In Studio Showdown: Kabir Karriem v Pierre Beard for District 41

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When incumbent State Representative Kabir Karriem and challenger Pierre Beard stepped into our studio, we knew we were in for an enlightening conversation—what we got was political theater at its most raw and revealing. Their face-off for Mississippi House District 41 quickly evolved from policy discussion to personal confrontation, giving voters an unfiltered look at both candidates.

The special election, triggered by redistricting efforts to increase Black representation in the state legislature, has both candidates presenting vastly different visions for District 41. Representative Karriem leans heavily on his experience and established relationships in Jackson, positioning himself as the seasoned legislator with the connections needed to deliver results. Beard, fresh from a council loss, counters with a message of change and accessibility, repeatedly questioning Karriem's visibility and effectiveness despite his years in office.

The debate revealed significant agreement on keeping the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS) in Columbus, with both recognizing its vital importance to the local economy and the Mississippi University for Women. However, they diverged sharply on priorities like Beard's proposed public transportation system, which Karriem dismissed as impractical and symptomatic of legislative inexperience.

Most surprising was the unexpected detour into personal territory, with both men trading accusations about past arrests and behavior. This raw exchange highlighted the deeply personal nature of local politics and gave voters insight into how each candidate handles conflict—an important consideration for a Democrat representing district interests in a Republican-dominated legislature where relationship-building is essential.

Whether you're looking for experienced leadership or fresh energy, this debate offers crucial insights into the candidates vying to represent District 41. 

Zack and David also introduce 3 Things to Know, a new feature that gives brief updates on the week's top headlines.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
From the opinion page of the Commercial Dispatch.
This is Between the Headlines.

Speaker 3 (00:13):
This is Peter Imes, publisher of the Dispatch.
One of our hosts of Between theHeadlines is the managing
editor of our newsroom.
Typically, we try to keep newsand opinions separate, but
reporters have a unique insightinto the workings of local
government and their analysiscan be helpful for readers and
listeners.
The Dispatch remains committedto journalistic integrity and

(00:37):
our reporting will alwaysreflect that.
And now Between the Headlines.

Speaker 4 (00:42):
And now between the headlines.
Players choose your fighter Inthe studio today.
To my left is Mr Kabir Kareemand to my right is Mr Pierre
Beard.
It might get hot in here.
Also, we'll have the talk aboutmold madness in regards to the

(01:03):
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454063.
We are pleased to have in thestudio today the third-time
incumbent and representativefrom Mississippi House District
41, the Honorable Kabir Kareem,and across from him sits his
challenger, the formercouncilman and ward four, that

(02:53):
is, mr Pierre Beard.
Welcome to both of you, gladyou're both here today.
This is not your first rodeo inthe studio, mr Beard.
You've taken some toughquestioning before and I think
we may have more of the sametoday.

Speaker 5 (03:10):
I'm ready, as always, all right.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
I'll start with Councilman Kareem here to kind
of explain the mechanics to us.
How did we get here in thisspecial election?

Speaker 6 (03:20):
Well, first of all, thank you for having me on the
show, not councilman, staterepresentative.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
I'm sorry, state representative, you've been Ward
5 councilman.

Speaker 6 (03:30):
I'm so used to covering the city that it just
comes out of my mouth no worries, no worries, but look, as you
know, african Americans areunderserved in the state, at the
state capitol, as far asrepresentation.
So we joined in with a lawsuitwith NAACP, the ACLU, and they

(03:50):
challenged the legislativedistricts.
And because of their challenge,a special session was called to
create another minoritydistrict in Chickasaw County and
because of that, we had to takepeople from Lee County, clay
County as well as Lowndes Countyto create House District 22.

(04:12):
And as a result, I'm sittingbefore you all with a challenger
, because we wanted more Blackrepresentation in the state of
Mississippi.

Speaker 1 (04:22):
How have the lines changed in 41?
Who's in 41?
That wasn't before.

Speaker 6 (04:27):
Just this week people have started receiving their
voter registration cards and alot of changes have taken place
in 41.
Nothing real drastic.
A lot of whole precincts havebecome half precincts and
Townsend Park, which was areally big precinct, is now a

(04:49):
very small precinct.
Most of that is in HouseDistrict 36 in Clay County, so
the map has changed drastically.

Speaker 4 (04:57):
Okay, does this midterm challenge come to a bit
of a chagrin to you, or do youwelcome it?
I mean, what's your generalattitude about this?

Speaker 6 (05:06):
Well, you know, look, everybody has a right to run.
I don't know who paid him toget in this race or why he's
trying to do after he lost hiscouncil seat, but he has a right
to challenge the seat.
But it is what it is.
I mean, we're going to do whatwe have to do and continue to

(05:26):
represent the people of HouseDistrict 41 until they tell me
otherwise.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
Well, I want to jump in here with Mr Beard,
especially immediatelyfollowinga loss in a council
race where you were theincumbent.
Why jump straight into a houserace with an incumbent?

Speaker 5 (05:50):
This was always the plan.
I knew about the redistrictinga year ago I mean the end part
of my campaigning for Ward 4 wasmore so with the release of my
platform for District 41representative.
The same key issues that Ibrought up were the same issues
that I'm fighting for for ourdistrict.

(06:12):
As far as someone paying me,we're not even going to speak on
that.
We're not going to throw shotsfor shots.

Speaker 4 (06:19):
What's the going rate ?

Speaker 5 (06:21):
That's what I want to know.

Speaker 1 (06:23):
David ran for office once.
I don't know I don't.
David ran for office once.

Speaker 5 (06:25):
I don't know if anybody paid him to do I missed
out I missed out on that memotoo, you know, but hey, um, this
has always been an aspirationof mine to take my professional
political level, politicalprofession to the next level and
talking really about the timingof it.

Speaker 1 (06:45):
I mean, do you think that there's a little bit of
bruised upness with?
I just got out of one that Ididn't win and now I'm jumping
into a bigger ring immediately?

Speaker 5 (06:56):
there's, there's.
There's nothing negative thatcan be said about that.
I mean, it's all in god's plan,it's all in god.
And I mean, hey, there's alwaysbeen an aspiration of mine,
whether it was right after thisor whether it was two, three,
four or five years from now, butit was something that was going
to happen.
I mean, everybody deserves sometype of accountability on all
levels to get some type ofinformation from people.

(07:19):
You know we rarely hear fromthese people.
You know we rarely hear fromthese people.
So if you want to call a spadea spade, we rarely hear from
these people.
We rarely get information fromthe state level, regardless of
anything that's pertaining toColumbus.
All of the, all of theinformation that we have getting
from the state level comes fromRepresentative McLean and
Senator Younger.
That's the only two people thatI see that are actively working

(07:42):
in this in Lyons County inColumbus, actively working for
this district.
So I mean that I don't, I don'twant to, I don't want to say it
without saying it, but wherehave you been?

Speaker 1 (07:58):
well, uh, mr Kareem, I want to give you.

