Hour 2: Governor Landry won't be so "hand-ons" this legislative session

0:00At Blinds.com, it's not just about window treatments. It's about you, your style, your space, your way. Whether you DIY or want the pros to handle it all, you'll have the confidence of knowing it's done right. From free expert design help to our 100% satisfaction guarantee, everything we do is made to fit your life and your windows. Because at Blinds.com, the only thing we treat better than Windows is you. Visit Blinds.com now for up to 45% off with minimum purchase plus a professional measure at no cost, rules and restrictions apply. I'm done carrying around bulky drinks. And I'm definitely done cleaning melted candy out of my pockets. So yeah, I traded them both in for fruity rainbow five hour energy shots. These little guys are as pocket sized as any candy. But instead of a sugar crash, you get a zero sugar caffeine boost. Candy can't even compare at this point. Fruity rainbow five hour energy shots treat your taste buds to an explosion of fruity flavor. With a tasty caffeine kick.

1:00That's right, caffeine just got a flavor upgrade. And it's not just one flavor. Five hour energy shots bring you tasty caffeine and 17 flavors, 17. So if you're craving that candy flavored chaos, but actually want energy that works, grab fruity rainbow five hour energy shots, pocket sized zero sugar, big flavor. Available now at fivehourenergy.com or on Amazon. Spring times the perfect time to turn the page and refresh your home style. The only problem, it can be expensive. Luckily, there's a better way to shop while worthy pieces for less at Bob's discount furniture. Bob's negotiates with manufacturers to get you the best everyday low prices, giving the shopping power back to you. The power to get more style, comfort and quality for less on amazing pieces like stylish mid-century dining sets made for hosting those big spring branches, pop up sleeper sectionals with all the bells and whistles so you can turn any room into a guest room and next level Bobo-Pedic mattresses so you can get a great night's rest

2:01after you've finished redecorating every room. So when you're ready to spring into new style, stop into your nearest store or shop online and see how you can get while worthy style for less with Bob's discount furniture. So the Louisiana State Legislature goes into session today. So what are the priorities there? David Jacob, Senior State House reporter for State Affairs joins us and you can follow him at stateaffairs.com. David, welcome to the show. Welcome, thanks for having me. Happy session kickoff to you and all who celebrate. So David, we're not seeing traditionally what we've seen in the last two years. We're leading up to this. Jeff Landry was carrying favor with a lot of people around the state, making sure he had his ducks in a row, revealing what his interests were as it relates to this legislative session, almost kind of taken one off your thoughts.

3:01Well, he was very aggressive during those first two years and as you mentioned there, and he got a lot of stuff done. I mean, whether you agree or disagree with all of it, 90% of what he proposed he got done. That's on the tax reform area, that's an insurance. I think there's a lot of appetite now just kind of maybe not have those huge debates this year and kind of see how those things play out. I mean, the tax reform we're just now getting into the first tax year where it's really gonna matter. So we'll see going forward how that plays out in terms of revenue. We're starting to see maybe some movement in the insurance world after they did 50 something different bills on that this term. So it does seem like the governor is really taking a bit of a step back for this session. And maybe kind of letting the legislature lead a little bit this year. Yeah, and I agree with you whether you are pro-Landry or not, you have to admit that he took a very aggressive stance

4:03on a number of different bills, really serving as a disruptor to some of the ways that we have traditionally done things in Louisiana for a long, long time. With that, you know, you bruise some folks up and probably not a bad idea to just kind of sit on the sidelines for a session. Yeah, he's spent a lot of political capital in those first two years. And yeah, I think, again, the governor may make a full look silly by dropping a huge bombshell in a couple hours, but I don't think so. I think he's gonna be, I think he's gonna be, now he's still going to be hands on because that's just how he worked. But he's not going to be, I think, not going to be maybe driving, maybe not driving the bus to the same extent that he was in the first half of the tour. Yeah, I was a little surprised to hear some of the dialogue going back between the president of the Senate, Cameron Henry and the governor on an eighter program.

