December 10, 2024 • 48 mins
The knee-jerk reaction by way too many in the wake of the UnitedHealthcare CEO's murder is ignorant and misguided. I give you plenty of reasons why before we move on to a few other things, including the latest on Omaha's streetcar that will snarl traffic right around the time we're voting for mayor!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Scott Vordez. The reality of the situation is there'll be
more people who heard the news about a dog getting
hit by a car. Hopefully a dog is going to live,
and more people would probably be upset upon hearing that
than they were hearing that The CEO of United Healthcare,
Brian Thompson, was killed in New York City last week.
(00:21):
Fifty years old, two sons. This is a guy who
grew up in Ames, Iowa. He is a local guy.
He's a Midwest guy. Valedictorian at his school, went to
South Hamilton High School in Jewel Junction and the Ames,
(00:41):
Iowa area. Ended up not going to the local Iowa State,
went off to the University of Iowa, and at the
University of Iowa, he was also valedictorian. He met the
girl who would be his wife. They were estranged, but
they have two sons. She has post is saying that
he is an awesome father to their boys and they
(01:04):
can't believe that he's gone. Active supporter of Special Olympics,
honorary co chair of the upcoming twenty twenty six Special
Olympics USA Games. This guy had last year said we
need to be better in healthcare at adding value for
our customers. Someone who also apparently was a valedictorian in
(01:29):
his school decided that this guy, Brian Thompson, needed to
be murdered in New York City last week, and a
lot of people have this idea that if you murder
the CEO of a healthcare company, things will change in
this country. The Network Contagion Research Institute did a look
(01:53):
at the top ten most engaged with posts on Twitter
x that mentioned Brian Thompson or healthcare since his murder
last week. Six out of the ten of these posts
implicitly or explicitly supported the killing of this guy or
criticized him some way. Highlighted comments called for further assassinations
(02:18):
of CEOs or a class war. A researcher at this
institute said the assassination was framed as some opening blow
in a class war, and praise for the killing came
from across the political spectrum. According to the Network Contagion
Research Institute, they at some point the parent company United
(02:45):
Healthcare published a statement detailing the death and their condolences
for this guy. After ninety thousand people had commented, the
post comment section was deactivated approximately or more than ninety
thousand because approximately ninety thousand Facebook users in the wake
(03:06):
of this post expressing condolences for the death of their
CEO responded with a haha or laughing reaction, compared to
twenty two hundred sad reactions in the hours after United
Healthcare posted this something has happened in the wake of
this murder. United Healthcare, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, CVS Health,
(03:29):
which operates Etna, all removed photographs and other information about
their executive leadership teams from their websites. Following the killing
of this CEO and the support that this guy has
received online. This guy would and probably is ecstatic at
(03:50):
this kind of support and response he has received. He
is someone who has posted at length online support for
people like Ted kazin the unibomber, and he also supported
a lot of stuff online about class warfare and climate
(04:11):
change and all the rest of this stuff. He is
someone who posted a lot about his health struggles. He
had some ongoing back pain, had some surgery, and it's
thought here that perhaps the health insurance company had saddled
(04:32):
him in some way. In his brain, he felt that
the health insurance company had wronged him and saddled him
with the payments for all of his health care. He's
a twenty six year old guy. I don't know that
he had a job, graduated from an Ivy League university,
and apparently has just been posting online about how awful
(04:54):
it is that people need to work and try and
have some good healthcare in this country. Now, it is
absolutely fine to have a conversation in the wake of
(05:14):
what happened to the CEO of United Healthcare about what
we can do and should do in this country to
improve what happens with health insurance. And I can't say
this clearly enough if you have one hundred thousand dollars
in bills from whatever healthcare that you've done. Maybe I
(05:40):
don't know what his healthcare situation health insurance situation was,
but we all know it's pretty easy to rack up
some expenses when it comes to healthcare. We also know
that sometimes the health insurance company says, and it's not
easy to determine this heading into a clinic or operation,
(06:01):
whether or not this is going to be a network,
whether or not this is going to be covered. Sometimes
you call and you get one answer, then you talk
to someone else, you get another answer. It's not easy.
I'm not saying health insurance is great. I don't know
what your problem is, but I can tell you this.
If somehow, through whatever action, you have one hundred thousand
dollars in medical debt. If you or anyone goes out
(06:23):
and kills the CEO of that United Healthcare that healthcare company,
you know how much you have in medical debt at
that point, one hundred thousand dollars. If someone goes out
and kills the CEO of another health insurance company, you
still have, let me check, one hundred thousand dollars in
medical debt. If the entire executive leadership team of all
(06:44):
of these health insurance companies are murdered, you have one
hundred thousand dollars in medical debt. You know what else?
You have this idea that there are kids out there
being denied treatment and their diet because health insurance companies
aren't supporting their treatment. That doesn't happen, not on the treatment.
(07:08):
If you've got a sick kid and you go to
a doctor or a hospital with a sick kid, the
kid will be treated. What we need to talk about
is why we do health insurance in this country the
way that we do. Why is it that I, as
(07:29):
an individual have the same buying power when it comes
to my car insurance as you do, or the CEO
of a major company or a member of Congress. We
all have the same buying power. We're all in a
very strong position when it comes to our car insurance.
Funny thing about car insurance. Car insurance companies can set
(07:52):
up nationwide shops and you can buy the same car
insurance here in Nebraska that you can in Iowa, that
you can in Georgia, that you can in Maine, and
is the same stuff available to every single other person
in this nation. Not health insurance. Health insurance comes to
(08:13):
be heavily regulated and tied into states, and the individual
has approximately no buying power when it comes to health insurance.
I don't know that this guy who murdered the CEO
of United Healthcare was working. I don't know if he
had access to a group health insurance plan. But let's
talk about that. Why is it that the individual who
(08:34):
has all this buying power to go out and individually
buy car insurance has no power when it comes to
health insurance. Well, you've got to work for a big
company to get group health insurance. And if you have
group health insurance, you can generally negotiate better rates. Why
why is that? Why don't health insurance companies have the
(08:56):
same ability to have a nationwide network where if you
like what someone's health insurance looks like in Florida or
Nevada that Why can't you go by that? Why can't
you do that? Why when we have to go fix
a flat tire for our vehicle, are we get right now?
With the temperature swing the last few days. If you've
(09:19):
got one of these vehicles that tells you, hey, your
tire pressure is low, it's probably your back right tire.
It's always the back right tire. What's going on with
that tire? I don't know. Is your tire pressure really
all that low? Do you need to go fill it up?
Are you going to overinflate it and cause a problem
that way? Because of the way that the censors work
with your tire pressure, I know that if you took
(09:40):
it to a hospital, it would cost a million d dollars,
not just for the hospital dealing with the tire pressure
on your vehicle, but because you with car insurance, if
you take that vehicle to a hospital in this scenario,
you've got to pay for your health insurance. You also
have to pay for all the people who have some
(10:00):
sort of government health insurance Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare. The government
only pays about twenty cents in the dollar for whatever
that treatment is going to be, whatever that procedure is
going to be. You have health insurance, you got to
pay your stuff, and you got to pay the eighty
percent not covered from the growing number of people who
have been disincentivized to go and get health insurance. Oh,
(10:24):
go get Obamacare. Well then that hospitals say, we can't
treat this many people. We're going to go broke. We've
got to jack up our rates. At some point, the
health insurance company says, we're going broke trying to take
care of the people who are paying for health insurance,
because we have to pay for all these other people.
Some of them are in this country illegally and they
just go to the emergency room because they got a hangnail,
(10:47):
and we got to pay for all of that. So
at some point, yeah, we have to look at some
denying of claims, not for your sick kids, cancer treatment,
but for some other stuff. Some of this stuff ends
up being denied, and then what happens you get your
(11:07):
claim denied, and you go online, do a couple of searches,
and you find a number of people to say, was
your claim denied? Contact us, maybe we can appeal this
and we can get your claim reinstated, and a lot
of that is incredibly successful. I don't know why we
use our health insurance as the collective superpower for people
(11:30):
who work for corporations and we deny that power to
the individual. I don't know why we use our health
insurance every time we go and buy cold medicine at
the pharmacy. Sometimes, well, that's a health savings account. We
can run through this and I haven't met my deductible,
so let's go ahead and charge for this and do that.
And that's why when you have your tire pressure low
(11:52):
in your vehicle, you don't use your car insurance to
go to the gas station to put free air in
your tire. But if we used our our insurance the
same way we did our health insurance, if you don't
work for a company and have group auto insurance, you're
gonna have to take your car to the dealership and
you're gonna have to pay for everyone else. It doesn't
have some sort of group auto insurance to pay for
(12:14):
fixing the tire pressure issue with that with that car,
and it's gonna cost a bazillion d dollars. How we
do health insurance in this country and the way that
we've allowed government to jack it up almost beyond repair
is inexcusable. It is one hundred percent fine to have
(12:37):
a conversation about what's going on with health insurance in
this country. It is not okay to say, hey, you know,
health insurance CEO died. Well, they deny a lot of claims.
