Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's the week of March thirtieth, twenty twenty five, and
this is what's on the people's news. The state looks
to ban smoke shops. Republican Senate bill will ban or
restrict ownership of land based on race. Air monitors check
your area for air quality. North Texas County sues the
(00:26):
federal government over concamination. An organization looks to the future
of education in Texas. We mourn the loss of Houston legend,
Big George Foreman. All that and more on the People's News.
I'm Steve Gallington. This is the people's News, and the
People's News starts now. Texas Senate Bill three, backed by
(00:55):
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, seeks to tighten regulations around thhcts
sold in convenience stores and vape shops. Patrick first launched
the bill in December, calling for the ban of all
consumable THHC being sold. The Texas House has yet to
take up their own version of the bill. This is
(01:15):
Lieutenant Governor's pet bill, and he says THHC loopholes in
danger of the public. We talked to Richard tom Kala,
one of the first Houstonians to have a hemp store.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
The whole on war, the whole war on personal use
m THC. You know, the Delta products, all of the
all of the variants that are out there now is
is just nothing short of idiotic. It's grandstanding.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I mean, these.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
People have no moral, uh place to stand, so they
they picked these hot button items that uh, people lose
their minds over when they think. Oh, his quote the
news yesterday was the most telling. I'm talking about Lieutenant
Governor Patrick. He goes and and we've noticed that that
(02:09):
a large number of these locations are are you know,
are located near schools and churches, and and these products
are being marketed to children, and which is utterly idiotic.
It's uh, you know, one the reality of the matter
is children of young let's call them young people, not children.
(02:32):
I'm talking about young you know, high school and college
people have always had the widest pathway to anything.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
It's it's just so disingenuous and and connor productive for
him to have raised this point. Uh, but it's it's
a part of you know, this larger fascist agenda.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
That is.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Wow, It's it's such a head scratcher that I beyond that,
I I don't know how to respond. I mean, Governor
hot Wheels has been just the largest advocate and there
are many that feel like he is angling for national office.
And clearly Patrick is angling for the governorship. So we're
(03:20):
just talking about a shuffling.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Of the boards.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
And using using some of the most vulnerable people in
the community is a scapegoat to have something to beat
their chest up of close because I know you've got
a lot of other people to talk to. But I'll
say this, it's right up there with this whole transgender
(03:43):
in sports debate. I did the research of the five
hundred some five hundred thousand registered NCAA athletes in.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
A grand total of fifty one identified as a different
gender from biology and and uh and curiously, uh enough,
a majority of them were women wanting to play in
men's sports. Just the the provocative nature of taking uh
(04:18):
uh uh you know, a non problem in you know,
a situation in search of a problem, or a non
problem in search of an answer or solution. And here
we are with this, with this uh, this uh current
attack on these uh, these vendors and these products because
they are so beneficial to so many and anyone that contends.
(04:41):
Other words, otherwise is named Governor Pat Lieutenant Governor Patrick,
and that that that whatever that gang you know of miscrants.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
What's the difference between what.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
I'm not.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I'm not a canist. You should call off one of
the stories bridge.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
They they bless their hearts, you know when I'm when
I was involved, of course, and I love the fact
that there are all these wondrous strains, you know, from
Jack Rrer to White Widow to Whohu and haha and
bubblegum and YadA YadA. My roots are in you know,
are are with the uh Decker brothers in in UH
(05:23):
in Amsterdam, the boys over there at the Hatch Museum,
the boys that really popularized and really and brought into
focus in the notion of high bred uh Cannabis Sativa,
uh indica and ruderalis. And at the end of the day,
you know, they were they were slinging three varieties, you know,
(05:46):
Northern Lights and a cush and maybe a Northern Lights
number fourteen or something, and that was it. And from
that and a lot of creative creativity, uh and cross
breeding and fine mean some obscure Tibetan strain and YadA
YadA YadA. Some people have done some really creative stuff
with it. But you know, so an answer to your question,
(06:09):
what they do today is way above my pay grade.
And you really should contact one of those those vendors
that are at the front line and will have the
exact chemical uh differences and and and you know, uh
reasons and applications.
Speaker 5 (06:29):
Yeah it this is going backwards. I know you're in
the front line legalization for a long time, and is
this going backwards instead of forward?
Speaker 2 (06:41):
As far as absolutely and and as I for the
life of me other than you know, some obscure fascist
uh you know, uh chest beating, don't I don't really
understand it.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I haven't researched the criminal statistics and whatnot, but uh,
come on, now, come on and and so uh it's
it's always been my contention, and I rarely use that
word rich always it's always been my contention that Texas
will be one of, if not the very last one
(07:22):
to the dance on this whole legalization uh issue. There
there's just some breaking you know, uh, railroads taking in
their heads that they can't pull out and don't know
what to do, and they're just standing there with it
in their head and have figured out for some reason.
(07:43):
I think, Uh, the gambling is another one, you know,
and think why why not you know, I mean people can.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
You know, but another issue.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
But back to what you're called about to uh asked
about today. It is absolutely the worst possible uh step forward. UH,
any honest clinician, medical doctor UH is again by and large,
UH the overall positive impact is so overwhelming, you know,
(08:18):
surpassing the aspirins and ibuprofens by a large measure of
those that are using it. And it's we're at the
cust We're only at the beginning thanks to criminalization all
these years and and now this YAHOO wants to further
retard the uh, the understanding, the expansion of understanding of
(08:40):
what the uh you know, UH that through hydrocarbons do.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
UH.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
That's there. It could be an alien species that we've
you know, long needed to have a part of our
our lives. I don't know, you know, it's uh, it
certainly isn't for Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick to say in
his bunch, they're clearly proven they're incompetence and incompetency and
(09:10):
understanding the world as it really is, and not as
old white people wish it would be forever and ever
old white Christian peoples, which it would be forever and
ever again a whole other conversation. But Javish corollaries too.
And this is the underlying backstory, and you hate to
(09:32):
always have to.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Bring it up.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Behind every little thing that comes up is the privatization
of prisons.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
That was Richard tom Kala. There were protests held around
the state this past weekend to a Texas Senate bill
that would ban the buying of land to those of
Asian descent. The Asian Pacific American communities, alongside other ethnic groups,
are mobilizing against Texas Senate Bill seventeen and House Bill seventeen,
(09:59):
legislations that seek to ban or restrict real estate ownership
by certain foreign nationals under the guise of national security.
State Representative Geen Wu, who represents the one hundred and
thirty seventh district in Houston, says this is something straight
out of World War Two when we had Japanese internment camps.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
We talked to some other.
Speaker 7 (10:20):
Members and they said, they said, like, you know, on
the kind side, the center is basically like, well, the
community is not adjusting.
Speaker 6 (10:26):
To it, I guess you can go ahead and pass it.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
And that's what they did.
Speaker 7 (10:31):
And so like the community like they've we've done like
maybe like a fifth of what we did last time.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
Like we need more people to come.
Speaker 7 (10:40):
Out and they need people to call, We need people
to join a protest, We need people to tell them,
more people that this is happening. Like the community have
to respond. And I know people are tired. I know
people are like upset about other stuff. They're upset about
what's happening on happening in washing DC. They're watching the
countries like start the bun. But you know they can't
(11:02):
they can't just sit down on this. But we can't
be beer in headlights.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
Yeah, so what of us are listening? Orders know how
intrigued this is and how were it before? All racism
is pointing people out.
Speaker 7 (11:19):
So so we the community came last time, and they
came this time and said, like, look, you don't don't
put this against individuals. You want to do this against countries,
against corporations, you know, that's one thing, but leave on
individual people out of this, right And they warned them
that this type of discrimination would lead us down the
(11:40):
pathway to what we did in a Japanese tournament, right,
and because it's being done for the same reasons and
the same things are being done, and we're.
Speaker 6 (11:50):
Like, guys, we're just launching a goose stepping our way
towards me one of the most shameful.
Speaker 7 (11:56):
Periods of our nation history, and we're just walking down
the path again like it's not And after the Senate
heard that, you know what they did, they made it
even worse.
Speaker 6 (12:07):
They made the bill even worse. And so they added in.
Speaker 7 (12:09):
A provision into the bill that would create what's called
an inn ram cause of action. An in ram cause
of action basically allows the still to come take their
stuff without doing anything else. The in ram consternation, they
don't even have to notify the property owner that they're
doing it, right, because the shoot the lawsuit is against
(12:31):
the things against the property and even if people found
out about it, they might not even have a right
to inner need to try to protect their property. And
you look at what they're doing. That's exactly what happened,
right and form will right during worm, right before the
Japanese and tournament, they the case knew that people.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Were going to be rounded up, so they passed walls
with it.
Speaker 7 (12:52):
The moment they're rounded up, you can just go in
and take their stuff. We don't have to let them know,
we don't have to give them a chance to fight
for it, right, and we're we're putting this right into
this bill, even after being warned that this is the
pathway that we're going down, right, it kind of makes
you think that maybe this is the pathway that they want.
(13:13):
Maybe the objective is to do this and take everyone's property,
because you know, during World War Two, the Japanese Americans
who had their farms, homes, businesses, cars, bank accounts all
stolen from them, they never got any of that back.
All those ended up in the ended up in the
hands of people who were friends of people who are
(13:35):
who are in.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
The in the state. And maybe this is what they're
true like going for again, right, all.
Speaker 7 (13:42):
These immigrant communities who have been working hard all these decades,
just go ahead and take all this stuff.
Speaker 5 (13:48):
And I also look at it because people that people
you know, people that think this is this is the
isolated take they can use against black hand brown people,
you know.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
But yeah, what PO is like, yeah.
Speaker 7 (14:05):
This is if there's a one word amendment to change
it to add other countries, at other people, at other groups. Right,
they don't have to And and the thing is they
don't have to accuse you of anything. They don't have
to show that you did anything. They just say, well,
we think they meant. We think they need the criteria
of the people were active. And then there's nothing you
(14:25):
can do.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
How are you mobilizing people a little more about this?
Speaker 6 (14:30):
We got to do do it with people like you.
We got to do it through the community, like it
has to.
Speaker 7 (14:35):
I mean, like, look, either either the press doesn't care
or you know, or there's just too much stuff going on.
I don't know, but when nobody's talking about it, and
but we need our community to be talking about it.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
If that means that it's individual, you're texting your friends,
texting their neightives, telling everyone in your in your church group,
whatever it is. We've got to get the word out.
And this is not just for the Chinese community, it's
not just for the Asian community. Exactly from an immigant.
Speaker 7 (15:00):
Committee, they could use this against anyone they being an
enemy in the future. They're already deporting people for speaking
their minds, for using the First Amendment. They're deporting people,
taking away their green cards because they said something that
they disapproved of, like we're not we're not getting close
(15:22):
to Nai Germany.
Speaker 5 (15:24):
We are in the beginnings of not the Germany, I
think now.
Speaker 7 (15:33):
And this is a call for all good people to
stand up and fight. If you believed in an America
that we were taught, like I was taught, that America
was a beacon on the hill, that we were the
shining thing that spreads democracy and freedom and justice throughout
the world, what happened to that. If you believe in that,
(15:56):
if you if that's what you want, if that's America
that you have in envisioned your one and you want
that you can do is a good thing.
