Justin Barclay Show - Guest Host: James Dickson (910AM) 12-13-24

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello Detroit, Good morning Michigan. This is nine ten am.
This is the superstation. We're broadcasting out of Southfield. You
might be able to tell I am not Justin Barclay.
My name is James David Dixon. I'm a good friend
of Justin Barclay. I'm an often times guest on the show.
And today, just like last Friday, I'm filling in for Justin,

(00:26):
and today our thoughts are with Justin. Justin is out
celebrating a life. Right now, we should all celebrate life.
And anyone who has suffered loss, and I'm sure anyone
who can hear my voice has suffered loss. I think
it would be nice if we all made the commitment. Look,

(00:47):
when you lose people, you're going to be sad. I
can promise you that even if you weren't on great
terms before the loss, that part you can't change. We're
all going to die someday. The question is are we
going to live before we do? And the question is
will we carry regret into that day? And my answer

(01:09):
is we don't have to. We don't have to if
we can commit to the moment. If you're with someone,
you're with them. You're not scrolling your phone. If you're
meeting someone, you're not looking over your shoulder to see
who else is out there. You're in the moment with
your people. But yeah, we are thinking about justin today

(01:33):
as he does that. It strikes me as odd, and
it might strike you as odd that in the year
of our Lord twenty twenty four, almost at the end
of it, almost twenty twenty five, it seems to me
that we're at peak tolerance. Yet all we hear is
about how divided we are, and political divides and racial

(01:57):
divides and the battle of the sexes. Two thousand and eight,
America elected our first black president, Barack Obama. I remember
being out on election night. I was a young reporter
at the Detroit News back then, went out with some
friends in Detroit. Almost didn't go out at all because
I'd forgotten my I lost my wallet at home, and

(02:19):
just as a man, you don't feel right going out
with no money in your pocket, and so I was
going to stay home. Some friends encouraged me to just
come out and out and meet him anyway, and so
I was there. He got to hear the loud whoop
in the bar when Obama won, and when the realization
set in that America had killed one of its psychic vampires.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
It had atoned in a sense.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
That's what we all thought for its original sin of
racism and slavery, and the idea that some people were
more worthy of being American and others were not. In
two thousand and four, of the people of Michigan, myself included,
my parents included, voted to ban gay marriage and even

(03:07):
civil unions. We decided that marriage is what it sounds like.
It is what God described in the Bible, one man,
one woman, male and female. He created them. Then more
than a decade later, June twenty fifteen, the US Supreme
Court overruled us all and in Michigan and every other

(03:29):
state that an outlaw gay marriage. The US Supreme Court
said that gay marriage was now the law of the land.
So in just seven years, America had the progress that
people had been after for decades, even for a century.
We were told that these things at the first black
president that accepting the idea that love is love and

(03:52):
letting people just marry who they love, we were told
that these things would put us on the right side
of history. And when we were given the chance to
go there, we ran there. We ran to be on
the right side of history. And what was our reward
in the fifteen years since Obama took office. In the

(04:13):
almost decades since we've had gay marriage, we somehow get
more racism talk than we got during slavery in the
Civil War, and we get more sex talk and more
sexual weirdness than ever. This is James Dixon here filling
in for Justin Barclay this morning. The other day, the
US Health Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, they

(04:36):
promoted pan sexual in pan Romantic Pride Day. They took
time out of their busy schedules fighting the opioid crisis.
What we're told is a crisis of gun violence. We
even have more suicides than we do gun murders in America.
That's how bad the crisis is, is that we turn
the guns on ourselves. They took time away from the

(05:00):
portion crisis to celebrate sin and so all these years later,
when it's way too late to do anything about it.
That's going to be a theme of this show, when
it's way too late to do anything about it, the
Left admits the truth love is love was always a
cover story. Seems to me, we don't hear much or

(05:23):
see much about love. These days, it's more about drag
Queen's story Hour that nowadays your elementary school kid can't
even opt out from. And so now we see the
real truth. Lust is lust. In two thousand and four,
people were saying, keep the government out of my bedroom.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
I disagree.

Speaker 1 (05:47):
We knew that there's implications from what happens in that
room to what happens in the rest of your life.
We knew that marriage meant one thing, and that to
offer essentially trans marriage what would make the institute itself unrecognizable.
Twenty years later, after two thousand and four, now people
demand that you acknowledge and even approve of what they

(06:10):
do in the bedroom, that you celebrate it, and if
you don't celebrate it, you must be some kind of
a bigot. Well, I've had enough. I talk to enough
of you that I know that you've had enough. It's
become clear to me that the only fruit of tolerance
is that you'll be given more to tolerate. So if

(06:34):
you can hear the sound of my voice right now, welcome,
and I'll see you on the wrong side of history.
Here's the truth. You can't get this anywhere else. Gay
race communism as we've known since the Obama era, where
everything is about who's doing who, what color of the skin,

(06:57):
what sexuality. Gay race communist was and is meant to
frog boil you. You know how, if frogs are in
a pot of water and it's on the stove and
you turn up the heat, they'll sit there. Maybe they
think they have more time, maybe they don't notice it's

(07:18):
a problem. But as the water continues to heat up,
the frogs don't jump out. By the time the water
is boiling, it's too late to jump. And so gay
race communism is meant to frog boil you and freeze
you in place and stop you from speaking the truth

(07:40):
until it is too late. Look, we're all products of
our environment. I think about our first Black family, the
first family, the Obamas. The Obamas are living high on
the hog for people who've never run a successful business,
for people who've added actually incredibly little to society. The

(08:04):
Obama's probably lived the best life available to us in America.
Would you ever know this from looking at their faces?
Would you ever know this from hearing them talk? Every
time you see them, there's never a thankfulness to God. Instead,
what you see is that they're filled with grievances for men.

(08:27):
The lesson of Barack Obama should be that the most
dangerous black man in America is a brother with a
library car. As has been said, that contrast should have
been enforced and focused on these last fifteen years, that
if you go down the path of jay Z and
think you're gonna sell drugs and then somehow flip it

(08:49):
and become the biggest rapper anyone's ever heard of, well
there's plenty of guys who've tried it, and there's plenty
of guys in the graveyard for having tried it. There's
too many traps, whether it's the graveyard, whether it is prison,
whether it's violence on the street itself. There's too many

(09:10):
traps for the jay Z path to be a sustainable one.
Yet our kids want to be jay Z. They don't
want to be Obama. But Obama actually has the more
accessible path. Get your butt in a library, get smart, study,
invest that time in yourself, and then when you do

(09:31):
have something to say, make sure you link up with
other people who can elevate you in your message. But
that's not who the Obamas are. They don't inspire you
to join them in success. They use communist critiques where
racism is holding everyone back, sexism is holding everyone back,

(09:52):
and anti trans sentiment is holding everyone back. Rather than
be the inspiration they should be by all ra rights, instead,
they use communist critiques that steal the futures of their followers.
If you're a fan of Obama, you'll never hear him
say get THEE to the library. You will hear him

(10:15):
say racism is the reason why you're failing, black man.

Speaker 2 (10:20):
It's not just them.

Speaker 1 (10:21):
I think about jay Z and Beyonce, absolutely beloved entertainers
in America, dar near royalty in America. But when you
see them, they're always whining about the respect they didn't get,
the awards they didn't win. Well, these are rotten attitudes, guys,
and our kids are watching. We are all products of

(10:45):
our environment. And all that praise and all those plaudits
and all that money and all that opportunity, all it
did is make the Obamas and the Carters rotten people
where nothing is good enough and no respect is ever
high enough. America took a walk on the wild side

(11:08):
this last fifteen years. We put on our tolerance, and
in turn we were given more to tolerate. If it's
all the same to you, I'll see you on the
wrong side of history. When we come back from the break,
we're gonna talk about there's a mentality in our society

(11:32):
that there should be a law. Anytime something happens, there
should be a law. We're going to talk about Michigan,
Ohio state and the absolute downfall of.

Speaker 2 (11:42):
That there should be a law mentality. Just a few minutes.

Speaker 3 (11:46):
Now, back to the Justin Barclay Show on nine ten am,
Detroit's news talk superstation.

Speaker 1 (11:54):
Good Morning Detroit, Hello Michigan, Justin Barclay Show. James Day
here filling in nine ten am superstation broadcasting out of Southfield, Michigan.
You know, just over the break, we heard that commercial
by the US Center for Safe Sport. Well, I hope
they're listening right now because there's an Ohio lawmaker they

(12:16):
might want to get in touch with. So look, man,
I'm forty. I've seen fire, I've seen rain, but I
never thought I would see this. Look, this is not
a sports program. I use sports the same way you
probably use sports. Sports are not life. Ball is life.

(12:38):
And if you know ball is not life, and if
you know a young man, it's pretty much only young men.
If you know a young man who says that that,
please get inside of his head.

Speaker 2 (12:48):
Because no.

Speaker 1 (12:51):
But every so often, even as I try to escape
from politics and find some solace in sports, politics will
stick its nose in and involve itself in sports.

Speaker 2 (13:05):
So it was this week when Ohio State.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
Repped Josh Williams, unfortunately a Republican and double unfortunately a
brother Republican, said there should be a law to stop
teams from planting flags at Ohio Stadium. Not to be clear,
he's not saying in Ohio. He's not saying you can't

(13:30):
plant flags at the University of Toledo or Ohio University,
or on high school fields at the Ohio State Championship
in football only at Ohio Stadium, only, where the Buckeyes play.

Speaker 2 (13:45):
It was bad enough for Ohio State to lose four straight.

Speaker 1 (13:48):
Games to Michigan, two of them including the last one
at Ohio Stadium. It was worse to see Michigan win
a national championship last year. I'm a Michigan fan. I'm
just hopping in their head. I'm seeing life through their
eyes because I'm wondering how a once proud program and
tradition got here and then this year it was bad

(14:11):
enough to lose, so the one Michigan team Ohio State
should have been to lose thirteen to ten to a
team that is worse at the forward pass than Michigan
has been since the forward pass was invented in football,
to miss out on a fourth strate Big Ten championship
game and then to have Michigan plant the flag on

(14:32):
your home field after the game. But winning and losing
are all a part of life. We all know this,
and so in my forty years, Michigan has dominated that game,
the game the last regular season game of the year
about half the time, and for half of my life,

(14:55):
including most of the recent stuff, Ohio State has dominated
the game, and then for the last four years it's
been Michigan. At no point ever in that forty years,
or in my study of Michigan at Ohio State football
that goes back to the eighteen hundreds, at no point

(15:17):
was this kind of stuff ever viewed as fodder for lawmakers.
At no point when I was watching Michigan be on
the wrong side of a seventeen to two winning streak
for Ohio State, it literally got that bad seventeen to
two at no point did I think there should be
a law. This is James Dixon here, Justin Barclay show

(15:41):
filling in for Justin and so I wonder I look
across that field to our rivals and wonder what the
heck happened.

Speaker 2 (15:49):
To you guys at Ohio State.

Speaker 1 (15:52):
I remember the days when Ohio State came to town
and it seemed like they were all just like ten
feet tall. They wore red, they stole souls, they stomped
like the big dogs even when they came to your town,
because they knew they had the better team. But now
now they've become the biggest cry babies in sports, and

(16:15):
their representatives in Columbus are only making things worse. The
winning and losing of college athletics is and was always
understood to be far beyond the law. That's something that
can only be decided by the kids on the field
that day. Okay, So Charles Woodson's not walking through that door,

(16:37):
and if he does, he's going to be on the
sidelines for the big noon kickoff show. Jabrill Peppers is
not walking through that door. All these Michigan legends, all
these Ohio State guys, Jim Harbaugh when he came back
as a coach. They have an impact on the game,
they matter, but only the kids on the field decide

(16:59):
the game. I hate that it was a Republican who
is behind this? You know, Michigan Republicans and Ohio Democrats
both have a kind of strange relationship where our sports
and our politics wear different colors. And so my team
in politics is the red team. My team in football

(17:21):
is the blue team. For Ohio Democrats, it's just the opposite.
Their team in politics is the blue team, and their
team in sports is the red team. And man, if
you want to know how serious they take this rivalry
down in Ohio, when JD. Vance was running for the Senate,
both he and his Democrat opponent, I watched one of

(17:44):
their debates. Both he and the Democrat he was running against.
Both wore red ties. So no one wants to even
send a false flag or a misrepresentation that they are
some kind of late Michigan fan.

