Olathe Shuts Down Six Schools, KCMO Moves Ahead with Royals and Monorail Votes | 10-2-26

0:00I hate to say it, but there was never a doubt. There's Mark once again on the local news. I'm staring out here in the studio. There was never a doubt that Olathe was going to be and go full steam ahead with closing half a dozen schools, which the school board voted on seven, nothing last night. The closure will affect five elementary one middle school Indian trail, black bob heritage. Scarborough, Tomahawk and Walnut Grove, all of those schools are going to be closing at the end of this school year. Not in, you know, five years, not in three years, not in two years. No, this is it. This is the end of it. It's done. It's over. And the audacity, some of what I heard last night, the audacity of some of the people in

1:04charge of the Olathe school board, like their CFO, John Hutchinson. I mean, the guy has the stones to get up there in front of this crowd and Mark was there. So we'll get to that here in a second. But John Hutchinson saying this last night, I mean, I almost spit out my coffee this morning when I saw this and heard this. We owe it to our teachers to become much more efficient so that we can provide them livable wage. We owe it to our students to be more efficient. So we can provide them the resources, the additional science lab that they don't have today. And in addition, we owe it to our taxpayers. Are you stopped? This is an absolute lit. This is lit, lit, lit, lit, lit. I mean, the balls on this guy, really something else. But the taxpayer and Olathe just gave you $400 million back in March. The Olathe school board has approved 250 non teaching positions since 2020.

2:09They have reduced their teacher head count during that period of time by 93. They have seen enrollment declined by 2000. And now we're going to make this about making sure we give teachers a livable wage. This is such a grift. That's what this is. They see, they're trying to tug on your heartstrings. We got to close your schools because well, we're just trying to be efficient with your dollars and make sure that we give the teachers a living wage. That's what don't you want the teachers to have a living wage? And of course, while we're at it, we'll blame the big bad people into Pika too because it's everybody's fault but our own for why we are so inefficient. Everybody else is fault. They've added managers to the tune of 12% more non teachers up 12% since 2020. Meantime classroom teachers off 6% other teachers off 6% students down 7%.

3:09And they want to get up there and get preachy about efficiencies. And this is actually about what's in the best interests of your kids. So they have their resources they need. You know what resources are? Getting a walk to school. That's a nice resource that a lot of kids don't have anymore. How many of these kids and families are going to go to different schools, maybe private school, maybe homeschool, maybe a different public school because you can transfer in Kansas? So how many more students are they going to lose in the next three to four years? Well, I can tell you right now, I've heard from parents who are in other Alaythus schools who are not getting shut down, but they're wondering what it means for their schools and they're potentially looking at like you said, Mark, other schooling options. So there's a snowball effect here to all of this. And listen, are there reasons to shut down a school or two? Absolutely. Are there times when it can make sense? Yes. But when you haven't done everything in your own power, when you haven't looked in the

4:12mirror and said, what more can we do before we disrupt families? Before we disrupt our neighborhood schools, then there's no sympathy to be had, none whatsoever. And then you have to ask yourself this. I mean, I know a lot of frustrated Alaythus parents are listening right now at 608 on a Friday morning on KCMO. I know many will listen afterwards on the podcast on Apple Spotify. Just search Pete Mundo, subscribe and you're in, you're good. But how many of you were actively involved in the last school board election? How many of you went out and voted? How many of you are going to be out voting next year? Because next year there are school board races in Alaythus. And it was a seven nothing vote last night. And next year you'll be able to vote and potentially retain four of the seven school board members.

5:13Will Babit, Brad Boyd, Claire Reagan, Stacy Yurkavik, maybe it's Yurkavitch either way. Those people are all on the ballot next year. No one shows up to these school board elections. I was looking back to some of the people that ran against these folks a few years ago. And we had them all on the show. And I'm not saying that if the school board definitely looked different, this might have gone differently. But I'm pretty confident having interviewed a lot of the people that lost in these Alaythus school board races a few years ago, things might have at least been a little bit closer. You might have had more pushback. We talked to people like Jesse Gillum, who was just a regular run of the mill, a late apparent who ran against Brad Boyd and lost. We talked to Jenny Gilmore, who ran a couple of times for a late school board in the last two cycles and lost most recently to Will Babit.

6:15We talked to I think her name was Holly Palacio. She lost to Claire Reagan. We talked to these people. But people don't get engaged. They don't vote in these races. And then they sit there and wonder, boy, what happened? Boyd, no one listens to me. I mean, that's what they do not do. 913, a 408, 795, 7 is our text line. In our studio line here on a Friday morning in Kansas City on KCMO talk radio, after Alaythus voted seven nothing last night. You couldn't even find a sympathy vote somewhere. Someone couldn't have been like, all right, final buck the trend. But here's what I'm guessing the school board knew behind the scenes. They had to all be in it together. They had to have this big grandiose unanimous vote to make it look like they were standing up together for the cause. That's what they had to do. Let's go to the phones. I know we're going to get to mark his well this morning throughout the morning. Steven in Kansas City.

