Talkline | Oct. 3, 2025 - MetroNews Talkline

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
You'll have to excuse TJ and me this morning if
we're a little tired. We've been up all night listening
to the new Taylor Swift album.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah, not really.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Metro News talk Lines underway.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Radio turned off from the studios of w v r
C Media and the Metro ne Who's radio and television network,
The Voice up West Virginia comes the most powerful show
in West Virginia. This it's Metronyos talk Line with Dave
Wilson and t J. Meadows.

Speaker 4 (00:54):
So it's not can we hold from.

Speaker 5 (00:55):
Charles stand by to David TJ.

Speaker 6 (00:58):
You're on.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
Metronews. Talk Line is presented by Incovia Insurance, encircling you
with coverage to protect what you care about most. Visit
incovia dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Good morning, made it to a Friday. Welcome inside the
Incoba Insurance studios. Dave Wilson with you in Morgantown. TJ.
Meadows is in Charleston. Got Zach Carrolchick, man of the
people handling the video stream on Metro News Television, and
Sophia Wasick, our audio producer slash operator. She is who
you will speak to if you call eight hundred seven

(01:33):
sixty five Talk eight hundred seven sixty five eight two
five five. You can text the show three oh four
Talk three oh four. Keep those numbers in mind. Steam
release coming up eleven thirty three this morning. Prior to that,
Chris Starwaltz stops by Brad Howe on The Mountaineer's Trip
to Provo, plus Jared Halpern on The Latest in Washington,

(01:53):
d C. Say good morning to TJ. Meadows, who I
don't know. Maybe you were up all night listening to
the new Taylor Swift album. For all.

Speaker 4 (02:00):
I am a big fan, a huge fan of Taylor
Swift's work. I am sold. I think she is one
of the best business people I've ever seen. Couldn't name
one song she sings, but man, she packs him in.
She makes money. I love her enterprise all right?

Speaker 1 (02:18):
TJ. Meadows, president of the Metro News talk line Swifty Club.

Speaker 4 (02:22):
Oh do I think you failed to realize why I
think she's so good?

Speaker 5 (02:25):
Though?

Speaker 1 (02:26):
You picked up on and I'm saying you right there,
We've got TJ. Meadows Swifty Uh.

Speaker 4 (02:33):
I know what? That is not the worst association that
has been made with me ever, so I'll take it.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
I will say this Chris Lawrence, who does the Entertainment
Report on the morning news every day. Yeah, I was
worried about Chris because he did Taylor Swift and then
mean Girls talk about mean girls something, it's mean Girl Day.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
I don't know what that means. I don't know what
that is, but Chris.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
I don't think Chris does either, But he brought it
up during the Entertainment Report, but he locked out with
Motley Crue and I.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Said, you know, I said, you totally.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
He redeemed yourself. Chris totally redeemed yourself.

Speaker 4 (03:03):
Good music died at about nineteen ninety nine. If it's
not nineties or older, I'm probably not listening to totally.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
You know what.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
Ever, remember when you were a kid, you criticized your parents,
right because they didn't know what good music were they? Yeah,
but you know what, you reach a point where you go,
you know what this is as far as I'm going,
there's no more good music after that, and that's all.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
And it's for both of us.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
In ninety nine early two thousands, at least for me
more about the same age.

Speaker 4 (03:29):
Yeah, but I kind of take that back. My dad
brought me up on a lot of motown had a
lot of sixties seventies going all the time in his try.
I like that stuff.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Oh that's good.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
It's anything after a certain date, and you know about
two thousand and.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Two, it just kind of goes downhill.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
No, that's fair.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
It's Friday. If you can't tell on this program, all right,
we got a lot to get to before we get
into steam release. And no, that's that's about the extent
of what we're going to talk about as far as
Taylor Swift goes. If you want some of that conversation,
maybe Dave Allen, who I know is a big check.
Metro News Midday at noon today we pick up our
conversation on public education, school choice, the school aid formula,

(04:08):
and more. This morning, we spoke to State Board President
Paul Hardesty on yesterday's program after his impassioned speech during
the Board of Education earlier this week, when he caused
a bit of a stir with that speech, sitting up
a flare that public schools are falling behind, pointing to
the Cumberson State Code that governs them in an antiquated
state aid formula. That's where we bring in Delegate Joe

(04:30):
Statler to the conversation. This morning. Joe's the delegate from
Montingelia County. He is the vice chair of the House
Education Committee, and he is a former county Board of
Education member himself. He joins us on Metro News talk
Line this morning. Joe, good morning, thanks for joining us.

Speaker 7 (04:45):
Good morning, Dave and TJ. And for the record, I
can tell you that if you travel with me, you're
going to be listening to seven on the seventies and
that's where I'm stuck. And I will say it was
much sent for life and maybe if we go back
to that, we wouldn't be talking easy issues today.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
Man, all right, road trip with Joe. I'm right, I'm
carpooling with you down to the legislative session this year.

Speaker 5 (05:07):
Joe.

Speaker 8 (05:07):
There you go, all right, buddy.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
So we bring into this conversation and let's start with
the state aid of the state aid formula for schools.
That is something Paul Hardesty mentioned, but this was brought
up prior to the legislative session last year. It's something
that has been talked about for probably longer than that.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
Joe.

Speaker 1 (05:25):
So what have those discussions and conversations consisted of when
we're talking about the state aid formula?

Speaker 7 (05:31):
Well, and I will tell you there has several of
us been working on that and looking at those issues.
Not only what we look at is what the State
of West Virginia does, but we look out at other
states and what their formulas is doing and how they've
changed them. And one thing I would like to say,
like mister Hardesty, to make it clear, is you know,

(05:51):
the state aid formula has had adjustments through the years.
We continue to adjust it, and probably the most recent
was the third great success when we added all the
assistant teachers into the first, second and third grade. That
added about one hundred and ten to twelve million dollars
into that formula that's out there, you know, to accommodate

(06:14):
those systems into the classroom. So it's not like it
just as a working document set. Still this thing has
been added and subtracted from all along. Now is it
a complicated system? Absolutely is complicated. Doesn't need to be
that complicated. I for one don't believe it does. And
I will tell you that my fellow Delegate Chris Tony

(06:37):
and I have been working. Matter of fact, we was
on the phone speaking just a few moments ago about
the formula and where we're at with it and what
we're going to do, And we're hoping to have a
conversation with the speaker to updating one where we've got
to on the point. Now, are we ready.

Speaker 9 (06:54):
To roll out a new model?

Speaker 10 (06:55):
No, we are not.

Speaker 7 (06:57):
It is complicated, and when you make a change in
one area, it's just like a balloon when you squeeze it.
You may move that air from one place and move
it over to another and the not pops out. So
you've got to go about this stuff with some forethought
and looking ahead, or you're gonna have consequences you don't want.

Speaker 4 (07:17):
Joe, how much of this is the formula and how
much of it is that we have very limited resources.
You can move some things around, but from my simpleton's
view here, there's just not enough money coming in the pot.
We don't have enough people. We don't have enough people working.
We're still trying to live in a paradigm that was
nineteen eighty and we don't have that anymore. We don't

(07:38):
have col to propose up, we don't have as many people.
I mean, isn't that a part of the problem too?

Speaker 7 (07:43):
It is, And I will tell you that, as you
well know, we've been luring the income tax and treasurer.
Mister pack now's looking at taking the taxes off of
tips and off of over time. I understand where he's
coming from, and I will tell you I'm not opposed
to a lot of this stuff. But at the same time,

(08:05):
you can only spend what you're taking in, and if
you're going to take in less than you've got to
cut government somewhere. Now. I know there's always those out
there we'll say there's plenty of government to cut, and
I agree with them there is. But what I might cut,
you may think it's the greatest thing since slice bread.
So again, you've got to be careful as to how

(08:26):
you walk forward on this stuff and where you take
it to.

Speaker 1 (08:30):
Talking to Montague County Delegate Joe Statler, he is vice
chair of the House Education Committee. Formerly was a member
of the Montague County School.

Speaker 5 (08:37):
Board as well.

Speaker 1 (08:38):
Joe, as you've looked at how other states have approached
school aid formulas, what have you found?

Speaker 2 (08:44):
What are other states doing well?

Speaker 7 (08:47):
I will tell you the one thing that I've found,
and I cautioned the Speaker and others on, is everyone
that's worked on their formulas so far, they have not
saved money. It has actually increased the budget on education.
Now is that a good thing or a bad thing?
It all depends on what your goal was going into this.
So I just warned them ahead of time. The model

(09:10):
that I just looked at, it was in Atlanta last weekend,
and that's RB conference in actually looking at early childhood
and that's another area that we're going to have to
face up too, sooner or later, and that's going to
take money. But that's not in today's conversation. But I
will tell you. I'll also talk to the folks from

(09:30):
Tennessee that was there, and I'm getting tried to find
a model of everything that they've done in Tennessee. And
some things I like what they've done. Some things I'm
just not as much in favor of and would have
cautions moving forward. But there's definitely lessons to be learned

(09:54):
from looking at the other states around us that has
got the same issues we have.

Speaker 4 (10:00):
Joe, should we look beyond school consolidation and perhaps even
entertain county consolidation.

Speaker 7 (10:06):
And I, believe it or not, had that Congress station
this morning with Delegate Heckle. He called me and he
very much is in favor of consolidation, regionalizations, and there
is a lot to be said. The last couple three days,
I've been reading social media and all the comments that's
out there. There is proponents out there that believes that

(10:29):
instead of a fifty five county system, which I was
part of, that they would go to basically eleven. And
what that magical number comes from, I'm not sure we
could look at it and see, but there is a
savings there if you do that into the fact that
you look at the average salary of the superintendents of
these counties, and most of the bigger counties are well

(10:52):
approaching close to two hundred million. I'm sorry, I'm two
hundred thousand dollars in salary, which would add up over
that don't count benefits, So there's a savings there. There
was a savings when you share staff, if at all possible.
That's out there, and I'm not talking about the front

(11:15):
line staff. I'm talking about the ones you know that's
out there in the back that does all the work
that's necessary and done. For instance, every state or every
county is required to have a treasurer. Could if you're
a smaller county, could that treasurer serve more than one
county if the budget is workable and maybe with more staff.

