December 11, 2025 • 33 mins
Tune in here to this Thursday edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!
Breaking Brett Jensen opens the show with details from a press conference held today by U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Russ Ferguson and the Charlotte FBI office. The briefing addressed the two most recent stabbings on the light rail, including the August attack that resulted in the death of Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Zarutska. Among the key updates was that Oscar Solarzano, the suspect in the most recent stabbing, has been charged federally with illegal reentry and committing an act of violence on a mass transportation system.
Later, Jensen interviews several key local figures: former CMS board member Lisa Cline, North Carolina Rep. David Willis and U.S. Rep. Tim Moore. With Cline, he discusses the inner workings of the school board and the recent raise given to Superintendent Crystal Hill. Willis talks about the committees that continue to meet despite the General Assembly not being in session. Finally, with Moore, Jensen covers developments in Washington, D.C., as they relate to North Carolina, including a recent story involving the Lumbee Tribe in the eastern part of the state.
Listen here for all of this and more on Breaking With Brett Jensen.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Charlotte's FM News Talk one oh seven point nine FM WBT.
Brett Jensen here with you on this Thursday night edition
of Breaking with Brett Jensen. As we go up until
seven o'clock tonight, telephone numbers are brand new seven oh
four five, seven oh one oh seven nine. That is
also the WBT text line, which of course is driven
(00:21):
by Liberty Buick and GMC. Again, seven oh four five
to seven oh one oh seven nine.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
That's our new station. That's our new telephone number.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
And we have got a lot to get into tonight
on our first night on one oh seven point nine FM.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So a lot, I mean a lot, lot, like a lot.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
We've got local, state, and federal stuff to get into
tonight on how it relates to Charlotte.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
But the first thing we're going to get into tonight
is the US Attorney's Office for Western North Carolina as
well as the Charlotte office of the FBI, held a
press conference earlier today to talk about a variety of
things concerning the last there's two stabbings on the light rail,
the one with Arena Zaruska and the one.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
That happened last week Friday.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
First up is US Attorney for Western North Carolina Rus Ferguson.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
And we're here to announce two things today.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
The first is that.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Carlos Brown, Junior, who we charged with the brutal and
random stabbing of Arena Zerutzka on Charlotte's right rail system,
made his first appearance for his initial appearance in federal
court today. I know a lot of you are in
the courtroom for that. Today he was advised of his
rights by a federal judge. He's now in federal custody
and his federal case will move forward according to the
federal rules of criminal procedure. We first charged mister Brown
(01:35):
by criminal complaint. A lot of you are here that day.
He was subsequently formerly formally charged by the grand jury
in that case with committing an act causing death on
a mass transportation system. Since we announced those charges here,
mister Barnacle and I have met in person with Arena
Zeruzka's family. They are heartbroken. Our hearts go out to them.
(01:56):
We think about them every day. We are committed to
justice for her and for her family, and my team
and I will not stop until we get justice for
her and her family. But we're here to mount the
second thing today as well. We're here to announce charges
in the more recent second light rail stabbing on the
Charlotte light rail system. Today we filed federal charges against
(02:16):
Oscar solar Zano Garcia. Mister Solarzano Garcia is an illegal
immigrant here in the United States. And not only is
he illegally here, he has not been deported, not just
once before, he has twice been deported from the United
States before. Now coming back to the United States after
you're deported is a federal crime. And as a federal crime,
that just doesn't just end in another deportation, it ends
(02:37):
in prison.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Time in the United States prison.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Mister Solarzano Garcia has previously been sentenced to eighteen months
for a legal reentry, but we have charged him again
with a legal reentry and we hope the border is
more secure now than it was before. We have also
charged him with a crime of violence on a mass
transportation system. That's that Section nineteen ninety two A seven
of Title eighteen. It's the same charge that we charged
to Carlos Brown Junior with for his stabbing on the train.
(03:03):
But I want to say this, everyone who rides the
light rail is a victim of this crime. Today, people
use the light rail because they have disabilities and they
can't drive. They use it to get an education, which
the expansion to UNCC made extremely accessible. They use it
to go to work or to return from work, like
Areno Zarutzka was. They used it to go about their
(03:24):
daily errands, to go to the library, to go to
the grocery store. They use it to visit family. And
it is extremely important to me that people are not
only safe on the light rail, but that they feel
safe on the light rail, which is really just as
important because people should be able to go about their
lives and enjoy the infrastructure that their tax money paid
for without worrying about who's city behind them or who's
(03:47):
down the railcar. I'll turn it over to mister Barnacle,
who talk a little bit more about the Internet itself.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Jim Barnacle, the FBI Special Agent charge here in Charlotte
and overseeing North Carolina. Two months ago, I stood in
this exact spot with US Attorney Ferguson to announce federal
charges related to the tragic murder of Arena Zurutzka last August.
Arena's family has publicly expressed their concerns upon hearing someone
(04:14):
else was stabbed on the light rail and in our
hearts go out to her her family Again. In this case,
good Samaritans rendered aid to the victim and gave CMB
the officers a detailed scription of the alleged attacker, which
helped those officers arrest the suspect within minutes. The person
charged in this crime, Oscar sal Reziono Garcia, never should
(04:38):
have been in Charlotte or ever been in this country.
He had been deported twice. First, I want to read
from the criminal complate about the night of December fifth,
The first calls came into nine to eleven or nine
to one one at approximately four to forty nine pm.
A witness told the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Solarsono Garcia
(05:01):
got onto the train at the Scaley Bark Road Carson
Boulevard station and that he appeared to be intoxicated and
was being belligerent. The witness went on to say the
victim in selars on A Garcia, got into a verbal
altercation on the ninth Street station and stated as the
train to began to arrive at Parkwood station, sawers on A.
(05:25):
Garcia pulled out a long knife and a red sheath
from the right side of his pocket his pants. The
witness said the knife was at least twelve inches long.
They stated solars Ono Garcia stabbed the victim and chest
with a knife, then dropped the knife on the ground,
picked it back up, then got off the train and
jumped over a black chain link fence and ran up
(05:48):
North Brevard Street. CMPD arrested him quickly, and our agents
began working with their detectives. The FBI reached out to
our partners at Ice and discovered Zono Garcia has a
criminal history in the United States dating back to twenty twelve.
He's used at least four aliases.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Leave the shriff's place some bonus on THHS because he
deserves Arizona wasn't caught up in the operation Charlotte's Eleven.
Anastapees as, do you just explain why he was not
on that list that they're detainees or now, well, here's
the thing about illegal immigration. There's no record of these
people coming into the United States, or being in the
(06:31):
United States, or where they are in the United States.
So there's not a list of illegal immigrants. We can
go down and arrest them all or we would do it.
And that's why the CBP operations sometimes seemed a little
hectic at times because it is a very difficult crime
to detect. And they didn't get mister Solarzano Garcia, but
I certainly wish that they had because we would have
(06:51):
saved a very very bad incident here.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
We have heard that there could potentially be gained affiliation
hid mister soldiers on them.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Can you speak on that?
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Are there indeed game.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Ties with them?