5:07There's a desire to increase that to double, I think, the amount of money available to them. And the president of Senate, Cameron Henry is saying, we should maybe see how this plays out. We haven't seen the full impact yet of what we did. Let us see how that works because I think the numbers of folks that have taken advantage of it are still yet to reveal themselves and he wants to be a little bit more cautious. Sure, sure. And obviously Cameron has been very much the face of skepticism for the Forthificator voucher program. It's not like he's out here freelancing. I mean, there's a lot of people who are concerned, you know, setting aside how much the governor is asking for this year. There's a lot of concern that the program is just going to grow exponentially, you know, in future years. And the governor is trying to tamp down on that, but there's a lot of skepticism,

6:08but it's not just Cameron, even in the House, there is some skepticism about how the program might grow. And I do think there are a lot of folks who are concerned about taking on new recurring expenses just in general. Lots of people would like to cut the income tax rate further. They'd like to see it go to zero in a perfect world. And so I think there is a lot of thoughts this year in like, let's not add a lot of recurring expenses so that we can maybe have the luxury to cut income taxes maybe next year and still do it in a fiscally responsible way that's not going to create huge deficits. Do you think we'll see any kind of bill about cutting income taxes this year? So that's a really good question because I think a lot of people are under the misconception that you can't do tax policy in a non-fiscal session

7:11like we have in even number years. That's not the case. There are bills that have been filed that would eliminate the income tax or maybe take the Mississippi approach, which is basically we passed legislation this year that doesn't eliminate the income tax entirely this year, but it sort of puts us on that road to do a little by little in the future. Now Cameron kind of poured a little cold water on that idea when I approached it with him. His idea is let's cut the income tax rates, let's see what happens and then a couple of years later maybe we'll cut it again. He spoke to me that maybe he'd like to see get that 3% rate down to 2.5%. I just don't expect that we'll see it during this session. There's been some chatter about a special session towards the end of the year. I would guess more likely in next year's fiscal session, which is also going to be an election year.

8:12So lots of people would love to be able to say they eliminated the income tax in an election year. So I would say next year is more likely, but I wouldn't dismiss it. David, we're revisiting with David Jacob Senior Statehouse reporter for State Affairs. David, I'm sure that you heard and watched the Jan Molar Director of Invest in Louisiana Speech the other day I did. Because what was interesting, he was quoting budget officials that are forecasting a $329 million shortfall in fiscal year 2728, a $614 million shortfall in $28.29 and just shy of a billion dollars in $29.30 with looking at those kind of numbers, how do you even contemplate another cut in state income taxes? Well, that's a great question.

9:12And that's exactly the point that I think Jan was trying to make a part of his point. I don't want to speak to him, of course. Now what a lot of lawmakers will tell you is like, we feel like the economy is growing. We feel like we've got all these projects coming in. We feel like the tax reform that we have already done will perhaps lead to more revenue because it'll accelerate fiscal revenue growth because it'll grow the economy. Now, we'll see how that plays out, but that's kind of what they're at least hoping for. Is it they're hoping to see enough revenue growth from the growth of the economy that it will make those discussions more feasible? And again, if you pass a law next year that says we're going to lower income tax rates over time, a little bit at a time, then that kind of allows you to not to be cynical,

10:14but allows you to take credit for it while kicking the actual fiscal impact down the road. Yeah, you know, hope's not a strategy. Sure. But the fact of the matter is until we turn around, in my view, and I'd love to hear your thoughts, until we turn around this out migration being greater than in migration or where we have zero migration, you know, we're at a standstill. I mean, we got to turn those numbers around in a big way. I think to really move the needle economically here and a number of the projects. I mean, they've been very successful, LED, not to take anything away from what they've been able to accomplish has been huge, but it could be three to five years before we experience any of the big oomph that they're going to bring to the table, right? Yeah, and I think you're hitting on exactly where that debate will go. Because people will try, and people are trying this year, and people will try next year

11:15to further slash income taxes. So I think you're teeing up very well, the debate that's going to happen. I mean, not that I'm opposed to it, because I'm not, but I am a realist. And, you know, the worst thing you could do is take it away, you know, or give it and then have to take it away. Yeah, I mean, yeah, that never bodes well. Sure, sure, sure, yeah. So there will be, it'll be something, go ahead. I'm sorry, go ahead. No, go ahead, go ahead, finish your point, Paul. Well, I was just going to say that, I mean, I think that the debate, the debate that's going to happen. And again, you know, politically, it can just become irresistible to go down that road. You know, if you set it up in such a way where the fiscal impact isn't going to hit you right away that it'll maybe be before a future term, to worry about, even a future governor has opposed to the current folks that are in charge.