(11:37):
I'm sure they could and that could be an area
of savings. So to answer your question, TJ. Yes, what
I'll also tell you in order to do that, if
you looked at the bill that we ran last year
that would have allowed a pilot program to allow them
to take up to just three counties and put them

(11:59):
together and allow them to operate. It left all five
board members of each county in place, so theoretically you'd
have a fifteen member board. Well, I'm one of those
that believes the bigger the board doesn't necessarily mean you're
going to get something accomplished. So there's good and bad
and everything, and it takes some time to look through that.

(12:22):
And I'm not opposed to the idea. I'm willing to
look at anything out there. But i will say to
you that when you again push up balloon, it's going
to pop out somewhere else. And this also has to
be looked at.

Speaker 1 (12:38):
Talking to Delegate Joe Statler, Montague County, Vice Chair of
the House Education Committee, Joe, since those remarks by President
Hardesty on Wednesday of this week, there is already some
out there framing this as this is public schools versus
school choice. It's got to be one or it's got
to be the other. How do you see this conversation.

Speaker 7 (13:00):
I certainly don't see it that way. I do not
believe it's there. I do not believe that a lot
of people also believe that the legislature is trying to
do away with public education altogether. I don't know if
anyone has got that feeling now. I do believe that
there is a lot of support out there for school choice.

(13:20):
And if you've been reading on social media, like I
said I have, it's probably running about out of ten people,
about eight people it's been writing comments as to why
they felt that Paul was on the wrong end of this. Now,
I don't necessarily believe that either because I know Paul,

(13:40):
and I do know most of the stuff that he
said I don't disagree with when you get into eighteen
A and all that, and compared to what we have
rules on the other systems out there. But I would
say to the school systems, don't just look at that.
This spring, Delegate TONI and I reached out to the associations,

(14:06):
We reached out to the county superintendents. We reached out
to the state school Board, we reached out to the
Department of Education. We said, tell us, what is an
eighteen A that is a honing factor that is causing
considerations of not helping you, but honing you back. Give

(14:27):
us that information so that we can look at it.
We can put it before our staff analyze it and
see what do we really need in eighteen A, which
I got a copy of laying right beside me, and
I've been looking at it and what can we do
away with While I'm telling you what crickets make the
more noise out there in the night than what we've
heard back from the people. So you know, that just

(14:50):
tells me. I don't think they're not interested. Maybe they're
still studying it. I don't know. Eighteen A's thirteen hundred
and forty two pages, and it is complicated and takes
a lot of time. So I can tell you that
that school choice doesn't have all that. But I do
believe also, if you do school choice and they do

(15:11):
it successfully and you're comparing apples to apples and oranges
to oranges, whatever they're doing, if they're doing it and
it works, then maybe we need to adopt some of
those rules.

Speaker 1 (15:23):
Joe, Well, we're up against the clock here. Joe will
have to leave the conversation there for today. Inter meetings
coming up this week. I'm sure there'll be some discussions
when you guys get together in Charleston. Jee, absolutely appreciate it, buddy,
Thank you so much for the time. Montague County Delegate
Joe Statler. We'll check out with Jared Halpern Fox News
Radio in Washington, d C.

Speaker 5 (15:41):
Right after this.

Speaker 11 (15:46):
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Speaker 3 (16:55):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Encovia Insurance and
Circling with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visitandcovid dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (17:06):
Let's go to Washington, DC. Fox News Radios. Jared Halpern
joins US Jared. President Trump has called the shutdown and
unprecedented opportunity let's make mass cuts to federal agencies. How
serious is this threat that the president could lay off
massive numbers of federal employees.

Speaker 13 (17:23):
Well, that's a big change in how these shutdowns generally go.
What we've seen, and I've covered plenty of government shutdowns,
is federal workers are often furloughed. Sometimes an awful lot
of federal workers are furloughed. They can't come to work
at all. Those who are exempted in work do so
without a paycheck until that shutdown is over. But there

(17:45):
is an awful lot of discretion given to the executive branch,
given to the president about how kind of to implement
that and what President Trump is doing. It appears alongside
his budget director Rus Vote is kind of using this
as a doose like exercise, essentially saying, well, we'll just
lay people off and then direct those agencies to kind

(18:07):
of go through a reorganization to work at a bare minimum.
Democrats are saying that this shows that the president's not
taking a shutdown seriously, that he is trying to extend it.
The White House says that's not true, but that they
do have to kind of manage a government now without
any appropriations, and there are always going to be cuts.
But when you see the president put things out on

(18:29):
social media, like you know, we'll see what's permanent and
what's temporary, it is raising a lot of eyebrows. We've
also seen over the last couple of days Russ Bolte
target funding in Democrat city Chicago's train system today, New
York City transportation and infrastructure projects earlier this week, again

(18:49):
raising concern from Democrats that some of these actions are
punitive and intended to kind of punish Democratic lawmakers, since
the same types of projects don't appear to be targeted
at least yet in Republican led states and cities.

Speaker 4 (19:09):
Jared vote scheduled this morning in the Senate. Should we
expect anything.

Speaker 13 (19:12):
Different, I don't. There hasn't been like a major breakthrough.
There hasn't been an agreement. In fact, the two sides
haven't even spent that much time talking to one another.
The strategy here, I think from Republican leadership is kind
of to force Democrats to keep voting no and see

(19:33):
if enough pressure builds that you see more cracks, more divisions.
So there have been three Democrats who have voted with
Republicans on advancing this short term spending build. They need
a few more to break filibuster to get to that
sixty vote threshold. But absent kind of an understanding or
a deal that they'll be you know, something that happens

(19:56):
with what Democrats are asking for. Remember, Democrats want a
couple of things here. They are looking at getting promises
on extending these healthcare benefits, these tax credits, tax subsidies
for Affordable Care Act plans, and they want to repeal
some of the Medicaid and Medicare cuts that were in

(20:21):
the One Big Beautiful Bill. Those tax cuts or tax
credits tax subsidies do not expire until the end of
the year. So Republicans are saying, we have three months,
let's open up the government and have those conversations. There
is an appetite, certainly from some Republicans to extend them.
The problem for a lawful lot of Democrats is just

(20:42):
the trust that has been broken. They don't trust Republicans
to make good on that unless it is codified in law.
They point to things like the recisions packages and other
types of cuts to funding that have been done absent
any sort of vote in Congress, or absent any kind
of democratic buy And so that's the problem. That's why
there aren't a lot of discussions going on, and that's

(21:04):
why I don't think you're going to see that shutdown
end with those two votes in the Senate.

Speaker 1 (21:09):
Later this afternoon, Fox News Radio is Jared Halpern in DC. Jared,
we'll see where we are when we get back on Monday.

Speaker 13 (21:15):
Appreciate it sounds sounds good. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (21:17):
I have a good weekend. Jared Halpern, Fox News Radio
in Washington, d C. Coming up a little bit later
this hour, Brad Howe will stop by Mountaineers in Provo,
Utah for tonight's Big twelve battle with BYU ten thirty
ten thirty twelve hours from now is when they'll kick off.
You might want to get a nap in later this
afternoon if you plan on watching that game in its entirety.

(21:40):
Up next to your thoughts at three or four Talk
three or four. It's Talk Linel Metro News, the voice
of West Virginia. It is ten thirty times to get
a news update. Let's check in with the Metro News
radio network. Find out what's happening across the great state
of West Virginia.

Speaker 14 (21:55):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Jeff Jenkins. You're only County
Circuit judge plans to take testimony next week on his
consideration of a permanent injunction allowing for religious exemptions to
the state's childhood vaccination school entry requirements. Meanwhile, the challenges
to the state law and an executive order from Governor
Patrick Morrisey allowing for exemptions continue to be filed. Metro

(22:16):
New State White Course byder Brad mclaheney reports there are
new challenges in kanawh and Jefferson Counties. Here's what Brad
has learned about the Kanawa County case.

Speaker 15 (22:23):
The complete contends the family acquired a religious exemption for
school vaccines from the state Department of Health. The Kannau
County School System did not allow the student to attend
public school on the basis of the religious exemption, citing
a directive from the state Board of Education.

Speaker 14 (22:38):
The Jefferson County case involves five families. More from Brad
at our website stay please say it only took eleven
days to apprehend thirty seven illegal immigrants passing through or
living in the state. State Police Superintendent Colonel Jim Mitchell.

Speaker 16 (22:50):
You are here in West Virginia illegally. You're not welcome
to here, and we value the dignity of every human being,
but we want you here legally. And if you're here
in West Virginia and you're illegal, oh, you're an all welcome.

Speaker 14 (23:06):
Most of the arrests were made on the West Virginia Turnpike.
The West Virginia Lottery says tonight's Mega Millions jackpot will
be five hundred and twenty million dollars, first time Mega
Millions has crossed a half billion dollar threshold this year.
You're listening to Metro News for forty years, The Voice
of West Virginia.

Speaker 17 (23:23):
The second half of the high school football season continues
Friday night with our go mart Game of the Week.

Speaker 1 (23:28):
Fort Hill, Maryland at.

Speaker 17 (23:29):
Bridgeport, Laus Catch Greenbrier West against Fort Fry, Ohio, Just
Sales versus Capbell Midland Wheeling Park in Morgantown and Marrietta
versus Williamstown, all on Metro News TV brought to you
by the Thrasher Group, Marshall University hand the Mountaineer Challenge Academy.

Speaker 1 (23:43):
Download the free Metro News TV.

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App on your iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple TV, Roku or
Fire TV, or visit DOBDV Metro newstv dot com for
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Former longtime West Virginia State Senator and State Agriculture Commissioner WALDT.
Hellmic will be remembered in visitation services this evening at
the State Culture Center in Charleston. Helmick died last month
at the age of eighty one. Visitation is set from
four until eight this evening. Funeral services are scheduled for
tomorrow afternoon at one o'clock at First Presbyterian Church in Charleston.
This is Week six of the high school football season

(24:45):
in West Virginia. Full slate of games across the state.
Metro News High School game night tonight at nine point
thirty from the Metro News anchored desk. I'm Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 1 (25:18):
Three or four talk three or four is the text line.
Eight hundred and seven sixty five eighty two five five.
We'll talk Mountaineer football. Brad Howe is going to join
a couple of minutes from now. We will set the scene.
Well he's not there, but we'll set the scene for
the Mountaineers in Provo, Utah. Take it on BYU late tonight,
late kickoff tonight. If you're going to be watching on ESPN,

(25:38):
we hit on something that apparently struck a good nerve,
not a bad nerve. I was okay, Yes, I was
openly mocking the Taylor Swift album release and not a Swift.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
He never have been, never will be.