Speaker 3 (07:06):
So this investigation is ongoing. There are some initial indications
there may be a gang relation tattoos and things like
that that would be consistent with MS thirteen, But we
have not confirmed yet whether there any gang affiliations here,
and that's the FBI's actively working on that.
Speaker 6 (07:20):
So this is the second person charged with violence on
mass transportation here in Charlotte, maybe in the last one
hundred days. So do you think it's time for city
leaders to look at maybe closing the transit system, you know,
adding more barriers, more security for safety.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Yeah, I mean it's above my pay grade on what
to do as far as transit goes. I think transit
has to be accessible to people. We have to have
the trains, we have to have the buses. People rely
on it to get to the grocery store, to get
to work, to get to education. We have to have it.
Should it be more secure, absolutely, I think so. Whatever
we're doing now is not working. We've had two stabbings,
one fatal, and that's in addition to a bunch of
(08:04):
other more minor crimes, relatively minor crimes that happen on
the light rail every day. And we've seen reports of
people riding the light rail back and forth using it
as a mobile shelter, and I suspect a lot of
those people are people that can't get into the homeless
shelter or have been kicked out of the homeless shelter.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
So it's people that.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
You really don't want on your transit system. Some of
those people are banned from the transit system and still
ride the transit system, as we suspect this defendant here was,
so some enforcement on those as trespasses and keeping the
really bad actors off the transit system would be helpful.
I think enforcing tickets would be helpful and would probably
pay for itself with the extra revenue. If everyone's buying tickets.
(08:39):
So I do think there are things that can be done,
and I hope our city leaders are looking at that
and will do it, and I hope when voters go
to the polls they will hold them accountable to do that.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
It was a very interesting press conference because, you know,
they talked about again not just the light rail and
the federal charges against these two individuals, but also the
city is Charlotte and what city leaders are not doing
to try and keep you safe on the light rail.
All right, when we come back, we're now going to
go local and talk to Lisa Kline, former member of
(09:08):
the CMS school Board who just left office. Charlott's FM
News Talk one oh seven point nine FM WBT Bret
Jenson here with you on this Thursday Night of Breaking
with Brat Jenson. Okay, Lisa Kline just left the CMS
school Board and really for the first time in about
three years, she's actually doing interviews, or at least with me.
(09:30):
She's doing interviews for the very first time, so to
talk about things going on with the school board. And
I wanted to see if she would talk to me
about some inside you know, what's going on the inner
workings of the school board and what's going on with
CMS schools, because let's be honest, it does not have
a good reputation. Where I caught up with her earlier
today and I wanted to talk to her firstly about
(09:52):
the rays that Superintendent doctor Crista Hill received. So sitting
here with Lisa Kline, the former school board member who
just left office, and Lisa, what are your thoughts about
Crystal Hill getting the twenty two five hundred dollars a
year pay raise.
Speaker 7 (10:07):
It was the lesser of the two evils. I won't
go into the details of the negotiations, but once a
year the superintendent's evaluated. We use an evaluation tool, we
do a three sixty, and we came up with her
ratings and she accepted everything, but then had her attorney
(10:31):
to a counter offer to what we were doing. And
there were some things that the majority of the board supported,
but looking at it, it was going to cost the
taxpayers a lot of money in the long run because
it was affecting retirement, and we said no. And then
(10:54):
again the negotiations happened at the last closed session. Of course,
I can't get into the discuss the details. We agreed
that the rays would be acceptable, but I was adamant.
I said, okay, I'll make the motion, we'll do a raise,
(11:15):
but it's got to happen after the teachers get their raise,
because if it hadn't said that, she would have gotten
the rays beginning December first. Now, granted it is retro
going back whenever it happens, and I'm hearing that the
teachers won't get a retroactive raise, which that's not good.
(11:37):
I wish i'd known that, or I would have made
the motion. Is just when she gets the ray, she
gets the raise. So twenty two thousand is better than
what she was wanting. So again, lesser of the two
evils in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Now, but the fact that you know, student enrollment is
down three thousand students since she took over. The test
score have moved up only very marginally in some areas.
In other areas that hasn't moved up. And then she's
had three different plans of organizations in three separate years.
I mean, so it doesn't look like there's been a
lot to maybe warrant such a bigger race, And I
(12:14):
think that's what maybe people are concerned about.
Speaker 7 (12:17):
And I agree, I think I didn't know that it
had dropped until one the Ledger article had come out,
and I know that on the website it says one
hundred and forty one thousand, and it's not it's less right.
There's false advertising. I think that would have changed my ideas.
And remember, I'm one of the biggest critics of doctor Hill.
(12:40):
I do like the fact that it has been stable
one person, but it concerns me that every year there's
been a reorganization. So is it really as stable as
it looks? And I'm hoping that with the new board
and with the new people, maybe things will shake out.
(13:01):
I don't know, and that's we'll have to see in
a year. I think if we had known a few
other things, yes, we would have maybe pushed for.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Not a raise. Speaking of the new board, we're speaking
with Lisa Klin, the who just left as a as
I see am a school board member. Speaking of the
new board, what are your thoughts about the new board?
And you know, are they just basically going to be
writing a blank check to Crystal Hill and give her
everything that she wants, because you know, there were pushes
(13:33):
from people close to Crystal Hill to get certain members
on the board that would.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Basically just give Crystal Hill card blanche. Do you think
that's what's going to happen.
Speaker 7 (13:42):
Yes, I really do. I think that you have a
board that is going to support everything she does and
not question And everybody knows I've always questioned everything because
being an ex CMS employee, you know how things run.
Things have changed, but you still understand the basic outcome.
(14:06):
And my concern is she will have a blank check.
And there has been major, major shift in the philosophies
and you can see it with the makeup of the board.
And we all know that there were outside influencers who
continue to influence the board, and they're back and they
(14:26):
were there the other night, and that's you know, it's
all over social media and that's fine, but let's be realistic.
Summer nine, Melissa Easley had people who ran against them
that had those outside influences and they're all close together.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
So what does CMS look like from everything that you've
seen from the inside for the last three years? What
does CMS look like going forward? Is it going to
succeed or is it still just going to be barely
puttering along with the test scores? Like, what do you
actually see happening over the next two years?
Speaker 8 (15:04):
Or so.
Speaker 7 (15:05):
I think you're going to see a lot of burnout
with principles. They already are overstressed because of the pressures
that they're under. I don't think people are going to
come back at this point. I said that the other
day that if you're upwardly mobile, you're going to choose
anything but CMS. It's unfortunate because there are some good
(15:26):
schools out there. District five has a lot of great schools.
Not to say other districts didn't have it or don't
have it.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
They do.
Speaker 7 (15:36):
I think that they are going to start leveling out
moneies and that's not fair. You're going to rob Peter
to pay Paul. And yes, the scores improved, but then
again they got second chances to take them, and this
past year the state allowed those retest scores to be
(15:56):
part of the overall grades. So if you get to
do some in a couple of times, hopefully you're gonna
get it right. This year, I've said this all along,
is the year that will make or break the district
with scores. Are they going to continue to go up
or are they going to fly out? And with a
(16:16):
drop in population, I think you're gonna see it's gonna drop.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Well, Lisa Kline, I know we didn't speak much during
the time that you were on the school board, so
I appreciate you doing this now and hopefully going forward
when something comes up with CMS, you can be my
go to person. So I'm just telling you now, I'm
putting you on the spot. You're gonna be my go
to person for all this.