Maybe a few of them deserve to die. I can't
believe we have so many people in this country who
(12:58):
feel that way. I hope you're not one of them.
If you are, and you think I'm misguided in my opinion,
please share it with me. Scott at kfab dot com
Scott voices News Radio eleven ten KFAB in the Socer's
custom wo was inbox though on this issue where so
(13:20):
many people in this country, apparently of various political stripes,
are celebrating the murder of the CEO of the healthcare company,
Pat emails Scott at kfab dot com and says I'm
not here to defend all that insurance companies do. But
a big problem is health insurance and health coverage have
been conflated to the point where most of us are
(13:40):
confused if everything is covered and there's no longer insurance. Yes,
we all know people or maybe we are people who
were told, well, you've got this, and right now, your
health insurance company doesn't cover this particular treatment which hasn't
(14:04):
been approved by the FDA or whatever, and so it's
really easy to get mad at health insurance companies. We
also probably all know or are people who didn't have
health insurance. Then we got a diagnosis, and then we
called up the health insurance company. I'd like health insurance now, yeah.
See here, we've got a note from your doctor that
(14:26):
says that you've got all sorts of horrible things and
you just got that diagnosis yesterday. Yes, and I'd like
health insurance now. Please. It doesn't work like that. It
shouldn't work like that. But that's essentially what Obamacare is.
You can go on Obamacare and they're like, oh, yeah,
we cover pre existing conditions, and you go to the
(14:49):
hospital and your insurance, government run insurance covers about twenty
cents on the dollar of what a lot of these
treatments and procedures and prescriptions and all the rest of
it actually costs. Who ends up paying the rest of
it people with health insurance. And I'll say until I'm
blue in the face and I'm at a very nice
purple right now, we should not do health insurance in
(15:12):
this country where the group, the collective has all the
buying power and the individual has none. It should be
like you get your auto insurance and then we don't
use our auto insurance or our homeowner's insurance like we
do our health insurance. This is not impossible, but government
(15:32):
is screwed it up at every single step along the way.
And why some people are mad at the CEO of
insurance companies shows that there's a ton of ignorance out there.
This email in the zncer's custom was inbox. Scott at
kfab dot com from CM says freedom works. Nowhere in
the US Constitution does it enumerate that big government should
(15:54):
have as evil tentacles involved with private sector insurance companies
picking winners and losers. Just like life, car home insurance.
Let citizens shop for their insurance and they can do
this country or even worldwide. A company that broker's life
insurance on kfab has a fantastic slogan, we shop you
(16:15):
save that select quote. The proven result to shopping this
competition will drive down prices and drive up innovation in
every industry it's tried. That is CM's assessment. There one
hundred percent accurate. CM. That's in a nutshell what I've
been trying to say for the government to say, oh, yeah,
we're going to offer Obamacare and Medicaid and medicare these policies,
(16:39):
these government policies, You go to the hospital, your treatment
or whatever is generally covered, and then someone gets billed
for it. It's the tax payers. And then the government
says to the providers, we're only going to pay twenty
cents in the dollar, So someone else has got to
pay one hundred and eighty cents on the dollar to
cover up someone else didn't pay for. It's bankrupting hospitals,
(17:03):
it's moving doctors out of rural health areas. This is
absolutely inexcusable what we've allowed to have happen with health
insurance in this country. And no murder of any CEO
or people hailing him online is going to change that.
Why this guy who allegedly killed the CEO of United Healthcare,
(17:26):
was just picked up by police yesterday at a McDonald's
in Altoona. That McDonald's where the worker seemingly turned him
into police, is getting destroyed online with negative reviews. People
are hailing this murderer as a hero. You mentioned a
moment ago. It's that time of year where people are
going out wearing sweaters with fold marks, deep creased fold
(17:50):
marks in them. Brief story here. Sunday morning, we get
up go to church and I put on a red
kind of a cable knit like sweater. It's a traditional
winter Christmasy kind of sweater, and it had been at
(18:12):
the bottom of the pile of sweaters since probably almost
exactly a year ago. It's not a sweater I wear
very often, but I thought, well, I'm gonna wear it
for an hour or so for church, and I'm gonna
come home and well, on Sunday I put on some
golf clothes. But anyway, I grabbed the sweater from the
bottom of the pile and it had a pretty deep
(18:32):
crease across the belly. But I thought, well, it'll fall out, Yeah,
it'll it'll fall out a little bit. And it's not
like everyone's going to be looking at me. So we
go to church, Oh boy, nine o'clock service in the
Advent season. It was packed and being as our family,
(18:53):
we're getting there right on time, not late, but right
on time. No place to it here in the pews,
but we're starting to fill some people in behind the
altar where the choir would sit. But we're not going
to do a choir today, so we have the chairs
back there. We'll put you right front and center behind
(19:17):
the priest here for masks. How about that? And I'm
thinking stupid creasing my sweater. Everyone's looking at me and laughing,
going look at that idiot, like getting an iron a sweaters. Yeah,
so that was when you said, you know, that's the
time of year we're all wearing sweaters with creases.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
I did this morning, but I knew nobody was going
to be here and fall out by then, and it
has no more fold marks.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
That's Lucy Chapman. I'm Scott Vorhe's thank you very much
for being with us on news radio eleven ten kfab
the McDonald's worker I mentioned just before the Fox News
I'm going to go that the McDonald's in Altoona were
the worker there. I guess it was an employee of
this McDonald's noticed the suspect and the healthcare killing in
(20:10):
New York and called the police, which is pretty amazing.
I can't always get the people in some of these
fast food restaurants to give me napkins, you know, But
here's an employee who noticed a murderer on the run.
I like going to Burger King once in a while.
(20:32):
Burger King now is a thing where you go through
the drive through and they say, remember you rule, and
they want to give you a Burger King crown or something.
And they say, yeah, they've been doing that here lately.
They say, and you want a crown, remember you rule.
I'm like, thank you, and I get my food and like, yeah,
there's pickles on there. I didn't want pickles. And apparently
(20:53):
I don't rule enough.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Apparently you don't.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Apparently I don't rule enough to get napkins here in
the drive through. But anyway, I digress. The McDonald's were
an employee there called police to report the suspect. I
mentioned a moment. Ago is just getting torn up online.
People are giving it negative review after negative review and
lying about this because, as I've been talking about for
(21:17):
an hour. Here, there's a whole legion of people who
think this guy is a hero and an employee. This
McDonald's turns him in and they're like, all right, destroy,
We'll never go to that McDonald's again. You know, I
don't anymore. Please.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
You can agree with his deep, deep seated anger. You
can agree with that. You cannot agree with his actions,
you can't.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
No, That's why I've been saying that, you know, for
I think that there are obviously a lot of people
who either have that deep seated anger or they on
some level think that these health insurance companies are all
a bunch of greedy jerks and they're just denying claims
so they can line their own pockets, and they're completely misinformed, misguided.
They've been lied to. But it doesn't mean that health
(22:06):
insurance in this country is is perfect. Far from it. No,
I've been telling you for the last hour, in a
few days, in the last week that it's government that
has screwed this up so so bad.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Do you know? You know, I follow some people on
acts that are kind of conspiracy theories, crazy, yes, but
there are not though always, But I do follow some
people that are very quite respectable and there is a
message that is starting to come out, and I've seen
it over the last few months. Unless it's a broken
(22:42):
leg or you are bleeding out and dying, no doctors,
no hospitals to treat yourself, and there is so much
there's so much of that out there.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Do you know why that is? Well, for one thing,
because more and more people have been disincentivized is from
getting health insurance. So then they or maybe they're in
the country illegally and they go in there to the
emergency room to get treated for whatever. You know, health
insurance isn't going to cover all of this. And you know,
the hospitals have the audacity to say, well, we just
(23:14):
stitched you up. Here's your bill. Bill, I'm not paying
for that. These people want universal health coverage. They don't
know anything about health insurance. They don't know that more
and more people have gotten on like Medicaid and Obamacare.
And as such, these hospitals, these small clinics, these rural hospitals,
(23:36):
twenty cents in the dollar for getting anything through government
run health insurance, whatever that looks like. And they say,
we can't afford to keep the lights on here. And
with fewer and fewer people have health insurance and more
and more, especially in rural areas, people without health insurance.
People are in this country illegally, and they're abusing the system.
(23:57):
These health these companies that we can't afford us stay
in business. I guess we just shut down and then
people go. All these hospitals they're so greedy, they're just
closing down and leaving places in a lurch. This whole
system is screwed up. But my gosh, it's not United
Healthcare's fault.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Well I don't know, of course not. It's not their
fault themselves, but I think they're obviously a part of
the problem, like any other big group activity that you
could put some blame on. All the little parts all
go together. But if insurance companies just stopped, they just
stopped paying anything, they didn't exist, then the hospitals would
(24:38):
have to go to treating people, doing their surgeries whatever.