Speaker 1 (25:48):
That's okay, and said, look, you know, my musical taste stopped,
you know, late nineties, early two thousands. That's as far
as I'm going. And a couple of you have weighed
in on that. And now I'm curious if your musical
taste continue, if you like today's modern music, this audience
caws a little bit more seasoned or where the best

(26:10):
music stopped? Texter says about to turn sixty nine, but
was a music major in college. I do like today's music.
I like almost all music, and yes, I like Taylor Swift.
And I know who bad Bunny is.

Speaker 2 (26:24):
Says the Texter.

Speaker 4 (26:25):
I don't do I need to.

Speaker 1 (26:30):
No, he's performing a halftime of the super Bowl, which
you know whatever, that's when you get up, Go get
another hot dog, go get some more chili, take care
of other things. They haven't had a good super the
last I think halftime super Bowl halftime show that I
remember liking or even watching with any interest. Maybe when

(26:52):
the Stones performed, and that's been how many years ago?
I was the guy in college that got up and
did not see them from Miss Justin Timberlake.

Speaker 4 (27:02):
On the wardrobe.

Speaker 1 (27:03):
Yeah, I didn't see the wardrobe malfunction.

Speaker 4 (27:07):
So here's an idea for you. Let's do away with
the show at halftime. Halftime would not be as long
and we can all get to bed a little earlier
on Super Bowl Sunday. How about them, Apples, I thought you.

Speaker 1 (27:18):
Were going to go with the super Bowl Monday needs
to be a holiday when you started that.

Speaker 4 (27:22):
That wouldn't be a bad idea either, would it.

Speaker 1 (27:25):
What would make a difference to us? We'd be here anyway,
We'll be probably headed to Charleston to do the legislature
at the time.

Speaker 2 (27:33):
All right, let's get in some text here. Three or
four talk three to four.

Speaker 1 (27:36):
The text line, abolish the Hope Scholarship, says the Texter. Well, look, okay,
as we have this conversation and don't want to get
to your commentary here in just a second. And this
is not a reflection of your commentary, Tej, but let's
talk in reality terms, and the reality is the Hope
Scholarship is not going to be abolished. Do there need

(27:59):
to be some guardrails? Do there need to be some limits?
I think those are fine conversations. And I think if
you talk to most lawmakers, well maybe most. I think
if you talk to a lot of lawmakers, let me
phrase it like that, I don't know if it's a majority, TJ.
They would probably agree and say, yeah, we need to
we need to put some checks and some balances here,
because you may end up with a behemoth that you

(28:21):
can't ever really get your arms wrapped back around if
you're not careful. But let mean, let's live in reality.
They're not going to abolish the Hope Scholarship anytime soon.

Speaker 2 (28:30):
It's not going to happen.

Speaker 1 (28:31):
So I digress your commentary this morning, TJ. Because you
looked at this issue from our conversation with Paul Hardesty
and the state aid formula, and you kind of alluded
to this when we were talking to Joe Statler. You
took more of the thirty thousand foot approach of the
bigger problem that really is the is the foundation of

(28:51):
a lot of the other issues we face in the state.

Speaker 4 (28:54):
Yeah, and the biggest way to sum that up is
we are fewer, we are less productive and we're older
than any point in our recent history. I League numbers,
you know that. So I went to the numbers. Nineteen
eighty day, we had one point ninety five million people.
By twenty twenty two, that was down to one point
seventy seven million. That's a nine percent loss. At the
same time, every other state in the Union grew, most

(29:15):
of them substantially by double digits. We lost by nine percent.
That's a problem. When you talk about our labor force
participation rate, I mean it's stagnant fifty four percent. We
went up a little bit in the nineties, but we're
far below most other states. I looked at Mississippi, because

(29:39):
you know, we used to say, oh, at least we
got Mississippi. They're beating us by three hundred basis points
in labor participation. Now that may not sound like a lot.
That's huge. That drives a huge amount of GDP. We're
losing there. We're old. I don't mean that negatively built.
We are. We have more residents sixty five years in

(30:02):
older than any other demographic that we have in the state.
In twenty twenty two, three hundred and seventy six thousand
residents were sixty five or older. In nineteen eighty that
was two hundred and thirty nine thousand. We grew that
while our overall population shrink. We grew that number by
fifty eight percent. It doesn't work, man, It's not gonna work.

(30:28):
And so regardless of the funding formula, you only have
so much money to put in there. The formula is
how you divvy it out. If you don't have enough
money to put in there to cover the nut from
a general perspective, doesn't matter how you allocate it. And oh,
by the way, the state funding formula only covers maybe
the majority, but there's still what forty percent that county

(30:48):
levies and different property taxes have to fund. And as
population decreases in a lot of these counties. I looked
at Boom County, where I grew up, a place I love,
lost a third of its population from nineteen eighty to
twenty twenty two. In the county right now, they have
less than a thousand residents that are producing birth and
four years of age in nineteen eighty was over twenty

(31:09):
seven hundred. Can't make that math work, my friend.

Speaker 2 (31:14):
Well, you're not.

Speaker 1 (31:14):
Going to stop people from leaving either, No, you're not.

Speaker 4 (31:17):
And you're not.

Speaker 1 (31:18):
Unless you fix the problems that ail the public education
system and education as a whole, you're going to have
trouble attracting them here. We know that is an issue.
So you're left with some options. You figure out how
to use the resources. You've got to allocate those as
efficiently as you possibly can, or you got to look
at you got to think outside the box a little bit.

Speaker 4 (31:38):
Can't have fifty five counties anymore, can we? And I
know we want know that you can't. I don't know
that you can't. But you're going to have to make
some concessions somewhere else. And that's what mister Sellers said.

Speaker 1 (31:49):
If you start to squeeze the balloon, it's going to
pop somewhere else. So you have to be willing to
If you're going to do one thing, you have to
be willing to compromise somewhere else. And I don't know
in a lot of ways if we're willing to have those.

Speaker 2 (32:01):
Types of conversations.

Speaker 4 (32:02):
Well, if we had a silver bullet revenue source, these
things wouldn't matter, would they wait, because it would prop
us up. But we don't have it anymore. We don't
have coal anymore. For a long time we were able
to ignore this because coal paid. Well, it's not the
money anymore.

Speaker 2 (32:15):
Chew the weed texts.

Speaker 4 (32:18):
I didn't mean to do that, but I mean, you
get my point. You've got to figure it out. I
do think if you have an attractive tax structure, maybe
it gets people here. But I think the best thing
we have going I've said this before is what Brad
and Elie Smith are doing with the scent. Bring someone
here who has a job. It solves all these equations,

(32:39):
or excume all these variables. If you bring someone here
that has a job.

Speaker 1 (32:42):
That's not going to save those variables quick enough. You've
got schools now getting ready to close as we speak.
And if you're going to formula which relies heavily on
student enrollment and rework it in another fashion to distribute
those dollars that maybe more equitably gets it out, you know,
then you got to look.

Speaker 2 (33:02):
At those things. You got to look at those things.

Speaker 4 (33:04):
But you have to make decisions.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
Now.

Speaker 4 (33:05):
It's never gonna be what it was. It's just not
so school consolidation, government structures, government services. We're gonna have
to We're gonna have to do some curtailment here and
maybe the sooner we start, the less overall will have
to do. But I mean, this can is so dented
from kicking it for years and years and years. Well

(33:27):
now it's rearing its head and it's not going away,
so we have to deal with it.

Speaker 1 (33:31):
Three or four talk three h four that's the tax line.
Eight hundred and seven to sixty five eight two five
five the phone number. Let's get some text in here.
When it comes to school budgets, I always hear about
declining enrollment for whatever reason, but I never hear about
the most glaring issue. It cost way more to operate
the school system today than it did when the current
formula was creative. Costs more for fuel, insurance, wages, buses, utilities,

(33:53):
and other items such as paper, desk lockers, and building upgrades.
You can't maintain the same level of service when the
cost runs, but the funding does not, says Barry in Fairmont's.

Speaker 4 (34:03):
Way to go, Barry, higher fixed cost, higher variable costs,
less people to cover it.

Speaker 1 (34:08):
There you are, Dave and TJ did the same thing
to the legislature. Reduce the size, put in place term limits.
No more state pensions or peia for legislators. Come on, Republicans.
I think Joe is incorrect. If it went to a vote,
I believe that school choice would not be voted down,
but public dollars.

Speaker 2 (34:25):
Paying for it would.

Speaker 1 (34:28):
Uh TJ You're so wrong about the Hope scholarship. I
taught upper level math in a public high school for
forty years, and I challenge you to find one high
school homeschool parent who knows as much math as any
teacher at the level at any West Virginia school. Also,
go to a small go to the mall after work
and look at the homeschool kids running around the mall.
You are simply paying for them to stay home and

(34:50):
also paying rich kids.

Speaker 2 (34:51):
To go to private schools.

Speaker 1 (34:53):
How is that not destroying public education?

Speaker 4 (34:56):
Anecdotal evidence aside. I think your premise is fauled. Who
said the homeschool parent is the one teaching math. Maybe
they're hiring a math teacher after hours that is from
a public school, to come in and give private lessons
one on one. Maybe they're going to the slew of
services that you can find to have online tutorials with math.
Maybe they have a PhD in the family who's a

(35:17):
math whiz that's doing it so a lot of assumption there.

Speaker 1 (35:22):
Texter says, when utah our BYU comes here to play,
we got to schedule that game for eight o'clock.

Speaker 2 (35:27):
In the morning. Well okay with that.

Speaker 1 (35:30):
Brad Howell would probably be okay with it as well.
He'll join us next we'll talk about the Mountaineers and
the Cougars. Talk line continues in a moment.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
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Speaker 19 (35:41):
Care for you at the health Plan.

