The Rod and Greg Show: Gov't Shutdown Plan; Nations Economy; We're Winning

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm Rod Arquette, I'm citizen Greg Hughes. Ready to start
off a Thursday afternoon on your drive home or whatever
you're doing in this afternoon. Yeah, we want to be
a part of it here on Utah's Talk Radio one
on five nine can Arrests. We've got a great show
for you today.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah, we do day two of the government shutdown.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Yeah, we know, no, No, I'm sure at some point
we're all going to feel it, I guess. But you know,
they can't do more damage if they're not there, right,
that's true. They mess up more stuff.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
That's true. I think, Greg, my personal bit, I think
the Democrats are looking for a way out.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
Well, I don't know how they don't. I don't know
when it's going to dawn on them that this little
this whatever they're trying isn't working. And again I'm surprised
it didn't work because it usually works.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
And I just I just hope Greg, that those weak
need Republican senators don't cave in on anything. You know,
if they do, they'll hear the wrath of Trump right away.
Trump will stand his ground for as long as he wants.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah, you know, the The Godfather movie and the than
the weak sun Fredo Fredo So one of our guests
on the show, Kurt Schlickter, he's a great calmnist friend
of the show. We love him. He got kicked off
a British show because he's just too too sharp for him.
They couldn't handle him anyway. He calls the weak Republicans Fredocons.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
Well, that's it's probably true.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah, we have to get the Fredocons on board with Trump,
and that's you know, and I think that So to
your point about we the Republicans stay, of course you're
in there. You're you're on the side of angels. And
anyone who says, well, if the Republicans control the House
and the Senate and in the White House, why is
the government shut down? Because in the Senate you need
sixty votes, which he inherently requires Democrats to vote in

(01:35):
the Senate. So it's yes, we do control the branches
of government, but you do have to have Democrats vote
for it, and you had three last time, but you
need five more.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
And the funny thing is, of course the Democrats are
they want some of Obamacare subsidies put back in. That's
what it comes down to because those subsidies would pay
for Medicaid, would pay for people who are not in
this country legally, right. I think you you asked most
American taxpayers, do you want your money going to help
pay for the health care of someone who shouldn't be

(02:08):
here in the first place.

Speaker 4 (02:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
I wish I could be in that negotiation. I would
just say, would you like us to put that back?
Would you like it?

Speaker 5 (02:15):
No?

Speaker 1 (02:16):
No, move on, no, we are going to not doing it.
It has to do that, really, would you like that? No?

Speaker 4 (02:22):
No?

Speaker 1 (02:23):
And and they have this other thing where they say
they unambiguously lie that this is somehow giving free health
care to illegal immigrants. It's in it's in print. Yes,
it's in the bill they proposed that they wanted to
pass that would put it, they would give it to them.
It's it's what I mean. There's just you can go
look up the websites of the multiple states that say
you don't have to be a documented resident here. You

(02:44):
can be an undocumented immigrant and you can get a
full health care in Colorado and all over. I mean,
it's not just emergency rooms, there's full fledged insurance health
insurance packages for illegals in America.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
So anyway, Well, the Demo, the Democrats are getting caught
on this a little times. Now it's someone we love
on this show. Whatever she comes on, we have a
SoundBite with her. Makes our day. We're talking about Maxine Waters.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Oh, yes, she's always a favorite.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Now. She was interviewed yesterday on the steps of the
Capitol and asked about aid to illegals.

Speaker 4 (03:16):
Here's what she said, But are Democrats demanding healthcare for
illegal aliens?

Speaker 6 (03:19):
That's right, Democrats are demanding healthcare for everybody?

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Everybody every well does everybody mean illegal aliens? So I
guess all right.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
Here's where it's not such. This bridge is not that
far now. All you have to go back to is
the last Democrat primary they had, which would have been
back in twenty and every single this is back when
all the canids are still in the rural rail There
is like a packed stage and the question is asked,
would you extend healthcare benefits Obamacare to illegal immigrants or

(03:51):
undocumented whatever? She asked by a show of hands. Every
single hand of every single candidate went up in the
air and they all said yes. So when they tell
tell us you know what they believe, we need to
believe them. This is not this is what they're saying, Wow,
we would never do this, you said you would, you
have I don't know what's left to talk about. So

(04:11):
I think it's a very strange denial they're trying to
make right now. Yeah, there's just too many receipts everywhere.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
Well, then you have California Congressman Rocan, who you know,
said some interesting things at times. Yes, listen how he
described healthcare for illegal aliens.

Speaker 7 (04:26):
In terms of healthcare, The reality is they're just not
being honest. The amount of money that actually is going
towards that people who are undocumented is such a small
portion of the Medicaid cuts or the Affordable Care Act,
if at all, And so we can argue that point.
But the reality that even the Vice President would acknowledge,

(04:48):
that anyone who looks at the numbers will acknowledge, is
ninety to ninety five percent of the funding we're talking
about is talking about funding for American citizens.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
So did he just admit greg that maybe five percent
of the money is actually going to provide health care
for illegal aliens. I think that's what he just said.
It's a small amount, but apparently it's happening.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
Well, and then once you get on that little slippery slope,
you just keep sliding. Because first it was none. It's
not true, it's unambiguously it's an unambiguous lie to say
this is going now it's well, it's just a little bit.
It just little. Now, look if you start staring close enough,
that little bit gets bigger.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
And bigger and bigger.

Speaker 1 (05:25):
And I'm telling you it's it's they again, it's an
indefensible position for them to have to try and say
that this isn't giving free health care to illegal aliens,
because it is. It absolutely is, and they like it.
By the way, since Obamacare passed, I saw this stat
it's just so depressing our healthcare premus, you know, the
people that pay for their health care. Yes, they've gone

(05:46):
up eighty percent since the passage of Obamacare. How on
earth is that even? I mean, that is the opposite
of what Obamacare was advertised to have done. And we
have eighty percent higher healthcare premiums NOW health insurance premiums
NOW than we had before Obamacare started. I mean, that's
a failure. That's I mean, I don't even know what

(06:07):
we're talking again, when they talk about wanting to spend more.
It doesn't even reduce anyone's health care costs. No, no one,
you know.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
And what's so funny about this, Greg, Obamacare has basically
been a disaster. Yesky, Where is the media reporting on this,
looking into every aspect of what they of what Obamacare
promised and seeing if it's being fulfilled. It is not.
It is like you said, rates are up, hard to
find doctors in some cases, I mean, you name it.
It is not working the way they said it would.

(06:36):
But nobody's examining that, and they should be.

Speaker 1 (06:38):
And some of the people that they're saying we want
to restore it, they want to go to those COVID
years where the household income went up to like four
hundred thousand a year to cover the Obamacare. Well, look,
healthcare insurance is expensive, and I know why people don't
want to necessarily pay it. But having the government pay
it is making everything worse. It's just magnifying all of
our problems. Yeah, anyway, it's it's There isn't anything that

(07:00):
Democrats promise by way of delivery of health care that
has actually worked the way they said. But we've seen
our deficits balloon, We've seen the taxpayer money go through
the roof, and our premiums that we pay is those
that pay for health care insurance have gone up eighty
percent on average.

Speaker 2 (07:15):
I mean, well, here's the thing, too, greg The Republicans
are simply saying, right now, let us take spending back
to pre COVID days. It's all they're trying to do
right now, right, I mean, the amount of money we're
spending has gone up like two trillion dollars in a
matter of five years. Just take it back to those
pre COVID levels. That's all they're asking for, right. Yes,

(07:36):
Democrats are fighting. It's just another sign they just want
bigger and bigger and bigger government and expensive government on
the backs of the American taxpayers.

Speaker 1 (07:45):
And they want to give these benefits to people that
they're not here legally, that at the expense of everyday Americans.
And that's I think the biggest defense. And I think
that they're playing a game of subtraction. I don't know why.
I mean, this is the first shutdown that I can
remember where the Democrats weren't painted as the bad guys
and it was selling that way. I mean, it's always
been an argument of spending less versus spending more. Republicans

(08:08):
don't want to spend as much. Regardless of where the
majorities lie. If it was ging Rich and Congress and
Clinton in the White House, whatever this, whatever the combination was,
it was always the Republican's fault. That is not the way. No,
it's it is a that it is and or being perceived.
I think the American people are onto these democrats.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
I just love that it's being called the Schumer shutdown.

Speaker 4 (08:30):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (08:31):
He cannot he cannot stand this. It is driving him
up the wall.

Speaker 1 (08:36):
It is. And he said. They said, well, you're doing
it because you don't want to be prime. You don't
want to go into a primary at AOC. So they
asked her and she said, well, come in my office
and we'll negotiate it. Did you see that wasn't a no,
I'm not running against them. That was okay, if you
want to bring up my name, I'll come in and
negotiate this with you.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
And did you see that she's now facing the wrath
of Nancy. Well, Nancy has come out and said, you know,
she's she's exciting. We love her, but she shouldn't have
done it. Love it, we do too, all right, Utah
Congressman Mike Kennedy is going to be joining us. Scheduled
to join us. He's got an idea on what can
be done about the government shutdown. We'll talk about that

(09:15):
coming out next on the Thursday afternoon edition of The
Roding Gregg Show, right here on Utah's Talk radio one
oh five nine knrs. The impact of the shutdown? What
kind of an impact is it going to have on
the market on some very critical economic reports, one expected
to come out tomorrow, we'll see if in fact it does,
and on the economy in general. Steve Moore will be
joining us at the bottom of the hour. We'll be

(09:37):
talking about that right here on the Rodding Gregg Show.

Speaker 1 (09:39):
Okay, joining us on the program. Making some headlines today
or yesterday. Congressman Mike Kennedy is joining us on the program.
He's talking about government shutdowns and whether there's a way
to stop the brinkmanship and make it and make him
actually illegal to shut down the government. Congressman Kennedy, Welcome
to the Rod and Gregg Show.

Speaker 6 (09:58):
Thanks, how are you fellows on.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
Good very interesting concept here, walk us through how would
that work? How would you prevent a government shutdown? Through
a law the pass.

Speaker 6 (10:09):
Well, I just the funny thing about this is you're
working today. I'm working today. Everybody's working today, except the
federal government is shut down. And I think it's nonsense
the way either party can weaponize this. People see it
as a tool that they can use try to leverage
the other side. But it's not healthy for us to
constantly have these self induced tragedies. And so in this case,

(10:31):
let's pass the law. It says, if we are not
going to agree to a budget, then let's just continue
with a continued resolution. We'll just continue current funding. And actually, Greg,
I'll point out Rod, you know this as well, as
we always pass a base budget and the state legislature
for just this purpose that somebody's not going to leader,
which we know did happen in the past, or the
governor held hostage. The budget is to pass the base budget,

(10:54):
which is all the current funding just as it is.
You're not increasing anything, not changing anything. And so if
we passed a lot that way, we've got a continued
resolution that just automatically drops in. We don't have to
deal with these self induced disasters that constantly seem to
come up.

Speaker 1 (11:08):
So let me ask you I love the idea, and
I do feel of it. I see where you're getting
the origin from it, because as a state legislature, we
took that whole brinkmanship out of the equation entirely a
number of years ago. But let me ask you this,
for those that are budget hawks that want to see reductions,
if you had an automatic status quo of the of
of current spending, does that create a disincentive to cut

(11:30):
if if if it will just continue on the way
it is without without a vote.

