Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Aj rosomni Aj is with the Blacks Own Merchant Association
and also running for city council in the city of
Forresno Aj, good to see you again. Thank you very
much for having me again over here, and thank you
for taking a stand. You know there's people right now
in their car applauding somebody that's taking a stand. They
were tired of it. Man. People want to have a
nice city here and it's a small small percentage running
(00:23):
it for the majority.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
That you know.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
For me, for the last ten years, I've been advocate
for the city as Black Submersiant Association. I never thought
I'm going to be running from office. I've been asked
so many times in the past, are you going to
run for office? And no, no, no, no, that's not
for me. But today I a few months ago, I
realized I have no choice but to run because the
direction the city is going, it's it's bad.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Well, they're going to do everything to stop you because
you're an outside rebel, are you not.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yes, I am, and actually I'm being blacklisted by some people.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Well, welcome to politics. That's why you didn't want to run,
because you knew what it was going to be like.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
AJ, let me ask you, why do you think anybody
would fight back against what you guys are trying to do.
And what you're trying to do is clean up your
street and let businesses be able to survive and then
hopefully thrive.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yes, I said it before that the city is not
only the city of the government as a whole. They
like to work with the band aid, so they never
want the problem to finish. They just put the band
aid from it. And for me, I say, let's go
after cause, let's see how can we stop this from
happening again.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
And I give you a good example.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
The top five nonprofit organizations in LA that house homeless.
The top executive makes over eight hundred thousand dollars a year.
Do you think they want to stop the problem.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
It's an industry. I call it the transient industrial complex.
It really is.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
They lose their business card, they lose their parking spot.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
And the word nonprofit is a misc conception for another word.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Called for profit. They are for profit. There's a different
way to take the money.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Oh yeah, I'm familiar with Pastor Kenneth Copeland. It's it's
all over the place. Uh, AJ, you didn't want to run.
You are running, and what you're upset with right now
at this moment is the vacant property ordinance. And again,
I guess it sounds like to me, I've been reading
your your words and articles and it seems like they're
(02:25):
coming in blaming business owners because of a situation they
allowed to be created.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yes, so basically there are the ordnance. Uh it's tweeting
the businesses as if they're the criminals.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
They're the taxpayers.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
And honestly, I think that, uh, the city is getting
bad advice. The city would not act and create an
ordernance unless it got the legal advice. And the advices
that are getting are back.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Well. I saw our council member Pere said they went
and looked at some policies of other cities. So we're
sent a request. We're going to send a request asking
what cities are you You were trying to duplicate here
because there's a lot of failed cities around now. This
vacant property ordinance. I read where you stated that, hey,
the building is closed down because they could. It was
(03:12):
so hard after the man made lockdown with COVID to
get going. It just didn't happen. There's a lot of
transience around whatever reason. Businesses are going out of business,
and then the transients break the window, the owner puts
new glass. The transients break the window. The owner puts
new glass, the transient break the window. The owner goes,
I can't keep affording this, so I'm gonna get some plywood.
(03:33):
And that's what the city is going around, going ap plywood,
app plywood. We're gonna what fine fine find you guys.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Not only to break the windows, but they get in,
they steal the electrical wires, they're steal the composor from
the ac and it costs the business owner over two
hundred thousand dollars in damage.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So wood saves money?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
What saves money?
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
But yet the city says we had fifty seven vacant
building that burned down, and the city basically says that
the building are more likely to spread the fire as
if the fire is coming from within the building.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Did you hear that, Ryan, That's exactly what I said
last hour. I cloted the fire department. I said, really,
how's the how's the how's the building lighting this? I
think we know who's who's lighting this? And I even said,
ajay that they already got the catalytic converters, but they're
locked behind the gates and station vans and they were
lighting fires inside the van. Yeah, police came by, they
(04:28):
arrested a few people, but you know they're back out so.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Soon, you know, talk about this. There's an ordinance.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
UH Fresno Municipal Court Ordinance twenty five h two. Look
it up and basically twenty five or two says that
most likely, when you have gang members in the area,
you have pimps in the area, you have drug dealers
in area, is going to bring more and.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
More people to the area.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
And really this is what caused the problem today is
when the city allowed, and actually the city themselves, the
purchase properties on blackstore, between residents, between businesses, between schools,
and they brought people from out of the area, drug people,
drug abusers to and they put them in these shelters
and that brought an entourage of over five hundred people
(05:14):
to the area. So it is a city ordinance that says,
again the city ordinance is twenty five or two. It
says that if you have people in a certain area
drugs dealers, is going to bring more drug dealers and
more crime to the area.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
The city knows that.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
So what you're saying is there's a vacant building. The
city has bought that to do that. I guess the
room key is that what the yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Room keys.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
So they brought properties on Blackstone, and they brought drug dealers,
drug abusers.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
We get to that one in forty eight in a second.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
So but the city themselves that brought properties on Blackstone,
and it brought people from out of the area and
the houses in the area.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
So I guess they advertise to other cities, Hey, we
got a place here, send them to us, and they
make money. These quote nonprofits.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Now, they brought them from g Street, from Parkway, and
they put them in our area over it instead of
housing in our area. That at the school average school
has twenty two percent of their students that are actually homeless.
We have three schools within thousand feet from Terran point
three schools. Instead of housing these people, that brought people
(06:19):
from out of the area. And by housing people from
out of the area, the drug addicts, it brought an
entourage of people of over five hundred people to the area.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Well, I don't think that surprises anybody. We see that
a lot of the transients out here I mean they
it's a lifestyle, and it's a lifestyle that affords them
the ability to be drug addicts. They don't have any
other responsibility.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
And if you read twenty five or two, it says
that the city can arrest these people immediately have any suspicion.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
So we called. We had the Manson family and Squeaky
from out here where their shirts off, with these tarps,
laid out and looked like, I don't know car parts,
I don't know what they had, and the cops rolled through.
They didn't get out of their car. Ajay, They just
talked to him to the window and told them to leave.
I was like, what kind of weapons did these guys
have on them?
Speaker 4 (07:06):
What do they have?
Speaker 1 (07:06):
A guy who's over here urinating by a bush, why
wouldn't he be arrested for that? We told them that's
what he did.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
So let me tell you, for over ten years, we
have Prop forty seven and fifty seven, so there's nothing
called crime anymore. Everything's mis semeinor or less than mes
semeanor two. So now that we have Prop thirty six,
it's going to take the city over a year to
retrain the police officers that have been using that are
used to Prop forty seven for the last ten years.
(07:34):
It doesn't happen overnight, and that's the problem we have
in today. But also if you talk to law enforcement,
they said, oh, the first time, we're going to give
a warning and then if you call us, we need
a proof from you that you already told that person
do not trespass on your property, and then we can
arrest them. But really twenty five or two says if
you see them that's suspicious, you can arrest them immediately.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Well, and I you know Supreme Court with that ruling
from up in Oregon Grandparents Oregon, where you can't know
camping ordnance, you can't you can't camp out. I guess
they have to catch them at the same place multiple times.
You can move one hundred yards and you restart over.
Is that is that kind of how it's working out.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
It seems to be, you know, but we have in Fresno,
not in Fresno, California. What twenty twenty three when the
President of China came over to San Francisco a week
before it came over, when a day they cleaned, Oh,
they camping in Fresno in San Francisco because it was
used in San Francisco.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Hey, j when I said at the time was mayor
Dyer City or Fresno. Why don't you guys pack a
little sack, lunch and wear some sensible shoes and go
up there and meet with the person that did that
and then come back and implement that. He proved it
can be done right.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
And we can do it. Oh well, we needed is
a safe zone and explain your safe zone that's up please,
So so let me give you some statistics first to
see how good the safe zone is and how can
save the city. So when for last thing year years
when somebody in the shopping center they say, hey, please
come and help us because we have those encamping on
our property. So when I go help them remove the
(09:07):
encamping from the property, they tell me, within thirty days
that break into our business went down to zero and
our revenue grew thirty, forty and fifty percent within thirty
days organically without doing anything. So the fire department they
say that fifty percent up to fifty percent of the
fire in Fresnel is done by one percent of the population,
(09:31):
which is the homeless people. So this is how important
that save zone is to remove everybody from every private property.
