May 29, 2025 • 54 mins
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This week's Between the Headlines dives deep into Columbus' mayoral race following Tuesday's forum at Nissan Auditorium, where surprising performances may have shifted some voters' perspectives—though perhaps not enough to change the expected outcome.
Dispatch managing editor Zack Plair and co-host David Chism analyze each candidate's performance, with Plair declaring Darren Leach the clear winner of the night. "If anybody picked up votes Tuesday, it was Darren Leach," Plair notes, praising Leach's articulation of his vision while wondering where "this version of Darren" had been throughout the campaign. Despite the strong showing, Plair suggests it may be "too little, too late" to overcome Stephen Jones' substantial lead.
The discussion turns surprisingly heated when addressing Bill Strauss' answer about racial division in Columbus, revealing fundamentally different viewpoints between the hosts. This tension carries into the second segment featuring local media personality Rick "Don't Go" Mason (Dr. Reginald Taylor), who shares his 32-year journey through Mississippi media before engaging in a frank conversation about race relations in Columbus. The resulting exchange offers listeners rare insight into how differently community members perceive and experience racial dynamics within the "Friendly City."
Mason brings both entertainment and thoughtful perspective, emphasizing the power of positive speech in transforming communities while declining to pick favorites in the mayoral race. His observations about local politics—combined with the hosts' analysis of campaign strategies—create a comprehensive picture of Columbus's political landscape just days before the election.
Whether you're deeply invested in local politics or simply curious about the personalities shaping Columbus's future, this episode provides both entertainment and substance as we approach a pivotal moment for the city's leadership.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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 (00:43):
This week on Between the Headlines in the studio, we
have local media personality MrRick Don't Go, mason.
And regarding the Mail WorldForum, we have winners and
losers, but you only get to hearour picks if you pay attention
to our sponsors.
Check them out.
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(01:25):
And now a message frompolitical candidate Bill Strauss
.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
This is Bill Strauss, your 2025 candidate for mayor
of Columbus.
As election time draws near,ask yourself are you satisfied
with our city leadership?
What has been done to eliminateour flooding issues?
What has been done to eliminateour housing blight?
Are our streets safe?
Why have we not kept up withWest Point, starkville and
Tupelo?
We must have new leadership Outwith the old and in with the
(01:53):
new.
Elect Bill Strauss, your newmayor, paid for by campaign to
elect Bill Strauss Mayor 2025.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
And now a message from political candidate Jason
Spears.
And now a message frompolitical candidate, jason
Spears.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Hello, I am Jason Spears, your Republican
candidate for City Council, ward6.
I am grateful for the citizensof Ward 6 support in the primary
and respectfully requesteveryone's continued support in
the upcoming general election.
It is time to restore fiscalresponsibility, economic growth
and optimism back to our city.
I, like you, believe we can getback on track and know that as
(02:25):
a community, we're going to makeit happen.
I approve this message and, onJune 3rd, vote Jason Spears for
Ward 6.
Paid for by the campaign toelect Jason Spears, ward 6.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
You are listening to Between the Headlines with the
unmuted moderator and managingeditor of the Commercial
Dispatch, mr Zach Player, and myname is David Chisholm.
This week, within theauditorium of Nissan, while
Darren Leach yet spake, behold,a bright cloud overshadowed his
opponents and the apostle wastransfigured before our eyes,
(03:00):
and the crowd cried out this isour beloved candidate, in whom
we are well pleased.
Zach, do you concur that MrDarren Leach did a good job?
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Okay, look yeah, if anybody picked up Votes Tuesday,
it was Darren Leach.
But before I go there I want tosay to the unmuted moderator I
am very pleased that, or I'mvery happy that they did trade
out my microphone in the middleof that thing, because I was
yelling in it and I don't thinkI was being picked up at all
yeah, and the candidates werestaring you like a deer in the
(03:33):
head, so they're like huh,repeat the question.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Say that again.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, I hated that.
But yeah, I get this tap on myshoulder and probably after the
second question I get this tapon my shoulder and I'm like who
is tapping me on my shoulder?
I look up, it's David and he'slike is your mic even on?
That's when I realized itwasn't picking up and I
appreciate that.
(03:59):
But yeah, if anybody picked upvotes, it's Darren.
I think he did an amazing job.
If anybody picked up votes,it's Darren.
I think he did an amazing job.
Darren didn't break brand in somuch as he did absolutely still
talk about pie in the sky thingsa little bit, but I think he
delivered a clear vision of whatyou know, what kind of mayor he
hopes to be, what kind ofthings he hopes to accomplish,
what kind of priorities he hopesto have.
(04:20):
I think that he delivered thatvery well.
He made the best case yet forthe community center that'll
never be built on the pine yard.
He did make a good case forthat several times.
He hit back effectively,particularly against when
Stephen was talking about howyou know the status quo is doing
okay.
Everything needs to just keepon clicking on like it is.
(04:41):
He hit back very effectively atthat, but he did so without
hitting low or getting angry,and that made him an outlier of
the three.
Here's the problem with Darren,though.
Where has this version ofDarren been?
Why hasn't he been hammering onit since January, Hammering
this Darren home since January,you know, because I felt like I
(05:05):
met this Darren for the firsttime at Nissan Auditorium a
couple of days ago, and I'vetalked, and you know, and I've
talked to him a bunch of times,I've talked to a lot of people
who attended the forum or watchthe stream.
They feel that same way.
They're like where has he been?
Where has this Darren been?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I don't know.
That may be true, but when Ilooked up there and I saw him
and I listened to him, it wasn'tlike a new version of darren,
so much as it was a darren thatwas juxtaposed next to a guy
that didn't want to be there.
Yeah, I've got even jones I.
I have.
I have thoughts on that.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
I have thoughts on that, but I'm not saying that
darren, uh, was disingenuous atall or that his campaign has
been disingenuous, you know.
I'm saying that his campaignhas been very inconsistent when
it comes to finding his voiceand delivering his vision.
The Darren from the forum givesStephen a run for his money on
Election Day, but most peoplestill don't know that Darren,
(06:01):
and it's probably too little,too late.
If I'm being honest with you, Ithink that's a shame for Darren
, possibly for the city.
I don't see that getting himacross the line.
I do see it picking him up afew votes, though.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
I thought it was a woodshed performance, absolutely
, and I think there were peoplethere that were there for the
purpose of rooting for theirpredetermined candidate, who was
Mr Jones.
But when Darren Leach openedhis mouth and started saying
certain things, I could hear theamens coming.
(06:36):
I could hear the uh, it feltlike there was a little bit of
nodding.
It felt like there were peopleactually leaving the Jones camp
into the Leach camp.
Now, that may only be three orfour and you know, at the end of
the day it may not amount tomuch of anything, but I did
experience that, I did hear it.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Well, moving to Bill, I think Bill was Bill and
that's all you can really say.
He was very on brand, verygrievance heavy.
You know, when we asked aboutif each candidate had three
million dollars with no stringsattached, how would they spend
it, he reeled off about 30million dollars worth of
projects with that three milliondollars.
So I guess he's going to bondsome of those.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Well, that's, that's good frugality.
You want to stretch money likethat?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Right.
If you liked Bill going in, Idon't think you were
disappointed.
If you didn't like Bill goingin, I don't think you were
disappointed.
I don't think that he moved theneedle at all.
Now, stephen Jones, for somereason he came in there
irritated.
I'm not sure why, you know, Ithought maybe it happened during
the debate.
There was a moment in thedebate specifically where I
(07:39):
thought, well, maybe that'swhere he got perturbed.
But I went back and I watchedan interview he did with our
guest today, rick Mason, beforethe they.
He interviewed all threecandidates in the lobby before
the forum even began and youknow he was given that same
perturbed energy then in thatinterview.
So he came in there perturbed.
(07:59):
He acted perturbed throughoutthe entire time.
He was short with his answers.
You know, you might havenoticed we planned for that
forum to last 90 minutes and itonly lasted an hour and a lot of
that had to do with Stephenleaves 15 minutes of talking
time on the table.
But here's the reality.
(08:20):
I don't think he damagedhimself at all, you know and
this is a no, this is a hot takehere but frankly I think
Stephen could have shown up tothat forum, walked up to the
front of the stage, mooned thecrowd and left the venue without
saying a word.
And he's still getting 60percent next Tuesday.
I think he did moon the crowd.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
I think he did Listen .
I felt condescended upon, likeit was like Joeyey, how dare you
ask me that question, zach?
Why would you even?
Why is this even an issue?
It's like he didn't want toanswer the question.
He didn't want to be there andthere were just one-liners.
Take, for instance, when theyum asked him about the three
(09:01):
million dollars.
Okay, was that you or?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
was that bogus answer .
Speaker 4 (09:04):
That was such a bogus answer.
I do not entertainhypotheticals.
Let's move along.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
I mean, if ever there was a chance for him to say I'd
finish the amphitheater, likehe was talking about during the
entire primary campaign, thatthat was his opportunity to say,
oh clearly, I'd finish theamphitheater, like I've been
saying this whole time.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
But no, he doesn't deal in hypotheticals and you
know, whatever I think that'sgoing to be a problem with the
council if he's elected I thinkthat I mean anybody that gets
elected as mayor of Columbus.
I'm going to try to give them afresh shot.
You know the benefit of a doubt.
But this guy, if he standsbehind that center microphone in
(09:45):
the auditorium there at themunicipal complex and he just
starts cutting people off andbeing like why are you going to
ask that?
Okay next, well, he's not goingto do anything for this town if
he tries to govern like that.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
And I agree wholeheartedly, 100%, on what
you just said and I worry aboutthat and I'll be honest with you
.
I've told several people,including Stephen, that I worry
about that.
But I've said on this programthat I worry about that.
But I want you to look at it adifferent way.
Look at it from his perspective.
His countenance aside, I don'tunderstand that he was mad about
(10:22):
something.
I still don't know what it was,but take that out of the
equation and just look at thestrategy.
Where is he right now?
It's in the fourth quarter.
He has a big lead and he hasthe ball.
So, you know, his strategyseemed to be don't turn it over.
Yeah, he did the third best ofthe three at the forum, but he
(10:43):
didn't turn the ball over.
I don't think so.
I thought that you know, acouple of his answers had the
sting that you know.
We talked about Darren in hiscommunity center.
He had a good Stephen had agood comeback.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
While you're saying this, I can't get that radical
iron bowl ending out of my mind.
Remember that.
Hey, saban, do you got a secondkind of deal.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Yeah, well, I think as long as he keeps possession
of the ball and doesn't turn itover, he's getting 60% of the
vote on Election Day.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
And don't kick a super long field goal.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I guess, and let Darren return it, I guess, for
six, the kick.
Six that's what you're talkingabout.
Think that was sort of thebread and butter of the strategy
is, you know, hit your talkingpoints, get your zingers in and
say as little as possible, notto hurt yourself, because he had
(11:32):
nothing.
You know he had nothing to gaincoming in there, everything to
lose and I don't think did hehave.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Do you have?
Speaker 1 (11:39):
a zinger?
Yeah, I, I enjoyed the uh uh.
Well, I didn't.
I considered the zinger to bethat was effective because I
heard a lot of people laughingbehind me when he said it was
when he looked at Darren abouthis community center and said I
wouldn't build anything oncontaminated land.
Now you and I disagree that.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Well, if you're on the point, we don't get better
leadership in there, well, if wedon't get better leadership in
there, we won't have to, becauseMUW will close and we'll get a
big recreation facility that'salready there in the middle of
campus and it'll be dissolved,and God knows what will happen.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Well, I don't deal in hypothetical stuff.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
I'm so sorry.
My apologies, sir.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
But no, I think that, from a purely strategic
standpoint, stephen didn't makeany mistakes.
I think that the only mistakethat he made was the attitude
that he brought in there andsort of the way that he
conducted himself on the stage,because he very, very much
seemed aggravated and that camethrough very, very much seemed
(12:44):
aggravated and that came through.
But as far as the content ofwhat he had to say, I think
strategically he just had thelead and the ball and he didn't
turn it over and I understandexactly why he did that, if I'm
being honest.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
All right, well, we'll give him a shot.
