July 14, 2025 • 28 mins
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
A few headlines from that day one year ago. Yesterday,
(00:06):
the Secret Service rushes Trump off stage after he falls
at rally. That's what CNN reported. Secret Service rushes Trump
off stage after he falls at rally, no reference that
he'd been shot, which he had then in a series
(00:27):
of live updates, Their next live update was Trump injured
in incident at Pennsylvania rally. Incident? What did he fall
down the stairs? Did something fall on him? An incident?
USA Today reported Trump removed from stage by Secret Service
(00:49):
after loud noises startles former president and crowd. Loud noises
startled him, so they removed him from the stage. NBC
News reported the following day, Secret Service rushes Trump off
stage after popping noises heard at his Pennsylvania rally. Did
(01:15):
someone bring firecrackers? Is that what you're suggesting? MSNBC reported
Secret Service Trump safe after being rushed off Pennsylvania stage
after gunshot Like sounds okay, we're getting a little closer.
The Washington Post Trump escorted away after loud noises at
(01:41):
Pennsylvania rally. Loud noises. I am certain there was a
conspiracy to kill Donald Trump, because on July thirteenth, it
was clear he was going to defeat Joe Biden. But
(02:02):
in the great words of Maxwell Smart of Get Smart,
it didn't succeed.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Missed it by that much, missed me by that much,
missed it by that much, missed me by that much,
missed it by that.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Much, missed it by that much, missed me by that much.
She missed it by that much, missed it by that much,
missed me by that much, missed it by that much,
missed it by that much.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
What is often overlooked in all of this is that
a firefighter, father, husband, friend, Patriot was killed Corey comparatory
his widow. Blasting the Secret Service for only suspending six agents,
she says she wants to sit down in Secret Service
(03:07):
and get answers. We'll talk about that in the next segment.
More victims of the flooding in Kerrville bodies have been recovered,
so many, so many have none, and so much more.
(03:28):
In this one, they glad you wates.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
The Michael Berry Show to be part of your.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
She turned her attention to Harris County, where Lena Hidalgo
released a really odd video where she's talking about her
successes as Harris County judge. Remember she Shila Jackson, Lee's
(04:01):
daughter has now announced that she's running to replace Lena
Hidagg going the Democrat primary, and that has Rodney Ellis's
fingerprints all over it, which means that Lena has lost
Rodney and she is floundering because she's never been in
charge of this whole thing, and somehow, some odd way
(04:23):
she would still like to hang around and she ain't
doing it without Rodney, and it's looking increasingly unstable. I
think they need to keep an eye on her, and
I'm not even joking. Then you've got Letitia Plummer, who
is a city councilman, a black woman sitting city councilman,
and she has announced that she is running after a
(04:44):
couple of false announcements that she was running. And then
you've got a niece, Porker, the former mayor, and she's
got kind of the white liberal lock and she has
announced that she is running. And so that leaves Lena
with three challengers in her own party, which is making
for a very very awkward situation. So in the midst
(05:10):
of all of this, Lena Hidalgo oddly releases this.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
One of the things I'm most excited about is we
just concluded Paris county's first ever trade mission. We went
to Paris and it was incredibly successful. One of the
meetings we had, for example, was with MEDEF, which is
the largest employer federation in France. So we bring together
tens of thousands of employers and they are going to
(05:38):
be coming to Sarah Week next year, which is an
incredibly important, world class conference that we host here, and
that's going to be a direct follow up from our conversation.
We also met with BVPI France, which is the largest
development bank in France and they invest tens of billions
(05:59):
of each year.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
She sounds like she's got a deal, doesn't she. I mean,
she doesn't sound like she's just stringing together words that
have absolutely no meaning to her in the most unstable,
uncertain terms ever. But she had a big trade mission
to Paris, and she wants you to know that she
(06:23):
went there and there was a company that was there
that told her, Hey, we're going to be in Houston
next year at a conference there. Can you believe that?
And she's come back and counted that as her successes.
It's very odd. It's odd, and it's sad. It's odd
and it's sad in the same way that Joe Biden
was the president, and yet he was brain dead, and
(06:44):
the minute he wasn't the president, everybody's running around saying,
oh my goodness, he was brain dead, as if nobody knew.
Everybody knew, and everybody knows what's going on here. And
now Rodney's in the awkward situation where he can't defend
her anymore. He's ready to replace her. She won't go.
(07:05):
The other Democrats on the Commissioner's court, Garcia and Brioni's
are so embarrassed of her now and they have clearly
pitched in with other candidates. And so now she's left
on her own. Of course, Tom Ramsey's no supporter. He's
been calling her out since the very beginning. So here
(07:26):
she is left in a real pickle, a real pickle.
ABC thirteen had a story Harris County commissioner raises sorry
questions flood control District workers. Eighty one hundred twenty dollars
three day trip a taxpayer funded three day conference trip
for a Harris County employee was too much for one commissioner,
(07:49):
who questioned why they needed more than eight thousand dollars.