Speaker 6 (11:36):
Yeah. I watch the state budget as well, Greg, So
what would happen is every year, it seems like on
the state budget we spend more and more money. And
in fact, I've heard estimates on the federal side that
if we just did the current federal budget, we just
let that go for the next ten years, we'd say
five hundred billion dollars because every year that we do
a continued resolution with your marks on it, or if

(11:57):
we were to happen to pass the budget, which we
haven't done for thirty years, we always spend more money.
And you see that on the state side, you see
it on the federal side. So that idea, and I
agree with my conservative friends there's a lot of people
out there is to say, oh, let the government shut down.
It doesn't impact me, and it doesn't make any difference
because most of the ways we're spending money aren't useful
to us. But it's one of these things we have

(12:19):
to attend to at a minimum. We have to spend
a lot of time on these things, and it's not healthy.
There's other things we could be working on. But we
would say five hundred billion dollars estimator over the next
ten years if we just continued current spending well, which
is those numbers are enormous.

Speaker 2 (12:33):
Yeah, Congressman Kennedy, it seems like we're going through this
every you know, three months, six months, nine months, whatever.
Do you think you think do you think the American
people are just getting sick of the silly season? I mean,
because it is getting seck I know, I.

Speaker 6 (12:44):
Am I thanks for asking that, because if I ran
a business the way that we're doing the federal government,
I would never have any customers. You both are working fellows.
You know how it is. Your listeners are working people.
We can't continue to have these shutdowns happening, and whether
people agree with it or not, it's a weapon that
either side is using. And it's one of those things

(13:05):
that there's got to be ways to work around. And
another proposal, and I've opened a bill file on this
is no work, no pay. If the Congress can't come
to an agreement, legislators will not be paid. Our job
is to attend to the issues and the American people.
And if we're not going to pass the budget, and
if we continue to try to shut the government down,
fine you're gonna your own salary will also be held

(13:26):
as well as all these furloughed employees or not getting
their paychecks.

Speaker 4 (13:30):
You know.

Speaker 1 (13:30):
I love that is that I've never seen, especially in
the Senate. I'll always blame the Senate. I've never seen
them move faster than when there's August recesses at risk. Boy,
they can get a lot done. And if they just
to preserve that August recess, just take their paychecks and
see what they do. I think that's actually really good
text vacation.

Speaker 6 (13:47):
That's a great point is if we take something, you know,
hit them where it hurts. I mean money hurts and
time hurts. And that's the other thing that I get
disappointed with is we always create these government shutdowns around
holidays or times that people are planning on going home
and being with their family, with their constituents, and I
just don't think it's a healthy pad or not. I'll
say as I've said to you fellas before, is I

(14:08):
have eight kids. I know what shenanigans look like, and
this is just sananigans. It's not helpful to either side,
and it's certainly not helpful to the American people.

Speaker 1 (14:16):
So you I think I was spoiled working serving in
a state legislature where you could actually pass bills, balance
budgets every single year because we don't print money, and
you've been part of that. We were colleagues for quite
some time. You went you sold out and went to
the state Senate, which I forget you bet I'll never
understand it, but right, but you have the muscle memory

(14:37):
to pass legislation, important legislation. But now you're in the swamp.
Can a bill like yours actually have legs? Can you
get a bill like that pass? Do you think, Congressman?

Speaker 6 (14:46):
Very unlikely? And in fact, even I passed a bill
off the House floor four hundred and two to zero,
and I'm not even sure that the Senate will get
a unanimous bill like that out of the Senate floor.
And the point for you and your listeners is that
it's not just getting it off the House floor with
the majority of two hundred and eighteen. You have to
get sixty votes in the Senate. And it seems like
unless it's something as simple as we like ice cream

(15:08):
and chocolate, then you're just not going to get sixty
votes in the Senate very easily. So we have to
find common ground where we can. But that's sixty vote
threshold in the Senate is a real challenge for many
controversial bills.

Speaker 2 (15:21):
Congressman, we know you've got a meeting come up, so
we'll get out of here and let's get to your meeting.
We appreciate a few minutes of your time. Thank you.

Speaker 6 (15:28):
It's always a pleasure.

Speaker 1 (15:29):
Hey, thanks so much.

Speaker 2 (15:30):
All right, you taugh. Congressman Mike Kennedy talking about the
government shutdown today in the Washington Examiner Byron York, who
I think does an absolutely fantastic job, wrote a article
today and he kind of broke this down greg saying
the shutdown fight is critical in the expansion of government,
and he ended it this way. Total federal spending in
twenty nineteen, the last before COVID was four point four

(15:53):
five trillion dollars. In fiscal twenty four it was six
point seventy five trillion dollars. That is an increase of
fifty two percent in just five years.

Speaker 1 (16:04):
Well, can I give you a stat My last session
was as a state lawmaker in the House, as Speaker
of the House, we passed a budget that was fifteen
billion dollars. Today, the last budget passed and the legislature's
state budget is thirty wow billion. Yeah, there you go
fifteen to thirty and that's in eight years. So that's
a little bit before COVID. But that gives you to

(16:27):
the Congressman at Kennedy's point, when you do that we're
going to keep it at a current level. It may
sound like, well, you might not cut as much as
you want because it's at a current level, but that
all gravity is moving to just more and more and
more spending and more spending. And if you could just
even hold serve, you'd be doing pretty well well.

Speaker 2 (16:47):
And a lot of this comes down to Obamacare and
the fact that Obamacare has been a total failure. Yeah,
and you American people don't realize that this is what
Byron said. He said, Republicans n back in twenty ten,
i'macare was signed, once established in law, which it is now,
would never expire and never become anything other than more expensive.

(17:08):
And that's exactly what has happened.

Speaker 1 (17:10):
When I got there, public education was the highest state
portion of our state budget was for public education K
through twelve. It's now health and human services because of
Obamacare expansion. I mean, our it's just blown our state
budget right the doors off of it. And you know,
it's so anyway, that's it. So we feel that as
a state, even what Byron New York's talking about. Federally,

(17:31):
we have the same issue in the state of Utah.

Speaker 2 (17:33):
Amazing all right, when we come back the shutdown and
the impact on the nation's economy. Steve Morri will join
us coming up next right here on the Thursday afternoon
edition of The Rod and Greg Show on Talk Radio
one oh five nine kN ars great interview with the Congress.

Speaker 1 (17:50):
I would love to see them not paid when this
stuff shuts down, because look, I'm not kidding. When it
comes up to that August recess, boy, they are like
cats on a hot tin roof. Boy, they are just ants.
And around they were going to get anything done to
get to August recess. Well, you know, start holding the
paychecks back, see if they can get some motivation to
get something done. I love that idea.

Speaker 2 (18:11):
Well, Senate Democrats right now are demanding that Congress resume Medicaid, Medicare,
and Affordable Care Act premium subsidy policies for them to
go along with this budget plan, and that just ray
what is it? The cost would be? What about one
point five trillion dollars to spending. Also included in that
is money for public broadcasting. That way you're going to
get rid of public broadcasting or privatize it so to speak.

Speaker 1 (18:35):
Right, we did?

Speaker 4 (18:35):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (18:36):
Well, joining us on our newsmaker line now, a man
who's been through a lot of these are good friend.
Steve Moore, a top economist with the first Trump administration,
still advises the president on a lot of economic isshoots.
He also has a great email, a newsletter I guess
that comes out every morning. The Committee to Unleash Prosperity
is really good. You should get it. Sign up for it.

(18:58):
Steve's joining us now. Steve, thanks for joining us today.
Your thoughts on day two of this government shutdown.

Speaker 4 (19:04):
Well, you know, I've been in this business now for
almost forty years, so I've lived through I don't know,
fifteen or sixteen of these shutdowns. There are usually much
to do about nothing, you know. The economy takes a
little bit of hit every Friday morning, the first Friday
of every month, at eight thirty am Eastern time. I'm

(19:25):
on with Maria Boat at Rome in the morning looking
at the jobs numbers. But I'm hearing now tomorrow and
we may not get a job refoor. So it's but listen,
this is the Schumer shutdown. There's no question that Chuckie
Schumer wanted to shut down the government because he thought
he could give the Republicans a black eye. But it
looks like the guy who's got the black eye as Schumer.

(19:46):
And he's already lost three of the Senate Democrats. If
they have a vote tomorrow, I think he could lose
you know a number of more because he doesn't have
any ground to stand on. He wants the trillion and
a half dollars of savings out out of the budget
we passed the big beautiful bill. He wants to rescind
all of that, which would send the debt up into

(20:06):
the stratusfoury even higher than it is. And you know, look,
we have got to start cutting government spending, and we
got to cut this deficit, and so now is not
the time to be adding new spending in Incidentally, the
other group that's very much in favor of this lockdown
is the health insurance companies because they make so much

(20:27):
money off of these programs. So I think that Trump
hassed the public with them, and I think that at
some point Chuck Schumer is going to have to blank.

Speaker 1 (20:35):
You know, Steve, if you were looking at past performance,
and you looked at the Clinton years, and you looked
at Obama, and you looked at even Trump in the
last and twenty nineteen, it looked like the Democrats with
the regime media, were always able to make the Republicans
look like the bad players or the bad actors. But
whether they were in the majority of the minority, it
always boiled down to spending more, spending less. So how

(20:57):
is it that because I sensed that the the Democrats
are not getting this similar playbook, that the Republicans are
the familiar foe. It looks like the Democrats are being
looked at as the ones that are shutting it down
because they are. But what's the difference this time? Do
you think what's the difference? Though?

Speaker 4 (21:11):
That's good? I think that Yeah, Well, I think that
Chuck Schumer overplayed his hand. He seemed eager to want
to shut down the government, and every time, you know,
they would reject that. Trump said, let's do you know
a fourteen day extension. They said no because they wanted to,
As I said, they wanted to make recruiting Republicans look

(21:33):
bad and they believed that they would win this political
battle because they usually do. But in this case, uh,
not so much, because I think Trump has handed very well.
The other big issue, of course, is whether Trump will
have the authority now with his budget Director Russell brought
to actually, you know, permanently shut some of these programs
and permanently lay off some of these people. I mean,

(21:53):
what a better way to drain the swap of that.

Speaker 2 (21:57):
Do you think he'll pull the plug on this, Steve?
Do you think he he'll do it? You mean Russ
spot or yeah, Russ spot, and he'll look at these
agents and said, we don't need them, let's get rid
of them.

Speaker 4 (22:09):
Well, I think he's gonna make a go for it.
Trump wants to do that, even send out a social
media tweet on truth saying, yeah, well just get rid
of these programs. And in other words, if you've got
an enterprise of business that's losing two trillion dollars a year,
you better start start to find ways to cut extraneous spending.
And you know instantly. I think you guys know this,
but a lot of Americans don't that these federal employees

(22:31):
they get paid even though they don't have to go
to work. It's like a paid vacation for them.

Speaker 1 (22:36):
So your institutional memory is long, your knowledge is great.
I love the idea that you can if they're gonna,
if they're if the government shuts down, you can use
it as an opportunity to deliver some pink slips. But
will it stick? Do you think some most will come back?
Do you think that these are just pauses or do
you think there's some real cuts or changes that will
that will stay permanent even when we the government gets

(22:59):
back going again.