Speaker 5 (07:59):
I mean I can understand all the accolades
that's been received, the thelies and his replies.

Speaker 6 (08:04):
Let's back up.
Did you know that the nightbefore qualifying he texts one
of my colleagues in thedelegation that I will not say
and asks where does the Housedistrict lines are drawn?
And I got and I saw the textand, if you remember, after he
lost he said he was going to runagainst Leroy Brooks seat for

(08:26):
issue five.

Speaker 1 (08:28):
You did say that.

Speaker 6 (08:29):
And then, well, hold up, hold up, let's, let's, let's
, let's, let's, let's, let's.
Put the lies in the replies now.
And then he calls me the day ofqualifying and say Mr Kareem, I
see that there's a specialelection in House District 41,
and I don't know whether or notyou're running or not, but I'm

(08:50):
running and I need to turn mypaperwork in to you.
They told me I need to turn mypaperwork in to you since I'm
running for House District 41.
I said no, sir.
I said you turned it in toChairman Shaq Taylor down in
Jackson, and he hung up thephone so look, I could have been
a butt and said yeah, bring meyour paperwork and your money.
And then called him back at 4o'clock and said you know what?

(09:12):
You need to turn that in downat Jackson.
But I didn't do that.
I gave him direction and thatjust shows the lack of
experience he has even beginningto even run for this office.

Speaker 5 (09:25):
So let me jump in.

Speaker 6 (09:27):
I'm not through.
Thank you, just hold up.
So my point is I don't knowwhat he has come up with today
to talk about why he's running.
And he has a right to run.
Let me be clear Even thoughit's a special election, he has
a right to challenge this, tochallenge me in the District 41
race.
But I don't believe, and Idon't believe, that the voters

(09:50):
believe, that his motives areclear, are genuine and as far as
keeping the people informed,I'm always on social media
talking about what's going on.
Going on.
I've been given a Mother's Dayluncheon where he just
participated in at my lastMother's Day luncheon eating up
the catfish, eating up all thefood from the mothers, cutting

(10:11):
line, dancing, and he was there.
Well, what's wrong with that?
Nothing, nothing If you weren'tgoing to run against the person
who was going to do it.
But there's nothing wrong withthat, but he did it.
So my point is I don't thinkthat it was something that was
in his plan.
I think it's something thatjust came up June 9th or 8th,

(10:33):
whatever day it was forqualifying.

Speaker 1 (10:35):
Okay, and Mr Brady, before you respond, I want you
to respond.
A point that he brought up is afair and accurate point.
You were on Facebookimmediately after that council
race stating your intent to runagainst Leroy Brooks for county
supervisor.

Speaker 5 (10:56):
All right, so let's go back.
This is a first of all.
Like I say, I appreciate youguys for having this.
This is a perfect platform toget your message across.
I appreciate you guys forhaving this.
This is a perfect platform toget your message across, and I
don't want to spend my timearguing back and forth with
somebody about basicallynothingness.
But to go to the text message,I did definitely send a text

(11:16):
message to one of his colleaguesand the text message said hey,
name Councilman Beard here.
Do you know where I can find acopy of the new redistricting
map for District 41?
That's the conversation that Ihad.
So whatever he said they had,that is definitely not true.
You want to see it?
There it is.
That's what I said.
That's what I said.
Well, just so as far as in theWell.

Speaker 4 (11:33):
That's a little different than him asking where
the line was.

Speaker 5 (11:36):
Exactly.
You said where's the line?
He said I'd like, becausethat's what you're supposed to
do.
Jackson told me to get with thecity's Democratic Party to get
the information from them.
I called back to Jackson.

(11:57):
I said well, the person that'sover the Democratic Party would
be the person that I'm runningagainst, so call them.
So I called him and I askedabout it, because that's what
the people in Jackson instructedme to do.
Come to find out that all ofthe stuff the person that was
giving me the information didnot have the correct information
.
So I ended up talking to thehead person, who was on a

(12:17):
conference in Biloxi, who thentold me the process that I
needed to do, and then that'show the process got done All
right?

Speaker 1 (12:22):
Well, going back to clear that, okay.
So going back to the questionof you originally said that you
were going to run against Leroyfor county supervisor.
You pivoted to District 41.
What was that process?

Speaker 5 (12:33):
Both of them were.
Both of them were, and willstill be, an aspiration of mine.
This one came before thedeadline.
Like I say, there was no publictalk about it, there was no
information released about itand the day that the deadline
that I found out about thedeadline was on a Monday and I

(12:54):
had to rush and get all of thatin.
So I did not know.
Like I stated before, I knewthat a special election was
coming, but I did not know thatthe deadline was as soon as it
was.
So that's how this came beforerunning against Leroy Brooks, of
which he stated that he won'teven be running again, but that
will be.
I mean, all of these people needto be have somebody running
against them.
Somebody needs to run everysingle time.
I know the people that I don'teven name on your, on your

(13:18):
platform.
They always state that peopleneed to have somebody running
against them.
My last colleagues alwaysstated people need to be have
somebody running against them tohold them accountable.
So we can see what have youdone?
So we can hear, what are youplanning on doing?
There's a list of things that Iwant to do for the city of
Columbus a public transportationsystem.

Speaker 1 (13:37):
Well, can I?
Can I stop you, because thatwas going to be my next question
for you.
One of the things that you havereally been pounding in your
campaign is this publictransportation system in
Columbus.
One, what does that look likein?
What does that look likepractically?
And two, how does a staterepresentative bring that to
fruition?

Speaker 5 (13:57):
There's, if you, some of the things on my platform
are some simple things that canalready have been done.
You can go to the MDOT websiteright now, at this date, and
MDOT will give you a publictransportation survey.
All you have to do is apply forit.
There are senators in thelegislature that has used this
program and have gotten publictransportation systems in their

(14:20):
district.
There are simple things thatall we have to do is apply for
district.
There's simple things that allwe have to do is apply for and
we can't.
We don't have any anybodyfighting with the same type of
the same type of things that ourcity needs at a state level.
A public transportation servicelooks like we can't deny
anybody food, we can't denyanybody education and we can't

(14:42):
deny anybody employment.

Speaker 1 (14:44):
I mean, is it buses, is it trains?

Speaker 5 (14:47):
Buses, trains, whatever that transit system
says that the city needs.
Whenever we apply for it orwhoever apply for it, it's
basically just getting somebodyto apply for it and fight for it
, because that's somethingthat's needed here.

Speaker 1 (15:03):
Well in your mind, representative Kareem.
How viable is that idea?

Speaker 6 (15:08):
Again the inexperience shows of the making
and the working of thelegislature.
If I can take you back, when Iwas on the city council, it was
a company that wanted to put abus line here.
When he was a city councilmanhe had the power to create
ordinances and create amechanism.
I've never one time heardanybody from the city say they

(15:33):
wanted a bus line or any kind oftransit system.
We've even tried to put notGreyhound but some mega bus or
something so people can have away to travel, but nobody has
ever tried to contact or getwith the delegation to ask about
a transit system.
This is just something.