We need to separate the homeless people from the drug
dealers and the pimps and the gang numbers. We need
to separate and we can. We cannot house the other
people too. So once we house them.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I believe.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
That crime in the area, of breakings in the area
will will be reduced by eighty percent, The file will
be reduced by up to fifty percent. The police will
have more free time to work on what's what's important,
so that the fire department too, and that businesses would prosper,
(10:10):
the city would be safer, and the revenue for the
city will be increased.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
You ever thought about running for city council?
Speaker 3 (10:18):
No, I never thought that's AJ's running.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
I'm going to come back and get more into your
brain here and talk about how the city's talking about
their long term plan. Why don't they focus on this
week my guest in studio. He is the founder of
the Blackstall Merchants Association and candidate for Fresno City Council.
More with Aj Rosomni Next next this is the Trevor
Carry Show on the Valley's Power Talk. Black Some Merchant
(10:45):
Association founder A J. Rossomny My in studio guest. He's
standing up for businesses on Blackstone. The city does not
really seem to have a grip on it, like many
cities across the state don't seem to have a grip
on this, and it's affecting a lot of people's lives
out there. Aj thank you for being in here, man,
and thank you for fighting. Is anybody at the city
(11:07):
like helping, working, sitting down a city attorney Jans anybody?
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Not? Really?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
I think I'm being almost blacklisted because I'm bringing it
to the public.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
I'm saying enough is enough.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
You're exposing.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
I'm exposing.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
I don't say i'm exposing, but basically, I'm the voice
of the voiceless. I present these people on Blackstone and
they had enough, and.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Well, I call you an exposer. That's why I applaud
you're thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I'm bringing to public, so I'm not hiding it. That's
saying this is the problem.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Enough is enough, and listen, I got truly thrilled over
this because we hear everybody complaining.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
I complain. I don't know what to do with it.
I said, we need like some sheriff Joe Orpio, Maloney
and pink pajamas. I don't know what we do with this,
but I am very thrilled for Age to share his idea.
You've talked about the safe zones. Go into more detail
(12:06):
about this, because to me, it sounds really like a
one stop that is much needed.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Okay, I've been working with the non profit organization and
it's a faith based organization. Basically, the system works like AA.
It works basically the same way. It's a full wrap
around service. In one place, it's a sobering center, it's
a medical detox, it's a recuperate of care. It is
a job preparation and training. It has a transitional home,
(12:34):
a living but with no term limit, and then after
that it's gonna go to permanent housing. So it's a
whole wrap around service. And the best thing is there's
zero costs for the city. The money doesn't come from
the city. It comes from the States, So the city
can save millions of dollars and then not and the
(12:55):
city can generate millions of dollars through revenue from the
businesses that will be prospering once we move these people
from from the street.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Easy, let me ask you. You said that money comes from
the state is this something that's already funded that could
be implemented here? Have they done it in other cities?
Speaker 3 (13:11):
It is funded. I don't want to talk about it
till it's uh okay, then it's starts Incember. Let me
ask you about it. He says, it's going to start December. Okay,
let me ask you the December. For that to work,
they have to be willing.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Right. You can lead a horse to water, but you
can't make it give up its crack pipe.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
You know, yes, And that's why first we need to
For me, I always say there are three kinds of
homeless people. The first group is they know they won't help.
They don't want to be on the street. They need help,
so we need to help them first. The second group
is they don't know that they need help, but we
need to help these people. And the third group is
a group that's taking adventure to the first two, which
(13:49):
is a gang members the drug dealers and the pimps.
And we need to separate the first two from the
third group.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Can you do? I don't know. Is it a forced rehab?
We say you're a menace to yourself, you're going to
kill yourself or saving your life by forcing you into
the will can could judges use it as a that has.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
To come from the states. So we cannot force them
the need to ask for it. And that's why the
Wrap Around Service, when we have them all living in
the community together, eventually we change their environment. And when
we change the environment, eventually they're going to say, I
need more.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Help, isn't it hope? That's it they I see so
many these people walking the streets and I'm like they
at some point they gave up hope. We've all been down,
but you know there's hope. That's what has to be restored,
some hope. And you said faith based, and I'm glad
that that because that's the only way you can really
restore that hope.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Yes, So the longer they's stay on the street, it's
hard to change them back. And that's why we need
to put them today all in the Wrap Around Service
in the Saves Zone, and anybody that gets on the
street that have to go to the Saves Zone immediately
because we're going to an environment there there's no one
can live on the street without being on drugs. And
(15:05):
I've talked there are two thousand people on the streets
today living on the street, not in their cars. There's
another two thousand living on their cars. Those two thousand
living on the street, they cannot survive unless they're on drugs.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
My guess is a J Rossomni running District seven City
Council also the founder of the Blackshaw Merchants Association. I
read here, I think it was gv wire dot com.
It's saying that Mayor Dyer talking about working on a
long term strategy about public education, urging residents not to
give money or food to unsheltered people. I go back
to Mayor Dyer with the no camping ordinance or the
(15:39):
no panhandling ordinance. Yes, he was against that. He thought that, yeah,
people should still be able to beg for money. I'm
glad to see he's changed his mind on it after
a few years. Yes, so handing out that's how they
get their drug money. I've interviewed a homeless guy from Madero,
Scott Dixon turned his life around, works up with the
rescue mission up there. But he used to panhandle down
(16:00):
here at the in and out Burger on Blackstone right there.
And I would say, oh, you made sixty dollars that quick.
How many hours would you stay? The triple Dad. He goes, no, no.
Once I made it enough for my drugs, I'm out.
I had the guy's number. He would meet me down
in the ravine and deliver the drugs. So when you
see him out there, it's not they're not trying to
save up the grocery money.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
Now, you know, funny is said about grocers, So let
me bring that story up. I came to my mind
grocery outlets right before COVID. The guy that owned it
on Blackstone and ashually his name is ed. So he
caught somebody stealing from his store, and he caught them.
He took the stuff away from them, and ten o'clock
at night when he closed the gate and he went out,
(16:40):
they were waiting for him to put the gun on
his head. He put his gun ahead and then shot
the gun. The gun didn't shoot, and then they hit
him with the gun. He sold the place. Somebody has
bought it. A couple of years later. He sold the place.
Now that place is empty and I don't know if
it's going to rent anytime soon. And that's the problem
with having on Blackstone reps, the old reps next black
(17:02):
Soon in Dakota, the just close I'm telling you when
six months to eight months, it's gonna be oh Strip
that was gonna be over a tow hundred thousand dollars
in damage. A good story. Bobby Salazar, Bobby Salasa. Every
restaurant he has prospering except for the one on Fresno.
And you know what happened to him. I mean that
one on Blackstone, except for one on Blackstone that was
(17:23):
the only one wasn't prosperous. The lady was listening from
him franchise e. She had to close, and unfortunately he
did what he did. But that's the only Resulan did
not prosper So Blackstone is the highest gross reference for
the city.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yes, it's being sabotage.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Hey, j I was just sitting here thinking your story
popped in your head. This one popped in my head.