7:16What do you laugh at? Good morning. Well, Pete, I kind of got conflicted feelings about this. I mean, it's sad for kids. They're going to have to go to bus. I had to go to bus every day and go to school. But the people of Alayth are getting what they voted for. I can't feel sorry for them. I mean, they constantly elect these rhinos and they don't pay attention. And this is what happens. You know, it's not a bad thing to get to shut these things down. The teachers are not doing their job. The people are voting with their feet. This is a free market. This is not something. No, but here's the thing. It's not a free market because everybody's on the hook for the bill with their property taxes. Yes, yes, but there's no one telling you that you have to put your kids into public school. Well, that's, yes, that's true. But hey, let's be honest. A lot of people can't go out there right now and say,

8:17let me fork up a few thousand dollars at least for another schooling option. Well, I just can't cry for all these bureaucrats closing a neighborhood. Closing a neighborhood school is not great. No one's crying for the bureaucrats. They're crying for the parents. Well, I mean, they're saying, oh, we're going to have to get rid of all these jobs or whatever. I mean, this is, ideally, this is what we want. We want to get rid of. But they're not saying that. They're not, they're not, if they said that they were, if they said that they were going to reduce their head count. When it comes to non-teachers, I'd say great, good place to start. And by the way, you save that money every year plus pension costs. You shut down a school. It's mostly a one time savings. I don't care how it happens. I want to reduce the large s of government and the only thing, I mean, give me a stimulus check or whatever. But at the end of the day, any reduction in government is good.

9:18But that's not happening. Thank you, Stephen. That's not happening. A building is not a government official. Mark, you were there last night. What was the vibe in the crowd? I mean, you were all over local news. I saw you on every local TV channel. What was the vibe last night in the audience? I they did a two hour presentation before the vote about why they were considering this and everybody's just kind of moaning and groaning because we've heard all this stuff from them before over the past month. So they had to push their propaganda before their vote. Oh, yeah. And it was probably for the people watching on YouTube that maybe haven't seen it or whatever. But I mean, when that John Hutchinson guy got up there, there was so many like, jeers, audible laughs. And yeah, just like things that he was saying, it was, yeah, it was kind of a jury crowd, I would say good. Snaring at them and well, do you get the sense that parents are going to be more engaged in their school board elections? Now, maybe these are people who already were.

10:19But man, I guarantee you, I guarantee you that the majority of parents in a late that who are getting impacted by this, who are upset about this, didn't vote. And I'm just betting that because the majority of people in general don't vote in these elections. There's going to be more people going for that's for sure. And especially after the boundaries are redrawn in the next couple of months when students that aren't at schools closing, they're still going to be affected and have to go to different schools now because their schools too full. Yeah, the parents are going to be even more upset here in the next couple of months, I think. They have to remember though. They have to remember you can't just forget about this thing in three months, John. This is one of the elections that you have to work the hardest on though. When I look at the school members that I'm looking at in Grandview, I'm like, we're for the children. Okay, so my there's no DRR and that's fine. Yeah, maybe there doesn't need to be, but you need to work harder to find out more about these candidates. I know who I'm voting for for president. I'm checking my account right now, you know, my debit card.

11:19Mm-hmm. That's an easy one. Yes. You are right. You are right. You are right. It is a tough election to make sense of, but hey, I don't want to make it about us, but I will. Okay. We've done our part. Okay. We interview these people. I looked at all these names that ran a few years ago against the folks that are up for re-election. And we talked to them on this show. Now listen, I can only give an elite the school board member so much time. I can't give you multiple eight minute segments, you know, leading up to an election, but we at least let you know who they are, even if we don't put them all in the air. We let you know who they are. And then the turnout's 8%. And it's like, boy, I wonder why the status quo is continuing on. They don't pay a political price for any of these irresponsible, non-efficient. That's what they are decisions. They protect their freedoms. They protect their bureaucracy. And then they tell you they're making decisions in your best interests.

12:21That's the racket. And that's exactly what they did last night in Olathe with the seven nothing school board vote to shut down half a dozen schools. 913408, 7957 is our text line. That is our studio line right here on KCMO talk radio in Kansas City. We're also now KFRU in Columbia and always on KTOP in Topeka. Coming up, speaking of votes, man, Kansas City is now going to be voting on something that you may like. Maybe you don't like. I don't know, but I only got finalized. We'll share those details coming up. So while Olathe residents need to start thinking about next year school board elections already and get their heads out of the sand and realize that a lot of these people are just putting the bureaucracy in the system over the students and the families despite what they claim. Now Kansas City and the city council there yesterday approved two ordinances that will put separate questions on the ballot next April.

