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:12,120 Speaker 2: a big building. You'd be surprised. You have to have 450 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 2: staff that's not cheap. You typically have to have some 451 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 2: kind of security because you only have women there at night, 452 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 2: and the Democrats will come in and rape them and 453 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 2: beat them over the head and steal any money that 454 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 2: might possibly be there. But the library is a good 455 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 2: and noble thing, or it was. It has outlived its usefulness. 456 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 2: Why is it that we can raise money for MSMD, cancer, 457 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:43,760 Speaker 2: the heart, brain function and everything else. But we can't 458 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 2: raise the money for the library. Why do we need 459 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 2: so many libraries? You ever asked this question? Oh, because 460 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 2: inner city kids need computer access. 461 00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 3: I actually agree with that wholeheartedly. 462 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 2: How about this, How about we book the amount of 463 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 2: money that we're spending in the library in the hood. 464 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:14,000 Speaker 2: We spend this on computers, but nobody connected with Rodney ls. 465 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 2: That will be sent to each kid and you'll check 466 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 2: out a computer for the year, and we'll do it 467 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 2: through the local constable's office so they'll know constables are 468 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 2: good people. 469 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:28,600 Speaker 3: And then we don't have to run the library. We 470 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 3: don't have to pay pension. 471 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 2: You know, you know, do you know how much we're 472 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 2: paying in pensions for a library for librarians over the years. 473 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 2: I don't have anything against librarians. They're buying large, wonderful people, 474 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:45,280 Speaker 2: have great experiences library. Nobody says better. Problem is they 475 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 2: don't say sh anymore. Got a library now? 476 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 3: They don't say shush. They're afraid to because the people 477 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 3: to whom they're saying shush are not going to be 478 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 3: sure just because. 479 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 2: They're not slave. So you've got you've got all this 480 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 2: money being spent, and now they'll admit it's actually just 481 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:08,480 Speaker 2: a meeting place, a community center. Okay, So if we 482 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 2: agree that in poor neighborhoods, kids deserve an opportunity, and 483 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 2: I believe they do, and that computers will help, why 484 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 2: make them get mugged on the way to the library 485 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 2: to get there. By the way, why didn't the school 486 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:23,680 Speaker 2: do it? There's no homeschooling in poor black neighborhoods anyway, 487 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 2: So it's the school. How much money you put Do 488 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 2: you know that at the school we're spending money on 489 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 2: a computer and at the library we're spending money on 490 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 2: a computer. Sounds duplicative, sounds wasteful, But think how much 491 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 2: good that kid would do if he had a computer 492 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:45,000 Speaker 2: at home instead. I'm not saying we need to buy computers, 493 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 2: but I'm saying it, rather do that than waste all 494 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 2: this money on a building, And then if you sold 495 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 2: those buildings, you'd overnight have a cash injection. 496 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 3: Wouldn't that be great? 497 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 2: There's other community gathering places, And by the way, why 498 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 2: are you taking business away from private sector businesses that 499 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 2: had hoped that they would be a community gathering place. 500 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 2: But most of all, you can't afford it, and in 501 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:17,719 Speaker 2: your home, when you can't afford things, you cut them. 502 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 2: You don't just keep screaming at the neighbors. I can't 503 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 2: afford anything, so I have to spend more money on it. 504 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 2: But they do because at the end of the day, 505 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 2: it's not leading a head of all those money. 506 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 3: It's you.