My daughter was probably four years old down in mar Vista,
there between Venice and Santa Monica. We were walking in
a grocery store. This is a mid nineties and a
homeless guy out there and he wanted some money and
we walked by. My daughter said, Dad, why didn't he
(17:59):
get any money? And I said, because I don't think
he'll spend it. For what for food? And I said,
I'll tell you what. Let's let's give him a box
of cheerios. She was so excited to check out and
walk out there and she was going to hand him
the box of cheerios and crushed her heart. He because
I don't want that foot. He didn't want the food.
He could care less about it. And she got back
in the car and didn't understand, Dad, why didn't I said, well,
(18:20):
he probably has some kind of addictions for alcohol or something.
I don't remember what I told her, But there he goes.
That's the perfect example, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (18:28):
It is?
Speaker 3 (18:28):
It is by the way we train our we educate
our members of Blackstone not to give water, not to
give food for the homeless, because they're going to hang
around the property.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
So none of my members would do that.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
And don't think that that's cruel, that's kind because it's
you got it's tough love. Yeah, to get him out
of the situation. AJ. In closing, I'll give you less,
say sir.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
My question to Fresno, are you worse better off than
five years ago? Of course, thank you?
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Five months ago? Worse, it's worse, it's worse.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Go ahead, Uh what about homeless encamp in our city?
What about the road and sidewalks?
Speaker 2 (19:07):
You know?
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Like you, I am fed up and that's why I'm
running for president city Council. I never thought I'm gonna
be around for an office, but I'm a businessman. I'm
a community advocate, and I'm running to put you our neighbors,
our families, our communities before politics.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
To the band, where's the band? Dom AJ? Thank you man.
I look forward to some future conversations.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
My my uh website AJ for Citycouncil dot com. And
I want to get my phone number. Sure it's five
five nine two two two one eight one eight five
five nine two to two eighteen eighteen two two two
eighteen eight eighteen eighteen. Anybody you have issues, you can
call me. I am there to help you.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
For last year, AJOR ring at to two to eighteen eight.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
For last ten years, I put my own time and
money to serve people for res Now, thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
This is the Trevor Carry Show on the Valley's Power
Talk Director Classy, Welcome man, thank you for joining us.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
Hey, thanks for having me on, Trevor. Always a pleasure
to chat with you.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Now I've done my pregame research on you. I was
out there for your meet and greet. I was one
of those out there in the crowd when you had
the family out and all that. But like radio director,
I've been stable for a decade. That's a world record.
But I've moved a lot. It looks it looks like
athletic directors move a lot as well. Give us your
Zillow dot com tour of America you've experienced, and I
(20:31):
want you to start with them. The dairy farm you
grew up on.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
That's a pretty good hosting mood that you have there, Trevor.
But yeah, listen, I grew up on a Derrek from Wisconsin,
which I've made that fact known frequently in this past year.
But went the University of Wisconsin and lucky enough to
get a job in college athletics my sophomore year and
had no idea you could have a career in it
because I'm like today every school has a sports management program.
(21:00):
And really enjoyed it. So from there I went to
Tulane University New Orleans for three years, Alabama for four,
University Oregon for eight, and then George Washington for four A.
I was athletic director at UIC in Chicago for a
couple of years. Then the gentleman hired me at Oregon
became athletic director Nebraska, so I went there with him
(21:20):
for four years, and Houston for a quick pit stop
for a year, and now I've been at Freslo State
for a year. But I wanted to be known that
my wife is from the East Bay, California, and I
promised her ten years ago that i'd get her back
to California in five years. So it took me five
years longer than it should have. But she's told me
that if I ever leave Fresno that her and the
boys aren't coming with. So it's a non negotiable for me.
(21:42):
So we're gonna We're gonna, you know, plan our stakes
here and stay there a long time.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Well I saw how old I thought you look. That
sounds like too many years to be your age. All
those places that you've been. What was it like for
a northern boy from Wisconsin, even though you know you
were out there on the dairy farm South, What was
that culture shock like early on there?
Speaker 5 (22:03):
You know, I loved it. You know, growing up in
small town Americana, you're not around a lot of different
cultural and racial diversity, and so to be able to
witness that and be a part of it for first time.
I mean, I still have lifelong friends in New Orleans,
in Tuscaloosa, in Atlanta, in the South, I enjoyed it.
I'm a big foodie, so I love the different types
of foods in different places and listen to the golf
(22:27):
shores in Orange Beach, Alabama is still one of my
favorite vacation spots to this day.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Let me ask you, a lot of people might not
understand what an athletic director does. I can equate it
to radio right, Like iHeart has a has a president
in New York, they have an area president. I have
a program director. So it's kind of like the on
air people are the are the players, the program directors,
the coach. You're the area president that reports to a president.
(22:54):
Is that kind of the Yeah, I'm a lay out there.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
I'm not. Yeah, I'm not a vice president, but I'm
on the president cabinets with the other vice presidents, and
I oversee everything athletics. And that's everything from student athlete
eligibility to you know, to compliance, to fan engagement, to
be in the CFO of a you know, a fifty
million dollar budget, and so I obviously have help with
(23:17):
all those areas, but you know, we hire coaches, you know,
And but my biggest the thing that I'm most proud
of would say is that, you know, what we try
to do in college athletics is that you know, when
we when we give a scholarship to a young man
or young woman, it's not just a four year deal.
We're trying to prepare them for the next forty fifty
years of their life. And so that's those are always
the proudest moments. But you know, my background is heavily
(23:39):
focused in revenue generation, and that's what we're trying to
do here, especially as we entered going into the PAC
twelve next year, we need some more resources to be
able to compete at the highest level.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Well, let's do a Jerry maguire, show me the money.
Athletic director Classy at Fresno stat let's lily you talked
about I'm going to quote you. You said you're going
to get value and return for your investment and help
you and they're going to get value back and name,
image and likeness. You're talking about the athletes. I've had
this conversation with the voice of US State with Paul Leffler.
Now for a few years, is this name, image and
(24:10):
likeness the wild West suddenly hit. I've talked with ck
I've talked with Kenny Wiggins. People don't know more about
sports than I do. But I director classy, a full
time high level athlete, a full time student, very difficult
to pay everyday bills, much less have some pocket money.
I think everybody realizes that, yeah, they deserve something. But
(24:33):
my fears we got to create the rich league and
the not rich league.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
Listen, college athletics is still always going to be one
of the purest forms of sport in any sport, not
just football that there is. And listen, I think for
years when they saw coaches contracts being inflated, new facilities
being built left and right, and we have to understand,
we're part of the education higher education enterprise, and so
you know, how do we fit in that? You know,
(25:00):
I've said this from day one, the most special thing
about the valley, the most special thing about Freso State
are the people. And we won a lot of championships
here at Freso State with the people and not with
bells and whistles. And that's always going to be our formula.
But the reality is that going into the PAC twelve,
you know, moving up to a Power five conference, we
need the people and the resources to be able to
(25:20):
compete at the highest level. And yes, I do believe,
I'm the biggest believer in the world that hiring a
college student, excuse me, a former student athlete, college graduate
in any place of work is the best investment you
can make because you learn things in sports that maybe
aren't taught in everyday life anymore. Whether that's facing adversity,
the competition, the communication, the teamwork. All those elements are
(25:44):
taught every day in sports. So I'm very bullish on
the student athlete experience and how they belong in the ecosystem.
And if you look at Freso State's data, most of
our student athletes and most are students, stay within the valley,
so we're contributing to the workforce of the valley.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
My guess is, ras say athletic director Garrett Classy, Do
the players do they have agents sales rep out there
working them up and down the valley for endorsements and whatnot.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
You know, we've partnered with with a group called link Link.