Speaker 7 (16:36):
Absolutely I'll be glad to I'd see you and i'd run.
I did not want to be seen in the same
place as you before, but yes, I'll be glad to
talk with you. CMS is near and dear to me again,
I've told people forty five years of education, I'm not
going away, It's just going to be in a different role.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
He's a client serius. Say thank you for your time today.
Speaker 7 (16:55):
Thanks Brett, have a great day and Merry Christmas.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
So again, thanks to Lisa Klin from meeting with me
earlier today, because look, she's going to be able to
offer a lot of the insight going forward on the
inner workings of things and break things down and really
explain things like the test scores and everything else. So again,
really big time thanks to Lisa Client for joining me
today and I look forward to doing this many many
more times in the future.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Okay, So coming.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Up next, Representative David Willis out of Union County, we'll
be joining us because even though they're not in session
in Raleigh right now, there's still a lot of things
going on in Raleigh. Welcome back to Charlotte's FM News
Talk one oh seven point nine FMWBT. Brett Jenson here
with you halfway through my edition of Breaking with Brett
Jenson on this Thursday night. Okay, So, North colin Is
(17:41):
Representative David Willis, he represents Union County, and even though
they are not in session right now, they're not up
there passing laws or whatever. But there are a lot
of committees meeting right now. So, first of all, thank
you for joining me tonight. And second of all, what
actually happens up in Raleigh while you guys are not
in session, Like, are you guys still meeting?
Speaker 2 (18:01):
What's going on with the committees?
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Explain to me and the listeners what actually happens when
you're not in session.
Speaker 8 (18:07):
You know, that's a great question, Brett, and I think
a lot of people have a misperception about what happens
just because we're not technically in session. Doesn't mean the
work you know, of the state stops. We have interim committees,
we have obviously you know, candidate filing is happening right
now as well, so you know, some of our folks
have turned their attention to campaigning and fundraising and their
interim committee meetings happening you know, throughout the the in
(18:32):
between session periods, and like today, for example, we had
a House Oversight Committee meeting, you know, with the Chapel Hill,
Carborough City Schools and some of the nonsense that's going
on down there. We've got a blockchain and Digital Assets
interim committee meeting next week that I'll be heading up
to Raleigh for and it was in Raleigh last week
(18:53):
for a day of meetings. And so yeah, so we're
typically there, you know, at least a couple of times
a months, if got more, depending upon which committees or
you know, what other groups are meeting and kind of
what's going on. But you know, the work very much
continues even when we're out of session.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Speak with North kind of state Representative David Willis here
on breaking with Brad Jensen. So you mentioned the Chapel
Hill and the Carborough school systems and the meetings that
took place earlier. Can you talk about that and what
actually transpired in those meetings.
Speaker 8 (19:20):
Well, you know, first off, I want to you know,
thank some of my colleagues, especially you know, Leader Brendan
Jones and you know some of our other folks that
I mean, they did a wonderful job today kind of
holding their feet to the fire. And if if you know,
if you're out there and you haven't seen some of
the stuff that's going on. You know, we passed Senateville
forty nine, you know, quite a while a while back,
(19:41):
and and it's you know, the Parents Bill of Rights
for Education, and that's been the law of the land.
And we've had a couple of difficult school districts who
have decided to take matters into their own hands and
thinks that the law doesn't apply to them. And and
they're even on record and on video in public setting
meetings where they're saying, we're just not going to follow
the law. And so you know, one, you know, they
(20:03):
called them in today under subpoena for the committee meeting
and and and really held their feet to the fire
and asked them some of the questions. And you know,
I think leaders, especially local school boards and superintendents who
willfully disobey the laws that we've set or enacted, but
just because they don't like them need to be held
accountable and they need to be fired, quite frankly. And
(20:24):
so you know, I commend them for, you know, for
holding their feet to the fire today and asking the
difficult questions that need to be asked and putting them
on record. And you know, hopefully the local folks you know,
in those school districts and go back and hold them
accountable and and find folks who are going to stand
up and worry about reading and writing and you know,
our test scores and teaching our children rather than indoctrination
(20:45):
and the nonsense it's been going on.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Speak with North Klina State Representative David Willis out of
Union County. So you mentioned the Blockchain Committee, and you
mentioned the Digital Committee and everything else. Can you tell
tell us and tell me what those things actually are,
because I doubt very many people actually know the importance
of them.
Speaker 8 (21:04):
So the House Oversight Committee is very important. And so
I think as you think more along the lines of
some of the federal hearings and things that we see
typically out of Congress, you know, we've got an interim
committee that runs so actually the oversight is isn't really
an interim committee. It can run any any time throughout
the year, and they they have meetings when whenever necessary.
(21:26):
And so they've done things looking at you know, disaster
recovery for hurricanes, you know, not just Helene, but prior
to that as well as we've dealt with Incore and
some of the issues with the Governor's office and mismanagement
by FEMA and some of the other things. And so
they're able to hold people accountable, subpoena them, so they
(21:46):
bring them on you know the carpet, put them under
oath and and and they're able to dig into some
very serious issues. And they they do that kind of
as needed. They don't really have a set schedule in
which they operate, but they operate as needed. And this
was something today they were finally able to get around
to and to deal with the city schools there in
Chapel Hill Andcarborough and so, you know, other committees like
(22:09):
the Blockchain and Digital Assets is a new committee, and
so it's an interim committee set up in between typical
long session and short session, which you know we alternate
from year to year with and it's really designed for
us to look at how we can incorporate, uh, you know,
the industry that that's really has been out there for
a while now, but a lot of folks just don't
(22:29):
know about in regards to blockchain and how that is
really fundamentally changing the way that we do business and
and the way that we track and and do you
know money transfers or interagency transfers and so that you know,
the committee meeting that we've got coming up next week
is really going to be a follow up to the
(22:51):
first meeting that we had a couple of months ago
around educating folks within the General Assembly but also the public.
You know, what is blockchain, how does to operate? Who's
using it? You know, is it something that we should
be afraid of? And so we've got some really interesting
folks cann to present next week and we'll talk about
how blockchain is already very widespread, whether you're you know,
(23:12):
using any one of the major banks or Amazon or
you know a number of folks you know online and
and pretty much every business, every major you know, business
in the US and around the world right now is
is already using different forms of blockchain technology and it's
just going to continue to grow. And so, you know,
with our financial setting here and being the number two
(23:34):
financial district in the country, you know, we want to
really get ahead of the curve on this. I mean, DC, uh,
you know, is still trying to figure out how they're
going to deal with cryptocurrencies and digital assets and and
all the things that you know associated with that, and
we'd like to be, you know, a leader in that space.
And I think it makes sense for North Carolina to
be a leader in that space and open up this
(23:54):
burgeting new industry, uh and take advantage of that. And
so I think between our universitys that we have here,
the technology, whether it's fintech or banking or you know,
just financial services in general, you know, we've got a
great opportunity to leverage the relationships that we already have
and grow and bringing a lot of new industry partners
(24:16):
to North Carolina. So I'm really excited about the opportunity
that that holds for us as well.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
North Carolina Stay Representative David Willis out of Union County.
