The "What's Going On?" Podcast
Think casual, relatable discussions like you'd overhear in a barbershop. Conversations and commentaries from the common-person perspective, a mix of diverse topics and perspectives. The conversations will seamlessly pivot between politics, music, sports, and pop culture. Our goal is to be inclusive and inviting, a broad appeal, non-pundit vibe, and memorable.
The "What's Going On?" Podcast
Justice and Education: Conversations on Reparations and Reform
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Join hosts Thomas Corley, Keith Pickens, and Mike Miller in this week's episode of the What's Going On Podcast as they delve into pressing issues.
The discussion kicks off with Tulsa Mayor's announcement of a $105 million reparations plan for the descendants of the 1921 race massacre.
The hosts then shift focus to the Department of Justice's current challenges under the Trump administration, highlighting concerns around its transformation and weaponization.
The episode concludes with an in-depth conversation about Michigan's educational system, tackling low state rankings in reading and math, and potential strategies to improve them. Tune in for insightful perspectives on these critical topics.
https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/the-weekly-wrap-tulsa-105-million-reparations-plan
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/19/g-s1-66906/trump-civil-rights-justice-exodus
https://www.detroitchamber.com/mackinac-policy-conference/2025-mackinac-policy-conference/2025-agenda/#wednesday-agenda
Tulsa Mayor announces$105 million reparations plan for the descendants of the 1921 race. Massacres. The Department of Justice has a justice problem. State of Michigan's educational rankings, and reading and math. I'm Thomas Corley with Keith Pickens and Mike Miller. This is the What's Going On podcast. Thank you for listening.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Hey Keith. What's going on?
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Hey, what's going on tc?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mike Miller?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Hello, Mr. Corley.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Was always with the Mr. Corley stuff, man.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I gotta be the comic relief sometimes.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808I guess we're,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807not sometimes.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808we'll roll with that.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807yes.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yep. So this week, reparations kinda came to focus on when I was, you know, algorithms once again feeding me information. And I saw that in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the mayor has put out there that, for the city to put into a trust, a hundred million dollars, like$105 million for those, descendants of the 1921 massacre.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808So that's kind of how I got to the point where I wanted to pick you guys brain on reparations and what your thoughts are on it.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Okay.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Which one of you wanna go first?
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I know you did your homework, Mike, go ahead and reparations because I know we all have feelings and opinions.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807yeah, we all got, reparations. Reparations. Yeah. Reparations today. Reparations tomorrow, and reparations forever. Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807You know.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807100.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807But now, okay, realistic. it's not gonna happen, you know, under a, fascist regime, but it's not gonna happen. I know that many, entities Have introduced proposals
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807for it to happen, and I'm in a hundred percent agreement. I just don't think it's going to happen. But my, vision of reparations, number one, it would be no federal taxes for any descendant, any African American person. Man, woman, even children for the next 400 years. I know it sounds crazy,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I like it.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807No federal income taxes, plus a$1 million payment every individual man, woman, and child of African American descent. Even with those, that wouldn't be enough, that would not repay. What they owed us.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Correct.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807You know what I mean? Even if we did the taxes and
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807bucks,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807not that I wouldn't take
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807all take it, especially no federal income
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807but it still wouldn't be enough to repay us in any way, shape or form. Now, if I remember correctly, the Japanese got a cash payment.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_16180720,000.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_16180720,000. Okay. And that was what, in the 1940s? Early fifties. Fifties. Had to be the forties.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Okay.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808And in term they went to the camps in the forties, right?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807correct,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah. So
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Pearl Harbor was bombed,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808So it had to be fifties or sixties or something like that.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Right. Yeah. That was Pearl Harbor. that was around the time that we entered World War ii. That's the catalyst that got us into World War ii, was the Byman Pearl Harbor.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807but yeah, reparations. I know different cities have introduced things. I know that, city of Detroit had some discussions around that, especially when they were talking about the I 75. Or I 3 75, you know, raising that back up to street level.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807So, what you gonna do with that land?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807is it gonna go back to the African American families that were bulldozed out, for no reason, other than to put in a freeway from that that wasn't needed.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807and now they wanna turn around and.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Fill it.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807again.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808it in.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Fill it in and you know,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807For.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807not ours.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I just keeping it real, you know?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807around that. You