Speaker 20 (35:44):
The health Plan is still growing, giving you a large
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Speaker 2 (35:52):
Plans that meet your needs.

Speaker 4 (35:54):
Log on to health plan dot org for more information.

Speaker 5 (35:57):
We are there.

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For you.

Speaker 5 (36:03):
Me here.

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Speaker 3 (36:50):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance, encircling
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Speaker 1 (37:00):
Chris Stirewalk Coming up eleven six tonight, the Mountaineers will
be They're already in you saw to take on BYU
ten thirty kickoff on ESPN. Brad Howe Metro News Sports
three Guys Before the game. He joins us on Metro
News talk Line this morning. Brad, Good morning, Well, good
morning guy.

Speaker 22 (37:17):
It's good to be with you.

Speaker 8 (37:18):
Brad.

Speaker 1 (37:18):
I saw a meme earlier this week. It said, if
you encounter a black bear, yell at it. If you
can counter a grizzly bear, you know, playdad if necessary,
polar Bear, you're in trouble. And if you run into
Bear Brockmeyer, you're already dead.

Speaker 2 (37:31):
Is that a fair assessment.

Speaker 1 (37:33):
He's the quarterback for BYU, by the.

Speaker 22 (37:35):
Way, Yeah, the freshman quarterback from BYU has played very,
very well in the early going, and that's part of
what's led them to this four and oh star. They've
managed him really well. They're not asking him to do
a whole lot short passes let their receivers do the
work after that. So key for Westerning's defense, can you
can you stop the run or slow down the run,
force him to throw and maybe just maybe Dave if

(37:57):
you want a positive spin six touchdown pass. There's no
interceptions for Brockmeier. Maybe tonight's to night should get a
pick or two.

Speaker 4 (38:04):
Pase for West Virginia, brad.

Speaker 22 (38:07):
Well defensively, that's the one, because that's what I think
your only chance is in this game is if you
can make the freshman quarterback look like a freshman and
he is not to this point, and that generally doesn't
happen at home games. I get that, but West Virginia's
defenses we saw against Pitt has something in there when
it wants to step up. It did not last week
against Utah, so it is due for a bounce back.

(38:27):
So can you first and foremost slow down the running
game of BYU, which is they're going to try and
establish first, get them in passing situations, and then turn
some of that pressure loose on Bachmeyer and see if
you can force some turnovers. I won't bore you with
the underlying stats, but if you go in and look
at some of his numbers, there probably should have been
a couple interceptions that didn't turn into such and tonight

(38:48):
might be the game to get that. So if West
Virginia's going to be in this game, it's got to
start with getting some turnovers on the defensive side. On
the offensive side, you've got to find a way to
run the football, and guys, I'll tell you that every
time that I'm on with you this season. That's just
what Rich's offense is predicated upon. And given the fact
you've struggled so much on the offensive line, you've got
to find some guys that can make people miss. And

(39:10):
maybe that's Watkins tonight or will excuse me, as you
saw at the end of last game when he came
on and had some nice runs. Ty Edwards coming back tonight,
if he does, that's a critical piece of this. We
saw how well he ran against Pitt and really changed
the dynamics of that game. Then you can mix in
d Or Hubbard is a change of paceback with Edwards.
So you've got to run the ball offensively and you've

(39:32):
got to stop the run defensively. Are the two keys.

Speaker 1 (39:34):
Brad d why he's four and oh, I think what
ranked twenty third. But put that four and oh into context.

Speaker 22 (39:43):
Yeah, they've played the one hundred and thirtieth schedule in
the country so far, so give them credit. They found
ways to win. They did two of those on the road.
But if you go back and look at that game
against Colorado, a team that's finding itself struggling this year too,
Colorado did some things, ran the ball a little bit
on them, the run at times against them. Couldn't get
out of there with the win, but gave them some problems.

(40:05):
And listen, guys, you're an eighteen and a half point
dog for a reason. You've really struggled the last two weeks,
and you're on a short week in what is a
really difficult place to play. Not many teams go into
Lavelle Edwards Stadium at night, in particular, and walk out
with a win. So I think, first and foremost, if
you're West Virginia, you take some solace in that you've
played the more difficult schedule. You've at this point got

(40:26):
nothing to lose. You're just going in there with no expectations.
So go in and let it fly and see if
you can find some guys that are willing to fight,
that are willing to stand up and try and give
some life to this team for this what will be
the second half of the season. After tonight's game, I.

Speaker 4 (40:41):
Think I know the answer to this question, and we'll
see if I'm right. But why are we playing this
game Friday night at ten thirty?

Speaker 22 (40:46):
I don't know, TJ. It's made me absolutely crazy. I
just listen. I get that there's there's a TV window
here late on Friday nights that does ratings. I totally
understand that. But given the fact that there's enough teams
now in that Mountain time zone that you could put
two of those teams together if you have to fill
a Friday night slot, I just think it's maddening that
we're in a position in college football where you're basically

(41:08):
eliminating an entire fan base of one of the two
teams playing. So that's tough, guys. That is tough to
ask people to stay up so ten thirty to start
the game, to watch or listen to this game this evening.
I just I think somewhere down the line, really soon,
the league has to try and get together and work
on getting this so you can find a time when
the two fan bases that are involved in the game

(41:30):
first and foremost can view and or listen to this game.

Speaker 4 (41:34):
But markets religious too, right with byu, I think that
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints has
something going on that drives the schedule. But that doesn't
explain the ten thirty thing to me. But I did,
I did just look that up. There's that going on too,
for what.

Speaker 1 (41:47):
It's worth, Well, Brad, are any of these conferences going
to push back on the worldwide leader when the worldwide
leader says you're going to play at ten thirty, you
play at ten thirty. I've yet to see or read
where any of these conferences went, Yeah, no, we're not
going to do that.

Speaker 22 (42:01):
Yeah, that's part of the deal, right. You take the
money and then you're beholden to the rules.

Speaker 6 (42:04):
Again.

Speaker 22 (42:05):
I get how we've got here. I'm just surprised there's
not more pushback from at Michigan State had a game
earlier this year where they started like an eleven or
eleven thirty Eastern time, and it's just I just think
there's a better way to do it. You can get
to the point where both fan bases can watch at
a reasonable time and listen. That's what I'm saying. If
there's time slots that you have to fill. And I
understand the big twelves wanting to have windows from noon

(42:28):
until well past midnight on Saturdays in particular, I get it.
But just put teams in the time zone in that
time slot. If you have to otherwise, put the games
earlier the day.

Speaker 1 (42:37):
But you know what, Brad, here's the thing that ESPN knows.
We'll watch when folks get home from high school games tonight.
They'll turn it on, they'll watch. They might fall asleep,
but they'll watch.

Speaker 22 (42:46):
Well, that's why, at some point, Dave, I think the
guardians of the sports, and that's a collective group. It
is hard to do this individually. It's hard to do
it by league. And I know it's much easier for
me to sit here to say it than it is
to do it. But it's one point the guardians of
the game have to come back in and look at
some of this stuff.

Speaker 1 (43:03):
You know, when Kyle Wiggs is elected president, his first
executive order will be all college football has played Saturday
at noon.

Speaker 5 (43:10):
I guarantee you.

Speaker 4 (43:13):
One wig.

Speaker 22 (43:14):
Now, I love my guy wigs, but that also might
not be the proper approach either. I agree there's some
middle ground between the two extremes we're talking about.

Speaker 4 (43:22):
Brad, Have you heard did we sell any tickets to
this game? We got like one hundred people going. Is
anyone going to be war there?

Speaker 22 (43:28):
That's a good question. I don't know that. We'll just
have to see tonight. I have not asked anybody for
a ticket. Report on this one.

Speaker 1 (43:34):
Metro News Sports Brad How three guys before the game
mention New Sports lined, go catch a high school game, Brad,
take a nap and then you'll be ready for the
Mountaineers today.

Speaker 22 (43:43):
You've almost nailed my plan to a t That's exactly
what will happen tonight.

Speaker 1 (43:47):
All right, mentioned New Sports Brad How Brad enjoy it.
We'll catch up next week, thank god. All right, buddy,
coming up, we'll get to your text three or four
talk three oh four Starwalk coming up at eleven o
six talk line from the Encove Insurance Studios.

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or four Talk three or four? How does TJ not
know who bad bunny is. He was in Happy Gilmore two.
Everyone was in Happy gil.

Speaker 4 (45:52):
I was gonna say, where there's seventy two cameos? I
thought I read was the number in Happy Gilmore too.
A girl I went to high school with was in
Happy Game. Yeah, she was in uh one of the shoes,
an extra in one of the scenes where they're they're
playing the big tournament at the end. I don't want
to give away the intricate plot line there, but yeah, yeah,

(46:12):
she's I think, uh.

Speaker 1 (46:14):
Scheffler walked by here.

Speaker 2 (46:16):
I think in one of those scenes.

Speaker 4 (46:17):
Scheffler was great in that movie. So was John Day.

Speaker 2 (46:21):
John Daly stole the movie. He was fantastic.

Speaker 1 (46:25):
U Texters says my neighbor moved here from an out
of from out of state to work and took advantage
of the Hope Scholarship. The student attends a private school
online out of state while accepting funds from West Virginia
to do so. This should not be allowed.

Speaker 2 (46:39):
I was.

Speaker 1 (46:41):
I was in the bathroom during the wardrobe malfunction. But
I often wonder why Justin had his hands on Janet's Yeah. Okay,
so Dave, I'd like to hear from both you and
TJ on why we the taxpayer should pay for school choice.
Parents who choose not to use public education should only
get the school tax they owe their county boards of education.

(47:02):
How about this? How about the people who don't have
kids and don't send kids to public school don't have
to pay that portion of their taxes?

Speaker 4 (47:11):
Head and open that candem.

Speaker 2 (47:12):
Yeah, why not?

Speaker 1 (47:14):
Chris twre wal go to join us six minutes from now.
Talk line on metron is for forty years the voice
of West Virginia.

Speaker 5 (47:28):
Metro News.