I really do appreciate you joining us tonight, especially since
as we are getting closer and closer to the holiday season.
Thanks again for joining us tonight.
Speaker 8 (24:31):
Absolutely, if I don't talk to you, have a merry Christmas.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
All right, Again, thanks to Representative David Willis for joining us.
You know, he had some interesting things to say there
and just learning about how, you know, the system works.
Like I've been doing this for a while now, and
I still don't know everything and how things work up
in Raleigh. And I figured if I don't know, maybe
there's a chance that you don't know. So that's why
I wanted to talk to him about things happening in
Raleigh while they're not officially in session.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
All Right, when we.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Come back, let's go back to the federal level, and
we're going to talk to Congressman Tim Moore because a
lot of things happened in Washington, DC yesterday, and I
also want to get his reaction about the stabbing that
took place on the light rail last week. Welcome back
to Charlotte's FM News Talk. When I was Havent point
nine FMWBT, Bret Jenson here with you for a few
(25:17):
more minutes on breaking with Brett Jenson. So a lot
of things are going on up in Washington with you know,
healthcare and everything else, but also something else happened yesterday
concerning the Lumby Nation, and so I thought, you know what,
let's bring on Congressman Tim Moore, who's a friend of
the show's, to talk to him about these particular things.
And I also wanted to get his, you know, his
thoughts on the stabbing that took place on the light
(25:39):
rail last week. So, first of all, Congressman, thank you
for joining us. And second of all, a lot of
things are going on up in Washington right now, between
the bills being passed last night and the healthcare system,
so just a lot going on up there.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
Well, there are a number of things, and I want
to start off by a huge accomplishment yesterday with the
passage of the inn DAA, the National Defense Authorization Act.
They have a lot of important things in there with
our national defense, with the number of policies. But one
of the big things, Bret, that that happened was the
(26:13):
full federal recognition of the Lumby Indian tribe in North Carolina.
That was a provision that was included in the NDAA.
It was a provision that the bill that I had
co sponsored, something I advocated for for years, because it's
going to be huge number one for the for the
Lumby people, but two for really southeastern North Carolina. It
(26:37):
would just be so significant, and it's really righting a
wrong over one hundred and thirty years of how this
particular triphe has been has been treated. But with a
lot of work from members of our deleg and from
the House delegation, and then from our two senators and
the particularly Senator till it's really made this a major
(26:58):
thing to work on and really leaned in all this
and it finally has gotten done. We passed it in
the House. The Senate will take it up next week
and we'll surely pass it. There's no issues.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
The bill has been.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Negotiated, and there was a little bit of drama yesterday
on it. It was because it was part of the
rules package of a number of bills and got caught
up and there was some divided votes, et cetera. But
eventually the rules package passed and then the full NDAA
bill last night passed. It got three hundred semid votes
(27:34):
and only like eighty something no votes. So it's a
huge win. And I'm just telling you that is something
that is going to be so big for North Carolina
for you know, just from now on. So it's not
been talked about much in the media, certainly the national media,
but it is absolutely a critical, critical bill and a
(27:57):
critical issue that I'm very proud that we finally dealt with.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Speak with the Congressman Tim More, and that is great
news for the Lumby Nation and everyone down the East.
Can you talk about now things that may impact people nationally,
and that's the healthcare system and the fight that's going
on over subsidies and everything else.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
So what can you tell us about that right now?
Speaker 5 (28:17):
Yeah, so a little bit of background on it. Of course,
look at where we are in terms of health care access,
look at where we are in terms of health care costs,
how ridiculously expensive health insurance is, and then when you
get it sometimes the coverage is pretty crimy. Well you
go back to before Obamacare was passed, insurance coverage is better,
(28:39):
insurance coverage was less expensive. And so we're in this
world now where obama Care was passed into law and
where it is now the way of worse coverage and
more expense. And my belief is bred that when Obama
and the Democrats you push this thing through that they
(29:00):
really were kind of trying to rig the system further
it would it would not be successful, and that they
eventually wanted what's called a single payer or basically just
totally government run, government controlled healthcare. That's that's my belief.
I mean, if you go back to you go back,
I mean you taught you know, you hear what the
Democrats are talking about. There always saw out more government,
(29:20):
more government. I mean, what they want to see is
socialized medicine. I mean, that's that's basically what they're pushing for,
and it simply doesn't work. So but we're at this
point now where people have made business decisions, made other
decisions where they have participated in what's called the healthcare exchange.
And so my thought is, and my hope is that
(29:43):
we go to back to a more free market system.
But there's got to be a transition period between that
between those folks who are counting on some of these
subsidies right now, who are budgeted for that, and who
who have relied on that.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Kire's been ten more joins me here on breaking with
Brad Jensen, and I know, after the arena, is the
risk of stabbing back in August that you were active
trying to get legislation passed about repeat offenders and repeat criminals.
So now when you heard about the light rail stabbing
that took place Friday, what were your initial thoughts.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
I thought, here we go again, you know, and and
and think about it. It brought in two of the
issues that we've been talking about at once. One is
crime itself, right, I mean, which about and of course,
and then there's the problem that you know, some of
the writers on the light rail, uh you know, are
dealing with but not just there, but all over the place,
and in two dangerous illegal immigrants. My thought is in
(30:37):
terms of, you know, their efforts of CDP and ICE,
I don't try to armchair quarterback what law enforcement does.
I mean, they have a difficult job and they are
there to enforce the law. Now my interest is in seeing,
you know, really focusing more on folks who are who
are here, who are dangerous criminals. You know. I think
(30:59):
that's where the focus, all of the people who are here
breaking the law, riding the system. I mean, that's that's
that's what that's where I think the focus should be.
I think guys like this, this descendant, who is this
the guy charged the stabbing. I mean, that's the kind
of person that should have been deported. Two thoughts on
this particular thing. One is I thought that the timing
(31:22):
of the Charlotte City Council was not just timing the
fact that they're spending what three point four million dollars
in a PR campaign with an out of state PR firm.
Don't understand that we got a lot of good PR
firms in North Carolina, but just forget that part of it.
But spending three point four million dollars on a PR
campaign to tell people it's safe to life to ride
the light rail instead of putting three point four million
(31:44):
dollars into making light real safety. That that just that
doesn't make any sense. And I'm you know, you probably
know I'm not one that just goes out and criticizes
the city council any other by I mean, they do
what they do, They answer to the voters. But I'm
just going come on, guys, whose idea was that? I mean,
I hope they'll reconsider that and put that money where
(32:07):
it needs to go. That just was a really bone
headed move to make. I don't that's that made no
sense to me.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Congressman Tim Moore.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
I really do appreciate you joining us tonight, and if
I don't speak to you before the Christmas holidays, I
hope you have a great Christmas.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
Thanks Brett, you too, and wish the merry Christmas to
UH to all of your listeners out there. And I
certainly think it's gonna be a it's a time to
reflect and be grateful for the time with our family
and remember the things that are that are listening for it.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Again, thanks to Congressman Tim More for joining us tonight.