Speaker 2 (18:02):
And so it's a strange thing for me.

Speaker 1 (18:05):
In politics, I direct a lot of my words and
a lot of my iyre toward the blue team, the Democrats.
But in the Michigan Ohio state rivalry, man, it's the
red team who are the cry babies, and it's such
a shame to see it.

Speaker 2 (18:23):
I actually have a modest solution to all this.

Speaker 1 (18:25):
I cut into my sleep schedule last night, so seriously,
do I take this responsibility. I have a modest proposal
for all this. It's fair to Michigan, it's fair to
Ohio State, it's fair to all other teams that might
play at Ohio Stadium at any level of sports. And

(18:47):
that solution is just win, baby, because when you win,
you get to do what you want and people might
try to stop you, but they can only try to
stop you. You get to write the history, you get
to carry your flag. Losers don't plant flags, they just

(19:08):
call the cops afterward. So Ohio State, I don't want
to see you guys get back to your winning ways.
Certainly not in the game, but man, where did the
pride go? Where did that pride go? I hope you
guys can recover that and keep these kind of headlines.
Keep lawmakers out of it. Don't be having guys in

(19:29):
suits speak for you, don't be having your cops.

Speaker 2 (19:32):
Day's athletes. Just win baby. A lot of these problems
will go away.

Speaker 1 (19:40):
Be back in just a few minutes to talk about
mourning again in America and that pep that I have
in my stuff these days and you probably have in
yours these days.

Speaker 2 (19:52):
Talk to you in a few.

Speaker 1 (19:56):
Hello, Detroit, Good morning, Michigan. James Dixon here, filling in
for Justin Barclay. I'll tell you, even just hearing Justin's
voice just on that commercial just warms your heart, doesn't it.
There's a reason he's the absolute best who does this
in Michigan. And so it's been a month, a little

(20:17):
bit more than a month at this point since Donald
Trump won the presidency. He'll be inaugurated on January twentieth,
so that's about a month a little bit more than
a month from now. And yet ever since November sixth,
ever since we knew the outcome of that election, I

(20:38):
just can't stop smiling. I used to walk around with
the rock in my shoes. Seems like no matter what
pair of shoes I wore, what I did, I just
couldn't get this rock out of my shoe.

Speaker 2 (20:50):
And it stayed there for four years.

Speaker 1 (20:54):
But now optimism, I can plant my feet on the
next step knowing that there's no rock in my shoe.
I go on knowing that my government and my country
are no longer dead set opposed to my success. Like
most America, I know better than to ask for anything
special for my government, and I definitely know that asking

(21:18):
for help is a good way to get bad things
from your government, because their help comes with their values,
and their values are often troubling. But I do have
hope right now. I have some specific hopes for what
the next four years will entail. For instance, I think

(21:41):
it's necessary for Detroit and for America that we make
Detroit build again. We've lost so much of our industrial
base over thirty years. When I was a kid, Detroit
was still the motor city. There was no iron. When
we said that it wasn't with kind of a chuckle.

(22:03):
We were the motor city, and we were proud to
be the motor city. We were proud to be the
city that put the world on wheels and that still
used them. We were proud that when New York City
was digging subway tunnels so that men like Jordan Neely
could someday harass you and your family as they had

(22:24):
to work in school, men like Henry Ford were building cars.
And it's cars, more so than subways that have changed
the world. And so yeah, that is my specific hope
for Detroit is that we stop apologizing for who we
are and just lean back into that lean back into

(22:46):
our car culture, stop saying, oh, well, we could okay cars,
it'd be nice, but we'll transition to electric vehicles as
soon as possible. I've heard it described that if there
was a silver bullet in the energy world, it would
actually be the gas engine.

Speaker 2 (23:07):
The gas engine.

Speaker 1 (23:09):
If we had electric vehicles first, and then we learned
that they could be gas powered, you'd never hear about
evs again. And so yes, if Donald Trump is successful
these next four years, he will help make Detroit build again.
And this will entail bringing back some amount of jobs

(23:30):
from China, from Mexico, from countries whose rise came simultaneous
with Detroit's downfall.

Speaker 2 (23:40):
But then I zoom out and I.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
Look past just Michigan and passed just Detroit, and I
think about America as a whole. While there's no one
policy that would bring this day on, my hope and
I've never heard Trump say this. This is one man's opinion,
but my hope for these next four years, my belief

(24:02):
even is that if Donald Trump is successful, America will
return to pre nine to eleven feelings of safety, prosperity,
and optimism.

Speaker 2 (24:17):
Here's the good news.

Speaker 1 (24:18):
The malaise of the Jimmy Carter era, of the Joe
Biden era, that's over now, This much is clear.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
We were all waiting for that Hayes.

Speaker 1 (24:29):
To lift, and in just a short time, what a
month and a week, there's already been a vibe shift.
You feel it, You have that pep in your step,
you have that optimism. It would pretty much be unthinkable
the idea that, oh, I'm going to buy a home
next year, I'm gonna expand my business if Kamala Harris

(24:50):
had been elected, because there would be no free enterprise system.
There would be check with the government and then they'll
tell you what you're allowed to do. That's all gone.
And look, I know that it's early days. Trump hasn't
even been inaugurated. I know that there will be setbacks,

(25:11):
there will be disappointments. Some of that disappointment has already shown.
And some of the picks Donald Trump has made for
his cabinet. While Donald Trump is an exceptional figure, he's
also a man, and he's also a transactional figure. And
so some of these people are being picked with disregard

(25:35):
for their backgrounds and their statements and their values, and
maybe they just know some of the right people. That
mentality is not going to help anything we need in
the future. But even with these imperfections, I know and feel,
and you know and feel that it's morning again in America.

(25:58):
And so if Donald Trump is going to have success,
he has to make America nine ten again, and not
the nine ten am superstation, but the day before nine
to eleven. I distinctly remember I was a high school
senior when nine to eleven happened, and that was a Tuesday.

(26:19):
I distinctly remember I worked at Panera Bread back then,
and so that was on a Monday, and I came
home and there was a gas station right around the corner,
and gas was like a buck a gallon, maybe even
a little less, and I distinctly remember thinking, I'll just
fill up tomorrow. You talk about famous last words, I'll

(26:44):
just fill up tomorrow. You talk about learning the importance
of a moment before time passes, because once time passed,
things have changed. Yeah, I learned that the hard way
going into nine to eleven that day of delay. I mean,
when you're working at Panera bread for I think I
was actually being paid in stale bread at the time.

(27:07):
We didn't have the labor loss quite buttoned up in
the early two thousands, But that was life back then,
and I had such a comfort that nothing bad would happen,
or even could happen. I felt no need to get
gased that night. I remember a time when it didn't
feel that your government was working against you. Remember those

(27:32):
nineties days when you could just show up right before
a flight and get on when there was no TSA
to grab your junk, or in the alternative, you didn't
have to pay TSA to not grab your junk. All
these years later, as we approached the twenty fifth anniversary
of nine to eleven that's coming in twenty twenty six,

(27:53):
that's the same year America turns two hundred and fifty,
So we have the twenty fifth anniversary of nine eleven
and the two hundred and fiftieth birthday of America all
happening the same year. In twenty twenty six, America lost
our smile on nine to eleven. I remember when Dad

(28:15):
picked us up from school because we didn't have our
own car back then, so Dad picked us up from
West Bloomfield High School, and you know, you stopped by
the store on the way home, and just everyone was
just so downcast and downtrodden. It was clear that what
had happened in New York and Pennsylvania and Washington, d c.

(28:36):
Had happened to all of us everywhere we were. We
lost our confidence on nine to eleven. And what we
didn't know then but has become clear now, is that
we lost our country. Nothing that happened next made sense.
Fifteen to the nineteen hijackers came from Saudi Arabia, yet

(28:58):
all the talk was about fighting a war with Iraq.
After the towers fell, we wanted immediate justice, and we
were promised this. Instead, America fought the Taliban to a
twenty year draw, and those guys are still walking around
and breathing air today. Foreign terrorists with box cutters killed

(29:22):
three thousand people, and yet America's ruling class decided that
the American people should be punished. And so as we
approached the twenty fifth anniversary of nine to eleven, the
TSA is still out there grabbing junk. We were told
that having ourselves and our wives and our children felt

(29:43):
up by government employees was the cost of safety. And
you may have even believed it, but by now you
know better. By now the pandemic has taught us all better.
The lesson of the pan pandemic should be, and should
have been, that what government bureaucrats want and what will

(30:07):
actually keep you safe have incredibly little to do with
one another. This is James Dixon here filling in for
Justin Barclay the Justin Barclay Show, nine ten am Superstation
out of Southfield, Michigan. The pandemic should have taught you better.
Remember social distancing, the idea that we all need to

(30:27):
stand six feet apart. Remember how that was all made up.
Turns out social distancing was security theater. Taking off your
shoes at the airport, arriving at the airport two hours early.
What is that if not security theater? If the airport

(30:50):
is such a dangerous place, why the heck am I
trying to be there for hours and hours before the
plane takes off? So you're telling me, you guys, let
O J. Simpson, Well, O J. Simpson just run rough
shot through the airport. OJ got one of his rushing
titles in the NFL, actually running through airports on his
way to the Hurts pickup stand.

Speaker 2 (31:11):
Fun fact, Oh J.

Speaker 1 (31:14):
Simpson could show up five minutes before his plane arrived,
and that was fine, But you and your family all
have to sit around for hours and hours and be
felt up by the government. And I hope you know
by now taking off your shoes and unpacking your laptop
and arriving to that's all security theater. It has nothing

(31:36):
to do with keeping you safe and has everything to
do with growing the government and growing its control over
your life, your body, your person. And so as Donald
Trump empowers Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswami to cut the
size and scope of our government, seems to me airplay

(31:58):
airports would be a great place to start. Look, guys,
nine to eleven didn't happen because the government failed to
grab enough junk. It happened because a government that spent
incredibly massive sums tracking terrorists in their every movement somehow
missed it when those people plotted the biggest mass killing

(32:21):
in American history. Down to a man, these terrorists. When
you read that nine to eleven report, these terrorists were
on every watch list you could want. If these guys
had done a dining dash, they would have been arrested
because someone was watching tom Meet. Nine to eleven was

(32:42):
not some triumph of the terrorists, But what it did
do is it showed our security state to be ineffective,
just like Israel learned on October seventh last year. Turns
out there's no amount of technology that's going to keep
you safe.

Speaker 2 (32:59):
That is the work of.

Speaker 1 (33:00):
Human beings, and ours took their eye off the ball,
and so America has a chance to get something back
that we lost two decades ago. Security theater can't replicate
the safety that we felt in our hearts on nine
to ten.

Speaker 2 (33:20):
I remember in America.

Speaker 1 (33:21):
That was safe and felt safe, and if Donald Trump
can restore those feelings, it will be mourning again in America.

Speaker 2 (33:33):
Hello Detroit, and good morning Michigan.

Speaker 1 (33:36):
James Dixon here filling in for Justin Barclay this morning.
It's been said that absolute power corrupts absolutely Usually what
that means when that phrase is used, it's a cautionary
tale about the need for checks and balances, that no
one can be trusted with all the power to themselves.

(34:00):
At the Mackinaw Center, we used to say that our
work is improved by us reviewing each other. It was
this biblical idea that iron sharpens iron. It was this
biblical idea of the true vine in John fifteen, that
none of us are fine the way we are. We

(34:22):
all need to be pruned and trimmed and have the
unfruitful parts removed from us. We're not meant to be alone,
and we're certainly not meant to run things alone. So

(34:45):
in Michigan we've learned that this absolute power corrupting absolutely.
This is not a theoretical concern. It was just four
years ago when Governor Gretchen Whitmer steered Michigan into the
rocks all because of a global virus, the COVID pandemic
that ninety nine point nine percent of people survive. Whitmer

(35:09):
declared an emergency at that point, and then she embraced
central planning. Whitmer decided that one person herself could decide
and should decide which career fields in Michigan are essential
and which ones are non essential. And you saw how

(35:31):
that went right. You remember that at the end of
Whitmer's calculus and her infinite wisdom, your kid's school was closed.
You couldn't get dialysis or any kind of medical care
that didn't involve a singular virus that ninety nine percent
of people survive, but dispensaries and liquor stores they weren't closed.