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807yeah,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807that for a little while in that, on the, feed that I was getting. But, you know, I kind of. Went away when, the last one I got, they just said, well, it's gonna happen. it's going forward now. No matter what the people were saying they were, the commitment is there.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807yeah. No doubt about it.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807leave it there to remind everybody of just what this government will do to bulldoze you out you try to prosper.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Within the rules of the democracy in which we live.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Now is imminent domain no longer a factor these days, or.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807it can be, I mean, imminent domain is one of those situations where if the government identifies a situation where they feel they need this land, that's not off the table.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Okay, so it's not off the books. Okay.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807to make people move in situations where the government deems they need that land or that territory or that area. But, I just wanna chime in real quick regarding, reparations. and I talked a little bit off, the mic time about reparations and how I feel and I'll get to the skinny real quickly. like Mike, I don't think that it'll ever happen it's certainly been something that's been proposed bandied about, bills drawn up, since 1865 around what we as a people deserve. I do feel that we deserve it. I strongly feel that we deserve it. And to Mike's point, there'll never be enough cash outlay, land, medical coverage, education, and all those things are on the table. We should have all of those things. And I love that idea about not paying taxes, Mike, because everything that we now, experienced in our country was building on the back of slaves. Black people, people who look like. The three of us, I just don't think that there's enough compassion around what we really mean to this country then till now. And I really don't think the feeling about us as a people has changed much from then to now. And that's a lot of years. Right?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808All right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I just think that it's never gonna be taken seriously. I think that they consider it a front for us to have the audacity to even think we deserve, reparations. but there's been, you know, going back to 1865. there was a proposal that Andrew Jackson, then the president,'cause General Sherman proposed that, there should be reparations for us. But Andrew Jackson and his infinite wisdom decided that we didn't deserve it, and so he. stifle that bill or stop that bill before it could even go forward. there have been many years since then, where was proposed. I'm looking at something now where the naacp, as recent as 2019,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Wow.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807reparations and education and so forth so that we could have assemblance. Of being made whole because to the point that was made earlier by Mike, again, will never really be made whole. But the fact is, it's just a shame, that they don't deem us worthy. the Japanese, like Mike said earlier, were able to get, 20,000 per person. in 1988, there was 1.2 billion awarded to 60,000, Japanese for the time that they spent, in Internments. we all know the Native Americans, were made whole, well, again, I'm using that term loosely because
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807are made whole. They took the land from the Native Americans,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807they said, you know, what we're going to do is we're going to give you land. only that we're gonna provide for healthcare for you, we're gonna make sure that you are provided education. And then in a lot of ways they're, they're, they, they have laws separate and aside from laws of the United States of America particularly, where they live. And so. They, there was enough conscious by Americans or Caucasian Americans,'cause those are the ones who had the power and continue to have the power provide reparations for those ethnic or race groups. But yet we built this country literally on our backs and they still, today, 2025, don't feel that we're deserving any restitution or reparations. And so, I'm not optimistic, Mike. I'm not optimistic time. I don't see it in my lifetime, but, you know, just for the sake of how things have gone over, you know, the last, you know, in terms of how we've been treated, I just don't think that we'll ever get any consideration because. know, they've never really given us any con consideration before, and, and it hasn't changed. And, you know, I don't want to get too deep into that whole MAGA thing, but when they talked about making America great again, it had nothing to do with people that looked like, you know, the three of us. And so if you think we even had a chance to get reparations, if we continue to go in the direction that Trump will have us go in, that's so far off the table now that, that you almost might not even wanna speak on it. yeah, reparations is something that. I've thought about and I, and I keep in the back of my mind I pray that, you know, one day it's possible for our people. I just don't feel that it'll ever be possible for, for me or us in our lifetime.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808All right. Yeah, I totally agree. You guys are. making me look at things a little differently.'cause I don't even have it on my mind at all. and the reason I don't have my mind,'cause I don't see it happening, but at least there are some people making strides in it. there's a representative in Congress, like I said, who made mention of it, brought it to the floor and then the mayor of, Tulsa, Oklahoma was at least trying to make it right for the descendants of that. massacre that happened in 1921. Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808so with the, department of Justice, you know, this is my make me wanna holler piece.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Okay.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808The, I don't even know her name. Bondy, is that her name? Bondy? Yeah. I mean, what is the deal on. Just, there's a mass exodus of lawyers or attorneys leaving that agency and I just don't know why she still thinks she's going in the right direction. I mean, I know she's drumming to the beat of Trump and what he is demanding,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808eliminating the Civil Rights division or making it smaller I mean, where's the justice for that?