Maybe he was in the doghousefor some reason, you don't know
Well.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Stephanie was up there cheering and and clapping
and happy.
So, uh, I don't know, I don'tknow if that was it, but, uh,
what'd you think about bill?
And I think he had the line ofthe night, by the way, with the
$14,000 flower, the flower pot.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
you know it's interesting.
He was talking about the shycane on Military Road and I
learned last night that therewere three people in Lowndes
County that are in favor of thatshy cane.
Okay, one is Kevin Stafford.
Kevin, I know you're listening.
Bless your heart.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Boy.
You got a hard eye roll fromhim at Rotary the other day.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
The other is the pink haired lady, all right, and the
third apparently, is StephenJones.
Why he would pick the otherside of that issue, I just don't
know.
All I can figure is he'sdisagreeing about the shy cane
simply because he wants to beopposite of Bill Strauss on that
issue.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Ok, it could be that he's standing by, his standing
by the contracted city engineer,which I don't think is a bad
move.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Maybe so, but I'm just.
I'm looking at this and I'mseeing picking a side based
solely upon your alliancesrather than being based on the
data and the dollar signs.
And good grief, it's just$14,300 dead gum dollars for
something that I could have goneout there and fixed with a
(14:35):
paint roller.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
I'm just glad that Bill is adopting my idea of what
you can do with the middle ofthat flower pot herb garden.
Let's get creative.
That's all I'm going to sayabout that.
But Bill had the line of thenight.
He also had, to my estimation,one of, if not the worst answers
(14:57):
of the night.
You know, the racial divisionquestion or the race relations
question in Columbus.
I thought Bill's answer wastotal garbage.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
I disagree quite strongly.
I think it was the only answer.
I mean, how do you answer thatquestion?
Race relations, he's the onlywhite guy up there and you're
going to ask him about somethingthat he's going to put it on.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
He's going to put it off on the four black councilmen
.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
That's what that's folks like yourself are going to
get in there and write about ina column, perhaps, something
that he's just not qualified toanswer.
He is a human being.
He's whiter than I am.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
And that's pretty white.
Well, being white is a race.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
It is.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
And and recognizing that there's racial division in
the town that you know, Well,let's look at what he said.
He said that the racialdivision isn't with the
citizenry, it's with the fourblack councilmen.
That's what he meant.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
I see that they come together on a topic and,
regardless of the data or thereports or the money, they side
together.
And then you've got Rusty andJacqueline they're they're the
leftovers and then they'revoting for this.
And then what's interesting tome is Stephen Jones disagreed
with it and in disagreeing hesays that well, yeah, there's,
(16:21):
there's racism.
You got two people that arevoting together because they
don't have respect for blackleadership.
And I'm like, my goodness, youtotally just proved Bill's point
on that.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
In Stephen's quote he's I've never had any racism
before.
I was a councilman.
I thought that was aninteresting take on that, but I
think what this shows is thefact that, david, there seems to
(16:56):
be a definite circling of thewagons during election seasons
here, and we saw it.
We saw it more so in 2020, uh,2021.
We did it was it was, it wasvery deeply ingrained in 2021
yeah, it hasn't been quite thesame temperature or tenor in
(17:19):
2025, but it definitely stillexists.
I think that Bill's answer wasvery dismissive of a group of
people who wants to know thattheir leadership is going to
(17:41):
lead everyone, regardless of thecolor of the leader, and I
think that there's a lot ofdistrust there that is steeped
in history, that you can't denyexists.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
And I think that you have a responsibility to
recognize things as true andrecognize what your
responsibility would be as aleader in trying to heal that
divide.
And instead Bill put it off on,he copped out, he put it off on
the most convenient source forhim, which was the four black
(18:17):
council members, and I just Ididn't, I didn't like that
answer and I don't think a lotof other people liked that
answer either.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Well, I didn't like the answer and I don't think a
lot of other people liked thatanswer either.
Well, I didn't like thequestion and I say that because
I just don't see a good answerto that.
I believe that the anxiety thatyou speak about, it exists.
Darren gave a fantastic answerto it.
I'll get there, I'll get there.
I think that anxiety exists,particularly with the older
generation, and I think that thepeople that are younger than me
(18:46):
are just kind of looking up,confused about it, like what's
going on here?
Lastly, on that I would justI've always kind of agreed with
Morgan Freeman on this stuff.
Why are we still talking aboutit?
It exists because we speak itinto existence.
Darren Leach OK let's, he hadthe, I would say the least,
(19:07):
combative answer and, and Iwould probably agree with you
that he had the best answer interms of being solutions based
solutions based and above thefray of just being combative OK,
and above the fray of justbeing combative, okay.
Now, philosophically, as aRepublican, I disagree with his
(19:30):
answer because it sounded likehis solution was the
redistribution of wealth, which,in the end.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
God forbid we build anything for poor people.
That's heresy, right.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
Well, how do we build it?
Who builds it?
Where does the money come from?
Do we do it in such a way thatwe just rob from the rich and
give to the poor and therebybring the whole system down?
That's Marxism, right?
So I mean, regardless of how wedo it, that's how I see it.
But, to his credit, he at leasthad an idea and and had
(20:04):
something that was action basedinstead of just casting
aspersions, which I think iswhat is putting a bad brand.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
And I think that I think that Stephen, and I think
that Stephen and Bill both justbasically said you know, bill
said it's your people's faultand Stephen said, no, it's your
people's fault.
And and I think that Darrensaid listen, if we're going to
attack this, let 's attackpoverty and let's do it in this
way.
And you know, you and I seethis differently.
(20:31):
I thought that his answer wasquite good.
How possible is it?
In whole Maybe not, but inpieces, definitely possible, if
given a chance.
And I think that the idea thatmeans is equal to moral
integrity.
And that is the most bogusargument of all and you know,
(20:56):
I'm certainly no socialist orMarxist as you would say I'm.
You know, I believe inregulated capitalism.
But the idea that you get yourwealth because you pulled
yourself up by your bootstrapsand you did all of the moral
things that you were supposed todo, and God is now smiling on
you and you have a right to keepall of your wealth and all
(21:18):
taxes or theft and all of thatnonsense.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
Man, you were sounding so good until you said
the word nonsense.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Completely, completely, flies in the face of
the reality that a lot of thatwas built on, stepping on the
backs of the people.
You're telling to kick rocksnow and I don't want to say that
on the record.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
That's fine.
I don't think they should kickrocks.
I would say that if federalmoney comes in here, let's
accept it and let's do some goodthings with it, but be smart
with it.
Don't let everything be free.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I mean, I think that there's definitely an argument
there, but be smart with it.
Don't let everything be free.
I think that there's definitelyan argument there, but there
needs to be things that existthat don't exist, and people
need to start thinkingcritically about those things
and quit blaming each otherracially or blaming each other,
wealthy or poor or whatever it.
(22:12):
That just needs to stop.
And yeah, I I worry that.
I worry that our nationalpolitics right now is making
that worse.
Um, I think that our nationalpolitics right now are making
wealthy people feel very muchmore, you know, entitled to the
morality of their means.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
And there is absolutely no, I agree.
The Democrats in DC need tocalm that down.
It's out of control.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
There's absolutely no congruency between morals and
means.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Hey, I've got a question for you.
I'm looking at.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Or value as a human being, and your value in your
bank account and your value inyour bank account.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
I'm looking at Facebook here and I see that
Stephen Jones is quoting fromthe good book every day and he's
got a verse on here aboutcircumcision and Bob Raymond, of
all people, has commented whathath circumcision to do with
(23:13):
running for city council?
I would like your take on that.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
I'm just going to be honest with you.
If I was running for office,I'm not sure that I would be
doing that.
Am I Christian?
Yes, of the evangelicals savedby grace through faith, variety,
absolutely.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Well, Darren Leach doesn't do that, and he's an
apostle.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Yes, so would I feel so moved to do what Stephen is
doing with his Facebook if Iwere running for office?
Speaker 3 (23:47):
No.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
But that's not my call, that's Stephen's choice.
Let he, without sin, cast thefirst stone.
And I think that there's plentyof people casting stones at it.
That's their business.
I'm not going to questionsomebody's motives for quoting
the Bible for any reason.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
I hear you.
It's a fun show today.
Let's take a break, man, paysome bills.
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We now welcome into the studiolocal media personality Mr Rick
Mason, the ever fashionable.
We welcome you here today.
I wish I had the raiment or the.
I wish I had the authority towear such wonderful attire.
Speaker 6 (25:30):
Tell us about yourself.
Thank you so much to wear suchwonderful attire.
Tell us about yourself.
Thank you so much.
First of all, thank you guysfor having me on your platform
here at the Catfish Alley, orshould I say in the Catfish
Alley Studios, and being a partof the commercial dispatch
between the headlines is whatI'm looking here at, and when I
received the call from thegentleman Zach, I was like cool,
(25:52):
you know, I'll see what youguys want to talk about and come
on your platform.
But my name is Dr RegilandTaylor and that's my government
name.
Most of us air personalities orTV personalities it's not our
real name.
Ninety-nine percent of the timewe have aliases.
You probably didn't know that,but being in the news industry
(26:12):
or whatever the case may be,that's right, we're still
working on David's alias to keepthe psychos from coming after
him Right?
Well, they're going to call himanyway.
But aka the king of the city,the legend, rick, don't Go Mason
.
So that's what they call me,and I've been doing pretty much
journalism and media outlets,from TV to radio, for over 32
(26:36):
years.
I started when I was like 18,19 years old when I moved back
from leaving moving to Texas,went to Texas Southern
University, all those greatthings, and found my way to
California and made my way backto Mississippi.
That's when my career actuallylaunched.
Everything I wanted to do thenI didn't have the know-abouts
(27:00):
and the who's who's to find it.
But I came back to Columbus,mississippi, and my mom lived
not far from the original WACR,the trailer, the double-wide
studio there.
My mom lived right behindGardner Superret.
So I scored a job there and Iused to walk to work.
I worked, started off thirdshift as a young man and I
worked there for maybe about sixyears and they went in a new
(27:23):
direction.
That's what they told me.
They were going in a newdirection and I thought my life
was over.
I thought everything wascrushed.
But unfortunately or should Isay fortunately God had better
plans for me.
So I ended up going intotelevision.
So I started television at thattime because I said, hey, I'll
get me a television show since Ican't do this no longer.
(27:43):
So I've been doing televisionand I stopped radio at that time
for a short time.
Started working with Cumulusback then when we were across
from the YMCA, so I worked thereon 92.1, joined 98.9, and the
other WACR.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
You don't look near about old enough for all of this
stuff.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
I'm 53.
I started a long time ago so Iventured off with that.
So I still got back in TV andradio.
So eventually I worked therefor 92.
When we moved to Starkville fora plethora of years and some
changes happened there too.
They were going in anotherdirection as well, so I thought
it was over again.
But God kept elevating me.
So I ended up working for Mix106.1 because Cumulus Urban
(28:25):
Radio.
Two or three different entities, but anyway, to make a long
story short, so I've beentumbling and tossing in
entertainment for a plethora ofyears throughout my career,
along with working other jobsand doing different things of
that nature.
But I'm here now.
My television show is Issues, atalk show, where it airs each
and every Saturday morning at5.30 am at your DVRs on the
(28:50):
WLOVCW, but Sunday nights at 10PM on my Mississippi.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
And you live stream it on Facebook too.
Speaker 6 (28:58):
Well, yeah, that's my social media outlet right there
, but it actually comes ontelevision as well.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Every weekend Okay.
Speaker 6 (29:04):
Yeah, so I'm on the Ricky Smiley Morning Show each
and every weekday morning,monday through Friday, for my
morning kickback radio show,where I have the hottest two
minutes in radio.
Yes, right here.
Okay, so I do that everymorning.
Monday through Friday we doHBCD update, sports on Mondays.
Tuesday terrific Tuesdays.
Wednesday updates with thedistrict attorney's office,
scott Colon, thursday.
(29:24):
We do therapy Thursday where wehave different doctors and
preachers on there.