Speaker 2 (35:54):
For a minute.

Speaker 1 (35:57):
By survey, one third of business one third of small
businesses in Michigan reported during a government survey thirty two
percent that they faced a government mandated closure in twenty twenty.
And so the lesson of that was that central planners
cannot run a state, but they can ruin one. Then,

(36:20):
starting in January twenty twenty three, and thank god, ending
in just a few weeks, Democrats took control of the legislature.
See the reason Whitmer wanted to run things by her
lonesome in twenty twenty is that she didn't want to negotiate.
Back then, in twenty twenty, Republicans ran both houses of

(36:44):
the legislature, the Michigan House and the Michigan Senate, and
so she decided, I don't want to negotiate with these guys.
There was even one point when the Senate majority leader
at the time, Mike Shirkey. Shirkey tried to negotiate with Whitmer, Hey,
what can we do to get back to you know,
our Republican form.

Speaker 2 (37:04):
Of government and.

Speaker 1 (37:07):
Running the state as a team as ten million people
elected and selected us to do. And Whitmer was so
full of herself and so full on arrogance back then
that she took that.

Speaker 2 (37:22):
She took Shirkey's attempt to negotiate.

Speaker 1 (37:25):
He didn't call her out of her name, he didn't
call her something, he didn't say anything misogynistic. He simply
attempted to negotiate a Senate majority leader trying to negotiate
with the sitting governor, and leaked that to Fox Fox
two News as if that was proof of some wrongdoing.

(37:45):
It wasn't even said what was wrong, but the implication
couldn't have been clearer. They questioned Queen Whitmer, and that
was wrong to do.

Speaker 2 (37:55):
And so.

Speaker 1 (37:57):
Whitmer got her wish. In November two, the same election
when she won reelection, we got limitless abortion in Michigan,
and Democrats took both houses of the legislature. So, as
I've mentioned, I'm forty years old. Democrats had never held
this much power in that forty years, literally since the

(38:20):
eighty three eighty four legislature. It had never been that
way where Democrats holds. As Senator Dana pol Hank of
Lavonia said all the gavels and lancing. And so for
these last years, nobody could stop Democrats from doing what
they wanted, and nobody did stop them. And that first

(38:44):
year together, twenty twenty three, the Democrats and Whitmer enacted
three hundred and twenty one loss. Well, twenty twenty four
has been a bit of a different story. Democrats when
they had all the last year, probably the biggest thing
they came away with was repealing right to work. They

(39:07):
took joy and repealing a Snyder era of law, and
they actually created a big problem that Donald Trump and
Republicans who hoped to rebuild Michigan and our industrial base
are gonna have to wrestle with. We're gonna talk more
about the problems that Michigan Democrats have created in just
a few minutes.

Speaker 2 (39:28):
Oh and.

Speaker 1 (39:31):
Yeah, we were gonna be joined by a state representative
coming out of the break, but I'm gonna handle this one.
I'm gonna grab this one myself, and we're gonna talk
about what's being done to our state and by who.

Speaker 2 (39:46):
Hello Detroit, Good morning Michigan.

Speaker 1 (39:49):
James Dixon here subbing in for Justin Barclay on this
beautiful though cold Friday morning, and you know, going into break,
I thought our wasn't going to be able to make
it because the Michigan Democrats are just running marathon lame
duck sessions right now. It is highly unusual that the

(40:11):
legislature would be in session on a Friday, yet they
are on this Friday, and so, by the grace of God.

Speaker 2 (40:19):
Rep.

Speaker 1 (40:19):
And Bolan, a Republican who represents the Brighton Era area,
was able to join us this morning. Representative Boland, thank
you so much for taking the time.

Speaker 4 (40:31):
Absolutely, it's important to make sure people are aware of
what their government's trying to do to them.

Speaker 1 (40:37):
Absolutely so, going into election day, the pace of lawmaking
in Michigan had sloped down big time. Three hundred and
twenty one laws last year going, you know, compared to
just one hundred and fifty six, exactly half as many
this year. Before the lame duck started. In twenty twenty two,

(40:59):
by comparison, which was also an election year and had
the entire legislature and the governor in every office up
for grabs, there was two hundred and seventy eight laws passed.
And that's what a Republican legislature. So and if we
could start here. Why was twenty twenty four such a
slow year in lawmaking up to leading up to Lame Duck?

Speaker 4 (41:25):
Well, I think the Democrats had their priorities in the
wrong place. I don't think they put the people in
Michigan first. I think they put their tried to put
their messaging in their own re elections at the top
of the list. And that's not what we're elected to do.
You represent the people. The expectation is that we are
at work every day, working out behalf of the people,

(41:46):
not on behalf of ourselves or special interests.

Speaker 2 (41:48):
It's shameful, you know, it's so funny you say that.
You know that people expect work being done every day.

Speaker 1 (41:56):
My colleague at the Michigan Enjoyer, Charlie Leduff, absolute legend.
I hope you saw his story the other day. It
was it just cracked me up. So he went up
to Lancing on Monday, you know, not a session day,
and just found an absolute ghost town. I mean he's
in like the Democrat caucus room, he's smoking a cigarette
in the bathroom. Just no one is there in Lancing.

(42:21):
A did you see the Charlie piece? And B how
do we explain the difference between the dead that Charlie
found that day and these marathon sessions of lame duck,
and the fact that you all are in session on Friday.
Normally that wouldn't be happening. How do you go from
dead Monday to in session on a non session day Friday.

Speaker 4 (42:45):
Well, it's called, you know, lack of governance. Generally, we
are in session on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Back in districts,
Friday through Monday, right, and Monday's are usually a day
kind of prepping in district, but Friday is very rare.
I am in my third term, sixth year, and this
is only the second time I have had to be

(43:07):
in session on a Friday, really, and this means that
we've gone through the night or a need to come
back and reconvene on a Friday. What we've had this week.
Our normal session start at one point thirty committees are
in the morning on Tuesdays and noon on Thursdays. Well,
this week we've had session earlier. We're starting at nine

(43:29):
or ten. We don't start voting until four, take a
break at five in stay till ten. You know, we've
had plenty of days to have session scheduled days. This
is in the hands of the Democrat. They set the agenda,
they set the schedule. There's really no reason why we
have to have these marathon days. This is all work well. Actually,

(43:50):
I don't think any of this is important at this point.
Illegals driver's license. Our kids can't read, and we're putting
fourth bills in education to teach them about organ and
tissue donation, putting criminals back on the street, but increasing
penalties for abuse of animals. I mean, the list goes
on increasing the general fund debt by twenty billion dollars.

(44:13):
Who would do that with no deliberation? More corporate welfare.
This is how the Democrats govern the state of Michigan,
and it's time to stop.

Speaker 2 (44:24):
This is what they do.

Speaker 3 (44:25):
Man.

Speaker 1 (44:26):
And what does it say about the Democrat agenda that
a they lost their House majority just now in November,
and b that they waited for lame Duck to start
lawmaking again. That they didn't just live their truth. They
didn't just live out loud. They talk about how they
shout their abortions and all these things, but in the

(44:48):
last days of their power, they waited until the end,
until they lost power to take off the mask and
show their true selves. What does that say about their agenda?

Speaker 4 (44:59):
Cowardly? That says they're cowardly, and you know they're they're
tempting faith. They're happy to say they're going to work
on behalf of the special interest, but they're they're ashamed
and afraid to tell the people they represent that they're
going to do that. And now they're in hopes we're
doing this in the dark of the night, and it

(45:19):
hopes that people will forget when election time comes back around.

Speaker 1 (45:23):
Well, we're going to do everything in our power to
make sure people don't forget. I think about I mean,
Democrats still talk about right to work being passed during
lame duck twelve years ago. So the idea that this
stuff is all going to just happen in the dark
of night and be forgotten the next day, not likely.

Speaker 3 (45:43):
Not like that.

Speaker 2 (45:44):
I hope there's some long memories on the Republican side too.

Speaker 4 (45:48):
Well. I have a constitutional amendment. It's a resolution. It
passed the Michigan House last term by very bad bipartisan support.
What that amendment would have done would have won gone
to the people that during lane duck. It would require
two thirds vote in both chambers in order for anything

(46:09):
to pass. So these games cannot be played. They shouldn't
be played by Democrats. Republicans should have a high threshold
and more transparency and accountability these things that are being presented.
The Democrats can't get people in attendance this week for
the first time I think in two years, consecutive days,

(46:30):
they've had all fifty six members present.

Speaker 2 (46:32):
The first time in two years.

Speaker 4 (46:35):
In consecutive days for consecutive days, very few days. If
they had fifty six members present for an entire week
of session, so all.

Speaker 1 (46:44):
Those Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday weeks, you wouldn't see all fifty
six there on Tuesday and Wednesday, or Wednesday and Thursday.

Speaker 4 (46:52):
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Speaker 2 (46:54):
Correct, that's incredible.

Speaker 4 (46:57):
Yes, I also have another constitutional amendment resolution't that would
we would doc pay of legislators that no valid reason
for missing session. We're only expecting NASS to be here
three days a week. That's our job. I don't think
it's too much to expect of any of us.

Speaker 1 (47:13):
Yeah, I don't know that we need lawmakers to have
a PTO package. Just going ahead and represent your share
of the ten million people James Dixon here with Representative
Anne Bolan Justin Barclay show nine ten am Superstation.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
And how bad James.

Speaker 4 (47:30):
I want to add something if I can't about to know.
You mentioned about lawmakers having PTOs. You know, we have
a very critical situation ahead of us in the state
of Michigan. Our courts overstepped their authority in legislative. Basically,
we have this very critical point coming up with the
earned sick time wages that are going to go intoffect

(47:51):
in February.

Speaker 2 (47:52):
Yes, and there's a huge protests that were happening.

Speaker 4 (47:55):
Yes, absolutely, And our businesses are employees. The people of
Michigan need to plan accordingly, and this is a pressing issue.
I spent at roundtables with Democrats during the campaign cycle. Yes,
we want to fix this. We're going to come back
and Lane Duck and do it. My question was, if
it's that important to do it, we should do it

(48:17):
before the election. It needs to be done, but we
are still waiting. I'm hopeful that we're going to make
some movement on it today, but if we don't, it's
going to be lights out for small businesses. This is
not about not treating workers fairly. This is about planning
properly and not imposing regulations by the government on employers.

(48:39):
Employers and employees make agreements. That's a contract. The government
should be out of it.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
Now.

Speaker 1 (48:46):
The timing of this, waiting this late, is this maybe strategic?
Are the Democrats basically trying to say, Hey, everyone in
Michigan who knows about the tipped wage issue knows that
something needs to change, and so if I wait until
the last minute, you don't have any choice but to
approve whatever change I put on the table.

Speaker 4 (49:10):
Well, there's a lot at risk with that. We are
bound to make some changes. We are bound to implement
some sort of earn sick time. I don't like it,
but that is what the court said. And now we
have to put the proper guardrails and make sure it's
going to make the best out of a bad situation.
All right, in the timeline, that's ridiculous. Doing what is

(49:32):
right is never wrong. Time to stand up and do
what's right.

Speaker 2 (49:37):
Doing what is right is never wrong.

Speaker 1 (49:39):
I'm going to give you credit the first time I
use that, but then I'm just going to grab it.
And Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, he's now put his neck
in into twenty twenty six. He's going to run as
an independent, not the Democrat he's been all his adult life.
He said this, He's never seen as poor a year

(50:02):
in Michigan lawmaking as twenty twenty four. Do you agree
with Duggan's read on the situation and if so, why
is it such a poor effort this year?