Speaker 1 (15:53):
Would it?

Speaker 6 (15:54):
work.
Look, I'm not denying thatpeople need transportation, but
the way of going about doing itstarts at the city level.
What are the needs of the cityof Columbus?
Doing it starts at the citylevel.
What are the needs of the cityof Columbus when Mr Beard was a
city councilman he never talkedabout a transit system.

Speaker 1 (16:10):
I don't know if that's entirely true.

Speaker 6 (16:13):
Well, let me rephrase it, Mr Beard, it was never
brought to our delegation as aneed of the city, the city.
We always meet with people.

Speaker 1 (16:24):
The mayor, Joe Max Higgins, CVB, Port Authority
every year, before we get readyto go to the session, to find
out the needs of the city, andthat wasn't ever listed as a
priority.

Speaker 6 (16:40):
That was never listed as a priority.
I don't know, maybe he knowssomething that I don't know but
the legislature is not the firststop for a transit system in a
city or town, because monieshave to be found to do something
like that?

Speaker 4 (16:58):
What about between Biloxi Gulfport, going from
Mobile all the way to NewOrleans?
Was that a state deal?

Speaker 6 (17:06):
That you're talking about the Amtrak the.
Amtrak.
Yeah, that that is somethingthat I'm sure that they put a
plan together to have that, thatsystem from Amtrak, and it
depends also on the populationtoo.
Yeah, there's been some talkabout opening up the other side
of the highway.
Now that's a conversation whereit's closed across the river

(17:27):
because it's one way in, one wayout.
That's been a conversation.
How do we tackle it?
Do we put a toll roll over onthat side?
It's going to cost upwards inthe millions of dollars to open
that back up.
That has been a conversationabout highways and bridges.
There's been a conversation ofhaving a superhighway from North

(17:49):
Mississippi all the way to thecoast.

Speaker 4 (17:50):
Do I get to drive faster than 70?

Speaker 6 (17:52):
It might be a little, you might have a little speed.

Speaker 1 (17:55):
OK.

Speaker 6 (17:58):
You already are driving faster than 70.
But my point is you just can'tarbitrarily pull stuff out of
the air, and it takes teamworkand you have to have a
relationship not only with yourdelegation but with other
legislators to get thingsaccomplished, particularly for
your district as well as yourcounty.

Speaker 1 (18:16):
Well, one thing you talked about teamwork and
cooperation and those types ofthings and those types of things
.
One of the bigger issues goingon right now in Columbus is the
future of MSMS, where it's goingto be and how that affects the
future of the W One.
I want to start with you,representative.
You've been on the record insupport of the W staying as it

(18:41):
is and open, and MSMS stayinghere is a part of that.
Staying as it is and open andMSMS staying here as a part of
that.
With what's going on the StateBoard of Education
recommendation to move MSMS,what I mean, what is the threat
here to the W to Columbus andwhat can you do as a
representative?
What have you done as arepresentative to advocate for

(19:03):
keeping it here?
What can be successful inkeeping everything like it is
here?

Speaker 6 (19:09):
Right now it's about seniority, which I am the senior
man in our Lyons Countydelegation.
On the House side, it's aboutfighting, speaking truth to
power, with other legislatorswho need to understand the
dynamics of really what's goingon, because it's really bigger

(19:30):
than the W and MS-MS, because ifyou remove MS-MS to help
Starfield build their highschool, that puts a gap in the W
and if the W fails, that meansor they merge or get rid of the
W.
That means and one of myconcerns is that one of our

(19:51):
HBCUs of the state is going tobe either closed or merged with
another school.
So it's really bigger than MS,ms and MUW I'm concerned about.
They've been requesting moneyat MSMS for years.
I've been advocating for that.
We've even brought the Speakerof the House in to look at the

(20:16):
conditions of MSMS, that they'reneeding funds.
We brought other legislators inand I think the argument needs
to be stated that you don't needyour tax dollars from the Gulf
Coast to help build a highschool over in start for
Mississippi and I think it'sdisingenuous for my colleagues

(20:37):
and friends over there to bepushing this.
And I just want to state thatthis same situation happened
with the Mississippi School ofArts in Brookhaven.
They tried to take that Matterof fact.
It was us who tried to bring itup here to the W and they
fought like hell to make surethat it stayed in Brookhaven.
So we have to do the same.

(20:57):
I think we have a very good,strong delegation.
I think we all work goodtogether when it comes for the
benefit of Columbus and LyonsCounty.

Speaker 1 (21:11):
And I think that we're going to continue to do
that as we proceed.
Councilman Beard, the W in theMSMS situation has been
something you've talked about aswell, if you're elected state
representative, what are youdoing to try to keep MSMS here
and get it funded?

Speaker 5 (21:27):
The first thing I would do.
I would like to say that movingMSMS off of MUW campus would be
a horrible thing done for thetaxes for the city of Columbus,
the taxes for the city ofColumbus.
Msms, MUW has the largestsalary.
I'm reading my notes.
I'm sorry.
Msms should remain on MUWcampus.

(21:48):
This is crucial to District 41.
Such a move is a waste oftaxpayers' dollars, an extreme
culture shock for high schoolstudents and a hit to MUW, One
of the largest employers inDistrict 41.
So I support the currentinitiative that they have in
place.
This fight with MSMS has beengoing on for a while and the
city actually took charge in it.
Mayor Gaskin did, if I'm notmistaken.

(22:10):
He took the first leadershipcharge into keeping talking
about it and the Board ofSupervisors, president, tripp
and Tripp did, and then we gotthe city and the county, now the
MUW Foundation that I have wentand purchased a PR firm, I
could say, to go down and lobbyand talk to the legislators down
there about why MSMS shouldstay over here.

(22:32):
I was accepted to MSMS myjunior year in high school but I
chose not to go because I feltlike that was a school for nerds
and I guess I was a nerd backthen.

Speaker 4 (22:47):
Come on man.
You got the glasses andeverything.

Speaker 5 (22:51):
Msms should stay here , Moving that school anywhere
and Jeff Ternes just did apodcast with you guys talking
about the importance of why MSMSa very respected lawyer in the
state of Mississippi, especiallyin our area MSMS should stay
right here where it is.
Msms has been underfunded andwe are still producing the most

(23:13):
elite students out of thatschool.
So imagine if MDE got on boardwith properly funding this
school.
Imagine if we had all of ourlegislators actively fighting
for this school, putting out thefacts, putting out the
information.
You can't argue facts.
You can't argue with anybodywhen they're putting facts in
your face.
And these are facts that thisis the number one elite school

(23:35):
that are putting out elitescholars in the United States of
America being under budgetedand still overperforming.
So why would you take somethingthat's being underfunded and
overperforming to go and build125, help build a hundred and
twenty five million dollarschool?