They'd have to start treating people at whatever people will pay.
That's the way it used to be back in the
I mean probably that changed in the thirties or forties
or whatever.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Do it, well, you're missing something, they would have to
treat you, and then they'd have to charge the people
are gonna pay, because there are a lot of people
that just won't pay.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Well, that's true, But first of all, before you need
to be treated, let's look at and I'm not talking
about throwing all bad food out, and don't eat anything bad,
don't eat drink anything. Because most of the food is
grown here. You're gonna get chemicals, and you're gonna get
some of the stuff and the nutrients are gone in
some aspects or diminished, but you can still eat and
(25:30):
take herbal medicines, and you don't have to go to
the doctor every week for every little thing.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I agree. And a lot of those people aren't pain
when they go. So who ends up pain the SAPs
who either pay their bills or they have health insurance.
That would be me, right, Yeah, oh I know me too.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
But I also don't go unless I one more break
leg or right or I'm bleeding out.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Right, Even then you'd be like, ill, it's a good thing.
Out on it, you say it's a good thing. I'm
wearing a red shirt today. The McDonald's worker who turned
this guy in is eligible for a sixty thousand dollars reward.
The NYPD offered a ten thousand dollars reward, and the
(26:19):
FBI kicked in fifty. It's unclear when this would be
handed out, maybe until a conviction is secured. A portion
could be awarded following an indictment, though. But I mean,
if you're this employee, I don't care what you do
for a living. You work at McDonald's, you own McDonald's. Whatever.
(26:40):
Someone wants to give you sixty thousand dollars, I think
most people would be inclined to take it. I wouldn't
feel right taking sixty thousand dollars for doing the right
thing and turning in a murderer. I'd take it, but
I wouldn't feel right about it. Oh right, Why they
are because this is just the right thing to do.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Of course it is, and you did it, and bonus,
you got paid to do it. That's fine. If she
would have done it anyway, right then of course? Or
he well, I thought I thought it was all.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
The story I have here, says he or Okay, Okay,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Yeah, if they were going to turn him in anyway,
then take the mind.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
So what it was, Mayor mccheese.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
I see he is a good guy.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Yeah, that's why he's running from mayor, he turns in
murder suspects coming to his restaurant, and as of last check,
no street cars in any McDonald's.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Can McDonald stay out of the news for a minute.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
That's McDonald Well, McDonald's is fine being in the news
for some things. Maybe not the little issue we had
a couple of weeks ago. But I love me some McDonald's. Yes,
I had McDonald's yesterday. As a matter of fact, a
couple of you know, some McChicken sandwich just regular chicken sandwiches.
(28:03):
I don't know what everything's called.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
I'm just waiting for them to bring back beef tallow
to do those fries. When they do, I'll I'll bring
it up to Merri mccheese. So this person's eligible for
sixty thousand dollars. I don't like it when they keep
throwing the reward and like making it bigger and bigger
and bigger. It tried to entice someone in the community
(28:25):
who has information to finally contact the police, holding out
for more money, like that person doesn't deserve a reward,
But in this instance, sixty grand for getting a most
wanted fugitive from justice. Do they have to pay taxes
on that.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I don't know. I don't know, of course, but I
wouldn't feel right in taking it. It'd be just like, no,
I'm just just a citizen doing my McJob. And this
is what you do. I mean, what you do in
this instance is you say no, I couldn't possibly no, No,
we insist, no, please, I'm I'm just a citizen doing
(29:03):
my job here. Anyone would have done the same. I
don't feel right. No, we said, okay, so you turn
it down twice. And what you don't want to have
happen is after the first time you turn it down,
they say, well, okay, that's awfully big of you, and
then they pocket the money and walk away. You're like,
but if you just gotta shoot at right, what do
you do at that point? But it's not just a
(29:26):
justifiable homicide that some people are saying. In the big
cases out of New York. Some people are celebrating the
murderer of the healthcare CEO. Some people say that that
marine who murder that guy in the subway, who, as
we learned about twenty four hours ago, is not guilty
of killing that guy. Uh not in a criminal standpoint,
(29:48):
certainly here in Omaha. We've got a case where some
people say, oh, maybe this is justifiable homicide. We'll take
a look at this case next. Scott Byes News Radio
eleven ten. K FAD got an email here in the
Zonker's custom was inbox scottikfab dot com. Johnny says, I'm
not sure what everyone's upset about about health insurance. My
(30:10):
neighbor Frank got a nice set of sea cups, had
his jib and berries hacked off, and only had to
pay a reasonable deductible. This is a great country. Thank you, Johnny,
and to your neighbor Frank or Franzuela or whatever. I
hope that everything's going well there. Scottikfab dot com you
(30:31):
can email too, talking about what some people looked at
here is justifiable homicide. We've got a case in Omaha
that is getting some discussion. Let's discuss A sixteen year
old is in police custody. I don't get the idea
that this sixteen year old is America's favorite angel. The
(30:54):
story here from k ETV First Watch seven says that
the judge has denied bond for this sixteen year old
and one of the mitigating factors is a couple of
sealed criminal cases where this kid is also involved in
some other stuff sealed, probably because he's committing these crimes
(31:17):
before he's old enough to really stand trial for them
in an adult way. I don't know the nature of
these other cases, but we're getting some details about what
has happened just a few days ago in southeast Omaha
and an apartment complex near twenty eighth in Harrison, about
eight pm on December fifth, last Thursday. It sounds like
(31:41):
a guy is having an argument with this sixteen year
old's mom, and according to some of the documents available,
this guy, forty one year old guy named Charles, charged
at mom and that's when her son had had enough
of this guy threatening mom and shot him in the
back of the head and then shot him three more
(32:02):
times as he was down and people are lie he
was protecting his mom. There's going to be a court
case where they determine whether that was reasonable and justifiable force.
In all of that, as far as the court of
public opinion that I preside over here, the mom of
(32:26):
this guy who was shot and killed said that her
son didn't deserve to die that night. She said her
son was in a long time on and off relationship
with this kid's mom. And yes, he did just get
out of jail about a month ago for a domestic
violence charge involving a different woman where he was sentenced
(32:50):
to nine months in jail back in June. Nope, we're
do nine months there for an assault that occurred on
Christmas Day last year. But he got early release and
didn't apparently learn the error of his ways. And so
this sixteen year old said, right, if no one else
is gonna do anything about this, maybe I will. Yeah,
(33:13):
you can't do that, that's not I mean, you can't.
I don't know what kind of evidence is going to
be there to show that the sixteen year old needed
to shoot the guy in the back of the head
and then fire more shots while he was down. A
(33:35):
sixteen year old who shouldn't have access to a weapon,
A sixteen year old who has a couple of other
criminal cases that he's involved in. But I can tell
you that apparently some people live very, very different lives
then I do. The biggest issue that our family had
to face last night was is there going to be
(33:57):
enough cheese and crackers for everyone to enjoyes and crackers
with their chili? Is there enough corn bread here for
everyone to get a second helping? I didn't get a
second helping a corn bread last night, and I really
wanted some more, but I I let my family have
more corn bread, and I didn't. I didn't have any.
Some families have different situations that they did, that they
(34:20):
deal with, and.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
That's and what is the lesson learned here?
Speaker 1 (34:27):
I don't know, make more corn bread. Oh, I thought
you met this case here.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
This so no to be without cornbread. And when you're
eating chili, that's that's that is a travesty.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Well, we thought there was enough corn bread. I didn't
realize my son and daughter were going to eat an
entire pan of corn bread, but they did. Then you
got this case here in our midst. I told you
recently about a couple in Gretna got a third grade
son who's been the target of a bully who's been
calling this this kid racial nerd names. He's been physically
(35:04):
and racially bullied by a classmate. And the parents go
to the school and say this isn't allowed, right, And
they're like, well, we'll talk with the kid if you
want to move your son into a different class or
a different school. We can maybe accommodate, and like, why
should our son have to move He's not doing anything wrong.
This is what all schools do. This is in Gretna.
(35:26):
Public schools could be any schools just about anywhere here
in the area. So they didn't like what they heard
from the principal, so they went to the superintendent. They
didn't like what they heard from the superintendent, so they
went to the school board meeting last night and spoke
about how bullying in schools, even if it gets to
(35:48):
a physical and racial matter, the schools don't do anything
about it. Now, what I don't know is what's going
to happen here after they're dissatisfied with the school boards
respond because they're not going to get anywhere at the
school board either. Again, this is not specific to Gretna.