Speaker 4 (50:15):
Well, I would absolutely agree with him, especially what I've
seen in my six years here as a state legislator.
And why is it I think that the hens are
running the Hen House? Nobody knows he's charged. There's no leadership.
We are a separate branch of government, and it should
be the legislature setting their agenda, understanding the priorities of

(50:40):
the people we represent in all of Michigan. It should
not be coming from the governor's mansion or the judicial branch.
It should be coming from the House of Representatives and
the Senate and the people we represent.

Speaker 2 (50:54):
Now, don't we have a House speaker? How could we
have this disarray?

Speaker 1 (50:58):
We got this, you know, six foot seven marine Joe Tate,
the House Speaker. How could we have disarray under the
steady hand of Joe Tate?

Speaker 4 (51:08):
Well, I don't know. I will tell you. I have
a lot of respect for Joe Tate. We came in together.
But what I have witnessed this last term is that
he has dealt a really bad deck of cards. How
we got members that really want to run and dictate.
I'm not going to show up. If you don't run,

(51:28):
miss then you know, maybe we want better onboarding program,
both for the speaker and for his fifty six Democrat majority.

Speaker 1 (51:39):
Who threatens the House Speaker? I just I couldn't imagine
that ever happening. I mean, I've heard of where Tate
would even forward a bill and that bill would fail
in an up and down vote. These things are unheard
of in Michigan.

Speaker 2 (51:55):
How did we get to that point where the House
Speaker doesn't command respect?

Speaker 4 (52:00):
Well, I don't understand it, but I think it. I've
actually is representative of today society. You know, anything goes,
and we work in a great institution. It is the
honorable lifetime to serve on the behalf of the people
in the forty ninth district. I do not take it
lightly when I come into that chamber. I remember that

(52:22):
every day, and I also want to show respect to
my colleagues that each one of them was elected to
represent their roughly ninety thousand people. Today, these Democrats are
like spoiled breaths. And you know, when I was growing up,
even while I was raising my kids, there are certain
behaviors that are acceptable and there's certain that are not.

(52:44):
And sometimes you need a swift response to it to
let them know whose boss.

Speaker 2 (52:52):
You absolutely do and I'll get you out of here.
On this one. You mentioned the need for lame reform.

Speaker 1 (53:01):
Here's the one I thought of, because this is just
a problem and by now Democrats have been burned by it,
Republicans have been burned by it. Everyone has an opportunity
to change things. Should Michigan maybe do away with lame
duck altogether by starting the new legislature in November rather
than in January.

Speaker 4 (53:25):
No, I don't think starting in November would be a
good idea. I think it. You know, there's time, there's
stuff that has to take place once you're elected. There's onboarding,
hiring of staff, transition that has to take place, especially
you know when the majority changes. So I don't think

(53:46):
starting in November is a good thing. I do think
if we put the proper guardrails on, I think it
would force the chambers to work together before election day
get it passed, honestly, and I wouldn't have an objection
having no lame duck, but I would be hesitant to
eliminate it all together because emergency situations, special circumstances could

(54:11):
come up that are unknown, unrealized, and so I don't
think that we would also want to grant the authority
or the opportunity for any governor or whether it's a
Republican or Democrat, they have the authority to call us back.
The legislature's job is to legislate, and I think it
is appropriate that we have a window open to be

(54:32):
able to do that in circumstances. But there is no way,
in my opinion, things have to wait for lame duck.
Either it's a good policy and you can get it
across the finish line beforehand, or it dies. And I'm
hoping that all this focal legislation dies today.

Speaker 1 (54:49):
And we'll get you out of here on this one.
Republicans overtook the Michigan House in November, and so our
governor is going to be a lane duck for last
two years. I know Republicans won't hold all the gavels,
but what will change in Lancing next year. With Republicans

(55:09):
at least holding one set of gables.

Speaker 4 (55:13):
Well number one, we can be a firewall. So it
has to get out of the House of Representatives for
the governor to sign anything. So we now have an
opportunity to protect the people of Michigan and to force
some good governance. It is going to take a lot
of conversation, some compromises. I don't think we're going to

(55:35):
set aside our principles. The Republicans in the Michigan House
that set their agenda. We have mission for Michigan.

Speaker 3 (55:42):
We have.

Speaker 4 (55:42):
It's a ten point plan that is going to be
implemented and that's how we're going to government. We are
going to push forward the agenda. It is not based
on what any special interest group wants. It is based
on sound Republican principles and what we have heard for
the last several is what the people in Michigan are
looking for universally across our state. We want life to

(56:05):
be more affordable, we want government out of our lives,
more accountability, and we are going to push forward on
that agenda. And it's a good agenda. It's a solid agenda.
It's the right agenda, and I'm hopeful that the Democrat
will stand by our side and sign these bills as
we move them forward.

Speaker 1 (56:23):
Absolutely, Representative Anne Bolan, I want to thank you so
much for taking the time. I know you got quite
a busy day ahead. Thank you so much.

Speaker 4 (56:31):
Anne, Yeah, thank you so much. Have a great day
and thanks for having me you too.

Speaker 2 (56:36):
Take care.

Speaker 1 (56:38):
When we come back from break, we're going to talk
about make news local again.

Speaker 2 (56:43):
We're going to talk about Michigan and whether.

Speaker 1 (56:45):
It's possible to keep national politics from perverting our state politics.
Talk to you, Assume, Hello Detroit, Good morning, Michigan. James
Dixon here, filling in for Justin Barclay. Nine ten AM
Superstation broadcasting out of Southfield, Michigan.

Speaker 2 (57:09):
Twenty twenty six.

Speaker 1 (57:10):
I've talked about it before, if you follow me on
Twitter down I seventy five. I actually talk about it
all the time. Did a video column for the Michigan
Enjoyer about this. But twenty twenty six is a battle
for the soul and maybe more importantly, the gavels in
our state. So two years from now, the entire one
hundred and ten seat Michigan House is up, the entire

(57:33):
thirty eight seat Michigan Senate is up all thirteen seats
in Congress, as well as Gary Peters's Senate seat.

Speaker 2 (57:42):
Then we have the big three races.

Speaker 1 (57:44):
We have governor, we have Attorney General, we have Secretary
of State, and from the looks of things, Mallory McMorrow,
a state Senator, a Democrat out of Royal Oak, wants
one of those big seats. She doesn't want to be
one of thirty eight anymore, wants to be in the
more exclusive club. You know, I don't like mcmorro's policies,

(58:06):
but I respect her quite a great deal. She's by
far the most active Michigan politician on social media, and
unlike our Governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose social media team does
Barbie skits to win awards on the East Coast, McMorrow,
who hails from the East Coast, actually uses social media

(58:26):
to connect with people to answer questions, and so if
Whitmer uses social media for self service, mcmorro uses it
for public service. She said something I thought was interesting
the other day on Instagram. She was asked what can
be done or keep national politics from dominating locals, and

(58:48):
she basically said, you can't that all politics is national.
I disagree. My slogan that I'm probably best known for
is make news local again. It's an expression that we
care more about things that happen close to us than

(59:08):
we do events a world away. It affects me more
if my neighbor loses a job than if thirty five
thousand people die in a mudslide in Indonesia. You don't
want to hear it, but it's true, and so we
say make news local again. Or in politics, they say

(59:30):
tip O'Neil, a Democrat, the late House Speaker Tip O'Neil,
said that all politics is local.

Speaker 2 (59:37):
I think that's a healthier life.

Speaker 1 (59:40):
I think this idea that all politics is national is
our problem. We used to say there's no Democrat or
Republican way to fix a road, and so moving our
issues away from the people moves politicians away from problem
solving in toward per Foeman's art. And so while I

(01:00:02):
appreciate Malory mcmorrow's willingness to engage, I want us to
send bigger nerds collanting in Washington, not better actors back.
After the break with a journalist, everyone in Michigan knows
the great Charlie la Duff will join us in just
a few minutes.

Speaker 2 (01:00:24):
Hello Detroit, and good morning Michigan.

Speaker 1 (01:00:27):
This is James Dixon filling in this morning for Justin Barclay.
My guest is a man who literally needs no introduction.

Speaker 2 (01:00:35):
If you know who James Dixon.

Speaker 1 (01:00:37):
Is, and you know who Justin Barclay is, you certainly
know who Charlie la Duff is. Charlie is host of
the NOBS News Hour. He's a Pulitzer Prize winning former
New York Times reporter who did some of his best
work in Detroit at the Detroit News and at Fox
two News, and more recently, he's my colleague at the
Michigan Enjoyer.

Speaker 2 (01:00:58):
Hey, good morning, Charlie. It is so good to hear
your voice today.

Speaker 3 (01:01:02):
Did you hear the blind starting off the runner? Here?
I'm in a motel somewhere and tennesseee, I'm not quite
sure where it's at.

Speaker 2 (01:01:09):
I did not hear that, but just.

Speaker 3 (01:01:12):
Fell off the bat dude.

Speaker 1 (01:01:15):
So, Charlie, before you you became Tennessee Williams, you went
down to Lancing. I guess up to Lancing the other
day for the Michigan Enjoyer. One of my favorite stories
that you've done recently, what did you find when you
went to Lancing.

Speaker 3 (01:01:32):
Okayell, kidding aside, there's about fifty thousand. Well, okay, let
me answer the question. Nobody's working. We got fifty thousand
state employees, not including the legislature or the governor's staff
because apparently that's the state secret. We're not entitled to
know that. But of these fifty thousand employees across the state,

(01:01:55):
about forty three thousand don't come to work to the
office full time, which is outrageous. Right, So the thing
about the government is he's supposed to serve the people
and not everything is done over the internet. So you
go up there. And my whole purpose of this was,
we're going to give Dan Gilbert, the billionaire and you're right,
one of the richest men in the world, and General Motors,

(01:02:18):
a top twenty fortune five hundred company. We the taxpayers
and one of the broke of states in the Union,
are going to give you a billion dollars to buy
an empty office building the red Scent. In the meantime,
the state of Michigan is paying a billion dollars for
a bunch of empty office space. It's outrageous. And I
went to the director of Technology management budget that's supposed

(01:02:41):
to oversee all this because last year the state was
required to keep track of how much we're wasting on
this boondoggle. I went in there because she never returned
my calls, and according to security, I now know why
the director did not return my calls. The Director of
Technology for the State of Michigan. She did to my
calls because their phone is out of order.

Speaker 2 (01:03:03):
The phone is out of order. The Director of Technology has.

Speaker 3 (01:03:05):
A non working phone line.

Speaker 1 (01:03:09):
If there's one sentence that just shows you how non
response of our government is. Our tech director needs help
from I T to get her phone work.

Speaker 2 (01:03:18):
And I mean, it's just this. This is who we
are in Michigan. And Charlie you mentioned something Jaating.

Speaker 3 (01:03:24):
Yeah, I need the IT guy right right, but he's
working from home.

Speaker 1 (01:03:28):
This this thing about the Dan Gilbert and General Motors
and basically everyone trying to get money from the taxpayers
of Michigan and Detroit to reshape the Detroit Riverfront in
their own personal interests.

Speaker 2 (01:03:43):
A Democrats run Lancing.

Speaker 1 (01:03:46):
Dan Gilbert's a Republican, But even when Republicans ran Lancing,
they did the same kind of thing.

Speaker 2 (01:03:54):
Charlie, you studied economics.

Speaker 1 (01:03:57):
What's what's your read on why Republicans have bought into
the corporate welfare consensus in Michigan. They haven't attacked it
in any meaningful way.

Speaker 3 (01:04:09):
Well, I also studied astronomy, bro, But that doesn't mean
I know if the moon is really made out of cheese.
But I can give you a guest just being a
citizen like everybody else listening. It's because because the culture
is corrupt. It's a scam the Republicans. It's all crony capitalism, right,
So wherever you can get in bed with, you get

(01:04:30):
in bed with. So you're looking at the Renaissance Center.
Look it's it's an icon. But look I don't care
if you tear it down. I mean, that's capitalism if
you own it and tear it down. Or better yet,
ladies and gentlemen, they'll be mad at me. How about
the old school thing that the rest of us do.
Put it up on the market and see what it

(01:04:51):
sells for? Right, I need, I need, I need a
billion from you? Huh how much is it worth? Because
General Motors bought that thing in ninety six or something
to the tune of seventy three million dollars that's it,
just from yeah, justin for inflation, that's about one hundred
and forty million.