And then Friday we doentertainment Friday.
So we do a plethora of thingsthroughout the week with that.
And then Friday we doEntertainment Friday.
So we do a plethora of thingsthroughout the week with that.
And then Saturday I do theEvent Corner where you find out
where everything goes.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I watch that.
I follow you on Facebook nowand I'm watching you walk in
that building every Saturdaymorning, so I'm going to the
radio station there and I domovies and plays.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
I travel all over the world with Harry Lennox from
the Five Heartbeats, professorOgre from the Parkers, harry
Lennox from the Five Heartbeats,professor Ogrefy from the
Parkers, tara Bridges fromDifferent Strokes, chad Lawson
Cooper from Hangin' with MrCooper reality show.
Lisa Robinson Cooper from JohnP Key Gospel Singing Choir.
So I mean.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
Why don't you come on up off the sofa every now and
again?
Speaker 6 (30:07):
Well, every now and then.
Yeah, and I'm a Christian and Igo to Southside Missionary
Baptist Church, incorporated,100 Nashville Ferry Road East in
Columbus, where we're lovingGod, loving people, making
disciples.
My pastor is Ray Phillips Jr.
Any more questions?
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Yeah, okay.
So how did we get from RegelineTaylor to Rick Mason and then
adding the Don't Go?
Speaker 6 (30:28):
Okay, great.
So basically when you go intoradio again, they give you
actually names that they preferyou to have.
They wanted me to be RichardMason.
Well, mason, because I'm aMason.
Okay, prince Hall.
So they utilized that last name, but we went with Rick instead
of Richard, and I was then Rick,the Magic man Mason.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (30:49):
And over the years it changed to Rick Don't Go Mason.
And then it went from.
This little kid at the age ofnine said hey, we have a queen
of the city, mom, why don't wehave a king of the city?
Because Little Jones is thequeen of the city.
And so she said how about RickDon't Go Mason?
So they called me and said hey,my son said you should be the
king of the city and it took offfrom there.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
So I alleged the king got to see the legend don't go,
mason.
When I heard rick rick mason, Iwas picturing someone with a
cowboy hat and a banjo.
Speaker 6 (31:18):
Honestly, I'll go that route too.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
It all depend on the layout yeah, I saw you at the
rodeo in tupelo.
Speaker 6 (31:23):
Yes, I do the black rodeo every year at the bank
court with cadence bank arena.
I do that every year too aswell.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
So well, you have been covering uh, you have been
covering this election.
You've been talking to all thecandidates, you've been at all
the events.
You've been hustling duringthis election.
Yes, yes.
And I guess, well, let's startwith the forum Tuesday night at
Nissan Auditorium.
Speaker 6 (31:45):
At the W campus.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
At the W yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
What were your impressions of how the
candidates did on the stage?
Well prior, if you can recall,I interviewed each candidate in
the lobby and had them tointroduce themselves and say why
they were running this, thatand other.
Speaker 6 (32:04):
So the form itself, my thoughts.
I say everyone did well,because everyone had different
questions, different Q&As thatthey received from the actual
people that were sitting thereStephen Jones, councilman Jones.
Every time that they came athim with questions, he was able
(32:25):
to actually answer them and wereable to lay out facts.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
But that's what Jill said about her husband, joe
Biden, though he was able toanswer the question.
But that's what Jill said abouther husband, joe Biden, though
he was able to answer thequestion, and.
Speaker 6 (32:35):
I understand that, but let me carry on yes sir.
So he was able to answer eachquestion that they were, you
know, rebutting about.
And Darrell Leach, he did goodbecause he speak well.
Darrell Leach, he did goodbecause he speak well and he's
thinking and speaking of thefuture, because he's talking
(32:58):
about the solar, the differentthings of that nature, so I felt
he spoke well.
Bill came from a business pointof view and I felt he spoke
well.
But your question was to me whodid I think did the best?
Right, I don't have an answer.
Who do you think did the best?
Speaker 1 (33:18):
We'll be talking about that later.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 6 (33:20):
So who do you think did the best?
Speaker 4 (33:22):
And being that you said Jill and Joe Biden, and I'm
a fan of Joe Biden's- Well, atthe beginning of the show we
talked about it and there wasclearly one winner and there was
clearly one loser to what?
Speaker 6 (33:35):
so who do y'all say?
Speaker 1 (33:37):
well, I mean, I, I think, I, I think that, as far
as if you just take thatsnapshot of the forum and that's
all you've got, for the wholecampaign.
I think that, uh, I think thatdarren did the best, uh t.
Speaker 6 (33:51):
Well, again I say he's a great speaker Right.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
And the reason why I say that is and we talked about
this earlier Stephen left a lotof time on the table and he
seemed pretty perturbedthroughout the debate or
throughout the forum.
And he left a lot of time onthe table.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
Maybe brevity was the strategy, but he definitely he
was definitely, and sometimes,when you don't speak as much,
that's really to your advantage.
When you don't do too muchtalking, sometimes you can over
talk the situation.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
Again Joe Biden.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
Well, again you say, and again I like Joe Biden.
But again you guys asked me aquestion and I told you about
each and every candidate what Ithought and what.
I thought they did so again.
It comes up to each candidate.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
I see exactly what you're saying and to your
question asking us, I think thatyou know Darren spoke best for
himself.
Speaker 6 (34:48):
And again, I think he's a good speaker.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
I think that Stephen was brief.
He probably could afford to be.
Speaker 6 (34:55):
Because, again, the first thing that Darren said was
this is a resume.
And Stephen came back and saidwell, if this is a resume, I'm
the one with the experience forthe job.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Pivoting to what your coverage of the campaign.
You've had a lot of thecandidates.
Speaker 6 (35:16):
Every, every one.
I would imagine yes.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
On your show.
They've all come on, they'veall talked to you.
I've watched a good many ofthose interviews.
One thing that I want to ask Imean people usually have, I mean
I've.
I've been a professional injournalism for over 20 years.
I, I mean I've been aprofessional in journalism for
over 20 years.
Yes, I would be lying to you ifI didn't say that a lot of the
interviews that I do, some ofthem, I don't know how this is
going to go.
Speaker 6 (35:40):
I never know.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Some of them, I'm like well, this is probably
going to go this way, but we'llsee no-transcript.
Speaker 6 (35:56):
All three interviews on my lot.
Each interview Bill Strauss athis real estate employment area.
I interviewed Stephen Jones athis home.
I didn't get a chance toactually interview Darren Leach.
Ok, we talked about it but wenever made it to that point.
(36:19):
But each candidate, again, isvery interesting and their
platforms are different too aswell.
And I didn't know as much as Iknew about Bill at the time
until he talked about hishistory of Roots Department
Store downtown.
Right, you know, and I learnedabout his real estate background
(36:41):
.
But as far as a person, uh, heseemed to be a great person as
far as you know, speaking andtalking to people.
And one other thing stuck outhe said he didn't see any racism
in columbus.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
now, well, I want to ask you about that.
That was a.
That was a question that cameup at the forum was racial
division.
Speaker 6 (37:00):
You heard his answer right and he said he haven't
experienced it because when hewas out, walking in and doing
different things in the area, uh, that, that what.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
That's what he said, but of course everybody in this
room know racism is still aroundwell, I mean, what are your
impressions of the racialdynamics in the city of columb
Columbus and how they'reaffecting the politics?
Speaker 6 (37:24):
Basically, you know again you got Democrat, you got
Republican, you got independent.
So Republican is more or lessfor Trump, Correct, you stuck.
Come on, Joe Biden, you stuck.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Oh boy, I mean come on, you stuck over there.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
I mean yeah Well, I mean I, I love donald trump, I
love his policies, but let metell you this he does some
stupid stuff he, um, you ain'tasked me yet, and look, I I mean
, let me ask you this all threeof those candidates up there.
(38:02):
Let's say they were sponges andyou squeezed all three of them
individually.
From which sponge would comethe most content and the most
ideas, the most substance?
Speaker 6 (38:14):
Again, I look at all three candidates.
They have three differentconcepts.
So what you're asking me andwhat you're trying to get out of
me, you probably won't get itout of me.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
I'm seeing that.
Speaker 6 (38:24):
Yeah, I mean because you know my spiel is my spiel
when it comes to politics,because I sell advertisement.
That's my job, Sure, so my jobis to sell advertisement.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Well, I know you're not going to come on here and
endorse a candidate.
Of course not.
Speaker 6 (38:41):
And we're not asking you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, uh.
But I mean on the issue of butyou ain't, but you ain't crazy,
though, right, right, okay, allright thank you all, right um
right yeah, right so but butback to the racial, because I I
really do.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
I think that there are are definitely racial
dynamics in columbus that areaffecting positive, and I think
that that is.
I think that that is reallyunfortunate and doesn't have to
be that way.
But what are those dynamics andwhy is it that way?
Speaker 6 (39:08):
Well, because the mindset for one, people think
that we're still in the sixtiesor the thirties or the forties
sometimes and it comes out andsometimes you just cannot hide
it.
You know, you, I mean sometimesjust cannot hide racism.
I mean, it goes back to thesituation where, man, I just
knew that I was going to getelected for the Housing
(39:30):
Authority Board, right, I justknew it because I had had a
personal conversation with KeithGaskin, the mayor, so I knew it
was going to be probably,probably a possibly, you know,
split.
You know, I just knew it in myheart.
So I said, hey, let me get asafety, let me call Keith.
I mean, we deal all the time Ido different things.
I, I do projects for the city,right, and uh, we went over my
(39:52):
name a plethora of times becauseyou know I didn't want to fall
into that situation about myname being Reginald Taylor, dr
Reginald Taylor, my governmentname, reginald Taylor, my
government name, versus mypersonality name, rick Mason.
So he told me he blanked out,he just honestly.
But you tapped me on myshoulder right before you enter
up into the.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
Well, okay, so if that is a racial thing?
I mean, Mickens was one of theones who voted against you
without any compunction.
Speaker 4 (40:18):
And he didn't necessarily vote against me, he
just didn't vote for me okay letme ask you this if the if, the
chronology is the issue, that isto say, like that big, if, if
racism is based in the civilrights of the 60s and the things
of years gone by, why are westill talking about it?
Why don't we just let it die?
(40:39):
Let time take its course andlet those things.
Let me finish.
Okay, let those things come toa close, because I feel that
talking heads like me and zachkeep stirring it up.
So are we the problem fortalking about it?
Speaker 2 (40:52):
or can we do like morgan?
Speaker 4 (40:53):
freeman says and just let it, let it go away you
gotta sell that.
Speaker 6 (40:56):
The more you talk about, uh, horrific things it
sells.
So you know the thing about itis you say let it die down.
But we keep seeing it every dayfrom my president of the United
States.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Don't you think that honest conversations about
problems like that are?
Speaker 6 (41:11):
actually helpful.
Yes, it needs to be talkedabout.
Yes, so how do you?
Speaker 1 (41:14):
have an honest conversation in Columbus about
that right now, where—.
Speaker 6 (41:19):
People come out and say, hey, I don't dislike or
like or whatever.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Well, no, just honest conversations about why it's
there, that it's not necessary,and how to get past it, from
everybody's perspective, fromthe black perspective, from the
white perspective, from theHispanic perspective and the
thing about you know, you knowwhat.
Speaker 6 (41:36):
And here's a joke.
This is LOL.
You know you guys favor it.
I got a lot of black friends.
I got a lot of personal black.
But think about it.
You know I'm not lying now,come on.
Come on.
Yeah, you know I'm telling thetruth Because I deal with a lot
of Caucasian people, not just onbusiness tips, but I have
(41:56):
friends that are Caucasians,like close friends that I deal
with daily.
You know so.
But he's smirking over his buttoff.
I love it, I want to keephammering this question?
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Yes, because I feel like there is a lot of anger.
I feel like there is a lot offear.
I feel like there is a lot ofcoded language in our politics,
coming from the Democrat andRepublican side on the local
level, a lot of coded languagethat harkens back to there's us
and there's them, and I don'tthink that there's anybody that
(42:30):
isn't guilty of that on somelevel.