12:17Now, this session, I think, is going to be a defining moment for the city of New Orleans, although they may not have a huge legislative agenda, but they do want to tweak some things that fundamentally just change governance. And, you know, in my thoughts are, it's probably time to try these things because what we've been doing for years hasn't been working. And if we want to get closer to the folks that are actually voting people in, I can think of no better way than to adopt some of these measures and let them take over the responsibility, especially when it comes to sewage and waterboard. This has historically been a mess, and they're uncovering so many other messes. It's absolutely incredible. Yeah, well, I mean, I think you hit on the exact argument that folks are going to make. It's like, whatever you're doing now, isn't working. So, you know, let us give it a whirl for a while.

13:18I do think that there's also a constitutional amendment that Senator J. Morris has proposed that would basically allow the governor to recommend suspension or removal of a judge or a DA that the Senate could then affirm with a two-thirds vote. That's not a New Orleans-focused measure specifically, but I think a lot of people will be thinking about the New Orleans area as they take up that debate. Interestingly, there are a number of states that have that provision, right? I don't know how many. I want to say Florida is one, but there are probably others like I couldn't name off the top of my head, but I think Florida is one of the models for that bill. I've spoken to the Senator Morris about it in a while, but I believe Florida is one of the states he mentioned. So, David, let's pivot back to the city. How receptive, you think?

14:18I mean, they're facing a Republican Senate-controlled, Senate-Republican-controlled house, supermajority in both chambers. How receptive do you think they're going to be to some of the requests that are being made by the city in New Orleans? Request from the city. I mean, that would be, I would think they would at least listen. I mean, people don't see, people outside of New Orleans, they will talk about the city as a financial engine for the state at all, and then the part part of the state's brand. So, if folks from New Orleans are pushing for stuff, I think they'll listen. How receptive they'll be. I mean, that remains to be seen, but it's definitely, as you know, I mean, New Orleans is definitely, and going way back, people have always said, well, why did New Orleans have all these exceptions that other people don't have? Why are so many New Orleans-specific statutes

15:21exist on the book? So, I think people are ready to have that conversation. I can't say I'm ready to predict where it will go. Yeah, you know, it was interesting. I was talking about the situation that came to the forefront with Essence Fest, being behind and paying the convention center and some of the other contractors that put on the event and the state gives them $9 million. And I don't disagree with state officials that say, wait a minute, why are we given $9 million to an organization at stiffing a state organization in New Orleans Convention Board, you know, Convention Center? And then some of our vendors here who are trying to hold on and, you know, make a living, employ our people and everything else. Why are we doing this? This is not a good look. I couldn't agree more. These are the kind of things, though, that occur, you know, here that just don't bode well for the city. And, you know, they're gonna have to go about ensuring

16:25and making sure that they minimize these hiccups, so to speak, because it just makes it really hard for them to go to Baton Rouge, to go to the Bond Commission, or otherwise, and try and sell things that are, I think, absolutely necessary, your thoughts. Well, yeah, and, you know, that controversy specifically, in the grand scheme of things, it might not be a huge amount of money, but I think you're absolutely correct that it makes those other asks that local officials would like to make. It makes it that much more difficult and just sort of creates a vibe, if you feel, of like, do we really want to send more money to New Orleans? Yeah, it's gonna be an interesting, I think it's gonna be an interesting session. There may be a curve ball or two, there always is, right? Sure, sure, sure. Absolutely. We will check in with you later in this session, for sure, David Jacobs, senior state house reporter,

17:26would state affairs. Thank you so much for joining us today. I truly appreciate your time and your insight. My pleasure, thank you. Thank you, sir. We'll be right back 504-260-1870. On the Oakwood Art Jewelers talk in text lines, stay with us. At Blinds.com, it's not just about window treatments. It's about you, your style, your space, your way. Whether you DIY or want the pros to handle it all, you'll have the confidence of knowing it's done right. From free expert design help to our 100% satisfaction guarantee, everything we do is made to fit your life and your windows. Because at Blinds.com, the only thing we treat better than Windows is you. Visit Blinds.com now for up to 45% off with minimum purchase plus a professional measure at no cost, rules and restrictions apply. I'm done carrying around bulky drinks, and I'm definitely done cleaning melted candy out of my pockets. So yeah, I traded them both in for fruity rainbow five-hour energy shots. These little guys are as pocket-sized as any candy. But instead of a sugar crash, you get a zero sugar caffeine boost.