Speaker 4 (23:01):
Well, we've already reduced the federal workforce by about two
hundred and fifty thousand people, and so that's a big reduction,
and I think we could probably cut another couple hundred thousand.
I think he has the authority to do that. So
I think he is going to use this opportunity to
permanently give people a pink And we were ready used
to call him pink slips. Ye, and thank you for

(23:22):
your service, but we don't need you anymore in and
you know that's what's necessary because under Biden, what we
had was you know, when we get those jobs report, Yeah,
we got jobs numbers because it was all in government.
And now we're trying to get rid of those people
and build the private sector jobs. That's where we want them.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
Yeah, Steve, I heard maybe just a little wiggle room
earlier today from Center Chris Coons, who said, you know,
even if we just get a promise that we'll address
some of these health issues, there may be some wiggle
room here. Do you think there is any you know,
first of all, do you think the Republicans are going
to stand strong? And are the some Democrats now looking
for an off ramp?

Speaker 4 (24:00):
Uh? You know, we'll see. It's always hard to tell. Yeah.

Speaker 8 (24:02):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (24:03):
And and I think that what is likely to happen
is that they will make a few compromises on the
healthcare stuff, because you know a lot of these Republicans,
you know, the people there there are some people gonna
lose health insurance, but most of the people are gonna lose
health insurance are the people who are illegal immigrants or
the people who are able bodied who don't want to

(24:24):
you know, don't want to work. And so that you know,
Trump is saying, if you're you're going to get this
free healthcare, you better you better get a job. And
so there are going to be a few compromises, but
Trump is going to win here.

Speaker 2 (24:35):
Steve Moore, chief economists at the Heritage Foundation, also with
his own committee do on Leash Prosperity. Greg, I'm just hoping,
and maybe I'm being wrong here, but I just I
don't want Republicans to compromise. I really don't. I don't
want them to compromise in any way. Stand your ground.

Speaker 1 (24:52):
And there's there's not well there is there really isn't
I think that what? What can they continue to resolute?
It's not even a by I mean, you got to
get to some point where you're actually putting a budget together.
All they're trying to do is negotiate the continuing resolution.
There's nothing by way of increased spending. They should be
entertaining because they passed the big beautiful bill, the Recisions Package.

(25:13):
They shouldn't reverse back from those things that was progress
made in what what was that before? It was July? Okay,
here we sit it in September. You don't, it's not
it's not time to reverse any of that. It's time
to keep moving forward. And I wouldn't. There's these are
not negotiable positions. I don't think, and I don't think
that the Republicans are in a position where they have
to the American people. I don't want health care for

(25:34):
illegal immigrants. They don't want they don't want people that
they raised the household income to get free health care. Well,
we're all paying through the nose for our healthcare, our
health insurance right now. There is nothing that they're looking
to do I think is anything that the Republicans should
get behind it. They need five, They got three, they
need five more that are going to feel that the
common sense constituents they represent are done with them holding

(25:56):
out for things that doesn't help them but helps other
peopeople that are not even residents of our country.

Speaker 2 (26:02):
Yeah, well, and I think I just I hope they
stand strong and we'll we'll see if they do. But
like you said, all we needs five more, get us
five more folks, and we'll be there.

Speaker 1 (26:12):
Yeah. And I think I think that at some point
they're going to fill it back when you see a wall.
We'll get into it later. But the Wall Street Journal
op ed by Ram Emmanuel, former Clinton Stafford but then
mayor more recently mayor of Chicago. He's trying to get
into this common space, common sense space. Yet, I mean,
he says, we're done talking about bathrooms. He's got a

(26:33):
lot to say. We'll see if the base is going
to throw him out around a rail, but he is.
He understands too that what what the Democrats are doing
right now could not be more self defeating and more
of a of a game of subtraction. And so anyway,
I think when you see voices like that emerge, and
you see John Cenderman, John Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania

(26:54):
and what he's saying, uh, voting for the Continuing Resolution,
I think that I I think that they're gonna You're
they're gonna find five.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
Are our voices like Fetterman and like Romney Manuel, are
they strong enough, loud enough to quiet down the radical
left in the party. I don't believe, not the.

Speaker 1 (27:11):
Rador, but you got to believe that those that Senate
caucus they're not all radical, and they answer to constituents,
and so I think in some of those states, uh,
they're they're going to sooner or later they're going to
have to vote for this cry.

Speaker 2 (27:27):
All right, We've got a lot more to get to.
On the Thursday afternoon edition of The Rod and Gregg
Show on Talk Radio one oh five nine k n RS,
we've got an update now for you on the controversy
surrounding that American flag at Black Rock there on the
south end of the Great Salt Lake. Remember the what
was it a couple of weeks ago, we talked about this,
got a lot of a lot of people expressing support

(27:48):
for just leaving it alone, right remember that.

Speaker 1 (27:50):
Yeah, I was right after. It was after the assassination
of Charlie Kirk, and it seemed to feel like it
was in memory of or an honor of And you
had that plus nine, the nine to eleven you know date. Yeah,
but pr R callers were all in.

Speaker 2 (28:03):
Yeah, there were four and we were too, and we
are too just leave it alone, right, Well, I don't
know what is happed. Fox thirteen is reporting this tonight,
and let me read you this story that I'm seeing
they're posting right now. Officials have confirmed the flagpole at
black Rock, which was returned on Thursday morning, apparently it
went up again this morning, has been removed again. Okay.

(28:24):
The party responsible for moving the flagpole for now the
second time is not confirmed at this time. The controversy
of flag, of course, was raised atop the black Rock
landmark on the Greater Salt Lake is once again blowing
in the wind if just days after the Department of
Natural Resources said the flagpole was damaged and its attached
flag was missing.

Speaker 1 (28:47):
If it's up or down, so yeah, if leftist went
and pulled it down because they hate America, that's one
thing I don't like it. But you know, the way
things are, you could see them doing it. If if
our state have a division of our state with taxpayer money,
spend any time messing around with that flag in terms
of trying to take it down or remove it, I
would think that would be a waste of their time.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
Yeah, both you and I agree. I think they've got
better things to do. Maybe they really do. I think
they do.

Speaker 1 (29:16):
Right, they do. And that's why I'm saying I hope,
I mean, I don't hope. But if it was vandalized,
that's one thing. If state resources and time and energy
was spent to take that flag down, what at an
absolute waste. I mean, I'm not even saying that. It's
you know, you got a hundred things. I guarantee, if
there's a hundred things on your to do list, make

(29:36):
that flag one hundred and one and get back to
it a year from now. If okay, I mean, you
don't have to condone it. Just put it on the
list of things to do and get to it someday. Yeah,
leave it, put it on the bottom of the list exactly.
That's what I'm saying. I'm sure there's a long list
of things they got to go do, So just go
do all that. Leave it alone. Now, if someone went
and defaced it or took it down, then then that's

(29:59):
a different story.

Speaker 2 (30:00):
Well, the US or Utah Forestry, Fire and State Lands
Agency and you know that. So the NCY is about
the flag. But the flag poles Okay, I know what
that means. It sounds like bureaucrats speak. Oh really, our
number two of the rotting Greg Show is on his
way to stay with us.

Speaker 1 (30:20):
Sim rod Arquette, I citizen hughes. Yeah, I think that
what do you want? What do you want to discuss
in this five o'clock hour with our listeners. We have
a cornucopia of options. We can talk about this shutdown,
Yes we have that. There's a lot of a lot
going on there. I I am watching online this argument
that it's actually a Republican lie that you know, healthcare

(30:45):
coverage for illegal immigrants. It doesn't happen, It's not true.
Chuck Schumer put that that post out on x There
is just so much. I mean, all you have to
do is take medical's printed material that says you can
be an illegal immigrant and you can get full of
medical health care coverage. Used to be fifty years of
age and older. Now it's everyone, and that they have

(31:05):
it in Washington and Oregon, New York State, the emergency
rooms across this country. There are so many examples that
I don't even understand how the Democrats are still trying
to make this, this argument that this isn't real. You
played it on the clip of Kahn, the representative of
Congressman Roe con just.

Speaker 2 (31:23):
I it's just a little but he just confirmed what
we're all saying.

Speaker 1 (31:26):
Yeah, and so I just I mean, we so we
can talk about the shutdown and what it means. And
I really like senator or Senator sorry, Congressman Kendy dominion
assault you uh, Congressman Kennedy's idea of not paying these
members of Congress if they can't keep the government open,
but also going back to the base budget until you
do get a real budget. I think that would I
would save the taxpayers a lot of money. Yeah, But

(31:49):
you know, then the other issue that I was hoping
to bring up today is this is Ram Emmanuel. He's
a smart Democrat. He's a he's wiley, he he's he's
a guy that was in the Clinton administration and saw
his boss pivot hard to the right when they lost
Congress after forty years in his first term, and he
was the mayor of Chicago, and I don't think it

(32:10):
was as much of a war zone when he was mayor. No,
I think he actually tried to be a mayor. But
he's got some very powerful statements about they have to
get out of it. They got instead of worrying about
what people's pronouns are they got to educate kids to
know what a pronoun is. I think that's a very
good statement. He thinks that education is an issue Democrats
should be focusing on far more than the social issues

(32:32):
and the locker room issues that have been dominating their base.
And so there's that's food for thought as well.

Speaker 2 (32:39):
Yeah, well, I'd like here from our listeners on that, Greg,
But I want to know if they want the Republicans
and the President to stand strong, yeah, not negotiate.

Speaker 1 (32:46):
Was is there's something that should be given to these
Democrats to get those five more votes.

Speaker 2 (32:50):
I don't think there's anything to give to the Democrats.
I think you stand strong and you be leaders. And
I just told you, and I'd love to hear from
our listeners on this. Eighty eight eight five eight zero
one zero on your cell phone dial pound two fifty,
or you can leave us a talkback message by downloading
the iHeartRadio app. But we're in a very very strong position, Greg,
and Conservatives and Republicans and I them the how's passed

(33:14):
the bill? It is really up to the Senate, and
it is those us enitors, many of whom I think Greg,
not only Schumer, but there are probably a couple others
in that crowd on the Democratic side of the aisle
who are afraid of getting primaried next year because there
is a very aggressive, very radical wing in that party
now who basically have said, you don't go along with

(33:35):
what we'll do, and we will primary you, right, And
I think they're worried about that.

Speaker 1 (33:40):
They are, and they think that obstructionists being obstructionists is
somehow going to win them support in the elections. Well,
let's find out, yeah, because I don't think that's the case.
And I think that the president is well positioned and
the Republicans are well positioned to hold the line. Again,
it's not compete eating budget proposals. This is until you

(34:03):
can negotiate something that can would look like a budget,
you just keep you keep the spending at at pace.
How on the earth is that an untenable position? That's actually,
if anything, you'd want the Republicans to go, Well, if
you're going to just say no, then let's just cut more.
I'll give you a continuing resolution. I'll do I don't
want to, I'll get we'll make it skinnier. I mean,
if nos, no, just go down lower and now ask

(34:25):
for their votes if they want to continue it on.
I mean, I just think that that. I don't know.
It will be interesting to find out if if them Republicans,
because you know, we talk a lot about shutdowns, but
what we don't talk about are the averted shutdowns. Yes,
where Republicans constantly gave in in the brinkmanship and they
decided to spend more. It happens all the time, and

(34:47):
it drives me crazy. When you know, rhinos whatever you
want to call the I like Kirk Schlickter's phrase of Fredocons,
like Fredo from The Godfather, Fredocons, the Republican fredocons that
are afraid of everyone and weak. They just went along
with the Democrats and spent more because they didn't want
to shut down the government. So there's been It's not
just how many government shutdowns we've had, it's how many

(35:10):
the Democrats have pushed if you don't go along with
their reckless spending that we've had Republicans say, well, we
can't do it, so let's go ahead and spend more.
That's just not sustainable. It's just not And now we're
in a position where we're not asking, we're not having
to say no to their their spendethon We're saying, here's
the continued resolution that you already voted for in March

(35:32):
or what what what what month was it? It was.