You and I worked with them at the University of
Houston and they're out there looking for reoccurring revenue streams
to help our student athletes with student athlete recruitment and
student athlete retention, and so that's been helpful. But yeah,
some of these young men, some of these young ladies
do have marketing agents that can help them, you know,
(26:30):
look at different marketing opportunities and may have. And then
what we offer in house here is we do a
lot with brand training and brand education on how do
you build your personal brand where businesses feel like they're
getting some ROI especially when it comes to social media.
I mean you you probably need over ten thousand followers
and one of your platforms in order to bring value
to an advertiser to be able to promote the brand
(26:51):
on your own personal channels. And so we educate them
every day and give them the tools and the resources
and how to do that to be able to to
best invest in themselves because the reality is whether they
play in the NFL, NBA, WNBA, you name it, building
your brand, we always have to sell ourselves in any
job that you're in. And so it's a great it's
(27:11):
great resource, it's a great attribute for them to have
while they're at Fresno State and after they leave.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Presno State Director Classy, I want to stay on the
subject and closing here of revenue streams. A good job
with the concert You became Bill g You became Bill
Graham Presents, didn't you in the concert business? And I
told anybody, if you go to a concert and the
worst thing that happened was some people had to wait
a little bit. Bravo. That's an excellent pull off. And
(27:38):
I guess two million extra came from out of town,
and I'm sure more within town spending. That's a good
revenue stream. And I've been reading, I've been listening to you.
I'm picking up what you're throwing down about a multi
use stadium.
Speaker 5 (27:51):
Yeah. Absolutely, I mean, listen, the reality is that there
aren't a lot of markets in the West Coast that
are honor utilized for concert venue or concert musicians or
any acts that come through town. And Fresno is a
unique market and Valley Children Stadium is the only stadium
within that footprint, and so we need to utilize that
as many times as we can. We're still going to
(28:13):
be good neighbors in the neighborhood. But if we could
do four to five additional events outside our football games
every year. That is a considerable impact to the city,
to the county, to the university and our athletic department.
That impacts a lot of people. And so you know,
we at Freslo State, we don't want to live in
the silo in this bubble. We know that we have
the ability to do greater good for this city and
(28:35):
we want to uplift the city. And Mayor Dyer and
I have had conversations about this. You know Alderman, you
know Tyler Maxwell. They're great partners in what we're trying
to get done here at Fresno State because we need
to uplift this place together. It can't be just one
singular group trying to do their part. It's a team effort.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Well, if you've got a list, go in there. Put
down motorcross spectacular. I would love to see that it.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
Well, bring me at some dirt shows and the absolutely, hey,
well Preso we can haul in for that.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Director Classy. I know you're busy manner by getting ready
for the weekend, but thank you for your time. And
I guess we should always end our discussions with go
Go Dogs.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
And there's tickets left for Saturday. Let's show coach Ens
and a staff that we are the best fan base
in the country, Red Way. We need you to come
out and support these guys. They're gonna play their tails off.
They've been working hard. Weather's going to be great. We'd
love to have everyone come out and support our football
team on Saturday night.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
All right, keep up the fight, Director Classy, Go Dogs,
and thank you for your time.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Man, Go Dogs.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Thanks Trevor, you bet you. This is the Trevor Kerry
Show on the Valley's Power Talk director of Classy Fresno State.
Right there, he is a he's a he's a money raiser,
he's a get him educated, he's a think of all
the sports he has to handle. Trying to you kind
(29:56):
of like, hey player, like you know all the names.
Oh my word, that's a busy job right there. So
I appreciate the time that he gave us here. Tomorrow,
speaking of time, at this time, I'll be like, hey man,
everybody thinks for coming out the ninety nine Craft Pizza.
I'm so full. I'm glad I didn't eat anything Thursday
night to get my stomach double room. Should I do that?
Speaker 4 (30:17):
Tonight.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Just go fast tonight, wake up in the morning, crowl
and going. I can make it till three K and
myself ck on where is it AM thirteen forty Fox
Sports Radio. Yeah, he joins me for the first hour
out there, and then I'll roll four to six. Alderman
Nick Richardson is going to drop by. I'm using classy
(30:38):
words Alderman, and I don't mean classy, I mean athletic
director classy's words. He's from up north Back. He's a
live dollar city councilman. He called him Alderman director Ryan
nins On. I we caught that. Alderman. Nick Richardson will
be joining us out there at five o'clock. Where is
out there? Ninety nine Craft Pizza. It's real easy, paulm
and nice. There you go right across from g so
(31:01):
come eat some pizza, then go across and work it off,
or like myself, come eat some pizza CEGB three. As
I drive off, there they are. I see them all
the time at Woobrod Park, and I hate when I
feel fatty Daddy. I know I just went and bought
stuff I shouldn't have it. I'm taking it home and
I'm at that light and I see all the healthy
jogging spandex people. You do know that we look out
(31:24):
the window and we're like, knock it up, quit, stop
it stop, stop being healthy like that. We despise you
from our windows. I applaud you keep doing that out there.
There's some good work going on, man. Let me tell you.
In DC and thinks that this Democrat mayor is not insane.
In the membrane, Mayor Bowser thanking the Trump administration for
(31:45):
the crime crackdown in the District of Columbia.
Speaker 6 (31:47):
And we greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance
what MPD has been able to do in this city.
The most significant thing that we are highlighting today is
the area of crime that was most troubling for us
(32:11):
in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Yeah. Yeah, And the crime numbers are going down. Politicians
can lie, talk show hosts can lie. You can lie.
Numbers normally, don't lie. Where are the numbers here? Hang on,
let me, I think, let me give our glasses here,
hang on, here's the numbers.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Now.
Speaker 6 (32:28):
We have driven it down over the last years. But
I'm gonna get my glasses so I can make sure
I can see it correctly. But for carjackings. The difference
between this period, this twenty day period of this federal
surge and last year represents a eighty seven percent reduction
(32:51):
in carjackings in Washington DC.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
We're against that he's taking over Free DC. Free DC,
Let the criminals back out. I saw that sign right
here on Shaw overpassing forty one. It was written up
there for a few days, Free DC.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
It looked like a printed out sign, like it had
been taken over, and I thought I could easily pull over,
hit my hazards, jump up and pull that down. I thought, no,
leave it up. It just lets people drive by and
go how stupid, how stupid anybody walking up and down
the street. I don't care if you voted for Ralph
(33:29):
Nader or Bernie Sanders or doesn't matter. We want to
have safe streets.
Speaker 6 (33:35):
We know that when carjackings go down, when the use
of gun goes down, when homicide or robbery go down,
neighborhoods feel safer and are safer. So this surge has
been important to us for that reason.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Here's my prediction of the next Let's go twelve twenty
four to thirty six months, three years, all gonna come
together Republican Democrat, independents, criminals, bailiffs, judges, bus drivers, all
(34:11):
different races, religions, trans are gonna come together with an
evangelical pastor. You know why? An invasion of small metallic
orbs eight thousand have been hovering over his US military basis.
That's that's in three years the counts that have come in.
(34:32):
Wouldn't that if they were up there, we would all
come Okay, let's forget why we're all We're not bludging
crips anymore. Come on, look, we gotta fight these guys. Yeah.
I saw this today Daily Mail UK. New report from Enigma.
They allow people to report sightings of unidentified flying outject
more than eight thousand between December twenty twenty two and
June twenty twenty five. I have seen too many with
(34:54):
my eyes. Not that mean people are AI faking it
up now? These orbs, man, Come on, they've seen them
over military installations. We've seen videavum in Congress. They've been
up there for decades. Even back in World War Two
they were talking about the orbs.