Speaker 3 (47:29):
Talk line is presented by Incova Insurance, encircling you with
coverage to protect what you care about most. Visit incova
dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (47:44):
Second hour Metro News talk line underway three or four
Talk three or four is the text line eight hundred
and seven six five eight two five five.

Speaker 2 (47:51):
That's the text line.

Speaker 1 (47:53):
You can give us a call eight hundred seven to
sixty five Talk eight hundred seven sixty five eight two
five five three or four Talk three or four. I
do that backwards, TJ. Did I give the text line
the phone number and uppers three or four talk three
four and eight and seven and sixty five talk? I
was talking to stiwalt Off air, and then realized, oh,
the music's playing.

Speaker 5 (48:13):
We got to come back on the air.

Speaker 1 (48:15):
So let me officially introduce Chris Stirewalt. He is the
politics editor for The Hill and News Nation, the host
of The Hill Sunday on News Nation, senior Fellow at
the American Enterprise Institutes, and a best selling author. He
joins us on Metro News talk line Morning Chris.

Speaker 5 (48:31):
What do you say fellas Happy Friday?

Speaker 2 (48:34):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (48:34):
Are you working or are you shut down? I know
the answer, The question is being fastid.

Speaker 5 (48:39):
Do you think I got up and put on a
striped necktie and a Paris suspenders just because I wanted
to feel the vibes? Of course I'm working. This is America.
People work. I have children who are tragically smart enough
to go to good schools. So yeah, we're working.

Speaker 22 (48:55):
Brother.

Speaker 1 (48:56):
All right, what do we what should we make of
this government shut down? Chris, let's just jump jump right
end of the nonsense.

Speaker 5 (49:02):
Well, do you want to go thirty thousand feet down
to the micro or micro up to thirty thousand feet?

Speaker 1 (49:11):
Let's go micro to thirty thousand.

Speaker 5 (49:14):
Okay. Democrats shut the government down and they will eventually
be forced to reopen it and that's it, right, So
there are not enough Republican votes in the Senate. And
by the way, we like the filibuster because it empowers minorities.

(49:35):
This is one of the moments where the minority is
empowered and they have a pinch point. Democrats have never
done exactly this thing before. This has been a Republican
thing since nineteen ninety when Nut Gingrich did it to
his own party, to George hw Bush. But it is
we will not allow the government to continue to operate

(49:59):
at normal size and speed unless you give us something else. Well,
now tis well the no. Democrats don't like it. It
breaks their talking point.

Speaker 4 (50:10):
They want to go around saying Republicans control Congress, they
should be able to do whatever they want. They conveniently
ignore that rule of sixty in their messaging.

Speaker 5 (50:18):
Well, if we listen to what partisan said about things,
we would all be dumber. So we don't need we
don't need to spend a lot of time listening to
partisan talking points on these things. So for Democrats, they
have introduced another issue into a spending fight. This is

(50:39):
very much what Ted Cruz and House Republicans did to
Barack Obama in twenty thirteen. We will keep the government
shut down until you repeal Obamacare, which wasn't going to happen.
And in this case, democrats putative bargaining position is unless
you undo all of the Medicaid cuts that are in

(51:01):
the one big, beautiful bill, then we will not reopen
the government. That's like a trillion dollars in spending in
exchange for you know, six weeks of government funding or
a month of government funding. So that's not going to happen.
What Democrats are hoping will happen is that we saw
from the from Mike Round Senator from South Dakota. We

(51:22):
saw from Lisa Murkowski, Senator from Alaska, that there are
Republicans now who are willing to engage with Democrats on
the question of extending the pandemic era premium subsidies for Obamacare.
The Democrats want to do it in definitely, but you know,

(51:43):
is there some extension here, and this is billions of
dollars that would help Americans deal with the astronomically high
and getting higher cost of health insurance in America, and
maybe they can do some deal there. Whether they can
or whether they can't, Democrats will eventually break and they
will deliver the votes in the Senate. It's probably not

(52:04):
going to be today, but I'm gonna say Tuesday, Wednesday
of next week it would be the next most likely opportunity.
Then the problem becomes. If they can put that package
together in the Senate, then they got to send it
back to the House, where House Republicans will freak out
and say, I'm not voting for any dagon Obamacare subsidy extender.
This is ridiculous, and then we'll have to play it

(52:25):
out over.

Speaker 4 (52:25):
There if it goes back to the House that way, Chris,
and they take too long. Is that when the blame
starts to shift? Right now, I think you know, Dems
are taking it to your point, they shut the government down.
But if it goes back over to the House and
their problems, does it shift blame to the Republican side
at that point or no?

Speaker 5 (52:43):
Well, there's the question of who gets blamed for the
shutdown and then who is most harmed in the long
run politically. So right now, Republicans are in a very
good position. Democrats did it. Republicans are the ones who
This is why the Democrats prevailed in the Obama years

(53:04):
and in the Clinton years. On Republican triggered shutdowns, which is,
we just want to clean cr we just want to
reopen the government, and we don't want to negotiate about it.
So in the micro Republicans have the advantage. Now, what
Republicans are worried about is, yes, that the House happens,

(53:25):
but the President is trying to and we don't know
whether he's acting or really feels this way. I love
the shutdown. The President wants you to know. He wants
you to know that he is excited about the shutdown
because it will allow him to close more government agencies,
as he calls them, Democrat agencies, and it will allow

(53:46):
him to burn down more of the administrative state and
do all of this stuff. They've paused, the construction project
in New York, the gateway, whatever the gateway project they're going.
And this is letting Russ vote. And by the way,
you notice the turn from the President who during the

(54:06):
campaigns that I've never heard of project twenty twenty five.
I don't care about twenty twenty five. Now he says, ah, now,
Russ vote. The author of project twenty twenty five is
going to come and kill your stuff. So what, Yes,
Republicans are concerned that it could stall in the House,
but they're more concerned. The author of the longest shutdown
in American history was Donald Trump, and he did it

(54:28):
to Republicans when Republicans were in control of half of Congress.
And he did it because they wouldn't authorize seven billion
dollars or whatever for the wall, the southern border wall,
and so he just shut the government down and it
stayed shut down for thirty five days. What Republicans in
Congress are worried about is that they get to a deal,
but Trump won't agree to the deal because he says,

(54:50):
I actually like having the government shutdown, which creates the
deeper and longer anxiety. Twofold one is the economy's not
doing great. We've seen what's happened with employment numbers. We've
seen what's happened with prices. We know what's going on
with energy costs and all of this other stuff. So
people are nervous about what's going to have the economy.

(55:12):
You take out the federal government a third, let's say,
of the overall economy downward pressure. Even still, even if
the shutdown ended today, there would still be consequences from
the missed payroll. They'll get it made up later, but
there would still be consequences from the mist federal payrolls
that are going to start taking place. So you have

(55:32):
the economic concern, but then you have this concern, which
is Democrats feel good about the ground that they're standing
on because they're trying to make Republicans talk about healthcare,
which is the only issue. There's only one issue, one
major issue on which voters preferred Democrats to Republicans. And
it's been amazing to watch Donald Trump's approval ratings on immigration, crime,

(55:55):
the economy have all tanked. He's had a terrible run
with votvoters whose approval rating is stuck down round forty overall,
and his handling on key issues goes down, down, down,
And then you say, Okay, how are the Democrats doing
with voters And the answer is worse. The answer is
generally worse. So the Democrats have a terrible brand problem

(56:16):
and persuadable voters have low confidence in Democrats. But there's
one issue where they trust Democrats more than that's on healthcare.
And this is what Democrats hope happened, which is the
economic consequences of the shutdown hurt the economy, hurt Trump's
standing hurt Republicans standing further, and then they can force

(56:37):
into the bloodstream the way Ted Cruz and Republicans successfully
did in twenty fourteen with Obamacare. Now Obamacare is popular
and Democrats are hoping to do it in reverse.

Speaker 1 (56:45):
Christy Well joining us mentioned news talk line, What does
past or what do past shutdowns tell us? Is the
impact on elections afterward? Do they have an electoral impact
or do you.

Speaker 5 (56:59):
Like I said, like I say, Ted Cruz shut down
the government. Ted Cruz and House Republicans shut down the
government in twenty thirteen, and in twenty fourteen, the Republicans
won I think nine seats in the Senate. They and
they went to their highest number of House seats since
the nineteen twenties. So whatever, Like, I don't think that

(57:19):
a year from now, any voter, any persuadable voter, says,
you know, gosh, I'd like to vote for the Democratic
candidate in this race that's challenging a Republican incumbent or
is for an open seat. But I do recall that
other Democrats shut down the government over Obamacare in September

(57:40):
of last year. I don't think that's a thing. But
you have to put it into we're against mono causality,
where it isn't there isn't. This leads to that, it's
how does this play? What are the consequences economically of this?
What's the messaging consequence? What da da da da da?
And who the heck knows? We've talked a lot this week.

(58:00):
Twenty nine years since all twelve appropriations bills. Oh well
through yeah, twenty nine years premises. But we send these
people back and back, and I get it's always Congress's fault.
It's not our elected representative's fault. But I mean, don't
we have some blame here too? I mean, we keep
sending them back time and time again. This is my
theory of the Being dinner, which is members of Congress

(58:24):
are terrible. I don't even like my own party. But
I met my guy at the bean dinner, and he
was all right. He seems like he's doing the right thing.
And the mistake here isn't that your guy is all
right and trying to do the right thing, Because he
or she probably is. There's a very small percentage of
members of Congress who are actually rotten human beings. They exist.

(58:46):
There are cynical rotten people, but they're vastly outnumbered by
the people who are think that they're helping. The problem
is the other ones aren't that bad either, right, and
the cynicism about out other people. So here's here's the
thirty thousand you take me to the thirty thousand foot problem.

(59:08):
The President of the United States sent a message to
Congress this week where he said, I've determined that we
are at war with the transnational drug gangs. I'm sorry,
what you've determined?

Speaker 24 (59:23):
What?

Speaker 5 (59:24):
Yeah, so we can kill people. I'm directing the Navy
to kill people on the high seas, and we have
some forces in Puerto Rico that are ready to invade
Venezuela if it comes to that. But just to let
you know, I've determined that, you know, we're at war,
at war with who? What's the declaration? Don't worry about it.