On Thursday's Harris County Commissioner's Court agenda was an out
of state travel request that caught Commissioner Ramsey's attention. I
thought the costs were pretty extraordinary, he said. Documents show
the Harris County Flood Control District wanted to send one
person to the Urban Land Institute Fall Conference. The price
(08:13):
tag was for taxpayers was eight twenty dollars. Ramsey pulled
the item from the other travel requests. Commissioners later returned
to the item for a vote. Ramsey was the loan
vote against it. Commissioners Garcia Ellis and Hidalgo voted for it.
Although she approved it, Hidalgo told Abcuit thirteen, her office
(08:37):
is looking into it. Why would you need to. I
have to believe there's something else to that. Certainly, an
estimate of many thousands of dollars per night, it doesn't
make sense. We're still running that down. But you just
approved it. You're not running anything down. Yeah, it looks
real bad. We're gonna check into it and everything. Yeah,
(09:02):
we're gonna we're gonna check into it because it really
doesn't sound right. That sounds weird, and we're gonna check
into it. But we went ahead and passed it. We
went ahead, and passed it. So Channel thirteen pointed out
that the amount requested for a hotel was thirty five
hundred dollars. They called the hotel where the conference is
(09:24):
being held, and it was two hundred and forty nine
dollars a night for the block room rate, which she
gets because she's part of the conference. So why did
she need thirty five hundred dollars for a three day
hotel that only costs two hundred and forty nine dollars
a night. Then there was a one thousand, seven hundred
dollars registration, that's what the budget request was. But the
(09:45):
registration is only one thousand and seventy Why did she
need the extra six hundred and thirty dollars For airfare?
They requested fifteen hundred dollars. It was only two hundred
dollars for a round trip flight, so they asked for
a eight hundred and twenty They only needed about two thousand.
Now that's assuming you send her. I will tell you
(10:10):
from my years in public life and from years of
watching this, almost all governmental travel is an absolute waste.
These conferences are boondoggles and hookups. That's what they are.
That's why they're held in Vegas. That's why, that's why
(10:32):
they have concerts. Associated people look forward to these conferences.
In fact, that's true of most industries, but it's particularly
true of government employees, and it's the taxpayers dollars. So
why not give her over eight thousand dollars for what
if she needed to go, which she doesn't, She could
(10:53):
have done for two thousand. What did she need to
go to that conference for to learn something? They can
put that on zoom. Why do we need to spend
all this money transporting you there, putting you up in
a hotel, paying for your food and drinks, which are plentiful,
and all the other expenses that you have supposedly to
(11:15):
learn the things that are being transmitted that would have
been able to be produced in a document that you
sit at your office and read again. This is why
you never have the resources you need for your government
is because you have waste like this.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
Michael Berry's.
Speaker 6 (11:41):
God.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
So Lena Hidalgo tried to get more money for yet
another trip, and Tom Ramsey raised a flag. And it's
embarrassing because at this point it's Joe Biden falling off
the bicycle. Joe Biden falling off the staircase. We all
(12:04):
know what's going on. We all know how bad it is.
We're beyond that now. They're just trying to push through
and pretend it's not happening. But it is. So what
does Rodney Ellis say? He says, Oh, there's nothing wrong
with taking all these trips. I take all these trips
(12:26):
all the time.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
I've traveled a good bit inter Nashley over the years.
I went with Mary Brown to China when he did
a historic trip. I wish I could claim credit for
convincing Yaoming to come, but it didn't hurt any By
the way, at the Rockets got the first round pick
and they couldn't get mister Alexander On at that time,
(12:49):
couldn't get Mayor Brown because his name was not listed.
But old Rodney was listed, so he woke me up
at three m in the morning. I'm not saying we
get the credit for it, but it helped. And I
can't remember if the city of a partnership paid for
me to go, if I paid off my campaign. But
I also took a number of trips to Qatar over
(13:11):
the years. In fact, went I think over Thanksgiving to
the Doha Forum. I wish I could take credit and
money that they donated after Harvey. I can't, but it
didn't hurt that I had been to Doha as a
state center on a number of occasions. For some reason,
invites stopped when I became a county commissioner up until
(13:32):
last year.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Yeah, he can't really take credit that he and Lee
Brown brought yal mean to Houston, But it didn't hurt.
It definitely didn't hurt. When the Rockets drafted him with
the first pick. He could have held out and gone
anywhere else. That wasn't wallet whipping him. But Lee Brown
(13:57):
stumbled and bumbled, and you know Rodney ls and you
know they they well, you know you don't want to
take all the credit. You don't want to take all
the credit. But it certainly didn't hurt. Every time you
think to yourself, why didn't they.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
Have a.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Siren in the Kerrville area that when the big flood
came out, you could fire to make sure nobody doubted.
This is the emergency of all emergencies. We can't afford it.