Speaker 1 (23:53):
Well, I mean, and both of you have brought out,
you know, the talking points,the obvious ones for Columbus,
for advocating for keeping ithere, how do you make that stick
?
How do you make that stick withpeople who may not care Keep?

Speaker 5 (24:06):
putting it at the door.
Keep putting it at the door.
Somebody cares because they'retrying to move it.
So whoever's trying to move it,that's the people that needs to
be being talked to.
But you know there's adifference between me and
everybody else.
I don't owe nobody, so I can goand talk to whoever I want to
talk to.
Whether they listen or whetherthey don't listen, that's up to
them.
But at the end of the day, Iknow that these issues have came

(24:28):
across and I have told you thatthis is what's going on.
This is why this needs tohappen.
We are the first universe, muw,the first universe to start
accepting women.
All of this stuff is historic,so you can go at it from a
historical perspective.
All of these issues have notbeen being fought for and they

(24:49):
need to be being fought for.

Speaker 1 (24:51):
How do you get them to care?
How do you get the oppositionor the people who are ambivalent
to this or just apatheticentirely, to care about where
MSMS goes?

Speaker 6 (25:01):
First of all, you have to have boots on the ground
.
You know, I commend formerMayor Gaskin and Board President
Supervisor Tripp Harrison, butwe're the ones giving them the
information, we're the ones thattold them that they're on the
chopping block.
See, that's what I'm sayingInexperience and not knowing.

Speaker 5 (25:19):
That has nothing to do with inexperience.
That has something to do withyou letting the people that
represent us know.

Speaker 6 (25:26):
Let's give them a space to talk, because we're not
here to throw shots.

Speaker 5 (25:30):
We're here to put information out.

Speaker 6 (25:33):
Because here's the deal All the information that
Mayor Gaskin and Board PresidentTripp Harrison got, I gave it
to them, the delegation.
It was like a hidden secretthat they weren't going to take
it over.

Speaker 4 (25:48):
Well, the media is not telling us what's going on
down there.

Speaker 6 (25:51):
Well, but here's the deal.

Speaker 5 (25:53):
And you gave it to somebody behind closed doors
Down there.

Speaker 4 (25:56):
That's correct, and he gave it to somebody behind
closed doors.

Speaker 6 (25:57):
That's correct.
But that's why he was soinformed.
And they went to action,because they knew it was an
undercurrent plan to move the.

Speaker 5 (26:07):
MSNBC, so why didn't you step out with them?

Speaker 6 (26:09):
So here is the deal that information is important
and to answer your question, tobag it up, you have to have
relationships, you have to putit where the goats can get it.
Nobody wants to spend their taxdollars in their respective
community to build anotherschool, to help somebody else

(26:30):
build another high school 300miles away from now.
That's, that's.
That's an argument that I thinkwill buy.
People will buy.
That's a winnable argument,Right, it is.

Speaker 4 (26:41):
OK, and you mentioned relationships.
Relationships in the case ofwhatever bill comes up is going
to have to be made withRepublicans, because they're the
ones in charge right now.
Mr Beard, do you think you cantalk to the Republicans down
there and derail that train,because I'm worried about it.

(27:01):
It's headed that direction.
Speaker White has spoken abouta big, bold and uncomfortable
education bill and we don't knowwhat might be in it.
It could have schoolconsolidation, it could have
school choice and I expect it'spossible that somebody will put
in the MSMS thing in this bigbill.

(27:24):
That's going to be oh sowonderful and attractive to
Republicans and that's how theysqueeze it in there.
Either one of you, how can youstop that?

Speaker 5 (27:33):
I have no problem with building relationships with
anybody.
You're a Republican and me andyou have a great relationship,
talking terms.
I've had Republicans from theHouse and Senate calling my
phone every other day talking tome about different things that
are going on down there inJackson.
I'm easily to get along with.
Like I say, I'm not going in.
Everybody was a rookie ineverything that they've ever

(27:55):
tried to do.
Everything is a learning curve,but you have to have the power,
the willingness to want tolearn, the willingness to want
to go in and mingle with peopleand get as much information as
you got, not trying to make aname for yourself on all these
major platforms of this and thisand that, but actually doing
the job and working for thepeople and the people.

(28:16):
I was an independent for mywhole campaign.
For being a councilman I ranindependent and the reason why I
ran independent was because ofthe way that the certain parties
were operating within Columbus.

Speaker 6 (28:31):
That's why I'm the real Democrat in the race.

Speaker 4 (28:35):
Does that make you an insider?

Speaker 6 (28:37):
That makes I was voted one of the top 50
Democrats in the whole state.

Speaker 5 (28:40):
And there we go talking about personal stuff,
but we're talking about issuesthat are plaguing ours.

Speaker 6 (28:46):
What have you done with the accolades, though, if
you have these high accolades,those accolades put you in those
spaces where you build thoserelationships, because you earn
the respect of your peers.
The respect of your peers go along way.
That's why, when he reached outto a Republican to ask about
District 41, they immediatelyalerted me about what was going

(29:08):
on, because we have.

Speaker 5 (29:09):
That's why they call you Wednesday.

Speaker 6 (29:11):
They have a good, we have good relationships.
You know, and you can't look,you can't push and pull at the
same time.
You know everybody understandsthat MSMS is a huge deal and it
was a debacle with the namechange.
See, it just didn't start withMSMS.
It's been going on for the lasttwo or three sessions about MUW

(29:34):
and that's why I'm so concernedthat if something was to happen
to the W, which I support, thatthey're going to start merging
and closing one or two of ourHBCUs.

Speaker 1 (29:45):
Like Valley over in Well, I don't know which one but
I know Valley and Delta Stateare underperforming Well.

Speaker 6 (29:52):
I just saw a report where Delta State was one of the
top five schools in the state,along with Alcorn.
So I don't know what willhappen, but it opens up the door
for anything and if you knowanything about the legislature,
what starts out as a beautifulClydesdale will end up as a goat
by the end of the session.

Speaker 4 (30:13):
Because of poison pills like the MSMS or rooting.

Speaker 1 (30:17):
I want to broaden David's question and give you
both a chance to answer it.
I'm going to give you last baton it because you are the
incumbent.
But starting with Pierre, theDemocratic Party generally in
the Mississippi legislature, youknow, and the Black Caucus

(30:38):
those are minority voices thatyou know.
Republicans show up and theyget things across the line
because there's simply more ofthem.

Speaker 5 (30:48):
Exactly.

Speaker 1 (30:48):
So you know how would you, as a representative I
guess a member of the BlackCaucus as well, democrat make
the voice of the Black Caucus,make the voice of the Democrats
more viable and moreparticipatory in legislation
that actually gets across theline?

Speaker 5 (31:06):
Because, simple thing , all of these people make up
the entire body.
You got Republicans, you gotDemocrats.
Everybody make up the entirebody.
And to get back to how will Iget along with Republicans, or
however that works, that's easy.
That's easy.
One of the things that we havefacing our area because this is
all about District 41, isgetting more and helping our

(31:29):
district is we have anamphitheater named after a
Republican Senator, terry Brown.
The amphitheater is sittingincomplete.