Speaker 2 (35:35):
No, I think January, January, March somewhere, let's say earlier
this year.

Speaker 1 (35:40):
Yeah, they they've already voted for this in that at
that time, and then Schumer got a lot of grief
for from it from his base. But that's just nothing's changed.
And if they want to shut the government down on it,
I think it's it's on them, and I think uniquely
it's being covered accurately in the media, and I don't
think that they're getting a lot of winning a lot
of friends, uh in America with their decision to shut

(36:01):
down the wall.

Speaker 2 (36:02):
I'm just hoping that Republicans stands strong and we want
to hear from you if you agree, because I think
you just stand for I don't think your budget. I
don't think you move, I don't think you negotiate. You
have a resolution past the House. All the Senate has
to do is put it, stamp over approval on it,
and we can move forward. And I think that's exactly
what Republicans in the Senate should do to the phones
we go. We talked with Dave in Sandy tonight here

(36:23):
on the Rodden Gregg Show. Hi, Dave, how are.

Speaker 3 (36:25):
You very good? Thanks for taking my call. You asked
the question. I would tell him to stand total, tell
and stand firm and back down on this a bit.
But furthermore, I think that if they can't balance the budget,
these congressman shouldn't be able to run next term. Either
get a balanced or get out. Let's get somebody there
that can do it.

Speaker 2 (36:45):
You know, a great suggestion, Dave. How long has it been, Greg,
since we've had a budget in this country?

Speaker 1 (36:52):
Was it a budget? It's been a long time. A
balanced budget, it was the balleng But just a budget,
just a budget. Yeah, I would have to look off
the top of my head. I don't know, because they
just kicked the can down the road every time. I
will say though, that the only last budget bounced budgets
when you had a new king Rich Congress and you
had you had a Clinton who was pivoting to the right,

(37:12):
trying to say the air of big government is over.
They bounced the budget.

Speaker 2 (37:15):
They did, Yeah they did. And so in pace We're
talking with Adam tonight here on the rodden. Greg Show, Hi, Adam,
how are you? What are your thoughts on this? Adam?

Speaker 9 (37:23):
Oh, I've got a couple of them. I've got a
question as well. Okay, first off, I just look in
the past when the Republicans were putting their finger to
the wind to see what the public was thinking when
there was any type of discontent, they would think, oh,
we're being too hard. We need to be a little
bit softer, and we ended up with candidates like John McCain.

(37:48):
We have an opportunity here right now. The wind is
at the Conservatives back.

Speaker 6 (37:54):
You do not back down.

Speaker 9 (37:56):
You We've got a lot of ground to cover in
the next three years. We've got to take strides right now.
The Democrats are crumbling. You just let them crumble.

Speaker 1 (38:05):
You don't acknowledge them.

Speaker 9 (38:06):
They're barking dogs, and you just let the wagons roll,
absolutely roll on past them. Now, my question was, we've
got fifty five votes. I'm trying to remember how everything
works in the Senate. But when it was tied and
Kamala had to come in to break the tie, they
did it with a tie. How come with fifty five

(38:28):
were Is it just a filibuster that's keeping us It
is process.

Speaker 1 (38:33):
It's a great question, and this is this is the answer.
So on the Recision Act, that that was a specific
budget where they could where the where the White House
could have say, look, we don't want to spend all
the money. We'd like to you you appropriate this, we'd
like you to take it back, or we don't want
to spend it. That only required fifty one votes. On
the big beautiful bill, which had and this is what
was some of the hang up. It could not be

(38:54):
a budget bill. It had to be I can't remember
what they called this bill, but that it had cuts
in it. But you had to be very careful not
to make it a budget bill per se. It had
to be about policy and that that was a unique
voting situation where they could get that passed by fifty
one votes, but it was a specific kind of bill.
Most legislation, almost all legislation requires sixty votes in the Senate.

(39:16):
And that's when you know, you hear people say, well,
if you control the House in the Senate, in the
White House, then how are the Democrats stopping it? The
Senate good or bad requires sixty votes. So if your
majority is more than fifty, but it's less than sixty.
You have to have Democrats come aboard to be able
to do it, and that's why we are five questions.

Speaker 2 (39:34):
Yes, yeah, yeah, all right, Adam, thank you question. Good good, Adam,
thank you for the question.

Speaker 1 (39:40):
It is an important question.

Speaker 2 (39:41):
Yeah, yeah, you need to right, I mean, Kamala oftentimes
would would step in and cast the deciding vote. This
is kind of a different situation. That's why they need sixty.

Speaker 10 (39:50):
Yep.

Speaker 1 (39:50):
There's there's just a couple of circumstances where a simple
majority can pass. And we've we've we've been seen that
what we did with the Big Beautiful Bill and the
Decisions Act, which both did reduce spending, but they had
to be policy related and they had to have some
other qualifications to it. But almost all bills you heard
in our interview with Senator or Congressman Mike Kennedy, even
his bill needs sixty A bill that passed with four

(40:12):
hundred votes in the House needs sixty in the Senate,
and he's not optimistic he can get sixty in the
Senate because they're so partisan.

Speaker 2 (40:17):
A lot more to come and more your phone calls
right here on the Rod and Greg Show in Utah's
Talk Radio one Oh five nine knrs.

Speaker 1 (40:24):
I'm citizen Greg Hughes.

Speaker 2 (40:25):
Let's go right back to the phones. Greg, as you
work your way home. Tonight we go to West Point
and here from Mark here on the Rod and Greg Show. Mark,
thanks for joining us tonight.

Speaker 4 (40:34):
Good afternoon, gentlemen. I hope you're having a great evening.

Speaker 2 (40:37):
We are, thank you.

Speaker 4 (40:41):
I agree that the Republicans, Conservatives whatever, need to absolutely
no consent, I mean none, There is no gift. We're right,
they're wrong, yep. But with the congressman that called a
second ago, here's here's the only problem that I have

(41:02):
with that is, to you and I one hundred and
seventy or two hundred thousand dollars a year, losing that
amount of money would be great, would kill us.

Speaker 2 (41:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (41:12):
But to these Congress folks with all the other incomes
they've got coming in from how well they're doing in
the stock market or other groups paying them. To me,
that's play money. What they make in Congress is play money.
And that's all I had.

Speaker 2 (41:26):
All right, Mark. A lot of people in Congress are
very wealthy.

Speaker 1 (41:32):
Yeah, and they got wealthy in Congress like poss where
it's like four hundred mili. She must be in her
entire life in that Congress. She has a husband in trades,
you know.

Speaker 2 (41:40):
Yeah, but what myke Kendy is kind of trying to
do it I think partially symbolic, but I think it's
a good It's a good signal to send to the
American people, don't you.

Speaker 1 (41:48):
Yeah, And I'll tell you why. I do think he's
I think Mark is right that there are there are
people in Congress that have learned how scam the system,
but it's not all of them. And I think that
what I saw with the fear, the fear, curious activity
and the work ethic just to get to this August
where they had a month off, it was ridiculous to
see the pep in the step that didn't exist before

(42:10):
you got to the end of July. So if that
means something to them, these these paychecks are going to
mean something to enough of them that they're gonna they're
gonna do something if if August recessments as much as
it does. Let's go to Todd, who's in London. Todd,
thank you for holding Welcome to the Rodd and Greg Show.

Speaker 4 (42:28):
Hey, Thanks guys, love the show.

Speaker 6 (42:30):
Thank you.

Speaker 4 (42:30):
Hey. I just want to add, yes, I think you're
right that Chuck Schumer, he's certainly afraid of being primaried
as well as any of them are. But I think
a bigger part of that is the money. Is the
people that are funding the Democrats are far left wackos
like Soros, and that's they're more probably more afraid of
losing money than they are. But getting primary, What are

(42:52):
your thoughts?

Speaker 2 (42:54):
I would agree with you Dad. You know, money is
the what they call it, the mother's milk of politics,
and they do need that money, and uh, they're the
the I I've heard and read that if AOC Alexandria
Cossio Cortez wants to go for the Senate, money will

(43:15):
not be a problem for her. She is going to
raise it.

Speaker 1 (43:19):
Like bartender man. She bar She doesn't know no no
offense bartenders. I say, if you're a bartender and you're
listening to the show, it's an offense that she had
your job. Okay, I think she has that. You should
be offended that she was. She called herself a bartender.
I don't even know she knows how to make a
gin and tonic. If you want to know the truth,
I think it's and tonic. Yeah, that might be too complex.
I don't think like that. Gen Tonic sounds like a

(43:41):
very complicated recipe for her. So I don't know what
kind of bartender she was. But the idea that there's
no money, money is no object for her to run
for the US Senate. It's very sad, a sad scenario,
But I think money is the issue. I think these wealth,
wealthy billionaires are social engineers. I think they are. They
have a contempt for the everyday American. They want to

(44:01):
see their agenda and their worldview pursued. But I think
specific to Schumer, he does feel the heat of her
breathing down his neck definitely. And look, some of these senators,
once they get in, they don't know how to get out.
In Pennsylvania, we had this great Republican Senator Arle Inspector,
who I grew up respecting as a great Republican United
States senator. When he had spent too much money and

(44:24):
he was losing his support in the Republican Party in Pennsylvania,
and it was clear that polling showed he was not
going to survive a Republican primary after forty plus years there,
he flipped the parties, jumped and Benedict Specter was born,
and you know what he did his first primary on
the Democrat side. They booted him too. They didn't want
them eire so you know, but they just can't get

(44:44):
they can't let it go. Well, they don't know how
to let it go.

Speaker 2 (44:46):
You know what it is, Greg, Now, you're unlike most lawmakers.
You didn't become drunk with power.

Speaker 1 (44:52):
I did not.

Speaker 2 (44:52):
I don't think you did. I didn't you displayed.

Speaker 1 (44:54):
It, Okay, I called the show all the time. You didn't.
You heard me keeping it real.

Speaker 2 (44:59):
But I think you know, especially back in Washington, especially
in the Senate, now the Senate, these are people who
for the most part, have a lot of money to
begin with, like your last college said, but they become
drunk with power and recognition. And they you've been back there,
they are coddled, like you wouldn't believe. Everybody wants to contribute,

(45:20):
everybody wants to be a part of their team. I
just think they become drunk with power and they just
do not want to give it up.

Speaker 1 (45:26):
What I don't understand about that, and I agree with you,
is that they don't exercise a whole lot of power.
If you look at the legislative branch and what it's
supposed to do. Oh yeah, they don't have real committee
hearings where they're actually asking clarifying questions, amending bills in
the committee, passing them out favorably. They don't meet on
the floor collectively to debate those bills and have floor sessions.
Everything that you would imagine, everything that the Constitution expects

(45:50):
the legislative branch to do. You can't find any of that.
I hate to say, in Washington, DC. They do not
conduct themselves like a legislative branch. So what are they so?
What power are they so high on because they don't
do anything. Yeah, it's all performative, it is, really, I think.
All right, more coming up on the Rotten Greg Show
on Utah's Talk Radio one oh five nine ok NRS. Yeah, no,

(46:13):
it's it's I think the highways in the like eighty
low eighties today.

