Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
I'm O Kelly in for Paul Corvino, Division President of iHeartMedia,
Los Angeles. Welcome to another episode of Meet the Candidates,
and today we're going to meet Joe Kerr, who's a
Democrat running to represent California's fortieth congressional district that's encompassing
Orange and Bernardino and Riverside Counties.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Joe, it's good to see you. How you doing today?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Oh my pleasure. I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Former fire captain with the Orange County Fire Authority, thirty
four years at least as a first responder. And you
want to jump out of that fire into another fire
of politics?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Why what made you want to do that?
Speaker 3 (00:38):
I wish you would ask a question a year ago. Yeah,
people say firefighters. I'm a ninety four percent approval rating.
The United States Congress has a fourteen percent approval rating.
I'm the only guy in the country wants to go
from a ninety four to a fourteen percent approval rating. So,
you know what, I just want to get involved. Firefighters
solve problems for people. They do it in forty five
minute soundbites. They do it for over thirty years. And
firefighters are just common sense problem solved.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
There's something about your campaign that I think is emblematic
of who you are as a person.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
You're a person who's looking for civility. You're looking for
real discussions.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
You're looking for real conversations and real solutions.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
How does that work in Washington?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
It has to work, you know. We worked on Orange
County declared bankruptcy at December sixth, nineteen ninety four, the
day before I was a fire captain. A few days
later I wound up being the union president for Orange
County firefighters. We're looking at massive layouts privatization. So two
million people are going to lose their paramedic service and
a lot of senior folks are going to lose their jobs.
And so I had to get involved in politics. We
(01:34):
got hundreds of bill signed by five governors, two presidents.
The first one was Bill Clinton in October ninety six
to get our pensions back. And almost every bill we
worked on was bipartisan. And we want to talk to everybody,
the people who agree with us and the people who don't.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Husband, Father, what motivates you in that regard?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Well, again, just common sense problem solving, bring and pragmatists
taking that to Washington, keeping the government funded, keeping the
government open, keeping the government efficient and effective for everybody
in the country. I just want to bring the talents
that three hundred and forty thousand firefighters bring to work
every day and bring that to DC.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Okay, we're just having a personal conversation, just you and me.
No one else will ever hear this. But I mentioned
that you are a husband, and I know that you
obviously have a wife.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
What does she have to say about this point in
your career.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
She said, you're doing it. She was one and said,
you can do this. You can win this district. This district.
I worked as a fire captain in nine of twelve
of these communities. I represented firefighters in every one of
these communities as a vice president for California Firefighters. She said,
this district suits you. The problems going on in the
United States suit you. The massive things we solved nationally
(02:47):
for our urban search and rescue teams, for FEMA local
and so forth. She said, this is a perfect job
for you.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Okay, let me make these questions just a little bit
more difficult as we get to yank you the candidate.
All right now, you're going to be serving ostensibly Orange County,
sen Bernardino Counties in Riverside counties, So there might be
some Rubs here, Angels or Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Ah.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Even in my own family, I believe we left Brooklyn,
New York because the Dodgers left Brooklyn and came to
La So Dad and older brother hardcore Dodger fans. I've
been an Angel fan since you know Jim Fergosi played
back in the day.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Oh, you're really telling on yourself. Now, Okay, let's go
Rams Chargers.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
I'm Rams all the way since Roman Gabriel played back in.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
The day like this guy.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
All right, then let's talk about ducks Kings again. Most
of my friends are with Kings. I'm in a duck
sky for a long time, all right, Joe.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Kerr, I've enjoyed this conversation with you, and I know
I can talk to you all evening. But if you
were to go home and you had a really, very
very long day, be it as a fire captain or
even out on the on the campaign trail, what is
one meal that you would love to have waiting for you.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Salmon bowl? My wife does it, real nice salmon bow,
and that gets it done at the end of the day.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
All right. I lied. One more question.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
If your wife was out and you were home, is
there a dish that you know that you could make.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
For her whatever's in the fridge. We put in long
days right now, you know, Being thirty four years in
the firehouse, I wasn't the cook. Actually, my dad, being
a fire captain, said, look, when the captain says cook,
whatever you do, burn the heck out of the first
meal and they'll never make you cook again. I burned
the heck out of the first meal, and I said, hey,
cap I don't have to ever cook again, and goes, no,
(04:31):
you need the practice.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Get back in there.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Well he is ready, He says he doesn't need the
practice right now to become California's next congressional representative for
the fortieth district. Joe Kurt's been a pleasure to meet you,
or meet the candidate's good luck to you
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Oh my pleasure, Thank you so much.