Why can't we ever afford anything that is important? Paved roads,
(14:44):
a flooding system that wicks the water away. Why can't
we ever afford anything that matters to people, sheriff's deputies,
police officers. You can't afford anything because you've got Rodney
Ellis's and Lena had all goes, and your lady that
(15:10):
is off to the Urban Land Institute. You ever done
a family budget, I encourage you to do that, because
when you keep a family budget and you make it
a family activity to look at every expense that your
family undertakes, you put it on a spreadsheet. You go
(15:31):
through the credit cards, you go through the venmos, you
go through the auto checks that are paid, and you
start looking at every single expense, and the rest of
the family is looking at you. Why'd you door dash?
Why'd you door dash? We had dinner already here. Why
(15:52):
would you do that? That's just a waste of money.
That's what families do, but not Ridney Ellis, not Len Hidalgo.
You just keep taking until someone makes you stop taking.
This is why we never have the money we're supposed
(16:15):
to have, because it's being squandered. Oh, eight thousand dollars
for the Urbiline Institute won't break us. Oh the trips
to Doha won't break us. It's not one or the
other it's that pattern throughout, it's that waste throughout the system.
(16:37):
But it's even more than that, it's the utter and
absolute disregard for you for the sanctity of your dollars,
which should be sacred. Those are your dollars. We've got
that story. It's clip number two off Chad's prep If
(16:58):
you can play it please, Jimbo.
Speaker 7 (17:04):
A three day trip to San fran caught the attention
of Harris County commissioners.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
I thought the costs associated with that were pretty extraordinary.
Speaker 7 (17:14):
The Flood Control District wants to send one person to
a conference. Document show the taxpayer price tag is eighty
one hundred dollars, a request made by Director Tina Peterson.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
ABC thirteen tried to ask her about it.
Speaker 8 (17:27):
Can you explain why you wanted eighty one hundred dollars
to go to a three day conference.
Speaker 9 (17:34):
I don't have anything to say.
Speaker 8 (17:35):
We can certainly talk with you once I get back
to the ultimate request.
Speaker 7 (17:38):
Taxpayer funds would be used for the department's chiefest staff
to attend the Urban Land Institute's three day fall conference.
The document show they want thirty five hundred dollars.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
For a hotel.
Speaker 7 (17:48):
We called and the group told us block room rates
are about two hundred and fifty bucks. The document says
seventeen hundred dollars are needed for registration fees. The conference
lists the fees on its website for less than eleven hundred.
As for airfare, the request shows fifteen hundred dollars. We
checked travel websites and found round trip tickets for around
(18:08):
two hundred bucks.
Speaker 8 (18:10):
I requested thirty five hundred dollars for a hotel. I
called the conference. They said the rates are two forty
nine a night. You wanted thirty five hundred for a
three day conference. Can you explain why you had that number.
Speaker 9 (18:22):
We do estimates for our travel, and certainly we try
to be conservative in our numbers.
Speaker 7 (18:28):
The department later told ABC thirteen it provides estimates with
buffer money for approval. Commissioner Tom Ramsay voted against it.
The measure passed even though she supported it. Judge Lena
Hidago says she's looking into it.
Speaker 9 (18:41):
Well, I have to believe there's something else to that. Certainly,
an estimate of many thousands of dollars for a night,
it doesn't make sense. So but we're still running that down.
Speaker 7 (18:49):
That trip wasn't the only one discussed during the meeting,
Hidago revisited her recent Paris trip. She wanted to use
more than twenty thousand taxpayer dollars for the week long
trade mission. Instead, commissioners denied that she used campaign funds.
Because of this, she wants to change the travel policy
for future traps.
Speaker 9 (19:07):
And despite my paying out of the campaign funds or
my willingness to pay on my campaign funds for a
security detail, the fire Marshal did not allow the security
detail to travel.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
It didn't pass in you a post no.
Speaker 9 (19:23):
And what's the reason for that, Commissioner.
Speaker 5 (19:25):
Garcia, I don't need to give you a reason.
Speaker 6 (19:30):
I'm just voting no.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Let's move on.
Speaker 9 (19:31):
It's clear in other votes you know why somebody has
a position, But in this one it seemed inexplicable to
not allow a travel policy.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
So that and what I see all over the place
is people who care about looking good while doing evil.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
The Michael Arry.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Show, Well, Harris County government might be all messed up,
but the people, the people have a spirit, a special spirit,
they really do. There's a story we're now seeing beyond
just Camp Mystic, where so many girls campers and counselors
(20:12):
and even the director perished in the flood. Now you're
seeing so many other folks, Pat Green's brother and his family,
different people who were on vacation. I saw a story
about a young lady. She was a third year associated
a law firm in Atlanta. She was out visiting her mother.
(20:34):
I wondered how many folks would turn up missing and
then perish as a result of these floods. Because it
was the July fourth weekend. It was July fourth itself,
and you had a lot of folks you have every
year who vacation along that river. I mean, it's a
(21:00):
fun thing to do. It's a great place to gather.