All right, that's gonna do it for us tonight. I
told you it was slam packed. You had a couple
of federal things going on, a state thing going on,
and a local thing going on. A lot a lot
of things going on here and it has been a busy,
busy week. All right, that's gonna do it for us tonight.
Make sure you have a great night. TJ Richie is
(32:58):
coming up next. My name is Brett Jensen, and you
have been listening to Breaking with Brett Jensen.
Charlotte's FM News Talk one oh seven point nine FM WBT.
Brett Jensen here with you on this Thursday night edition
of Breaking with Brett Jensen. As we go up until
seven o'clock tonight, telephone numbers are brand new seven oh
four five, seven oh one oh seven nine. That is
also the WBT text line, which of course is driven
(00:21):
by Liberty Buick and GMC. Again, seven oh four five
to seven oh one oh seven nine.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
That's our new station. That's our new telephone number.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
And we have got a lot to get into tonight
on our first night on one oh seven point nine FM.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So a lot, I mean a lot, lot, like a lot.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
We've got local, state, and federal stuff to get into
tonight on how it relates to Charlotte.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
But the first thing we're going to get into tonight
is the US Attorney's Office for Western North Carolina as
well as the Charlotte office of the FBI, held a
press conference earlier today to talk about a variety of
things concerning the last there's two stabbings on the light rail,
the one with Arena Zaruska and the one.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
That happened last week Friday.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
First up is US Attorney for Western North Carolina Rus Ferguson.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
And we're here to announce two things today.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
The first is that.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Carlos Brown, Junior, who we charged with the brutal and
random stabbing of Arena Zerutzka on Charlotte's right rail system,
made his first appearance for his initial appearance in federal
court today. I know a lot of you are in
the courtroom for that. Today he was advised of his
rights by a federal judge. He's now in federal custody
and his federal case will move forward according to the
federal rules of criminal procedure. We first charged mister Brown
(01:35):
by criminal complaint. A lot of you are here that day.
He was subsequently formerly formally charged by the grand jury
in that case with committing an act causing death on
a mass transportation system. Since we announced those charges here,
mister Barnacle and I have met in person with Arena
Zeruzka's family. They are heartbroken. Our hearts go out to them.
(01:56):
We think about them every day. We are committed to
justice for her and for her family, and my team
and I will not stop until we get justice for
her and her family. But we're here to mount the
second thing today as well. We're here to announce charges
in the more recent second light rail stabbing on the
Charlotte light rail system. Today we filed federal charges against
(02:16):
Oscar solar Zano Garcia. Mister Solarzano Garcia is an illegal
immigrant here in the United States. And not only is
he illegally here, he has not been deported, not just
once before, he has twice been deported from the United
States before. Now coming back to the United States after
you're deported is a federal crime. And as a federal crime,
that just doesn't just end in another deportation, it ends
(02:37):
in prison.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Time in the United States prison.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Mister Solarzano Garcia has previously been sentenced to eighteen months
for a legal reentry, but we have charged him again
with a legal reentry and we hope the border is
more secure now than it was before. We have also
charged him with a crime of violence on a mass
transportation system. That's that Section nineteen ninety two A seven
of Title eighteen. It's the same charge that we charged
to Carlos Brown Junior with for his stabbing on the train.
(03:03):
But I want to say this, everyone who rides the
light rail is a victim of this crime. Today, people
use the light rail because they have disabilities and they
can't drive. They use it to get an education, which
the expansion to UNCC made extremely accessible. They use it
to go to work or to return from work, like
Areno Zarutzka was. They used it to go about their
(03:24):
daily errands, to go to the library, to go to
the grocery store. They use it to visit family. And
it is extremely important to me that people are not
only safe on the light rail, but that they feel
safe on the light rail, which is really just as
important because people should be able to go about their
lives and enjoy the infrastructure that their tax money paid
for without worrying about who's city behind them or who's
(03:47):
down the railcar. I'll turn it over to mister Barnacle,
who talk a little bit more about the Internet itself.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Jim Barnacle, the FBI Special Agent charge here in Charlotte
and overseeing North Carolina. Two months ago, I stood in
this exact spot with US Attorney Ferguson to announce federal
charges related to the tragic murder of Arena Zurutzka last August.
Arena's family has publicly expressed their concerns upon hearing someone
(04:14):
else was stabbed on the light rail and in our
hearts go out to her her family Again. In this case,
good Samaritans rendered aid to the victim and gave CMB
the officers a detailed scription of the alleged attacker, which
helped those officers arrest the suspect within minutes. The person
charged in this crime, Oscar sal Reziono Garcia, never should
(04:38):
have been in Charlotte or ever been in this country.
He had been deported twice. First, I want to read
from the criminal complate about the night of December fifth,
The first calls came into nine to eleven or nine
to one one at approximately four to forty nine pm.
A witness told the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Solarsono Garcia
(05:01):
got onto the train at the Scaley Bark Road Carson
Boulevard station and that he appeared to be intoxicated and
was being belligerent. The witness went on to say the
victim in selars on A Garcia, got into a verbal
altercation on the ninth Street station and stated as the
train to began to arrive at Parkwood station, sawers on A.
(05:25):
Garcia pulled out a long knife and a red sheath
from the right side of his pocket his pants. The
witness said the knife was at least twelve inches long.
They stated solars Ono Garcia stabbed the victim and chest
with a knife, then dropped the knife on the ground,
picked it back up, then got off the train and
jumped over a black chain link fence and ran up
(05:48):
North Brevard Street. CMPD arrested him quickly, and our agents
began working with their detectives. The FBI reached out to
our partners at Ice and discovered Zono Garcia has a
criminal history in the United States dating back to twenty twelve.
He's used at least four aliases.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Leave the shriff's place some bonus on THHS because he
deserves Arizona wasn't caught up in the operation Charlotte's Eleven.
Anastapees as, do you just explain why he was not
on that list that they're detainees or now, well, here's
the thing about illegal immigration. There's no record of these
people coming into the United States, or being in the
(06:31):
United States, or where they are in the United States.
So there's not a list of illegal immigrants. We can
go down and arrest them all or we would do it.
And that's why the CBP operations sometimes seemed a little
hectic at times because it is a very difficult crime
to detect. And they didn't get mister Solarzano Garcia, but
I certainly wish that they had because we would have
(06:51):
saved a very very bad incident here.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
We have heard that there could potentially be gained affiliation
hid mister soldiers on them.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Can you speak on that?
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Are there indeed game.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Ties with them?
Speaker 3 (07:06):
So this investigation is ongoing. There are some initial indications
there may be a gang relation tattoos and things like
that that would be consistent with MS thirteen, But we
have not confirmed yet whether there any gang affiliations here,
and that's the FBI's actively working on that.
Speaker 6 (07:20):
So this is the second person charged with violence on
mass transportation here in Charlotte, maybe in the last one
hundred days. So do you think it's time for city
leaders to look at maybe closing the transit system, you know,
adding more barriers, more security for safety.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Yeah, I mean it's above my pay grade on what
to do as far as transit goes. I think transit
has to be accessible to people. We have to have
the trains, we have to have the buses. People rely
on it to get to the grocery store, to get
to work, to get to education. We have to have it.