Speaker 2 (01:05:08):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (01:05:08):
So you want to tell me what, But if you
really dig into this worm pile, you'll you'll see that
the whole schematic. Listen, ladies and gentlemen again, the que
line downtown, that little Q two train that nobody runs.
If you own a home you're paying for that. If
you own a home in the metro Detroit region, they
stuck it on your bill. Now they want to build

(01:05:29):
a high speed trade. The whole remake of Detroit is
supposed to run through the Renaissance Center, trains, parks, the
whole deal. Now, who's behind this deal? Who's involved with
this deal? The guy that put the Flint water poisoning
deal together is now the real estate guy for GM.

Speaker 1 (01:05:48):
Dave Mason, Dave Master around should be a household name.
And you've done more than anyone to get him there.

Speaker 3 (01:05:55):
Yeah, he's a punk, and you know you can assume me, Dave,
if you want, I'd be more than happy to get
the discovery. You put the Flint deal together, you bounced around,
and now you're here trying to gouge us on this.
Here's what Dave. Hey, Dave, I hope you're listening, because
guess what I'm gonna do, Dave. Dave is the head
of real estate, right, this thing stinks so bad it
might not go through. Let's hope it doesn't go through.

(01:06:17):
If it does go through, all you clowns and lansing,
I'm going to be in your office. Word to your mother.
I will be there. But here's what Dave said, as
the GM guy.

Speaker 4 (01:06:28):
Well, you know, I.

Speaker 3 (01:06:29):
Mean, GM's going to put in two hundred and fifty
million dollars as the owner of the Renaissance Center and
give the Renaissance Center to Dan Gilbert. But if we
make any money on our piece of it, right, Okay,
this is this is a fortune five hundred company saying
I want the public money. Right. If if GM makes
money on their portion, Dave says, we're going to donate

(01:06:50):
it to charity. What charity? The nonprofits in Detroit? Those
aren't charities, you know what those are?

Speaker 2 (01:06:56):
Maybe the Riverfront Conservancy. I understand they need to.

Speaker 3 (01:06:59):
Oh by the way, Dave sits on the board of
directors of that. Come on, so here, they're staying forty
million dollars under your nose and you're in charge of it.
So he tells the public, the lawmakers, the press, and
the press buys it, of course, because they're garbage that
any prop that we make, we're gonna donate. Okay, you
know what I'm doing, James. I called my guy yesterday.

(01:07:20):
Buy me two shares of General Motors. I'm sure I
have it my four oh one k, but buy me
two shares because I'm going to the stockholder meeting. What
company in the world is donating its profit, especially when
you're trying to gouge the people of Michigan for profit

(01:07:40):
and then somehow you're going to give it back to
the people of Detroit. Now now that that doesn't work,
that the board of directors agree to this. The thing
is a scam, older dude, And I'm tired, and my
mom is tired, and I know you're tired. I'm tired
of being scammed.

Speaker 2 (01:08:00):
You know, Charlie, James Dixon here hosting the Justin Barclay Show.

Speaker 3 (01:08:04):
My guess, Charlie, I know it's I know it's James Dixon. Oh,
I'm sorry you.

Speaker 2 (01:08:08):
Talking, just letting just letting the people know.

Speaker 3 (01:08:09):
I just thought we were talking on the phone.

Speaker 1 (01:08:12):
But you know, Charlie was so funny because no sooner
did your peace drop? And if you guys, you guys
need to see this piece on the Michigan Enjoyer just
it just shows the literal emptiness of Lancing. No sooner
did your peace drop than they started work on the
lame duck session and so overnight, sleepy Little Lancing was

(01:08:32):
hosting all nighters like a kid who skipped class all
semester but needed to ace the final to pass the class.
To me, the laziness, the fact that they were not
there on Monday when you went, and the fact that
they are there Friday today and have been working marathon nights,
to me, those are two sides of the same coin

(01:08:54):
of ineffectiveness.

Speaker 2 (01:08:56):
How do you see it?

Speaker 3 (01:08:59):
Well as exactly that I'm ineffective or they're in a.

Speaker 1 (01:09:03):
Right, the fact that you take so many days off
and need to cram at the end for your final
tells me you don't use your time.

Speaker 2 (01:09:12):
Well, you're not thinking about a million people of Michigan.

Speaker 3 (01:09:16):
You know, probably you get a higher level of people
listening to this show. Now, you know, higher level in
the sense of people are really into politics. Right, It
doesn't mean you're better than anybody. You're smarter than anybody,
but a high level of intuition about politics. To explain
to the few who don't know what lane duck means.
It means it's the end of the legislative year. It's

(01:09:39):
after the election, but it's before the holidays, so it's
this sneaky dark time where they ran through a bunch
of stuff like condoms in the tampons in the boys' bathroom,
and driver's license for illegals and billionaires, billion for billionaires.
They do all this stuff where you can't see it.

(01:10:01):
And the way it really works is if you call
your legislator, and I went up there and I talked
to a bunch of them. They don't even know what
are in these bills, for instance, the tampon bill, or
the driver's license bill, or the billionaire bill. Right, your representative,
it is supposed to behave like a monkey and the leadership,

(01:10:22):
who are the monkeys of the crony class who donate
to everybody. You're supposed to just fault in line, vote
how they told you. But nobody knows what's in this legislation.
So it'll be like midnight tonight and a billion dollars
of yours will evaporate, and your representative had ten minutes

(01:10:44):
to look to a thousand page bill, didn't look through it,
and voted for it because your representative just can't forego
the seventy three thousand dollars a year job, or your
representative wants to be a lobbyist afterwards. By the way,
one of the guys in development in Detroit, right this

(01:11:05):
planning and development whatever it is, who would put the
Renaissance steal together, is now going to work for the
real estate firm that is helping to redesign the Renaissance Center.
You see what I'm saying. Today's his last day in
the city and Monday's his first day with the real
estate firm. How outrageous is all this.

Speaker 1 (01:11:27):
Our friend Sam Robertson at Detroit one Million, he was
our guest last week, he just did a story about that.
I mean, that is literally the revolving door. That's just
as ugly. I've seen it many a time when one
of our colleagues, perhaps they'll be covering Ford Motor Company
or GM and next thing you know, they write this
oddly glowing profile of one of the executives at the company,

(01:11:50):
and you think interesting that they would give this person
that access in that amount of time, and then about
two months after that they end up working for that
same company.

Speaker 5 (01:12:00):
Me.

Speaker 1 (01:12:00):
So it turns out the journalism was all done as
work for the company.

Speaker 3 (01:12:05):
Yeah, well, you know, look, the guy that wrote about
cars for the Free Press right ends up going to
work for Ford. Bunch of them. The chick that was
writing about the Detroit Public schools ends up being the
spokesperson for the Detroit Public schools. And they look at
me like I'm a nut. I would never do that,

(01:12:28):
you know what I mean? No, I would rather you
know what I do for healthcare. I'm the handyman, the
maintenance guy at American Coney Island Downtown. I love it.
It's physical labor. It's good for your mind. The whole
city comes around, you know. You hear a lot of stories,
and it's healthcare. I'm going to earn my healthcare. I'm

(01:12:49):
not gonna steal it.

Speaker 2 (01:12:51):
M Charlie.

Speaker 3 (01:12:54):
I don't know, dude.

Speaker 1 (01:12:56):
You know, this lame duck thing just has everybody crossed up.
Democrats hate lame duck from Republicans hold power. That's how
we became a right to work state. Republicans hate it
now that Democrats hold power. I have an idea about
how to end it. I'm not a policy maker, but
I dip my toe into the waters.

Speaker 2 (01:13:15):
It seems a simple solution, as you end.

Speaker 1 (01:13:18):
The lame duck by removing it, by saying, hey, the
legislative calendar now goes from November to November. No post
election lawmaking, because it's going to be a different cast
of characters. You're going to be served by the people
who who you know, who you actually elected to represent you.

Speaker 2 (01:13:39):
Now, what would you think about lame duc that's.

Speaker 3 (01:13:42):
A good one. Well, first of all, we end the
legislative calendar in October, right, So that way anything you
do at the end of October, I can now look
at you and vote right. Number two, the legislative Canada
calendar begins December. First, how about this, guys. If you

(01:14:03):
want to be a full time legislature, which I don't know,
it doesn't take a full time legislature to screw it
up as bad. You can do it in half the time, right,
So why don't we have you guys begin in December
once come in to forget your holiday. You know what
you can do? Ease into it, you know, bring your
bibble heads and your pens and your notepads and settle in.

(01:14:26):
And then when it's January second, everybody gets to work.

Speaker 2 (01:14:32):
Like the rest of us, like the rest of us.

Speaker 3 (01:14:35):
Oh man, is this true? Because you know, you know
how it is. People send stuff to you, they want
you to check it out. They're trying to ram through
a pension for every state worker. Not a four to
one K, not a four to one k with a
twenty five cent match, but pensions for everybody again twenty

(01:14:56):
twenty five. I don't know even has.

Speaker 2 (01:14:59):
Moved away from pensance.

Speaker 1 (01:15:02):
And we have Lansing trying to do it. It's it's
a big club, Charlie, and we ain't in it.

Speaker 3 (01:15:08):
And I just gotta throw the name out. Mallory mcmurrow,
who's supposed to be my state senator. I'd like to
call her Mallory mcmurder because she voted against separating old
people in the nursing homes. She's the one that took
up the Big twenty twenty five what was that, the
Heritage Foundation twenty.

Speaker 2 (01:15:26):
Twenty the big book.

Speaker 3 (01:15:28):
Yeah, you know, she's the one that looked like a
lizard in her mother's try sitting there lying that that
was Trump's. She's the one that takes checks around in
my district, that says May mcmurroe.

Speaker 1 (01:15:41):
Yeah, the big oversized check. She did that in Ferndale
when I lived there.

Speaker 3 (01:15:45):
Yeah, like it's her money. Like she's ed McMahon publishers
clearing out. She's horrible. Wants to be either governor or
ahead of the Democratic National Committee. I'll go ahead and
do that, but you ain't being governor. Honey. You're from
New jerse You did us bad, and I'm on your ass.
I'm not taking this right. Look as a former Democrat,

(01:16:08):
you know what I mean. I'm from Westland, right, I
actually worked for a living. My people are from here.
I left New York Times and Los Angeles to raise
my daughter in Michigan because that's.

Speaker 6 (01:16:24):
What we are.

Speaker 3 (01:16:25):
There's no way I'm letting you people steal it, ruin it,
or destroy us. No. No, we're not making a rich
man rich and we're not making ridiculous politicians in charge.
I'm not moving. You got a problem, right, right, and
we're going to do it peacefully with our minds, yes,

(01:16:47):
and our fiber and our love for the place, real
love for the place. You know, like my people for
eleven generations beyond that. You know, before Detroit was even settled,
people were here. All of our bones are in this dirt,
and I'll be damned if you get to steal the dirt.
Dig it up, put in the publican finance. Nothing, nothing,

(01:17:13):
you don't get.

Speaker 2 (01:17:14):
To no, no, because we're going to stand out, speak out,
and talk back. Charlie Laduff my guest today. Charlie, thank
you so much.

Speaker 1 (01:17:24):
And hey, brother, let me know when you're back to town,
and please travel safely.

Speaker 3 (01:17:29):
Oh by the way, you know in Kentucky have a
state park called Big Bone Lick. Just saying yeah, might stop.

Speaker 1 (01:17:38):
Being down I seventy five, So hey, Charlie, thank you, brother.
Later dude, all right, but yeah, that was Charlie Laduff.
There's only one of his kind in Michigan. We were
blessed to have him.

Speaker 2 (01:17:56):
Just now. Back in a few minutes here Justin.

Speaker 1 (01:18:00):
Barclay Show beaten right along. We're headed into our third
and final hour of the day.

Speaker 2 (01:18:06):
Talk to you soon. Hello Detroit, Good morning, Michigan. This
is James Dixon filling in for Justin Barclay. This is
the Justin Barclay Show.