18:29Candy can't even compare at this point. Fruity rainbow five-hour energy shots treat your taste buds to an explosion of fruity flavor with a tasty caffeine kick. That's right, caffeine just got a flavor upgrade. And it's not just one flavor. Five-hour energy shots bring you tasty caffeine and 17 flavors. 17. So if you're craving that candy flavored chaos, but actually want energy that works, grab fruity rainbow five-hour energy shots. Pocket-sized, zero sugar, big flavor. Available now at fivehourenergy.com or on Amazon. Spring times the perfect time to turn the page and refresh your home style. The only problem, it can be expensive. Luckily, there's a better way to shop well-worthy pieces for less at Bob's discount furniture. Bob's negotiates with manufacturers to get you the best everyday low prices, giving the shopping power back to you. The power to get more style, comfort, and quality for less on amazing pieces. Like stylish mid-century dining sets made for hosting those big spring branches,

19:32pop up sleeper sectionals with all the bells and whistles so you can turn any room into a guest room and next level Bobo-Pedic mattresses. So you can get a great night's rest after you finish redecorating every room. So when you're ready to spring into new style, stop into your nearest store or shop online and see how you can get well-worthy style for less with Bob's discount furniture. This is attorney Amida Zari from Zari Law. If you've been injured in an accident and feel like no one is fighting for you, it's time to fight back. Paul Zari Law at 888-838-Hurt, that's with one call you can put a proven legal team on your side. Zari Law has been serving the DMV for over 15 years, proudly fighting for our local community. I was born and raised right here in the DMV, and my team is made up of experienced, reputable local attorneys dedicated to fighting for injury victims just like you. Follow us on all social platforms at azari.law. That's a-z-a-r-i-dot-l-a-w.

20:33Don't wait, don't settle. Fight back with Zari Law. With offices in Maryland, DC, and Virginia, my team and I are ready to stand up for you. Paul, 888-838-Hurt, that's 888-828-HURT. And let us fight back for you. Welcome back folks, with home mortgage rates 30 year, hovering around 6%, 15 years somewhere between 5, 4, 5, 5, 5 and a half percent. Folks, experiencing a little angst and anxiety as to where this is all going, you know, all of the stuff that's going on around the world right now, just increasing that angst and anxiety. Mark Burridge, Senior Vice President of Penfed Home at Penfed Credit Union, joins us about the results of some survey as to what Americans are thinking. And what are they worried about? Is there a top list of when they're thinking about buying a home? Mark, welcome to the show.

21:36Oh, glad to be here. Thank you. So, Mark, I guess you would agree, a little angst and anxiety out there, things are moving around a little bit. They seem to dip and then they go back up and then they dip again and people not sure what to do and when to do it. What did you all find in this survey that really struck you? People's primary concern, it all has to do with affordability. Everything after just seems to be a symptom, but understanding what they can afford from the overall mortgage payment, that includes the taxes and interest and down payment, but also closing costs. You know, of course, the interest rates and home values play a role in that, but it's all, you know, those are all what they're looking at of just how can they afford something in the market they're in and how can they maximize value? And with that, how do they end up overcoming these fears? I mean, the math is the math, right? And do they modify their lifestyle?

22:38What are they doing if they're kind of on the edge? Can I afford this? Can I not? How do they get through that process? What are you seeing? Well, I'd say that the people that look to their budget first and kind of determine what that affordability is. And taking into account, you know, you can get pre-approved, but that's going to tell you how much you're going to qualify for. But if not specific to your budget, you can understand, you know, some people want a bigger house and they're willing to forego other things and vice versa within it. You have to really tailor it towards that. So when you decide you become a home buyer, go in and do that initial part of the research and also look at what type of home you want, you know, what how many bedrooms, what area of town, what other things are the important to you. And if you can get those things to match up, then you're in a pretty good situation to buy. Mark, for us down here, homeowners' insurance has been a real big challenge because we're kind of in the hurricane zone, so to speak.