Should it be more secure, absolutely, I think so. Whatever
we're doing now is not working. We've had two stabbings,
one fatal, and that's in addition to a bunch of
(08:04):
other more minor crimes, relatively minor crimes that happen on
the light rail every day. And we've seen reports of
people riding the light rail back and forth using it
as a mobile shelter, and I suspect a lot of
those people are people that can't get into the homeless
shelter or have been kicked out of the homeless shelter.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
So it's people that.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
You really don't want on your transit system. Some of
those people are banned from the transit system and still
ride the transit system, as we suspect this defendant here was,
so some enforcement on those as trespasses and keeping the
really bad actors off the transit system would be helpful.
I think enforcing tickets would be helpful and would probably
pay for itself with the extra revenue. If everyone's buying tickets.
(08:39):
So I do think there are things that can be done,
and I hope our city leaders are looking at that
and will do it, and I hope when voters go
to the polls they will hold them accountable to do that.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
It was a very interesting press conference because, you know,
they talked about again not just the light rail and
the federal charges against these two individuals, but also the
city is Charlotte and what city leaders are not doing
to try and keep you safe on the light rail.
All right, when we come back, we're now going to
go local and talk to Lisa Kline, former member of
(09:08):
the CMS school Board who just left office. Charlott's FM
News Talk one oh seven point nine FM WBT Bret
Jenson here with you on this Thursday Night of Breaking
with Brat Jenson. Okay, Lisa Kline just left the CMS
school Board and really for the first time in about
three years, she's actually doing interviews, or at least with me.
(09:30):
She's doing interviews for the very first time, so to
talk about things going on with the school board. And
I wanted to see if she would talk to me
about some inside you know, what's going on the inner
workings of the school board and what's going on with
CMS schools, because let's be honest, it does not have
a good reputation. Where I caught up with her earlier
today and I wanted to talk to her firstly about
(09:52):
the rays that Superintendent doctor Crista Hill received. So sitting
here with Lisa Kline, the former school board member who
just left office, and Lisa, what are your thoughts about
Crystal Hill getting the twenty two five hundred dollars a
year pay raise.
Speaker 7 (10:07):
It was the lesser of the two evils. I won't
go into the details of the negotiations, but once a
year the superintendent's evaluated. We use an evaluation tool, we
do a three sixty, and we came up with her
ratings and she accepted everything, but then had her attorney
(10:31):
to a counter offer to what we were doing. And
there were some things that the majority of the board supported,
but looking at it, it was going to cost the
taxpayers a lot of money in the long run because
it was affecting retirement, and we said no. And then
(10:54):
again the negotiations happened at the last closed session. Of course,
I can't get into the discuss the details. We agreed
that the rays would be acceptable, but I was adamant.
I said, okay, I'll make the motion, we'll do a raise,
(11:15):
but it's got to happen after the teachers get their raise,
because if it hadn't said that, she would have gotten
the rays beginning December first. Now, granted it is retro
going back whenever it happens, and I'm hearing that the
teachers won't get a retroactive raise, which that's not good.
(11:37):
I wish i'd known that, or I would have made
the motion. Is just when she gets the ray, she
gets the raise. So twenty two thousand is better than
what she was wanting. So again, lesser of the two
evils in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Now, but the fact that you know, student enrollment is
down three thousand students since she took over. The test
score have moved up only very marginally in some areas.
In other areas that hasn't moved up. And then she's
had three different plans of organizations in three separate years.
I mean, so it doesn't look like there's been a
lot to maybe warrant such a bigger race, And I
(12:14):
think that's what maybe people are concerned about.
Speaker 7 (12:17):
And I agree, I think I didn't know that it
had dropped until one the Ledger article had come out,
and I know that on the website it says one
hundred and forty one thousand, and it's not it's less right.
There's false advertising. I think that would have changed my ideas.
And remember, I'm one of the biggest critics of doctor Hill.
(12:40):
I do like the fact that it has been stable
one person, but it concerns me that every year there's
been a reorganization. So is it really as stable as
it looks? And I'm hoping that with the new board
and with the new people, maybe things will shake out.
(13:01):
I don't know, and that's we'll have to see in
a year. I think if we had known a few
other things, yes, we would have maybe pushed for.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Not a raise. Speaking of the new board, we're speaking
with Lisa Klin, the who just left as a as
I see am a school board member. Speaking of the
new board, what are your thoughts about the new board?
And you know, are they just basically going to be
writing a blank check to Crystal Hill and give her
everything that she wants, because you know, there were pushes
(13:33):
from people close to Crystal Hill to get certain members
on the board that would.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Basically just give Crystal Hill card blanche. Do you think
that's what's going to happen.
Speaker 7 (13:42):
Yes, I really do. I think that you have a
board that is going to support everything she does and
not question And everybody knows I've always questioned everything because
being an ex CMS employee, you know how things run.
Things have changed, but you still understand the basic outcome.
(14:06):
And my concern is she will have a blank check.
And there has been major, major shift in the philosophies
and you can see it with the makeup of the board.
And we all know that there were outside influencers who
continue to influence the board, and they're back and they
(14:26):
were there the other night, and that's you know, it's
all over social media and that's fine, but let's be realistic.
Summer nine, Melissa Easley had people who ran against them
that had those outside influences and they're all close together.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
So what does CMS look like from everything that you've
seen from the inside for the last three years? What
does CMS look like going forward? Is it going to
succeed or is it still just going to be barely
puttering along with the test scores? Like, what do you
actually see happening over the next two years?
Speaker 8 (15:04):
Or so.
Speaker 7 (15:05):
I think you're going to see a lot of burnout
with principles. They already are overstressed because of the pressures
that they're under. I don't think people are going to
come back at this point. I said that the other
day that if you're upwardly mobile, you're going to choose
anything but CMS. It's unfortunate because there are some good
(15:26):
schools out there. District five has a lot of great schools.
Not to say other districts didn't have it or don't
have it.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
They do.
Speaker 7 (15:36):
I think that they are going to start leveling out
moneies and that's not fair. You're going to rob Peter
to pay Paul. And yes, the scores improved, but then
again they got second chances to take them, and this
past year the state allowed those retest scores to be
(15:56):
part of the overall grades. So if you get to
do some in a couple of times, hopefully you're gonna
get it right. This year, I've said this all along,
is the year that will make or break the district
with scores. Are they going to continue to go up
or are they going to fly out? And with a
(16:16):
drop in population, I think you're gonna see it's gonna drop.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Well, Lisa Kline, I know we didn't speak much during
the time that you were on the school board, so
I appreciate you doing this now and hopefully going forward
when something comes up with CMS, you can be my
go to person. So I'm just telling you now, I'm
putting you on the spot. You're gonna be my go
to person for all this.
Speaker 7 (16:36):
Absolutely I'll be glad to I'd see you and i'd run.
I did not want to be seen in the same
place as you before, but yes, I'll be glad to
talk with you. CMS is near and dear to me again,
I've told people forty five years of education, I'm not
going away, It's just going to be in a different role.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
He's a client serius. Say thank you for your time today.