It's pretty, it's fun, it's festive, and it makes all
the sense in the world. I can't help but wonder
if that storm had come a day later, how many
more people would have died? Because I can't help but
(21:23):
wonder how many people did not make it in on
Friday yet because they were driving in from further afield.
I don't know. I guess that's maybe just looking for
a silver lining. One of the stories is that has
(21:45):
caught a lot of people's attention outside of the KMP
mystic community. Is a young man by the name of Shiloh.
Wilson was apparently one heck of a rodeo rider, and
he and his two parents perished. They live in Kingwood,
and apparently they're quite famous in the rodeo community. I
(22:05):
was not aware of this. I do love the name Shiloh,
but the people of our community showed up to pay
tribute as Shiloh's body was brought home. They were in
Kerrville for a rodeo. I guess he was riding in
when the flooding swept them away, so they weren't necessarily
(22:28):
on vacation, but there for a rodeo. The story about
his homecoming beautiful as it was from Khou.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
From those who knew him personally to others simply touched
by the tragedy. We all came out to see Shiloh
come home. Hundreds helped honor a twelve year old finally
back with his mom and dad.
Speaker 6 (22:46):
It's almost part of a dream still, but this is
great seeing all these people come out.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
Shiloh Wilson at his parents, Jeff and Amber, were in
the Hill Country for a rodeo when catastrophic flooding swept
through their can sight. Jeff and Amber were previously recovered
and Shiloh one week after the flood on Friday. Tom
Schweger first met Jeff Wilson in college, and I know that.
Speaker 6 (23:10):
He fought tooth and nail to try to keep himself
and his wife and son alive.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
The Harris County Fire Marshall's office live stream much of
the journey back as people paid their respects along the route.
What do you think of this outpouring the outborn is great.
Speaker 9 (23:25):
I'm glad to see the turnout, to see the love
for him, love for the family.
Speaker 8 (23:32):
It's devastating.
Speaker 9 (23:33):
Amber was the sweetest person I've ever met. Shiloh was
he was something they call en stingray.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
Many here knew the family through Jeff, who was a longtime, humble,
liased d career and technical education teacher.
Speaker 8 (23:47):
I just know that Jeff and Amber and Schilotte were
looking at all this right now, probably got a big
giant smile on her face, and.
Speaker 4 (23:57):
It just breaks my heart that you just don't have
a chance to say good bye. I'm told funeral arrangements
for the family impacted in an instant, like so many others,
are still being made.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
It's inspiring to see that people took time out of
their own lives to go and stage there along the
route as the body was brought back. You know, everybody
who is present for something like that had something else
(24:36):
going on, and they gave up what that other thing was,
whether it's sitting on the couch watching TV, taking a nap,
working hobbies, whatever that might be. People took time away
from what they had intended to do and came out
(25:00):
because their presence was a powerful statement. It reminds me
of that scene in He'll Biliology where jd Vance is
asking about this ritual when a family member has died.
(25:20):
Why do they do that, Mammo?
Speaker 4 (25:23):
Because we're hell people, Honey, we respect on death.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
It's not just hill people, it's decent people. I think
you learn a lot about a culture by the way
children are treated, and by the way the elderly are treated,
and when there is a death, by the way that
(25:53):
life is honored or not. You'll see videos in big
cities where rhyme is rampant and someone's been shot dead
in the street and people will walk over that person
and just keep going about their business as if it
isn't a human life. That tells you a whole lot
about that culture. You can make a lot of assumptions
(26:15):
that are going to be true. When the loss of
the life of one little boy is that important to
the people of Kingwood, it tells you a lot about
the people of Kingwood. I don't know what his mother
Amber did, but it also tells you how popular his father,
(26:35):
Jeff was in the community where he was an educator.
Tells you a lot about that as well. Meanwhile, Austin
Firefighters Union says ninety three percent voted no confidence in
Chief Joel Baker after he refused to send Cruiz to
Kerrville to help in the flood rescue efforts. The Austin
(26:58):
Firefighter Association President Nick said the chief had a standing
order to deny all deployments to save money. He said
Austin firefighters were requested on July second and July third
before the flooding even started. He added Austin, Texas had
the best boat crews in the state, if not the nation.
(27:18):
He explicitly trained with san Antone for response to the
hill Country because it's in our backyard. So we have
the resources, we have the training, we have the personnel.
We are absolutely geared to do to doing in that
area of work. The union said Baker told him the
city manager's office limited the response, but the city manager's
(27:39):
office that he had never received any deployment request and
would have approved them. Nick added in the statement posted
after the no confidence vote, let me be clear, the
leadership failed the community when it was needed the most.
This isn't about politics, It's about accountability. The Austin Firefighters
are resolute that the truth must see the light of
(27:59):
day and all all people involved with this horrendous decision
to not deploy life saving swift water resources to Kerr
County must be held accountable. They have called for his termination.
I don't know what a difference it means. Maybe not
one life could be saved, But you read these accounts
(28:21):
of people being swept down the water and to varying
degrees they survived to a certain points. Some of them
didn't pass until further down their way. What difference would
it have made to have experts on the scene.