Speaker 6 (16:03):
Let's fight for it.
Speaker 7 (16:05):
Let's just not stick back while billionaires steal this from
us right and turn our country and melt our country
down and make golden images and golden statues of themselves.
Because you know that statue, that statue, the base of
that statue that later that statue is gonna be placed
on us. We're gonna be the foundation. It's gonna be
(16:26):
built on our bones.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
I was just gonna say, speaking of a millionaires, the state,
the state is still trying to pass about with benefit millionaires. Ye,
where is that going?
Speaker 7 (16:43):
No, I mean, look, it's the same fight. It's the
same fight. It's billionaires versus the people. It's billionaires versus America, right,
And they know that our school system is on the
verge of collapse. The public school system is not near
the cliff. They've been pushed over the cliff long ago.
(17:05):
They're hanging on by their fingernails. And they did screaming
for help for the past couple of years. And our
best reaction to them are the reaction from our state leaders,
from our Republican leaders, is yeah, we hear you, but
it don't seem like you're in that much danger. And
they're I mean, they're just hanging on by their fingernails.
Speaker 6 (17:24):
And this is you know what this is. Vouchers Uthers
is a.
Speaker 7 (17:28):
Steamroller that's coming and it's going to run over all
the remaining fingers and it's coming.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
And they know this.
Speaker 7 (17:36):
They know the people who are pushing this know exactly
what vouchers is going to do to our education.
Speaker 6 (17:42):
System, and that is collapsing. Like we are already one
of the worst funded education systems.
Speaker 7 (17:49):
In America, Like one of the richest, most powerful states
in the country, has one of the worst education systems.
Why is that it didn't happen by action, this is
by design. Because you have a few billionaires in Texas
who's their vision of a country is one.
Speaker 8 (18:07):
Where it's theocratically ruled, where where where the people with
money have all the power, where their white nationalism is
the law, where gay people are not allowed to exist
and immigrants are not allowed to do this.
Speaker 7 (18:24):
This is the country, This is America the day vision
and that they want, and they're fighting for it. And
the question for all of us is why aren't we
fighting back? Why aren't we fighting for what we want?
Because that's not our view of America? Sure as hell
not my view of America.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
Can you explain to me why the.
Speaker 5 (18:45):
Why is this big push for this and for for
for destroying public education. I just don't understand. Why is
this hatred?
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Howard? What are you looking for it? Cowardice?
Speaker 7 (19:03):
Because they know better, they've been told better, but they're
afraid of Governor Abbot. And they're afraid of Governor Abbot
because our Governor Abbot does what the billionaires want, right,
And the only thing that will save us is if
the people go, If the people go and give.
Speaker 6 (19:24):
Them courage if the people stand behind them and say,
we want you to.
Speaker 7 (19:30):
Do what we want, not what they want, not what
Governor Abbot wants, not what the billionaires want.
Speaker 6 (19:36):
We want you to do what we want. That you
have to give.
Speaker 7 (19:41):
People have to give their like their officials, courage and
remind them of why they're there and who they serve.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
That was Texas State Representative Gene Wu from Houston, HI.
This is Steve Gallington, producer and host of the People's News.
The People's News is people powered news. We are free
to report the unvarnished and unspun truth and challenge the
status quo of corporate propaganda and social media advertising disguised
(20:11):
as real news. Shiny new one hour episodes of The
People's News drop each Sunday on The People's News Podcast.
Thanks for listening. Surveying the grim landscape of the dismantling
of the US Department of Education and Tea's takeover of
Houston ISD, the view of public education is bleak. One
(20:36):
group is focusing on a hopeful aspect of school, specifically
getting middle school students through high school and college. The
Breakthrough Collaborative is hosting its inaugural experience April fourth through six,
twenty twenty five, at the Hilton post O Hotel. This
will bring together more than three hundred dynamic educators, policy advocates,
(20:59):
community leaders, and Breakthrough Collaborative alumni to reimagine what's possible
for students and teachers across the country. We talked to
Laurisia Monique, chief External Affairs Officer of the Breakthrough Collaborative.
Speaker 9 (21:14):
Breakthrough Collaborative is an organization that's been around for forty
six years. We started as a summer bridge program for.
Speaker 10 (21:23):
Middle school students to ensure that they were able to
enter into selective high schools, thus putting them on the
path to complete college.
Speaker 9 (21:34):
Since that year, we've evolved to a twenty five affiliate organization.
We have twenty five affiliates across the nation still serving
that middle school student or recruiting that middle school student
and supporting them through college completion through their post secondary pathways.
(21:55):
And we recruit college students to be our teacher king
fellows for our program. And so we're serving kind of
this dual mission. We're focused on student success and we're
also focused on the educator workforce.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
And you have a composion coming up next week.
Speaker 11 (22:14):
Yes, we do, we do. We're excited about that.
Speaker 9 (22:18):
Next week, on both Friday, April fourth and Saturday, April fifth,
we are hosting our first annual convening here in Houston, Texas.
I live in Houston, Texas, and we were excited to
host this event in Houston, especially because Houston is known
for innovation. Houston is known for aerospace, Houston is known
(22:42):
for healthcare and education. And while Houston is known for
these amazing things, I think what is true, we're still
trying to solve for the learning gaps in education as
a result of the pandemic. We decided that we would
host this event here. The same is Mission Possible. The
reason we selected Mission Possible as the theme is because
(23:03):
fifty five years to the date of our event would
have been the Apollo thirteen mission.
Speaker 11 (23:10):
And I don't know if you recall that mission. This
was the idea that that.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
We went into space and we got stuck in space
and that sound bite Houston, we have a problem. But
at that time, what they learned is that they needed
to try new strategies to enter re enter into the atmosphere.
Speaker 11 (23:32):
So it was a new way to collaborate.
Speaker 9 (23:34):
Was a new way to think about leadership and teamwork
and also innovative ideas.
Speaker 11 (23:41):
And we have a deep.
Speaker 9 (23:42):
Belief that as we're entering into this new space and education,
how do we come together to learn from one another.
How do we come together bring forth solutions that are
working and leave the solutions are the ideas that are
no longer worth working in the past in the past,
and so we're excited we're bringing together. It's a sold
(24:04):
out event, three hundred people. The same is celebrate, convey
and cultivate relationships as.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
Far as the HISD Houston Kinds School District and a
takeover and also education in itself.
Speaker 9 (24:22):
Now you mentioned some I think wondering that all of
us have and Friday I had. While there is tension,
there are also things that we can learn from. And
Friday I had the opportunity to attend the HISD Foundation
luncheon and what we learned is that there are actually
(24:45):
learning learning is happening in HISD schools, that students are
starting to perform much better than they were years ago.
So some of the gaps are closing. And there was
a time where there were more B rated and f
rated schools. And what we learned there are actually now
(25:06):
more A and B rated dreaded schools, and so despite
some of the challenges, students are still learning and the
learning gaps are being filled. And then you mentioned some
challenges around education in Houston.
Speaker 11 (25:18):
I also was at.
Speaker 9 (25:20):
The Houston Community College lunch and a couple of weeks
ago and learned that HCC is taking on a new charge.
They're expanding from an associates or two year college to
a four year They're offering four year degrees. And so
while there might be challenges, I still believe that there
(25:40):
is growth in education. You also touched on our wonderings
around what's going on with the Department of Education. I
think two things can be true at both times. I
think that we all know that we have wonderings around
the Department of Education, and maybe there are systems or
(26:02):
processes that can continue to be tweaked and grow. We
also know that we need the Department of Education.
Speaker 11 (26:10):
And so while in this season, I think.
Speaker 9 (26:12):
It's better to take the frame of being more curious
than necessarily saying that there is something actually wrong, not wrong,
that the that what is happening is not a move
potentially in a right direction. We don't know yet, so
(26:35):
I don't know if I can confidently speak on the
Department of Education.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
We know about teachers in itself, that are we know
that HS is now accepting teachers that some would say
not qualified because they haven't passed they haven't passed certain
certain criterias. What do you say to that as far
as the teachers that are now coming into the school.
Speaker 9 (26:59):
District, I'm not sure that I'm fully aligned with the
statement that you're charged with. I'm pretty sure I've been
in education in my entire life for twenty five years.
I started my career at the classroom school district in.
Speaker 11 (27:15):
HID, and I recall what I decided that I would
be a teacher.
Speaker 9 (27:20):
Actually HID provided a pathway for me to receive my certification,
and so I don't know if we can say that
HID is actually.
Speaker 11 (27:31):
Wanting to promote.
Speaker 9 (27:33):
Uncertified or unqualified.
Speaker 11 (27:35):
Teachers into the classroom.
Speaker 9 (27:37):
Again, I was at the HID Foundation a couple of
weeks ago and I had a conversation with a person
that's leading the teacher academy and that's adjacent to the
certification program.
Speaker 11 (27:49):
And so I would say that.
Speaker 9 (27:52):
I believe that the district actually wants qualified teachers and
if there's anyone out there listening to this interview, if
you're interested in becoming a teacher, I would say consider
uh moving through one of the certification pathway programs that
either here's Department of Education offers or that Houston community
(28:15):
are Houston i SB offers.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
And in this accelerated this accelerated learning solification also great
for people at were that want to work in special education.
Absolutely absolutely, And then tell people again how to get
touches you organization, and again what's going on next week?
Speaker 9 (28:38):
Thank you, it's Breakthrough Collaborative.
Speaker 11 (28:41):
You can catch us on all social.
Speaker 9 (28:43):
Media handles at Breakthrough Collaborative. Do you want to send
us an email to learn more about our events events
at Breakthrough Collaborative dot org. Dot events at Breakthrough Collaborative
dot org. And we will be in Houston next Friday
and Saturday at the Houston Hilton Post Oak. That's the
(29:04):
Houston Hilton Post Oak in the Galleria.
Speaker 11 (29:07):
We hope to see you there.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
That was Larisia Monique, chief External Affairs officer of the
Breakthrough Collaborative. You can find out more about the conference
by going to their website Breakthrough Collaborative dot org. Air
Alliance Houston will watch its first of its kind online
air quality dashboard that empowers Houstonians with easy, real time
(29:29):
access to neighborhood air pollution data. The dashboard, part of
the organization's community Air Monitoring program, represents a major step
forward in environmental transparency and public health advocacy. Air Alliance
Houston is now making monitors available to the public. We
talked to Airlines Houston's Jack Flores Community Air Monitoring Program manager.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Yeah, we.
Speaker 12 (29:55):
Started building our airlinunturing network a couple of years ago.
Were currently spread out into nine participating communities. Our air
monitors consist of a couple of different types of monitors.
We've got purple air monitors with which are just monitoring
particular matter, and then we have the senset.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Ramps which monitor a little bit more.
Speaker 12 (30:20):
They are doing PM as well, but is also doing
N two, doing ozone, doing carbon and we'll COO and
is also doing VOCs as well. And those costs about
five grand each for those monitors.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
The purple as are about fifty and.