(59:44):
And amazingly, he doesn't even do the rotten stuff of
the Bush and Obama and Trump one and Biden. Remember
the aum F, the authorization of the Use of military
force that Congress granted after septem Umber eleventh, that has
been used and stretched and pulled to cover everything that
has happened in the entire Middle East and even beyond that,

(01:00:07):
like we're citing the AUMF, and if you want to
stop us from doing that, that's fine. This is just
made up. This is just new we get to kill.
We've decided that I can direct the military to kill
people who we say are drug traffickers because we're at war.
And Congress says I have some discomfort with the legal

(01:00:27):
They hrumph around. This is a constitutional just this is psychotic, right,
This is a psychotic constitutional thing. We're way beyond. Congress
isn't consulted or there isn't an authorization of force. This
is just letting you know. I've decided we're in a
war now and I'm claiming these new powers for myself
under that, which is crazy. So that's going on the president.

(01:00:50):
The agricultural sector in the economy is tanking hard right
now because of the tariffs. What does a president say,
I'm going to try to take money that I'm getting
out of the tariffs for the treasury and redistribute it
to the farmers who are being hit because of the
tariffs that I have imposed. Congress isn't involved in that.

(01:01:11):
He says, we don't need to go to Congress to
talk about how ten billion dollars will be dispersed to
a favored class in the United States. No appropriation is
being contemplated here. He's just looking for a way to
end around. While Congress is busy arguing about who will
get the blame for a stupid, counterproductive government shutdown, the

(01:01:32):
executive branch is coming over and basically putting out cigarettes
on their forehead. We don't care what you think, we
don't care what you want, we're not interested in your opinion,
and we don't care about the constitution. What are you
going to do about it? And the answer is nothing.
Congress isn't going to do anything about the wild abuses

(01:01:52):
and the increasingly wild abuses in administration after administration after
administration that have now reached a point of total absurdity.
And Congress is doing this meaningless, utterly, pointless, meaningless thing
while the executive branch is crushing the separation of powers
and nobody cares. So we should yes care about decent,

(01:02:13):
good budgeting. And to your point, if what had happened
here instead was that Tom Cole and the gang on
the Appropriations Committee were close, right, They're close, and they said, look,
just give us a little cr to Thanksgiving and we'll finish,
which is something that was not unfamiliar in the past.
Give us a little cr we'll do it. They're not
doing that, and you know what they're gonna end up doing.

(01:02:35):
They're going to do a full year barfed up spending package.
They'll decorate it like a Christmas tree. It'll be full
of pork, and it will seed more authority to the
executive branch because they'll dump money into it and they'll say, well,
we kind of hope that you do this, but like whatever,
let us know. It's insane. And the insanity is that
we have a Congress that will not, absolutely, given every opportunity,

(01:02:58):
will not do its job.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
I got to walk off.

Speaker 1 (01:03:03):
Chris Starwalts, politics editor for The Hill News Nation, host
of The Hill Sunday on News Nation, fellow at the
Americans Enterprise Institute. Did you watch the Ryder cup? By
the way, you're a golf cut.

Speaker 5 (01:03:16):
That was a real bummer. That was a real bummer
the American the meant to the men of America. I say,
if you have the privilege of being affluent enough to
spend thousands of dollars to go to a golf tournament.
If you are rich enough that you can even play
the sport of golf, which is intensive, you have you

(01:03:36):
owe something, and what you owe is to act like
an adult. What you owe is to act to be
a gentleman.

Speaker 4 (01:03:42):
Right, But you know what proofs well once is not
indicative of character, No, of course not.

Speaker 5 (01:03:48):
And that's the thing is that it is not indicative
of character. But it should create an obligation. You should
feel obliged, and that those loutish, drunken, rude, asinine men, adults,
men with children, men with good jobs walking around screaming
profanities in mixed company. How many times have either of

(01:04:11):
you had to say to an adult man in public
in your life, cut it out. And I know both
of you have, because both of you have kids, that
you have had to say to another man at the
risk of ending up in a fistfight, of saying to
another man in public, hey, cut it out. Don't talk
like that, don't act like that, don't talk about that. Here.

(01:04:32):
There are women, here, there are children. Here, be decent
and we got to get it together. To the men
of America, I know it's been a rough run. Get
it together.

Speaker 4 (01:04:41):
Ten seconds, can we get rid of the envelope rule.
Can we do that?

Speaker 2 (01:04:44):
At least?

Speaker 5 (01:04:45):
I don't care. Just stop serving booze. How about we
just stopped serving booze in two years and see what happened.
Just as a little time out.

Speaker 1 (01:04:52):
Chris Starr Well, catch some Sunday mornings on the Hill
on News Nation. Read them at the Hill dot com
as well. Chris always fun Ky Buddy fear Blos coming up.
I will answer this text. The text says that I
did not answer the question. Actually I didn't right to
at the top of the hour, So I will do
that before we are barred from the dialogue at Steam
released eleven thirty three back in a moment, Big.

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Speaker 1 (01:06:27):
Steam release coming up a couple of minutes from now
eight hundred and seven to sixty five talk and three
oh four talk, three oh four. All right, let me
go back to this text. I'll try to do this
quickly so TJ you can respond as well. Dave, I'd
like to hear from both you and TJ on why
taxpayers should pay for school choice. Parents who choose not
to use public education should I should only get the
school tax.

Speaker 2 (01:06:47):
They owe their county boees.

Speaker 1 (01:06:49):
Here's why, as we have established when little Jimmy Lpper
leaves a county school system to be homeschool, to go
to private school, go to charter school, whatever. According to
school eight form, which is heavily based on enrollment numbers,
that money that would have otherwise come to the school
system goes away because little Jimmy Lipper is not in
the county school system. Where's it go We don't know.

(01:07:11):
It goes somewhere. So rather than that money just go away,
it follows the student and then is put toward his
or her educational experience, whether that's homeschool, public schools, public
charter schools, or private school. That seems to be a
better use of that money than it just going away.
And that's why I don't have a problem with that
Hope Scholarship plan. TJ.

Speaker 2 (01:07:32):
If you would like to add.

Speaker 4 (01:07:33):
No, no, did I, I'll just say this, I don't
care if it's school choice, Hope scholarship, charter school, public school.
I want every child in West Virginia to have an
excellent education, and that will differ based on the child
and what method they need, and I'm happy to pay
for that.

Speaker 1 (01:07:49):
And for the record, I was being facetious about the whole.
You know, well, if you don't have kids in the system,
might you have to pay? Yeah, well, look, you get
a tax bill, you pay your taxes. And that's why
we elect council members, county commissioners, delegates, and centers.

Speaker 2 (01:08:03):
In the state legislatus.

Speaker 1 (01:08:04):
We like them to then take that money, prioritize it
and disperse it where it needs to be dispersed. And
if we don't like that, you vote about you vote
somebody else in, or you know, you vote. We all
want to vote the other people's guys out.

Speaker 4 (01:08:17):
That's what we really want to do.

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
Not my guys.

Speaker 1 (01:08:19):
Stiwalts, not my guy. Let him at the bean dinner.
He's he's a good dude.

Speaker 4 (01:08:23):
He's talking about the bean dinner. We forgot to ask
him what kind of beans sometody soup, beans and cornbread? Right, pentos, Right, that's.

Speaker 1 (01:08:33):
All right, that's all for us. It's all about you
for the rest of the program.

Speaker 2 (01:08:38):
Yes, that's right.

Speaker 1 (01:08:39):
Each week we offer you steam release so you convince
and you can do it unfettered. Eight hundred and seven
six five talk. That's the phone number. Three h four
Talk three four is the text line you can call
to release your Steam, Sofia is standing by. She'll put
you through, or you can text your Steam and we'll
get to as many of them as we possibly can.

(01:08:59):
Rest of the show belongs to you. Steam releases coming
up next. This is talk line from the Cova Insurance
Studios on Metro News for forty years, the voice of
West Virginia. It is eleven thirty times to get a
news update. Let's check in on the Metro News radio network.
Find out what's happening across the Great state of West Virginia.

Speaker 27 (01:09:18):
West Virginia Metro New's I'm Chris Lawrence. An aging building
in Fairmont collapsed this morning. Came crashing down into the street.
The side of the building on Monroe Street fell just
before two this morning. City officials have now closed off
the street and engineers are taking a look at what
the next boom move ought to be Closing the National
Park Service units in West Virginia during the early days
of October as a non starter for tourism officials as

(01:09:41):
the leaves in the mountain state change. It draws a
lot of visitors, particularly to the New River Gorge National
Parking Preserve and the Harpersbury National Historic Park. Such an
important time that State Tourism Commissioner Chelsea Ruby and Governor
Patrick Morrissey planned to use ninety eight thousand dollars of
state money to make a donation and keep those visitors
centers open for a couple of weeks that are critical

(01:10:02):
to the tourism industry. They'll talk more about it in
the news conference later today. At New River Gorge, plans
to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the one thirtieth airlift
wings See one thirty aircraft has been clipped by a
government shut down that along with a formal change of
command ceremony. Sergeant Arianna Shuemak, the base spokesperson, said, it's
unclear if they'll make it up.

Speaker 28 (01:10:23):
It is unfortunate that the media is no longer going
to be president the change of command ceremony. I can't
speak to whether or not the Sea one thirty fiftieth
anniversary event is going to be rescheduled.

Speaker 27 (01:10:36):
There will be a change in command event, it just
won't be high profile. Colonel Brian Priest steps away and
the rains randed over to Colonel Richard Switzer. You're listening
to Metro News for forty years. The Boys of West Virginia.

Speaker 29 (01:10:47):
Governor Patrick Morrissey has set a very bold goal fifty
gigawats of new energy capacity by twenty to fifty. Thanks
to House Built twenty fourteen, West Virginia's coal plans will
be upgrading to run longer, stronger, and more efficiently, thus
delivering reliable, affordable baseload power. Our families and businesses will

(01:11:08):
be able to count on. West Virginia Coal Association President
Chris Hamilton stated Governor Morrissey's plan to grow West Virginia's
energy generation capacity to fifty gigawatts by twenty fifty is
a dynamic approach to economic development which will supercharge our
state's coal industry.