This is just the way all of this happens.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
And you know how school boards can stay in their positions,
just like this last election, h they just stay quiet, Yeah,
under the radar, don't talk about the fact that they're
going to be running. They'll be on the ballot. I
didn't even know. That's how stupid I am.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
I know. No. This story here from First Alert six
that after the parents gave this impassioned plea about what's
going on not just to their kid, but to other kids,
and how awful it is that kids getting fights and
they're just moved from school to school, and this is
a travesty and good people need to step up and
do something. The school board said, Okay, any other public comment,
(36:47):
All right, We'll move on to the next item on
our agenda. Completely ignored in the NCERS, custom was inbox
got a kfab dot com. Scott says, isn't it ironic
they caught the anti capitalist at of all places, McDonald's. Yeah,
(37:08):
that one was completely lost on me until I got
that email. Yeah, for someone who hates globalism, you're hanging
out at McDonald Or maybe he thought, no one's gonna
look for me here.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Why wouldn't they?
Speaker 1 (37:25):
The class warfare types they hate, you know, any big
worldwide corporations except Starbucks. They seem to like Starbucks here
in Omaha story here from I got this one from
k E TV news Watch seven says the next step
for the Omaha streetcar project is going to be on
(37:48):
Lucy Chapins radar for the next several months early next year.
They're going to demolish and rebuild the Harney and Farnham
Street bridge is over four eighty who's paying I looked
at this story on all of the TV websites. I
(38:12):
don't know who's paying for this.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
I thought I saw someplace no tax dollars.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
We've been told that nothing related to the street car
is going to come out of tax money. But it
looks like this is something that comes from the City
of Omaha, like you know, the City Streets project. But
they say, well, they're The only thing I saw was
this is a story from First Alert six. They talked
(38:39):
to Jay Nodel. Not all companies developers around town. Jay
has been they're working with the Omaha street Car Authority.
He's been on this program a couple of times talking
about the streetcar, and he says that the total cost
to rebuild both of these bridges is about twenty point
six million dollars and some of the funding will come
(39:00):
from the state. Well that's tax dollars dollars. And you're thinking,
why do we need to rebuild these bridges to accommodate
a street car.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
I don't know, Well, I imagine they're going to put a
railing or a track rather than put a.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Track on it. We got to rebuild the bridges.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
What makes me more upset is you've got the bridge
at thirty six in l that has holes in it
that you can see down to the pavement below, and
that's not getting rebuilt. It is getting rebuilt at some day.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
They put some plywood over it. They said, they looked
at it and said, oh, the bridge isn't gonna fall down,
but yeah, there's a hole there. We'll put a little
piece of plywood over the hole and we'll fix it
better later. But this is these are main streets over
and even Manor Street, Interstate four eighty that loops around
(39:56):
the west side of downtown. And of course if if
you're rebuilding, if you're taking down the bridges above the
interstate and rebuilding those bridges, it's going to impact traffic
on four to eighty as well as those who take Farney, Farney,
Wow Harney or Farnham take those downtown. So how do
(40:18):
we do all of this? Why are we doing all
of this? And you know, for an upcoming city election
where so much of the attention is going to be
on two candidates with seemingly different views of the streetcar.
That's Omaha or Jean Stothart, pro streetcar and former Fire
Union president, fire Union leader, Fire chief State legislator Mike McDonell,
(40:44):
who really hasn't let his thoughts on the streetcar itself
be known. He's just said we should let the city
of Omaha vote on a streetcar. Well, a lot of
what's happened with the streetcar, including dollars allocated, this has
already happened. But if they're talking about early next year
these bridges being demolished and rebuilt, it's going to take
(41:08):
about a year to finish all of this. If you're
talking about traffic on Harney and Farnham and four eighty
below it, if you're talking about the city the people
of Omaha having their commutes disrupted by all of this
in the name of the streetcar at a time when
(41:28):
we're having city elections that may have something to do
with the streetcar, I can't imagine that it's going to
work well for those who are pro streetcar to ask
the people who are having their morning and afternoon or
you know, going downtown to see a ballgame or a
concert or whatever whatever, that traffic is disrupted by this, Hey,
(41:52):
then go vote. Do you like the streetcar. I don't
care about the streetcar. I like being able to travel
on four to eighty and not have to be diverted
to where take I eighty to tenth Street and hang
a left and go all the way down that way?
Do I take Elevenworth and go down there? It's not impossible,
But people don't like having their routes changed, especially since
(42:16):
it sounds like we're talking about, as Lucy put it,
and we're not experts here on the street car. And
I'm trying not to be anti streetcar on this radio program.
I'm trying to approach all of this with an open mind.
But it seems to me that if you're just putting
some rails on the street, that you don't have to
(42:38):
redo the whole bridge. Right, How heavy is this streetcar?
Is it heavier than all the truck traffic and car
traffic goes across this bridge? And then they say, hey,
when the bridges are done, it's going to have all
kinds of really great things going for you're gonna have
a streetcar, you're gonna have a vehicle lane, you're gonna
have sidewalks, and you're gonna have a bike lane.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
This is gonna be a big bridge.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
Well, the bike lane is also part of the right
lane of traffic, which I anticipate, I don't know if
it'll also be the streetcar. If you got two lanes,
i'd put the streetcar lane in the left lane, because
the curb lane is often the one that gets the potholes,
and you don't want to be filling in potholes around
streetcar rails, So you put it there in the center lane.
(43:23):
But then where do you shuffle all the snow off to?
All that snow usually goes into that center lane for
some of these downtown streets. It almost sounds like maybe
having a streetcar on rails in an area that has
a lot of problems with snow and sinkholes and potholes
probably isn't the greatest idea ever. And maybe you could
accommodate all of this with a trolley that goes along
(43:45):
with regular traffic. But what if you do a trolley,
then how are the businesses who are setting up along
the streetcar line going to know where the trolley? They
want something permanent, They want to twenty points six million dollars.
I don't know who pays for that. Oh, here's something else,
(44:05):
they said. He said, well, you know, we're buying these
streetcars from this company in Spain that makes streetcars. And
if Trump ends up slapping a tariff on all these
goods that come from overseas, we might have to pay
twenty five percent more thanks to a Trump tariff on
these streetcars. So get ready for that expense as well.
(44:27):
Though we talk a lot about what Trump says versus
what he actually wants. I don't know that Trump has
an opinion on the street cars or whether there'll be
a streetcar tariff. Are there enough streetcars being imported into
America that it would be a big money boon for
America to slap a twenty five percent tariff on all
(44:49):
these street cars we're getting. So Mayri Stothart, in the
story here from k ETV News Watch seven says, see
the streetcar project is redeveloping downtown at a rapid pace
where and she says no public vote is required because
no general tax dollars are being used. There's no property
(45:11):
tax levy increased to pay for any of the streetcar project.
And what's Mike McDonald gonna tell these people, I'm just
gonna stop all this. And you've got to quit all
this development. That's not the way the mayor should be
handling the city. That's the quote from Mayors Douthor to
k E TV Newswatch seven with this story. It is
(45:33):
interesting that McDonald says, well, I think the people of
Omaha should vote on a street car. I don't see
any possible scenario where the people of Omaha vote from mayor.
If you've got one candidate, and I know there's more
than two candidates in this mayor's race, the other ones
are jumping up and down saying, well, anyone pay attention
(45:55):
to me. I'm John Ewing, I'm the treasurer. I'm a
good guy. You know. It's more than just Stothard and
McDonald certainly, But you've got Stothard saying full steam ahead
on street cars. You got McDonald's saying I think the
people of Omaha should vote on this. Is there a
scenario where the people of Omaha vote from mayor, vote
(46:17):
for McDonald. McDonald has a vote on the street car,
and then those same people vote and say, yeah, I
like the idea of a streetcar. Wouldn't the vote for mayor,
wouldn't the vote for Stothard be a vote for the
street car. If McDonald tends to be anti streetcar, wouldn't
that vote be the same vote? I don't know. They
(46:38):
say early next year these bridges will be demolished and rebuilt,
and it's going to impact not just those roads, but
also for eighty underneath. That's Lucy just preparing your upcoming Migraine.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
Oh, well, you know, here in Omaha, we're pretty used
to the expansive roadwork that happens every day. This is
every year. But no, there isn't even really a construction
season anymore.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
I know. Couldn't you just identify one or two spots
and have all the road companies just work really hard
on those spots and finish those up before you move
on to the other nineteen projects that just sit there.
We had one in our neighborhood where they came out
there and did some work in the street and then
put all the cones up and put everything down to
one lane. Well, the roadwork underneath was very clearly done
(47:32):
for a long time, so I'm pretty sure the city
the neighbors there in my neighborhood just came out and
moved all the cones and traffic stuff off onto the curb.
They're like, we want to use this street.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
Yeah, and I think that that probably happens more often
than we might like to think.
Speaker 1 (47:50):
Yeah, then the city came and they cleaned all their stuff.