A few headlines from that day one year ago. Yesterday,
(00:06):
the Secret Service rushes Trump off stage after he falls
at rally. That's what CNN reported. Secret Service rushes Trump
off stage after he falls at rally, no reference that
he'd been shot, which he had then in a series
(00:27):
of live updates, Their next live update was Trump injured
in incident at Pennsylvania rally. Incident? What did he fall
down the stairs? Did something fall on him? An incident?
USA Today reported Trump removed from stage by Secret Service
(00:49):
after loud noises startles former president and crowd. Loud noises
startled him, so they removed him from the stage. NBC
News reported the following day, Secret Service rushes Trump off
stage after popping noises heard at his Pennsylvania rally. Did
(01:15):
someone bring firecrackers? Is that what you're suggesting? MSNBC reported
Secret Service Trump safe after being rushed off Pennsylvania stage
after gunshot Like sounds okay, we're getting a little closer.
The Washington Post Trump escorted away after loud noises at
(01:41):
Pennsylvania rally. Loud noises. I am certain there was a
conspiracy to kill Donald Trump, because on July thirteenth, it
was clear he was going to defeat Joe Biden. But
(02:02):
in the great words of Maxwell Smart of Get Smart,
it didn't succeed.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Missed it by that much, missed me by that much,
missed it by that much, missed me by that much,
missed it by that.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Much, missed it by that much, missed me by that much.
She missed it by that much, missed it by that much,
missed me by that much, missed it by that much,
missed it by that much.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
What is often overlooked in all of this is that
a firefighter, father, husband, friend, Patriot was killed Corey comparatory
his widow. Blasting the Secret Service for only suspending six agents,
she says she wants to sit down in Secret Service
(03:07):
and get answers. We'll talk about that in the next segment.
More victims of the flooding in Kerrville bodies have been recovered,
so many, so many have none, and so much more.
(03:28):
In this one, they glad you wates.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
The Michael Berry Show to be part of your.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
She turned her attention to Harris County, where Lena Hidalgo
released a really odd video where she's talking about her
successes as Harris County judge. Remember she Shila Jackson, Lee's
(04:01):
daughter has now announced that she's running to replace Lena
Hidagg going the Democrat primary, and that has Rodney Ellis's
fingerprints all over it, which means that Lena has lost
Rodney and she is floundering because she's never been in
charge of this whole thing, and somehow, some odd way
(04:23):
she would still like to hang around and she ain't
doing it without Rodney, and it's looking increasingly unstable. I
think they need to keep an eye on her, and
I'm not even joking. Then you've got Letitia Plummer, who
is a city councilman, a black woman sitting city councilman,
and she has announced that she is running after a
(04:44):
couple of false announcements that she was running. And then
you've got a niece, Porker, the former mayor, and she's
got kind of the white liberal lock and she has
announced that she is running. And so that leaves Lena
with three challengers in her own party, which is making
for a very very awkward situation. So in the midst
(05:10):
of all of this, Lena Hidalgo oddly releases this.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
One of the things I'm most excited about is we
just concluded Paris county's first ever trade mission. We went
to Paris and it was incredibly successful. One of the
meetings we had, for example, was with MEDEF, which is
the largest employer federation in France. So we bring together
tens of thousands of employers and they are going to
(05:38):
be coming to Sarah Week next year, which is an
incredibly important, world class conference that we host here, and
that's going to be a direct follow up from our conversation.
We also met with BVPI France, which is the largest
development bank in France and they invest tens of billions
(05:59):
of each year.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
She sounds like she's got a deal, doesn't she. I mean,
she doesn't sound like she's just stringing together words that
have absolutely no meaning to her in the most unstable,
uncertain terms ever. But she had a big trade mission
to Paris, and she wants you to know that she
(06:23):
went there and there was a company that was there
that told her, Hey, we're going to be in Houston
next year at a conference there. Can you believe that?
And she's come back and counted that as her successes.
It's very odd. It's odd, and it's sad. It's odd
and it's sad in the same way that Joe Biden
was the president, and yet he was brain dead, and
(06:44):
the minute he wasn't the president, everybody's running around saying,
oh my goodness, he was brain dead, as if nobody knew.
Everybody knew, and everybody knows what's going on here. And
now Rodney's in the awkward situation where he can't defend
her anymore. He's ready to replace her. She won't go.
(07:05):
The other Democrats on the Commissioner's court, Garcia and Brioni's
are so embarrassed of her now and they have clearly
pitched in with other candidates. And so now she's left
on her own. Of course, Tom Ramsey's no supporter. He's
been calling her out since the very beginning. So here
(07:26):
she is left in a real pickle, a real pickle.
ABC thirteen had a story Harris County commissioner raises sorry
questions flood control District workers. Eighty one hundred twenty dollars
three day trip a taxpayer funded three day conference trip
for a Harris County employee was too much for one commissioner,
(07:49):
who questioned why they needed more than eight thousand dollars.