Speaker 1 (01:18:17):
Nine ten am Superstation, Southfield, Michigan. Look, it is not
lost on me that I've opened myself to a charge
of hypocrisy when it comes to planning flags at Ohio Stadium.
I think it's obviously ridiculous the idea that there should
be a law. These are things that happened between young
competitive men, and it really should be kept in that realm.

(01:18:41):
Elderly lawmakers should have no say in it. And in fact,
all Josh Williams did is bring discredit to Ohio State
as a football program. They've been getting absolutely roasted on Twitter.
This is the mother of all unforced errors. It was
such an unforced error that there's a lot of people
who actually thought this Williams guy must be a Michigan

(01:19:03):
fan who's just trolling, trying to make Ohio State look bad.

Speaker 2 (01:19:09):
But it turns out he's not.

Speaker 1 (01:19:10):
Ohio State actually is just soft and so obviously we
don't need to make a law there.

Speaker 2 (01:19:17):
But with this lame duck thing, I don't see how
we have any other choice.

Speaker 1 (01:19:23):
Democrats hate it when Republicans use their power after the
election's been decided, when we know that it's going to
be a new look government in the new year. Democrats
hate it and they've been burned by it. No lame duck,
no right to work in twenty twelve. There's a historical
example you can cite of how their lives would be better.

(01:19:46):
Not that I agree with them on the policy, but
that they would respond to. See, when you're trying to
pitch someone on something, you don't say what works for you, you
say what works for them. And so you'd point out
to the Democrats, Hey, guys, remember when you got bodied
in twenty twelve and right to work.

Speaker 2 (01:20:02):
Became the law.

Speaker 1 (01:20:04):
That might not have happened if Republicans had to do
it in the light of day rather than the dark
of lame duck. So you guys might want to reconsider
these things. Republicans, you don't like it when Democrats try
to push through fundamental change with two seat majorities. You
don't like lame duck either, And none of us liked

(01:20:26):
the idea that our state can be changed and deformed
in a way that's not easily reversed. Again, Republicans won
back the Michigan House in the new year, but they
haven't won back everything, and they don't hold the governor's
office either, So what happens now could take until at

(01:20:48):
least twenty twenty seven to unravel, and that's assuming Republicans
do well in twenty twenty six. The problem with lame
duck is really simple, and it's really clear. Nobody wants
people making laws when those people have just lost their power.
So whether your side won, whether your side lost, lawmaking

(01:21:12):
needs to happen in the light of day. You don't
wait until everyone's focused on Thanksgiving turkeys and all this
other stuff and Christmas meals. You don't wait until people's
eye are off the ball to do this stuff. So,
and just a few minutes, we're going to come back
with my friend Amber Harris.

Speaker 2 (01:21:31):
Hello Detroit, Good morning, Michigan. This is James Dixon filling
in for Justin Barclay.

Speaker 1 (01:21:37):
This is the Justin Barclay Show, nine ten am Superstation
broadcasting out of Southfield. My guest right now is another
one of my great friends. Amber Harris is one of
my favorite people in Michigan.

Speaker 2 (01:21:52):
She wears several hats.

Speaker 1 (01:21:53):
She's a court reporter, she's a politico, she's a wife,
she's a mom, she's a friend, and right now she
has a new effort that I love you all to
hear about because I remember so vividly the COVID era
and lockdowns actually started on my birthday, my thirty sixth birthday,

(01:22:14):
and so it didn't matter that it was a fifty
degree day in mid March twenty twenty, because where are
you going to go and what were you going to do?
We were locked down, and we learned that the powers
that be in this world don't like it when we
touch and agree. It's actually what they fear most. And

(01:22:34):
so it's important in this post lockdown era to do
exactly those things and to build ties with each other
that are not easily broken. So that's what we're going
to talk about right now, Amber, Amber Harris, good morning,
and thank you for joining.

Speaker 6 (01:22:50):
Me, and good morning. Excuse me, thank you for having me.

Speaker 3 (01:22:54):
This is really exciting, absolutely so.

Speaker 2 (01:22:56):
Amber.

Speaker 1 (01:22:58):
You started informed advocates of Michigan, and kind of the
thesis behind it is that political, economic, public health, and
technological angst has led to a broken generation where new
generations prefer to drop out and become civically engaged. So

(01:23:18):
kind of a two parter to start you out. One,
how did we get here and be there?

Speaker 2 (01:23:24):
Two?

Speaker 1 (01:23:25):
One and b and two what's informed advocates of Michigan
going to do about it.

Speaker 6 (01:23:32):
So after my COVID experience in the twenty twenty election,
I got involved in politics and I realized, like I
think we all have as the system's broken, and how
we got here is that we constantly have bureaucrats and
bureaucracy not trying to fix the system, but falling subject

(01:23:53):
to the system and being there for four years and
trying to help. I was, I don't know a wheel.
I was like the hamster on the wheel, trying to
solve this issue. But you can't. You can't fix it,
so pivoting. I still love politics. I still love my
political family that I you know, I feel like I met.

(01:24:17):
But getting to the nonprofit space is where we need
to be. And it's not in the nonprofit space pushing
Republicans or pushing Democrats. It's in the nonprofit space just
loving people and having a basis of conservative principal value
Republicans are. It's not the end all be all, it's
the conservative values behind the Republican principles that makes us

(01:24:41):
better than I don't want to say better then, but
it makes us stand out in this you know, progressive error,
right now of everything being shut down our throats. So
that's the why or how we got to this vice
and informed advocates of Michigan getting into the nonprofit fit
space is to help that those twenty to thirty year

(01:25:04):
old that took a big chunk of the two and
a half years of their life in isolation and having
them slowly come out of their phone, come out of
that dissolution that being alone is not the norm. It's
about telling them, hey, you know, you see this ad
on Facebook, don't just scroll over it. It's going to
the event and knowing that when you're going to be there,
you're welcomed. Whoever you are, wherever you are in life,

(01:25:27):
you're welcomed. We see so many nonprofits pop up, and
I think Charlie touched on it when he talked about
it's a feeftum, Like you go to the non profits
in Detroit and it is the feast them and you
don't trust it, and that's why donors are disenfranchised, and
that's why people are disenfranchised and disenchanted from the whole
principle of nonprofits. I feel like I'm speaking fast.

Speaker 5 (01:25:50):
I'm sorry.

Speaker 1 (01:25:51):
Oh no, you're doing great. You said something very powerful.
Being alone is not the norm. And my favorite exact
ample to use is from the creation story, right, and
God made the animals and that was good and dark
and light and those were good. The only thing he

(01:26:13):
said was not good, And that whole first two chapters
of the Bible is Adam being alone and didn't matter
how many dogs he had, he had every animal you
could want. Nothing was a suitable companion. And so obviously
that's a romantic context, but I think the general point

(01:26:33):
is well taken. I think about that song I used
to hear in the club back in the day, do
you think you're better off alone? And unfortunately, so many
people of our generation would say yes, because they bought
into these ideas that separate us, whether it's feminism and
the idea that every man should be suspected, or it's

(01:26:56):
anti feminism and you think every woman has these latent
beliefs inside where they're trying to hold you down.

Speaker 2 (01:27:03):
The battle of the sexes.

Speaker 1 (01:27:05):
Uh, it lowered men at lowered women, How do we
break out?

Speaker 6 (01:27:11):
Well, what's even worse than that, though? Or people don't
feel like they're alone because they're connected to their device.

Speaker 2 (01:27:18):
Oh, that's even worse.

Speaker 6 (01:27:20):
Problem not alone. I talk to people all day. No,
you are full alone? Like that is that is dangerous
because it's not real. That's not real. What you're seeing
on Facebook is not real. I have problems and people
are like, oh, you're you you know your life on
face like oh man, Like, no, what you see is

(01:27:40):
not real. Those people are not like that. Connections lost,
And I think that's where informed advocates comes in and
be like, hey, look, let's let's put you in a
real friendship situation with people that will really have your
back and not a shallow existence on the phone.

Speaker 1 (01:27:56):
You know, I'm glad you said that, because I realized
that when my mom passed in July twenty twenty three,
is because we would go we'd go grocery shopping every Sunday.
And my biggest regret in the immediate aftermath. I mean,
I had no idea she was going to die. When
she did, I was hoping to just pick her up
and take her. The only question I had on my

(01:28:17):
mind when I arrived was Meyer or Kroger. But then
then life changes in a way you could not have expected.
And then you realize, Man, a lot of these times
when we would be out shopping together. I'm looking on
my phone, I'm checking my fake popularity rather than being
fully invested in these moments, and I regret that so much.

(01:28:42):
So I think what you're speaking to is a great
human need. So my thing is this, you hope to
pull conservatives in Michigan off the couch. Okay, let's say
they get off the couch. What happens next?

Speaker 4 (01:28:57):
So that's a great question.

Speaker 6 (01:28:58):
So why I had my launch the kick off last
week and it was great. I had a lot of
people that are, you know, interested in the concept, but yes,
So what's next is We've built a relationship and we
have a coat drive going for Team Wellness and we're
going to go deliver coats on Wednesday.

Speaker 4 (01:29:16):
To the needy.

Speaker 6 (01:29:17):
And then in February we are partnering with toy Chest
around America to a bottomless toy truest excuse me, to
wrap gifts for children with cancer. So it's getting off
the couch and then giving them something to do that
forms purpose and meaning and finding their purpose and their
passion and helping them excel at that. And it's it's

(01:29:38):
just it's a foreign concept because everybody wants to ask, well,
what's in it for you, Well, what's in it for
me is knowing that I help you get your full
potential into your passion and that's where my heart is always.
So that's that's the how. And to your other question,
what you asked once, how to break down the barriers
of the social norms and feminism and stuff that just

(01:30:00):
getting people together in a room and having a conversation,
because that'll dissipate all of it. Is just the conversation
part and getting a people with different walks of life
in a room because we're in our own echo chambers.
And so you break out of the echo chamber, I
mean feminism and all of those problems I feel and

(01:30:21):
melts away because people at the heart of it love people.

Speaker 1 (01:30:25):
Yes, Yeah, and we need to get back to that
and get back to looking each other in the eye
and you know, more concerned with Like one of the
things I always love to keep track of is how
many people did I meet for lunch this you know,
this month?

Speaker 2 (01:30:40):
Yeah, And ideally you like to see that number going up.

Speaker 1 (01:30:43):
I mean, we all work, we all have stuff going on,
but I think the very busyness of our life presents
a challenge that I think is worth trying to tackle
is saying, in this world where there's x amount of
things that you just absolutely have to do and you
have no choice in what can you do with your
free time to build the life you want? And that's

(01:31:08):
different than what you have to do. Amber Our state
has many needs. I'm thinking about the twenty twenty sixth
election that's upcoming.

Speaker 2 (01:31:18):
Our movement has many needs.

Speaker 1 (01:31:20):
As you look at it, what are some skill sets
that our community could use. People might be hearing this
and say, hey, I could do that thing that these
people are saying they need.

Speaker 2 (01:31:31):
What do we need.

Speaker 4 (01:31:35):
We need?

Speaker 6 (01:31:36):
Well, you need to get off the couch, and we
talk about that a lot, James. You just need to
pick up your phone and call your local your local party.
If you're in the politics, call your local county party.
Everybody has a county party. Everybody we have a state party.
We have districts. There's thirteen districts in our state. We
have a district party. So there's no reason if you
love politics to not get involved. And you can do

(01:31:58):
everything from you know, writing letters or blogging, calling your legislator,
going and volunteering your efforts at a office, going and
walking in a parade So that's politics. But as far
as nonprofits go, going and calling up your local soup kitchen,
are going to informed as I am Michigan dot org,

(01:32:21):
writing us a letter and saying, hey, I want to
get involved, please, you know, tap me and coach and
then tell us what your passion is. If your passion
is boom feedings and needy, I know tons of nonprofits
that I love to go and help you get acclimated with,
or help you start your own movement in your own community,
whatever your passion is. Informed Advocates of Michigan is there

(01:32:44):
to help you thrive. But that's how you do it.
You just send an email, call me. My phone number
is pretty much everywhere it is. I feel like it
really is. There's no reason not to get involved at
this point.