Speaker 4 (31:37):
How many days does our mayor have left to complete
that December 31st?

Speaker 5 (31:44):
And that is something that can be possible.
We have a Republican that gaveus money that helped fight for
our district Dana McLean.
She helped fight for themillion dollars that the state
did that we got from the stateto help complete the
amphitheater dollars that thestate did that we got from the
state to help complete theamphitheater.
But these are things that aDemocratic led city council
spoke with Republicans inJackson to help get funding to

(32:06):
complete something that's namedafter a Republican.
How many Republicans basedchange the narrative, change the
subject, change the directionof how the conversation is
flowing.
We have an amphitheater thatquote unquote was a lot of
taxpayer dollars was wasted,whatever side of the field
people say that about, but atthe end of the day, it's named

(32:27):
after a Republican.
And do the Republican Partywant to have something named
after somebody that was sovaluable in their party, sitting
so stagnant in a district thatneeds the help to complete it?
Whether or not we got the funds, we got the funds now to
complete it.
The city is sitting in a majorspot.
Just to bring that up, when Ifirst became a councilman we

(32:49):
were negative $800,000 in debt.
We are sitting at a $10, $12,$13 million surplus now after I
came.
So working with money, workingwith numbers, working with
things like that is somethingthat I'm very familiar with.
So let's never get that wrong.
So let's never get theinexperience or different things
like that, because I have awhole record for six years that

(33:11):
I can put down on anybody'stable at anybody's forefront,
because getting along withanybody is what I always try to
do.
I don't try to make a name formyself, because I already have a
name for myself.
Yes, you do, and you do too.
Yes, you do you most definitelyhave a name.
But, like I stated, this is notwhat I'm here for.
I'm here to get my platformacross.

(33:33):
I'm here to get my platformacross and let the citizens of
District 41 know that they havesomebody that's not going to
keep doing all this back andforth.

Speaker 4 (33:42):
Okay, Okay Well your name is.
Kabir, your name is PierreKabir, you first.

Speaker 6 (33:48):
My name is Kabir Corrine and I'm a state
representative and you know.
Let's go back A couple ofthings that's been said by Mr
Beard.
They gave, they got money,one-time money and they gave
raises to their employees.

Speaker 5 (34:06):
They gave raises, they were not raises when you
speak on my record.

Speaker 6 (34:09):
speak facts about my record, Not saying that the
employees did not need raises,but you took one-time money to
do it they weren't raises thatthe city is going to have to
keep doing it perpetually.

Speaker 5 (34:18):
And we got a refund back.

Speaker 6 (34:19):
Well, you still got to give those raises.

Speaker 5 (34:22):
They weren't raises.
Don't call them raises.

Speaker 6 (34:25):
But my thing is this man it was premium pay, thank
you, Okay, but you still have tocontinue, whether you call it
premium, pay raises.

Speaker 5 (34:33):
You don't have to continue that you, you don't
have to continue that.
You still have to do it.

Speaker 6 (34:35):
No you don't.

Speaker 5 (34:36):
They're still going to be getting that same money?
No, they're not.
You don't even know what you'retalking about, but here's the
deal.

Speaker 6 (34:40):
Here's the deal.
Let me tell you, we are not thesame.
We are not the same.
This dude went to jail fourtimes in one year.

Speaker 5 (34:47):
How many did you go?

Speaker 6 (34:50):
Twice, since you want .
I was arrested twice, one foraltercation with the mayor and
one for a family matter with mydaughter.
Those charges were dropped, but, mr Beard.
So you actually are violent,physical, putting your hands on
people.

Speaker 5 (35:07):
So Mr Beard, on the other hand, was charged four
times.
You have violent charges.

Speaker 6 (35:08):
I never shot over my wife's head allegedly.

Speaker 5 (35:11):
You have violent charges.

Speaker 6 (35:13):
I've never been allegedly in the same hotel room
with an alleged armed robber ofthe Waffle House.

Speaker 5 (35:20):
All of these people are doing their time.

Speaker 6 (35:21):
I am a friend of the LBGTQ community.
I always try to sponsorlegislation so I can show them
that I am a friend.
We are not the same.
He went to jail four times inone year, as recently as
December.

Speaker 5 (35:36):
Something that you concocted you and your friends
concocted.
That I have proof.
He just went to jail four timesin one year as recent as
December.
Something that you concoctedyou and your friends concocted.
That I have proof.
He just went to jail inDecember that I have proof that
you and your friends concocted.

Speaker 6 (35:44):
And he's still trying to hold legislation that I have
proof that you and your friendsconcocted and in my
conversation he wasn't a goodcity councilman and he sure
wouldn't be a good legislator.

Speaker 5 (35:54):
I beg to differ.
A lot of people beg to differon that he threw a lot at you
right there.

Speaker 1 (35:58):
I want to give you an opportunity to respond.
I know this is what you allwanted.
I would not dare.

Speaker 5 (36:02):
That's definitely not what they wanted.
I hate that.
This is what you all wanted.

Speaker 6 (36:04):
I would not dare feed into that it is so unfortunate
that his supporters have wentback 15 years and brought up an
arrest because of an altercationthat I had with the mayor.

Speaker 1 (36:16):
Well, I want to make it clear that we did not ask you
about that no, but you did andthis is your representation
District 41.

Speaker 6 (36:22):
But he did.

Speaker 5 (36:23):
This is who represents you, District 41.
He brought up the question thatI asked you, the question I
asked you and he has beenbringing it up on social media,
so let's clear the air.

Speaker 6 (36:32):
It's public record and all those charges was
dropped record and all thosecharges was dropped.
Can you say your charges was?

Speaker 5 (36:36):
dropped Every last one of them, even the one where
you shot over your wife's headDropped.

Speaker 6 (36:42):
What about your drug charges?
The drug charges was dropped.

Speaker 1 (36:47):
You're paying fines on those.

Speaker 5 (36:49):
You pay fines on those I'm not paying anything,
well, that's good, but youdidn't you didn't, but your
charges were violent.
How were they?
And I wasn't charged If you gotin a physical fight with the
mayor and you got in a physicalaltercation with your daughter
who said they were physical.
I said altercation.
The newspaper reported physical.
Well, what did?

Speaker 6 (37:07):
the newspaper report.

Speaker 5 (37:08):
I don't know, but that's not what I'm here, for
Are you?

Speaker 1 (37:10):
reporting news now you have a criminal past.
Because I want to go back tothat.

Speaker 5 (37:15):
But this is what you this, this is.
This is what you came here toput your platform out, to push.
Let me, let me, let me give himan opportunity to do all
something.
Let me give him an opportunitybecause the question that I the
question that I asked him.

Speaker 1 (37:32):
And I'm asking you now because I want to go back to
what I asked you you are aleader in the legislative asked
you, you are a leader in theLegislative Black Caucus.