Speaker 2 (46:16):
Was it nice today?

Speaker 3 (46:17):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (46:17):
It started out cool, but it was it was nice
when I came in. Yeah, it's very nice. Yeah, yeah,
let me see. Yeah it's yeah, it's eighty four. It's
a scorcher out there right.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
Now for October. We're in the October already. Ye second
of October.

Speaker 5 (46:29):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (46:29):
Wow, all right, we're talking about the government shutdown. I
think we're on the same page, I believe greg which
doesn't happen all the time. Most times it does, but
sometimes we disagree, and usually you usually win those arguments.
But on this one we agree. You know, it's time
for the Republicans just to get a little lead in
the pencil and just don't cave to these Democrats. As

(46:51):
far as the government is shut down is concerned.

Speaker 1 (46:53):
This isn't even a heavy lift.

Speaker 2 (46:54):
No, it isn't.

Speaker 1 (46:55):
Because we have the American people on our side. I
don't I don't care they're there is nothing. There is
no version of life where it is unreasonable to keep
the government open at current at current spending and not
in the gate. The bills that were passed in July,
of the Big Beautiful Bill and the Recisions Act, which
by the way, you don't get to unilaterally do that.
I just read on some social media thing where they

(47:17):
said it's not constitutional. Recision Act. Ah, the Executive branch
can't just decide not to fund it. It had to
pass Congress. It passed, the Recision Act is presented to
the Congress. They have so many days to do it,
and they have to pass it affirmatively, so they did.
So you know, you can't undo those things. They Democrats.
There was not one Democrat to vote for any of it.

(47:39):
Now they want to they want to play Kings X
and reverse all that those votes in Congress that they
had in July. No, no, don't they There's been no
backlash from this country for the bills that were passed
in the in the in the reform that was done.
Just stay the course. It's easy. And as much as
they're trying to paint as the Republican's fault, I don't

(48:02):
think the American people are buying it this time. I
truly don't. And I've never seen that before. It seems
like it's always, you know, a test of courage. It's,
you know, it's a profile and courage to do the
right thing even though you're being misrepresented or misunderstood. I
think the American people understand this, and I think they're
on the side of the Republicans to just not spend more.

Speaker 2 (48:21):
Yeah, what's so crazy about this? Greg? And if we
have time, we'll play a sound bite from the Morning
Joe Show, because they had a lover spat on the show.
Yesterday brought that to my attention. I saw that today
and we may be able to play that. But the
Democrats and the Legacy medium are all accusing Republicans of
lying about medicaid and reimbursements for illegal aliens, that we're

(48:46):
lying about that it really isn't going to happen. Well,
we played a SoundBite earlier with a California Democrat ro Constant, Well,
just a little bit of that money would go toward that.
Wait a minute, you just said it wouldn't.

Speaker 4 (48:58):
Hi out.

Speaker 2 (48:58):
Yeah, I mean they're admitting it, crying out loud, and
they're constantly accusing enough of line and Mike Johnson, I
think Mike Johnson and I think John Thune to this
point have done a good job saying they're they're full
of boloney.

Speaker 1 (49:09):
They are, yeah, and they're they're demonstrating why. Look, they
can keep trying to put lipstick on the pig. They
can keep trying to say that somehow they didn't shut
down the government, or that they're doing something for some
good reason. Just know this. The things they want restored
are things that the people didn't vote for. Yes, they
did not vote for the for the president that would
have restored it or would have kept it. They voted

(49:31):
for Donald Trump. They voted that Republicans have the majority
in the House, and they have the majority in the Senate,
and every bill that's been passed, big beautiful bill or
even the Decisions Act were passed with constitutional majorities required
as per the way that America voted, and put those
power in those branches of power in the hands of
the Republicans. Just exercise your power. Don't don't let them

(49:51):
from a minority position where they have no control on
any branch. Try to force your hand and go back
on the progress you've made. You've made Progres rest and
it's up to the Democrats. They're just going to have
to understand. They're so used to just being able to
bully their way through everything, you can't do it this time.

Speaker 10 (50:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (50:09):
Well, we've said this for a long long time. Republicans,
you have control the House, control of the Senate, control
the White House. Show your power, use your power to
the advantage of the American people. In the seventy seven
and a half million people who voted for Donald Trump,
use that power for the first time in your life.
See what happens. All right, we want to get some
calls in not calls, but we have some talkback messages in.

(50:31):
Let's listen to what our listeners are having to say
on the TUK back line.

Speaker 11 (50:34):
Hey, Rodd and Greg, this is Josh M. Thanks for
listening to my bet. I think what we need to
do is everyone in the House and in the Senate
we need to take Warren Buffett's idea that if the
deficit is more than three percent of the GDP and
or Congress gets shut down, that all sitting members are

(50:55):
ineligible for re election in the next election. I think
that would turn a lot of heads.

Speaker 1 (51:03):
I love it. I I got it to I love
that idea.

Speaker 2 (51:07):
So you really wouldn't need if you did something like that, you.

Speaker 1 (51:09):
Wouldn't need term limits. And if fifty states, whether they're
blue or red, because they don't print money, have to
balance a budget, meaning they have to write a state
budget that matches the revenue that arrives from the taxes
they collect. Yes, if Republicans and Democrat states do it
because they have to. You know what is it? Necessity
is the mother of inventions?

Speaker 6 (51:30):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (51:31):
Okay?

Speaker 4 (51:32):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (51:32):
Then that means that the federal government can do it
if if it doesn't mean without regard to political party.
You balance a budget, which every state does, then they
can do it in Congress. But they don't have to,
so they don't. If you create scenarios where they have
to or they're just going to have to move on
because they can't do this job, clearly they're not able to,
then then I think you would miraculously. See let's go

(51:55):
back to a time of balanced budget. It's not again
for me. The Clinton years don't feel that far away.
But we had a balanced budget and during the Clinton
come on, he was a Democrat president. We got it.
We could do it. Then it's it does have to happen.
We cannot keep on the trajectory we're on, and I
think Americans more and more are cluing in on.

Speaker 2 (52:14):
Yeah they are another talk about comment.

Speaker 11 (52:16):
Hey, thanks so much for taking my soundbit. As far
as the shutdowns concerned, I agree that these these representatives
and senators, they need to not be paid whatsoever during
this shutdown. It is their fault that they couldn't come
to an agreement and they need to feel it in
their wallet, just like everybody else. That is a nope,

(52:39):
sands or butts about it.

Speaker 2 (52:41):
Yeah, I agree, No, I would agree to. Here's another comment,
Greg brog Sideway here from Salt Lake.

Speaker 10 (52:49):
Is there anyway with this whole bill thing?

Speaker 12 (52:52):
Is there any way we could take a look at this,
Get someone that knows what they're doing to find the bill,
open it up and line out all the money and
what is going.

Speaker 10 (52:59):
For the people could actually see it.

Speaker 12 (53:02):
So when someone freaks out on us about ah, the
shutdown and all that and this, they want this and
that we.

Speaker 10 (53:07):
Actually have something we can look at.

Speaker 12 (53:09):
I think we need to be able to look and
see exactly how much money and where it's going.

Speaker 2 (53:13):
You got to be a way somebody could find that out,
or that that information's got to be posted somewhere, I
would think, Greg, if you can get through it.

Speaker 1 (53:20):
All, yeah, I did. I do have photos I saved
them of the bill, the proposal from the Democrats, the
big beautiful bill language that said you can no longer
use Medicaid funds for illegal immigrants, and I've got those.
I've got that language, and then I have the language
from the Democrats wanting to repeal that part. But as
far as a line item of what all the budget's
going through, we'd have to find that. I don't know.

(53:43):
I don't have at the at least the tip of
my fingers that you know, the the line by line.

Speaker 2 (53:48):
I would imagine if that comment was just made, that
if that listener would call a member of Congress one
of their offices here, I imagine they could come up
with that. What members of Congress had that information? I
think somewhere, Yes, that's a great idea. It is.

Speaker 10 (54:05):
It is.

Speaker 1 (54:06):
It's just that you know, you're talking to budgets so big.
I mean, you're gonna the lines are gonna be long.
But that but that's I think that's the Color's point,
or the talkbacks point, is that at least we could
be talking about real numbers. I'll just tell you this,
I've seen. There's just it is not even debatable that
illegal immigrants are getting Medicaid money, they're getting federally funded
health insurance. And to the extent that you can't turn

(54:27):
away somebody in an emergency room, that is true, Okay,
And they said Ronald Reagan said that it is true.
So you got a car accident. Guys, like, if someone's
have to you're not going to say, hey, you don't
have insurance, you're going to die. Theround the curve they're
going to take care of you. What the story used
to be is that the people that use that when
you have people that are undocumented, uncovered with insurance, when

(54:47):
they come into the emergency room, somebody has to pay
for it. So then the people that have insurance have
to pay more, and that's why you need some kind
of coverage. That sounded perfect, It sounded logical to me
until you saw this coverage of illegals in the emergency room,
which is a recent phenomenon, and all of our rates
keep going on. Yeah, so I'm not seeing a savings.

(55:08):
We're not seeing any cost deflection from our premiums on
our health insurance as they're now getting a new revenue
stream for emergency room costs. So what's the story there?

Speaker 2 (55:19):
Is the story here, Greg that the the hospitals eat
that cost, yes, okay, and then they get reimbursed from
the federal government for that under Obama Care.

Speaker 6 (55:28):
Is that correct?

Speaker 1 (55:29):
Well, it was for it was only for not for
non for people that aren't illegal aliens. They were, There
wasn't a reimbursing for that, and that's what they were
complaining about. But here's my point, though, who's who's getting
reimbursed when we lose our job to an illegal I
mean there is, there are, there are. There's a ripple
effect in a damage to our economy, a damage to
our health insurance and our healthcare delivery when people come

(55:52):
into this country illegally and tap those resources. And it's
not just happening in emergency rooms, it's happening everywhere, everywhere.
And I see no, I see no you know, any
any kind of relief, any kind of payment from the
government to help for us to be made whole when
we're harmed by illegal immigration and emergency rooms. There should

(56:12):
be no different. You got to get that done. And again,
because my premiums never got touched when they started paying
for that for the illegal immigrants their emergency room visit
and nothing went down for us, then I don't buy it.

Speaker 2 (56:23):
Yeah, all right, more coming up It is the Rod
and Gregg Show on Utah's Talk Radio one oh five
dine k n RS. I'm citizen Greg Hughes and I'm
rud arcutt. I have a nominee for the Academy Awards
this year.

Speaker 4 (56:35):
Greg.

Speaker 2 (56:35):
They usually happened in April, isn't that about right? Usually
handed in April?

Speaker 1 (56:39):
Something there hasn't been a movie worth watching, let alone
an awards show to reward those movies that have been made.
I can't think of the last time I've watched, so
I've lost memory.

Speaker 2 (56:50):
Well this would be Emmy's not movies.

Speaker 1 (56:52):
But this is for a TV show.

Speaker 2 (56:53):
Yeah, for a TV show. I think it should go
to or a nominee should be make Up Brazinski. Who
that is?

Speaker 1 (57:01):
Yeah, from The Morning Joe.

Speaker 2 (57:02):
She's the co host of the Morning Joe Show on
the very Joe's Wife.

Speaker 1 (57:07):
He was married to another woman when he was started
that show. He used to be a Republican congressman. Now
he's a liberal Democrat. Well, and he divorced his wife
and hooked up with Micah.