Speaker 2 (47:52):
Yeah, because you did.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
Or my wife sold it on Facebook marketplace. I'm not
really sure. Scott Boy Mornings nine to eleven, Our News
Radio eleven ten kfab
Scott Vordez. The reality of the situation is there'll be
more people who heard the news about a dog getting
hit by a car. Hopefully a dog is going to live,
and more people would probably be upset upon hearing that
than they were hearing that The CEO of United Healthcare,
Brian Thompson, was killed in New York City last week.
(00:21):
Fifty years old, two sons. This is a guy who
grew up in Ames, Iowa. He is a local guy.
He's a Midwest guy. Valedictorian at his school, went to
South Hamilton High School in Jewel Junction and the Ames,
(00:41):
Iowa area. Ended up not going to the local Iowa State,
went off to the University of Iowa, and at the
University of Iowa, he was also valedictorian. He met the
girl who would be his wife. They were estranged, but
they have two sons. She has post is saying that
he is an awesome father to their boys and they
(01:04):
can't believe that he's gone. Active supporter of Special Olympics,
honorary co chair of the upcoming twenty twenty six Special
Olympics USA Games. This guy had last year said we
need to be better in healthcare at adding value for
our customers. Someone who also apparently was a valedictorian in
(01:29):
his school decided that this guy, Brian Thompson, needed to
be murdered in New York City last week, and a
lot of people have this idea that if you murder
the CEO of a healthcare company, things will change in
this country. The Network Contagion Research Institute did a look
(01:53):
at the top ten most engaged with posts on Twitter
x that mentioned Brian Thompson or healthcare since his murder
last week. Six out of the ten of these posts
implicitly or explicitly supported the killing of this guy or
criticized him some way. Highlighted comments called for further assassinations
(02:18):
of CEOs or a class war. A researcher at this
institute said the assassination was framed as some opening blow
in a class war, and praise for the killing came
from across the political spectrum. According to the Network Contagion
Research Institute, they at some point the parent company United
(02:45):
Healthcare published a statement detailing the death and their condolences
for this guy. After ninety thousand people had commented, the
post comment section was deactivated approximately or more than ninety
thousand because approximately ninety thousand Facebook users in the wake
(03:06):
of this post expressing condolences for the death of their
CEO responded with a haha or laughing reaction, compared to
twenty two hundred sad reactions in the hours after United
Healthcare posted this something has happened in the wake of
this murder. United Healthcare, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, CVS Health,
(03:29):
which operates Etna, all removed photographs and other information about
their executive leadership teams from their websites. Following the killing
of this CEO and the support that this guy has
received online. This guy would and probably is ecstatic at
(03:50):
this kind of support and response he has received. He
is someone who has posted at length online support for
people like Ted kazin the unibomber, and he also supported
a lot of stuff online about class warfare and climate
(04:11):
change and all the rest of this stuff. He is
someone who posted a lot about his health struggles. He
had some ongoing back pain, had some surgery, and it's
thought here that perhaps the health insurance company had saddled
(04:32):
him in some way. In his brain, he felt that
the health insurance company had wronged him and saddled him
with the payments for all of his health care. He's
a twenty six year old guy. I don't know that
he had a job, graduated from an Ivy League university,
and apparently has just been posting online about how awful
(04:54):
it is that people need to work and try and
have some good healthcare in this country. Now, it is
absolutely fine to have a conversation in the wake of
(05:14):
what happened to the CEO of United Healthcare about what
we can do and should do in this country to
improve what happens with health insurance. And I can't say
this clearly enough if you have one hundred thousand dollars
in bills from whatever healthcare that you've done. Maybe I
(05:40):
don't know what his healthcare situation health insurance situation was,
but we all know it's pretty easy to rack up
some expenses when it comes to healthcare. We also know
that sometimes the health insurance company says, and it's not
easy to determine this heading into a clinic or operation,
(06:01):
whether or not this is going to be a network,
whether or not this is going to be covered. Sometimes
you call and you get one answer, then you talk
to someone else, you get another answer. It's not easy.
I'm not saying health insurance is great. I don't know
what your problem is, but I can tell you this.
If somehow, through whatever action, you have one hundred thousand
dollars in medical debt. If you or anyone goes out
(06:23):
and kills the CEO of that United Healthcare that healthcare company,
you know how much you have in medical debt at
that point, one hundred thousand dollars. If someone goes out
and kills the CEO of another health insurance company, you
still have, let me check, one hundred thousand dollars in
medical debt. If the entire executive leadership team of all
(06:44):
of these health insurance companies are murdered, you have one
hundred thousand dollars in medical debt. You know what else?
You have this idea that there are kids out there
being denied treatment and their diet because health insurance companies
aren't supporting their treatment. That doesn't happen, not on the treatment.
(07:08):
If you've got a sick kid and you go to
a doctor or a hospital with a sick kid, the
kid will be treated. What we need to talk about
is why we do health insurance in this country the
way that we do. Why is it that I, as
(07:29):
an individual have the same buying power when it comes
to my car insurance as you do, or the CEO
of a major company or a member of Congress. We
all have the same buying power. We're all in a
very strong position when it comes to our car insurance.
Funny thing about car insurance. Car insurance companies can set
(07:52):
up nationwide shops and you can buy the same car
insurance here in Nebraska that you can in Iowa, that
you can in Georgia, that you can in Maine, and
is the same stuff available to every single other person
in this nation. Not health insurance. Health insurance comes to
(08:13):
be heavily regulated and tied into states, and the individual
has approximately no buying power when it comes to health insurance.
I don't know that this guy who murdered the CEO
of United Healthcare was working. I don't know if he
had access to a group health insurance plan. But let's
talk about that. Why is it that the individual who
(08:34):
has all this buying power to go out and individually
buy car insurance has no power when it comes to
health insurance. Well, you've got to work for a big
company to get group health insurance. And if you have
group health insurance, you can generally negotiate better rates. Why
why is that? Why don't health insurance companies have the
(08:56):
same ability to have a nationwide network where if you
like what someone's health insurance looks like in Florida or
Nevada that Why can't you go by that? Why can't
you do that? Why when we have to go fix
a flat tire for our vehicle, are we get right now?
With the temperature swing the last few days. If you've
(09:19):
got one of these vehicles that tells you, hey, your
tire pressure is low, it's probably your back right tire.
It's always the back right tire. What's going on with
that tire? I don't know. Is your tire pressure really
all that low? Do you need to go fill it up?
Are you going to overinflate it and cause a problem
that way? Because of the way that the censors work
with your tire pressure, I know that if you took
(09:40):
it to a hospital, it would cost a million d dollars,
not just for the hospital dealing with the tire pressure
on your vehicle, but because you with car insurance, if
you take that vehicle to a hospital in this scenario,
you've got to pay for your health insurance. You also
have to pay for all the people who have some
(10:00):
sort of government health insurance Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare. The government
only pays about twenty cents in the dollar for whatever
that treatment is going to be, whatever that procedure is
going to be. You have health insurance, you got to
pay your stuff, and you got to pay the eighty
percent not covered from the growing number of people who
have been disincentivized to go and get health insurance. Oh,
(10:24):
go get Obamacare. Well then that hospitals say, we can't
treat this many people. We're going to go broke. We've
got to jack up our rates. At some point, the
health insurance company says, we're going broke trying to take
care of the people who are paying for health insurance,
because we have to pay for all these other people.
Some of them are in this country illegally and they
just go to the emergency room because they got a hangnail,
(10:47):
and we got to pay for all of that. So
at some point, yeah, we have to look at some
denying of claims, not for your sick kids, cancer treatment,
but for some other stuff. Some of this stuff ends
up being denied, and then what happens you get your
(11:07):
claim denied, and you go online, do a couple of searches,
and you find a number of people to say, was
your claim denied? Contact us, maybe we can appeal this
and we can get your claim reinstated, and a lot
of that is incredibly successful. I don't know why we
use our health insurance as the collective superpower for people
(11:30):
who work for corporations and we deny that power to
the individual. I don't know why we use our health
insurance every time we go and buy cold medicine at
the pharmacy. Sometimes, well, that's a health savings account. We
can run through this and I haven't met my deductible,
so let's go ahead and charge for this and do that.
And that's why when you have your tire pressure low
(11:52):
in your vehicle, you don't use your car insurance to
go to the gas station to put free air in
your tire. But if we used our our insurance the
same way we did our health insurance, if you don't
work for a company and have group auto insurance, you're
gonna have to take your car to the dealership and
you're gonna have to pay for everyone else. It doesn't
have some sort of group auto insurance to pay for
(12:14):
fixing the tire pressure issue with that with that car,
and it's gonna cost a bazillion d dollars. How we
do health insurance in this country and the way that
we've allowed government to jack it up almost beyond repair
is inexcusable. It is one hundred percent fine to have
(12:37):
a conversation about what's going on with health insurance in
this country. It is not okay to say, hey, you know,
health insurance CEO died. Well, they deny a lot of claims.