Aj rosomni Aj is with the Blacks Own Merchant Association
and also running for city council in the city of
Forresno Aj, good to see you again. Thank you very
much for having me again over here, and thank you
for taking a stand. You know there's people right now
in their car applauding somebody that's taking a stand. They
were tired of it. Man. People want to have a
nice city here and it's a small small percentage running
(00:23):
it for the majority.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
That you know.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
For me, for the last ten years, I've been advocate
for the city as Black Submersiant Association. I never thought
I'm going to be running from office. I've been asked
so many times in the past, are you going to
run for office? And no, no, no, no, that's not
for me. But today I a few months ago, I
realized I have no choice but to run because the
direction the city is going, it's it's bad.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Well, they're going to do everything to stop you because
you're an outside rebel, are you not.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yes, I am, and actually I'm being blacklisted by some people.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Well, welcome to politics. That's why you didn't want to run,
because you knew what it was going to be like.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
AJ, let me ask you, why do you think anybody
would fight back against what you guys are trying to do.
And what you're trying to do is clean up your
street and let businesses be able to survive and then
hopefully thrive.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yes, I said it before that the city is not
only the city of the government as a whole. They
like to work with the band aid, so they never
want the problem to finish. They just put the band
aid from it. And for me, I say, let's go
after cause, let's see how can we stop this from
happening again.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
And I give you a good example.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
The top five nonprofit organizations in LA that house homeless.
The top executive makes over eight hundred thousand dollars a year.
Do you think they want to stop the problem.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
It's an industry. I call it the transient industrial complex.
It really is.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
They lose their business card, they lose their parking spot.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
And the word nonprofit is a misc conception for another word.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Called for profit. They are for profit. There's a different
way to take the money.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Oh yeah, I'm familiar with Pastor Kenneth Copeland. It's it's
all over the place. Uh, AJ, you didn't want to run.
You are running, and what you're upset with right now
at this moment is the vacant property ordinance. And again,
I guess it sounds like to me, I've been reading
your your words and articles and it seems like they're
(02:25):
coming in blaming business owners because of a situation they
allowed to be created.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yes, so basically there are the ordnance. Uh it's tweeting
the businesses as if they're the criminals.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
They're the taxpayers.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
And honestly, I think that, uh, the city is getting
bad advice. The city would not act and create an
ordernance unless it got the legal advice. And the advices
that are getting are back.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Well. I saw our council member Pere said they went
and looked at some policies of other cities. So we're
sent a request. We're going to send a request asking
what cities are you You were trying to duplicate here
because there's a lot of failed cities around now. This
vacant property ordinance. I read where you stated that, hey,
the building is closed down because they could. It was
(03:12):
so hard after the man made lockdown with COVID to
get going. It just didn't happen. There's a lot of
transience around whatever reason. Businesses are going out of business,
and then the transients break the window, the owner puts
new glass. The transients break the window. The owner puts
new glass, the transient break the window. The owner goes,
I can't keep affording this, so I'm gonna get some plywood.
(03:33):
And that's what the city is going around, going ap plywood,
app plywood. We're gonna what fine fine find you guys.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Not only to break the windows, but they get in,
they steal the electrical wires, they're steal the composor from
the ac and it costs the business owner over two
hundred thousand dollars in damage.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So wood saves money?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
What saves money?
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
But yet the city says we had fifty seven vacant
building that burned down, and the city basically says that
the building are more likely to spread the fire as
if the fire is coming from within the building.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Did you hear that, Ryan, That's exactly what I said
last hour. I cloted the fire department. I said, really,
how's the how's the how's the building lighting this? I
think we know who's who's lighting this? And I even said,
ajay that they already got the catalytic converters, but they're
locked behind the gates and station vans and they were
lighting fires inside the van. Yeah, police came by, they
(04:28):
arrested a few people, but you know they're back out so.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Soon, you know, talk about this. There's an ordinance.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
UH Fresno Municipal Court Ordinance twenty five h two. Look
it up and basically twenty five or two says that
most likely, when you have gang members in the area,
you have pimps in the area, you have drug dealers
in area, is going to bring more and.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
More people to the area.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
And really this is what caused the problem today is
when the city allowed, and actually the city themselves, the
purchase properties on blackstore, between residents, between businesses, between schools,
and they brought people from out of the area, drug people,
drug abusers to and they put them in these shelters
and that brought an entourage of over five hundred people
(05:14):
to the area. So it is a city ordinance that says,
again the city ordinance is twenty five or two. It
says that if you have people in a certain area
drugs dealers, is going to bring more drug dealers and
more crime to the area.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
The city knows that.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
So what you're saying is there's a vacant building. The
city has bought that to do that. I guess the
room key is that what the yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Room keys.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
So they brought properties on Blackstone, and they brought drug dealers,
drug abusers.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
We get to that one in forty eight in a second.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
So but the city themselves that brought properties on Blackstone,
and it brought people from out of the area and
the houses in the area.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
So I guess they advertise to other cities, Hey, we
got a place here, send them to us, and they
make money. These quote nonprofits.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Now, they brought them from g Street, from Parkway, and
they put them in our area over it instead of
housing in our area. That at the school average school
has twenty two percent of their students that are actually homeless.
We have three schools within thousand feet from Terran point
three schools. Instead of housing these people, that brought people
(06:19):
from out of the area. And by housing people from
out of the area, the drug addicts, it brought an
entourage of people of over five hundred people to the area.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Well, I don't think that surprises anybody. We see that
a lot of the transients out here I mean they
it's a lifestyle, and it's a lifestyle that affords them
the ability to be drug addicts. They don't have any
other responsibility.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
And if you read twenty five or two, it says
that the city can arrest these people immediately have any suspicion.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
So we called. We had the Manson family and Squeaky
from out here where their shirts off, with these tarps,
laid out and looked like, I don't know car parts,
I don't know what they had, and the cops rolled through.
They didn't get out of their car. Ajay, They just
talked to him to the window and told them to leave.
I was like, what kind of weapons did these guys
have on them?
Speaker 4 (07:06):
What do they have?
Speaker 1 (07:06):
A guy who's over here urinating by a bush, why
wouldn't he be arrested for that? We told them that's
what he did.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
So let me tell you, for over ten years, we
have Prop forty seven and fifty seven, so there's nothing
called crime anymore. Everything's mis semeinor or less than mes
semeanor two. So now that we have Prop thirty six,
it's going to take the city over a year to
retrain the police officers that have been using that are
used to Prop forty seven for the last ten years.
(07:34):
It doesn't happen overnight, and that's the problem we have
in today. But also if you talk to law enforcement,
they said, oh, the first time, we're going to give
a warning and then if you call us, we need
a proof from you that you already told that person
do not trespass on your property, and then we can
arrest them. But really twenty five or two says if
you see them that's suspicious, you can arrest them immediately.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Well, and I you know Supreme Court with that ruling
from up in Oregon Grandparents Oregon, where you can't know
camping ordnance, you can't you can't camp out. I guess
they have to catch them at the same place multiple times.
You can move one hundred yards and you restart over.
Is that is that kind of how it's working out.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
It seems to be, you know, but we have in Fresno,
not in Fresno, California. What twenty twenty three when the
President of China came over to San Francisco a week
before it came over, when a day they cleaned, Oh,
they camping in Fresno in San Francisco because it was
used in San Francisco.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Hey, j when I said at the time was mayor
Dyer City or Fresno. Why don't you guys pack a
little sack, lunch and wear some sensible shoes and go
up there and meet with the person that did that
and then come back and implement that. He proved it
can be done right.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
And we can do it. Oh well, we needed is
a safe zone and explain your safe zone that's up please,
So so let me give you some statistics first to
see how good the safe zone is and how can
save the city. So when for last thing year years
when somebody in the shopping center they say, hey, please
come and help us because we have those encamping on
our property. So when I go help them remove the
(09:07):
encamping from the property, they tell me, within thirty days
that break into our business went down to zero and
our revenue grew thirty, forty and fifty percent within thirty
days organically without doing anything. So the fire department they
say that fifty percent up to fifty percent of the
fire in Fresnel is done by one percent of the population,
(09:31):
which is the homeless people. So this is how important
that save zone is to remove everybody from every private property.