Speaker 2 (57:16):
They had a little lover's quarrel. I wish I just
looked at the clock. We don't have time. But apparently,
you know, she got real frustrated because she said the
Republicans are lying, they're lying, and the Democrats aren't fighting
against him, and Joe went, wait a minute, and they
got into a bit of a shouting match on the air.
You had a shouting match with your wife and.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
Paul never once in my life ever, Okay, that's not true. Nothing,
I'm going to confess, I'll tell you that.

Speaker 2 (57:44):
Well, he got after and said they aren't lying. What
they're doing is whining and the Democrats have just got
to stop whining and show some leadership. Yeah, it was
pretty good.

Speaker 1 (57:54):
We also said that segment that the Republicans are unambiguously
lying about Yeah, medic, you know, medics going to illegals,
and it's it is true. So he's wrong on there.
But I did love that they had that little spat.

Speaker 2 (58:05):
Little food fight for the morning Joshow. All right, that
were number three coming out to stay with her?

Speaker 1 (58:13):
Do I sound winded?

Speaker 6 (58:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (58:15):
Yeah, because I had to meet my sister outside the station.
She brings something and she parked in a parking lot
that does not connect to this building in any way,
shape or form.

Speaker 2 (58:23):
So you had to walk a little bit.

Speaker 1 (58:24):
No, she had to find a way back here. I
don't even know how she could navigate an automobile to
an adjacent building that has no touch on this station.
She's my little sister. I've tormented her her whole life,
and this is why, because she deserves it. Because she
deserves it. I don't know how she parked it. I
saw her.

Speaker 4 (58:39):
She was.

Speaker 1 (58:39):
It's like you are a mile away. I don't even
know how to what are you doing. I've got only
three minutes before we're back on the air, so now
I'm all winded. I'm a little sweaty too.

Speaker 2 (58:50):
She's you've heard that song in love at home?

Speaker 1 (58:56):
This is how my family, this is our love language.
I don't know if you know that. Just yelling at
each other that's how we do it.

Speaker 2 (59:02):
That's true. Yeah, that's how Yeah, that's how you do it.

Speaker 1 (59:05):
Yep, arms, arms waving everything.

Speaker 2 (59:08):
Just I want to start humming or something to help
you calm me down a little bit. It won't work,
you know, it's it's not gonna work, that's for sure.
That's for sure. Well, our next guest, it's always fun TeV.
Kurt Schlickter joined us. He wrote a terrific article, and
you know the title of it is, we are winning,

(59:29):
even if it does not always seem that way. I
think we're winning, and I think we're winning big Greg,
And I just hope we keep it going, you know.

Speaker 1 (59:38):
And what helps us win is when the democrator is
absolutely waterless, it's chaos for them. So it's it we
better be winning in times like this, but you've got
a great leader in the president and uh, and yeah,
I do feel like we're winning.

Speaker 2 (59:51):
Yeah, we are winning.

Speaker 6 (59:52):
Well.

Speaker 2 (59:52):
Joining us now is Kurt Schlickter. He's a senior cun
columnist at town Hall. Always fun having Kurt on the show. Kurt,
I think think we're winning. I'm not sure why other
people don't think we're winning. What are your sacred Look?

Speaker 5 (01:00:06):
Where have we Let's look at it the other way.
Where have we lost? Where's the big defeat? We are
making continual progress. Now we're We're not going as fast
as some people might like. But I think back to
what Warren Buffett who said, you know, you never go
broke making a profit. We're moving forward. I would love

(01:00:28):
to double the rate. But you know, it's unprecedented right
now what we're doing on every level. So I'm pretty
happy with it. And I and our our Democrat friends
pretty unhappy.

Speaker 1 (01:00:41):
You know. He's here's what I don't understand. And you
got good institutional memory. There used to be a pivot.
Democrats at least knew how to when you know, we weren't,
you know, walking in front of where people were going.
They would quickly run to the front of the line
of wherever that might be. You saw it with Clinton,
You've seen it with others. There's no pivot happening here
that I can spot. That memorial you describe it in

(01:01:01):
your column. It's unbelievable, the emotion and the and this
this authenticity going on that's so countered what we've been
enduring for five years at least. Why do we not
see a pivot from the Democrats on any of these
big moments that we're seeing play out.

Speaker 5 (01:01:17):
I don't think they have any contact with normal people anymore.
I think they are stuck inside this blue bubble of
MSNBC nonsense. I mean, I mean, look just look at
the Democrats. Okay, you know half of them shriveled ssri
gobbling Chardona wine women. They all look the same. They

(01:01:40):
all look like everybody's first wife. And they I mean
they all and you know, they just they just remind
you of that bitter divorce librarian whose husband ran off
with a dental hygienist.

Speaker 4 (01:01:55):
And you know, as.

Speaker 5 (01:01:57):
You're a kid, and she always wants you to use
your inside boys, and it's totally alien. And then you
have Akeem Jeffries, who's got no sense of humor. You've
got Chuck Schumer, who's the guy going. You know, Chuck
shows me what it's like to be a real man.

(01:02:17):
Normal people. Normal people don't enter into it. Have any
of those guys met anybody who did a job that
required them to sweat?

Speaker 1 (01:02:26):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (01:02:26):
I think so.

Speaker 2 (01:02:28):
I don't think they're either good.

Speaker 1 (01:02:29):
And so one of the things that you brought up
in your calum that really I have not heard. I'm
aware of, and I've been mentioning it, but I've not
seen anyone hit it like you have. Charlie Kirk was
talking about something when he goes these campuses, and I
think he learned this from being at these campuses. I
saw him in an interview with Tucker Carlson. Sorry I
had a brain cramp there.

Speaker 4 (01:02:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02:48):
He says, you heard this right, So you know, three
times your income way back when to buy a home,
seven times your income today. What he's hearing is that
the American dream and free free markets looks like crony
capitalism to young people. What are we going to do
to change it? You bring this up in your column
that we have got to drill down on that because
we've got these young people that really are rejecting the Democrats.

(01:03:09):
But what are we going to do to really address
some of these problems that young people, this generation z
that that feels like they might be being left out.
What do we do to draw them in and make
sure it's not just for Trump because he's not going
to be here forever, but we're really going to lock
in this emerging generation of emerging workforce.

Speaker 5 (01:03:27):
Yeah, this is the big problem. Look, the Democrats have
their own problem. They're concerned making sure that naked men
could wander through girls' locker rooms. That's their big issues.
Ours needs to be how do young normal Americans start
up with a kind of life that we led. Never
occurred to me, I wouldn't be able to get a house,

(01:03:48):
or a career or do the things I wanted to do. Never,
it never occurred to me. I couldn't. It shouldn't occur
to them, But right now it doesn't. That was some
Charlie was pushing and a lot of Republicans don't get it.
You look at a lot of these skits in the
Senate and they've got they've got no idea. All they've

(01:04:08):
got are these cliches. You know, well, you know, I
was an original Reagan Republican. Yeah, well so was I.
And then back then when I started as a regular Republican,
I thought I could buy a house, and now the
young people don't. What do you think Reagan would have
said about Reagan would have been scandalized. Did we have

(01:04:29):
not done anything for these young people? And some of
the things that we might need to do are not
traditional conservative things. I think in that call m I
point out that, well, Charlie's big concerns, and I kind
of agree with him, was, you know hedge funds like
Blackrock buying up single family home absolutely to make a
nation of renters. Well, you know, traditional conservatives would say, well,

(01:04:53):
you know, the free market, free market. Do you think
the hedge funds operate in a free market? The hedge
funds go out and have direct access to the government
and get the government to do things that benefit them.
It's not a free market in any All they want
is the free market for us for them, they want
a monopoly. I don't want to play that. Don't tell

(01:05:14):
me I'm not a capitalist, because I'm telling people who
aren't capitalists, who are leveraging the government. No, you don't
get a free pay you don't get to say, Adam Smith,
you know uh, you know, fre that's that's not a
get out of free car, okay, jail free card. It's
not enough to say that I want a real free

(01:05:37):
market where everybody can compete. But right now it is
structurally rigged against young people starting out and they have
to be And look, I'm sixty, man, I've got I'm
retired to have a two careers. I'm still working on it.
But look, I'm I am going to be fine, all right.

(01:05:57):
I'm the guy who wakes up and looks at the
dal Jones and ooh, I made a lot of money
today doing nothing. I am not. But I am going
to be dead or out of the game in twenty
years or less. Okay, I don't matter. The guy who
matters is the twenty two year olds who just graduated
from college and finds out that the government has let

(01:06:20):
you know, five thousand, h one b vis the guys
from India come in to do the job he just
spent two hundred thousand dollars learning to do at the
University of college and they're going to do it for
one tenth of what he'd do it for. And that's
the government letting it happen because the big corporations went
and got the government.

Speaker 1 (01:06:39):
To do it.

Speaker 2 (01:06:41):
He is so spot on, and you've said, you've said
the exact same.

Speaker 1 (01:06:45):
Thing I have. Thank you for remembering I have on this.

Speaker 2 (01:06:49):
Yeah, well you you noticed it the other night when
you're up at the the TPUSA event up at Utah State.
He said, we missed this. They aren't talking to us, gys.

Speaker 1 (01:07:00):
Where are the old heads we are? And what Kurt
said is he's being honest. We're kind of where we're
out of it. Yeah, where we are where we are,
But it's what we've left this upcoming generation in terms
of this fiscal nightmare, this deficit. But then if it's
seven times your income to afford a home now when
it was three times the income when we bought our home,
there is something inherently wrong with that. I love to

(01:07:23):
hear Kurt Schlicker talk about this. I don't hear enough
people talking about this that Ronald Reagan would not be
okay with what's happening right now. We have a crony
capitalism that is rigging that system, and Blackrock being able
to buy entire subdivisions and rather leave places empty just
to keep the supply low so they can keep the
demand high and keep the rents high. Not they don't

(01:07:44):
buy those to sell them, They buy them so that
they can create a renter class in mass That is
not the free market. That's not the market I grew up,
And that's not what we That is. That is taking
the free market and making it unavailable to the emerging
workforce coming in this country, and that is not acceptable.
We have to be able to talk about those things.
I know they're not what we talked about for the

(01:08:05):
last thirty years as Republicans, but they're real. Yeah, And
these are the things that Charlie Kirk was speaking about
that I'm positive he didn't walk into this his first
campus tour campus believing this or knowing this. He has
learned it from the concerns he's heard from across his country.

Speaker 2 (01:08:22):
Yeah, and questions that are people asking farter of fact.

Speaker 10 (01:08:24):
Greg.

Speaker 2 (01:08:26):
We hope to talk to this gentleman tomorrow. But he
wrote a terrific article today in the Hill talking about
how the Democrats are mainstreaming socialism. Yes, okay, and you
and I have talked about this. They look at the
current system we're having, it's not working for him. No,
they can't get a house, they can't get a good
paying job, they can't live where they want to live,

(01:08:46):
so they think they've been brainwashed I think in many
cases from university professors to think socialism is the answer.
It is not. It's not, but they're thinking that way.
And we on the conservative side, youngervatives like Charlie have
got to figure out a way to talk to him
and let them understand socialism is not the direction that

(01:09:07):
this country needs to take.