Maybe a few of them deserve to die. I can't
believe we have so many people in this country who
(12:58):
feel that way. I hope you're not one of them.
If you are, and you think I'm misguided in my opinion,
please share it with me. Scott at kfab dot com
Scott voices News Radio eleven ten KFAB in the Socer's
custom wo was inbox though on this issue where so
(13:20):
many people in this country, apparently of various political stripes,
are celebrating the murder of the CEO of the healthcare company,
Pat emails Scott at kfab dot com and says I'm
not here to defend all that insurance companies do. But
a big problem is health insurance and health coverage have
been conflated to the point where most of us are
(13:40):
confused if everything is covered and there's no longer insurance. Yes,
we all know people or maybe we are people who
were told, well, you've got this, and right now, your
health insurance company doesn't cover this particular treatment which hasn't
(14:04):
been approved by the FDA or whatever, and so it's
really easy to get mad at health insurance companies. We
also probably all know or are people who didn't have
health insurance. Then we got a diagnosis, and then we
called up the health insurance company. I'd like health insurance now, yeah.
See here, we've got a note from your doctor that
(14:26):
says that you've got all sorts of horrible things and
you just got that diagnosis yesterday. Yes, and I'd like
health insurance now. Please. It doesn't work like that. It
shouldn't work like that. But that's essentially what Obamacare is.
You can go on Obamacare and they're like, oh, yeah,
we cover pre existing conditions, and you go to the
(14:49):
hospital and your insurance, government run insurance covers about twenty
cents on the dollar of what a lot of these
treatments and procedures and prescriptions and all the rest of
it actually costs. Who ends up paying the rest of
it people with health insurance. And I'll say until I'm
blue in the face and I'm at a very nice
purple right now, we should not do health insurance in
(15:12):
this country where the group, the collective has all the
buying power and the individual has none. It should be
like you get your auto insurance and then we don't
use our auto insurance or our homeowner's insurance like we
do our health insurance. This is not impossible, but government
(15:32):
is screwed it up at every single step along the way.
And why some people are mad at the CEO of
insurance companies shows that there's a ton of ignorance out there.
This email in the zncer's custom was inbox. Scott at
kfab dot com from CM says freedom works. Nowhere in
the US Constitution does it enumerate that big government should
(15:54):
have as evil tentacles involved with private sector insurance companies
picking winners and losers. Just like life, car home insurance.
Let citizens shop for their insurance and they can do
this country or even worldwide. A company that broker's life
insurance on kfab has a fantastic slogan, we shop you
(16:15):
save that select quote. The proven result to shopping this
competition will drive down prices and drive up innovation in
every industry it's tried. That is CM's assessment. There one
hundred percent accurate. CM. That's in a nutshell what I've
been trying to say for the government to say, oh, yeah,
we're going to offer Obamacare and Medicaid and medicare these policies,
(16:39):
these government policies, You go to the hospital, your treatment
or whatever is generally covered, and then someone gets billed
for it. It's the tax payers. And then the government
says to the providers, we're only going to pay twenty
cents in the dollar, So someone else has got to
pay one hundred and eighty cents on the dollar to
cover up someone else didn't pay for. It's bankrupting hospitals,
(17:03):
it's moving doctors out of rural health areas. This is
absolutely inexcusable what we've allowed to have happen with health
insurance in this country. And no murder of any CEO
or people hailing him online is going to change that.
Why this guy who allegedly killed the CEO of United Healthcare,
(17:26):
was just picked up by police yesterday at a McDonald's
in Altoona. That McDonald's where the worker seemingly turned him
into police, is getting destroyed online with negative reviews. People
are hailing this murderer as a hero. You mentioned a
moment ago. It's that time of year where people are
going out wearing sweaters with fold marks, deep creased fold
(17:50):
marks in them. Brief story here. Sunday morning, we get
up go to church and I put on a red
kind of a cable knit like sweater. It's a traditional
winter Christmasy kind of sweater, and it had been at
(18:12):
the bottom of the pile of sweaters since probably almost
exactly a year ago. It's not a sweater I wear
very often, but I thought, well, I'm gonna wear it
for an hour or so for church, and I'm gonna
come home and well, on Sunday I put on some
golf clothes. But anyway, I grabbed the sweater from the
bottom of the pile and it had a pretty deep
(18:32):
crease across the belly. But I thought, well, it'll fall out, Yeah,
it'll it'll fall out a little bit. And it's not
like everyone's going to be looking at me. So we
go to church, Oh boy, nine o'clock service in the
Advent season. It was packed and being as our family,
(18:53):
we're getting there right on time, not late, but right
on time. No place to it here in the pews,
but we're starting to fill some people in behind the
altar where the choir would sit. But we're not going
to do a choir today, so we have the chairs
back there. We'll put you right front and center behind
(19:17):
the priest here for masks. How about that? And I'm
thinking stupid creasing my sweater. Everyone's looking at me and laughing,
going look at that idiot, like getting an iron a sweaters. Yeah,
so that was when you said, you know, that's the
time of year we're all wearing sweaters with creases.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
I did this morning, but I knew nobody was going
to be here and fall out by then, and it
has no more fold marks.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
That's Lucy Chapman. I'm Scott Vorhe's thank you very much
for being with us on news radio eleven ten kfab
the McDonald's worker I mentioned just before the Fox News
I'm going to go that the McDonald's in Altoona were
the worker there. I guess it was an employee of
this McDonald's noticed the suspect and the healthcare killing in
(20:10):
New York and called the police, which is pretty amazing.
I can't always get the people in some of these
fast food restaurants to give me napkins, you know, But
here's an employee who noticed a murderer on the run.
I like going to Burger King once in a while.
(20:32):
Burger King now is a thing where you go through
the drive through and they say, remember you rule, and
they want to give you a Burger King crown or something.
And they say, yeah, they've been doing that here lately.
They say, and you want a crown, remember you rule.
I'm like, thank you, and I get my food and like, yeah,
there's pickles on there. I didn't want pickles. And apparently
(20:53):
I don't rule enough.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Apparently you don't.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Apparently I don't rule enough to get napkins here in
the drive through. But anyway, I digress. The McDonald's were
an employee there called police to report the suspect. I
mentioned a moment. Ago is just getting torn up online.
People are giving it negative review after negative review and
lying about this because, as I've been talking about for
(21:17):
an hour. Here, there's a whole legion of people who
think this guy is a hero and an employee. This
McDonald's turns him in and they're like, all right, destroy,
We'll never go to that McDonald's again. You know, I
don't anymore. Please.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
You can agree with his deep, deep seated anger. You
can agree with that. You cannot agree with his actions,
you can't.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
No, That's why I've been saying that, you know, for
I think that there are obviously a lot of people
who either have that deep seated anger or they on
some level think that these health insurance companies are all
a bunch of greedy jerks and they're just denying claims
so they can line their own pockets, and they're completely misinformed, misguided.
They've been lied to. But it doesn't mean that health
(22:06):
insurance in this country is is perfect. Far from it. No,
I've been telling you for the last hour, in a
few days, in the last week that it's government that
has screwed this up so so bad.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Do you know? You know, I follow some people on
acts that are kind of conspiracy theories, crazy, yes, but
there are not though always, But I do follow some
people that are very quite respectable and there is a
message that is starting to come out, and I've seen
it over the last few months. Unless it's a broken
(22:42):
leg or you are bleeding out and dying, no doctors,
no hospitals to treat yourself, and there is so much
there's so much of that out there.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Do you know why that is? Well, for one thing,
because more and more people have been disincentivized is from
getting health insurance. So then they or maybe they're in
the country illegally and they go in there to the
emergency room to get treated for whatever. You know, health
insurance isn't going to cover all of this. And you know,
the hospitals have the audacity to say, well, we just
(23:14):
stitched you up. Here's your bill. Bill, I'm not paying
for that. These people want universal health coverage. They don't
know anything about health insurance. They don't know that more
and more people have gotten on like Medicaid and Obamacare.
And as such, these hospitals, these small clinics, these rural hospitals,
(23:36):
twenty cents in the dollar for getting anything through government
run health insurance, whatever that looks like. And they say,
we can't afford to keep the lights on here. And
with fewer and fewer people have health insurance and more
and more, especially in rural areas, people without health insurance.
People are in this country illegally, and they're abusing the system.
(23:57):
These health these companies that we can't afford us stay
in business. I guess we just shut down and then
people go. All these hospitals they're so greedy, they're just
closing down and leaving places in a lurch. This whole
system is screwed up. But my gosh, it's not United
Healthcare's fault.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Well I don't know, of course not. It's not their
fault themselves, but I think they're obviously a part of
the problem, like any other big group activity that you
could put some blame on. All the little parts all
go together. But if insurance companies just stopped, they just
stopped paying anything, they didn't exist, then the hospitals would
(24:38):
have to go to treating people, doing their surgeries whatever.