Speaker 12 (30:43):
Fifty dollars for the purple ears. We also have a
couple of specialized monitors which are the s the sensit
s pods which are just really picking up bocs and
and there and and that's what there's specific for. And
those are currently on tripods that we can move those
around as we need to. And you know, we have
another monitor called a quant and that one, you know,
(31:05):
is also picking up different chemicals including you know, PM
and VOCs as well. So these monitors are spread out
all throughout the community. What makes our network unique is
our monitors located inside the communities add people's homes, on
top of churches and top of city halls.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
In some cases private schools and all that.
Speaker 12 (31:27):
So we're spread out and we uh, you know, the
whole purpose of these monitors is for people to be
able to look at the dashboard see what the air
monitoring quality is, but the air quality is in their community,
which is right there where they live at so they
can make health decisions. Today a good day for me
to go jogging, riding my bike? Should I let my
(31:48):
asthmatic kid go outside and play looking.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
At the air quality?
Speaker 12 (31:52):
You know, you know, people that have health issues, or seniors,
they have health issues, they can make decisions about going outdoors.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
Why is it if you have a problem with the
air quality in the city, who can you go through
because it seems like now that the state have given
a green light to companies to pollute and do whatever
they want to do. Or am I looking at people wrong?
Speaker 12 (32:20):
Well, first thing, you know, our monitors are spread out
to the Houston measure area, so we're you know, we
have monitors in the City of Houston, monsitors in the
city of Building the Park, Faytown's Deer Park. So we're
spread out through different cities. So each community is different,
each neighborhood is different. So depending where they're at, they
(32:42):
have to work with the local municipalities or with the
local county in order to try to create you know,
if there's an issue, to try to contact them for
help to try.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
To get this addressed. And your question was what keep
and just some of your questions right, I didn't get
the whole thing. The other part was, well, my question is.
Speaker 13 (33:07):
You know you're saying you've worked with you can work
with with community leaders and such, but at the end
of the day, you still have to get companies to
try to abide by giving you the information about.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
The quality and the quality of the air and what
are they doing to stop that? Like if we have
a fire in the community is what is top man
from out stan Asa.
Speaker 12 (33:33):
Yeah, well I can only speak to me. I live
in Delia Park. I didn't one of the worst sponsors.
And I've smelled and I've been through explosions. I've been
through you know, uh spills and all that stuff all
my life, and and and and the problem is, yeah,
you know, there are some PCQ mansors spread out. You know,
(33:54):
the most one to me is two miles away or
a mile and a half away, you know, depending on
the on the uh wind direction. You know, it's going
to pick up what it picks up from what's what's
way over there, but not picking up what it's here. So,
you know, before it was always our word against the
industry's word. And now with these launches that we have
(34:16):
in our community, now we have some kind of defense
to throw back at them. You know, before it was
like we smell something, okay, find tc he shows up
two three hours later or two or three days later,
they show ut they don't smell nothing.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Because it's already gone.
Speaker 12 (34:31):
Well, now with our community network, we're able to capture
some of this data and now we can throw it
back at them. Now, why do we do it? Like
I said, because we're the community, we live here, we
smell it. Yeah, you know, these companies are all around us,
and I mean I realized, you know, they're multi billion
you know, in some cases multi billion dollar companies, you know,
(34:51):
and it's like, you know, we're the small community people
we're trying to fight. It gets them and it's not
an easy battle. But we have more of something to
throw back at the midpem around and yet we have
to rely on our local municipalities on the county because
we know t tqu ain't gonna do anything because this
state is so red it's fine, you know, and they're
(35:12):
so pro industry that it makes this battle even harder.
So all we can do is work with the tools
that we have and in some cases pressure these companies
because they're our neighbor. They're supposed to be your neighbors,
and in some cases they are supposedly monitoring themselves. And
you know, it's very disheartening when these companies say, oh,
(35:35):
it's not us, and we're sitting here like, bro, we
just saw the flare and then we got pictures of
you smoke everywhere with the spell around us.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
You know, at least now we're able to.
Speaker 12 (35:48):
Catch some of this data to try to defend ourselves
to throw it back against them.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
Does that answer it or my way off? Yeah? Yeah
a lot.
Speaker 5 (35:56):
And also well and naturally with what's going on with
the EPA and they're reducing the amount of the amount
of the workforce with the EPA as far as and
kind of limiting regulations and enforcements. Is that a fear
that you know, we already know we have environmental racism
(36:19):
that happens that it is pretty much it's talked about,
but ignore it.
Speaker 6 (36:25):
Isn't a part.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
Is it a fear that it will get worse? We've
visited this before.
Speaker 12 (36:31):
I mean this current administration was here back when twenty
sixteen to twenty twenty, so we experienced how they cut
back and gutted some of the EPA steps back then
and even cut back some of the standards that they
put up. So it's gonna get the same but even
worse this time around. So you know, we can't rely
(36:54):
on the EPA to help with as much because the
way it is, we can't rely on the state they
help with that much.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
So now I go down to the local.
Speaker 12 (37:03):
Level where you know, who else cares more about the
community than us. That we live here, you know, and
we as a community, I mean, all we can do
is unite with each other and do the best we can.
Call the county, call the local city, and unite the community.
I mean, we live here. I mean, I mean I'm
(37:23):
a lot, I'm generation next year. I have a little
old school Ay, let's go stand in front of the
company and protest and and make these guys, you know,
life a little harder on them, to give them the back,
go through the media and make the biggest thing that
we can and that's what they want to play. You know,
a lot of times these companies have community representatives.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
They try to work with us and and try to
hear us out. You know.
Speaker 12 (37:46):
We all we can do is try to coincide with
each other because.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
We got no other choice.
Speaker 12 (37:53):
And in that case, we're gonna throw everything we got,
is all our data and our scientific data against theirs
and try to come through an agreement and use the
tools that we do have to try to create change,
you know, between each other.
Speaker 5 (38:08):
How can people get involved with your organizations?
Speaker 12 (38:12):
We have our website, our airlines website, this you know
actually has our dashboard, has the link there you click
and see what your local air quality is like. And
also through our website you'll see links that if you
want to volunteer or if you have some issues going
on in community considering air quality, if you can email
us set as information and you know, we try to
(38:35):
you know, contact you back and see what's going on
and see.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
How we can work with each other.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
That was Jack Flores with Air Alliance Houston. You can
reach them at air Alliance Houston dot org. Hi, this
is Steve Gallington, producer and host of the People's News.
If you have a story that needs to be told,
come to us. We accept fully produced audio, written material,
(38:59):
or just give us the idea and we will run
with it. Shiny new one hour episodes of The People's
News drop each Sunday on The People's News podcast hosted
by spreaker dot com and linked to my website Gallington
dot com. He was, pound for pound, one of the
greatest boxers of all time. He was a pillar to
(39:21):
the community, always helping out others. Humanitarian, Olympian, two time
heavyweight boxing champion. George Foreman, also known as Big George,
was one of the nicest men you had ever meet.
After retiring from boxing for the first time, he started
a church and was always helping others. Known for his
(39:42):
powerful punch that dominated at the time the unbeatable Joe Fraser,
he used that power to come back years later, winning
the heavyweight champion belt for the second time in nineteen
ninety four with a stunning win over Michael Moore, becoming
the oldest heavyweight champion in history. We talked to someone
that knew him well, the legendary sports commentator Ralph Cooper.
Speaker 4 (40:06):
Right, one of the things I learned about him over
the decades was that he loved Houston, Okay. For an example,
when he came back the second time he made his comeback,
and he also was being a minister, right, he was
doing the ministry thing. And I say he would fight
and say he would go to Las Vegas for a
(40:29):
week by the sight of a fight for a week
or ten days, and as soon as that fight was over,
he would come back to Houston to be at his
church that Sunday morning, say if the fight was on
a Saturday Saturday night. And the same thing happened when
he was doing those radio I mean those TV broadcasts
with Jim Lampley when they were on h HBO yep,
(40:53):
when they would finish the broadcast or the fights or
whatever back on the jyit and back at back in
Houston and at his church on Sunday morning at ten o'clock.
And uh and then when he didn't and when he
was in Houston and didn't have any fights or the engagements,
he was always at his church. Uh, even in his
(41:13):
comeback era on Wednesday nights and on Saturdays and also
on Sundays. Uh. So that was part of his legacy
right there that maybe many people didn't know.
Speaker 5 (41:24):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (41:24):
He did put a lot of time into his ministry.
Uh and uh and and and then there were of
course opportunities for him to do it in other places.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
And what he did p A b A.
Speaker 5 (41:37):
You know, a lot of people don't know that that
he he had he helped p A b A.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Well, he up right, he had put the Progressive Amateur
Boxing Association tremendously.
Speaker 11 (41:49):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (41:49):
He always helped with Reverend Ray Martin uh the found
and director of the p A b A uh, which
was located in the third Ward, although he was a
fifth Ward guy, and then he was also a North
Houston individual. Uh. He he did a lot of plantry,
plantry that like things of philanthropy, like things for.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
The PA B A.
Speaker 4 (42:12):
And one that I was told about. I wasn't there.
I didn't see this, but I know what happened. He
he he he donated over six hundred thousand dollars and
at one time to the.
Speaker 5 (42:24):
P A B A.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
After one of those fights he had, uh, he made
a contribution.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
He gave it.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
Uh he he had the Reverend Martin to stand up
in his church and donated those type of funds uh
via check to the p A B A. Which was
which was just hey, that was part of his legacy
right there in regards.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
To give it.
Speaker 5 (42:46):
Tell me this he told me a thory and uh,
I don't know you went? You went to he went
with foremants. I am I correct on that. Yes, he
tells people that story because I tell you it's unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
Are you talking about when you go to design? Okay,
you end up going? Oh he invited me, He asked
me did I want to go? And then he in fact,
I was hired in public relations to help with the
p R of the fight thanks to him and Don
King and what what uh and and and you know
(43:30):
that was like a dream come true, because when I
first heard about the fight, you know, you're thinking, Boss,
she would love to go there. And then you you
run into him one night. We were all living very fast,
we were young then, so you run into him one
evening at a social gathering. That's a good way to
put it. A party at doctor John B. Coleman's house. Right,
(43:51):
there was a party at doctor John B. Coleman's house
and I run into him and he said, hey, man,
I've been looking for you. I lost your number. I
want to invite you to h to the fight in Africa.
You know, I signed to fight only in Africa. And
imagine someone telling you that and in front of your
friends that you were there with, and how that made
(44:12):
you feel that they reached out to you like that.
And sure enough, a dare or two later, after I
had given him my number that night, a lady from
a travel agent he called and they booked me for
the trip to Zaire. Now I stopped off in a
couple of places after I realized I wouldn't. I would
never get back there. Like at the age I was
(44:32):
at that time, twenty five twenty six, I never would
get back there. Like that, and uh in that part
of the world, Paris, Rome and Madrid, Spain. I stopped
off in all those places before I got to Africa.
And then I had been warned that I was going
to a real dictatorship by the semi dictatorship. I want
(44:53):
to be dictatorship, but a real one. But I didn't
really understand it until I got there. And when I
arrived there, I have uh When I ride I right,
I mean I got on the I had as I year.
I got on air I have been flying air ZI year.