How do you have an honestconversation?
Speaker 6 (42:34):
And it's hard.
And then when you said like themedia, so some people might say
, hey, man, the commercialdispatch is always down in
African-Americans.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Hypothetically, you look at the other side.
Well, they're all a bunch ofliberals.
Speaker 6 (42:47):
Right, right which one is it Right.
So here's the packet.
You know, yeah, you know.
So that's what I'm saying.
So the packet might not do asmuch as commercial dispatch do,
because they each want.
You know, roger started to packit in, it was just the packet,
was the packet back then.
But you guys both have twodifferent stories that whenever
(43:09):
it comes out you know it's thesame layout but it's two
different stories.
Nothing against the commercialdispatch, nothing against the
packet.
But y'all have two outlets.
But you have heard it yourselfbefore about the papers write
more negative things aboutAfrican-Americans than they do
whites.
Speaker 1 (43:26):
Right, I don't necessarily agree.
Speaker 6 (43:28):
I know I say, you've heard it.
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (43:31):
OK, so again say I'm coming to you in good faith
which.
I am coming to you in good faith.
How do we have honestconversations that start healing
that divide?
To where?
When you look at cityleadership, it isn't who are our
black leaders, who are thewhite leaders, who are the
democrat leaders, who are therepublican leaders.
And we're looking at you knowyou're never going to agree on
(43:55):
everything, but you're lookingat more of a unified vision of
where we're taking the city andwe're not competing for what
year we're trying to be in Iguess we should start having
panels about racism to givepeople views and see it.
Speaker 6 (44:11):
How do you think that might go?
I mean, we probably needsecurity, or no?
Speaker 4 (44:15):
I don't think I'm sitting here and I'm listening
to this and I'm I'm justlegitimately confused by it,
because people my age andyounger they're like where's all
this stuff coming from?
Speaker 6 (44:26):
these are the things that my great-grandpa bitched
and moaned about but you don'tsee it because you're probably
not looking for it.
Speaker 4 (44:33):
I'm looking for it and I'm actively trying to
reconcile my generation topeople older than me.
Speaker 6 (44:40):
I'm 41.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Okay, and I think part of it is we're the same age
, I reckon.
I did not know that.
Speaker 4 (44:48):
Yeah, how was graduation the other day?
Speaker 1 (44:50):
It was good.
It was good.
Congratulations, by the way, Idid not know we were the same
age.
Speaker 4 (44:54):
Thank you, I think the first thing is we have to
all be less offended.
We have to be able to receivecriticism for what it's worth
and don't just assume that thatif if I disagree with you, it's
because you're a certain coloror something.
I think the race card itselfand yes, I'm not ashamed to use
(45:15):
the word card is played toooften out there and I think it
it's played to the, quitefrankly, the advantage.
Speaker 6 (45:22):
But it shows in the justice system the legal system
all the time.
I mean come on man, Come on,you ain't that lost, You're 41
years old.
Speaker 4 (45:29):
So you're talking about systemic racism and
systemic inequality?
No, we're talking about racismas a whole.
Speaker 6 (45:34):
You asked me a question about racism, so the
question was what do I thinkabout?
And it's all over the world, Imean, it happens every day in
your face and you tell me thatyou do not see racism laid off
of it.
And he said I want to be thepeople's mayor.
Speaker 4 (46:05):
So if he's not talking about it, why are you?
Why?
Speaker 6 (46:09):
me what me and leroy are two different individuals.
Speaker 4 (46:11):
Yeah because, because zach asked you about it, I
suppose yeah yeah, but me andleroy are two different
individuals.
Speaker 6 (46:16):
I respect and think leroy is a great guy, yeah, so
yeah, no, that's and with duerespect to my co-host, david,
who is my friend.
He and I are two differentindividuals.
I respect and thank.
Leroy is a great guy, yeah, soyeah, no, that's and with you
respect to my co-host david, whois my friend.
He and I are two differentindividuals yes, exactly yeah I
see this very differently, rightright, yeah, so, but uh, yeah,
one don't have to do with theother, but I'm talking about
politics throughout the world.
Speaker 4 (46:34):
But again, like I said, you ain't crazy, you smart
do you think that thetemperature is lower than it was
10 years ago, or is it higher?
Do you think that thetemperature is lower than it was
10 years ago, or is it?
Speaker 6 (46:44):
higher.
That's a good question, it alldepends on where you are
Columbus.
Oh, I wouldn't say it's higher.
Speaker 4 (46:54):
No, I wouldn't say it's higher, so we're headed the
right direction.
Speaker 6 (46:56):
I can say I'm not saying we're heading in the
wrong direction, but I'm sayingthat there is still racism in
the Golden Triangle area allover the world.
It's not a secret.
Speaker 1 (47:07):
Right, but then again , you know those conversations,
they have to be needed, like Isaid.
Speaker 6 (47:12):
so let's try to put a forum together for, and talk
about, racism.
I mean, we got the platform, wegot.
I mean what you know, let's doit.
Speaker 4 (47:25):
Let's not talk about, like you said, Mr 41, years old
.
I like being 41.
Speaker 6 (47:27):
I know it's cool as far as now.
You know it's just hard, it's amonopoly.
Speaker 1 (47:31):
What do you think has been the strength?
What?
Speaker 6 (47:37):
do you think have been the weakness of this
current term?
Administration and council?
This term just passed this term, that is that's going on right
now.
It's been pretty interesting, Iwant to say A lot of different
decisions were made throughoutthe council.
A lot of people frowned oncertain things, a lot of people
(47:58):
were happy about certain things.
A lot of people were good witheverything that happened.
Speaker 4 (48:04):
Stephen Jones was happy with everything that
happened.
Speaker 1 (48:07):
it felt like yeah, that's what it sounded like on
Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (48:09):
Everybody did a good job, let's keep going the route
we're going.
He basically said that and Ican look at him.
Speaker 6 (48:17):
No, he said everything was going well.
That was his thoughts, hisviews on it.
Speaker 1 (48:22):
Is that your general feeling?
Speaker 6 (48:26):
Yeah, I mean I feel that everything went well to a
certain extent, that you know,some votes had to be made, some
didn't have to be made, somepeople agreed on certain things,
some people didn't.
So for me to say how did Ithink it went?
I don't deal with theday-to-day scheduling or their
issues that they have going onor whatever the case might be.
All I know, you know I didn'tget elected.
Speaker 4 (48:46):
You didn't get elected and I know you disagree
with that, I don't tease it.
If all is well in the friendlycity, where do you think the
angst and the negativity comesfrom?
This is one of the things thatwe talked about.
Speaker 6 (48:58):
We continue to speak about negativity in the city.
If we think positive, talkpositive.
Whatever you speak, the tongueis very dangerous.
Whatever you speak, it shallhappen.
You know, just like I'm alwayshard on people when they say,
well, I got to go to this littlejob, I got to go do this little
interview, if you speak little,that's the results you're going
to get.
So I try to speak and say takethat out of your vocabulary, the
(49:18):
word little.
You know.
Because if I say you're goingto be a bad kid when you grow up
and you keep hearing it, that'swhat is going to be instilled
in you.
If I say you ain't going to benothing in life, you know, if
you keep hearing it, that's youknow.
But if I say, hey, you're thegreatest, you're good, you know,
just like the little youngprincess I had on my baby, four
(49:39):
years old, choreographer, I meanjust doing so many girls.
She's been on the JenniferHudson show and traveling the
world.
Now just from watching somebodyvideo and she did the line
dance to it and it went viral.
And she's speaking in Spanish,counting in Spanish, at the age
of four four years old.
So you know, that's a good thingto see somebody at that age
(50:01):
from Mississippi.
Speaker 4 (50:03):
So we need to speak good things upon our town and
upon Mississippi.
Speaker 6 (50:07):
To speak it into existence, Because if you keep
speaking negativity, that's whatyou're going to get for sure.
I mean because if you always,what can you do to help the
problem?
What do you think you probablycan do to help the problem?
Speaker 4 (50:19):
you either have to offer solutions or speak forward
.
Speak again.
Speaker 6 (50:23):
Well, we agree on something today we all right
yeah I like that yeah but no,I'm teasing it yeah I mean,
where?
Speaker 1 (50:32):
where do you go from here?
Where?
What about you know thiselection season, I guess.
What has it taught you?
Speaker 6 (50:37):
It taught me that things can really get tricky
with politics.
That's why I always tell mypeople I wouldn't run for a
politician seat for anything inthe world, because it's too much
.
It's too much.
And then me sellingadvertisement to political
people sometimes can cause me tobe in politics too, if you
(50:59):
think about it.
Yeah, people sometimes cancause me to be in politics too,
if you think about it, because Imean, you know, I mean honestly
, it turns into something thatyou know, it turns into an
animal I think that's mostunfortunate, especially on the
local level because it does nothave to be that way.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
Yes, so, so, so there's not going to be a
councilman, a regeline taylorrick, don't go mason that that
people are going to be callingyou about their street not being
paved and the big picture is.
Speaker 6 (51:24):
You know, it was once asked why I want to be on the
comms housing board if I'malready doing the work.
I said, well, I'm happy tostill do the work, but I want to
be a seat and a voice at thetable.
Nothing like sitting at thetable Right, you know what I'm
saying Because it don't pay nomoney.
So it was about having a seatin the voice, because I help
people all the time who arehomeless, try to get them in
(51:46):
situations, call the right ofpeople like Glenda Buckhaw to
Richardson, call the housingauthority sometime and see if
they can.
What do they have to do to fillout an application there to you
know?
I mean just all kinds of stuff,you know.
So that's just stuff that I doanyway.
So it wasn't because you don'tagain, don't make any money.
So I just wanted to be a voiceto be able to enhance things and
(52:08):
make things better for thosewho are less fortunate should I
say Okay, Is there anything you,anything else you want to get
out there today?
Speaker 1 (52:15):
Rick?
Speaker 6 (52:16):
No again.
Yeah, but no, I won't berunning for any office or
anything.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
No potholes calls to Rick Mason.
Yeah, no, but.
Speaker 6 (52:23):
I might hear about it and be like yeah, okay, I know
this certain councilman's phonenumber, so let me call him, or
this person, or that person.
If I know them, I'll relay themessage.
Okay, is that fair?
Yeah, man, it's been great.
I promise you, this guy heregot a smirk on his I love it.
I should have my camerasrolling while we're doing this.
It would have been oh my god,it would have been even more
(52:45):
interesting.
I thought about it because Ibrought my.
Speaker 4 (52:47):
Yeah, let me, let me try this, so they can see these
facial expressions yeah, my wifesays that I cannot hold a lie
for anything, because it's justright out right out there, the
face just tells it all.
Yeah, but you guys were fair.
Speaker 6 (53:00):
I mean, you know it was a great sit down, so I don't
regret coming to be a part ofit Well.
Speaker 1 (53:04):
we appreciate you coming.
We appreciate your insight andthe entertainment.
It's always good to see you,rick.
Speaker 6 (53:09):
Yes, sir, it's good to see you too, brother Zach.
Speaker 4 (53:15):
Okay, he got a closing remarks thing that you
do.
I truly thank you for being onthe program today.
That will do it, and today'sepisode is posted in loving
memory of pastor and reporter RH.
Speaker 6 (53:27):
Brown and we started hey look, we were in that
trailer together.
We just me, him, andrea Seth.
We all started in that trailer.
Do you see what I'm saying?
That's just how far I go back.
And he would sign off with suchan intelligent voice WTWG AM
1050.
Wow, yeah, but anyway carry on.
Speaker 4 (53:47):
Be sure to subscribe, share and rate our show.
Send us your comments.
We would love to hear from you.
Tips at cdispatchcom.
Again, that is tips atcdispatchcom.
You can also follow me onFacebook or X at the Chisholm 00
.
Signing off until next week,from where?
Speaker 6 (54:05):
The king of the city no.
Speaker 1 (54:06):
No, catfish Alley.
Speaker 6 (54:07):
Studios.
Oh, you're giving me a partner,okay, wow, is that a point
again?
Let's do that again.