Speaker 7 (16:55):
Thanks Brett, have a great day and Merry Christmas.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
So again, thanks to Lisa Klin from meeting with me
earlier today, because look, she's going to be able to
offer a lot of the insight going forward on the
inner workings of things and break things down and really
explain things like the test scores and everything else. So again,
really big time thanks to Lisa Client for joining me
today and I look forward to doing this many many
more times in the future.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Okay, So coming.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Up next, Representative David Willis out of Union County, we'll
be joining us because even though they're not in session
in Raleigh right now, there's still a lot of things
going on in Raleigh. Welcome back to Charlotte's FM News
Talk one oh seven point nine FMWBT. Brett Jenson here
with you halfway through my edition of Breaking with Brett
Jenson on this Thursday night. Okay, So, North colin Is
(17:41):
Representative David Willis, he represents Union County, and even though
they are not in session right now, they're not up
there passing laws or whatever. But there are a lot
of committees meeting right now. So, first of all, thank
you for joining me tonight. And second of all, what
actually happens up in Raleigh while you guys are not
in session, Like, are you guys still meeting?
Speaker 2 (18:01):
What's going on with the committees?
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Explain to me and the listeners what actually happens when
you're not in session.
Speaker 8 (18:07):
You know, that's a great question, Brett, and I think
a lot of people have a misperception about what happens
just because we're not technically in session. Doesn't mean the
work you know, of the state stops. We have interim committees,
we have obviously you know, candidate filing is happening right
now as well, so you know, some of our folks
have turned their attention to campaigning and fundraising and their
interim committee meetings happening you know, throughout the the in
(18:32):
between session periods, and like today, for example, we had
a House Oversight Committee meeting, you know, with the Chapel Hill,
Carborough City Schools and some of the nonsense that's going
on down there. We've got a blockchain and Digital Assets
interim committee meeting next week that I'll be heading up
to Raleigh for and it was in Raleigh last week
(18:53):
for a day of meetings. And so yeah, so we're
typically there, you know, at least a couple of times
a months, if got more, depending upon which committees or
you know, what other groups are meeting and kind of
what's going on. But you know, the work very much
continues even when we're out of session.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Speak with North kind of state Representative David Willis here
on breaking with Brad Jensen. So you mentioned the Chapel
Hill and the Carborough school systems and the meetings that
took place earlier. Can you talk about that and what
actually transpired in those meetings.
Speaker 8 (19:20):
Well, you know, first off, I want to you know,
thank some of my colleagues, especially you know, Leader Brendan
Jones and you know some of our other folks that
I mean, they did a wonderful job today kind of
holding their feet to the fire. And if if you know,
if you're out there and you haven't seen some of
the stuff that's going on. You know, we passed Senateville
forty nine, you know, quite a while a while back,
(19:41):
and and it's you know, the Parents Bill of Rights
for Education, and that's been the law of the land.
And we've had a couple of difficult school districts who
have decided to take matters into their own hands and
thinks that the law doesn't apply to them. And and
they're even on record and on video in public setting
meetings where they're saying, we're just not going to follow
the law. And so you know, one, you know, they
(20:03):
called them in today under subpoena for the committee meeting
and and and really held their feet to the fire
and asked them some of the questions. And you know,
I think leaders, especially local school boards and superintendents who
willfully disobey the laws that we've set or enacted, but
just because they don't like them need to be held
accountable and they need to be fired, quite frankly. And
(20:24):
so you know, I commend them for, you know, for
holding their feet to the fire today and asking the
difficult questions that need to be asked and putting them
on record. And you know, hopefully the local folks you know,
in those school districts and go back and hold them
accountable and and find folks who are going to stand
up and worry about reading and writing and you know,
our test scores and teaching our children rather than indoctrination
(20:45):
and the nonsense it's been going on.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Speak with North Klina State Representative David Willis out of
Union County. So you mentioned the Blockchain Committee, and you
mentioned the Digital Committee and everything else. Can you tell
tell us and tell me what those things actually are,
because I doubt very many people actually know the importance
of them.
Speaker 8 (21:04):
So the House Oversight Committee is very important. And so
I think as you think more along the lines of
some of the federal hearings and things that we see
typically out of Congress, you know, we've got an interim
committee that runs so actually the oversight is isn't really
an interim committee. It can run any any time throughout
the year, and they they have meetings when whenever necessary.
(21:26):
And so they've done things looking at you know, disaster
recovery for hurricanes, you know, not just Helene, but prior
to that as well as we've dealt with Incore and
some of the issues with the Governor's office and mismanagement
by FEMA and some of the other things. And so
they're able to hold people accountable, subpoena them, so they
(21:46):
bring them on you know the carpet, put them under
oath and and and they're able to dig into some
very serious issues. And they they do that kind of
as needed. They don't really have a set schedule in
which they operate, but they operate as needed. And this
was something today they were finally able to get around
to and to deal with the city schools there in
Chapel Hill Andcarborough and so, you know, other committees like
(22:09):
the Blockchain and Digital Assets is a new committee, and
so it's an interim committee set up in between typical
long session and short session, which you know we alternate
from year to year with and it's really designed for
us to look at how we can incorporate, uh, you know,
the industry that that's really has been out there for
a while now, but a lot of folks just don't
(22:29):
know about in regards to blockchain and how that is
really fundamentally changing the way that we do business and
and the way that we track and and do you
know money transfers or interagency transfers and so that you know,
the committee meeting that we've got coming up next week
is really going to be a follow up to the
(22:51):
first meeting that we had a couple of months ago
around educating folks within the General Assembly but also the public.
You know, what is blockchain, how does to operate? Who's
using it? You know, is it something that we should
be afraid of? And so we've got some really interesting
folks cann to present next week and we'll talk about
how blockchain is already very widespread, whether you're you know,
(23:12):
using any one of the major banks or Amazon or
you know a number of folks you know online and
and pretty much every business, every major you know, business
in the US and around the world right now is
is already using different forms of blockchain technology and it's
just going to continue to grow. And so, you know,
with our financial setting here and being the number two
(23:34):
financial district in the country, you know, we want to
really get ahead of the curve on this. I mean, DC, uh,
you know, is still trying to figure out how they're
going to deal with cryptocurrencies and digital assets and and
all the things that you know associated with that, and
we'd like to be, you know, a leader in that space.
And I think it makes sense for North Carolina to
be a leader in that space and open up this
(23:54):
burgeting new industry, uh and take advantage of that. And
so I think between our universitys that we have here,
the technology, whether it's fintech or banking or you know,
just financial services in general, you know, we've got a
great opportunity to leverage the relationships that we already have
and grow and bringing a lot of new industry partners
(24:16):
to North Carolina. So I'm really excited about the opportunity
that that holds for us as well.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
North Carolina Stay Representative David Willis out of Union County.
I really do appreciate you joining us tonight, especially since
as we are getting closer and closer to the holiday season.
Thanks again for joining us tonight.
Speaker 8 (24:31):
Absolutely, if I don't talk to you, have a merry Christmas.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
All right, Again, thanks to Representative David Willis for joining us.