We need to separate the homeless people from the drug
dealers and the pimps and the gang numbers. We need
to separate and we can. We cannot house the other
people too. So once we house them.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I believe.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
That crime in the area, of breakings in the area
will will be reduced by eighty percent, The file will
be reduced by up to fifty percent. The police will
have more free time to work on what's what's important,
so that the fire department too, and that businesses would prosper,
(10:10):
the city would be safer, and the revenue for the
city will be increased.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
You ever thought about running for city council?
Speaker 3 (10:18):
No, I never thought that's AJ's running.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
I'm going to come back and get more into your
brain here and talk about how the city's talking about
their long term plan. Why don't they focus on this
week my guest in studio. He is the founder of
the Blackstall Merchants Association and candidate for Fresno City Council.
More with Aj Rosomni Next next this is the Trevor
Carry Show on the Valley's Power Talk. Black Some Merchant
(10:45):
Association founder A J. Rossomny My in studio guest. He's
standing up for businesses on Blackstone. The city does not
really seem to have a grip on it, like many
cities across the state don't seem to have a grip
on this, and it's affecting a lot of people's lives
out there. Aj thank you for being in here, man,
and thank you for fighting. Is anybody at the city
(11:07):
like helping, working, sitting down a city attorney Jans anybody?
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Not? Really?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
I think I'm being almost blacklisted because I'm bringing it
to the public.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
I'm saying enough is enough.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
You're exposing.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
I'm exposing.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
I don't say i'm exposing, but basically, I'm the voice
of the voiceless. I present these people on Blackstone and
they had enough, and.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Well, I call you an exposer. That's why I applaud
you're thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I'm bringing to public, so I'm not hiding it. That's
saying this is the problem.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Enough is enough, and listen, I got truly thrilled over
this because we hear everybody complaining.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
I complain. I don't know what to do with it.
I said, we need like some sheriff Joe Orpio, Maloney
and pink pajamas. I don't know what we do with this,
but I am very thrilled for Age to share his idea.
You've talked about the safe zones. Go into more detail
(12:06):
about this, because to me, it sounds really like a
one stop that is much needed.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Okay, I've been working with the non profit organization and
it's a faith based organization. Basically, the system works like AA.
It works basically the same way. It's a full wrap
around service. In one place, it's a sobering center, it's
a medical detox, it's a recuperate of care. It is
a job preparation and training. It has a transitional home,
(12:34):
a living but with no term limit, and then after
that it's gonna go to permanent housing. So it's a
whole wrap around service. And the best thing is there's
zero costs for the city. The money doesn't come from
the city. It comes from the States, So the city
can save millions of dollars and then not and the
(12:55):
city can generate millions of dollars through revenue from the
businesses that will be prospering once we move these people
from from the street.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Easy, let me ask you. You said that money comes from
the state is this something that's already funded that could
be implemented here? Have they done it in other cities?
Speaker 3 (13:11):
It is funded. I don't want to talk about it
till it's uh okay, then it's starts Incember. Let me
ask you about it. He says, it's going to start December. Okay,
let me ask you the December. For that to work,
they have to be willing.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Right. You can lead a horse to water, but you
can't make it give up its crack pipe.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
You know, yes, And that's why first we need to
For me, I always say there are three kinds of
homeless people. The first group is they know they won't help.
They don't want to be on the street. They need help,
so we need to help them first. The second group
is they don't know that they need help, but we
need to help these people. And the third group is
a group that's taking adventure to the first two, which
(13:49):
is a gang members the drug dealers and the pimps.
And we need to separate the first two from the
third group.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Can you do? I don't know. Is it a forced rehab?
We say you're a menace to yourself, you're going to
kill yourself or saving your life by forcing you into
the will can could judges use it as a that has.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
To come from the states. So we cannot force them
the need to ask for it. And that's why the
Wrap Around Service, when we have them all living in
the community together, eventually we change their environment. And when
we change the environment, eventually they're going to say, I
need more.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Help, isn't it hope? That's it they I see so
many these people walking the streets and I'm like they
at some point they gave up hope. We've all been down,
but you know there's hope. That's what has to be restored,
some hope. And you said faith based, and I'm glad
that that because that's the only way you can really
restore that hope.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Yes, So the longer they's stay on the street, it's
hard to change them back. And that's why we need
to put them today all in the Wrap Around Service
in the Saves Zone, and anybody that gets on the
street that have to go to the Saves Zone immediately
because we're going to an environment there there's no one
can live on the street without being on drugs. And
(15:05):
I've talked there are two thousand people on the streets
today living on the street, not in their cars. There's
another two thousand living on their cars. Those two thousand
living on the street, they cannot survive unless they're on drugs.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
My guess is a J Rossomni running District seven City
Council also the founder of the Blackshaw Merchants Association. I
read here, I think it was gv wire dot com.
It's saying that Mayor Dyer talking about working on a
long term strategy about public education, urging residents not to
give money or food to unsheltered people. I go back
to Mayor Dyer with the no camping ordinance or the
(15:39):
no panhandling ordinance. Yes, he was against that. He thought that, yeah,
people should still be able to beg for money. I'm
glad to see he's changed his mind on it after
a few years. Yes, so handing out that's how they
get their drug money. I've interviewed a homeless guy from Madero,
Scott Dixon turned his life around, works up with the
rescue mission up there. But he used to panhandle down
(16:00):
here at the in and out Burger on Blackstone right there.
And I would say, oh, you made sixty dollars that quick.
How many hours would you stay? The triple Dad. He goes, no, no.
Once I made it enough for my drugs, I'm out.
I had the guy's number. He would meet me down
in the ravine and deliver the drugs. So when you
see him out there, it's not they're not trying to
save up the grocery money.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
Now, you know, funny is said about grocers, So let
me bring that story up. I came to my mind
grocery outlets right before COVID. The guy that owned it
on Blackstone and ashually his name is ed. So he
caught somebody stealing from his store, and he caught them.
He took the stuff away from them, and ten o'clock
at night when he closed the gate and he went out,
(16:40):
they were waiting for him to put the gun on
his head. He put his gun ahead and then shot
the gun. The gun didn't shoot, and then they hit
him with the gun. He sold the place. Somebody has
bought it. A couple of years later. He sold the place.
Now that place is empty and I don't know if
it's going to rent anytime soon. And that's the problem
with having on Blackstone reps, the old reps next black
(17:02):
Soon in Dakota, the just close I'm telling you when
six months to eight months, it's gonna be oh Strip
that was gonna be over a tow hundred thousand dollars
in damage. A good story. Bobby Salazar, Bobby Salasa. Every
restaurant he has prospering except for the one on Fresno.
And you know what happened to him. I mean that
one on Blackstone, except for one on Blackstone that was
(17:23):
the only one wasn't prosperous. The lady was listening from
him franchise e. She had to close, and unfortunately he
did what he did. But that's the only Resulan did
not prosper So Blackstone is the highest gross reference for
the city.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yes, it's being sabotage.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Hey, j I was just sitting here thinking your story
popped in your head. This one popped in my head.