On Thursday's Harris County Commissioner's Court agenda was an out
of state travel request that caught Commissioner Ramsey's attention. I
thought the costs were pretty extraordinary, he said. Documents show
the Harris County Flood Control District wanted to send one
person to the Urban Land Institute Fall Conference. The price
(08:13):
tag was for taxpayers was eight twenty dollars. Ramsey pulled
the item from the other travel requests. Commissioners later returned
to the item for a vote. Ramsey was the loan
vote against it. Commissioners Garcia Ellis and Hidalgo voted for it.
Although she approved it, Hidalgo told Abcuit thirteen, her office
(08:37):
is looking into it. Why would you need to. I
have to believe there's something else to that. Certainly, an
estimate of many thousands of dollars per night, it doesn't
make sense. We're still running that down. But you just
approved it. You're not running anything down. Yeah, it looks
real bad. We're gonna check into it and everything. Yeah,
(09:02):
we're gonna we're gonna check into it because it really
doesn't sound right. That sounds weird, and we're gonna check
into it. But we went ahead and passed it. We
went ahead, and passed it. So Channel thirteen pointed out
that the amount requested for a hotel was thirty five
hundred dollars. They called the hotel where the conference is
(09:24):
being held, and it was two hundred and forty nine
dollars a night for the block room rate, which she
gets because she's part of the conference. So why did
she need thirty five hundred dollars for a three day
hotel that only costs two hundred and forty nine dollars
a night. Then there was a one thousand, seven hundred
dollars registration, that's what the budget request was. But the
(09:45):
registration is only one thousand and seventy Why did she
need the extra six hundred and thirty dollars For airfare?
They requested fifteen hundred dollars. It was only two hundred
dollars for a round trip flight, so they asked for
a eight hundred and twenty They only needed about two thousand.
Now that's assuming you send her. I will tell you
(10:10):
from my years in public life and from years of
watching this, almost all governmental travel is an absolute waste.
These conferences are boondoggles and hookups. That's what they are.
That's why they're held in Vegas. That's why, that's why
(10:32):
they have concerts. Associated people look forward to these conferences.
In fact, that's true of most industries, but it's particularly
true of government employees, and it's the taxpayers dollars. So
why not give her over eight thousand dollars for what
if she needed to go, which she doesn't, She could
(10:53):
have done for two thousand. What did she need to
go to that conference for to learn something? They can
put that on zoom. Why do we need to spend
all this money transporting you there, putting you up in
a hotel, paying for your food and drinks, which are plentiful,
and all the other expenses that you have supposedly to
(11:15):
learn the things that are being transmitted that would have
been able to be produced in a document that you
sit at your office and read again. This is why
you never have the resources you need for your government
is because you have waste like this.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
Michael Berry's.
Speaker 6 (11:41):
God.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
So Lena Hidalgo tried to get more money for yet
another trip, and Tom Ramsey raised a flag. And it's
embarrassing because at this point it's Joe Biden falling off
the bicycle. Joe Biden falling off the staircase. We all
(12:04):
know what's going on. We all know how bad it is.
We're beyond that now. They're just trying to push through
and pretend it's not happening. But it is. So what
does Rodney Ellis say? He says, Oh, there's nothing wrong
with taking all these trips. I take all these trips
(12:26):
all the time.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
I've traveled a good bit inter Nashley over the years.
I went with Mary Brown to China when he did
a historic trip. I wish I could claim credit for
convincing Yaoming to come, but it didn't hurt any By
the way, at the Rockets got the first round pick
and they couldn't get mister Alexander On at that time,
(12:49):
couldn't get Mayor Brown because his name was not listed.
But old Rodney was listed, so he woke me up
at three m in the morning. I'm not saying we
get the credit for it, but it helped. And I
can't remember if the city of a partnership paid for
me to go, if I paid off my campaign. But
I also took a number of trips to Qatar over
(13:11):
the years. In fact, went I think over Thanksgiving to
the Doha Forum. I wish I could take credit and
money that they donated after Harvey. I can't, but it
didn't hurt that I had been to Doha as a
state center on a number of occasions. For some reason,
invites stopped when I became a county commissioner up until
(13:32):
last year.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Yeah, he can't really take credit that he and Lee
Brown brought yal mean to Houston, But it didn't hurt.
It definitely didn't hurt. When the Rockets drafted him with
the first pick. He could have held out and gone
anywhere else. That wasn't wallet whipping him. But Lee Brown
(13:57):
stumbled and bumbled, and you know Rodney ls and you
know they they well, you know you don't want to
take all the credit. You don't want to take all
the credit. But it certainly didn't hurt. Every time you
think to yourself, why didn't they.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
Have a.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Siren in the Kerrville area that when the big flood
came out, you could fire to make sure nobody doubted.
This is the emergency of all emergencies. We can't afford it.