Once I got over to Europe, I threw Air Frances
all the way to Paris. But when I got left Paris,
(45:16):
I went to to my uh to Rome and I
flew as Ire and then when I left uh Rome
to Madrid, I s I threw as I year. And
then when I got ready to leave Madrid to come
to Africa, I was on as Ire again, which was
all black, all black pilots, stewardess and the whole deal.
So you get to the airport and they ask you
(45:40):
for your identification, of course, your passport, et cetera. And
I showed them all of that, but they did something
I had never had to happen before. They asked me
how much money did I have? Oh, and I didn't
really have any money cause because but I had uh
uh a couple of cards and and wo would then
you know what you know with? Plus I had a
(46:01):
round trip ticket, right, and I had my uhinerary of
what I was going to have while I was over there.
So I showed them all this, but they still wanted
to know how much money I was going to have.
And see the fight was still a few weeks away
at that time, and so I told him I had
thirty six dollars, thirty six American dollars. They said, how
are you gonna stay over here for six seven weeks,
(46:22):
eight weeks or whatever? And you going to have that
kind of money?
Speaker 3 (46:27):
Right? And I told them.
Speaker 4 (46:29):
What I was going to be doing.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
They didn't believe me.
Speaker 4 (46:32):
They call they called the hotel. I knew where George
and all of them were staying, and uh but everybody
was at the workout. Everybody was at the workhout, right,
so nobody answered the phone. They treated me like I
was well, I was I was lying that, That's what
they treated me like. I was telling the truth.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Right.
Speaker 4 (46:51):
So to make a long story, short. Finally they got
in touch with somebody in the room. Now they treat
me like loyalty. They throw me into a U. They
put me into a big limo, a BMW limo or
Mercedes limo or whatever, and they whisked me over to
the hotel and all that kind of stuff. The average
income is I are at that time, Kinshasa. That's why
(47:14):
my Tumbo the Great and kim Be my Tumbo. I
never met him while I was there, but he was
a kid. But kim Be Matumbo grew up in Kinshasa.
The average income was seventy four dollars a month. So
and you can see the poor You could see and
feel the poorness of the people. Right. So so now
(47:35):
I'm alone with George and his brothers and a couple
of other people. They asked me, but they knew where
I had been. They knew I had been the wrong
in the Paris and and and and Madrid. And they
asked me about my trip and all the fun I
had so then and uh, you know the man talk
type thing. So now he asked me, what would you know?
(47:59):
I told you I was working for him, right, I
was doing some work also while I was there, doing
two things.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
Video and work.
Speaker 4 (48:04):
So anyway, he asked me how much money would I
need while I was there? So I said, hey, man,
there's nothing here. And well, you know, I had traveling
from the airport, I could see how poor it was.
Plus I had read up on it, right, Plus I
had nine meals a day. I had nine meals a day.
And if I had about what to call it, cuypoints
for nine meals a day, and I would and I
(48:27):
would have a nice big room at the hotel where
the media was. You know, I could have stayed where
they were staying.
Speaker 6 (48:32):
They they stayed at.
Speaker 4 (48:33):
A compound or whatever, but they were away from downtown.
So I decided to stay with the other media people
and I had the nine meals a day.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
So I said, I don't.
Speaker 4 (48:40):
Really need anything.
Speaker 6 (48:43):
So he insisted.
Speaker 4 (48:44):
So I said, well, three or four hundred dollars. So
he said, I can't. He kind of frowned. Right, this
was the he frowned. This was the other George for me. Now, okay,
the one that didn't get along with a lot of people.
Right now, he frowned.
Speaker 3 (48:57):
He said, I.
Speaker 4 (48:58):
Can't do that. I said, what you mean?
Speaker 6 (49:00):
He said, you with me?
Speaker 4 (49:01):
Okay, what did I look like giving you three or
four hundred dollars a walk around here with and and
you with me only three or four hundred dollars? I said,
I know I want to get I would I prefer
to be paid when we get back home. I said,
this won't count on that. This, this won't count against that.
This is all part of the expenses, right, this won't
count This is so so I said, well, you just
(49:23):
give me what you want to give me. What he
gave me when you saw the documentary when we were
kings with a lead and him and some others. Well,
I became a prince because of what what he blessed
me with and what I had. I could take two
people to dinner with me, a lunch of breakfast with
me every time I went when I had to extrachange
(49:47):
in my pocket, and I knew that that was a
blessing from God, and I knew that I was supposed
to do some other things help some people. The average
income was seventy four dollars when and some of the
people were that I became friends with were afraid to
come into that hotel that at one time when I
first met them, because it had been Leopolville. They had
(50:09):
been part of the Congo, right, and that they they
they they remembered how the white people that treated them,
and they didn't want to come in that hotel, but
they came in. Some I would start taking the dinner
with me. And for an example, when we first started
going to dinner, if I ordered the stake well done
and with a bottle of wine and some French fries
(50:29):
or something, everybody had the same thing. They ordered what
I had when I left. Uh, they would doing make
mine a little pink and don't burn it up and
all that kind of and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (50:41):
Right.
Speaker 4 (50:42):
They had been from America, And I asked to a degree, okay,
so so those are some of the stuff that happened
over there, that what you're talking about that maybe people
find it hard to believe. And also I was told
by them that I didn't. If you saw the movie
the I Leave movie with Will Smith, you see him
running through the neighborhood, running to the places where Africans live.
Speaker 6 (51:02):
Where they go.
Speaker 4 (51:04):
They had told us, Uh, it was like a two
or three miles four mile radius that they told you
not to go into that area.
Speaker 3 (51:13):
Right.
Speaker 4 (51:13):
But I had been told by some of the Africans.
You don't have to worry. They wanted not bother you
because of what happened before you got here, what happened
before I got there. A couple of British reporters were robbed,
mugged and robbed, right, uh, And so they gathered up.
They gathered the the stadium where the spike he was. Hell,
they gathered up every known criminal in the area and
(51:37):
had them hauled off, just like what we're doing now,
hauling people off to El Sabador or whatever they had.
They had them hauled into the stadium right now. They
get they got the bullhorns and the soldiers or whatever,
asking who robbed the who robbed and mugged the two
British reports. Nobody would talk right, So at random they
(51:58):
took ten people. I'm told they took ten. I've heard
they took twenty. Then I've heard they took a hundred.
They had thousands in the clouds. They took several ten
or twenty or a hundred or whatever. They took him
and put them under the stands and and and shot
them right they had in they there was a common
thing to see m sixteen And so they you know,
(52:21):
you find it hard to bled that until some of
the friends I made one day, they took me out
to the stadium. You could just walk into the stadium,
and they took me under the under the area under
the stadium area where these people were allegedly killed. You
could see, you could see the bloodstains or what appeared
to be blood, and you saw bullet holes in the wall.
And so I believed them. I believed that they were
(52:41):
telling the truth about you know, what happened. So those
are some of the things that happened.
Speaker 5 (52:47):
How does George Former rate as far as the one
of the great boxes of all times?
Speaker 4 (52:53):
Well, he only lost to Joe Frasier, I mean not Joe.
He only lost to Ali and Jimmy.
Speaker 5 (52:58):
Young, and and.
Speaker 4 (53:01):
Shannon Briggs and Tommy Morrison in a lot of part
of his career. He lost to Tommy Morrison and Shannon Briggs.
In his prime. Uh, he lost to Jimmy Ellis, Jimmy Young,
I'm sorry, Jimmy Young, and Muhammad Ali. And otherwise he
beat Ken Norton, he beat Joe Fraser twice. Uh and
and and and uh he beat Ron Loud in a war. Uh.
(53:24):
So he's got to be rated amongst some of the
greatest of all time. Was he the greatest of all time?
It's hard to say that, but he's among the greatest
of all time in my.
Speaker 5 (53:33):
Opinion, especially that that Golden era they talk about as
far about you know, because he had Fraser Lee uh Norton,
you know, all these greats that one time and he
al would they all were top heavyweights.
Speaker 4 (53:50):
Well, you know, he never fought Larry Holmes and he
never fought in any shapers, but he did fight Ron
Loud and like I said that, you know the result
of that.
Speaker 3 (53:58):
That was a war. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (54:01):
And talk about your comeback though, because I mean people
are people knowing more for the Friar, the George Forman
Grill than anything else right now.
Speaker 4 (54:16):
Yah, When he came back, most people didn't. Most people
looked at him as like a joke. They even joked.
I found, well a couple of us that we were
covering them at that time. We were, we were We
were even joked by people who were in the media.
Mark Burman of Channel twenty six at that time Fox
twenty six to myself. We went to one of the
(54:38):
first press conference he made where he announced he was
coming back and some people laughed and even joked with
us about covering that because they didn't think nothing was
going to become of his comeback, right, They thought it
was a joke because especially when they when he didn't
go back down and wait, he he was weighing there
three hundred pounds at one time or more. He drop
(55:00):
although he didn't do it out, he did well. He
dropped down to two back down to two twenty. After
getting up to the humpy or whatever. George stopped at
about two fifty two sixty right and decided to fight
at that particular weight. And because of that, he was
healthier and his reflexes were not what they had been,
you know, because and he was fighting younger people. But
(55:21):
he was smaller than ever, and he was smarter than ever.
And his stamina he had worked on improving his stamina
way he wouldn't get tired. So that's what happened with
the comeback. And remember he was remember George was an
Olympic companion. He went into the Olympics.
Speaker 6 (55:37):
It was a big underdog.
Speaker 4 (55:38):
He left Houston going to the job Corps as an
underdog to be successful, you know, and and he parlayd
all it thanks to thanks to an advertisement by Jim
Brown and the Great Johnny United Saul so Uh that
that commercially saw on TV one day influenced him to
join the Job Corps. Then he goes to the course
(56:00):
oo's up the Oregon and quits the job. Court comes
back to Houston and he had got into boxing, but
his mother, his mother realized that this wasn't a good place.
Speaker 3 (56:10):
For him to be.
Speaker 4 (56:10):
His mother called his trainer, doctor Voters, who had been
a military guy, like a sergeant or whatever, and he
asked him, He said, you need to come get him.
He's doing the same thing he was doing before he came.
And guess what. One day the doctor showed up down here,
the sergeant the doctor and handcuffed him and took him
(56:31):
back and he became an Olympic champion. He didn't literally
a handcuff, he didn't handcuff him handcuff, but he took
him back with him and he became an Olympic champion
and a world heavyweight champion. And George never forgot.
Speaker 1 (56:45):
That was sports commentator Ralph Cooper who was with Foreman
in the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire. Foreman was
interviewed for the People's News right in front of the
old KPFT. He was a gentleman. Through and Through. The
People's News is a production of Steve Gallington and Richard Hannah,
(57:06):
and is protected by copyright laws. All the information broadcast
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(57:32):
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as well as all website or email distribution. To obtain
permission to use copyrighted material, email Steve Gallington at Steve
(57:53):
at gallington dot com.
Speaker 2 (57:55):
Thank you
It's the week of March thirtieth, twenty twenty five, and
this is what's on the people's news. The state looks
to ban smoke shops. Republican Senate bill will ban or
restrict ownership of land based on race. Air monitors check
your area for air quality. North Texas County sues the
(00:26):
federal government over concamination. An organization looks to the future
of education in Texas. We mourn the loss of Houston legend,
Big George Foreman. All that and more on the People's News.