They'd have to start treating people at whatever people will pay.
That's the way it used to be back in the
I mean probably that changed in the thirties or forties
or whatever.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Do it, well, you're missing something, they would have to
treat you, and then they'd have to charge the people
are gonna pay, because there are a lot of people
that just won't pay.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Well, that's true, But first of all, before you need
to be treated, let's look at and I'm not talking
about throwing all bad food out, and don't eat anything bad,
don't eat drink anything. Because most of the food is
grown here. You're gonna get chemicals, and you're gonna get
some of the stuff and the nutrients are gone in
some aspects or diminished, but you can still eat and
(25:30):
take herbal medicines, and you don't have to go to
the doctor every week for every little thing.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I agree. And a lot of those people aren't pain
when they go. So who ends up pain the SAPs
who either pay their bills or they have health insurance.
That would be me, right, Yeah, oh I know me too.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
But I also don't go unless I one more break
leg or right or I'm bleeding out.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Right, Even then you'd be like, ill, it's a good thing.
Out on it, you say it's a good thing. I'm
wearing a red shirt today. The McDonald's worker who turned
this guy in is eligible for a sixty thousand dollars reward.
The NYPD offered a ten thousand dollars reward, and the
(26:19):
FBI kicked in fifty. It's unclear when this would be
handed out, maybe until a conviction is secured. A portion
could be awarded following an indictment, though. But I mean,
if you're this employee, I don't care what you do
for a living. You work at McDonald's, you own McDonald's. Whatever.
(26:40):
Someone wants to give you sixty thousand dollars, I think
most people would be inclined to take it. I wouldn't
feel right taking sixty thousand dollars for doing the right
thing and turning in a murderer. I'd take it, but
I wouldn't feel right about it. Oh right, Why they
are because this is just the right thing to do.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Of course it is, and you did it, and bonus,
you got paid to do it. That's fine. If she
would have done it anyway, right then of course? Or
he well, I thought I thought it was all.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
The story I have here, says he or Okay, Okay,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Yeah, if they were going to turn him in anyway,
then take the mind.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
So what it was, Mayor mccheese.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
I see he is a good guy.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Yeah, that's why he's running from mayor, he turns in
murder suspects coming to his restaurant, and as of last check,
no street cars in any McDonald's.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Can McDonald stay out of the news for a minute.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
That's McDonald Well, McDonald's is fine being in the news
for some things. Maybe not the little issue we had
a couple of weeks ago. But I love me some McDonald's. Yes,
I had McDonald's yesterday. As a matter of fact, a
couple of you know, some McChicken sandwich just regular chicken sandwiches.
(28:03):
I don't know what everything's called.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
I'm just waiting for them to bring back beef tallow
to do those fries. When they do, I'll I'll bring
it up to Merri mccheese. So this person's eligible for
sixty thousand dollars. I don't like it when they keep
throwing the reward and like making it bigger and bigger
and bigger. It tried to entice someone in the community
(28:25):
who has information to finally contact the police, holding out
for more money, like that person doesn't deserve a reward,
But in this instance, sixty grand for getting a most
wanted fugitive from justice. Do they have to pay taxes
on that.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I don't know. I don't know, of course, but I
wouldn't feel right in taking it. It'd be just like, no,
I'm just just a citizen doing my McJob. And this
is what you do. I mean, what you do in
this instance is you say no, I couldn't possibly no, No,
we insist, no, please, I'm I'm just a citizen doing
(29:03):
my job here. Anyone would have done the same. I
don't feel right. No, we said, okay, so you turn
it down twice. And what you don't want to have
happen is after the first time you turn it down,
they say, well, okay, that's awfully big of you, and
then they pocket the money and walk away. You're like,
but if you just gotta shoot at right, what do
you do at that point? But it's not just a
(29:26):
justifiable homicide that some people are saying. In the big
cases out of New York. Some people are celebrating the
murderer of the healthcare CEO. Some people say that that
marine who murder that guy in the subway, who, as
we learned about twenty four hours ago, is not guilty
of killing that guy. Uh not in a criminal standpoint,
(29:48):
certainly here in Omaha. We've got a case where some
people say, oh, maybe this is justifiable homicide. We'll take
a look at this case next. Scott Byes News Radio
eleven ten. K FAD got an email here in the
Zonker's custom was inbox scottikfab dot com. Johnny says, I'm
not sure what everyone's upset about about health insurance. My
(30:10):
neighbor Frank got a nice set of sea cups, had
his jib and berries hacked off, and only had to
pay a reasonable deductible. This is a great country. Thank you, Johnny,
and to your neighbor Frank or Franzuela or whatever. I
hope that everything's going well there. Scottikfab dot com you
(30:31):
can email too, talking about what some people looked at
here is justifiable homicide. We've got a case in Omaha
that is getting some discussion. Let's discuss A sixteen year
old is in police custody. I don't get the idea
that this sixteen year old is America's favorite angel. The
(30:54):
story here from k ETV First Watch seven says that
the judge has denied bond for this sixteen year old
and one of the mitigating factors is a couple of
sealed criminal cases where this kid is also involved in
some other stuff sealed, probably because he's committing these crimes
(31:17):
before he's old enough to really stand trial for them
in an adult way. I don't know the nature of
these other cases, but we're getting some details about what
has happened just a few days ago in southeast Omaha
and an apartment complex near twenty eighth in Harrison, about
eight pm on December fifth, last Thursday. It sounds like
(31:41):
a guy is having an argument with this sixteen year
old's mom, and according to some of the documents available,
this guy, forty one year old guy named Charles, charged
at mom and that's when her son had had enough
of this guy threatening mom and shot him in the
back of the head and then shot him three more
(32:02):
times as he was down and people are lie he
was protecting his mom. There's going to be a court
case where they determine whether that was reasonable and justifiable force.
In all of that, as far as the court of
public opinion that I preside over here, the mom of
(32:26):
this guy who was shot and killed said that her
son didn't deserve to die that night. She said her
son was in a long time on and off relationship
with this kid's mom. And yes, he did just get
out of jail about a month ago for a domestic
violence charge involving a different woman where he was sentenced
(32:50):
to nine months in jail back in June. Nope, we're
do nine months there for an assault that occurred on
Christmas Day last year. But he got early release and
didn't apparently learn the error of his ways. And so
this sixteen year old said, right, if no one else
is gonna do anything about this, maybe I will. Yeah,
(33:13):
you can't do that, that's not I mean, you can't.
I don't know what kind of evidence is going to
be there to show that the sixteen year old needed
to shoot the guy in the back of the head
and then fire more shots while he was down. A
(33:35):
sixteen year old who shouldn't have access to a weapon,
A sixteen year old who has a couple of other
criminal cases that he's involved in. But I can tell
you that apparently some people live very, very different lives
then I do. The biggest issue that our family had
to face last night was is there going to be
(33:57):
enough cheese and crackers for everyone to enjoyes and crackers
with their chili? Is there enough corn bread here for
everyone to get a second helping? I didn't get a
second helping a corn bread last night, and I really
wanted some more, but I I let my family have
more corn bread, and I didn't. I didn't have any.
Some families have different situations that they did, that they
(34:20):
deal with, and.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
That's and what is the lesson learned here?
Speaker 1 (34:27):
I don't know, make more corn bread. Oh, I thought
you met this case here.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
This so no to be without cornbread. And when you're
eating chili, that's that's that is a travesty.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Well, we thought there was enough corn bread. I didn't
realize my son and daughter were going to eat an
entire pan of corn bread, but they did. Then you
got this case here in our midst. I told you
recently about a couple in Gretna got a third grade
son who's been the target of a bully who's been
calling this this kid racial nerd names. He's been physically
(35:04):
and racially bullied by a classmate. And the parents go
to the school and say this isn't allowed, right, And
they're like, well, we'll talk with the kid if you
want to move your son into a different class or
a different school. We can maybe accommodate, and like, why
should our son have to move He's not doing anything wrong.
This is what all schools do. This is in Gretna.
(35:26):
Public schools could be any schools just about anywhere here
in the area. So they didn't like what they heard
from the principal, so they went to the superintendent. They
didn't like what they heard from the superintendent, so they
went to the school board meeting last night and spoke
about how bullying in schools, even if it gets to
(35:48):
a physical and racial matter, the schools don't do anything
about it. Now, what I don't know is what's going
to happen here after they're dissatisfied with the school boards
respond because they're not going to get anywhere at the
school board either. Again, this is not specific to Gretna.