23:38And I think that's the emblematic of what you're talking about. It's not just the price at some of these other issues, but it takes some time for that type of market to move in a positive direction for homeowners. What do you find that people are doing in the interim? In the interim, if you're looking for people that are out looking at home buying, what I would recommend they do is, again, when they're factoring all this in, you don't want to get it to where it's just right just enough or you can afford it because, you know, insurance can go up, taxes can go up. You're going to have home maintenance, you're going to have things related to the yard, make sure that you have a, you know, at least three to six months in an emergency fund, make sure you have a little bit of money for a maintenance fund heading in, making sure you have that going in because there will be ups, there will be downs, it's a part of homeownership, it's a part of life in general within it, but just making sure that you maintain that flexibility and focus on what's important.

24:40Is there a point in the process where you find that borrowers get a little antsy, little uneasy? Really, it's in the beginning that I've seen. It's just really understanding rates in how closing costs can affect that and how much they're paying for that rate and factoring in their down payment, and that's really the thing that's stopping a lot of people from moving forward. Since I've been in this industry, everybody always looks at interest rate, but it's also very important to look at how much it's costing you to get into the home first, for sure. But, you know, the rate in and of itself, I tell people don't focus too much on that, do as it relates to what your payment will be in budget, but don't try to time the market. It's not so many conversations where people just, or interest rates are going to go up, are going to go down quite frankly, nobody knows. There's a lot of factors that are involved with it that can change at any moment, so it's just more about affordability and determining when you're ready. When it comes to financing and the purchasing of a home, how important is

25:46your credit score? Credit score is very important. It's a difference between getting the most optimal rate and then having a rate that's just a little bit higher within it. So, would tell people like when they're doing that research in the beginning, they're looking at their budget, also make sure their credit is in order. And, you know, for advice along the way, find a lender you can trust, or you can ask these questions too very specific, because one person's idea of good credit may not be another's and vice versa for bad credit. So, it's always good to just kind of get the information from experts. And I guess there's an art to pretty enough your credit score, right? Absolutely, that's making your payments for sure. That's one of them. That's one clear way. Yeah, clear way, but again, if you're far enough in advance, so I tell people if you want to buy a home and you're a little bit farther out, that's all part of the research you understand of what accounts to keep open, what to close. And, you know, a lot of this stuff, I mean, the beauty

26:48of now, a lot of it is available online, so they can get a lot of the information on, you know, how to establish credit, if they don't have it, how to build it, you know, how what a debt to carry, you know, that's all part of it heading in. But, you know, don't let it be analysis paralysis, if you have established credit and you want to really find out, it's a good opportunity to get some advice. So, if someone was planning to purchase a home like within the next year, is there some things that they should be doing right now? A lot of things we talked about, really determining that affordability, looking at your budget, I can't stress that enough with people laying in the down payment and how much it's going to cost, and is that going to deplete your funds? Because you should have reserves, just general in life, you should have them available for you. But, and then, you know, that's why it's important at front to begin work with somebody you can trust, but also somewhere where you can get some trusted advice, articles, you can get content out there, there's a lot of videos, and just making

27:50sure you're doing that research heading in. That way, when you're ready to go in that home buying process, the stressful part is buying the home, but everything else you've already planned for. And Mark, this is going to sound like a crazy question, but I've actually counseled people, and I find a lot of times that people, when they're putting together that budget, they're not honest with themselves. And when you go through a line item, by line item, I don't know what your experience is, that the budget goes up 20 percent, because they hadn't been truthful to themselves or what they actual cost are. You're thoughts? Oh, I've heard that so many times, and how many people have much money they're paying on subscriptions when they start looking through it. That's always one that comes back with how much they can save. You know, about, you know, are you willing to give up a few of your premiums to go in and do that? But, yeah, it's a good exercise, I mean, in life in general. I mean, to just go through, especially nowadays, where we get the free trials and things go up, or we look at how much we're paying for food, anything. It's a good recurring thing,