Speaker 4 (01:11:26):
And broader economy.

Speaker 29 (01:11:27):
With Governor Morrissey's leadership and the action of the legislature,
West Virginia is once again America's energy leader. Coal is
powering Progress. Cole is Powering West Virginia. Brought to you
by the West Virginia Coal Association.

Speaker 27 (01:11:46):
Debraah Suldon's time on the State Board of Education has
come to an end. In this week's meeting was her
last before retirement. Going out, she told the board that
she does have a few regrets.

Speaker 24 (01:11:55):
It is painful to watch programs get cut staff, laid off,
schools consolidate and close. I had hoped to see momentum
toward addressing these issues during my time on the board,
but it's going to take a radical shift in perspective
at the state level.

Speaker 1 (01:12:12):
From the Metro News anchored ask guy, I'm Chris Lawrence.

(01:12:33):
Made it to a Friday eleven thirty three.

Speaker 2 (01:12:35):
You know what that means. I want you to get
up now.

Speaker 22 (01:12:42):
I want all of you to get up out of
your chest.

Speaker 20 (01:12:45):
I want you to get up right now and go
to the window, open it and stick your.

Speaker 22 (01:12:50):
Head out and yell.

Speaker 21 (01:12:52):
I'm as bad as hell and I'm not gonna.

Speaker 2 (01:12:55):
Take this anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:12:56):
That's right. All week long, you've listened to the two
of us and our various other commentators who joined the program.
You've probably complained to your significant other. The dog has
probably had to listen to you, and he or she
offers some support, but I mean, let's face it, there's
only so much they can do.

Speaker 2 (01:13:14):
And don't get me.

Speaker 1 (01:13:15):
Started about trying to air your grievances on social media.
That never works out. But this this allows you to
release the steam, get it out, and then you'll go
into the weekend. It's gonna be a really nice weekend
for October, and you're gonna have a better weekend because
of it.

Speaker 2 (01:13:29):
Now are multiple ways you can release your steam.

Speaker 1 (01:13:32):
Of course, give us a call eight hundred seven sixty
five Talk eight hundred and seven sixty five, eight two
five five, the old fashioned way where you come on
the program, release your steam, keep it tight, keep it succinct,
and please do not get us sued or fired. We
would greatly appreciate that. You can also text your steam
to three or four Talk three oh four. Not quite

(01:13:53):
as fun, not quite as effective, but still it will
get the point across and you're gonna have a better weekend.
Eight hundred and seven sixty five Talk eight hundred seven
sixty five, eight two five five. That's the phone number.
Text your steam to three oh four Talk three oh four.
Just a couple of rules, we will not respond to
your steams. You cannot steam about Zach the video producer

(01:14:15):
or Sophia the audio producer. They do a fine job otherwise.
Just don't get us in trouble, and that's all we ask.
Eight hundred seven to sixty five Talk three oh four,
Talk three oh four. That's the phone number. That's the
text line. Do you have the text steams prepared? Mister
Meadows ready to go, let's go.

Speaker 4 (01:14:34):
I heard a host say that the Hope Scholarship hasn't
changed the circumstances because a student leaving public school has
always meant a loss of that money. Here's the nuance
to that statement. The Hope Scholarship has made it significantly
easier for that to happen, and the incidents of children
leaving the public school has greatly increased. Just asked doctor

(01:14:55):
Dillyan Randolph County Schools for those stats. Many schools will
be closed as a result in Random County next year. Also,
as a retired teacher in the system, I can tell
you when the parents realize their child isn't getting a
quality education in the largely religious schools, they bring them
back to the public school. No money comes with them,
and the public school is then tasked with making up

(01:15:17):
for the lost time that was spent elsewhere. Threeho four
talk three zero four, No shut down here, just big
women and hot dogs. Dave and TJ. For God's sakes,
eleven quit bringing back Steyirwalt just because this lib is
from West Virginia, doesn't mean you have to have him on.

(01:15:40):
No one is interested in what he thinks. Texter says
they want to shut down to stop the release of
the Epstein files Steam release. As a West Virginia independent voter,
my opinion of Congressional Republican Party who are supposed to
represent us is this they have shown a blind allegiance

(01:16:00):
to an authoritarian leader rather than us the people. I
feel the best description of them in Congress is the
term stooge, a person who has fooled into doing all
the dirty work for someone else. Foolish puppets, to say
the least. Text interesting that the last president understood that
you need to get to sixty votes to get things

(01:16:20):
done in Washington and negotiate with the other side instead
of trying to impose impose dictatorial control. Steam, guys, if
you would not spend five to ten minutes commenting or
responding to one single text, then you could actually get
through a lot more of the text messages a lot fast, faster.

(01:16:41):
Thank you for your attention to this matter. My Steam
is against the doh. They kick the can down the
road again in regards to the Fort Hillbridge, but this
time it will cost six plus million dollars for two
years of use. Three oh four talk three oh four
is the text line. Government shut down just proves that

(01:17:02):
there are more areas to cut federal expenditures. Number one,
stop paying those representatives that don't show up to work
for us, the citizens Steam. I always knew Dave was
a steamy socialist liberal. He doesn't have children to send
to the military to protect the capitalist billionaire class in
their property. Dave calls himself a conservative, and he doesn't

(01:17:24):
even have children to offer as a tribute. Go to Cuba,
you COMMI property taxes is the greatest theft in human history.
You never own your house, you only rent it. Your
money goes to educate other people's children in government and
doctrination schools. Theft, plain and simple, says the texter. The

(01:17:46):
maga majority West Virginia legislature are who we are. Excuse me,
who are smarter than educators are paying unqualified parents to
homeschool kids kids who the majority are not being properly
homeschooled by zy parents. This texter says, I didn't have steam,
but now I do. TJ calls bad Bunny's appearance in

(01:18:08):
Happy Gilmore two a cameo he was the caddy for happy.
That is a bit more than a cameo. Atrocious. If
you don't like it or you don't even care about
these real issues, don't comment.

Speaker 1 (01:18:20):
Three oh four Talk three oh four is the text line.
Eight hundred seven sixty five talk eight hundred and seven
sixty five eight two five five. That is the phone
number to release your steam. Will get some more of
your steams coming up in just a moment. The w
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Speaker 30 (01:19:00):
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(01:19:23):
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(01:19:52):
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Speaker 3 (01:20:13):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance and
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Speaker 1 (01:20:23):
Either we're having a phone issue this morning or y'all
just being a little shy this Friday morning, eight hundred
and seven to sixty five talks the phone number, Keep
trying it eight hundred seven sixty five eight two five
five texts your steam to three h four Talk three
oh four. I don't know if it's a phone issue
or just being a little shy this morning to J
I don't know, but we got plenty of text teams,

(01:20:43):
so give.

Speaker 4 (01:20:44):
Me twenty bucks on phone issue.

Speaker 1 (01:20:48):
I'm not taking that bet bite new way.

Speaker 2 (01:20:51):
Let's get back to the text line.

Speaker 4 (01:20:53):
Uh, Texters says Chris Steierwalt nailed it again today. Texture
wants to know if either of us we'll talk with
Stephen Miller and Pete Hagseth about stopping their scary language
to the American people. Their oath is to the Constitution.
Editor's note. I'm sure we would, but that's a tough
Get three h four Talk three oh four. You are wrong,

(01:21:15):
just wrong. How the Hope scholarship money comes and how
it works. Get the facts first. Public education is the
worst return on investment in the history of West Virginia. Text.
I really like Chris Steierwalt. Keep bringing him back. Texter
says Steyerwalt is the best part of the program. It

(01:21:38):
does seem that China has become bitter since Fox. I
don't know why, I said China right there. I'm sorry.
Does seem that Chris has become bitter since Fox fired him.
I used to enjoy his commentary, Not so much anymore.
I'm gonna skip that. I'll check with you on that later.

Speaker 5 (01:21:54):
Dave.

Speaker 4 (01:21:54):
I may not know what that means, and I don't
want to get myself in trouble. My uh, you know,
my might.

Speaker 2 (01:22:01):
Just got you.

Speaker 5 (01:22:04):
Well.

Speaker 1 (01:22:04):
Apparently the phones are okay because Dale has called in.
Hey Dale, what's your steam?

Speaker 9 (01:22:09):
Hey TJ? Another guy?

Speaker 6 (01:22:12):
It's Dally the other other day. Only I don't care
if your kids has the nasals vaccine or flee and tick.
All I care about is these bangers that Taylor dropped
at midnight. The turntable stereo is blasting and the kids
are going to have to wait till Monday. From one
Swifty to another.

Speaker 1 (01:22:33):
Dale, appreciate the phone call and thank you for confirming it.

Speaker 2 (01:22:36):
It's working.

Speaker 1 (01:22:36):
Eight hundred and seven sixty five Talk eight hundred seven
sixt five eight two five five is indeed the phone
number you can text your steam to three or four
talk three oh four. All right, back to the text line, uh.

Speaker 4 (01:22:49):
Dave and TJ. All the government spending used to forgive
student loans and illegal immigration in Biden's term could sure
be used now for healthcare for Americans. Texters is term
limits are our only chance to preserve our democracy. My
steam sad to hear a building collapsed in downtown Fairmont
last night. Luckily, I spotted the city inspector driving through

(01:23:10):
my neighborhood on his daily run looking for people parking
in their yard or fixing a shutter without a permit.
Tanksters simply says, I love Chris Steierwalt of all the crimes,
sexual assaults, lies, and low life behavior. Trump is done.
His mocking a disabled person may be the worst. Since
homeowners are basically renting our home and land because we

(01:23:34):
must pay property taxes, then shouldn't our government our landlords
be responsible for all repairs we need, especially since we
can't afford it ourselves. I mean, we pay for welfare,
housing and upkeep. Just seems fair, right. Stirewald adds to
your program insightful intelligent analysis. Thank you for including him
on Fridays. Gentlemen, My child graduated from a private parochial

(01:23:59):
school in West Virginia. Their graduating class had more National
Merit scholars in it than the total number of high
schools had in the county we are located in. Maybe
it's time to turn things over to the private sector.
Wish the Hope Scholarship would have come along a few
years earlier. My steam is being force fed rainbow propaganda.