I'm Steve Gallington. This is the people's News, and the
People's News starts now. Texas Senate Bill three, backed by
(00:55):
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, seeks to tighten regulations around thhcts
sold in convenience stores and vape shops. Patrick first launched
the bill in December, calling for the ban of all
consumable THHC being sold. The Texas House has yet to
take up their own version of the bill. This is
(01:15):
Lieutenant Governor's pet bill, and he says THHC loopholes in
danger of the public. We talked to Richard tom Kala,
one of the first Houstonians to have a hemp store.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
The whole on war, the whole war on personal use
m THC. You know, the Delta products, all of the
all of the variants that are out there now is
is just nothing short of idiotic. It's grandstanding.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I mean, these.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
People have no moral, uh place to stand, so they
they picked these hot button items that uh, people lose
their minds over when they think. Oh, his quote the
news yesterday was the most telling. I'm talking about Lieutenant
Governor Patrick. He goes and and we've noticed that that
(02:09):
a large number of these locations are are you know,
are located near schools and churches, and and these products
are being marketed to children, and which is utterly idiotic.
It's uh, you know, one the reality of the matter
is children of young let's call them young people, not children.
(02:32):
I'm talking about young you know, high school and college
people have always had the widest pathway to anything.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
It's it's just so disingenuous and and connor productive for
him to have raised this point. Uh, but it's it's
a part of you know, this larger fascist agenda.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
That is.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Wow, It's it's such a head scratcher that I beyond that,
I I don't know how to respond. I mean, Governor
hot Wheels has been just the largest advocate and there
are many that feel like he is angling for national office.
And clearly Patrick is angling for the governorship. So we're
(03:20):
just talking about a shuffling.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Of the boards.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
And using using some of the most vulnerable people in
the community is a scapegoat to have something to beat
their chest up of close because I know you've got
a lot of other people to talk to. But I'll
say this, it's right up there with this whole transgender
(03:43):
in sports debate. I did the research of the five
hundred some five hundred thousand registered NCAA athletes in.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
A grand total of fifty one identified as a different
gender from biology and and uh and curiously, uh enough,
a majority of them were women wanting to play in
men's sports. Just the the provocative nature of taking uh
(04:18):
uh uh you know, a non problem in you know,
a situation in search of a problem, or a non
problem in search of an answer or solution. And here
we are with this, with this uh, this uh current
attack on these uh, these vendors and these products because
they are so beneficial to so many and anyone that contends.
(04:41):
Other words, otherwise is named Governor Pat Lieutenant Governor Patrick,
and that that that whatever that gang you know of miscrants.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
What's the difference between what.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
I'm not.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I'm not a canist. You should call off one of
the stories bridge.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
They they bless their hearts, you know when I'm when
I was involved, of course, and I love the fact
that there are all these wondrous strains, you know, from
Jack Rrer to White Widow to Whohu and haha and
bubblegum and YadA YadA. My roots are in you know,
are are with the uh Decker brothers in in UH
(05:23):
in Amsterdam, the boys over there at the Hatch Museum,
the boys that really popularized and really and brought into
focus in the notion of high bred uh Cannabis Sativa,
uh indica and ruderalis. And at the end of the day,
you know, they were they were slinging three varieties, you know,
(05:46):
Northern Lights and a cush and maybe a Northern Lights
number fourteen or something, and that was it. And from
that and a lot of creative creativity, uh and cross
breeding and fine mean some obscure Tibetan strain and YadA
YadA YadA. Some people have done some really creative stuff
with it. But you know, so an answer to your question,
(06:09):
what they do today is way above my pay grade.
And you really should contact one of those those vendors
that are at the front line and will have the
exact chemical uh differences and and and you know, uh
reasons and applications.
Speaker 5 (06:29):
Yeah it this is going backwards. I know you're in
the front line legalization for a long time, and is
this going backwards instead of forward?
Speaker 2 (06:41):
As far as absolutely and and as I for the
life of me other than you know, some obscure fascist
uh you know, uh chest beating, don't I don't really
understand it.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I haven't researched the criminal statistics and whatnot, but uh,
come on, now, come on and and so uh it's
it's always been my contention, and I rarely use that
word rich always it's always been my contention that Texas
will be one of, if not the very last one
(07:22):
to the dance on this whole legalization uh issue. There
there's just some breaking you know, uh, railroads taking in
their heads that they can't pull out and don't know
what to do, and they're just standing there with it
in their head and have figured out for some reason.
(07:43):
I think, Uh, the gambling is another one, you know,
and think why why not you know, I mean people can.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
You know, but another issue.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
But back to what you're called about to uh asked
about today. It is absolutely the worst possible uh step forward. UH,
any honest clinician, medical doctor UH is again by and large,
UH the overall positive impact is so overwhelming, you know,
(08:18):
surpassing the aspirins and ibuprofens by a large measure of
those that are using it. And it's we're at the
cust We're only at the beginning thanks to criminalization all
these years and and now this YAHOO wants to further
retard the uh, the understanding, the expansion of understanding of
(08:40):
what the uh you know, UH that through hydrocarbons do.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
UH.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
That's there. It could be an alien species that we've
you know, long needed to have a part of our
our lives. I don't know, you know, it's uh, it
certainly isn't for Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick to say in
his bunch, they're clearly proven they're incompetence and incompetency and
(09:10):
understanding the world as it really is, and not as
old white people wish it would be forever and ever
old white Christian peoples, which it would be forever and
ever again a whole other conversation. But Javish corollaries too.
And this is the underlying backstory, and you hate to
(09:32):
always have to.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Bring it up.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Behind every little thing that comes up is the privatization
of prisons.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
That was Richard tom Kala. There were protests held around
the state this past weekend to a Texas Senate bill
that would ban the buying of land to those of
Asian descent. The Asian Pacific American communities, alongside other ethnic groups,
are mobilizing against Texas Senate Bill seventeen and House Bill seventeen,
(09:59):
legislations that seek to ban or restrict real estate ownership
by certain foreign nationals under the guise of national security.
State Representative Geen Wu, who represents the one hundred and
thirty seventh district in Houston, says this is something straight
out of World War Two when we had Japanese internment camps.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
We talked to some other.
Speaker 7 (10:20):
Members and they said, they said, like, you know, on
the kind side, the center is basically like, well, the
community is not adjusting.
Speaker 6 (10:26):
To it, I guess you can go ahead and pass it.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
And that's what they did.
Speaker 7 (10:31):
And so like the community like they've we've done like
maybe like a fifth of what we did last time.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
Like we need more people to come.
Speaker 7 (10:40):
Out and they need people to call, We need people
to join a protest, We need people to tell them,
more people that this is happening. Like the community have
to respond. And I know people are tired. I know
people are like upset about other stuff. They're upset about
what's happening on happening in washing DC. They're watching the
countries like start the bun. But you know they can't
(11:02):
they can't just sit down on this. But we can't
be beer in headlights.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
Yeah, so what of us are listening? Orders know how
intrigued this is and how were it before? All racism
is pointing people out.
Speaker 7 (11:19):
So so we the community came last time, and they
came this time and said, like, look, you don't don't
put this against individuals. You want to do this against countries,
against corporations, you know, that's one thing, but leave on
individual people out of this, right And they warned them
that this type of discrimination would lead us down the
(11:40):
pathway to what we did in a Japanese tournament, right,
and because it's being done for the same reasons and
the same things are being done, and we're.
Speaker 6 (11:50):
Like, guys, we're just launching a goose stepping our way
towards me one of the most shameful.
Speaker 7 (11:56):
Periods of our nation history, and we're just walking down
the path again like it's not And after the Senate
heard that, you know what they did, they made it
even worse.
Speaker 6 (12:07):
They made the bill even worse. And so they added in.
Speaker 7 (12:09):
A provision into the bill that would create what's called
an inn ram cause of action. An in ram cause
of action basically allows the still to come take their
stuff without doing anything else. The in ram consternation, they
don't even have to notify the property owner that they're
doing it, right, because the shoot the lawsuit is against
(12:31):
the things against the property and even if people found
out about it, they might not even have a right
to inner need to try to protect their property. And
you look at what they're doing. That's exactly what happened,
right and form will right during worm, right before the
Japanese and tournament, they the case knew that people.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Were going to be rounded up, so they passed walls
with it.
Speaker 7 (12:52):
The moment they're rounded up, you can just go in
and take their stuff. We don't have to let them know,
we don't have to give them a chance to fight
for it, right, and we're we're putting this right into
this bill, even after being warned that this is the
pathway that we're going down, right, it kind of makes
you think that maybe this is the pathway that they want.
(13:13):
Maybe the objective is to do this and take everyone's property,
because you know, during World War Two, the Japanese Americans
who had their farms, homes, businesses, cars, bank accounts all
stolen from them, they never got any of that back.
All those ended up in the ended up in the
hands of people who were friends of people who are
(13:35):
who are in.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
The in the state. And maybe this is what they're
true like going for again, right, all.
Speaker 7 (13:42):
These immigrant communities who have been working hard all these decades,
just go ahead and take all this stuff.
Speaker 5 (13:48):
And I also look at it because people that people
you know, people that think this is this is the
isolated take they can use against black hand brown people,
you know.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
But yeah, what PO is like, yeah.
Speaker 7 (14:05):
This is if there's a one word amendment to change
it to add other countries, at other people, at other groups. Right,
they don't have to And and the thing is they
don't have to accuse you of anything. They don't have
to show that you did anything. They just say, well,
we think they meant. We think they need the criteria
of the people were active. And then there's nothing you
(14:25):
can do.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
How are you mobilizing people a little more about this?
Speaker 6 (14:30):
We got to do do it with people like you.
We got to do it through the community, like it
has to.
Speaker 7 (14:35):
I mean, like, look, either either the press doesn't care
or you know, or there's just too much stuff going on.
I don't know, but when nobody's talking about it, and
but we need our community to be talking about it.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
If that means that it's individual, you're texting your friends,
texting their neightives, telling everyone in your in your church group,
whatever it is. We've got to get the word out.
And this is not just for the Chinese community, it's
not just for the Asian community. Exactly from an immigant.
Speaker 7 (15:00):
Committee, they could use this against anyone they being an
enemy in the future. They're already deporting people for speaking
their minds, for using the First Amendment. They're deporting people,
taking away their green cards because they said something that
they disapproved of, like we're not we're not getting close
(15:22):
to Nai Germany.
Speaker 5 (15:24):
We are in the beginnings of not the Germany, I
think now.
Speaker 7 (15:33):
And this is a call for all good people to
stand up and fight. If you believed in an America
that we were taught, like I was taught, that America
was a beacon on the hill, that we were the
shining thing that spreads democracy and freedom and justice throughout
the world, what happened to that. If you believe in that,
(15:56):
if you if that's what you want, if that's America
that you have in envisioned your one and you want
that you can do is a good thing.
Speaker 6 (16:03):
Let's fight for it.
Speaker 7 (16:05):
Let's just not stick back while billionaires steal this from
us right and turn our country and melt our country
down and make golden images and golden statues of themselves.