28:53definitely when you're buying a home, but people, what you're saying is so true. Yeah, it's amazing that something as simplistic as that, if you're not honest about it, I don't know what you think is going to happen when you sign on a dotted line. I mean, you know, all of that is not going to go away. It's going to come back to haunt you. Absolutely. You're not going to be living off top ramen and water, for sure. I mean, you've got to be honest with yourself on what your, what your current spending level is. Now, there are a number of different financial institutions that you can go to, right? There's a whole host of them. Let's talk about that for a moment. Yeah, you have your independent lenders who, in many cases, they're not associated with a bank. A lot of them are bigger, but some of the smaller ones are more likely to sell your mortgage to one of the bigger ones from a servicing standpoint. You have banks, and then you have credit unions,

29:54which is what I'm a part of. And from the credit union world, it kind of differentiates that they're member-owned, not-for-profit, and they are, there's no shareholders, there's no dividend payout. You know, the money that credit unions may go back to the member, go back in lower product, lower rates and fees, which is why credit unions usually are very competitive in that front. Why a lot of people don't know that is we don't spend hundreds of millions of dollars on marketing. You know, it's very member-based, member-value, instead of trying to pull people in with that, the money's going right back into, you know, the savings that they can get on products and fees. Now, do you have to be a member of that credit union in order to borrow from that credit union? Yes, in all cases, you have to be a member of, and some have different criteria, like with Tenchette, we are universal. Anybody can become a member. You just have to join. And then once you join your open to all the other products, but credit unions in general, some have a little bit more stricter policies than others.

30:57Right. So you just, and a lot of it is kind of employment-based, would that be fair to say? For, I mean, like if you're in a certain occupation, you know, they may have a relationship with a credit union, or if you're part of a union, they're affiliated with the credit union. Yes, teachers, military-based, a lot of that is out there. You know, it just depends. Some are just, if you live on a certain court, or if you're from a certain jurisdiction, certain county, certain municipality, there's a whole different flavor on there. Like if Tenchette were universal, if somebody wants to come in, and we're still offering it to be member-owned in everything, but for other credit unions where people have, they just have to look at the membership criteria, which they all offer online. So where would people go to learn more about what's offered? For us, you'd go to Tenchette.home slash mortgage. And in there, I'm sorry, Pippet Hour, we have Tenchette.org slash mortgage,

31:59and there you'll see more about Tenchette Home, where we offer the mortgage, and also can help you find a real estate agent. And if you do that with us, we can to a trusted network that we use, you know, pay no origination fee, no appraisal fee. We can also help you with refinance and HELOC along the way. But if you're 12 months out, if you're six months out, we still want to help you. You can talk to one of our purchased advisors. We have articles, content online calculators. It's all about making sure that we have the right value for our members, because we don't just want to get them in the mortgage. We want to keep them happy in their home. But for you, they have to go through an application process to join the credit union. For PINFED, the application process is they put in their information. We have universal charter. So if anybody can become a member of PINFED. Right. Alrighty. Mark Burge, Senior Vice President of PINFED Home at PINFED Credit Union. Thank you so much for joining us today. We truly appreciate your time and your insight.

33:02Thank you very much. I enjoyed it. Thank you. We'll be right back. 504-260-1870 on Eoclid Heart Jewelers Talk and Textline. At Blinds.com, it's not just about window treatments. It's about you. Your style, your space, your way. Whether you DIY or want the pros to handle it all, you'll have the confidence of knowing it's done right. From free expert design help to our 100% satisfaction guarantee, everything we do is made to fit your life and your windows. Because at Blinds.com, the only thing we treat better than Windows is you. Visit Blinds.com now for up to 45% off with minimum purchase plus a professional measure at no cost. Rules and restrictions apply. I'm done carrying around bulky drinks. And I'm definitely done cleaning melted candy out of my pockets. So yeah, I traded them both in for fruity rainbow five-hour energy shots. These little guys are as pocket-sized as any candy. But instead of a sugar crash, you get a zero sugar caffeine boost. Candy can't even compare at this point.