Speaker 2 (01:32:55):
So yes, and so you.

Speaker 1 (01:33:00):
Know, I could see someone saying, Okay, I like to
do X, Y and Z, I should reach out. What
if I'm sitting here and I don't know but I
know I need to do something.

Speaker 2 (01:33:09):
What should I do? In that case?

Speaker 4 (01:33:14):
Oh?

Speaker 6 (01:33:14):
Man, just call me, find me on social media. I'd
love to talk, but I think it's even you know,
finding you on social media. We can We're so connected
that we can connect you where you belong. And that's
my favorite part. And you talk about going to lunches.
Every lunch I go to you find a new person

(01:33:34):
to add to your you know, friendships, to be like,
oh I met this other person the other day and
they're looking for a job, or oh they have a
passion for this, they want to write blogs. Oh you
know you and I are always looking for good talent
to write.

Speaker 2 (01:33:47):
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 6 (01:33:50):
It's just a phone call. Just pick up the phone
and get off your couch or write that message or
send that I am or DM or whatever it is
these days.

Speaker 2 (01:34:00):
Yourself with the I am there.

Speaker 6 (01:34:02):
I totally that instant message.

Speaker 1 (01:34:04):
Man James Dixon here with Amber Harris, Justin Barclay Show
nine ten am Superstation. So what you're talking about really
and I love this because they say in life you
need to build these things before you need them, right,
and so you can't just say we need to win

(01:34:25):
an election, let's just.

Speaker 2 (01:34:26):
Gear up for that.

Speaker 1 (01:34:28):
You're thinking about the ecosystem that goes into the election,
so kind of more of a direct political question.

Speaker 2 (01:34:37):
Twenty twenty six.

Speaker 1 (01:34:38):
I believe I have a theory on this that basically
the winning formula. When you look at the last twenty years,
the winning formula is a strong candidate at the top
of the ticket, plus a ballot initiative that drives turnout.
Whitmer had legal marijuana in twenty eighteen and abortion in

(01:34:59):
twenty two twenty two. Go back to two thousand and four,
George Bush partnered with gay marriage. It's a successful formula.
Do you think that is a winning formula for twenty
twenty six, and in particular with the governor's race, I'm
a little worried.

Speaker 2 (01:35:16):
Have you heard any names that excite you just yet?

Speaker 5 (01:35:21):
Oh, that's a good question.

Speaker 6 (01:35:26):
The governor's race for the Republican side, I'd say no,
of course. Dougan entering in as an independent is very
exciting for us though, in my opinion, right.

Speaker 2 (01:35:38):
And explain why that is.

Speaker 1 (01:35:41):
People might not get why a Republican would be excited
about that. It's not because you believe Duggan's conservative.

Speaker 6 (01:35:48):
Right, No, not at all. But however, you know, historically
Dougan is a Democrat. He'll draw the votes from the Democrat.
Then the Democrat will get the Democrat vote just from
straight party tickets they are Democrats, and then the Republican
wolves skirt in no matter.

Speaker 1 (01:36:04):
You know, it's very different maths a three person race
versus a two person race because we have a two
party system, right, So that's exciting.

Speaker 6 (01:36:14):
I mean, I have heard some really great names on
the Republican side. I don't know if I can say.
I mean just because of my phonal blow up afterwards,
being like, you shouldn't have said that, And I'm really
good at saying stuff I shouldn't say.

Speaker 2 (01:36:28):
So I was actually kind of counting on it. I was.

Speaker 1 (01:36:31):
I know, I was banking on a blurt at some point.
You've been uncharacteristically disciplined.

Speaker 6 (01:36:37):
So far, But isn't that crazy. I'm never that way.

Speaker 1 (01:36:42):
I know, Amber, you need to First of all, you
need to get more active on Twitter, but overall Twitter, Facebook,
wherever you'd like people to find you? Where can people
find you? Where can people find inform advocates of Michigan.

Speaker 6 (01:36:57):
So I am Amber Harris. I'm pretty much on social media.
Facebook is my norm, which makes me sound so boomerish.
I know I am.

Speaker 1 (01:37:06):
I'm younger than me, and you spend more time. You
spend as much time on Facebook as a sixty year old.
I just don't get it.

Speaker 6 (01:37:12):
I do, I do. I should get better at Twitter.
But it's I A M, I c H I G
A M. So when it's I am Michigan, there's no
two ms. So when you find this online, that's where
it is.

Speaker 1 (01:37:28):
I hate when people double up the M or the s,
like don't do that, I do too, I'm borrow or
the like that. So we are, we are, We are
touching and agreeing, we are equally yoked.

Speaker 3 (01:37:41):
We are great.

Speaker 1 (01:37:41):
Yes, Amber, is such a blessing to hear your voice.
But I am Michigan dot org. That's how you can
learn more.

Speaker 2 (01:37:50):
And uh, Amber, thank you so much for taking the time.

Speaker 6 (01:37:53):
Thank you, James.

Speaker 2 (01:37:56):
I'm going to be back in.

Speaker 1 (01:37:57):
Just a few minutes, and after that, after the eight
to thirty break, I have a very special guest. It's
gonna kind of sum up everything we've been talking about.
One of my friends, Christine Jacques from the West side
of the state. We're gonna talk about what progressives are
doing to Michigan, and I'll give you a little.

Speaker 2 (01:38:14):
Hint it's not progress. Talk to you very soon. He
love you, Troy.

Speaker 1 (01:38:22):
Good morning, Michigan. This is James Dixon filling in for
Justin Barclay. This is the Justin Barclay Show. This is
nine ten am Superstation, Southfield, Michigan. And you know, we've
it's been a constant theme throughout this that Democrats in
Michigan deal in deception. I mean, think about it, like

(01:38:47):
the kind of people who would pass very few laws
during an election year. Why would you do that, Why
would you slow down? Why would you govern any differently
during an election year. It wasn't to hold those seats.
They didn't hold their seats. They actually lost their House majority.
Democrats knew good and dog one well that if they

(01:39:09):
were their true selves, you would reject them, and we
would reject them. And we did reject them, and now
only when it's too late to do something about it,
just like we talked about with gay marriage, just as
we talked about with the first black president. You try
to do all these things that move you toward the middle,

(01:39:31):
but the problem is you can't meet nonsense halfway because
we share a country, unfortunately with people who are not
partners in the future. And so maybe you grew up
thinking of Democrats that way, where maybe we just argue
about tax policy, but that's it. Ronald Reagan's not walked

(01:39:52):
through that door. Neither is Tip O'Neil, the Democrat House
Speaker he was able to famously get along so well with.

Speaker 2 (01:40:00):
We have instead is politics.

Speaker 1 (01:40:02):
That's something closer to bloodsport these days, and if that's
how seriously Democrats take it, that has to be how
serious Republicans take it. And so as we look at
twenty twenty six, what excites me is that what comes next,
even before you get to the governor's race, is a
battle for the Michigan Republican Party. So yes, while it

(01:40:26):
would be nice if Republicans were to win, I'm more
interested at this point and which type of Republican wins
because I look at states like Texas, I look at
states like Oklahoma that are supposedly deep red, but their
representatives and their senators are regularly meeting Democrats in the middle.

(01:40:49):
They're not conservative and they're not strong like you would think.
So you can't just tell me what color you wear,
tell me what kind of Republican you are. Hello Detroit,

(01:41:13):
and good morning Michigan. This is James Dixon subbing for
Justin Barclay. This is the Justin Barclay Show, nine ten
AM superstation broadcasting out of Southfield, Michigan. I am joined
by one of my friends who I met on Twitter
and I hope to meet in person someday. Christine Jocks
is a great writer. She lives on the west side

(01:41:36):
of the state in Justin Barclay Territory, and she wrote
one of the absolute best posts I've read all year.
You know, it's kind of unfortunate that in Michigan our journalists.
Normally journalists would be who you look to for analysis
of the state, but they're too compromised by politics to

(01:41:58):
give you an honest read. Everything they say goes through
the filter of how does this affect the politicians? I like,
how does this affect the team I cheer for? And
so the unfair advantage Christine holds is that she's able
to just speak the truth. Christine, thank you so much
for joining me this morning.

Speaker 5 (01:42:19):
Good morning, James, glad to be with you this morning.

Speaker 2 (01:42:22):
It is great to hear your voice.

Speaker 1 (01:42:23):
Christine and your post on Twitter x I found to
be absolutely fascinating. So if you guys want to follow
along with what I'm talking about, her name on Twitter
is Candy is Yummy three three three Christine Jacques, and
her post says Michigan is being destroyed by progressives. That's

(01:42:45):
the title of it, and I'm going to read a
little bit of it here. Systemic destruction of local norms
is commonplace in small town Michigan these days, with local
rights and desires being overrun and run roughshot by the.

Speaker 2 (01:43:01):
Citizens here.

Speaker 1 (01:43:02):
Have know Donald Trump to negotiate lopsided deals with the
Chinese and the Koreans that our elected officials make on
our behalf. The state seems wholly unconcerned with the decimation
of our watersheds and forests. I've witnessed groups of men
walking past my house from the train station and a
single file in step with a single bag and maybe

(01:43:25):
a water jug headed to some NGO funded springboard that
God knows where. Homeless drug addicts wander our streets, and
politicians tie the hands of local law enforcement from keeping
citizens safe. Wayward leftist policies here continue to attract the
unemployed and those who wish to remain so they get

(01:43:49):
hot meals here every day in free lodging, along with
myriad social services ranging from free rent, ebt cards, job placement,
and addiction treatment, all on the backs of the hard
working people of Michigan.

Speaker 2 (01:44:05):
Christine.

Speaker 1 (01:44:05):
As I read that, I was just like man, she
has us nailed. That is our state. It was not
this way when I was growing up. It was not
a place where if you went to a rest stop
there would be an alazone and narcan available, Just grab some, Ristine.
What prompted you to write this?

Speaker 5 (01:44:25):
Yeah, well, many things, James. I relocated back to Michigan.

Speaker 4 (01:44:30):
Is my home state.

Speaker 5 (01:44:30):
First of all, born in Bridsooper, so I grew up
in the up in a small town and really got
to see the best of what Michigan is. Got to live, it,
got to have community and write safety and people who teared.
So I left Michigan in the eighties, moved to Chicago actually,

(01:44:56):
and had been there for quite some time. Well it's
farther away than you want it to be, but two
yeas at the same time. But I returned back to
Michigan in twenty twenty because I longed to be back

(01:45:16):
here the whole time. I never was at home in
Chicago those many years I was there, and so I
finally made it back here in twenty twenty. And the
things that I've seen since in the last four years
have just made me distraught. I can't. It's unsustainable, James.

Speaker 2 (01:45:37):
So you came back to Michigan in twenty twenty, went
in twenty twenty, and.

Speaker 5 (01:45:42):
Why Well, there's a little personal story behind that. I
was separated and going through a divorce at the time,
so on my own with an eighteen year old and
again wanting to be back in my home state with
my people. I think Michigan Anders are the best people

(01:46:04):
in the world, and I wanted to be among the friendly,
nice people again. So that really propelled me to move
to Michigan. I moved to the West side for the geography.
I moved here to the beaches. I love Lake Michigan,
and I grew up on the north side of it.
So unfortunately, there's there's not any kind of industry or

(01:46:26):
economy to support what I do up in the up.
I can't really get a good job up there, unfortunately, So.

Speaker 2 (01:46:33):
Do you do?

Speaker 4 (01:46:34):
I relocated. Well.

Speaker 5 (01:46:36):
When I lived in Chicago, I worked as a writer, producer, director,
and my ex husband and I had our own video
production company, and so we did a lot of commercial videos,
website videos, corporate overviews, that kind of thing.

Speaker 2 (01:46:53):
Not as many of those kind of clients in the up.

Speaker 5 (01:46:59):
Virtually I mean, there's a few, but it's very tough
to make a living, and so I thought moving to
the west side of the state and some very big
cities not far away. I thought that I could surely
find a niche here in Michigan. And that has not
been the case unfortunately.

Speaker 2 (01:47:20):
Why do you think that is.