(01:24:20):
Focus on character. No one cares about your sexuality. My
biggest steam is people that throw names around like dictator, Hitler,
fascist and all the other names until someone gets shot
or shot at. People need to mind their own and
quit spitting and spewing their stupidity.

Speaker 1 (01:24:40):
Or spinning it either way. Either way, eight one hundred
and seven to sixty five Talk. That is the fun
number you can texts team three h four Talk three
oh four sitting at Fiber is expanding across West Virginia
from basics to blazing fast ten gig speeds.

Speaker 2 (01:24:53):
They have a plan for you.

Speaker 1 (01:24:54):
Plus the new app lets you control your Wi Fi
and set parental controls with ease Go look Local, Go Citynet,
Visit citydet dot net today. Final call for phone calls,
final call for text Steam release continues in a moment.
This is talk line from the Cove Insurance Studios.

Speaker 29 (01:25:10):
Governor Patrick Morrissey a set of very bold goal fifty
gigawatts of new energy capacity by twenty fifty. Thanks to
House Bill twenty fourteen, West Virginia's coal plans will be
upgraded to run longer, stronger, and more efficiently, thus delivering reliable,
affordable baseload power. Our families and businesses will be able

(01:25:32):
to count on. West Virginia Coal Association President Chris Hamilton
stated Governor Morrissey's plan to grow West Virginia's energy generation
capacity to fifty gigawatts by twenty fifty is a dynamic
approach to economic development which will supercharge our state's coal industry.

Speaker 5 (01:25:49):
And broader economy.

Speaker 29 (01:25:50):
With Governor Morrissey's leadership and the action of the legislature,
West Virginia is once again America's energy leader. Coal is
powering progress. Cold is powering West Virginia. Brought to you
by the West Virginia Cold Association.

Speaker 1 (01:26:23):
Last call for phone calls eight hundred and seven sixty
five Talk eight hundred and seven sixty five, eight two
five five. Last call for text three or four Talk
three oh four. That's the text line. That's the phone number.
Your last chance to release your steam heading into the weekend,
Let's go to the phones. Anthony in Clarksburg. Hey, Anthony,

(01:26:43):
what's your steam?

Speaker 9 (01:26:46):
Hey?

Speaker 8 (01:26:46):
Two things? Uh those Stirewalt text were those all from
Styriwalt himself. His fingers must be wore out. And also
the uh, the guys that are on the Donald Trump train. Uh,
those fellows in the military, those guys in the draft.

(01:27:08):
Remember they did one thing that Donald Trump was too
soft to do. They signed up for military service and
did not run away.

Speaker 1 (01:27:17):
Have a great day, Anthony, you have a great weekend, buddy.
Let's go to Dale and Wheeling. Hey, Dale, what's yours team?

Speaker 31 (01:27:25):
Hi?

Speaker 9 (01:27:25):
DJ and other guy. This is the real Daily. Can
you tell me what that imposter was talking about? Something
dropping a swiffer mop at midnight. Have a good weekend
you as well.

Speaker 2 (01:27:43):
It's the thing, man, it's the thing.

Speaker 1 (01:27:46):
Eight hundred and seven to sixty five talk eight hundred
seven sixty five eight two five five.

Speaker 2 (01:27:51):
The phone number. Now the calls are starting. I'm going
to go with man, it was a phone thing or not.

Speaker 1 (01:27:57):
Now they're coming in Mike and Morgantown.

Speaker 8 (01:27:59):
Hey, Mike, Hey fellaws, Hey, y'all doing doing great?

Speaker 32 (01:28:02):
Mike my steam And I was I was gonna do
it on Haig's speech, but my wife said I had
to be nice, so I'm just going to say I
agree with what he said, and being a Marine.

Speaker 10 (01:28:15):
Corps veteran with multiple combat tours, it's he's right on.

Speaker 32 (01:28:19):
But my big steam.

Speaker 10 (01:28:20):
Is the state road at Burroughs and Chestnut Ridge. They've
taken a lane, a turning lane, and they've made it
almost impossible to turn up Van Voors from Burroughs. So
maybe maybe they need to look at that and figure
out what what kind of engineering they have going on.

Speaker 31 (01:28:37):
Thank you very much.

Speaker 1 (01:28:38):
You are welcome, Mike. Have a great weekend. Appreciate your
service as well. Eight hundred and seven to sixty five Talk.
Here's the phone number. The phone lines are working, eight
hundred seven to sixty five. Talk or text your steam
to three or four.

Speaker 2 (01:28:49):
Talk three or four. Let's get in a couple more
text teams here. TJ.

Speaker 4 (01:28:52):
Guys, I'm still steamed to this day that I missed
the wardrobe malfunction. Where the ya I'm not saying that
comfortable with that word. I can probably say ford out
of that about all I can get there, Texter says TJ.
Anytime someone teases him about his golf shirts, it's a

(01:29:14):
gift of one Donnie Azov saying you dress like excrement.
The school system gets about fifteen thousand dollars per student
when a student goes to the private Excuse me, when
the student goes to private, the public school only loses
five thousand. The school still has a gain of ten
thousand or thereabout. Texter says, remember Chris Steierwalt was fired

(01:29:35):
by Fox for telling the truth on election night in
twenty fifteen. Keep Steyerwalt on your show, please, with all
respect to the previous texter, I'm not sure former president
was mentally aware enough to understand anything. Pelosi or Schumer
ran the previous administration. This texter says, if it walks

(01:29:56):
like a fascist, talks like a fascist, acts like a fascist,
good chance they are a fascist. Steam. I'm tired of
religious people forcing and imposing their religion onto people via
the government. Believe in worship how you want. Do not
impose your religion via the government.

Speaker 5 (01:30:14):
Let's go back to the phones.

Speaker 2 (01:30:15):
Roger has a steam.

Speaker 31 (01:30:17):
Hey Roger, Hello, Yeah, I am left. I'm not radical,
none of my friends are radical. But what about Trump's
a fault of the Capitol building? Those were the that
was a radical.

Speaker 1 (01:30:32):
Like Roger, appreciate the steam. Thank you, buddy, appreciate it
eight hundred seven to sixty five Talk eight hundred seven
sixty five eight two five five. You can text your
steam to three or four talk three oh four back
to the text line.

Speaker 4 (01:30:45):
The West Virginia National Guard are not the only uniformed
service members who are working without pay. There's also the
US Public Health Service officers in West Virginia who are
also working without pay. FYI, there are eight uniformed services Army,
Air Force, Marines, Space Force, Navy, Coast Guard, US Public
Health Service, Commission Corps, and THEAA Commission Corps. Dave and TJ.

(01:31:09):
Congress should vote on a law to start reducing the
size of the deficit by two hundred and fifty billion
starting next year. Every four years if the deficit would
drop by one trillion. If they did that, the annual
spending by the government would have a huge cut. To
make this happen, but it's a national security issue now
and a promise to the next generation. Texter says, no

(01:31:30):
one will ever come close to the King Elvis Presley,
Go mountaineers. Let's take it to BYU. Have a great weekend,
Hey Dale, This is the real Dale. I don't appreciate
you degrading my tailor like that. If you want to
figure it out or fight it out, meet me in
Junior's garden in Fish Creek and we'll handle it like

(01:31:50):
real men. Steyerwalt is the new political shock jock Dave.

Speaker 1 (01:31:59):
He's the hours of political analysts up. Apparently three or
four talk three or four is the text line eight
hundred and seven to sixty five talk eight hundred seven
to sixty five eight two five five. So got a
couple of minutes here to get your steam on. While
we're awaiting at a caller getting ready to come on
here in just a second, I want to remind you
high School game Night, Metro News high School game Night

(01:32:19):
coming up tonight, Fred Persinger, Dave Jecklin, Week six of
the high school football season. They'll have all your scores,
recaps and highlights from across the state following your local
high school football coverage on many of these same Metro
News radio stations. Mick from Huntington, what's your steam?

Speaker 5 (01:32:36):
Mick?

Speaker 9 (01:32:37):
Hey?

Speaker 29 (01:32:38):
Yeah?

Speaker 19 (01:32:38):
I just want to remind people that WVU is playing
Brigham Young tonight.

Speaker 16 (01:32:44):
And thanks to Rich.

Speaker 19 (01:32:45):
Rodriguez for maybe a three and nine season, and you
can catch the game on Comedy Central.

Speaker 1 (01:32:54):
Mick Thanks, eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight hundred
seven sixty five eight two five five three or four
talk three four guys. People aren't calling because the show's
not interesting, But yet here you are. When I was
in high school in the late nineties, I thought my
contemporary choices was the very best ever. For example, I
loved insane clown Posse. Now that I'm a bit older,

(01:33:17):
live a real life, and have a bit of wisdom,
I realized how stupid I was and how stupid ICP was.
Music transcends. Every era has good and bad. Uh three
or four talk three four. Democrats demand two hundred billion
dollars for healthcare for illegal aliens. No, I can't afford
insurance at my own employer. No to my hard earned

(01:33:39):
tax dollars to pay for millions of people who should
not even be here. This is on Democrats, says the Texter.
All right, slow, high school football games coming up tonight.

Speaker 2 (01:33:51):
You can see the.

Speaker 1 (01:33:52):
Entire schedule over at the website WDV metronews dot com.
We got several games on the Metro News television app
as well. Do you can check that out. Fred and
Dave will have all of the scores for you. Coming
up tonight, Mountaineers on the Road ten thirty kickoff from
Provo Utah Mountaineers and BYU will have postgame coverage recaps
of course, over at the website WDV metronews dot com.

(01:34:15):
A little bit later, high school football coverage as well
news of the day at the website. We got you
covered all the different angles. Metro News Midday coming up
in just a moment on many of these same Metro
News radio stations. Steve Roberts, West Virnion Chamber of Commerce
will stop by. Amy Goodwin, Mayor of Charleston, also scheduled
to be a guest on the show. All right, that's

(01:34:36):
coming up next to many of these same stations. We'll
talk to you on Monday, ten oh six. This is
talk Line on Metro News for forty years, the voice
of West Virginia

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Talkline | Oct. 3, 2025

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