34:03Fruity rainbow five-hour energy shots treat your taste buds to an explosion of fruity flavor with a tasty caffeine kick. That's right. Caffeine just got a flavor upgrade. And it's not just one flavor. Five-hour energy shots bring you tasty caffeine and 17 flavors. 17. So if you're craving that candy flavored chaos. But actually want energy that works? Grab fruity rainbow five-hour energy shots pocket-sized zero sugar big flavor. Available now at five-hour-energy.com or on Amazon. Springtime is almost here. And if you've been itching to redo every room in your home, Bob's discount furniture can help. When you shop at Bob's, you get well-worthy everyday low prices on fabulous furniture for every room. Everything from stylish mid-century dining sets and top-rated Bobo-Pedic mattresses with the best warranties in the business to pop up sleeper sectionals all for a fraction of what they cost elsewhere. So stop in your shop online and get well-worthy pieces for less. Only it bobs. This is attorney Amida Zari from Zari Law. If you've

35:10been injured in an accident and feel like no one is fighting for you, it's time to fight back. Paul Zari Law at 888-828-Hurt. That's what one call you can put a proven legal team on your side. Zari Law has been serving the DMV for over 15 years, proudly fighting for our local community. I was born and raised right here in the DMV, and my team is made up of experienced, reputable local attorneys dedicated to fighting for injury victims just like you. Follow us on all social platforms at azari.law. That's a-z-a-r-i-dot-l-a-w. Don't wait, don't settle. Fight back with Zari Law. With offices in Maryland, DC, and Virginia, my team and I are ready to stand up for you. Call 888-828-Hurt. That's 888-828-HURT. And let us fight back for you. Get more out of every mile when you share the ride to work. With carpooling, you'll have time to

36:11relax, save money, and pick up new friends. commuter connections can help you find carpool partners who live and work near you. Even if you're commuting just a few days a week, it's a free service. Carpooling. Every dollar saved. Every friend made. Register for free carpool partner ride matching at commuterconnections.org, or call 800-745-RIDE. That's commuterconnections.org. Stay with us. Well, on a text line, you know, the folks that suffer from Trump derangement syndrome, nobody believes that you didn't get this editorial. They're talking about what my monologue from either the Heritage Foundation or the Federalist Society. How much are they paying you? Finally, if you don't apply the same mentality to the proud boys of the oath keepers, you might be fascist. I don't care what organization that's out there, what they call themselves, how they are aligned, whether they're antifa, this, that, or otherwise, that are wreaking

37:14havoc in our community and disrupting our way of life. I don't care who they are. I'm going to talk, I'm going to speak out against them. First off, I'm not paid by any of these people. I bring them on as one perspective on issues. It doesn't necessarily mean their perspective is right, wrong or indifferent, right? But if you were to just listen to what I had to say, I was quoting a government employee, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, who, and I think it's a quasi-governmental agency, if my memory serves me collect, that was talking about that there is approximately 18,000 unaccounted force suspected terrorists hiding on U.S. soil. Now, he didn't say that all these terrorists are from foreign countries,

38:21very much could be DTOs, domestic terrorist organizations that are here as well, that are in that number. And I never led folks to believe one way or the other, but what they did go on and report on, and I quoted it as well, was the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Justice report back in June that outlined a bunch of what I talked about as well. So another government source as it relates to some of the challenges that we have in dealing with terrorists who are on the soil of our homeland, the United States of America, and that we should be concerned. And I don't care if there's a D or an R in the presidency when it comes to this issue because this is a safety and security issue, we should all be concerned. Instead of trying to deflect and say, well, we should apply the same mentality to the proud boys. Well, that goes without saying,

39:24if they're engaged in criminal behavior, they should be arrested and put in jail, just like any other terrorist. The difference here with folks that are here domestic and others is that the others are here by invitation. There's a privilege that's granted to them to come to this country. And the big issue is, how much vetting should we do on the front end, especially from countries that we know are developing sleeper cells within our country? How probative should we be before we allowed them the privilege of setting foot on the soil of the United States of America? Now, you might be upset, and I suspect maybe you are, and you're tired of hearing, myself and others say that the quagmire that was created by the Biden administration