13:23One would require voter approval before a city can provide financial or other material support for a large stadium or arena project. Now this will not impact the Royal Stadium project. At least not the big trance of $600 million. That's already done. But if there are other layers that need to be voted on, then potentially if that vote were to pass next April, that would be something that would have to go to the ballot after next April's election. If there's more monies that potentially need to go to the royals and that stadium, that's where there could be some impact here. It doesn't mean to be clear that the $600 million that Kansas City is giving to the royals for this new stadium is going to be magically now pulled back if there's a yes vote in April. That's not what it means. It means for future monies, for future stadium projects, it would go to a vote of Kansas

14:24Cityans, which, you know, the people had their voice heard. They petitioned for it and they got what they wanted. All right. They're not going to get anything as relates to this current Royal Stadium. But I guess in 30 years, if I'm sitting here in my late 60s, Mark is about 70 and John will be about 95 at that point. We're all talking about the next stadium in town. You're in here. I've seen here's discount. John will be falling asleep by the 630 break. Hey, it'll be a good time. My secret to making it to that one is a full aficion day. A one full aficion day keeps the doctor away, right? There you go. So that got sent through yesterday at the City Council. And then the other vote places a transportation proposal for a citywide monorail that connects the airport with several locations across the city.

15:26The plan also includes shuttle buses and extension of the street cart 18th and vine and changes some city streets. It would be funded through a new quarter sense sales tax lasting 40 years along with an extension of the city's current 3 eighths and bus sales tax for another 40 years. Both questions are eligible for the proposed April 6 ballot pending the remaining legal and election steps. So Clay Chastain is very happy right now. Clay Chastain who has ran for mayor. I think at least half a dozen times. He has been the petitioner behind the monorail plan. He said that this will be a role model for the country and quote, we're bringing Disneyland to Kansas City. He's a cookoverd. You've got to be kidding me. Now I'm going to put clay on the air this morning at 730 to make his case for how this is now the Disneyland of Kansas City. So Clay's coming on at 730. You know, he's sometimes to take you behind the scenes.

16:27Clay Chastain will sometimes call the show and want to get on the air just randomly and I'll say listen or I'll use John as my bouncer and say listen, we don't have time today. We have not fit this into the schedule. But today I reached out to Clay last night. I said, Hey, today's your moment. You've been fighting for this for 20 years. We'll give you a shot. So I will let Clay make the case for why a quarter cent sales tax, just what Kansas City needs. By the way, another sales tax for 40 years to build a monorail up to the airport is what this city really needs to be focused on right now. We can bring Disneyland to Kansas City. But it's not bring Disneyland prices. Yeah, well, the Kansas City. I'm with you there. And I think we had our shot at Disneyland when Walt Disney grew up here and then decided to leave. So that ship mail sailed. Disneyland was based on electric park. Yeah. Long time again. Well, we just don't have that floor to weather. That's what it came down to. We couldn't beat the weather. You know, that's one thing we can't do anything about here. But we'll see.

17:29I, I, I think that what's Kansas City is going to do is put both of these issues on the ballot in April and secretly want them both to fail. I don't think Mayor Q wants to be responsible for another new sales tax. And we know he does not want Kansas City voting on every stadium proposal that the city may consider going forward. So I think that they'll put the vote together on the ballot and there will be a big push on the no side for both of these issues. Even though they claim they like more mass transit, you just, you can't justify a new quarter send sales tax in this town right now while people are getting squeezed. You just can't do it. Coming up next, where was the president? He was, he was kind of in our area, not quite in our backyard, but he was in our area. So the president last night, he found himself in Texas and then he made his way up to Durance, Oklahoma for a couple of rallies. I still don't know. I mean, he's right here. You're right there. It's like 20 minutes of Air Force one to get to the Kansas border.

18:32I don't, I don't know why we can't squeeze in a little trip to Kansas here for the big guy. I don't understand it. But last night, the president made what I thought remains the strongest case for his party. And I have been critical of how the Republicans are handling themselves going into this midterm. And how it seems like they are flailing. They don't have really a consistent or coherent message. And that pains me to say, but I'm going to call it like I see it. Last night, as the president had this rally in Oklahoma, he hit on really the best talking point that he's got here. The best pitch that the president has, he shared last night and here it was. As time the radical left. Democrats had power. They gave you the worst inflation in American history. The highest energy prices in American history. The worst trade deficit in American history.