My daughter was probably four years old down in mar Vista,
there between Venice and Santa Monica. We were walking in
a grocery store. This is a mid nineties and a
homeless guy out there and he wanted some money and
we walked by. My daughter said, Dad, why didn't he
(17:59):
get any money? And I said, because I don't think
he'll spend it. For what for food? And I said,
I'll tell you what. Let's let's give him a box
of cheerios. She was so excited to check out and
walk out there and she was going to hand him
the box of cheerios and crushed her heart. He because
I don't want that foot. He didn't want the food.
He could care less about it. And she got back
in the car and didn't understand, Dad, why didn't I said, well,
(18:20):
he probably has some kind of addictions for alcohol or something.
I don't remember what I told her, But there he goes.
That's the perfect example, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (18:28):
It is?
Speaker 3 (18:28):
It is by the way we train our we educate
our members of Blackstone not to give water, not to
give food for the homeless, because they're going to hang
around the property.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
So none of my members would do that.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
And don't think that that's cruel, that's kind because it's
you got it's tough love. Yeah, to get him out
of the situation. AJ. In closing, I'll give you less,
say sir.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
My question to Fresno, are you worse better off than
five years ago? Of course, thank you?
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Five months ago? Worse, it's worse, it's worse.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Go ahead, Uh what about homeless encamp in our city?
What about the road and sidewalks?
Speaker 2 (19:07):
You know?
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Like you, I am fed up and that's why I'm
running for president city Council. I never thought I'm gonna
be around for an office, but I'm a businessman. I'm
a community advocate, and I'm running to put you our neighbors,
our families, our communities before politics.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
To the band, where's the band? Dom AJ? Thank you man.
I look forward to some future conversations.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
My my uh website AJ for Citycouncil dot com. And
I want to get my phone number. Sure it's five
five nine two two two one eight one eight five
five nine two to two eighteen eighteen two two two
eighteen eight eighteen eighteen. Anybody you have issues, you can
call me. I am there to help you.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
For last year, AJOR ring at to two to eighteen eight.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
For last ten years, I put my own time and
money to serve people for res Now, thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
This is the Trevor Carry Show on the Valley's Power
Talk Director Classy, Welcome man, thank you for joining us.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
Hey, thanks for having me on, Trevor. Always a pleasure
to chat with you.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Now I've done my pregame research on you. I was
out there for your meet and greet. I was one
of those out there in the crowd when you had
the family out and all that. But like radio director,
I've been stable for a decade. That's a world record.
But I've moved a lot. It looks it looks like
athletic directors move a lot as well. Give us your
Zillow dot com tour of America you've experienced, and I
(20:31):
want you to start with them. The dairy farm you
grew up on.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
That's a pretty good hosting mood that you have there, Trevor.
But yeah, listen, I grew up on a Derrek from Wisconsin,
which I've made that fact known frequently in this past year.
But went the University of Wisconsin and lucky enough to
get a job in college athletics my sophomore year and
had no idea you could have a career in it
because I'm like today every school has a sports management program.
(21:00):
And really enjoyed it. So from there I went to
Tulane University New Orleans for three years, Alabama for four,
University Oregon for eight, and then George Washington for four A.
I was athletic director at UIC in Chicago for a
couple of years. Then the gentleman hired me at Oregon
became athletic director Nebraska, so I went there with him
(21:20):
for four years, and Houston for a quick pit stop
for a year, and now I've been at Freslo State
for a year. But I wanted to be known that
my wife is from the East Bay, California, and I
promised her ten years ago that i'd get her back
to California in five years. So it took me five
years longer than it should have. But she's told me
that if I ever leave Fresno that her and the
boys aren't coming with. So it's a non negotiable for me.
(21:42):
So we're gonna We're gonna, you know, plan our stakes
here and stay there a long time.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Well I saw how old I thought you look. That
sounds like too many years to be your age. All
those places that you've been. What was it like for
a northern boy from Wisconsin, even though you know you
were out there on the dairy farm South, What was
that culture shock like early on there?
Speaker 5 (22:03):
You know, I loved it. You know, growing up in
small town Americana, you're not around a lot of different
cultural and racial diversity, and so to be able to
witness that and be a part of it for first time.
I mean, I still have lifelong friends in New Orleans,
in Tuscaloosa, in Atlanta, in the South, I enjoyed it.
I'm a big foodie, so I love the different types
of foods in different places and listen to the golf
(22:27):
shores in Orange Beach, Alabama is still one of my
favorite vacation spots to this day.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Let me ask you, a lot of people might not
understand what an athletic director does. I can equate it
to radio right, Like iHeart has a has a president
in New York, they have an area president. I have
a program director. So it's kind of like the on
air people are the are the players, the program directors,
the coach. You're the area president that reports to a president.
(22:54):
Is that kind of the Yeah, I'm a lay out there.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
I'm not. Yeah, I'm not a vice president, but I'm
on the president cabinets with the other vice presidents, and
I oversee everything athletics. And that's everything from student athlete
eligibility to you know, to compliance, to fan engagement, to
be in the CFO of a you know, a fifty
million dollar budget, and so I obviously have help with
(23:17):
all those areas, but you know, we hire coaches, you know,
And but my biggest the thing that I'm most proud
of would say is that, you know, what we try
to do in college athletics is that you know, when
we when we give a scholarship to a young man
or young woman, it's not just a four year deal.
We're trying to prepare them for the next forty fifty
years of their life. And so that's those are always
the proudest moments. But you know, my background is heavily
(23:39):
focused in revenue generation, and that's what we're trying to
do here, especially as we entered going into the PAC
twelve next year, we need some more resources to be
able to compete at the highest level.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Well, let's do a Jerry maguire, show me the money.
Athletic director Classy at Fresno stat let's lily you talked
about I'm going to quote you. You said you're going
to get value and return for your investment and help
you and they're going to get value back and name,
image and likeness. You're talking about the athletes. I've had
this conversation with the voice of US State with Paul Leffler.
Now for a few years, is this name, image and
(24:10):
likeness the wild West suddenly hit. I've talked with ck
I've talked with Kenny Wiggins. People don't know more about
sports than I do. But I director classy, a full
time high level athlete, a full time student, very difficult
to pay everyday bills, much less have some pocket money.
I think everybody realizes that, yeah, they deserve something. But
(24:33):
my fears we got to create the rich league and
the not rich league.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
Listen, college athletics is still always going to be one
of the purest forms of sport in any sport, not
just football that there is. And listen, I think for
years when they saw coaches contracts being inflated, new facilities
being built left and right, and we have to understand,
we're part of the education higher education enterprise, and so
you know, how do we fit in that? You know,
(25:00):
I've said this from day one, the most special thing
about the valley, the most special thing about Freso State
are the people. And we won a lot of championships
here at Freso State with the people and not with
bells and whistles. And that's always going to be our formula.
But the reality is that going into the PAC twelve,
you know, moving up to a Power five conference, we
need the people and the resources to be able to
(25:20):
compete at the highest level. And yes, I do believe,
I'm the biggest believer in the world that hiring a
college student, excuse me, a former student athlete, college graduate
in any place of work is the best investment you
can make because you learn things in sports that maybe
aren't taught in everyday life anymore. Whether that's facing adversity,
the competition, the communication, the teamwork. All those elements are
(25:44):
taught every day in sports. So I'm very bullish on
the student athlete experience and how they belong in the ecosystem.
And if you look at Freso State's data, most of
our student athletes and most are students, stay within the valley,
so we're contributing to the workforce of the valley.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
My guess is, ras say athletic director Garrett Classy, Do
the players do they have agents sales rep out there
working them up and down the valley for endorsements and whatnot.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
You know, we've partnered with with a group called link Link.