Because you know that statue, that statue, the base of
that statue that later that statue is gonna be placed
on us. We're gonna be the foundation. It's gonna be
(16:26):
built on our bones.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
I was just gonna say, speaking of a millionaires, the state,
the state is still trying to pass about with benefit millionaires. Ye,
where is that going?
Speaker 7 (16:43):
No, I mean, look, it's the same fight. It's the
same fight. It's billionaires versus the people. It's billionaires versus America, right,
And they know that our school system is on the
verge of collapse. The public school system is not near
the cliff. They've been pushed over the cliff long ago.
(17:05):
They're hanging on by their fingernails. And they did screaming
for help for the past couple of years. And our
best reaction to them are the reaction from our state leaders,
from our Republican leaders, is yeah, we hear you, but
it don't seem like you're in that much danger. And
they're I mean, they're just hanging on by their fingernails.
Speaker 6 (17:24):
And this is you know what this is. Vouchers Uthers
is a.
Speaker 7 (17:28):
Steamroller that's coming and it's going to run over all
the remaining fingers and it's coming.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
And they know this.
Speaker 7 (17:36):
They know the people who are pushing this know exactly
what vouchers is going to do to our education.
Speaker 6 (17:42):
System, and that is collapsing. Like we are already one
of the worst funded education systems.
Speaker 7 (17:49):
In America, Like one of the richest, most powerful states
in the country, has one of the worst education systems.
Why is that it didn't happen by action, this is
by design. Because you have a few billionaires in Texas
who's their vision of a country is one.
Speaker 8 (18:07):
Where it's theocratically ruled, where where where the people with
money have all the power, where their white nationalism is
the law, where gay people are not allowed to exist
and immigrants are not allowed to do this.
Speaker 7 (18:24):
This is the country, This is America the day vision
and that they want, and they're fighting for it. And
the question for all of us is why aren't we
fighting back? Why aren't we fighting for what we want?
Because that's not our view of America? Sure as hell
not my view of America.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
Can you explain to me why the.
Speaker 5 (18:45):
Why is this big push for this and for for
for destroying public education. I just don't understand. Why is
this hatred?
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Howard? What are you looking for it? Cowardice?
Speaker 7 (19:03):
Because they know better, they've been told better, but they're
afraid of Governor Abbot. And they're afraid of Governor Abbot
because our Governor Abbot does what the billionaires want, right,
And the only thing that will save us is if
the people go, If the people go and give.
Speaker 6 (19:24):
Them courage if the people stand behind them and say,
we want you to.
Speaker 7 (19:30):
Do what we want, not what they want, not what
Governor Abbot wants, not what the billionaires want.
Speaker 6 (19:36):
We want you to do what we want. That you
have to give.
Speaker 7 (19:41):
People have to give their like their officials, courage and
remind them of why they're there and who they serve.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
That was Texas State Representative Gene Wu from Houston, HI.
This is Steve Gallington, producer and host of the People's News.
The People's News is people powered news. We are free
to report the unvarnished and unspun truth and challenge the
status quo of corporate propaganda and social media advertising disguised
(20:11):
as real news. Shiny new one hour episodes of The
People's News drop each Sunday on The People's News Podcast.
Thanks for listening. Surveying the grim landscape of the dismantling
of the US Department of Education and Tea's takeover of
Houston ISD, the view of public education is bleak. One
(20:36):
group is focusing on a hopeful aspect of school, specifically
getting middle school students through high school and college. The
Breakthrough Collaborative is hosting its inaugural experience April fourth through six,
twenty twenty five, at the Hilton post O Hotel. This
will bring together more than three hundred dynamic educators, policy advocates,
(20:59):
community leaders, and Breakthrough Collaborative alumni to reimagine what's possible
for students and teachers across the country. We talked to
Laurisia Monique, chief External Affairs Officer of the Breakthrough Collaborative.
Speaker 9 (21:14):
Breakthrough Collaborative is an organization that's been around for forty
six years. We started as a summer bridge program for.
Speaker 10 (21:23):
Middle school students to ensure that they were able to
enter into selective high schools, thus putting them on the
path to complete college.
Speaker 9 (21:34):
Since that year, we've evolved to a twenty five affiliate organization.
We have twenty five affiliates across the nation still serving
that middle school student or recruiting that middle school student
and supporting them through college completion through their post secondary pathways.
(21:55):
And we recruit college students to be our teacher king
fellows for our program. And so we're serving kind of
this dual mission. We're focused on student success and we're
also focused on the educator workforce.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
And you have a composion coming up next week.
Speaker 11 (22:14):
Yes, we do, we do. We're excited about that.
Speaker 9 (22:18):
Next week, on both Friday, April fourth and Saturday, April fifth,
we are hosting our first annual convening here in Houston, Texas.
I live in Houston, Texas, and we were excited to
host this event in Houston, especially because Houston is known
for innovation. Houston is known for aerospace, Houston is known
(22:42):
for healthcare and education. And while Houston is known for
these amazing things, I think what is true, we're still
trying to solve for the learning gaps in education as
a result of the pandemic. We decided that we would
host this event here. The same is Mission Possible. The
reason we selected Mission Possible as the theme is because
(23:03):
fifty five years to the date of our event would
have been the Apollo thirteen mission.
Speaker 11 (23:10):
And I don't know if you recall that mission. This
was the idea that that.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
We went into space and we got stuck in space
and that sound bite Houston, we have a problem. But
at that time, what they learned is that they needed
to try new strategies to enter re enter into the atmosphere.
Speaker 11 (23:32):
So it was a new way to collaborate.
Speaker 9 (23:34):
Was a new way to think about leadership and teamwork
and also innovative ideas.
Speaker 11 (23:41):
And we have a deep.
Speaker 9 (23:42):
Belief that as we're entering into this new space and education,
how do we come together to learn from one another.
How do we come together bring forth solutions that are
working and leave the solutions are the ideas that are
no longer worth working in the past in the past,
and so we're excited we're bringing together. It's a sold
(24:04):
out event, three hundred people. The same is celebrate, convey
and cultivate relationships as.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
Far as the HISD Houston Kinds School District and a
takeover and also education in itself.
Speaker 9 (24:22):
Now you mentioned some I think wondering that all of
us have and Friday I had. While there is tension,
there are also things that we can learn from. And
Friday I had the opportunity to attend the HISD Foundation
luncheon and what we learned is that there are actually
(24:45):
learning learning is happening in HISD schools, that students are
starting to perform much better than they were years ago.
So some of the gaps are closing. And there was
a time where there were more B rated and f
rated schools. And what we learned there are actually now
(25:06):
more A and B rated dreaded schools, and so despite
some of the challenges, students are still learning and the
learning gaps are being filled. And then you mentioned some
challenges around education in Houston.
Speaker 11 (25:18):
I also was at.
Speaker 9 (25:20):
The Houston Community College lunch and a couple of weeks
ago and learned that HCC is taking on a new charge.
They're expanding from an associates or two year college to
a four year They're offering four year degrees. And so
while there might be challenges, I still believe that there
(25:40):
is growth in education. You also touched on our wonderings
around what's going on with the Department of Education. I
think two things can be true at both times. I
think that we all know that we have wonderings around
the Department of Education, and maybe there are systems or
(26:02):
processes that can continue to be tweaked and grow. We
also know that we need the Department of Education.
Speaker 11 (26:10):
And so while in this season, I think.
Speaker 9 (26:12):
It's better to take the frame of being more curious
than necessarily saying that there is something actually wrong, not wrong,
that the that what is happening is not a move
potentially in a right direction. We don't know yet, so
(26:35):
I don't know if I can confidently speak on the
Department of Education.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
We know about teachers in itself, that are we know
that HS is now accepting teachers that some would say
not qualified because they haven't passed they haven't passed certain
certain criterias. What do you say to that as far
as the teachers that are now coming into the school.
Speaker 9 (26:59):
District, I'm not sure that I'm fully aligned with the
statement that you're charged with. I'm pretty sure I've been
in education in my entire life for twenty five years.
I started my career at the classroom school district in.
Speaker 11 (27:15):
HID, and I recall what I decided that I would
be a teacher.
Speaker 9 (27:20):
Actually HID provided a pathway for me to receive my certification,
and so I don't know if we can say that
HID is actually.
Speaker 11 (27:31):
Wanting to promote.
Speaker 9 (27:33):
Uncertified or unqualified.
Speaker 11 (27:35):
Teachers into the classroom.
Speaker 9 (27:37):
Again, I was at the HID Foundation a couple of
weeks ago and I had a conversation with a person
that's leading the teacher academy and that's adjacent to the
certification program.
Speaker 11 (27:49):
And so I would say that.
Speaker 9 (27:52):
I believe that the district actually wants qualified teachers and
if there's anyone out there listening to this interview, if
you're interested in becoming a teacher, I would say consider
uh moving through one of the certification pathway programs that
either here's Department of Education offers or that Houston community
(28:15):
are Houston i SB offers.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
And in this accelerated this accelerated learning solification also great
for people at were that want to work in special education.
Absolutely absolutely, And then tell people again how to get
touches you organization, and again what's going on next week?
Speaker 9 (28:38):
Thank you, it's Breakthrough Collaborative.
Speaker 11 (28:41):
You can catch us on all social.
Speaker 9 (28:43):
Media handles at Breakthrough Collaborative. Do you want to send
us an email to learn more about our events events
at Breakthrough Collaborative dot org. Dot events at Breakthrough Collaborative
dot org. And we will be in Houston next Friday
and Saturday at the Houston Hilton Post Oak. That's the
(29:04):
Houston Hilton Post Oak in the Galleria.
Speaker 11 (29:07):
We hope to see you there.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
That was Larisia Monique, chief External Affairs officer of the
Breakthrough Collaborative. You can find out more about the conference
by going to their website Breakthrough Collaborative dot org. Air
Alliance Houston will watch its first of its kind online
air quality dashboard that empowers Houstonians with easy, real time
(29:29):
access to neighborhood air pollution data. The dashboard, part of
the organization's community Air Monitoring program, represents a major step
forward in environmental transparency and public health advocacy. Air Alliance
Houston is now making monitors available to the public. We
talked to Airlines Houston's Jack Flores Community Air Monitoring Program manager.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Yeah, we.
Speaker 12 (29:55):
Started building our airlinunturing network a couple of years ago.
Were currently spread out into nine participating communities. Our air
monitors consist of a couple of different types of monitors.
We've got purple air monitors with which are just monitoring
particular matter, and then we have the senset.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Ramps which monitor a little bit more.
Speaker 12 (30:20):
They are doing PM as well, but is also doing
N two, doing ozone, doing carbon and we'll COO and
is also doing VOCs as well. And those costs about
five grand each for those monitors.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
The purple as are about fifty and.
Speaker 12 (30:43):
Fifty dollars for the purple ears. We also have a
couple of specialized monitors which are the s the sensit
s pods which are just really picking up bocs and
and there and and that's what there's specific for. And
those are currently on tripods that we can move those
around as we need to. And you know, we have
another monitor called a quant and that one, you know,
(31:05):
is also picking up different chemicals including you know, PM
and VOCs as well. So these monitors are spread out
all throughout the community. What makes our network unique is
our monitors located inside the communities add people's homes, on
top of churches and top of city halls.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
In some cases private schools and all that.