19:35They allowed 25 million people to pour across our borders from all over the world. They came from the Congo in Africa. They emptied their prisons from the Congo from all of South America. With millions of people come in from prisons and penitentiaries and mental institutions. And they freely walked across the border. We've done an unbelievable job. And Mark Wayne has done an unbelievable job. Thank you, Mark. Getting them to hell out. We've gotten the vast majority out. 11,888 killers, brutal killers, many of whom killed more than 50% killed more than one person. And they walked into our country. No problem whatsoever. So that last night from the president in Oklahoma remains his best argument. The last time you gave the other side political power, well, yes, you had the worst inflation, not ever, but in 40 years.

20:38And yes, you had, I don't know if it was 25 million, I don't know if it was 20, I don't know if it was 15. But you had way too many people coming across the border, Scott Frey, and pouring across the border. And no one there were going to be zero repercussions for breaking our country's loss. That's it. That's, that's, that's all you need to say right now. Does it mean it's going to work? Not necessarily. And by the way, sidebar, I'm glad he's not doing the demo crap thing anymore. It's like, it's what my seven year old would do. So I'm glad that's not happening. Just be like, Hey, yeah, the Democrats have bad policy. There's a reason you put me in charge. There's a reason I won every swing state. And you may not love every single thing I've done. I may let you down in a couple of ways, but we're doing our best. And you sure as heck, don't want to put those other people back in charge because of reasons X, Y and Z. That's, that's it right there. That's the argument to make. And that's right. Really, all these got to say for the next month. Doesn't mean it is guaranteed to work.

21:40No, it doesn't mean it's guaranteed to work because people are still feeling the pinch at the pump. And they're still feeling the pain. But it's the best argument to make. And noting, Hey, inflation was really bad four years ago. And while yes, prices are still sticky and wages have not really kept up over the last few years, acknowledging that is also important. Instead of whistling past the graveyard and being like, Hey, you know, it's going to be fine. It's, it is what it is. And I don't really care because we've got to do what we got to do about Iran, showing a little bit of sympathy can go a long way. And that's something that's, you know, listen, that's never really part of Trump's arsenal, so to speak. But in this specific case with a month to go, it could go a long way because I saw this yesterday, this data point came out yesterday that I think is worth sharing. The US personal savings rate fell by 0.5 percentage points in August to 4.1% the lowest level since November of 2021.

22:47Since January of 25, the figure has declined 1.6 percentage points. So when you look at these numbers, the savings rate is now at its lowest level since 2008. We all know what happened in 2008 during the Great Recession. So by comparison, before the 2020 pandemic, the average savings rate was 6%. Households are depleting their savings amid ongoing inflation. That's what's happening. So even though inflation as a percentage is like, you know, 3, 3.5%, it's certainly not anywhere close to what it was. But it doesn't mean if inflation's coming down, it doesn't mean prices are coming down. All it means is that they haven't increased as quickly as they were a few years ago. That's all it means. But people have felt now six years, six and a half years at this point of inflation stacking on top of itself. So looking at the numbers today and saying, hey, inflation's 3%, well, it's a lot better than nine.

23:49Yeah, but it doesn't mean like you don't start from zero every year, right? You just compounds on top of itself. And that's what people are feeling. So acknowledging that is oftentimes more than half the battle and then saying, by the way, we've done a good job. Can we do a better job? Sure. We've done a good job on some of these issues. And especially when it comes to shutting down that border, they have done an excellent job on that front. So can the president keep that message focused and maintain the next month? Well, listen, it's very much TBD, but at least it's a step in the right direction. 9134087957 is the text line in the studio line here on KCMO talk radio in Kansas City on a Friday morning. Great to have you here. We'll get to our six at six. We have Kendall Gamin coming up as well to talk a little chiefs. Now I do have to share this as well. If you didn't see this, there's a new ad here in Kansas around Time Master's in that Cindy Holshers campaign has dropped.

24:52She's of course running as the Democrat Time Master's in is the Republican. And where are they going back to the well of? They are going back to Sam Brown back, baby. They're breaking old Sammy boy out of the woodwork, okay? She's there's no statute of limitations on Sam Brown back usage around here. Well, I would think eventually voters would be too young to remember. Right. I was going to say eventually they're all going to be dead. It didn't hazy. I mean, I agree, John. I agree. The guy left office eight and a half years ago now, January of 18, he left to be the ambassador. So he's he's done. It's been a long time, but you know, they keep going back there to the old Brown back well. So here's what they rolled out. They rolled out old footage of Time Master's in talking about how according to Thai, I guess he had a fairly sizable role in the Brown back tax experiment in Kansas.