Speaker 4 (54:12):
Signing off until next week from the Catfish Alley
Studios, yeah, and historicdowntown Columbus.
Your host has been Zach Playerand I am David Chisholm.
Until next time, y'all keep itfriendly and we will keep it
real.
Speaker 6 (54:25):
Can y'all say, rick, don't go.
Speaker 4 (54:27):
Oh yeah, rick don't go, rick don't go.
Speaker 6 (54:28):
Okay, I'm on, all right, thanks, guys.
Speaker 3 (54:38):
Opinions expressed on this show are those of the
speakers and not necessarilythose of the Commercial Dispatch
.
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 (00:43):
This week on Between the Headlines in the studio, we
have local media personality MrRick Don't Go, mason.
And regarding the Mail WorldForum, we have winners and
losers, but you only get to hearour picks if you pay attention
to our sponsors.
Check them out.
Retirement looks different foreveryone, so your plan should be
(01:04):
built around you.
For over 40 years, financialConcepts has helped people
create retirement strategiesthat fit their lives.
Our team in Columbus takes thetime to understand your goals
and build a plan that works foryou.
Wherever you are in yourjourney, we're ready to help.
We plan retirement.
Financial Concepts is aregistered investment advisor.
(01:25):
And now a message frompolitical candidate Bill Strauss
.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
This is Bill Strauss, your 2025 candidate for mayor
of Columbus.
As election time draws near,ask yourself are you satisfied
with our city leadership?
What has been done to eliminateour flooding issues?
What has been done to eliminateour housing blight?
Are our streets safe?
Why have we not kept up withWest Point, starkville and
Tupelo?
We must have new leadership Outwith the old and in with the
(01:53):
new.
Elect Bill Strauss, your newmayor, paid for by campaign to
elect Bill Strauss Mayor 2025.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
And now a message from political candidate Jason
Spears.
And now a message frompolitical candidate, jason
Spears.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Hello, I am Jason Spears, your Republican
candidate for City Council, ward6.
I am grateful for the citizensof Ward 6 support in the primary
and respectfully requesteveryone's continued support in
the upcoming general election.
It is time to restore fiscalresponsibility, economic growth
and optimism back to our city.
I, like you, believe we can getback on track and know that as
(02:25):
a community, we're going to makeit happen.
I approve this message and, onJune 3rd, vote Jason Spears for
Ward 6.
Paid for by the campaign toelect Jason Spears, ward 6.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
You are listening to Between the Headlines with the
unmuted moderator and managingeditor of the Commercial
Dispatch, mr Zach Player, and myname is David Chisholm.
This week, within theauditorium of Nissan, while
Darren Leach yet spake, behold,a bright cloud overshadowed his
opponents and the apostle wastransfigured before our eyes,
(03:00):
and the crowd cried out this isour beloved candidate, in whom
we are well pleased.
Zach, do you concur that MrDarren Leach did a good job?
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Okay, look yeah, if anybody picked up Votes Tuesday,
it was Darren Leach.
But before I go there I want tosay to the unmuted moderator I
am very pleased that, or I'mvery happy that they did trade
out my microphone in the middleof that thing, because I was
yelling in it and I don't thinkI was being picked up at all
yeah, and the candidates werestaring you like a deer in the
(03:33):
head, so they're like huh,repeat the question.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Say that again.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, I hated that.
But yeah, I get this tap on myshoulder and probably after the
second question I get this tapon my shoulder and I'm like who
is tapping me on my shoulder?
I look up, it's David and he'slike is your mic even on?
That's when I realized itwasn't picking up and I
appreciate that.
(03:59):
But yeah, if anybody picked upvotes, it's Darren.
I think he did an amazing job.
If anybody picked up votes,it's Darren.
I think he did an amazing job.
Darren didn't break brand in somuch as he did absolutely still
talk about pie in the sky thingsa little bit, but I think he
delivered a clear vision of whatyou know, what kind of mayor he
hopes to be, what kind ofthings he hopes to accomplish,
what kind of priorities he hopesto have.
(04:20):
I think that he delivered thatvery well.
He made the best case yet forthe community center that'll
never be built on the pine yard.
He did make a good case forthat several times.
He hit back effectively,particularly against when
Stephen was talking about howyou know the status quo is doing
okay.
Everything needs to just keepon clicking on like it is.
(04:41):
He hit back very effectively atthat, but he did so without
hitting low or getting angry,and that made him an outlier of
the three.
Here's the problem with Darren,though.
Where has this version ofDarren been?
Why hasn't he been hammering onit since January, Hammering
this Darren home since January,you know, because I felt like I
(05:05):
met this Darren for the firsttime at Nissan Auditorium a
couple of days ago, and I'vetalked, and you know, and I've
talked to him a bunch of times,I've talked to a lot of people
who attended the forum or watchthe stream.
They feel that same way.
They're like where has he been?
Where has this Darren been?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I don't know.
That may be true, but when Ilooked up there and I saw him
and I listened to him, it wasn'tlike a new version of darren,
so much as it was a darren thatwas juxtaposed next to a guy
that didn't want to be there.
Yeah, I've got even jones I.
I have.
I have thoughts on that.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
I have thoughts on that, but I'm not saying that
darren, uh, was disingenuous atall or that his campaign has
been disingenuous, you know.
I'm saying that his campaignhas been very inconsistent when
it comes to finding his voiceand delivering his vision.
The Darren from the forum givesStephen a run for his money on
Election Day, but most peoplestill don't know that Darren,
(06:01):
and it's probably too little,too late.
If I'm being honest with you, Ithink that's a shame for Darren
, possibly for the city.
I don't see that getting himacross the line.
I do see it picking him up afew votes, though.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
I thought it was a woodshed performance, absolutely
, and I think there were peoplethere that were there for the
purpose of rooting for theirpredetermined candidate, who was
Mr Jones.
But when Darren Leach openedhis mouth and started saying
certain things, I could hear theamens coming.
(06:36):
I could hear the uh, it feltlike there was a little bit of
nodding.
It felt like there were peopleactually leaving the Jones camp
into the Leach camp.
Now, that may only be three orfour and you know, at the end of
the day it may not amount tomuch of anything, but I did
experience that, I did hear it.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Well, moving to Bill, I think Bill was Bill and
that's all you can really say.
He was very on brand, verygrievance heavy.
You know, when we asked aboutif each candidate had three
million dollars with no stringsattached, how would they spend
it, he reeled off about 30million dollars worth of
projects with that three milliondollars.
So I guess he's going to bondsome of those.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Well, that's, that's good frugality.
You want to stretch money likethat?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Right.
If you liked Bill going in, Idon't think you were
disappointed.
If you didn't like Bill goingin, I don't think you were
disappointed.
I don't think that he moved theneedle at all.
Now, stephen Jones, for somereason he came in there
irritated.
I'm not sure why, you know, Ithought maybe it happened during
the debate.
There was a moment in thedebate specifically where I
(07:39):
thought, well, maybe that'swhere he got perturbed.
But I went back and I watchedan interview he did with our
guest today, rick Mason, beforethe they.
He interviewed all threecandidates in the lobby before
the forum even began and youknow he was given that same
perturbed energy then in thatinterview.
So he came in there perturbed.
(07:59):
He acted perturbed throughoutthe entire time.
He was short with his answers.
You know, you might havenoticed we planned for that
forum to last 90 minutes and itonly lasted an hour and a lot of
that had to do with Stephenleaves 15 minutes of talking
time on the table.
But here's the reality.
(08:20):
I don't think he damagedhimself at all, you know and
this is a no, this is a hot takehere but frankly I think
Stephen could have shown up tothat forum, walked up to the
front of the stage, mooned thecrowd and left the venue without
saying a word.
And he's still getting 60percent next Tuesday.
I think he did moon the crowd.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
I think he did Listen .
I felt condescended upon, likeit was like Joeyey, how dare you
ask me that question, zach?
Why would you even?
Why is this even an issue?
It's like he didn't want toanswer the question.
He didn't want to be there andthere were just one-liners.
Take, for instance, when theyum asked him about the three
(09:01):
million dollars.
Okay, was that you or?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
was that bogus answer .
Speaker 4 (09:04):
That was such a bogus answer.
I do not entertainhypotheticals.
Let's move along.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
I mean, if ever there was a chance for him to say I'd
finish the amphitheater, likehe was talking about during the
entire primary campaign, thatthat was his opportunity to say,
oh clearly, I'd finish theamphitheater, like I've been
saying this whole time.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
But no, he doesn't deal in hypotheticals and you
know, whatever I think that'sgoing to be a problem with the
council if he's elected I thinkthat I mean anybody that gets
elected as mayor of Columbus.
I'm going to try to give them afresh shot.
You know the benefit of a doubt.
But this guy, if he standsbehind that center microphone in
(09:45):
the auditorium there at themunicipal complex and he just
starts cutting people off andbeing like why are you going to
ask that?
Okay next, well, he's not goingto do anything for this town if
he tries to govern like that.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
And I agree wholeheartedly, 100%, on what
you just said and I worry aboutthat and I'll be honest with you
.
I've told several people,including Stephen, that I worry
about that.
But I've said on this programthat I worry about that.
But I want you to look at it adifferent way.
Look at it from his perspective.
His countenance aside, I don'tunderstand that he was mad about
(10:22):
something.
I still don't know what it was,but take that out of the
equation and just look at thestrategy.
Where is he right now?
It's in the fourth quarter.
He has a big lead and he hasthe ball.
So, you know, his strategyseemed to be don't turn it over.
Yeah, he did the third best ofthe three at the forum, but he
(10:43):
didn't turn the ball over.
I don't think so.
I thought that you know, acouple of his answers had the
sting that you know.
We talked about Darren in hiscommunity center.
He had a good Stephen had agood comeback.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
While you're saying this, I can't get that radical
iron bowl ending out of my mind.
Remember that.
Hey, saban, do you got a secondkind of deal.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Yeah, well, I think as long as he keeps possession
of the ball and doesn't turn itover, he's getting 60% of the
vote on Election Day.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
And don't kick a super long field goal.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I guess, and let Darren return it, I guess, for
six, the kick.
Six that's what you're talkingabout.
Think that was sort of thebread and butter of the strategy
is, you know, hit your talkingpoints, get your zingers in and
say as little as possible, notto hurt yourself, because he had
(11:32):
nothing.
You know he had nothing to gaincoming in there, everything to
lose and I don't think did hehave.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Do you have?
Speaker 1 (11:39):
a zinger?
Yeah, I, I enjoyed the uh uh.
Well, I didn't.
I considered the zinger to bethat was effective because I
heard a lot of people laughingbehind me when he said it was
when he looked at Darren abouthis community center and said I
wouldn't build anything oncontaminated land.
Now you and I disagree that.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Well, if you're on the point, we don't get better
leadership in there, well, if wedon't get better leadership in
there, we won't have to, becauseMUW will close and we'll get a
big recreation facility that'salready there in the middle of
campus and it'll be dissolved,and God knows what will happen.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Well, I don't deal in hypothetical stuff.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
I'm so sorry.
My apologies, sir.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
But no, I think that, from a purely strategic
standpoint, stephen didn't makeany mistakes.
I think that the only mistakethat he made was the attitude
that he brought in there andsort of the way that he
conducted himself on the stage,because he very, very much
seemed aggravated and that camethrough very, very much seemed
(12:44):
aggravated and that came through.
But as far as the content ofwhat he had to say, I think
strategically he just had thelead and the ball and he didn't
turn it over and I understandexactly why he did that, if I'm
being honest.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
All right, well, we'll give him a shot.
Maybe he was in the doghousefor some reason, you don't know
Well.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Stephanie was up there cheering and and clapping
and happy.
So, uh, I don't know, I don'tknow if that was it, but, uh,
what'd you think about bill?
And I think he had the line ofthe night, by the way, with the
$14,000 flower, the flower pot.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
you know it's interesting.
He was talking about the shycane on Military Road and I
learned last night that therewere three people in Lowndes
County that are in favor of thatshy cane.
Okay, one is Kevin Stafford.
Kevin, I know you're listening.
Bless your heart.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Boy.