Speaker 12 (31:27):
So we're spread out and we uh, you know, the
whole purpose of these monitors is for people to be
able to look at the dashboard see what the air
monitoring quality is, but the air quality is in their community,
which is right there where they live at so they
can make health decisions. Today a good day for me
to go jogging, riding my bike? Should I let my
(31:48):
asthmatic kid go outside and play looking.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
At the air quality?
Speaker 12 (31:52):
You know, you know, people that have health issues, or seniors,
they have health issues, they can make decisions about going outdoors.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
Why is it if you have a problem with the
air quality in the city, who can you go through
because it seems like now that the state have given
a green light to companies to pollute and do whatever
they want to do. Or am I looking at people wrong?
Speaker 12 (32:20):
Well, first thing, you know, our monitors are spread out
to the Houston measure area, so we're you know, we
have monitors in the City of Houston, monsitors in the
city of Building the Park, Faytown's Deer Park. So we're
spread out through different cities. So each community is different,
each neighborhood is different. So depending where they're at, they
(32:42):
have to work with the local municipalities or with the
local county in order to try to create you know,
if there's an issue, to try to contact them for
help to try.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
To get this addressed. And your question was what keep
and just some of your questions right, I didn't get
the whole thing. The other part was, well, my question is.
Speaker 13 (33:07):
You know you're saying you've worked with you can work
with with community leaders and such, but at the end
of the day, you still have to get companies to
try to abide by giving you the information about.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
The quality and the quality of the air and what
are they doing to stop that? Like if we have
a fire in the community is what is top man
from out stan Asa.
Speaker 12 (33:33):
Yeah, well I can only speak to me. I live
in Delia Park. I didn't one of the worst sponsors.
And I've smelled and I've been through explosions. I've been
through you know, uh spills and all that stuff all
my life, and and and and the problem is, yeah,
you know, there are some PCQ mansors spread out. You know,
(33:54):
the most one to me is two miles away or
a mile and a half away, you know, depending on
the on the uh wind direction. You know, it's going
to pick up what it picks up from what's what's
way over there, but not picking up what it's here. So,
you know, before it was always our word against the
industry's word. And now with these launches that we have
(34:16):
in our community, now we have some kind of defense
to throw back at them. You know, before it was
like we smell something, okay, find tc he shows up
two three hours later or two or three days later,
they show ut they don't smell nothing.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Because it's already gone.
Speaker 12 (34:31):
Well, now with our community network, we're able to capture
some of this data and now we can throw it
back at them. Now, why do we do it? Like
I said, because we're the community, we live here, we
smell it. Yeah, you know, these companies are all around us,
and I mean I realized, you know, they're multi billion
you know, in some cases multi billion dollar companies, you know,
(34:51):
and it's like, you know, we're the small community people
we're trying to fight. It gets them and it's not
an easy battle. But we have more of something to
throw back at the midpem around and yet we have
to rely on our local municipalities on the county because
we know t tqu ain't gonna do anything because this
state is so red it's fine, you know, and they're
(35:12):
so pro industry that it makes this battle even harder.
So all we can do is work with the tools
that we have and in some cases pressure these companies
because they're our neighbor. They're supposed to be your neighbors,
and in some cases they are supposedly monitoring themselves. And
you know, it's very disheartening when these companies say, oh,
(35:35):
it's not us, and we're sitting here like, bro, we
just saw the flare and then we got pictures of
you smoke everywhere with the spell around us.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
You know, at least now we're able to.
Speaker 12 (35:48):
Catch some of this data to try to defend ourselves
to throw it back against them.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
Does that answer it or my way off? Yeah? Yeah
a lot.
Speaker 5 (35:56):
And also well and naturally with what's going on with
the EPA and they're reducing the amount of the amount
of the workforce with the EPA as far as and
kind of limiting regulations and enforcements. Is that a fear
that you know, we already know we have environmental racism
(36:19):
that happens that it is pretty much it's talked about,
but ignore it.
Speaker 6 (36:25):
Isn't a part.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
Is it a fear that it will get worse? We've
visited this before.
Speaker 12 (36:31):
I mean this current administration was here back when twenty
sixteen to twenty twenty, so we experienced how they cut
back and gutted some of the EPA steps back then
and even cut back some of the standards that they
put up. So it's gonna get the same but even
worse this time around. So you know, we can't rely
(36:54):
on the EPA to help with as much because the
way it is, we can't rely on the state they
help with that much.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
So now I go down to the local.
Speaker 12 (37:03):
Level where you know, who else cares more about the
community than us. That we live here, you know, and
we as a community, I mean, all we can do
is unite with each other and do the best we can.
Call the county, call the local city, and unite the community.
I mean, we live here. I mean, I mean I'm
(37:23):
a lot, I'm generation next year. I have a little
old school Ay, let's go stand in front of the
company and protest and and make these guys, you know,
life a little harder on them, to give them the back,
go through the media and make the biggest thing that
we can and that's what they want to play. You know,
a lot of times these companies have community representatives.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
They try to work with us and and try to
hear us out. You know.
Speaker 12 (37:46):
We all we can do is try to coincide with
each other because.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
We got no other choice.
Speaker 12 (37:53):
And in that case, we're gonna throw everything we got,
is all our data and our scientific data against theirs
and try to come through an agreement and use the
tools that we do have to try to create change,
you know, between each other.
Speaker 5 (38:08):
How can people get involved with your organizations?
Speaker 12 (38:12):
We have our website, our airlines website, this you know
actually has our dashboard, has the link there you click
and see what your local air quality is like. And
also through our website you'll see links that if you
want to volunteer or if you have some issues going
on in community considering air quality, if you can email
us set as information and you know, we try to
(38:35):
you know, contact you back and see what's going on
and see.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
How we can work with each other.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
That was Jack Flores with Air Alliance Houston. You can
reach them at air Alliance Houston dot org. Hi, this
is Steve Gallington, producer and host of the People's News.
If you have a story that needs to be told,
come to us. We accept fully produced audio, written material,
(38:59):
or just give us the idea and we will run
with it. Shiny new one hour episodes of The People's
News drop each Sunday on The People's News podcast hosted
by spreaker dot com and linked to my website Gallington
dot com. He was, pound for pound, one of the
greatest boxers of all time. He was a pillar to
(39:21):
the community, always helping out others. Humanitarian, Olympian, two time
heavyweight boxing champion. George Foreman, also known as Big George,
was one of the nicest men you had ever meet.
After retiring from boxing for the first time, he started
a church and was always helping others. Known for his
(39:42):
powerful punch that dominated at the time the unbeatable Joe Fraser,
he used that power to come back years later, winning
the heavyweight champion belt for the second time in nineteen
ninety four with a stunning win over Michael Moore, becoming
the oldest heavyweight champion in history. We talked to someone
that knew him well, the legendary sports commentator Ralph Cooper.
Speaker 4 (40:06):
Right, one of the things I learned about him over
the decades was that he loved Houston, Okay. For an example,
when he came back the second time he made his comeback,
and he also was being a minister, right, he was
doing the ministry thing. And I say he would fight
and say he would go to Las Vegas for a
(40:29):
week by the sight of a fight for a week
or ten days, and as soon as that fight was over,
he would come back to Houston to be at his
church that Sunday morning, say if the fight was on
a Saturday Saturday night. And the same thing happened when
he was doing those radio I mean those TV broadcasts
with Jim Lampley when they were on h HBO yep,
(40:53):
when they would finish the broadcast or the fights or
whatever back on the jyit and back at back in
Houston and at his church on Sunday morning at ten o'clock.
And uh and then when he didn't and when he
was in Houston and didn't have any fights or the engagements,
he was always at his church. Uh, even in his
(41:13):
comeback era on Wednesday nights and on Saturdays and also
on Sundays. Uh. So that was part of his legacy
right there that maybe many people didn't know.
Speaker 5 (41:24):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (41:24):
He did put a lot of time into his ministry.
Uh and uh and and and then there were of
course opportunities for him to do it in other places.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
And what he did p A b A.
Speaker 5 (41:37):
You know, a lot of people don't know that that
he he had he helped p A b A.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Well, he up right, he had put the Progressive Amateur
Boxing Association tremendously.
Speaker 11 (41:49):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (41:49):
He always helped with Reverend Ray Martin uh the found
and director of the p A b A uh, which
was located in the third Ward, although he was a
fifth Ward guy, and then he was also a North
Houston individual. Uh. He he did a lot of plantry,
plantry that like things of philanthropy, like things for.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
The PA B A.
Speaker 4 (42:12):
And one that I was told about. I wasn't there.
I didn't see this, but I know what happened. He
he he he donated over six hundred thousand dollars and
at one time to the.
Speaker 5 (42:24):
P A B A.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
After one of those fights he had, uh, he made
a contribution.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
He gave it.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
Uh he he had the Reverend Martin to stand up
in his church and donated those type of funds uh
via check to the p A B A. Which was
which was just hey, that was part of his legacy
right there in regards.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
To give it.
Speaker 5 (42:46):
Tell me this he told me a thory and uh,
I don't know you went? You went to he went
with foremants. I am I correct on that. Yes, he
tells people that story because I tell you it's unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
Are you talking about when you go to design? Okay,
you end up going? Oh he invited me, He asked
me did I want to go? And then he in fact,
I was hired in public relations to help with the
p R of the fight thanks to him and Don
King and what what uh and and and you know
(43:30):
that was like a dream come true, because when I
first heard about the fight, you know, you're thinking, Boss,
she would love to go there. And then you you
run into him one night. We were all living very fast,
we were young then, so you run into him one
evening at a social gathering. That's a good way to
put it. A party at doctor John B. Coleman's house. Right,
(43:51):
there was a party at doctor John B. Coleman's house
and I run into him and he said, hey, man,
I've been looking for you. I lost your number. I
want to invite you to h to the fight in Africa.
You know, I signed to fight only in Africa. And
imagine someone telling you that and in front of your
friends that you were there with, and how that made
(44:12):
you feel that they reached out to you like that.
And sure enough, a dare or two later, after I
had given him my number that night, a lady from
a travel agent he called and they booked me for
the trip to Zaire. Now I stopped off in a
couple of places after I realized I wouldn't. I would
never get back there. Like at the age I was
(44:32):
at that time, twenty five twenty six, I never would
get back there. Like that, and uh in that part
of the world, Paris, Rome and Madrid, Spain. I stopped
off in all those places before I got to Africa.
And then I had been warned that I was going
to a real dictatorship by the semi dictatorship. I want
(44:53):
to be dictatorship, but a real one. But I didn't
really understand it until I got there. And when I
arrived there, I have uh When I ride I right,
I mean I got on the I had as I year.
I got on air I have been flying air ZI year.
Once I got over to Europe, I threw Air Frances
all the way to Paris. But when I got left Paris,
(45:16):
I went to to my uh to Rome and I
flew as Ire and then when I left uh Rome
to Madrid, I s I threw as I year. And
then when I got ready to leave Madrid to come
to Africa, I was on as Ire again, which was
all black, all black pilots, stewardess and the whole deal.