Speaker 5 (37:38):
You're a leader in the Democratic Party.
Look at your leader.
Y'all, You're the boots on theground.
Look how your leader is acting.

Speaker 1 (37:43):
Let me ask him the question.
I asked you the question.
I'm going to ask him thequestion.
The Democrats are the minority.
The Legislative Black Caucus isvery often sending press
releases saying we do notsupport the thing that the
legislature has done.
So how does it, in yourposition in the Democratic Party

(38:07):
and the Black Caucus, how dothose two entities organizations
, if you will, groups get moreparticipatory in the laws that
are actually passed, in thepolicies that are actually
passed and the policies that areactually passed by the
legislature?
Because I mean, you are theminority, we are the minority,
but you still have to speaktruth to power.

Speaker 6 (38:23):
You just can't lie down and just take what is going
on when you know it's not inthe best interest of the people
of Mississippi, particularly theones that you represent.
And let me just go back to onein particular that we just did
House Bill 1, which was theincome tax bill.
Are Republicans alerting thatbill?
That is some good piece oflegislation and it's going to do

(38:45):
good, depending on what taxbracket that you're in, because
it's a tax shift and what it'sgoing to do.
It's going to leave a $2.2billion deficit that when we get
back in January that we'regoing to have to find some kind
of monies to erode that deficitthat we're going to have.
So I'm looking at things from aholistic approach as I approach

(39:08):
legislation and how is it goingto affect the people of House
District 41.
So it's and it's also aboutrelationships.
You know Republicans tote theline.
They don't Look once they gettheir margin orders.
You know it's very few of themthat will not vote the way their
party.

Speaker 1 (39:29):
How do you get them to listen to you?
How do you get them to listento the minority voice?
I think you and me agree onsomething right there.

Speaker 4 (39:34):
now, sir, I think you and I agree on something right
there.

Speaker 6 (39:38):
Look, that's just the name of the game.
Most votes are down party lines.
But you have to look at howit's going to affect the people
in your district and the peopleoverall of Mississippi, and I
just gave you one example ofthat.
That income tax bill is goingto have a huge deficit and we're
going to have to try to findsome monies to fill in that gap.

Speaker 1 (40:01):
Closing out here, guys, and we really appreciate
y'all's time, appreciate y'all'scandor, want to open up to each
of you.
We'll start with you,representative Anything you want
to add about this race, aboutthe needs of the district.

Speaker 6 (40:15):
Look, I appreciate you all giving us the
opportunity.
This is the first time me andMr Beard had a chance to look at
each other about this race andlook, the differences are there.
Experience counts, senioritycounts, and what we need to
understand is this as alegislator, I make laws, I don't

(40:36):
break them.
We've been trying to passlegislation that's in the best
interest of not only HouseDistrict 41, but for the state
capitol, and our interest is tomake sure lives are better for

(40:59):
black folks as well as thepeople of Mississippi and the
people of House District 41.
I have never one time put on myarmor of God and went into that
capitol and have not thoughtabout the people of House
District 41, because withoutthem I would not be there.
And I think about when youstart talking about Medicare.

(41:19):
That's why the Medicare billdidn't pass, because it was a
work requirement.
That means that little MissSusie or Miss Helen would have
to go to work just to receivethose benefits and we were not
going to do it.
So that's just a small minuteexample of why I'm continuing to
try to serve the people ofHouse District 41.

(41:42):
I love them, they love me andthey have supported me from my
time as a city councilman totoday, in my third term as a
Mississippi legislator.

Speaker 5 (41:53):
Mr Baird, in closing, I just want to say to you guys
I have a plan, I have a list ofpriorities.
Yes, experience counts.
Yes, I have a plan from sixyears previous that I can put on
anybody's table.
Like I stated, district 41needs a transportation plan.
District 41 needs to completethe Terry Brown Amphitheater.
District 41 needs to continuefighting for MSMS.

(42:16):
District 41 needs to continuefighting for MSMS.
District 41 has a contaminatedsite in Kerr-McGee that nobody
has brought about on the statelevel for the EPA.
District 41 has pressing issuesthat are plaguing our community
, but instead we have someonewho talks about all of the
accolades and the differentthings that they have.
It seems like those accoladesshould be somewhere where you

(42:36):
can push yourself to get theseissues resolved.

Speaker 6 (42:40):
This is the most that we have ever seen you talk
since I came out to run againstyou, I didn't cut you off.
That's a lie, though.

Speaker 5 (42:50):
You want to throw shots at me.
Your colleagues call youWednesday.
The only time they see you iswhen you're turning in your per
diems or it's time to vote.
But I will say this I willcontinue to do what I'm doing,
and that's stress the importanceof homegrown success.
Mississippi has everything weneed in-house Great jobs, as
stated.
District 41 is home of the bestindustrial zones in the state

(43:11):
Packard, airbus, beardor, steel,dynamics, just to name a few.
We produce elite pilots In thearmed forces at Columbus Air
Force Base.
We have a great workforce Inour state.
We have home of many actors andartists.
Whatever you want to be in life, you can be it right here in
Mississippi, and I stress theimportance of getting involved
In your local and stategovernment and make your voice

(43:33):
heard.

Speaker 4 (43:34):
So what I'm hearing from you there Is you would like
to take district 41 higher.

Speaker 5 (43:41):
You got it all right, you said it, I did now look, no
, you said it, that's one morequestion I do have for you was
uh, was that intentional?
that was very intentional okay Iprayed about it and the lord
showed it to him because it'stime to take our district higher
and we speak about it and youknow people talk about it
because he brought it up aboutthe arrest with marijuana.

(44:02):
I suffer from seizures.
I was a strong initiative forsupport of initiative 65A when
that came to Mississippi formedical marijuana and once I get
to the state I will be fightingfor recreational purposes for
marijuana in the state ofMississippi.

Speaker 1 (44:18):
All right, Well, you heard it here and we appreciate
you guys coming and again,appreciate your candor and the
spirit of debate and you've beenlistening to Between the
Headlines.

Speaker 6 (44:28):
Thank you all.

Speaker 4 (44:29):
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Speaker 4 (45:48):
Okay, do you have any ?

Speaker 1 (45:50):
shrapnel.
Those boys was mad at eachother.
Yeah, I know she had to take arestroom break.

Speaker 4 (45:56):
Did you pull any shrapnel out of your face?

Speaker 1 (45:59):
No, no, no, but that was they were ready for each
other.
They um had their talkingpoints and I I was really
surprised that that they just umkind of went at their uh
records with the with the policeand their arrest records and
just kind of bore those out likethat, yeah that was interesting

(46:24):
.

Speaker 4 (46:24):
Well, I think if I were in either of these two
seats, I probably would haveleft that off of the table.
I mean now granted.

Speaker 1 (46:33):
Well, Kabir said this is what we wanted.
I just wanted to make it clearwe didn't ask him about it.