Speaker 1 (01:09:09):
So young people. This is why Mom Donnie is so popular.
And I believe in New York City with the young
people there, because they're at the point of what do
we have to lose? Like there's crony capitalism. I don't
have access to it. I feel like I'm on the
outside looking in. So we'll try it now. They'll be
mightily disappointed that what's been promised is not what they
get delivered.

Speaker 4 (01:09:27):
It is.

Speaker 1 (01:09:27):
It is a it's it's it's terrible. But until we
figure out how to how to get the monopolies out
of the way, and by the way, free market has
done that before, you've we've had we have a whole
system that's supposed to look and protect against our economy
being monopolized. We're getting there's monopolies going on all over
the place now, and I don't think we have the

(01:09:48):
political courage to challenge it because these big companies do
a lot of donations. But that's the that's the fight
for this emerging workforce is the upcoming generation generation ze.
They have to have an they have to have access
to a free market like I did, like you did,
and and that America right now it's it's a tougher place.
And when I say it with some conservatives that are
old old heads like us, they look at me and say,

(01:10:10):
what are they just entitled? What do they think they
should have everything for free? No? They don't. They want
but they got a shot. They need equal opportunity, not
equal not equal outcome, but they need equal opportunity.

Speaker 2 (01:10:20):
They want a fair shot and they and they feel
right now the current system is not giving them one.

Speaker 1 (01:10:25):
And I have to say I don't think it is.
I'm of that opinion.

Speaker 2 (01:10:29):
Well, you look at the price of home, so you
just go, really, yeah, how do you afford that if
you're just starting out with a.

Speaker 1 (01:10:34):
Young family, No, and how and so if you can't
live if you have to rent where where? Where was
do you? Where do you raise a family? How can
you have a family if you are living and you're
renting in a shared wall, you know, building multi family building,
it's much much harder to do. And so it is,
as Kurt said, an American. It is flat out on
American to not see this younger generation have an access

(01:10:56):
to the American dream as we have had.

Speaker 2 (01:10:58):
All right, more coming up. It is the out In
Gregg Show on Utah's Talk radio one oh five nine
can arrest.

Speaker 1 (01:11:03):
If you're still listen, we appreciate it. You know, it
might be home eating dinner. But if you are, then
I hope you have the app on the iHeart Radio
app because there aren't radios in people's houses anymore except
for yours, and so they had to put the app
on so you can listen to the show still in
your house if you're not, if you're not in commute.

Speaker 2 (01:11:19):
Okay, what if there is emergency one day? Oh ready
for this?

Speaker 1 (01:11:23):
I don't know I need.

Speaker 2 (01:11:24):
All the power is gone, all the cell towers are out.
Where are you going to get your information?

Speaker 1 (01:11:28):
I think it's the least of my worries. Okay, I
think I got other I think if all that happens,
I think I got other things on my mind then
being able to tune into iHeartRadio. Okay, cheese, maybe information
as to where to go. I know where to go.
I know where are exactly. I'm not gonna let me
tell you this. I'm not going where the herd's going
because you know that's going to be trouble. Seen every
apocalyptic zombie movie there is, you do not go where

(01:11:51):
the herd's at. That's where all the trouble is.

Speaker 2 (01:11:52):
Yeah, I've got family in the remote part of Idaho.
That's where I'm at.

Speaker 1 (01:11:56):
I got Mike Noel and KINGE. Coully. That's my that
is my pucke. That's my zombie apocalypse emergency plan. Just
get the cowboy Mike Noel's ranch. That's it. We're going
to hold fort there.

Speaker 2 (01:12:08):
All right.

Speaker 1 (01:12:09):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:12:09):
You know we were talking before the break about, you know,
the young people in this country today feeling very frustrated
with the system.

Speaker 1 (01:12:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:12:16):
We always thought go to college, get a home, have
a family, enjoy life, and it's so much more difficult
now for younger people in this country today. Another threat
greg is artificial intelligence. Yeah, yeah, replacing their job as
a matter of fact. To report released back in May
by a resume writing service called resume Now identified thirteen

(01:12:37):
careers that offer good pay and long term stability in
the era of AI ooh do tech, I hear a
few of them. Let's see jobs with low AI risk
forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists.

Speaker 1 (01:12:52):
Cool. Oh if you like the outdoors at that job?
Does it pay good pay? Seventy one thousand a year
to start?

Speaker 2 (01:12:58):
Yeah? Nice, that's pretty good. Yeah, flight attendants flight get out? Really,
I mean you're going to have what a robot rolling
down the taking?

Speaker 8 (01:13:07):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:13:07):
You know that is true?

Speaker 1 (01:13:08):
And yeah, I bet you know. You get to fly
anywhere you want. I guess if you're a flight attendant.
Lodging managers, Now that would be a fun job, you think, Yeah,
a lodging manager. No, I wouldn't want that job. I'd
rather be a flight attendant than a'm lodging manager. And
I don't want to be a flight attendant, but I'd
rather do that than a lodging You would.

Speaker 2 (01:13:25):
Look so good in their uniform. Electricians.

Speaker 1 (01:13:33):
That is a good paying job. You get that. And
what's fun about like the trades is that not only
can you work in those trades, the opportunity to start
your own business is very high. If you if you're
good at what you do, that's something you can branch
off and have your own small business if you If
you'd like with a trade, like.

Speaker 2 (01:13:50):
I have a nephew graduated from high school. He wants
to be an electrician. Smart, move on it.

Speaker 1 (01:13:53):
Yeah. If you if you want to start your own flight,
your own airline to be a flight attendant, that's not
going to happen that. There's no trajectory for that. For electrician. Yeah,
there's there's a lot of options.

Speaker 2 (01:14:03):
Plumbers, pipe fitters, and steam fitter. There you go, another
good trades, another good job. Industrial machinery mechanics got to
fix the machines.

Speaker 1 (01:14:12):
And by the way, that's not some people think, well
there's that's like, I don't know what they think, if
that's unskilled or not. You have to have you have
to know technology. There's everything that's built nowadays, everything has
some technology to it. You have to be able to
be well versed in technology to be able to do that.
Even the trades today, so these are not this is
skilled labor. This is highly skilled, not just into what

(01:14:34):
you do manually, but what you understand in terms of
how those things work and how they work with machinery today.
These engines today, there's a there's a lot going on.
They're not the old combustible engines in the past.

Speaker 2 (01:14:45):
Just think of cars. Cars are so computerized anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:14:50):
You know, there's not tech jobs and then trade jobs anymore.
That they've they've actually overlapped quite a bit.

Speaker 4 (01:14:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:14:56):
A couple of others real quick, uh, chefs and head cooks. Yeah,
I don't want some robot making me dinner.

Speaker 1 (01:15:03):
Yeah. We used to call those TV dinners and they
were never that good. On the top, I can't well,
I I have had every TV dinner there is. I
know I have, so I'm eating them all.

Speaker 2 (01:15:16):
And hearing aids specialists what Yeah, that's a job specialist. Yeah,
there's a job.

Speaker 1 (01:15:23):
What's a hearing aid specialist?

Speaker 2 (01:15:24):
Do they check your hearing? They recommend? Do you know
how many people are now wearing hearing aids in this
country anymore?

Speaker 5 (01:15:31):
No?

Speaker 2 (01:15:32):
Us baby boomers. He went to those very loud concerts,
and our hearing is shot. I mean, I've been wearing
these stupid headphones for fifty years.

Speaker 1 (01:15:40):
I know when I actually when I yeah, you know,
what I've been over there, when I've taken over the
NASA like board when you're not here. You got the
volume way, it is ridiculous. How high that volume? Yeah,
you're crazy. You can't. I don't know why it's so high.
You can't. You must not be able to hear. But
what about vision? Why is it just hearing? But that
you can just put your head on there and it'll

(01:16:01):
tell you what's going on.

Speaker 2 (01:16:01):
You don't have to be that's true. That's true. Yeah,
an I doctor, but hearing eight all right? Need some
job jobs with a low AI threat. The Rodding Gregg
Show rolls along on this Thursday, coming.

Speaker 1 (01:16:14):
Out, Hey, we're and I. There's no AI can take
our place, our job. We're safe. AI. We can hit
the road, stay away from me.

Speaker 2 (01:16:25):
Don't bank on that, baby, I'm banking all right. More
coming up on the Rod and Gregg Show.

Speaker 1 (01:16:30):
We are continuing on. It's been an interesting discussion. I
think Kurt Schlichter kicked off this hour with a with
a powerful argument for and on behalf of our young
Americans moving up in the world need to have full
access to a free market, have a not equal outcome,
but equal opportunity and and I think Charlie Kirk really

(01:16:51):
did hone in on that in a unique way, and
I'm glad to hear Kurt Schlichter also talk about it,
which leads us to our guests.

Speaker 2 (01:16:58):
Would you describe America as a patriotic country.

Speaker 1 (01:17:02):
At its core? Yes, I think that we still get
excited about our Fourth of July. We still care deeply
about our national anthem. I believe in our we have
the sports. I think that's sports is one of the
few places where we come together. And I know the
Left is try to destroy that, but I think it's
held strong, it's persevered. But civic education, I'm going to
tell you there is a lot of room to get

(01:17:23):
better when it comes to that.

Speaker 2 (01:17:25):
Well, there are organizations that are trying to do something
about that. One of them is the chief national Initiative
Officer for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. His name is
Chuck de Vor. Chuck, how are you welcome back to
the Roden greg Show. Great to have you on tonight, Chuck.

Speaker 6 (01:17:39):
Hey, it's great to be with you.

Speaker 8 (01:17:40):
And yeah, a polling that we've done indicates eighty six
percent of America Americans see the Stars and Stripes is
a good thing. Right, good patriotism and unity. And they
also agree that America, a strong America, makes the world
a better place. And speaking of a strong America, you
had Kurt Schlickter on that I served with the Army

(01:18:04):
National Guard.

Speaker 1 (01:18:05):
This is great. He's a character, man, Chuck, you are
now celebrity status because Kurt celebrity status. I mean, this
guy is the best, and he is. He's a warrior.
That must if you, if you served with him, then
then you're the real what he's like.

Speaker 8 (01:18:18):
Yeah, did you ever did he ever tell you that
he did some work as a stand up comic in
between we did?

Speaker 2 (01:18:26):
We did not. We know he got kicked off an
English television show at one time because he.

Speaker 1 (01:18:30):
Was too We played that on the airport. We didn't
know that. That's stand up stuff.

Speaker 6 (01:18:35):
That's that's I can deal.

Speaker 8 (01:18:36):
I can dish all kinds of things.

Speaker 1 (01:18:38):
Oh I can't. He's a regular on the show. I
can't wait till we have him back. We're gonna go
on this one. This is good. This is good information.

Speaker 2 (01:18:45):
Well, Chuck, let me ask you. Let's talk about schools
and what our kids are being taught in school. Is
there a patriotic theme or they totally fighting against what
America is all about.

Speaker 8 (01:18:54):
In some of our schools, well, mostly what we're seeing
is is just a poor civic education. And perhaps a
lot of that is because many of them are being indoctrinated,
so they're not learning proper history, they're not learning civics.
There in many cases learning variants of this whole sixteen
nineteen project from the New York Times. You know that

(01:19:15):
America was born in the original sin of slavery, and
nothing else matters. And that's important because when you look
at things like the Antifa riots around Portland, you have
to figure that this stuff comes from somewhere. And if
you're not teaching children about the basic goodness of America,
right that here is a country founded on the ideal

(01:19:39):
that all men are created equal and that they should
have the chance to maximize their life liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. That's really saying something, and you should
celebrate it, not seek to find all kinds of flaws
in it and play up nothing but the flaws.