Why can't we ever afford anything that is important? Paved roads,
(14:44):
a flooding system that wicks the water away. Why can't
we ever afford anything that matters to people, sheriff's deputies,
police officers. You can't afford anything because you've got Rodney
Ellis's and Lena had all goes, and your lady that
(15:10):
is off to the Urban Land Institute. You ever done
a family budget, I encourage you to do that, because
when you keep a family budget and you make it
a family activity to look at every expense that your
family undertakes, you put it on a spreadsheet. You go
(15:31):
through the credit cards, you go through the venmos, you
go through the auto checks that are paid, and you
start looking at every single expense, and the rest of
the family is looking at you. Why'd you door dash?
Why'd you door dash? We had dinner already here. Why
(15:52):
would you do that? That's just a waste of money.
That's what families do, but not Ridney Ellis, not Len Hidalgo.
You just keep taking until someone makes you stop taking.
This is why we never have the money we're supposed
(16:15):
to have, because it's being squandered. Oh, eight thousand dollars
for the Urbiline Institute won't break us. Oh the trips
to Doha won't break us. It's not one or the
other it's that pattern throughout, it's that waste throughout the system.
(16:37):
But it's even more than that, it's the utter and
absolute disregard for you for the sanctity of your dollars,
which should be sacred. Those are your dollars. We've got
that story. It's clip number two off Chad's prep If
(16:58):
you can play it please, Jimbo.
Speaker 7 (17:04):
A three day trip to San fran caught the attention
of Harris County commissioners.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
I thought the costs associated with that were pretty extraordinary.
Speaker 7 (17:14):
The Flood Control District wants to send one person to
a conference. Document show the taxpayer price tag is eighty
one hundred dollars, a request made by Director Tina Peterson.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
ABC thirteen tried to ask her about it.
Speaker 8 (17:27):
Can you explain why you wanted eighty one hundred dollars
to go to a three day conference.
Speaker 9 (17:34):
I don't have anything to say.
Speaker 8 (17:35):
We can certainly talk with you once I get back
to the ultimate request.
Speaker 7 (17:38):
Taxpayer funds would be used for the department's chiefest staff
to attend the Urban Land Institute's three day fall conference.
The document show they want thirty five hundred dollars.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
For a hotel.
Speaker 7 (17:48):
We called and the group told us block room rates
are about two hundred and fifty bucks. The document says
seventeen hundred dollars are needed for registration fees. The conference
lists the fees on its website for less than eleven hundred.
As for airfare, the request shows fifteen hundred dollars. We
checked travel websites and found round trip tickets for around
(18:08):
two hundred bucks.
Speaker 8 (18:10):
I requested thirty five hundred dollars for a hotel. I
called the conference. They said the rates are two forty
nine a night. You wanted thirty five hundred for a
three day conference. Can you explain why you had that number.
Speaker 9 (18:22):
We do estimates for our travel, and certainly we try
to be conservative in our numbers.
Speaker 7 (18:28):
The department later told ABC thirteen it provides estimates with
buffer money for approval. Commissioner Tom Ramsay voted against it.
The measure passed even though she supported it. Judge Lena
Hidago says she's looking into it.
Speaker 9 (18:41):
Well, I have to believe there's something else to that. Certainly,
an estimate of many thousands of dollars for a night,
it doesn't make sense. So but we're still running that down.
Speaker 7 (18:49):
That trip wasn't the only one discussed during the meeting,
Hidago revisited her recent Paris trip. She wanted to use
more than twenty thousand taxpayer dollars for the week long
trade mission. Instead, commissioners denied that she used campaign funds.
Because of this, she wants to change the travel policy
for future traps.
Speaker 9 (19:07):
And despite my paying out of the campaign funds or
my willingness to pay on my campaign funds for a
security detail, the fire Marshal did not allow the security
detail to travel.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
It didn't pass in you a post no.
Speaker 9 (19:23):
And what's the reason for that, Commissioner.
Speaker 5 (19:25):
Garcia, I don't need to give you a reason.
Speaker 6 (19:30):
I'm just voting no.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Let's move on.
Speaker 9 (19:31):
It's clear in other votes you know why somebody has
a position, But in this one it seemed inexplicable to
not allow a travel policy.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
So that and what I see all over the place
is people who care about looking good while doing evil.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
The Michael Arry.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Show, Well, Harris County government might be all messed up,
but the people, the people have a spirit, a special spirit,
they really do. There's a story we're now seeing beyond
just Camp Mystic, where so many girls campers and counselors
(20:12):
and even the director perished in the flood. Now you're
seeing so many other folks, Pat Green's brother and his family,
different people who were on vacation. I saw a story
about a young lady. She was a third year associated
a law firm in Atlanta. She was out visiting her mother.
(20:34):
I wondered how many folks would turn up missing and
then perish as a result of these floods. Because it
was the July fourth weekend. It was July fourth itself,
and you had a lot of folks you have every
year who vacation along that river. I mean, it's a
(21:00):
fun thing to do. It's a great place to gather.
It's pretty, it's fun, it's festive, and it makes all
the sense in the world. I can't help but wonder
if that storm had come a day later, how many
more people would have died? Because I can't help but
(21:23):
wonder how many people did not make it in on
Friday yet because they were driving in from further afield.