25:52Take a listen. Here's your old ratchet, Marceau G. We had nothing to do with the Brown back plan, which by the way, I wrote back in 2008 and 2007. People talk about the Kansas experiment. Everybody have things of tax plans. By the way, the whole thing we can open up there because that wasn't the Brown back plan. He's just got, you got blank for the Brown back plan, which by the way, which by the way, I wrote by the way, I wrote by the way, I wrote by the way. They got like a little Netflix scary music intro there, right? And the music is too hot. I mean, whoever produced that didn't do a very good job. But either way, what you saw the Cindy Holster campaign roll out there was basically an ad of Time Master's in claiming he helped write Sam Brown back's tax plan that obviously had to be revoked, had to be reversed and did not work for a multitude of reasons. Is that going to be the thing that moves the needle?

26:53Is that the big October surprise in the Kansas governor's race? I don't believe that it is. Now, that's just me because to John's point, how many people even at this point remember Sam Brown back? Now, yes, they'll be the, now listen, most of this audience does and you're probably driving a work right now. Well, of course, I remember Sam Brown back. Yeah, you do because you listen to the show. But the average casual voter is going to be like, oh, yeah, who is that guy again? To me, this is not an October surprise. To me, this kind of reeks of desperation is what this does. I'm sure they have been sitting on this for a while and they're like, okay, what do we need to do to move the needle a little bit more? And there's no downside for them here. The question is, does it move the needle enough? I mean, how many times can you try to tie people, especially Republicans, if you're Kansas Democrats, to Sam Brown back? We're going to get to the point where someone's going to be running for governor in this state in like 2040.

27:59And the comp, wow, wouldn't be 2040, be 2038, let's say, just to get my ears right. It'll be 2038 and they'll be like, yeah, this guy's kid went to school with Sam Brown back. It's going to be like that bizarre, John. I'm running for office because I remember my grandfather telling me stories about Sam Brown back. Oh, man, there's definitely going to be something. They're just going to go back to that well, time and time again until it just stops working. And I guess they figure it keeps working. So why stop right now? But if Ty can win this election, then it will also be the unofficial end of getting to tap into the well. That is every Republican is somehow tied to Sam Brown back. Listen, Laura Kelly could work in 18. Laura Kelly could work in 22. I don't think it works. I think 26 is the unofficial stopping point of when the Sam Brown back fear mongering is allowed to continue working.

28:59But I guess we'll see. That's because we all remember how well the unemployment system worked during COVID during Kansas. That was a bit. Yeah. Oh, sorry, we're out of floppy disks. Yeah. Yeah. And we had people from like South America, you know, robbing the system in Kansas because it was such a joke as I recall. That's a good point. I promise you, I have no idea what Bill O'Reilly is going to do in his morning update that he hears every morning here on KCMO at about 715. And that really worked out perfectly in the where I want to go here with this for the next couple of minutes. I love how Bill said there he goes, if you're congressman is not getting back to you, you tell me. How are we going to tell you? I mean, I can tell him. I can tell him for you. I'll drop him a note since he's a friend of the show. But Bill never said how you can tell him. Supposed to DM him. What are we doing here? Anyway, here's my question after Bill says people don't know their congressman. If you are not motivated in a lathe to know your school board after they vote seven nothing last night to close six schools, if you're not motivated to vote next year school board elections, which I know aren't sexy and no one likes to talk about.

30:12But if that doesn't motivate you, after that vote last night to look at next year's ballot, where four of the seven school board members are up for reelection will babbit Brad Boyd, Claire Reagan and Stacy Yerkovich. If you're not motivated to look at the opponents, I'm not saying vote for them, just look at them, whoever they end up being. Then you kids sit here and complain about what happened last night. You can't win these school board races have 10% turnout. And then finally when they impact you, you're like, boy, we got to pay attention. Yes, we should have been paying attention all along. That's what we should have been doing all along. So Mark was at the meeting last night where the school board voted seven nothing. And Mark, you were telling me off the air that they kind of take me through the dog and pony show the way that they were, you know, kind of sapping up their votes there at the end of the night when they were like, I vote, I vote yes, this is a tough one, but I'm going to vote yes.

31:15Yeah, they do a nice little long pause there and then yes. And then after the vote, you know, they give their sob story about why they chose their yes vote. And most of the moms had left at this point out of the room, the moms that were upset about their vote. So they were kind of just speaking to the YouTubers at that point, I think, but it was just so they were they were acting it out for so it was like watching theater class. Yeah, I could see that. And I put on their whole facade of this really burns us and we're so upset. But it was all predetermined as we talked about here like Simon Cowell and America's got talent when you didn't want to bomb somebody else. Oh, I don't know which then you to Vegas try to try to lay them down in America. Not only nicely, yeah, right. Oh gosh, I didn't stay for the superintendents remarks. So I'll have to go back and listen to it. But apparently he said that he was going to sleep well at night last night. Oh, Brent Yeager after the vote. He was sleeping well. Yeah, because he's sleeping well. Well, my daughter is crying herself to sleep. Yeah, because he probably had a big fat steak too on his way home on the taxpayer dime.