You got a hard eye roll fromhim at Rotary the other day.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
The other is the pink haired lady, all right, and the
third apparently, is StephenJones.
Why he would pick the otherside of that issue, I just don't
know.
All I can figure is he'sdisagreeing about the shy cane
simply because he wants to beopposite of Bill Strauss on that
issue.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Ok, it could be that he's standing by, his standing
by the contracted city engineer,which I don't think is a bad
move.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Maybe so, but I'm just.
I'm looking at this and I'mseeing picking a side based
solely upon your alliancesrather than being based on the
data and the dollar signs.
And good grief, it's just$14,300 dead gum dollars for
something that I could have goneout there and fixed with a
(14:35):
paint roller.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
I'm just glad that Bill is adopting my idea of what
you can do with the middle ofthat flower pot herb garden.
Let's get creative.
That's all I'm going to sayabout that.
But Bill had the line of thenight.
He also had, to my estimation,one of, if not the worst answers
(14:57):
of the night.
You know, the racial divisionquestion or the race relations
question in Columbus.
I thought Bill's answer wastotal garbage.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
I disagree quite strongly.
I think it was the only answer.
I mean, how do you answer thatquestion?
Race relations, he's the onlywhite guy up there and you're
going to ask him about somethingthat he's going to put it on.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
He's going to put it off on the four black councilmen
.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
That's what that's folks like yourself are going to
get in there and write about ina column, perhaps, something
that he's just not qualified toanswer.
He is a human being.
He's whiter than I am.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
And that's pretty white.
Well, being white is a race.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
It is.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
And and recognizing that there's racial division in
the town that you know, Well,let's look at what he said.
He said that the racialdivision isn't with the
citizenry, it's with the fourblack councilmen.
That's what he meant.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
I see that they come together on a topic and,
regardless of the data or thereports or the money, they side
together.
And then you've got Rusty andJacqueline they're they're the
leftovers and then they'revoting for this.
And then what's interesting tome is Stephen Jones disagreed
with it and in disagreeing hesays that well, yeah, there's,
(16:21):
there's racism.
You got two people that arevoting together because they
don't have respect for blackleadership.
And I'm like, my goodness, youtotally just proved Bill's point
on that.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
In Stephen's quote he's I've never had any racism
before.
I was a councilman.
I thought that was aninteresting take on that, but I
think what this shows is thefact that, david, there seems to
(16:56):
be a definite circling of thewagons during election seasons
here, and we saw it.
We saw it more so in 2020, uh,2021.
We did it was it was, it wasvery deeply ingrained in 2021
yeah, it hasn't been quite thesame temperature or tenor in
(17:19):
2025, but it definitely stillexists.
I think that Bill's answer wasvery dismissive of a group of
people who wants to know thattheir leadership is going to
(17:41):
lead everyone, regardless of thecolor of the leader, and I
think that there's a lot ofdistrust there that is steeped
in history, that you can't denyexists.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
And I think that you have a responsibility to
recognize things as true andrecognize what your
responsibility would be as aleader in trying to heal that
divide.
And instead Bill put it off on,he copped out, he put it off on
the most convenient source forhim, which was the four black
(18:17):
council members, and I just Ididn't, I didn't like that
answer and I don't think a lotof other people liked that
answer either.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Well, I didn't like the answer and I don't think a
lot of other people liked thatanswer either.
Well, I didn't like thequestion and I say that because
I just don't see a good answerto that.
I believe that the anxiety thatyou speak about, it exists.
Darren gave a fantastic answerto it.
I'll get there, I'll get there.
I think that anxiety exists,particularly with the older
generation, and I think that thepeople that are younger than me
(18:46):
are just kind of looking up,confused about it, like what's
going on here?
Lastly, on that I would justI've always kind of agreed with
Morgan Freeman on this stuff.
Why are we still talking aboutit?
It exists because we speak itinto existence.
Darren Leach OK let's, he hadthe, I would say the least,
(19:07):
combative answer and, and Iwould probably agree with you
that he had the best answer interms of being solutions based
solutions based and above thefray of just being combative OK,
and above the fray of justbeing combative, okay.
Now, philosophically, as aRepublican, I disagree with his
(19:30):
answer because it sounded likehis solution was the
redistribution of wealth, which,in the end.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
God forbid we build anything for poor people.
That's heresy, right.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
Well, how do we build it?
Who builds it?
Where does the money come from?
Do we do it in such a way thatwe just rob from the rich and
give to the poor and therebybring the whole system down?
That's Marxism, right?
So I mean, regardless of how wedo it, that's how I see it.
But, to his credit, he at leasthad an idea and and had
(20:04):
something that was action basedinstead of just casting
aspersions, which I think iswhat is putting a bad brand.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
And I think that I think that Stephen, and I think
that Stephen and Bill both justbasically said you know, bill
said it's your people's faultand Stephen said, no, it's your
people's fault.
And and I think that Darrensaid listen, if we're going to
attack this, let 's attackpoverty and let's do it in this
way.
And you know, you and I seethis differently.
(20:31):
I thought that his answer wasquite good.
How possible is it?
In whole Maybe not, but inpieces, definitely possible, if
given a chance.
And I think that the idea thatmeans is equal to moral
integrity.
And that is the most bogusargument of all and you know,
(20:56):
I'm certainly no socialist orMarxist as you would say I'm.
You know, I believe inregulated capitalism.
But the idea that you get yourwealth because you pulled
yourself up by your bootstrapsand you did all of the moral
things that you were supposed todo, and God is now smiling on
you and you have a right to keepall of your wealth and all
(21:18):
taxes or theft and all of thatnonsense.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
Man, you were sounding so good until you said
the word nonsense.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Completely, completely, flies in the face of
the reality that a lot of thatwas built on, stepping on the
backs of the people.
You're telling to kick rocksnow and I don't want to say that
on the record.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
That's fine.
I don't think they should kickrocks.
I would say that if federalmoney comes in here, let's
accept it and let's do some goodthings with it, but be smart
with it.
Don't let everything be free.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I mean, I think that there's definitely an argument
there, but be smart with it.
Don't let everything be free.
I think that there's definitelyan argument there, but there
needs to be things that existthat don't exist, and people
need to start thinkingcritically about those things
and quit blaming each otherracially or blaming each other,
wealthy or poor or whatever it.
(22:12):
That just needs to stop.
And yeah, I I worry that.
I worry that our nationalpolitics right now is making
that worse.
Um, I think that our nationalpolitics right now are making
wealthy people feel very muchmore, you know, entitled to the
morality of their means.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
And there is absolutely no, I agree.
The Democrats in DC need tocalm that down.
It's out of control.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
There's absolutely no congruency between morals and
means.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Hey, I've got a question for you.
I'm looking at.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Or value as a human being, and your value in your
bank account and your value inyour bank account.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
I'm looking at Facebook here and I see that
Stephen Jones is quoting fromthe good book every day and he's
got a verse on here aboutcircumcision and Bob Raymond, of
all people, has commented whathath circumcision to do with
(23:13):
running for city council?
I would like your take on that.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
I'm just going to be honest with you.
If I was running for office,I'm not sure that I would be
doing that.
Am I Christian?
Yes, of the evangelicals savedby grace through faith, variety,
absolutely.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Well, Darren Leach doesn't do that, and he's an
apostle.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Yes, so would I feel so moved to do what Stephen is
doing with his Facebook if Iwere running for office?
Speaker 3 (23:47):
No.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
But that's not my call, that's Stephen's choice.
Let he, without sin, cast thefirst stone.
And I think that there's plentyof people casting stones at it.
That's their business.
I'm not going to questionsomebody's motives for quoting
the Bible for any reason.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
I hear you.
It's a fun show today.
Let's take a break, man, paysome bills.
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Book your session today atcatfishalleycom.
We now welcome into the studiolocal media personality Mr Rick
Mason, the ever fashionable.
We welcome you here today.
I wish I had the raiment or the.
I wish I had the authority towear such wonderful attire.
Speaker 6 (25:30):
Tell us about yourself.
Thank you so much to wear suchwonderful attire.
Tell us about yourself.
Thank you so much.
First of all, thank you guysfor having me on your platform
here at the Catfish Alley, orshould I say in the Catfish
Alley Studios, and being a partof the commercial dispatch
between the headlines is whatI'm looking here at, and when I
received the call from thegentleman Zach, I was like cool,
(25:52):
you know, I'll see what youguys want to talk about and come
on your platform.
But my name is Dr RegilandTaylor and that's my government
name.
Most of us air personalities orTV personalities it's not our
real name.
Ninety-nine percent of the timewe have aliases.
You probably didn't know that,but being in the news industry
(26:12):
or whatever the case may be,that's right, we're still
working on David's alias to keepthe psychos from coming after
him Right?
Well, they're going to call himanyway.
But aka the king of the city,the legend, rick, don't Go Mason
.
So that's what they call me,and I've been doing pretty much
journalism and media outlets,from TV to radio, for over 32
(26:36):
years.
I started when I was like 18,19 years old when I moved back
from leaving moving to Texas,went to Texas Southern
University, all those greatthings, and found my way to
California and made my way backto Mississippi.
That's when my career actuallylaunched.
Everything I wanted to do thenI didn't have the know-abouts
(27:00):
and the who's who's to find it.
But I came back to Columbus,mississippi, and my mom lived
not far from the original WACR,the trailer, the double-wide
studio there.
My mom lived right behindGardner Superret.
So I scored a job there and Iused to walk to work.
I worked, started off thirdshift as a young man and I
worked there for maybe about sixyears and they went in a new
(27:23):
direction.
That's what they told me.
They were going in a newdirection and I thought my life
was over.
I thought everything wascrushed.
But unfortunately or should Isay fortunately God had better
plans for me.
So I ended up going intotelevision.
So I started television at thattime because I said, hey, I'll
get me a television show since Ican't do this no longer.
(27:43):
So I've been doing televisionand I stopped radio at that time
for a short time.
Started working with Cumulusback then when we were across
from the YMCA, so I worked thereon 92.1, joined 98.9, and the
other WACR.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
You don't look near about old enough for all of this
stuff.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
I'm 53.
I started a long time ago so Iventured off with that.
So I still got back in TV andradio.
So eventually I worked therefor 92.
When we moved to Starkville fora plethora of years and some
changes happened there too.
They were going in anotherdirection as well, so I thought
it was over again.
But God kept elevating me.
So I ended up working for Mix106.1 because Cumulus Urban
(28:25):
Radio.
Two or three different entities, but anyway, to make a long
story short, so I've beentumbling and tossing in
entertainment for a plethora ofyears throughout my career,
along with working other jobsand doing different things of
that nature.
But I'm here now.
My television show is Issues, atalk show, where it airs each
and every Saturday morning at5.30 am at your DVRs on the
(28:50):
WLOVCW, but Sunday nights at 10PM on my Mississippi.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
And you live stream it on Facebook too.
Speaker 6 (28:58):
Well, yeah, that's my social media outlet right there
, but it actually comes ontelevision as well.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Every weekend Okay.
Speaker 6 (29:04):
Yeah, so I'm on the Ricky Smiley Morning Show each
and every weekday morning,monday through Friday, for my
morning kickback radio show,where I have the hottest two
minutes in radio.
Yes, right here.
Okay, so I do that everymorning.
Monday through Friday we doHBCD update, sports on Mondays.
Tuesday terrific Tuesdays.
Wednesday updates with thedistrict attorney's office,
scott Colon, thursday.
(29:24):
We do therapy Thursday where wehave different doctors and
preachers on there.
And then Friday we doentertainment Friday.
So we do a plethora of thingsthroughout the week with that.
And then Friday we doEntertainment Friday.
So we do a plethora of thingsthroughout the week with that.
And then Saturday I do theEvent Corner where you find out
where everything goes.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I watch that.
I follow you on Facebook nowand I'm watching you walk in
that building every Saturdaymorning, so I'm going to the
radio station there and I domovies and plays.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
I travel all over the world with Harry Lennox from
the Five Heartbeats, professorOgre from the Parkers, harry
Lennox from the Five Heartbeats,professor Ogrefy from the
Parkers, tara Bridges fromDifferent Strokes, chad Lawson
Cooper from Hangin' with MrCooper reality show.