I don't know. I guess that's maybe just looking for
a silver lining. One of the stories is that has
(21:45):
caught a lot of people's attention outside of the KMP
mystic community. Is a young man by the name of Shiloh.
Wilson was apparently one heck of a rodeo rider, and
he and his two parents perished. They live in Kingwood,
and apparently they're quite famous in the rodeo community. I
(22:05):
was not aware of this. I do love the name Shiloh,
but the people of our community showed up to pay
tribute as Shiloh's body was brought home. They were in
Kerrville for a rodeo. I guess he was riding in
when the flooding swept them away, so they weren't necessarily
(22:28):
on vacation, but there for a rodeo. The story about
his homecoming beautiful as it was from Khou.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
From those who knew him personally to others simply touched
by the tragedy. We all came out to see Shiloh
come home. Hundreds helped honor a twelve year old finally
back with his mom and dad.
Speaker 6 (22:46):
It's almost part of a dream still, but this is
great seeing all these people come out.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
Shiloh Wilson at his parents, Jeff and Amber, were in
the Hill Country for a rodeo when catastrophic flooding swept
through their can sight. Jeff and Amber were previously recovered
and Shiloh one week after the flood on Friday. Tom
Schweger first met Jeff Wilson in college, and I know that.
Speaker 6 (23:10):
He fought tooth and nail to try to keep himself
and his wife and son alive.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
The Harris County Fire Marshall's office live stream much of
the journey back as people paid their respects along the route.
What do you think of this outpouring the outborn is great.
Speaker 9 (23:25):
I'm glad to see the turnout, to see the love
for him, love for the family.
Speaker 8 (23:32):
It's devastating.
Speaker 9 (23:33):
Amber was the sweetest person I've ever met. Shiloh was
he was something they call en stingray.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
Many here knew the family through Jeff, who was a longtime, humble,
liased d career and technical education teacher.
Speaker 8 (23:47):
I just know that Jeff and Amber and Schilotte were
looking at all this right now, probably got a big
giant smile on her face, and.
Speaker 4 (23:57):
It just breaks my heart that you just don't have
a chance to say good bye. I'm told funeral arrangements
for the family impacted in an instant, like so many others,
are still being made.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
It's inspiring to see that people took time out of
their own lives to go and stage there along the
route as the body was brought back. You know, everybody
who is present for something like that had something else
(24:36):
going on, and they gave up what that other thing was,
whether it's sitting on the couch watching TV, taking a nap,
working hobbies, whatever that might be. People took time away
from what they had intended to do and came out
(25:00):
because their presence was a powerful statement. It reminds me
of that scene in He'll Biliology where jd Vance is
asking about this ritual when a family member has died.
(25:20):
Why do they do that, Mammo?
Speaker 4 (25:23):
Because we're hell people, Honey, we respect on death.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
It's not just hill people, it's decent people. I think
you learn a lot about a culture by the way
children are treated, and by the way the elderly are treated,
and when there is a death, by the way that
(25:53):
life is honored or not. You'll see videos in big
cities where rhyme is rampant and someone's been shot dead
in the street and people will walk over that person
and just keep going about their business as if it
isn't a human life. That tells you a whole lot
about that culture. You can make a lot of assumptions
(26:15):
that are going to be true. When the loss of
the life of one little boy is that important to
the people of Kingwood, it tells you a lot about
the people of Kingwood. I don't know what his mother
Amber did, but it also tells you how popular his father,
(26:35):
Jeff was in the community where he was an educator.
Tells you a lot about that as well. Meanwhile, Austin
Firefighters Union says ninety three percent voted no confidence in
Chief Joel Baker after he refused to send Cruiz to
Kerrville to help in the flood rescue efforts. The Austin
(26:58):
Firefighter Association President Nick said the chief had a standing
order to deny all deployments to save money. He said
Austin firefighters were requested on July second and July third
before the flooding even started. He added Austin, Texas had
the best boat crews in the state, if not the nation.
(27:18):
He explicitly trained with san Antone for response to the
hill Country because it's in our backyard. So we have
the resources, we have the training, we have the personnel.
We are absolutely geared to do to doing in that
area of work. The union said Baker told him the
city manager's office limited the response, but the city manager's
(27:39):
office that he had never received any deployment request and
would have approved them. Nick added in the statement posted
after the no confidence vote, let me be clear, the
leadership failed the community when it was needed the most.
This isn't about politics, It's about accountability. The Austin Firefighters
are resolute that the truth must see the light of
(27:59):
day and all all people involved with this horrendous decision
to not deploy life saving swift water resources to Kerr
County must be held accountable. They have called for his termination.
I don't know what a difference it means. Maybe not
one life could be saved, But you read these accounts
(28:21):
of people being swept down the water and to varying
degrees they survived to a certain points. Some of them
didn't pass until further down their way. What difference would
it have made to have experts on the scene.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.