Speaker 1 (01:19:56):
You know, check I was. I took the Failing back
to DC this last summer. My son's doing an internship there,
and we went to the American history, uh, Museum of
the Smithsonian and uh and and realized that I had
a lot to be ashamed about. I realized that this
country I didn't even know that circuses were just all
about colonialism. That's why we all loved them. We just
wanted to take over the whole world, That's why we

(01:20:17):
liked circuses. I a lot of new information come in
my way, of which I did not know how how
lowly I was as an American. But but I you,
you started off this discussion with high poll numbers about
we wanted. We are patriots, we are proud of this country.
We know we know the world's a better place, are
a stronger, a safer place when we have a strong America.
But yet our civil civic liter literacy is lacking. So

(01:20:42):
how are we getting such positive feelings about our country?
But yet we're not doing a very good job. And
when I mean all of us, about the civic literacy
of our young ones coming up?

Speaker 8 (01:20:53):
Yeah, So I think we're kind of living on fumes
right now. We're living on the cultural legacy of having
once been a self confident nation that properly educated its children.
Is we're beginning to see, we're seeing some cracks in
the foundation. We're beginning to see that people just don't
know basic stuff, like you know, what is the term

(01:21:14):
of a member of Congress, Right, I mean everyone should
know that that's two years. But a decent percentage forty
one percent of Americans think that House members face reelection
every four years, which is the presidential cycle.

Speaker 1 (01:21:28):
Right.

Speaker 8 (01:21:30):
You have sixty five percent of Americans properly credit Thomas
Jefferson with penning the Declaration of Independence.

Speaker 6 (01:21:38):
That's pretty good. But of those are of the.

Speaker 8 (01:21:42):
Total twenty percent say, well, yeah, the First Amendment. Rights
are in the Declaration, Life of Liberty and the Pursuit
of Happiness. Right that somehow that includes the First Amendment.

Speaker 10 (01:21:53):
It doesn't.

Speaker 6 (01:21:54):
That's part of the Bill of Rights.

Speaker 8 (01:21:55):
So these are just basic things, And the problem is
if you don't get that right, you start to see
a breakdown. I believe that contributed, for example, to the
assassination of Charlie Kirk, and that's what we have to
do better. And the other thing is, I think Americans.

Speaker 6 (01:22:10):
Know that they have to do better.

Speaker 8 (01:22:12):
Right, So if you look at the total who believe
that our civic education is failing our children, it's a
pretty high percentage. You know, most adults do not see
that our education system is doing right by our children.
Only twenty three percent think that it's doing an adequate

(01:22:34):
job our education system of teaching US history. That's less
than one and four so and I, by the way,
I think they're right. I think that that perception is correct.

Speaker 2 (01:22:45):
Yeah, Kurt, One final question I have for you. You
you talked about the survey showing that our Chuck, I'm sorry.

Speaker 8 (01:22:57):
Eagle, putting an eagle on my on my shoulders. Slowly,
there we go.

Speaker 2 (01:23:03):
But you your survey found that a whopping eighty two
percent of Americans like the idea of requiring high school
grads to pass the Civics test. I think here in
the state of Utah, we require that already, don't we, Greg,
I know they have to pass a financial literacy test.
I think they have to pass the Civics tests, don't they.
I thought they did.

Speaker 1 (01:23:22):
There is a basic Civics test that they.

Speaker 2 (01:23:24):
Have to and I think that's a great idea. I
think that's a great idea, Chuck. I hope more states.

Speaker 6 (01:23:29):
Do it well.

Speaker 8 (01:23:30):
I would expect that from Utah, because, as I recall
from my statistics, you're one of the leading states in
public education, so you know, keep up a good work.
But yeah, there's forty nine other states, and I'm afraid
the places like California aren't doing very well, which is
one of the reasons why I moved to Texas.

Speaker 2 (01:23:47):
A smart move. Thank you for providing us some information
on mister slickter. Will let them have it next time
we am on.

Speaker 8 (01:23:53):
The show, comedian some time you need to know more dirt,
just give me a call just before he comes on.
Maybe you should have me on while he's on.

Speaker 2 (01:24:02):
Yeah, we'll do like this. We have a mystery color
for you.

Speaker 1 (01:24:07):
Color slash fact checker.

Speaker 2 (01:24:08):
Yeah, okay, thanks Juck, enjoyed the rest of the evening.

Speaker 6 (01:24:13):
All right, thank you, Thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:24:15):
Joining us on our newsmaker line. That's Chuck Devor, chief
National Initiatives Officer with the Texas Public Policy Founder. Oh,
Kurt's going to get it next time. Yeah, kid up, comedian.

Speaker 1 (01:24:25):
Try the VL I'll be here all week. I mean
that's that just probably rolls off the tongue with all Kurt,
now that we know, all right, can't wait.

Speaker 2 (01:24:32):
Some final thoughts coming up for you right here on
The Roden greg Show and Utah's talk Radio one oh
five nine k n RS.

Speaker 1 (01:24:39):
I mean Chuck Devor just went up in my book Man.
He served with Kurt Schuckter. Those two. Those are both
great guys.

Speaker 2 (01:24:44):
There they are they are. Hey, a story that I
wanted to mention. Maybe some people may have seen this.
This is a story, believe it or not. I think
it was. It was the Washington Post about members of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints raising
two hundred thousand dollars. I imagine it's more now for
the family of the gunmen who attacked their church on Sunday.

Speaker 1 (01:25:04):
Yeah. She's a member of the Church of Juwis Christ
the latterday Saints, as I understand, and uh, and she
has the kids, and they've put in a very horrific situation, uh,
not of her making. And so it does show the
charity and the forgiveness of people of human beings. And
I think that's a I think that there's a strong

(01:25:24):
testament there to be to track.

Speaker 2 (01:25:26):
Yeah, some of that money is going to the gunman's family,
but some of it's also going to the victims who
lost their lives in that or were severely injured in that.
They they report that some of the donations greg are anonymous,
but many of the givers identify themselves as Latter Day Saints,
which is really as I recall, didn't the Amish do

(01:25:46):
this years ago on a school attack? Was it in
Wisconsin or Pennsylvania, I can't remember where, but they forgave
the attackers.

Speaker 1 (01:25:53):
I remember that too. I cannot remember the specific details,
but I do. I do remember that incident, and I
and I think it just sends the message that Erica
Kirk sent again expressing something I couldn't, and that is
the forgiveness of the person who killed her husband. But
forgiveness really does help the individual heal more than it's

(01:26:14):
a favor to those that you might be angry at.
And and it's a powerful example the Amish as a community,
we're able to express that forgiveness so that it didn't
haunt and live with them and tear them down, you know, spiritually.
And Erica Kirk showed the same christ like attributes. And
so I think that people trying to help people that

(01:26:34):
are in need and have been destroyed over the actions
of someone like what happened to the Michigan chapel at
Stake Center there. I think that's I think it says
a lot.

Speaker 4 (01:26:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:26:44):
Speaking of money, Elon Musk, he has a little bit, right, Yeah. Yeah.
He became quarters of rub together, first person in history
to be worth over five hundred billion dollars.

Speaker 1 (01:26:55):
And guess where he's probably worth four hundred and ninety
nine billion, nine hundred whatever because guess what he did.
He also did He went and bought the entire all
the Memphis said law enforcement and all multi jurisdictional effort
going on in Memphis. He bought him all Chick fil
A today he did.

Speaker 2 (01:27:10):
Yeah, well that's like, yeah him, that's like a penny.

Speaker 1 (01:27:14):
Don't don't down it. Yeah, I think it's really nice.
He bought everybody Chick fil A all lunch for everybody
that's working on them.

Speaker 2 (01:27:22):
I don't think me lunch, as I come to think
of it, Yeah, I buy you bought me a shirt.
I did buy shirt, Charlie kirkshirt.

Speaker 1 (01:27:30):
Very good looking too, Yeah it is.

Speaker 2 (01:27:32):
By the way, he is now worth an estimated one
hundred and fifty billion dollars, more than the world's second
richest man, Oracle co founder Larry Ellison.

Speaker 1 (01:27:42):
I don't know how Larry's keeping his cash how's he doing.
I don't see. I don't know what he's doing, but
that seems to be it seems to money. It seems
to be a lot of bit of money he's making there.

Speaker 2 (01:27:51):
Yeah. Yeah, we have another name change on a well
known product, Maxwell House. Okay, the coffee changing his name
for the first time in one hundred and thirty three
years to what where'd it go?

Speaker 1 (01:28:06):
You can't say that without the new name.

Speaker 2 (01:28:08):
No, the rebanded. This name is weird. Maxwell Apartment. No, yeah,
that's what it says.

Speaker 1 (01:28:16):
You should vet this with me before you tell those
ardience that is fake news.

Speaker 2 (01:28:20):
No, it is not. Maxwell House Coffee is to be
called Maxwell Apartment Coffee.

Speaker 1 (01:28:26):
No, I don't believe that. I'm gonna. I'm gonna post
doesn't make Maxwell House to Maxwell Apartment. Do you know
what you just got tricked?

Speaker 4 (01:28:35):
No?

Speaker 2 (01:28:35):
I don't. What's that say?

Speaker 1 (01:28:37):
Right? There is changing its name. It's not No, it's
in your apartment. There's no way. I don't buy it.

Speaker 2 (01:28:42):
Don't don't buy it. It could be now that I
think you may be right.

Speaker 1 (01:28:46):
That's a Babylon B you're pulling out of it. So yeah,
I'm gonna. I'm just going to I'm gonna We're gonna
put that a pin in that one, and I'll come
back to you folks and tell you what rods how
he's lied to you. But I'm not gonna by the
mass actual apartment. There's just no way that's what they're saying.
Self defeating name.

Speaker 2 (01:29:05):
It could be, could be. Yeah, but by the way,
the two hate networks, CNN and MSNBC. CNN bottoms out
with a record low ratings ms NBC records or records
worst summer since nineteen ninety eight. Yeah, I have time

(01:29:26):
for MSNBC. They are so hateful. Greg.

Speaker 1 (01:29:30):
Hey, you're you're how much time do we have? You're
a broadcast guy. I mean you've been in this this
industry for like, I think since the TV was created. Ratings,
So I saw that the the is it the FCC,
who is it that monitors? Okay, they are you and I.
By the way, yes, I've heard I've taken the onboarding

(01:29:50):
here right now. But I read a headline that they
are open to the idea of maybe these networks merging.
What would that mean? So, ABC, NBC, CBS that they
are open to the idea that they could potentially merge
there's been a prohibition apparently on the networks ever being
able to merge. As you see something that they're open
to the idea, what would that do be interesting? Would

(01:30:12):
that give them more viewers or just you know, just
begin to.

Speaker 2 (01:30:15):
I think themselves. The days of network television and evil
in many ways, cable television are on their way down.
I think more and more people stream their shows. We
had that story last week. More people stream movies then
go to the movie theater.

Speaker 1 (01:30:28):
Well, and and they haven't had a good movie made
for how long? They was a garbage products they're pushing out.

Speaker 2 (01:30:32):
Wait a minute, let's talk about Tom Gun.

Speaker 1 (01:30:35):
That nothing good sense?

Speaker 2 (01:30:37):
All right, head op shoulders back your family, Thanks for
joining us. We're back tomorrow