Speaker 5 (01:47:23):
Because the economy is in the toilet, probably so, you know,
the government interference with the auto industry here in Michigan
has been devastating. Pushing the Green New Deal, this artificial
ev demands that nobody's buying them, has just crushed the

(01:47:47):
auto industry. And the repercussions there's waves and waves and
waves of all the suppliers and everybody else who's attached
to it. I mean, Michigan is motor city. Our whole
state is motor city. Know, so without that industry, everything
else that's attached to it is dying.

Speaker 1 (01:48:11):
You know, Christine, it hasn't taken long to dismantle our state.
And even had you come a year before you came,
you would see a difference. And it's just been a
steady slide down over those four years. And so right
now we're in the lame duck section of the legislature.
So even as our kids can't read, write, or do math,

(01:48:33):
our lawmakers want to put tampons in boys' bathrooms, they
want to outlaw blue and pink guns. They want to
give drivers' licenses to illegals. Christine, how do you understand
what explains the gap between our dire circumstance and the
relatively petty mine matters that they focus on in Lancing.

Speaker 5 (01:48:55):
Well, let me tell you, first of all, how thankful
I am for our fellows, that is, and who diligently
follow what's going on in that hellhole, because it's it's
it's how do I explain it? Well, I have to
take the guy's I view. I have to I have
to zoom out James, and I have to say, what

(01:49:17):
could possibly motivate these people who claim to be working
for the citizens of Michigan to take these actions? And
the answer is the tale as old as time. It's
all about the money. James, of course, follow.

Speaker 2 (01:49:32):
The money, none go on.

Speaker 5 (01:49:39):
So I was just going to say, you know, the
Green New Deal, for example, and the policies that Whitmer's
administrations have has pushed through, you know, under the guise
of sustainability. Uh, it's ironic because none of it is sustainable.
You can't keep getting printed money from the federal government

(01:50:01):
and dumping it here with no jobs that come out
of it. You can't keep doing that.

Speaker 1 (01:50:06):
You can't keep having your college graduates and your wealthy
retirees leave the state and be replaced by Julio down
by your kids schoolyard, who comes in with no money
except the debit card. He's given no skills, no want
to learn our language, no need to learn our language,

(01:50:28):
because he doesn't need a job. It's just it is
just so clear to me that our state is being dismantled,
and that the calls are coming from inside the house.
How long did it take? I mean, you came back
during the year of pandemic. How long did it take
you to see, wait a minute, the people in Lancing

(01:50:48):
aren't helping the cause at all.

Speaker 5 (01:50:53):
Well, I knew that before I came back, and one
of my goals was to try to unseat Governor Whitmer
in twenty two man, and so I did do a
lot of work with the Republican Party here in this county.
But it felt like sitting in the wind.

Speaker 1 (01:51:08):
Honestly, you know, that year bothers you so much, because
I remember putting in a lot of effort as well,
just to tell the full story about who Whitmer is
and her character and what she did, and it just
didn't matter because when the top of the Republican ticket

(01:51:30):
is wiped out before the election even starts. To me,
I consider twenty twenty two something closer to a stolen
election than a legitimate one.

Speaker 5 (01:51:41):
Well, you know I have leanings in that direction, but
without getting into those particulars, you know, the problem is
is the Republican leadership here in this county leaves something
to be desired, and the one it was meeting the
twenty twenty two campaign here in this county was not

(01:52:07):
invested in this county and he was a hired hand,
and as soon as the day after the election he split.

Speaker 2 (01:52:15):
Jeez.

Speaker 5 (01:52:17):
So I was very disappointed in that, and it really
disillusioned me. As far as trying to go through political
processes to create change, it's very challenging.

Speaker 1 (01:52:33):
Are you so disillusioned that you're not excited about twenty
twenty six? Are you excited about twenty twenty six?

Speaker 2 (01:52:41):
Like? What are your thoughts?

Speaker 1 (01:52:42):
I mean, we have everything up in twenty twenty six
and to me, to me, that's the make it or
break a year. You either win twenty twenty six when
there's no sitting governor, no sitting ag or secretary of state,
or we could lose Michigan forever, and fourteen years later
Michigan will run on solar panels and windmills. What are

(01:53:05):
what are your thoughts?

Speaker 2 (01:53:06):
In general?

Speaker 4 (01:53:09):
It won't run on those things, right, Oh, at won't.
The winter's here, it just won't run.

Speaker 2 (01:53:15):
They'll say.

Speaker 1 (01:53:16):
You know, they used to say, well, the last person
to leave Detroit shut off the lights. You wouldn't even
need to say that. In twenty forty one in Michigan
the lights will already be off.

Speaker 5 (01:53:26):
That's correct. Well, listen, James, I don't know what's in
store for twenty six.

Speaker 4 (01:53:30):
I don't you know.

Speaker 5 (01:53:32):
I know that we had some good people in twenty two.

Speaker 2 (01:53:34):
And are you optimistic?

Speaker 5 (01:53:37):
No, I'm not optimistic, you're not? No?

Speaker 2 (01:53:41):
Why not?

Speaker 5 (01:53:43):
Well, because I still can't find a job here.

Speaker 2 (01:53:46):
Really?

Speaker 5 (01:53:46):
For number one?

Speaker 4 (01:53:48):
That's correct?

Speaker 2 (01:53:50):
Still nothing and that.

Speaker 1 (01:53:54):
I mean you just you laid out like three or
four in demand skill sets and there's just still nope.

Speaker 2 (01:54:00):
Bites on that whole side of the state.

Speaker 5 (01:54:03):
What I get are you know there's a lot of
interest in internships et cetera, et cetera in my field.

Speaker 4 (01:54:12):
Dude, bro, I'm old.

Speaker 2 (01:54:15):
You're a grown woman. You want a job.

Speaker 5 (01:54:18):
Hello, that pays me money? So it's it's very It's
really rare around here. I got to tell you, I
tried to find a job as a writer, et cetera.
I wound up working in a factory last year.

Speaker 4 (01:54:30):
That folk killed me.

Speaker 3 (01:54:31):
It was awful, man.

Speaker 5 (01:54:35):
So I don't want to do that. So I have
to move.

Speaker 3 (01:54:39):
James, Move, Move.

Speaker 2 (01:54:42):
You're leaving Michigan or are you moving to a different
part of Michigan.

Speaker 5 (01:54:46):
Nope, I'm leaving Michigan.

Speaker 2 (01:54:49):
When and where?

Speaker 5 (01:54:52):
Next month, I'm moving to Wisconsin.

Speaker 2 (01:54:55):
B anyway.

Speaker 1 (01:54:55):
So, Christine, you chose an even colder Midwestern state to move.

Speaker 2 (01:55:00):
Is that what I understand?

Speaker 5 (01:55:03):
So I see it as a lily pad for now.
It's a temporary it's a sojourn, my brother, Okay, but
the economics here are unsustainable, that's the bottom line.

Speaker 2 (01:55:17):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:55:17):
That breaks my heart, Christine, because you're good people. You're
the exact kind of people we need. You hit the
ground and you look to be involved immediately. You're the
kind of person Michigan wants. I mean, we just had
a whole population com Michigan, a population commission about what
the heck can.

Speaker 2 (01:55:37):
We do to get people like you to move back?

Speaker 1 (01:55:41):
And if they do move back, to stay, And we
just have our sister just gave Michigan another four year tryout.

Speaker 2 (01:55:49):
Four years, four years, bro four years and.

Speaker 1 (01:55:53):
Just didn't get anything resembling a good and sustainable life.
That is such an indictment on our state. And I
just wonder how many more are out there like yourself.
It just it breaks my heart that you feel that
you have to leave.

Speaker 3 (01:56:10):
Well.

Speaker 5 (01:56:11):
I do have four children here, James, so I am
definitely still invested in. Maybe Michigan hasn't seen the last
to me yet.

Speaker 2 (01:56:18):
Yeah, what is your plan in Wisconsin?

Speaker 5 (01:56:24):
I don't know yet.

Speaker 2 (01:56:26):
Why Wisconsin.

Speaker 4 (01:56:28):
Well, I have a.

Speaker 5 (01:56:29):
Lot of family there, I do have a place to live,
and I actually plan to create content going forward, continuing
to create more content. So that's my plan.

Speaker 1 (01:56:40):
You know what, Christine, this thread you wrote was so powerful.
And I've read your stuff, I've published your stuff. You
were an excellent writer. I would love to see you
as you do this build that bridge starting now, leaving Michigan,
starting a new life in Wisconson, and basically let the

(01:57:01):
world in on your experiment.

Speaker 4 (01:57:05):
I plan to do that. I appreciate a change.

Speaker 2 (01:57:10):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:57:10):
We'll get you out of here on this one, Anna Hoffman,
friend of the program, we've been trying to get you to.
Are there any plans in the works? Maybe one last
thing you can do for Michigan. When are we going
to get the rich men north of Richmond as applies
to Michigan. You're the one in our movement who can
do it. You have the voice, you have the skills. Christine.

(01:57:32):
When are you gonna bless us with this?

Speaker 2 (01:57:35):
Well?

Speaker 5 (01:57:36):
All right, you know I'll make a commitment. I'll make
a commitment to drop something before I leave Michigan in January.

Speaker 4 (01:57:43):
How about that?

Speaker 1 (01:57:44):
You know what I'm gonna FCC actually ruled that these
kind of commitments made verbally over the radio are lawful,
are binding.

Speaker 2 (01:57:54):
So we are going to have to hold you to that, Christine.
But I can't wait.

Speaker 1 (01:57:58):
And the second that happened, we're going to put it
out And and when I when I fill in for
Barclay in the future, we'll make sure that people hear it.
But Christine, do you want to be found on social
media a and if so, where can people find you?

Speaker 5 (01:58:16):
I'm not sure if I want to be found at
this juncture, but you did announce my handle at the
beginning of the show, so people can go back and
find it if they want to, right.

Speaker 2 (01:58:28):
I guess I could have asked that before I said
it out loud. But man, this thread.

Speaker 1 (01:58:32):
The reason I said it is because I just need
people to read this thread. Because what you will see
in that thread is a sister of our state, a mother,
someone who's been a wife, a working woman, someone who
grew up here and knows what this place could be
at its very best, who's absolutely heartbroken at what it's

(01:58:55):
become and where it's going. And so if you want
to read that, it's on Twitter X. I've retweeted it myself.
Michigan is being destroyed by progressives. Christine, thank you so
much for your time today.

Speaker 5 (01:59:10):
Thank you, James, I really appreciate it.

Speaker 4 (01:59:12):
God bless you all right.

Speaker 2 (01:59:14):
Be blessed.

Speaker 1 (01:59:15):
Thanks, and out of the break, we're going to have
our final moments of the day together, final thoughts.

Speaker 2 (01:59:24):
Of the week together. It's been a week. It is
a cold week.

Speaker 1 (01:59:30):
These are cold days, but it's going to be morning
again in Michigan and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Speaker 2 (01:59:36):
Talk to you soon. Hello Detroit, Good morning Michigan.

Speaker 1 (01:59:43):
This is James Dixon hosting the Justin Barclay Show this morning.

Speaker 2 (01:59:48):
This is nine ten am Superstation.

Speaker 1 (01:59:53):
I'd like to leave you with some final thoughts today,
and it just kind of wraps up everything. I mean
when you look at we've talked about from the beginning
until right now, it's clear that the Democrat Party is
a clear and present danger to America and to Michigan,
and for their sake and ours, Democrats must be denied

(02:00:15):
power everywhere Democrats go, death in chaos is what follows.
The party of slavery in the eighteen sixties sixties has
become the party of abortions since the nineteen seventies. Democrats
are the party of open borders that are meant to
destabilize your community. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, he recently

(02:00:41):
talked about a string of break ins a Chilean crime gang.
It turns out all those people were here on visa waivers.
This was done to you. A community like Rochester Hills,
once the gold standard of safety was destabilized, purposely to
send a message that if it could happen in Rochester Hills,

(02:01:03):
it could happen anywhere. They sent twenty thousand Haitians to Springfield, Ohio,
because if they could send them to Springfield, they could
send them to