Lisa Robinson Cooper from JohnP Key Gospel Singing Choir.
So I mean.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
Why don't you come on up off the sofa every now and
again?
Speaker 6 (30:07):
Well, every now and then.
Yeah, and I'm a Christian and Igo to Southside Missionary
Baptist Church, incorporated,100 Nashville Ferry Road East in
Columbus, where we're lovingGod, loving people, making
disciples.
My pastor is Ray Phillips Jr.
Any more questions?
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Yeah, okay.
So how did we get from RegelineTaylor to Rick Mason and then
adding the Don't Go?
Speaker 6 (30:28):
Okay, great.
So basically when you go intoradio again, they give you
actually names that they preferyou to have.
They wanted me to be RichardMason.
Well, mason, because I'm aMason.
Okay, prince Hall.
So they utilized that last name, but we went with Rick instead
of Richard, and I was then Rick,the Magic man Mason.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (30:49):
And over the years it changed to Rick Don't Go Mason.
And then it went from.
This little kid at the age ofnine said hey, we have a queen
of the city, mom, why don't wehave a king of the city?
Because Little Jones is thequeen of the city.
And so she said how about RickDon't Go Mason?
So they called me and said hey,my son said you should be the
king of the city and it took offfrom there.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
So I alleged the king got to see the legend don't go,
mason.
When I heard rick rick mason, Iwas picturing someone with a
cowboy hat and a banjo.
Speaker 6 (31:18):
Honestly, I'll go that route too.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
It all depend on the layout yeah, I saw you at the
rodeo in tupelo.
Speaker 6 (31:23):
Yes, I do the black rodeo every year at the bank
court with cadence bank arena.
I do that every year too aswell.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
So well, you have been covering uh, you have been
covering this election.
You've been talking to all thecandidates, you've been at all
the events.
You've been hustling duringthis election.
Yes, yes.
And I guess, well, let's startwith the forum Tuesday night at
Nissan Auditorium.
Speaker 6 (31:45):
At the W campus.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
At the W yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
What were your impressions of how the
candidates did on the stage?
Well prior, if you can recall,I interviewed each candidate in
the lobby and had them tointroduce themselves and say why
they were running this, thatand other.
Speaker 6 (32:04):
So the form itself, my thoughts.
I say everyone did well,because everyone had different
questions, different Q&As thatthey received from the actual
people that were sitting thereStephen Jones, councilman Jones.
Every time that they came athim with questions, he was able
(32:25):
to actually answer them and wereable to lay out facts.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
But that's what Jill said about her husband, joe
Biden, though he was able toanswer the question.
But that's what Jill said abouther husband, joe Biden, though
he was able to answer thequestion, and.
Speaker 6 (32:35):
I understand that, but let me carry on yes sir.
So he was able to answer eachquestion that they were, you
know, rebutting about.
And Darrell Leach, he did goodbecause he speak well.
Darrell Leach, he did goodbecause he speak well and he's
thinking and speaking of thefuture, because he's talking
(32:58):
about the solar, the differentthings of that nature, so I felt
he spoke well.
Bill came from a business pointof view and I felt he spoke
well.
But your question was to me whodid I think did the best?
Right, I don't have an answer.
Who do you think did the best?
Speaker 1 (33:18):
We'll be talking about that later.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 6 (33:20):
So who do you think did the best?
Speaker 4 (33:22):
And being that you said Jill and Joe Biden, and I'm
a fan of Joe Biden's- Well, atthe beginning of the show we
talked about it and there wasclearly one winner and there was
clearly one loser to what?
Speaker 6 (33:35):
so who do y'all say?
Speaker 1 (33:37):
well, I mean, I, I think, I, I think that, as far
as if you just take thatsnapshot of the forum and that's
all you've got, for the wholecampaign.
I think that, uh, I think thatdarren did the best, uh t.
Speaker 6 (33:51):
Well, again I say he's a great speaker Right.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
And the reason why I say that is and we talked about
this earlier Stephen left a lotof time on the table and he
seemed pretty perturbedthroughout the debate or
throughout the forum.
And he left a lot of time onthe table.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
Maybe brevity was the strategy, but he definitely he
was definitely, and sometimes,when you don't speak as much,
that's really to your advantage.
When you don't do too muchtalking, sometimes you can over
talk the situation.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
Again Joe Biden.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
Well, again you say, and again I like Joe Biden.
But again you guys asked me aquestion and I told you about
each and every candidate what Ithought and what.
I thought they did so again.
It comes up to each candidate.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
I see exactly what you're saying and to your
question asking us, I think thatyou know Darren spoke best for
himself.
Speaker 6 (34:48):
And again, I think he's a good speaker.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
I think that Stephen was brief.
He probably could afford to be.
Speaker 6 (34:55):
Because, again, the first thing that Darren said was
this is a resume.
And Stephen came back and saidwell, if this is a resume, I'm
the one with the experience forthe job.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Pivoting to what your coverage of the campaign.
You've had a lot of thecandidates.
Speaker 6 (35:16):
Every, every one.
I would imagine yes.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
On your show.
They've all come on, they'veall talked to you.
I've watched a good many ofthose interviews.
One thing that I want to ask Imean people usually have, I mean
I've.
I've been a professional injournalism for over 20 years.
I, I mean I've been aprofessional in journalism for
over 20 years.
Yes, I would be lying to you ifI didn't say that a lot of the
interviews that I do, some ofthem, I don't know how this is
going to go.
Speaker 6 (35:40):
I never know.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Some of them, I'm like well, this is probably
going to go this way, but we'llsee no-transcript.
Speaker 6 (35:56):
All three interviews on my lot.
Each interview Bill Strauss athis real estate employment area.
I interviewed Stephen Jones athis home.
I didn't get a chance toactually interview Darren Leach.
Ok, we talked about it but wenever made it to that point.
(36:19):
But each candidate, again, isvery interesting and their
platforms are different too aswell.
And I didn't know as much as Iknew about Bill at the time
until he talked about hishistory of Roots Department
Store downtown.
Right, you know, and I learnedabout his real estate background
(36:41):
.
But as far as a person, uh, heseemed to be a great person as
far as you know, speaking andtalking to people.
And one other thing stuck outhe said he didn't see any racism
in columbus.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
now, well, I want to ask you about that.
That was a.
That was a question that cameup at the forum was racial
division.
Speaker 6 (37:00):
You heard his answer right and he said he haven't
experienced it because when hewas out, walking in and doing
different things in the area, uh, that, that what.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
That's what he said, but of course everybody in this
room know racism is still aroundwell, I mean, what are your
impressions of the racialdynamics in the city of columb
Columbus and how they'reaffecting the politics?
Speaker 6 (37:24):
Basically, you know again you got Democrat, you got
Republican, you got independent.
So Republican is more or lessfor Trump, Correct, you stuck.
Come on, Joe Biden, you stuck.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Oh boy, I mean come on, you stuck over there.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
I mean yeah Well, I mean I, I love donald trump, I
love his policies, but let metell you this he does some
stupid stuff he, um, you ain'tasked me yet, and look, I I mean
, let me ask you this all threeof those candidates up there.
(38:02):
Let's say they were sponges andyou squeezed all three of them
individually.
From which sponge would comethe most content and the most
ideas, the most substance?
Speaker 6 (38:14):
Again, I look at all three candidates.
They have three differentconcepts.
So what you're asking me andwhat you're trying to get out of
me, you probably won't get itout of me.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
I'm seeing that.
Speaker 6 (38:24):
Yeah, I mean because you know my spiel is my spiel
when it comes to politics,because I sell advertisement.
That's my job, Sure, so my jobis to sell advertisement.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Well, I know you're not going to come on here and
endorse a candidate.
Of course not.
Speaker 6 (38:41):
And we're not asking you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, uh.
But I mean on the issue of butyou ain't, but you ain't crazy,
though, right, right, okay, allright thank you all, right um
right yeah, right so but butback to the racial, because I I
really do.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
I think that there are are definitely racial
dynamics in columbus that areaffecting positive, and I think
that that is.
I think that that is reallyunfortunate and doesn't have to
be that way.
But what are those dynamics andwhy is it that way?
Speaker 6 (39:08):
Well, because the mindset for one, people think
that we're still in the sixtiesor the thirties or the forties
sometimes and it comes out andsometimes you just cannot hide
it.
You know, you, I mean sometimesjust cannot hide racism.
I mean, it goes back to thesituation where, man, I just
knew that I was going to getelected for the Housing
(39:30):
Authority Board, right, I justknew it because I had had a
personal conversation with KeithGaskin, the mayor, so I knew it
was going to be probably,probably a possibly, you know,
split.
You know, I just knew it in myheart.
So I said, hey, let me get asafety, let me call Keith.
I mean, we deal all the time Ido different things.
I, I do projects for the city,right, and uh, we went over my
(39:52):
name a plethora of times becauseyou know I didn't want to fall
into that situation about myname being Reginald Taylor, dr
Reginald Taylor, my governmentname, reginald Taylor, my
government name, versus mypersonality name, rick Mason.
So he told me he blanked out,he just honestly.
But you tapped me on myshoulder right before you enter
up into the.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
Well, okay, so if that is a racial thing?
I mean, Mickens was one of theones who voted against you
without any compunction.
Speaker 4 (40:18):
And he didn't necessarily vote against me, he
just didn't vote for me okay letme ask you this if the if, the
chronology is the issue, that isto say, like that big, if, if
racism is based in the civilrights of the 60s and the things
of years gone by, why are westill talking about it?
Why don't we just let it die?
(40:39):
Let time take its course andlet those things.
Let me finish.
Okay, let those things come toa close, because I feel that
talking heads like me and zachkeep stirring it up.
So are we the problem fortalking about it?
Speaker 2 (40:52):
or can we do like morgan?
Speaker 4 (40:53):
freeman says and just let it, let it go away you
gotta sell that.
Speaker 6 (40:56):
The more you talk about, uh, horrific things it
sells.
So you know the thing about itis you say let it die down.
But we keep seeing it every dayfrom my president of the United
States.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Don't you think that honest conversations about
problems like that are?
Speaker 6 (41:11):
actually helpful.
Yes, it needs to be talkedabout.
Yes, so how do you?
Speaker 1 (41:14):
have an honest conversation in Columbus about
that right now, where—.
Speaker 6 (41:19):
People come out and say, hey, I don't dislike or
like or whatever.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Well, no, just honest conversations about why it's
there, that it's not necessary,and how to get past it, from
everybody's perspective, fromthe black perspective, from the
white perspective, from theHispanic perspective and the
thing about you know, you knowwhat.
Speaker 6 (41:36):
And here's a joke.
This is LOL.
You know you guys favor it.
I got a lot of black friends.
I got a lot of personal black.
But think about it.
You know I'm not lying now,come on.
Come on.
Yeah, you know I'm telling thetruth Because I deal with a lot
of Caucasian people, not just onbusiness tips, but I have
(41:56):
friends that are Caucasians,like close friends that I deal
with daily.
You know so.
But he's smirking over his buttoff.
I love it, I want to keephammering this question?
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Yes, because I feel like there is a lot of anger.
I feel like there is a lot offear.
I feel like there is a lot ofcoded language in our politics,
coming from the Democrat andRepublican side on the local
level, a lot of coded languagethat harkens back to there's us
and there's them, and I don'tthink that there's anybody that
(42:30):
isn't guilty of that on somelevel.
How do you have an honestconversation?
Speaker 6 (42:34):
And it's hard.
And then when you said like themedia, so some people might say
, hey, man, the commercialdispatch is always down in
African-Americans.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Hypothetically, you look at the other side.
Well, they're all a bunch ofliberals.
Speaker 6 (42:47):
Right, right which one is it Right.
So here's the packet.
You know, yeah, you know.
So that's what I'm saying.
So the packet might not do asmuch as commercial dispatch do,
because they each want.
You know, roger started to packit in, it was just the packet,
was the packet back then.