This is just the way all of this happens.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
And you know how school boards can stay in their positions,
just like this last election, h they just stay quiet, Yeah,
under the radar, don't talk about the fact that they're
going to be running. They'll be on the ballot. I
didn't even know. That's how stupid I am.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
I know. No. This story here from First Alert six
that after the parents gave this impassioned plea about what's
going on not just to their kid, but to other kids,
and how awful it is that kids getting fights and
they're just moved from school to school, and this is
a travesty and good people need to step up and
do something. The school board said, Okay, any other public comment,
(36:47):
All right, We'll move on to the next item on
our agenda. Completely ignored in the NCERS, custom was inbox
got a kfab dot com. Scott says, isn't it ironic
they caught the anti capitalist at of all places, McDonald's. Yeah,
(37:08):
that one was completely lost on me until I got
that email. Yeah, for someone who hates globalism, you're hanging
out at McDonald Or maybe he thought, no one's gonna
look for me here.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Why wouldn't they?
Speaker 1 (37:25):
The class warfare types they hate, you know, any big
worldwide corporations except Starbucks. They seem to like Starbucks here
in Omaha story here from I got this one from
k E TV news Watch seven says the next step
for the Omaha streetcar project is going to be on
(37:48):
Lucy Chapins radar for the next several months early next year.
They're going to demolish and rebuild the Harney and Farnham
Street bridge is over four eighty who's paying I looked
at this story on all of the TV websites. I
(38:12):
don't know who's paying for this.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
I thought I saw someplace no tax dollars.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
We've been told that nothing related to the street car
is going to come out of tax money. But it
looks like this is something that comes from the City
of Omaha, like you know, the City Streets project. But
they say, well, they're The only thing I saw was
this is a story from First Alert six. They talked
(38:39):
to Jay Nodel. Not all companies developers around town. Jay
has been they're working with the Omaha street Car Authority.
He's been on this program a couple of times talking
about the streetcar, and he says that the total cost
to rebuild both of these bridges is about twenty point
six million dollars and some of the funding will come
(39:00):
from the state. Well that's tax dollars dollars. And you're thinking,
why do we need to rebuild these bridges to accommodate
a street car.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
I don't know, Well, I imagine they're going to put a
railing or a track rather than put a.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Track on it. We got to rebuild the bridges.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
What makes me more upset is you've got the bridge
at thirty six in l that has holes in it
that you can see down to the pavement below, and
that's not getting rebuilt. It is getting rebuilt at some day.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
They put some plywood over it. They said, they looked
at it and said, oh, the bridge isn't gonna fall down,
but yeah, there's a hole there. We'll put a little
piece of plywood over the hole and we'll fix it
better later. But this is these are main streets over
and even Manor Street, Interstate four eighty that loops around
(39:56):
the west side of downtown. And of course if if
you're rebuilding, if you're taking down the bridges above the
interstate and rebuilding those bridges, it's going to impact traffic
on four to eighty as well as those who take Farney, Farney,
Wow Harney or Farnham take those downtown. So how do
(40:18):
we do all of this? Why are we doing all
of this? And you know, for an upcoming city election
where so much of the attention is going to be
on two candidates with seemingly different views of the streetcar.
That's Omaha or Jean Stothart, pro streetcar and former Fire
Union president, fire Union leader, Fire chief State legislator Mike McDonell,
(40:44):
who really hasn't let his thoughts on the streetcar itself
be known. He's just said we should let the city
of Omaha vote on a streetcar. Well, a lot of
what's happened with the streetcar, including dollars allocated, this has
already happened. But if they're talking about early next year
these bridges being demolished and rebuilt, it's going to take
(41:08):
about a year to finish all of this. If you're
talking about traffic on Harney and Farnham and four eighty
below it, if you're talking about the city the people
of Omaha having their commutes disrupted by all of this
in the name of the streetcar at a time when
(41:28):
we're having city elections that may have something to do
with the streetcar, I can't imagine that it's going to
work well for those who are pro streetcar to ask
the people who are having their morning and afternoon or
you know, going downtown to see a ballgame or a
concert or whatever whatever, that traffic is disrupted by this, Hey,
(41:52):
then go vote. Do you like the streetcar. I don't
care about the streetcar. I like being able to travel
on four to eighty and not have to be diverted
to where take I eighty to tenth Street and hang
a left and go all the way down that way?
Do I take Elevenworth and go down there? It's not impossible,
But people don't like having their routes changed, especially since
(42:16):
it sounds like we're talking about, as Lucy put it,
and we're not experts here on the street car. And
I'm trying not to be anti streetcar on this radio program.
I'm trying to approach all of this with an open mind.
But it seems to me that if you're just putting
some rails on the street, that you don't have to
(42:38):
redo the whole bridge. Right, How heavy is this streetcar?
Is it heavier than all the truck traffic and car
traffic goes across this bridge? And then they say, hey,
when the bridges are done, it's going to have all
kinds of really great things going for you're gonna have
a streetcar, you're gonna have a vehicle lane, you're gonna
have sidewalks, and you're gonna have a bike lane.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
This is gonna be a big bridge.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
Well, the bike lane is also part of the right
lane of traffic, which I anticipate, I don't know if
it'll also be the streetcar. If you got two lanes,
i'd put the streetcar lane in the left lane, because
the curb lane is often the one that gets the potholes,
and you don't want to be filling in potholes around
streetcar rails, So you put it there in the center lane.
(43:23):
But then where do you shuffle all the snow off to?
All that snow usually goes into that center lane for
some of these downtown streets. It almost sounds like maybe
having a streetcar on rails in an area that has
a lot of problems with snow and sinkholes and potholes
probably isn't the greatest idea ever. And maybe you could
accommodate all of this with a trolley that goes along
(43:45):
with regular traffic. But what if you do a trolley,
then how are the businesses who are setting up along
the streetcar line going to know where the trolley? They
want something permanent, They want to twenty points six million dollars.
I don't know who pays for that. Oh, here's something else,
(44:05):
they said. He said, well, you know, we're buying these
streetcars from this company in Spain that makes streetcars. And
if Trump ends up slapping a tariff on all these
goods that come from overseas, we might have to pay
twenty five percent more thanks to a Trump tariff on
these streetcars. So get ready for that expense as well.
(44:27):
Though we talk a lot about what Trump says versus
what he actually wants. I don't know that Trump has
an opinion on the street cars or whether there'll be
a streetcar tariff. Are there enough streetcars being imported into
America that it would be a big money boon for
America to slap a twenty five percent tariff on all
(44:49):
these street cars we're getting. So Mayri Stothart, in the
story here from k ETV News Watch seven says, see
the streetcar project is redeveloping downtown at a rapid pace
where and she says no public vote is required because
no general tax dollars are being used. There's no property
(45:11):
tax levy increased to pay for any of the streetcar project.
And what's Mike McDonald gonna tell these people, I'm just
gonna stop all this. And you've got to quit all
this development. That's not the way the mayor should be
handling the city. That's the quote from Mayors Douthor to
k E TV Newswatch seven with this story. It is
(45:33):
interesting that McDonald says, well, I think the people of
Omaha should vote on a street car. I don't see
any possible scenario where the people of Omaha vote from mayor.
If you've got one candidate, and I know there's more
than two candidates in this mayor's race, the other ones
are jumping up and down saying, well, anyone pay attention
(45:55):
to me. I'm John Ewing, I'm the treasurer. I'm a
good guy. You know. It's more than just Stothard and
McDonald certainly, But you've got Stothard saying full steam ahead
on street cars. You got McDonald's saying I think the
people of Omaha should vote on this. Is there a
scenario where the people of Omaha vote from mayor, vote
(46:17):
for McDonald. McDonald has a vote on the street car,
and then those same people vote and say, yeah, I
like the idea of a streetcar. Wouldn't the vote for mayor,
wouldn't the vote for Stothard be a vote for the
street car. If McDonald tends to be anti streetcar, wouldn't
that vote be the same vote? I don't know. They
(46:38):
say early next year these bridges will be demolished and rebuilt,
and it's going to impact not just those roads, but
also for eighty underneath. That's Lucy just preparing your upcoming Migraine.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
Oh, well, you know, here in Omaha, we're pretty used
to the expansive roadwork that happens every day. This is
every year. But no, there isn't even really a construction
season anymore.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
I know. Couldn't you just identify one or two spots
and have all the road companies just work really hard
on those spots and finish those up before you move
on to the other nineteen projects that just sit there.
We had one in our neighborhood where they came out
there and did some work in the street and then
put all the cones up and put everything down to
one lane. Well, the roadwork underneath was very clearly done
(47:32):
for a long time, so I'm pretty sure the city
the neighbors there in my neighborhood just came out and
moved all the cones and traffic stuff off onto the curb.
They're like, we want to use this street.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
Yeah, and I think that that probably happens more often
than we might like to think.
Speaker 1 (47:50):
Yeah, then the city came and they cleaned all their stuff.
Speaker 2 (47:52):
Yeah, because you did.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
Or my wife sold it on Facebook marketplace. I'm not
really sure. Scott Boy Mornings nine to eleven, Our News
Radio eleven ten kfab
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