You know, he had some interesting things to say there
and just learning about how, you know, the system works.
Like I've been doing this for a while now, and
I still don't know everything and how things work up
in Raleigh. And I figured if I don't know, maybe
there's a chance that you don't know. So that's why
I wanted to talk to him about things happening in
Raleigh while they're not officially in session.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
All Right, when we.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Come back, let's go back to the federal level, and
we're going to talk to Congressman Tim Moore because a
lot of things happened in Washington, DC yesterday, and I
also want to get his reaction about the stabbing that
took place on the light rail last week. Welcome back
to Charlotte's FM News Talk. When I was Havent point
nine FMWBT, Bret Jenson here with you for a few
(25:17):
more minutes on breaking with Brett Jenson. So a lot
of things are going on up in Washington with you know,
healthcare and everything else, but also something else happened yesterday
concerning the Lumby Nation, and so I thought, you know what,
let's bring on Congressman Tim Moore, who's a friend of
the show's, to talk to him about these particular things.
And I also wanted to get his, you know, his
thoughts on the stabbing that took place on the light
(25:39):
rail last week. So, first of all, Congressman, thank you
for joining us. And second of all, a lot of
things are going on up in Washington right now, between
the bills being passed last night and the healthcare system,
so just a lot going on up there.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
Well, there are a number of things, and I want
to start off by a huge accomplishment yesterday with the
passage of the inn DAA, the National Defense Authorization Act.
They have a lot of important things in there with
our national defense, with the number of policies. But one
of the big things, Bret, that that happened was the
(26:13):
full federal recognition of the Lumby Indian tribe in North Carolina.
That was a provision that was included in the NDAA.
It was a provision that the bill that I had
co sponsored, something I advocated for for years, because it's
going to be huge number one for the for the
Lumby people, but two for really southeastern North Carolina. It
(26:37):
would just be so significant, and it's really righting a
wrong over one hundred and thirty years of how this
particular triphe has been has been treated. But with a
lot of work from members of our deleg and from
the House delegation, and then from our two senators and
the particularly Senator till it's really made this a major
(26:58):
thing to work on and really leaned in all this
and it finally has gotten done. We passed it in
the House. The Senate will take it up next week
and we'll surely pass it. There's no issues.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
The bill has been.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Negotiated, and there was a little bit of drama yesterday
on it. It was because it was part of the
rules package of a number of bills and got caught
up and there was some divided votes, et cetera. But
eventually the rules package passed and then the full NDAA
bill last night passed. It got three hundred semid votes
(27:34):
and only like eighty something no votes. So it's a
huge win. And I'm just telling you that is something
that is going to be so big for North Carolina
for you know, just from now on. So it's not
been talked about much in the media, certainly the national media,
but it is absolutely a critical, critical bill and a
(27:57):
critical issue that I'm very proud that we finally dealt with.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Speak with the Congressman Tim More, and that is great
news for the Lumby Nation and everyone down the East.
Can you talk about now things that may impact people nationally,
and that's the healthcare system and the fight that's going
on over subsidies and everything else.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
So what can you tell us about that right now?
Speaker 5 (28:17):
Yeah, so a little bit of background on it. Of course,
look at where we are in terms of health care access,
look at where we are in terms of health care costs,
how ridiculously expensive health insurance is, and then when you
get it sometimes the coverage is pretty crimy. Well you
go back to before Obamacare was passed, insurance coverage is better,
(28:39):
insurance coverage was less expensive. And so we're in this
world now where obama Care was passed into law and
where it is now the way of worse coverage and
more expense. And my belief is bred that when Obama
and the Democrats you push this thing through that they
(29:00):
really were kind of trying to rig the system further
it would it would not be successful, and that they
eventually wanted what's called a single payer or basically just
totally government run, government controlled healthcare. That's that's my belief.
I mean, if you go back to you go back,
I mean you taught you know, you hear what the
Democrats are talking about. There always saw out more government,
(29:20):
more government. I mean, what they want to see is
socialized medicine. I mean, that's that's basically what they're pushing for,
and it simply doesn't work. So but we're at this
point now where people have made business decisions, made other
decisions where they have participated in what's called the healthcare exchange.
And so my thought is, and my hope is that
(29:43):
we go to back to a more free market system.
But there's got to be a transition period between that
between those folks who are counting on some of these
subsidies right now, who are budgeted for that, and who
who have relied on that.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Kire's been ten more joins me here on breaking with
Brad Jensen, and I know, after the arena, is the
risk of stabbing back in August that you were active
trying to get legislation passed about repeat offenders and repeat criminals.
So now when you heard about the light rail stabbing
that took place Friday, what were your initial thoughts.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
I thought, here we go again, you know, and and
and think about it. It brought in two of the
issues that we've been talking about at once. One is
crime itself, right, I mean, which about and of course,
and then there's the problem that you know, some of
the writers on the light rail, uh you know, are
dealing with but not just there, but all over the place,
and in two dangerous illegal immigrants. My thought is in
(30:37):
terms of, you know, their efforts of CDP and ICE,
I don't try to armchair quarterback what law enforcement does.
I mean, they have a difficult job and they are
there to enforce the law. Now my interest is in seeing,
you know, really focusing more on folks who are who
are here, who are dangerous criminals. You know. I think
(30:59):
that's where the focus, all of the people who are here
breaking the law, riding the system. I mean, that's that's
that's what that's where I think the focus should be.
I think guys like this, this descendant, who is this
the guy charged the stabbing. I mean, that's the kind
of person that should have been deported. Two thoughts on
this particular thing. One is I thought that the timing
(31:22):
of the Charlotte City Council was not just timing the
fact that they're spending what three point four million dollars
in a PR campaign with an out of state PR firm.
Don't understand that we got a lot of good PR
firms in North Carolina, but just forget that part of it.
But spending three point four million dollars on a PR
campaign to tell people it's safe to life to ride
the light rail instead of putting three point four million
(31:44):
dollars into making light real safety. That that just that
doesn't make any sense. And I'm you know, you probably
know I'm not one that just goes out and criticizes
the city council any other by I mean, they do
what they do, They answer to the voters. But I'm
just going come on, guys, whose idea was that? I mean,
I hope they'll reconsider that and put that money where
(32:07):
it needs to go. That just was a really bone
headed move to make. I don't that's that made no
sense to me.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Congressman Tim Moore.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
I really do appreciate you joining us tonight, and if
I don't speak to you before the Christmas holidays, I
hope you have a great Christmas.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
Thanks Brett, you too, and wish the merry Christmas to
UH to all of your listeners out there. And I
certainly think it's gonna be a it's a time to
reflect and be grateful for the time with our family
and remember the things that are that are listening for it.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Again, thanks to Congressman Tim More for joining us tonight.
All right, that's gonna do it for us tonight. I
told you it was slam packed. You had a couple
of federal things going on, a state thing going on,
and a local thing going on. A lot a lot
of things going on here and it has been a busy,
busy week. All right, that's gonna do it for us tonight.
Make sure you have a great night. TJ Richie is
(32:58):
coming up next. My name is Brett Jensen, and you
have been listening to Breaking with Brett Jensen.
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