But you guys both have twodifferent stories that whenever
(43:09):
it comes out you know it's thesame layout but it's two
different stories.
Nothing against the commercialdispatch, nothing against the
packet.
But y'all have two outlets.
But you have heard it yourselfbefore about the papers write
more negative things aboutAfrican-Americans than they do
whites.
Speaker 1 (43:26):
Right, I don't necessarily agree.
Speaker 6 (43:28):
I know I say, you've heard it.
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (43:31):
OK, so again say I'm coming to you in good faith
which.
I am coming to you in good faith.
How do we have honestconversations that start healing
that divide?
To where?
When you look at cityleadership, it isn't who are our
black leaders, who are thewhite leaders, who are the
democrat leaders, who are therepublican leaders.
And we're looking at you knowyou're never going to agree on
(43:55):
everything, but you're lookingat more of a unified vision of
where we're taking the city andwe're not competing for what
year we're trying to be in Iguess we should start having
panels about racism to givepeople views and see it.
Speaker 6 (44:11):
How do you think that might go?
I mean, we probably needsecurity, or no?
Speaker 4 (44:15):
I don't think I'm sitting here and I'm listening
to this and I'm I'm justlegitimately confused by it,
because people my age andyounger they're like where's all
this stuff coming from?
Speaker 6 (44:26):
these are the things that my great-grandpa bitched
and moaned about but you don'tsee it because you're probably
not looking for it.
Speaker 4 (44:33):
I'm looking for it and I'm actively trying to
reconcile my generation topeople older than me.
Speaker 6 (44:40):
I'm 41.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Okay, and I think part of it is we're the same age
, I reckon.
I did not know that.
Speaker 4 (44:48):
Yeah, how was graduation the other day?
Speaker 1 (44:50):
It was good.
It was good.
Congratulations, by the way, Idid not know we were the same
age.
Speaker 4 (44:54):
Thank you, I think the first thing is we have to
all be less offended.
We have to be able to receivecriticism for what it's worth
and don't just assume that thatif if I disagree with you, it's
because you're a certain coloror something.
I think the race card itselfand yes, I'm not ashamed to use
(45:15):
the word card is played toooften out there and I think it
it's played to the, quitefrankly, the advantage.
Speaker 6 (45:22):
But it shows in the justice system the legal system
all the time.
I mean come on man, Come on,you ain't that lost, You're 41
years old.
Speaker 4 (45:29):
So you're talking about systemic racism and
systemic inequality?
No, we're talking about racismas a whole.
Speaker 6 (45:34):
You asked me a question about racism, so the
question was what do I thinkabout?
And it's all over the world, Imean, it happens every day in
your face and you tell me thatyou do not see racism laid off
of it.
And he said I want to be thepeople's mayor.
Speaker 4 (46:05):
So if he's not talking about it, why are you?
Why?
Speaker 6 (46:09):
me what me and leroy are two different individuals.
Speaker 4 (46:11):
Yeah because, because zach asked you about it, I
suppose yeah yeah, but me andleroy are two different
individuals.
Speaker 6 (46:16):
I respect and think leroy is a great guy, yeah, so
yeah, no, that's and with duerespect to my co-host, david,
who is my friend.
He and I are two differentindividuals.
I respect and thank.
Leroy is a great guy, yeah, soyeah, no, that's and with you
respect to my co-host david, whois my friend.
He and I are two differentindividuals yes, exactly yeah I
see this very differently, rightright, yeah, so, but uh, yeah,
one don't have to do with theother, but I'm talking about
politics throughout the world.
Speaker 4 (46:34):
But again, like I said, you ain't crazy, you smart
do you think that thetemperature is lower than it was
10 years ago, or is it higher?
Do you think that thetemperature is lower than it was
10 years ago, or is it?
Speaker 6 (46:44):
higher.
That's a good question, it alldepends on where you are
Columbus.
Oh, I wouldn't say it's higher.
Speaker 4 (46:54):
No, I wouldn't say it's higher, so we're headed the
right direction.
Speaker 6 (46:56):
I can say I'm not saying we're heading in the
wrong direction, but I'm sayingthat there is still racism in
the Golden Triangle area allover the world.
It's not a secret.
Speaker 1 (47:07):
Right, but then again , you know those conversations,
they have to be needed, like Isaid.
Speaker 6 (47:12):
so let's try to put a forum together for, and talk
about, racism.
I mean, we got the platform, wegot.
I mean what you know, let's doit.
Speaker 4 (47:25):
Let's not talk about, like you said, Mr 41, years old
.
I like being 41.
Speaker 6 (47:27):
I know it's cool as far as now.
You know it's just hard, it's amonopoly.
Speaker 1 (47:31):
What do you think has been the strength?
What?
Speaker 6 (47:37):
do you think have been the weakness of this
current term?
Administration and council?
This term just passed this term, that is that's going on right
now.
It's been pretty interesting, Iwant to say A lot of different
decisions were made throughoutthe council.
A lot of people frowned oncertain things, a lot of people
(47:58):
were happy about certain things.
A lot of people were good witheverything that happened.
Speaker 4 (48:04):
Stephen Jones was happy with everything that
happened.
Speaker 1 (48:07):
it felt like yeah, that's what it sounded like on
Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (48:09):
Everybody did a good job, let's keep going the route
we're going.
He basically said that and Ican look at him.
Speaker 6 (48:17):
No, he said everything was going well.
That was his thoughts, hisviews on it.
Speaker 1 (48:22):
Is that your general feeling?
Speaker 6 (48:26):
Yeah, I mean I feel that everything went well to a
certain extent, that you know,some votes had to be made, some
didn't have to be made, somepeople agreed on certain things,
some people didn't.
So for me to say how did Ithink it went?
I don't deal with theday-to-day scheduling or their
issues that they have going onor whatever the case might be.
All I know, you know I didn'tget elected.
Speaker 4 (48:46):
You didn't get elected and I know you disagree
with that, I don't tease it.
If all is well in the friendlycity, where do you think the
angst and the negativity comesfrom?
This is one of the things thatwe talked about.
Speaker 6 (48:58):
We continue to speak about negativity in the city.
If we think positive, talkpositive.
Whatever you speak, the tongueis very dangerous.
Whatever you speak, it shallhappen.
You know, just like I'm alwayshard on people when they say,
well, I got to go to this littlejob, I got to go do this little
interview, if you speak little,that's the results you're going
to get.
So I try to speak and say takethat out of your vocabulary, the
(49:18):
word little.
You know.
Because if I say you're goingto be a bad kid when you grow up
and you keep hearing it, that'swhat is going to be instilled
in you.
If I say you ain't going to benothing in life, you know, if
you keep hearing it, that's youknow.
But if I say, hey, you're thegreatest, you're good, you know,
just like the little youngprincess I had on my baby, four
(49:39):
years old, choreographer, I meanjust doing so many girls.
She's been on the JenniferHudson show and traveling the
world.
Now just from watching somebodyvideo and she did the line
dance to it and it went viral.
And she's speaking in Spanish,counting in Spanish, at the age
of four four years old.
So you know, that's a good thingto see somebody at that age
(50:01):
from Mississippi.
Speaker 4 (50:03):
So we need to speak good things upon our town and
upon Mississippi.
Speaker 6 (50:07):
To speak it into existence, Because if you keep
speaking negativity, that's whatyou're going to get for sure.
I mean because if you always,what can you do to help the
problem?
What do you think you probablycan do to help the problem?
Speaker 4 (50:19):
you either have to offer solutions or speak forward
.
Speak again.
Speaker 6 (50:23):
Well, we agree on something today we all right
yeah I like that yeah but no,I'm teasing it yeah I mean,
where?
Speaker 1 (50:32):
where do you go from here?
Where?
What about you know thiselection season, I guess.
What has it taught you?
Speaker 6 (50:37):
It taught me that things can really get tricky
with politics.
That's why I always tell mypeople I wouldn't run for a
politician seat for anything inthe world, because it's too much
.
It's too much.
And then me sellingadvertisement to political
people sometimes can cause me tobe in politics too, if you
(50:59):
think about it.
Yeah, people sometimes cancause me to be in politics too,
if you think about it, because Imean, you know, I mean honestly
, it turns into something thatyou know, it turns into an
animal I think that's mostunfortunate, especially on the
local level because it does nothave to be that way.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
Yes, so, so, so there's not going to be a
councilman, a regeline taylorrick, don't go mason that that
people are going to be callingyou about their street not being
paved and the big picture is.
Speaker 6 (51:24):
You know, it was once asked why I want to be on the
comms housing board if I'malready doing the work.
I said, well, I'm happy tostill do the work, but I want to
be a seat and a voice at thetable.
Nothing like sitting at thetable Right, you know what I'm
saying Because it don't pay nomoney.
So it was about having a seatin the voice, because I help
people all the time who arehomeless, try to get them in
(51:46):
situations, call the right ofpeople like Glenda Buckhaw to
Richardson, call the housingauthority sometime and see if
they can.
What do they have to do to fillout an application there to you
know?
I mean just all kinds of stuff,you know.
So that's just stuff that I doanyway.
So it wasn't because you don'tagain, don't make any money.
So I just wanted to be a voiceto be able to enhance things and
(52:08):
make things better for thosewho are less fortunate should I
say Okay, Is there anything you,anything else you want to get
out there today?
Speaker 1 (52:15):
Rick?
Speaker 6 (52:16):
No again.
Yeah, but no, I won't berunning for any office or
anything.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
No potholes calls to Rick Mason.
Yeah, no, but.
Speaker 6 (52:23):
I might hear about it and be like yeah, okay, I know
this certain councilman's phonenumber, so let me call him, or
this person, or that person.
If I know them, I'll relay themessage.
Okay, is that fair?
Yeah, man, it's been great.
I promise you, this guy heregot a smirk on his I love it.
I should have my camerasrolling while we're doing this.
It would have been oh my god,it would have been even more
(52:45):
interesting.
I thought about it because Ibrought my.
Speaker 4 (52:47):
Yeah, let me, let me try this, so they can see these
facial expressions yeah, my wifesays that I cannot hold a lie
for anything, because it's justright out right out there, the
face just tells it all.
Yeah, but you guys were fair.
Speaker 6 (53:00):
I mean, you know it was a great sit down, so I don't
regret coming to be a part ofit Well.
Speaker 1 (53:04):
we appreciate you coming.
We appreciate your insight andthe entertainment.
It's always good to see you,rick.
Speaker 6 (53:09):
Yes, sir, it's good to see you too, brother Zach.
Speaker 4 (53:15):
Okay, he got a closing remarks thing that you
do.
I truly thank you for being onthe program today.
That will do it, and today'sepisode is posted in loving
memory of pastor and reporter RH.
Speaker 6 (53:27):
Brown and we started hey look, we were in that
trailer together.
We just me, him, andrea Seth.
We all started in that trailer.
Do you see what I'm saying?
That's just how far I go back.
And he would sign off with suchan intelligent voice WTWG AM
1050.
Wow, yeah, but anyway carry on.
Speaker 4 (53:47):
Be sure to subscribe, share and rate our show.
Send us your comments.
We would love to hear from you.
Tips at cdispatchcom.
Again, that is tips atcdispatchcom.
You can also follow me onFacebook or X at the Chisholm 00
.
Signing off until next week,from where?
Speaker 6 (54:05):
The king of the city no.
Speaker 1 (54:06):
No, catfish Alley.
Speaker 6 (54:07):
Studios.
Oh, you're giving me a partner,okay, wow, is that a point
again?
Let's do that again.
Speaker 4 (54:12):
Signing off until next week from the Catfish Alley
Studios, yeah, and historicdowntown Columbus.
Your host has been Zach Playerand I am David Chisholm.
Until next time, y'all keep itfriendly and we will keep it
real.
Speaker 6 (54:25):
Can y'all say, rick, don't go.
Speaker 4 (54:27):
Oh yeah, rick don't go, rick don't go.
Speaker 6 (54:28):
Okay, I'm on, all right, thanks, guys.
Speaker 3 (54:38):
Opinions expressed on this show are those of the
speakers and not necessarilythose of the Commercial Dispatch
.
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