32:18That's probably why probably had a celebration. They probably went out and blew a few hundred bucks as a school board on fine red wine and big fat stakes to celebrate their seven nothing vote and then build you for it. I'm sure he slept like a baby. He really had the nuts to say that. Are you kidding me? I'm going to go back and look, but I that's what I heard. Wow. I mean, at least at least kind of pretend. Jeez, that is insufferable. Well, you've just heard from Clay Chastain, Kansas City activist, multiple time mayoral candidate on KCMO. Yesterday, Kansas City elected to move ahead with putting this on the ballot for likely April. I don't think it's guaranteed yet, but it's likely that in April, you'll be voting on a quarter-cent sales tax for 40 years on the idea of a monorail being on the ballot that connects all of Kansas City, including the airport.

33:22What do you make of it? I don't think it makes any sense. I think we're forcing a square peg into a round hole and I see no way this is a good use of taxpayer money locally or federally. Start with John and KCNOR. John, what's going on? Yeah, P, what a blast from the past man. I swear, I wish I would have you will left this kind of thing and stay there instead of keep coming back here. There is no way people in Kansas City are going to give up their cars or drive from Johnson County. Kansas City North or out east and Justin County to Union Station to park their car to ride a monorail up to the airport. That's insane. And for a tax increase to boot upon on top of all that. Yeah, thank you, John. I'm with you on the text line, Pete. Why are you so opposed to progress? A few tax dollars is a small price to pay for technology that will rock at us forward into the 1930s.

34:22That's right. Alex and Blue Springs, your next step. What's up, Alex? Man, the state that I'm furious is an understanding. I am I am boiling like a tea candle over this guy. Where did he come from with this pine? This guy, he'd make a great dope salesman. Hey, this will clear all your ills. It'll diagnose, treat and cure your problems. Just get a monorail. It'll only cost 800 billion dollars. I don't want to pay for it. I live over Blue Springs. I'm not going to take my car to a parking lot. We're the criminals that are running rampant in Kansas City. Have their choice of all the vehicles to break into in one place. I'm going to drive to the airport. I'm going to drive to the airport.

35:22This society today, we won't record. We won't record vehicles. When I heard him say, oh, well, that's what the electric buses are for. I knew this guy was off his rocker. He's got to be on some sort of drugs. All right, Alex. Let me get some other people. Point taken. Thank you, brother. I love you, man. Thank you. Oh, geez. Don't blow a gasket, Alex. Tom and Lawrence, go ahead. Tom, you taking the monorail if it gets out your way. I guess you've got a great show. If the guy wants a ride or about monorail that much, he should go to this world and ride the monorail around there. Because nobody's going to ride a monorail since the airport. And just like the one guy before, he said, you've got a parked your car by union station. How much is parking going to cost there? I go to the airport four times a year and I pay eight bucks a day for covered parking. So I don't know what the big deal is. That's the real good to this the world.

36:23Yeah. I was thinking that same thing. Just go to Disney World. That's literally the one time I can remember as a kid riding a monorail. And it was cool for about five seconds. And it was cool at 10 years old. I don't know how cool it would be at, you know, 40 when it's going to take me three times as long to get home when the last thing. Think about when you land, right? You land after a long flight, a long day of travel. You just want to get into your house as quickly as humanly possible. That's it. You do not want to be like, time to the monorail, then a train, then an electric bus, then I'll scoot her home. No, you want to get in your car and get the bleep out of there. I just don't get this sometimes. I really don't. Do you remember this story? Cheese. What was that? It was over two years ago now. I can't believe the cheese this time just flies by, doesn't it?

37:26By the way, happy right Friday. Getting ready for the chiefs and the Raiders coming up this weekend. Can't wait. They're both three and a half pretty amazing stuff. It was two and a half years ago that Kansas City social media found itself in a lot of trouble. I'm looking back on the Kansas City star story from May 23rd of 24. Actually, this radio show got noted in the second paragraph here in the Kansas City star. The title of the story was Kansas City social media manager who made Harrison Butker post no longer employed. No, it's here a social media account manager for Kansas City is no longer employed because of a post that identified chiefs kicker Harrison Butker city of residents igniting widespread controversy and accusations of doxing. Kansas City mayor, Quentin Lucas, said on Monday in the morning that the city has separated from the employee who was responsible for the message.