40:31belongs square on the chest of the Democrats. They defended him. They defended his mental acuity to the bitter end. There was no issue at the border. There was no crisis. Everything was good. They knew exactly what they were doing, how they were doing it, and what the ultimate outcome was going to be. I'll just take them at their word. If that's the truth, then they had malintent, because the outcome has been pretty damn ugly. And we have jurisdictions across this country that may not ever recover from the economic disaster that they're experiencing right now. And I know that we'll have this left leaning study, this right leaning study. I just say use a little bit of common sense. That's why I keep

41:34going back to over 40% of the people that live in this country, live below the federally identified poverty level. Why would we want more? And if we have to have more, why wouldn't we do it in a targeted way to fill specific jobs that we need filled? Whether that's the 3%, the 1.5%, in the agricultural industry of the total employment there that we need to pick avocados or whatever. Why wouldn't we just target that and do a migrant worker program to fulfill that where we document them not only coming in, we document them going out at the end of the season. And for the farmers that bring them in, if they're not able to document them to bring them out, then they suffer some kind of monetary consequence. This is not really hard to craft these programs. The problem is

42:43is that we have two sides of the aisle working at odds with one another. Because one doesn't want to move them back across the border as a migrant worker. They want them to stay in. This wasn't a problem 30 years ago. We seem to work it out. We had everybody we needed to pick avocados. We had all the micro workers we needed. That's the issue is whether or not we have a desire to do it. We don't. We have one side of the aisle that has no desire to do it. And we have members of the other side of the aisle that have no desire to do it at all as well. It would be less than honest if I didn't point that out, especially those from agricultural states. They don't want to consume the political capital. They just want that issue to go away. In any end, we all don't want to pay six or seven dollars for ahead of lettuce like they do in Europe.

43:46I get it. But let's stop talking around this issue and let's own what we need to own relative to this issue. And just a tinge of honesty will go a long way. We'll be right back. When we return after the top of the hour news break, we'll visit with Guy Williams, Chairman and CEO of Gulf Coast Bank and Trust. At Blinds.com, it's not just about window treatments. It's about you, your style, your space, your way. Whether you DIY or want the pros to handle it all, you'll have the confidence of knowing it's done right. From free expert design help to our 100% satisfaction guarantee, everything we do is made to fit your life and your windows. Because at Blinds.com, the only thing we treat better than windows is you. Visit Blinds.com now for up to 45% off with minimum purchase plus a professional measure at no cost, rules and restrictions apply. I'm done carrying around bulky drinks. And I'm definitely done cleaning melted candy out of my pockets. So yeah, I traded them both in for fruity rainbow five hour energy shots. These little guys are as pocket sized as any candy.

44:51But instead of a sugar crash, you get a zero sugar caffeine boost. Candy can't even compare at this point. Fruity rainbow five hour energy shots treat your taste buds to an explosion of fruity flavor with a tasty caffeine kick. That's right. Caffeine just got a flavor upgrade. And it's not just one flavor. Five hour energy shots bring you tasty caffeine and 17 flavors, 17. So if you're craving that candy flavored chaos, but actually want energy that works, grab fruity rainbow five hour energy shots, pocket sized zero sugar, big flavor, available now at fivehourenergy.com or on Amazon. This is attorney Amida Zari from Zari Law. If you've been injured in an accident and feel like no one is fighting for you, it's time to fight back. Paul Zari Law at 888-828-3RT just with one call. You can put a proven legal team on your side. Zari Law has been serving the DMV for over 15 years, proudly fighting for our local community. I was born and raised right here

45:57in the DMV and my team is made up of experienced, reputable local attorneys dedicated to fighting for injury victims just like you. Follow us on all social platforms at Zari.law. That's a-z-a-r-i-dot-l-a-w. Don't wait. Don't settle. Fight back with Zari Law. With offices in Maryland, DC and Virginia, my team and I are ready to stand up for you. Call 888-828-3RT. That's 888-828-3RT. And let us fight back for you. Get more out of every mile when you share the ride to work. With carpooling, you'll have time to relax, save money, and pick up new friends. commuter connections can help you find carpool partners who live and work near you. Even if you're commuting just a few days a week, it's a free service. Carpooling. Every dollar saved. Every friend made. Register for free carpool partner ride matching at commuterconnections.org or call 800-745-ride. That's commuterconnections.org.

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