Speaker 4 (46:39):
No, but I mean they brought it up themselves.
Clear, we didn't.
We didn't ask them about it, no, but I mean they brought it up
uh, themselves.
And um, I guess mr kabirbelieves he holds the high
ground with only two, twoarrests compared to four I mean
that is fewer arrests than fouryeah on the policy side of
things.

Speaker 1 (46:55):
Um, you know they're.
They're obviously very clear ontheir talking points with the
MUW MSMS situation.
I mean, they're really on thesame page with that.
I think everybody else who isan advocate for keeping MSMS
here, I think they know thetalking points right now and can
deliver them.
It's just getting everybodyelse to listen to them.

(47:17):
The public transportation thingit is something that Pierre
Beard advocated for, sort of insort of pie in the sky passing
when he was a councilman.
Nothing real ever came of thaton a collective level with the
city.
And whether a bus service wouldbe a main talking point of a

(47:40):
state representative campaign, Idon't know how effective that's
going to be.
I don't know how effective abus system would be in Columbus.
I'm not educated enough on thesubject to speak on it.
One thing that I don't thinkthat they that I don't think
that they answered particularlyclearly, because I don't think
that there is really a clearanswer.
If there was, they'd already bedoing it.

(48:01):
The Democratic Party and theBlack Caucus, you know they're
frequent dissenters to what thelegislature has done as a
collective.
Sure, that's how it works Well,yeah, but I mean how it should
work.
Is there should be a viableenough Democratic Party to get
Republicans to listen to them,or the minority party?
It should be viable enoughDemocratic Party to get

(48:21):
Republicans to listen to them,or the minority party.
It should be viable enough towhere the majority party is
listening.

Speaker 4 (48:29):
Which now it's not like that, it's not like that.

Speaker 1 (48:31):
Republicans know they've got it and they don't
have to talk to anybody else,and I feel like if the
Democratic Party, whichever oneof these gentlemen win,
whichever Democrats win, in anydistrict in Mississippi, there
needs to be a plan for goodgovernment, and I would feel the
same way if the shoe was on theother foot.
In good government, bothparties need to be viable and

(48:53):
there needs to be some sort ofincentive to listen to the
minority party, whichever one itis, and I think that that's
something that Mississippi isterribly lacking right now.

Speaker 4 (49:01):
I think so.
I believe that a party that istoo large is going to be
complacent.
They're not going to be willingto budge and that there's no
incentive, it can be harmful.
A party that's too small, whichis what these two gentlemen are
vying for, is more or less afart in the wind and they're not

(49:21):
going to be heard.
Heard, and we need them to beheard.
Yeah, and I think the argumentagainst each other today was
well, you're not going to beheard down there.
Well, no, you're not going tobe heard down there, and it was
like OK neither one of you aregoing to be heard, and but but
hey, I am really glad they cameon the program today.

(49:44):
I mean, other than just thefestivities and the fireworks.
I thought that that there weresome tangible things.
I think there was definitelydefinitely to grab a hold of.
I would have wanted to hearmore of their take on the
education reform.
I mean that's coming through,jackson Don't know what's going
to happen.
Reform I mean that's comingthrough, jackson Don't know
what's going to happen.

(50:04):
It could be anything fromconsolidations to school choice.
There's a lot of things to talkabout in politics and it is
definitely going to affectLowndes County.
Do you think there's anycredence to Pierre's argument
that Mr Kabir has been absent ornon-present or non-vocal, or I

(50:27):
mean just kind of sitting downthere collecting his per diem?
I mean that was did he drawblood when he made that argument
.

Speaker 1 (50:35):
I think that's going to depend on the voter.
My experience with Kabir is healways pretty well always
answers the phone at the samerate that the others do.

Speaker 4 (50:44):
I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.
Regardless, let's talk aboutthe mold madness at fire station
number five.
Yeah, yeah, that was somethinggive me that, give me the story
here real quick.
So okay.

Speaker 1 (50:59):
So fire station five, that's on north limburg road.
They found mold in it,temporarily relocated the
firefighters that work out ofthat station to, uh, a different
fire station.
There was an ill-fated,possibly premature effort to put
them back in that station andor at least that's the way that
the firefighters felt about itChief Hughes disputes that fact

(51:24):
slightly and all hell brokeloose.
And now we're dealing with thatfire station getting the
full-on inspection, treatment,cleaning and re-sheet rocking
before the firefighters go back.
I think right now they'rescheduled to go back, maybe next
week.

Speaker 4 (51:44):
And we've got lost personnel in the process.
We did.

Speaker 1 (51:47):
We did when the fire station walls still had holes in
them and they were still tryingto determine if mold was left
and they still hadn't found thesource of the leak.
You know, Chief Hughes tellsthe crew hey, I want you back in
there tonight and Captain quitleak.
You know, chief hughes tellsthe crew hey, I want you back in
there tonight.
And uh captain quit, captain ofseven years quit because of um.

Speaker 4 (52:07):
What he felt was an unfair uh was an unfair order,
an unfair request from the chiefwell, I I'm a little confused
by that, because we have guyshere who are in the business of
going into burning buildings andsaving people and you're
telling me they're afraid oftoadstools that might be in the
wall, I mean look, listen, allright, you want to have a?

(52:29):
I'm gonna joke about mold, okay, yeah look, I understand.
Every now and again, there's aspecimen of mold out there that
can just make you turn crazy,like it'll it'll flip a switch.
Well, I think the concern wasif this was black mold, which is
a type of specific type of moldthat is, uh, that can just make
you turn crazy, like it'll flipa switch, like it's neurotoxin.

Speaker 1 (52:42):
Well, I think the concern was if this was black
mold, which is a specific typeof mold that is toxic, and all
mold that is black is not blackmold.
Black mold is a very specificthing and it's toxic.
I think that they were afraidthat they were, or they were
expressing that they were afraidthat they were in a toxic
environment.

Speaker 4 (52:58):
Well, that picture in the paper looked very, very
clean.
I didn't see any mold onanything.
I mean it was just it wasdrywall and steel.

Speaker 1 (53:05):
And it was.
I think the mold has beenremoved at this point OK, look,
I've got a few thoughts here, if, if, you don't mind, because I
think that there there are somedeeper issues here.
Fire and Rescue has beenheralded for a long time as one

(53:28):
of the better run departments inthe city.
You know Dwayne Hughes, thechief.
He's publicly fought for hisguys on numerous occasions and I
was there at the meeting whenhe turned down a pretty
significant raise for himselfonce until his employees got a
raise.
His employees got a raise andthey accepted the raise and his
own raise in the next year.

Speaker 4 (53:40):
Do you think maybe some of these guys just didn't
like their job to start with?

Speaker 1 (53:45):
Maybe and that's something that general pay and
other things like that have comeup it's possible that Dwayne
Warren would go over there alittle earlier than they were
willing and with a little lessactually checking into things
than he ultimately did.
His main point is having themwhere they are, is adding 30

(54:10):
seconds to a minute to theirresponse time in their service
area, which doesn't sound like alot until you're the one having
the heart attack.