So you get to the airport and they ask you
(45:40):
for your identification, of course, your passport, et cetera. And
I showed them all of that, but they did something
I had never had to happen before. They asked me
how much money did I have? Oh, and I didn't
really have any money cause because but I had uh
uh a couple of cards and and wo would then
you know what you know with? Plus I had a
(46:01):
round trip ticket, right, and I had my uhinerary of
what I was going to have while I was over there.
So I showed them all this, but they still wanted
to know how much money I was going to have.
And see the fight was still a few weeks away
at that time, and so I told him I had
thirty six dollars, thirty six American dollars. They said, how
are you gonna stay over here for six seven weeks,
(46:22):
eight weeks or whatever? And you going to have that
kind of money?
Speaker 3 (46:27):
Right? And I told them.
Speaker 4 (46:29):
What I was going to be doing.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
They didn't believe me.
Speaker 4 (46:32):
They call they called the hotel. I knew where George
and all of them were staying, and uh but everybody
was at the workout. Everybody was at the workhout, right,
so nobody answered the phone. They treated me like I
was well, I was I was lying that, That's what
they treated me like. I was telling the truth.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Right.
Speaker 4 (46:51):
So to make a long story, short. Finally they got
in touch with somebody in the room. Now they treat
me like loyalty. They throw me into a U. They
put me into a big limo, a BMW limo or
Mercedes limo or whatever, and they whisked me over to
the hotel and all that kind of stuff. The average
income is I are at that time, Kinshasa. That's why
(47:14):
my Tumbo the Great and kim Be my Tumbo. I
never met him while I was there, but he was
a kid. But kim Be Matumbo grew up in Kinshasa.
The average income was seventy four dollars a month. So
and you can see the poor You could see and
feel the poorness of the people. Right. So so now
(47:35):
I'm alone with George and his brothers and a couple
of other people. They asked me, but they knew where
I had been. They knew I had been the wrong
in the Paris and and and and Madrid. And they
asked me about my trip and all the fun I
had so then and uh, you know the man talk
type thing. So now he asked me, what would you know?
(47:59):
I told you I was working for him, right, I
was doing some work also while I was there, doing
two things.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
Video and work.
Speaker 4 (48:04):
So anyway, he asked me how much money would I
need while I was there? So I said, hey, man,
there's nothing here. And well, you know, I had traveling
from the airport, I could see how poor it was.
Plus I had read up on it, right, Plus I
had nine meals a day. I had nine meals a day.
And if I had about what to call it, cuypoints
for nine meals a day, and I would and I
(48:27):
would have a nice big room at the hotel where
the media was. You know, I could have stayed where
they were staying.
Speaker 6 (48:32):
They they stayed at.
Speaker 4 (48:33):
A compound or whatever, but they were away from downtown.
So I decided to stay with the other media people
and I had the nine meals a day.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
So I said, I don't.
Speaker 4 (48:40):
Really need anything.
Speaker 6 (48:43):
So he insisted.
Speaker 4 (48:44):
So I said, well, three or four hundred dollars. So
he said, I can't. He kind of frowned. Right, this
was the he frowned. This was the other George for me. Now, okay,
the one that didn't get along with a lot of people.
Right now, he frowned.
Speaker 3 (48:57):
He said, I.
Speaker 4 (48:58):
Can't do that. I said, what you mean?
Speaker 6 (49:00):
He said, you with me?
Speaker 4 (49:01):
Okay, what did I look like giving you three or
four hundred dollars a walk around here with and and
you with me only three or four hundred dollars? I said,
I know I want to get I would I prefer
to be paid when we get back home. I said,
this won't count on that. This, this won't count against that.
This is all part of the expenses, right, this won't
count This is so so I said, well, you just
(49:23):
give me what you want to give me. What he
gave me when you saw the documentary when we were
kings with a lead and him and some others. Well,
I became a prince because of what what he blessed
me with and what I had. I could take two
people to dinner with me, a lunch of breakfast with
me every time I went when I had to extrachange
(49:47):
in my pocket, and I knew that that was a
blessing from God, and I knew that I was supposed
to do some other things help some people. The average
income was seventy four dollars when and some of the
people were that I became friends with were afraid to
come into that hotel that at one time when I
first met them, because it had been Leopolville. They had
(50:09):
been part of the Congo, right, and that they they
they they remembered how the white people that treated them,
and they didn't want to come in that hotel, but
they came in. Some I would start taking the dinner
with me. And for an example, when we first started
going to dinner, if I ordered the stake well done
and with a bottle of wine and some French fries
(50:29):
or something, everybody had the same thing. They ordered what
I had when I left. Uh, they would doing make
mine a little pink and don't burn it up and
all that kind of and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (50:41):
Right.
Speaker 4 (50:42):
They had been from America, And I asked to a degree, okay,
so so those are some of the stuff that happened
over there, that what you're talking about that maybe people
find it hard to believe. And also I was told
by them that I didn't. If you saw the movie
the I Leave movie with Will Smith, you see him
running through the neighborhood, running to the places where Africans live.
Speaker 6 (51:02):
Where they go.
Speaker 4 (51:04):
They had told us, Uh, it was like a two
or three miles four mile radius that they told you
not to go into that area.
Speaker 3 (51:13):
Right.
Speaker 4 (51:13):
But I had been told by some of the Africans.
You don't have to worry. They wanted not bother you
because of what happened before you got here, what happened
before I got there. A couple of British reporters were robbed,
mugged and robbed, right, uh, And so they gathered up.
They gathered the the stadium where the spike he was. Hell,
they gathered up every known criminal in the area and
(51:37):
had them hauled off, just like what we're doing now,
hauling people off to El Sabador or whatever they had.
They had them hauled into the stadium right now. They
get they got the bullhorns and the soldiers or whatever,
asking who robbed the who robbed and mugged the two
British reports. Nobody would talk right, So at random they
(51:58):
took ten people. I'm told they took ten. I've heard
they took twenty. Then I've heard they took a hundred.
They had thousands in the clouds. They took several ten
or twenty or a hundred or whatever. They took him
and put them under the stands and and and shot
them right they had in they there was a common
thing to see m sixteen And so they you know,
(52:21):
you find it hard to bled that until some of
the friends I made one day, they took me out
to the stadium. You could just walk into the stadium,
and they took me under the under the area under
the stadium area where these people were allegedly killed. You
could see, you could see the bloodstains or what appeared
to be blood, and you saw bullet holes in the wall.
And so I believed them. I believed that they were
(52:41):
telling the truth about you know, what happened. So those
are some of the things that happened.
Speaker 5 (52:47):
How does George Former rate as far as the one
of the great boxes of all times?
Speaker 4 (52:53):
Well, he only lost to Joe Frasier, I mean not Joe.
He only lost to Ali and Jimmy.
Speaker 5 (52:58):
Young, and and.
Speaker 4 (53:01):
Shannon Briggs and Tommy Morrison in a lot of part
of his career. He lost to Tommy Morrison and Shannon Briggs.
In his prime. Uh, he lost to Jimmy Ellis, Jimmy Young,
I'm sorry, Jimmy Young, and Muhammad Ali. And otherwise he
beat Ken Norton, he beat Joe Fraser twice. Uh and
and and and uh he beat Ron Loud in a war. Uh.
(53:24):
So he's got to be rated amongst some of the
greatest of all time. Was he the greatest of all time?
It's hard to say that, but he's among the greatest
of all time in my.
Speaker 5 (53:33):
Opinion, especially that that Golden era they talk about as
far about you know, because he had Fraser Lee uh Norton,
you know, all these greats that one time and he
al would they all were top heavyweights.
Speaker 4 (53:50):
Well, you know, he never fought Larry Holmes and he
never fought in any shapers, but he did fight Ron
Loud and like I said that, you know the result
of that.
Speaker 3 (53:58):
That was a war. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (54:01):
And talk about your comeback though, because I mean people
are people knowing more for the Friar, the George Forman
Grill than anything else right now.
Speaker 4 (54:16):
Yah, When he came back, most people didn't. Most people
looked at him as like a joke. They even joked.
I found, well a couple of us that we were
covering them at that time. We were, we were We
were even joked by people who were in the media.
Mark Burman of Channel twenty six at that time Fox
twenty six to myself. We went to one of the
(54:38):
first press conference he made where he announced he was
coming back and some people laughed and even joked with
us about covering that because they didn't think nothing was
going to become of his comeback, right, They thought it
was a joke because especially when they when he didn't
go back down and wait, he he was weighing there
three hundred pounds at one time or more. He drop
(55:00):
although he didn't do it out, he did well. He
dropped down to two back down to two twenty. After
getting up to the humpy or whatever. George stopped at
about two fifty two sixty right and decided to fight
at that particular weight. And because of that, he was
healthier and his reflexes were not what they had been,
you know, because and he was fighting younger people. But
(55:21):
he was smaller than ever, and he was smarter than ever.
And his stamina he had worked on improving his stamina
way he wouldn't get tired. So that's what happened with
the comeback. And remember he was remember George was an
Olympic companion. He went into the Olympics.
Speaker 6 (55:37):
It was a big underdog.
Speaker 4 (55:38):
He left Houston going to the job Corps as an
underdog to be successful, you know, and and he parlayd
all it thanks to thanks to an advertisement by Jim
Brown and the Great Johnny United Saul so Uh that
that commercially saw on TV one day influenced him to
join the Job Corps. Then he goes to the course
(56:00):
oo's up the Oregon and quits the job. Court comes
back to Houston and he had got into boxing, but
his mother, his mother realized that this wasn't a good place.
Speaker 3 (56:10):
For him to be.
Speaker 4 (56:10):
His mother called his trainer, doctor Voters, who had been
a military guy, like a sergeant or whatever, and he
asked him, He said, you need to come get him.
He's doing the same thing he was doing before he came.
And guess what. One day the doctor showed up down here,
the sergeant the doctor and handcuffed him and took him
(56:31):
back and he became an Olympic champion. He didn't literally
a handcuff, he didn't handcuff him handcuff, but he took
him back with him and he became an Olympic champion
and a world heavyweight champion. And George never forgot.
Speaker 1 (56:45):
That was sports commentator Ralph Cooper who was with Foreman
in the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire. Foreman was
interviewed for the People's News right in front of the
old KPFT. He was a gentleman. Through and Through. The
People's News is a production of Steve Gallington and Richard Hannah,
(57:06):
and is protected by copyright laws. All the information broadcast
on air and online, as well as published in both
print and or online, including articles, audio clips, illustrations, graphics, photographs,
and videos, are protected by these copyright and other state
and federal intellectual property laws. Therefore, you may not use
our content in any prohibited way, including reproducing, publishing, transmitting, selling, rewriting, broadcasting,
(57:32):
or posting on the Internet without the expressed written permission
of The People's News. Prohibited use also includes publication of
our material in printed or electronic brochures, newsletters, or flyers,
as well as all website or email distribution. To obtain
permission to use copyrighted material, email Steve Gallington at Steve
(57:53):
at gallington dot com.
Speaker 2 (57:55):
Thank you
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