38:26So I, geez, two and a half years ago now that happened. And it was because obviously Harrison Butker was a conservative. It turned out after his big speech at Benedictine College a couple of years back. So of course, like everyone who didn't agree with this take went after him because that's what this country now does. And he was at the center of this weird social media post by the official KCMO X page that ended up basically doxing the city of residents for Harrison Butker. So, you know, the mayor announced hey, we're blowing this person out. They don't work here anymore and we're moving on. And the post was a simple one. It just said a reminder that Harrison Butker lives in the city at least summit. That was the post from the official KCMO account. And obviously that's wildly inappropriate. So the mayor said, hey, we moved on from this employee. They don't work here anymore. That's it. So yesterday, here's what happened. The city of Kansas City has settled a lawsuit

39:31filed by the former city social media manager for $900,000. Let me repeat that. The city settled a lawsuit with the former social media manager April Leonard because she accused the city of failing to protect her after she was blamed online for a controversial social media post involving Harrison Butker. Leonard's lawsuit alleges that she experienced discrimination based on her disability and was not provided accommodation she needed while working for the city. The lawsuit also alleged racial discrimination, retaliation, and a hostile work environment. And the city decided, yeah, let's settle this thing for $900,000, John. I didn't hear any of that having much to do with the post. Yes, right? Thank you.

40:31What ever she's talking about was true on day one of job. Yeah, till the last day, apparently. So all of their save that. Yes, exactly. So, man, this is it is, it is crazy that these are the kind of lawsuits that are getting settled by the city with your taxpayer dollars. It's a great, it's a great gift. Get a job with the city and then sue the city. Get a massive payout on the taxpayer dime and move on with your day. And the city can be in a tough spot. I will say this. I have a little bit of sympathy for the city because sometimes it's just cheaper to settle this stuff than it is to go to court. Like you actually do Ken or you can save some money doing it that way. But what drives me nuts is that at some point you got to take a stand and put your foot down and say, no, we're going to fight this because then it discourages people from doing it in the future. I'm curious, I got to believe the city is ADA compliant. So I don't know if this is a cooked up charge or what?

41:31You know what I'm saying? I'm curious about that because I don't, I can't imagine we're not ADA compliant. Yeah, I mean, without being on the legal side of this, I don't know. All I know is the whole thing is a grift. That much I know. The city would be open to lawsuits from everyone if it's not ADA compliant in different places. Yeah. So the whole thing though to me is just insane that this is what you've got the city having to settle lawsuits over. And even to the creator of Melissa Robinson, third district councilwoman, she said, quote, today's a sad day. Anytime we're doing these settlements and we're spending taxpayer dollars, it's a somber day for the taxpayer. And it is a somber day for the taxpayer. $900,000 to settle this case. And all you have to do is basically say the city was treating me like garbage. All you have to do is basically say, you know, hey, there were racial discriminations going on here, retaliation, hostile work environment. And boom, you too can get a $900,000 settlement courtesy of the taxpayer.

42:33I mean, it's a, it's a great gig. Just got to figure out how to get one. You know, that's it. That's what it's all about. So that was unfortunately some not so good news yesterday. On the national front, the president of the United States was in Texas and then Oklahoma last night. He did these back-to-back rallies and he's doing it to obviously sure up in Texas can pack Stin in the US Senate race against James Tallerico. And then in Oklahoma, he's doing it to try to sure up Mike Maisy, who is running for governor down there. I guess he couldn't find time to squeeze in a Kansas visit in between. I don't know. I don't get it, but whatever it is what it is for now. But last night, the president really made, I thought the best pitch in terms of what he really can be saying over the next 30 days or so to try to give his party a chance, a chance to really hold on to the Senate.

43:33Listen, I think the House is a foregone conclusion. It's going to the Democrats. The question is, can they hang on to the Senate for dear life? I think they can. I would bet on it right now, not confidently, but that's what I would bet on right now. And here's the pitch. As time the radical left Democrats had power. They gave you the worst inflation in American history, the highest energy prices in American history, the worst trade deficit in American history. They allowed 25 million people to pour across our borders from all over the world. They came from the Congo in Africa. They emptied their prisons from the Congo from all of South America. With millions of people come in from prisons and penitentiaries and mental institutions, and they freely walked across the border. We've done an unbelievable job and Mark Wayne has done an unbelievable job. Thank you, Mark. Getting them to hell out. We've gotten the vast majority out, 11,888 killers, brutal killers, many of whom killed more than 50 percent,

44:42killed more than one person and they walked into our country, no problem whatsoever. The pitch is really going to have to be, hey, you don't have to love everything I've done, but let's not forget why I'm here. I'm here because we had 40 year highs on inflation when the last guy was around. Come on, man. I'm going to let 10, 15, 20, 25, I don't know what the number is. 35, 30, 35. Thank you, Billy Long. Thank you very much for that. I'm having it again. 12 and a half, 15, 17, 20, $20, 2 and a half, and a half, are you back? The night before the midterms, Trump will be up to 40 million on that number, by the way. Whatever it is, it's a lot that they just let across the border. And that's going to be a reminder that the White House is going to have to bring to the people over the next month or so. That's their best argument. They've got to do it. They have no choice. But it was also, you know, Trump also has these moments like last night in Oklahoma.