Speaker 4 (54:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (54:19):
And that's a real long time.
When it's your house fire,you're the one having the heart
attack.
Firefighter pay seems to be asticking point generally.
It's 1348 is the minimum wagefor entry level over there.
The um other other point thatthe firefighters.
There were several uhfirefighters that anonymously
talked to me for the story andone of the themes of that was we

(54:41):
have people that havecertifications to do certain
things like hvac and otherthings that are doing those on
the clock for the firedepartment, and then there's
other other types of labor thatwe're doing on the clock for the
fire department that don't haveanything to do with
firefighting and they're gettinglike 15 an hour yeah well,
they're getting theirfirefighter wages and then doing
other specialized work is whatthe claim is.

Speaker 4 (55:07):
Which is not good money for that type stuff.
It would be quite cause forcomplaint, yeah.

Speaker 1 (55:13):
And I think that I think there's two things that
you look at here.
One is you're living in thatfire station, so you want it to
be a safe environment, but thereare when you're on duty.
You're living there, you'reeating there, you're sleeping
there, you're working there.
So there are other tasks.
You know, certainnon-specialized maintenance of

(55:33):
the building is no differentthan going and putting gas in
the truck, it's just.
Or cleaning your equipment,making sure it's working.
That's just part of the deal,and I mean that is just part of
the deal and I've never been afirefighter.
I don't know that lifestyle.
I am so very glad that thereare first responders or there

(55:53):
are people who do those jobs andlove those jobs.
I've never had one of thosejobs so I do admit in some ways
I'm talking out of turn here.

Speaker 4 (56:01):
Well, I I can tell you I would not want to be stuck
in a building full of dudes foran extended period of time.
I mean, let's just be real.
Us men folk were not that greatof communicators and they're
female firefighters too.
Now, david.
Well, this is true, but I mean,I'm looking at this story here
and I I just don't think theseguys communicated very well.

(56:22):
I wish them the best, but theykind of talked past each other,
if I'm reading it right.

Speaker 1 (56:27):
Yeah, I think so, and I think that the pay thing is a
big sticking point.
Chief Hughes brought up ADI andI think that's a false
equivalency.
Adi is paying $90,000.
Stephen Jones made this pointin the story.
Firefighters aren't going toget paid that.
So if they leave for ADI, thenthey just leave for ADI.

(56:50):
I think that you have to look atapples to apples and I think
you have to look at other firedepartments that you've got to
compete against.
And I think that's all you cando, because this is taxpayer
money and there's only a certainamount of it.
But there might be somethingthat they could do with their
and I'm just throwing this atthe wall, I don't, you know
makes common sense to me.
There may be all kinds ofreasons why this is silly to do

(57:19):
certified professional work forthe fire department while
they're on the clock becausethey're maybe a firefighter with
an HVAC certification or afirefighter with a plumber's
license or an electrician orwhatever like that.
I think that there's a way thatyou can do the pay scale in a
way that benefits everybody.
So what if you've got somebodywho you've got a firefighter

(57:40):
that's got an HVAC certification, plumbing, electrical, whatever
, something that's papered awelder.
Hell, I don't know what theywould use a welder for, but if
you've got a paperedcertification, something that
you had to go get training for,pay for, get a certification in
order to do the work legally andyou work for the fire
department in order to do thework legally and you work for

(58:05):
the fire department, instead oftrying to raise everybody's pay
up every year, year after yearwhich I think that they should
look at doing anyway and thecity does why not say okay, so
if you have X certification,then we'll pay you $2 an hour
more and it'll follow you up theranks and then we can say hey,
at fire station three or firestation five, you know, you're

(58:26):
the person who's our frontlineperson for doing HVAC
maintenance or doing HVAC checks, submitting a report every
month, or electrical or plumbingor whatever.

Speaker 4 (58:36):
I hear you.
I think at that particular firestation they need a brick mason
on hand.
Isn't that the one where atruck ran through that place one
time?

Speaker 1 (58:46):
Is that the one where the truck ran through?
I think so.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 (58:50):
Sounds like an unsafe work environment to start with.

Speaker 1 (58:53):
But what do you think about that?
What do you think about, youknow, incentivizing people with
skills to one apply for the firedepartment.
Then you've got bettermaintained buildings all the
time.
It doesn't remove the need tohave to bring in outside
contractors always, but you'regoing to have to do it less
often and you're invested in andpaying them for their
specialized work.

Speaker 4 (59:14):
I think that sounds good, but, to be honest with you
, I just want somebody that canput the fire out and can make my
heart beat again, and that's it.
And whatever else needs to befixed, hire a pro.
I'll leave it at that.
That's just my opinion, zach.
Before we close today, I wantto start a new segment Three

(59:38):
things to know.
Three things to know For thoseof you who, who, for whatever
reason, don't have a copy of thepaper.
This will help you out.
Three things to know real quick.
What are they today?

Speaker 1 (59:49):
all right, so the highway 45 project is starting
as soon as september.
Uh, burns dirt, put in the lowbid of a million five, and this
is going to be from the magnoliabowl to nearly the 82
interchange.
Uh, pedestrian access, bikeaccess, landscape islands.
Slow the traffic down, make ita little prettier, make it a

(01:00:11):
little more accessible landscapeislands, so there will be
concrete in the middle of theroad yes, mayor sprue will be so
pleased when she comes to visitColumbus.
All right, chef Jeff is alsocoming to Columbus to the Welty
Gala.
The W announced this week thatfamed chef Jeff Henderson is
going to be the gala's keynotespeaker in October.
His appearance will highlightthe annual Eudora Welty Writers

(01:00:34):
Symposium set for October 23rdthrough 25th.
And the third thing to know isJeff Turnage, our guest from
last week, the city attorney, isgoing in-house.
He's been at Mitchell McNuttfor over 30 years.
He's leaving the firm and bythe end of August will be a bona
fide City of Columbus employeewith an annual salary of

(01:00:56):
$145,000.

Speaker 4 (01:00:59):
I'm not so sure I would.
Well, I'll let that one pass.
You've been listening toBetween the Headlines with the
Eddie Bauer edition of the ChiaPet and managing editor of the
Commercial Dispatch, Mr ZachPlayer.

Speaker 1 (01:01:17):
I like that one.

Speaker 4 (01:01:18):
That's fair oh yeah, and my name is David Chisholm.
It's been quite fun today.
Be sure to subscribe, rate andshare and, if you want to, if
you want to talk to us, you caneither go tips at cdispatchcom
or comment on any of our publicposts on social media.
You can follow me personally atD Chisholm double zero, and

(01:01:41):
that'll be it for today, signingoff from Catfish Alley Studios
in historic downtown Columbus.
This has been Between theHeadlines.
Y'all keep it friendly outthere and in here.
We'll keep it realno-transcript.