You and I worked with them at the University of
Houston and they're out there looking for reoccurring revenue streams
to help our student athletes with student athlete recruitment and
student athlete retention, and so that's been helpful. But yeah,
some of these young men, some of these young ladies
do have marketing agents that can help them, you know,
(26:30):
look at different marketing opportunities and may have. And then
what we offer in house here is we do a
lot with brand training and brand education on how do
you build your personal brand where businesses feel like they're
getting some ROI especially when it comes to social media.
I mean you you probably need over ten thousand followers
and one of your platforms in order to bring value
to an advertiser to be able to promote the brand
(26:51):
on your own personal channels. And so we educate them
every day and give them the tools and the resources
and how to do that to be able to to
best invest in themselves because the reality is whether they
play in the NFL, NBA, WNBA, you name it, building
your brand, we always have to sell ourselves in any
job that you're in. And so it's a great it's
(27:11):
great resource, it's a great attribute for them to have
while they're at Fresno State and after they leave.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Presno State Director Classy, I want to stay on the
subject and closing here of revenue streams. A good job
with the concert You became Bill g You became Bill
Graham Presents, didn't you in the concert business? And I
told anybody, if you go to a concert and the
worst thing that happened was some people had to wait
a little bit. Bravo. That's an excellent pull off. And
(27:38):
I guess two million extra came from out of town,
and I'm sure more within town spending. That's a good
revenue stream. And I've been reading, I've been listening to you.
I'm picking up what you're throwing down about a multi
use stadium.
Speaker 5 (27:51):
Yeah. Absolutely, I mean, listen, the reality is that there
aren't a lot of markets in the West Coast that
are honor utilized for concert venue or concert musicians or
any acts that come through town. And Fresno is a
unique market and Valley Children Stadium is the only stadium
within that footprint, and so we need to utilize that
as many times as we can. We're still going to
(28:13):
be good neighbors in the neighborhood. But if we could
do four to five additional events outside our football games
every year. That is a considerable impact to the city,
to the county, to the university and our athletic department.
That impacts a lot of people. And so you know,
we at Freslo State, we don't want to live in
the silo in this bubble. We know that we have
the ability to do greater good for this city and
(28:35):
we want to uplift the city. And Mayor Dyer and
I have had conversations about this. You know Alderman, you
know Tyler Maxwell. They're great partners in what we're trying
to get done here at Fresno State because we need
to uplift this place together. It can't be just one
singular group trying to do their part. It's a team effort.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Well, if you've got a list, go in there. Put
down motorcross spectacular. I would love to see that it.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
Well, bring me at some dirt shows and the absolutely, hey,
well Preso we can haul in for that.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Director Classy. I know you're busy manner by getting ready
for the weekend, but thank you for your time. And
I guess we should always end our discussions with go
Go Dogs.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
And there's tickets left for Saturday. Let's show coach Ens
and a staff that we are the best fan base
in the country, Red Way. We need you to come
out and support these guys. They're gonna play their tails off.
They've been working hard. Weather's going to be great. We'd
love to have everyone come out and support our football
team on Saturday night.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
All right, keep up the fight, Director Classy, Go Dogs,
and thank you for your time.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Man, Go Dogs.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Thanks Trevor, you bet you. This is the Trevor Kerry
Show on the Valley's Power Talk director of Classy Fresno State.
Right there, he is a he's a he's a money raiser,
he's a get him educated, he's a think of all
the sports he has to handle. Trying to you kind
(29:56):
of like, hey player, like you know all the names.
Oh my word, that's a busy job right there. So
I appreciate the time that he gave us here. Tomorrow,
speaking of time, at this time, I'll be like, hey man,
everybody thinks for coming out the ninety nine Craft Pizza.
I'm so full. I'm glad I didn't eat anything Thursday
night to get my stomach double room. Should I do that?
Speaker 4 (30:17):
Tonight.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Just go fast tonight, wake up in the morning, crowl
and going. I can make it till three K and
myself ck on where is it AM thirteen forty Fox
Sports Radio. Yeah, he joins me for the first hour
out there, and then I'll roll four to six. Alderman
Nick Richardson is going to drop by. I'm using classy
(30:38):
words Alderman, and I don't mean classy, I mean athletic
director classy's words. He's from up north Back. He's a
live dollar city councilman. He called him Alderman director Ryan
nins On. I we caught that. Alderman. Nick Richardson will
be joining us out there at five o'clock. Where is
out there? Ninety nine Craft Pizza. It's real easy, paulm
and nice. There you go right across from g so
(31:01):
come eat some pizza, then go across and work it off,
or like myself, come eat some pizza CEGB three. As
I drive off, there they are. I see them all
the time at Woobrod Park, and I hate when I
feel fatty Daddy. I know I just went and bought
stuff I shouldn't have it. I'm taking it home and
I'm at that light and I see all the healthy
jogging spandex people. You do know that we look out
(31:24):
the window and we're like, knock it up, quit, stop
it stop, stop being healthy like that. We despise you
from our windows. I applaud you keep doing that out there.
There's some good work going on, man. Let me tell you.
In DC and thinks that this Democrat mayor is not insane.
In the membrane, Mayor Bowser thanking the Trump administration for
(31:45):
the crime crackdown in the District of Columbia.
Speaker 6 (31:47):
And we greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance
what MPD has been able to do in this city.
The most significant thing that we are highlighting today is
the area of crime that was most troubling for us
(32:11):
in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Yeah. Yeah, And the crime numbers are going down. Politicians
can lie, talk show hosts can lie. You can lie.
Numbers normally, don't lie. Where are the numbers here? Hang on,
let me, I think, let me give our glasses here,
hang on, here's the numbers.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Now.
Speaker 6 (32:28):
We have driven it down over the last years. But
I'm gonna get my glasses so I can make sure
I can see it correctly. But for carjackings. The difference
between this period, this twenty day period of this federal
surge and last year represents a eighty seven percent reduction
(32:51):
in carjackings in Washington DC.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
We're against that he's taking over Free DC. Free DC,
Let the criminals back out. I saw that sign right
here on Shaw overpassing forty one. It was written up
there for a few days, Free DC.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
It looked like a printed out sign, like it had
been taken over, and I thought I could easily pull over,
hit my hazards, jump up and pull that down. I thought, no,
leave it up. It just lets people drive by and
go how stupid, how stupid anybody walking up and down
the street. I don't care if you voted for Ralph
(33:29):
Nader or Bernie Sanders or doesn't matter. We want to
have safe streets.
Speaker 6 (33:35):
We know that when carjackings go down, when the use
of gun goes down, when homicide or robbery go down,
neighborhoods feel safer and are safer. So this surge has
been important to us for that reason.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Here's my prediction of the next Let's go twelve twenty
four to thirty six months, three years, all gonna come
together Republican Democrat, independents, criminals, bailiffs, judges, bus drivers, all
(34:11):
different races, religions, trans are gonna come together with an
evangelical pastor. You know why? An invasion of small metallic
orbs eight thousand have been hovering over his US military basis.
That's that's in three years the counts that have come in.
(34:32):
Wouldn't that if they were up there, we would all
come Okay, let's forget why we're all We're not bludging
crips anymore. Come on, look, we gotta fight these guys. Yeah.
I saw this today Daily Mail UK. New report from Enigma.
They allow people to report sightings of unidentified flying outject
more than eight thousand between December twenty twenty two and
June twenty twenty five. I have seen too many with
(34:54):
my eyes. Not that mean people are AI faking it
up now? These orbs, man, Come on, they've seen them
over military installations. We've seen videavum in Congress. They've been
up there for decades. Even back in World War Two
they were talking about the orbs.
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