45:44He's down in Durant, Oklahoma, which is like Southwest quadrant to the state down by the Red River. And he brings up just a couple of dudes on stage last night. He brings them up because what happened here is he saw them on TV on his way up to the rally. And these guys are, you know, standing there in the rain because Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, we all got hammered with the remnants of this hurricane polo. So this dude's like an upon show. And he's like, yeah, my favorite president. I'm here. I would miss this thing for the world. I'm not going to back or I'm not going to turn on this guy no matter what, right? So Trump's like he's just, he's getting super excited. He sees the interview on TV. He's fired up. People are aroused. I haven't seen people so aroused in a very, very long time. And that he gets up on stage last night in the middle of his speech. He brings these guys on stage who are just standing in the rain doing TV interviews waiting for hours to get in. And this is when Trump is at his best when he's just interacting with the folks and having moments like this.

46:49We got to get them. Where are they? You can't miss a big strong handsome Oklahoma studs. Where are you? Come up here. Come up here. Come up here. I love these guys. Come on. Wow. I love those guys. I love the panel. Man, how about it? Isn't that cool? I watch it coming in and I said, I love the other area. Oh, look at these three guys. These are studs. Come on up here, fellas. Come here. Wow. Come to daddy. You're president Trump for all you do every day. You work hard on any American I know. Absolute honor of a lifetime to move the greatest president of this country has ever had.

48:00Oh, boy. Oh, boy. That's the real deal. That's the real deal. Thank you. No, I saw them on the thing. What do you think of Trump? It's like, it was a real, it was a real people. It was a real people. You can't get better. They're the people that built the country just so you know with all the bulls**t here from all these others. Those are the people that built our country and you are those people. You are those people. Yeah, I actually heard that president Trump fired Hegseth and he hired that first guy to be the Secretary of War by the end of the night. I mean, he just said, Pete, Pete, you're done. You're done, Pete. And he brought in this guy. Yeah, he just brought in Joe Blow from Durant, Oklahoma. He's now Secretary of War. Said some nice things about Trump and then he got the job. But you know, Trump's when he's in those settings, he is at his best in those settings. It's relatable. It's funny. You're reminded as to why for many people they supported him, even if they haven't loved every single thing that he's done.

49:07And you know, I keep here in this notion of well, do people want Trump to be supporting them right now and going around the country right now with the approval ratings, you know, pretty low. If you believe those numbers, I think you have to because that's when he is at his absolute best. I think you have to get his people fired up. If you're targeted in where you're going to send them out for rallies, which is why you know, I'd put them in Southwest Kansas. I wouldn't put them in Johnson County, but I put them in Southwest Kansas. I think that would make sense right now. 9134087957 is the text line. It's the studio line here, although I did see the post from the president last night and I was like, no, it was 11 o'clock at night. And the president posted on true social Republicans in the Senate have to get moving on what I call the no more changing of clocks act, officially known as the Sunshine Protection Act, a ridiculous clock changing process that takes place twice a year, costs our country a fortune and is bad for crime, stress on people, sports and everything else you can imagine.

50:16You know me, I'm a I'm a standard time guy. I don't want permanent daylight saving time. And by the way, the Senate's not going to do this nor should they do this. I think that there's enough bipartisan pushback on this to not make this law the land and talk about low hanging fruit, by the way, there's like a million things they got to do before this. Heck, I think the college sports act protect college sports act is more valuable than this daylight saving time bill, making that permanent, but hey, that's just me. What would you do if your online store converted 36% more shoppers? You could take 36% more vacation. Another peanut carada? Yes, please. Open a new retail location with 36% more square feet. Fantastic. Higher 36% more health. You're hired and you're hired. Shopify has the world's best converting checkout up to 36% better than other e-commerce platforms. What you do with those extra sales is up to you. Switch to Shopify today at Shopify.com slash listen and get a $1 trial Shopify.com slash listen. Sanctuary of Hope changed my life. I was only 19 scared pregnant alone. They said there was only one way out. But I wanted my baby to live. I just didn't know how. Then I found sanctuary of hope. They didn't judge me.

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