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807The Department of Justice is not the department of just us. it has nothing to do with us.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Us.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807And you know, it's gonna seem like I'm just, you know,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808I like that.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807How we're being treated or how we've been treated.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Those are facts.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807are,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807we are taking huge steps back
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807have a commander in chief who literally, nobody wants to really say it out loud. Some of us do, but he's a racist. I mean, let's, let's just keep it real. And he's, you know, he's got one of those inferiority complexes, meaning that he knows we stand and what we're capable of. And anything he can do to undercut us, he'll do it. And so that being said, is the Department of Justice. He's got figureheads in there. You do know time that every, every appointment he, he has made, those people had no experience,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807no notion
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808yeah,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807The jobs that they undertook,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807only thing that they have to do is make sure that the strings that are attached to them are workable
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807working the strings.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807what's happening is she pledged, just like Trump made a pledge to follow the Constitution, she pledged that she would be somebody who would be just for justice for all Americans, meaning it would be nonpartisan.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807positions like those should be. when you start looking at what Republican party has done, what they've done is they've given in their power to one man. And so consequently, he starts going into museums and eradicating or reducing the opportunity for. Minorities to get funding and so forth.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807trying to push us back and in their mind, make America great again. I mean that's exactly what that means. Make white men Right under them is white women. Then there's the rest of us. And
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807not much that we can expect in terms of justice from the DOJ because you know the last opportunity he has is the legal system and the judges, and he's doing everything he can to minimize their power and authority.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807the Department of Justice and the FBI, if they're not fair and for all people, then the rest of us are in trouble,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807The
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807are in trouble. So, you know, make me want to holler. What makes me want to holler is that so many people have been willing to look the other way. It was funny because I had been saying it for a while about how, the emperor has no clothes. You know that old story about how everybody let the emperor know? Yeah, man, you look, he walking around new, but they're talking about how beautiful his attire is and so this isn't, an emperor has no clothes moment in history and everybody is literally looking the other way because they have to realize that this guy is an idiot. And he may not be an idiot. I said it because I feel he is an idiot, but I certainly strongly feel he's a racist. you cannot convince me otherwise because he's just so anti anybody that's not Caucasian. So to the point of the Department of Justice, if you've just got figureheads and you've got somebody on high, the commander in chief that's dictating every move and he's coming from a place of racism, can it be justice? Who is it justice for?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Who's the
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Very true.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807not doing the right thing. we all know that.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807he's weaponized. DOJ,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807that's a good terminology. He's weaponized.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807He's weaponized, DOJ, to go against his, anybody that he doesn't like. he calls it revenge. And he's, he's, he's very clear
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807going for revenge against everybody that did anything against him, even though you are a convicted felon.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yep.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807though he's a good, so when he says against do, they would do that against anybody that did what you
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807So it wasn't about you, fascist in chief.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807It was the law. Is the law. DOJ is supposed to go
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807So he's done is said. Okay. And especially with the new bill that just passed, the house. Now going to the Senate that's gonna circumvent all that, right? DOJ again has been weaponized against the American public, not just people of color, but anybody who has any grievance against, and was wronged by a financial, financial institution. Because he's, he's eliminated the, consumer Protection Financial agency. You know what I'm talking about?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808The one that, Senator Warren had got going. Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807right. It eliminated all of that. He likes fraud. If you commit fraud, you're his man.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Commit any type of
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807be maga
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807His pardons are said, no, Maga left behind. Right? DOJ is is, again, it is not being used in the capacity for which it was formed.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right, exactly.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807at this point, Congress has conceded power to the president,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807the courts are giving him some pushback, but not enough to really hold him in check completely.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807it's gonna get to the point where. if there's no elections next year, which I really don't think there will
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807then you're gonna see just how bad it's gonna be.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mike, I hope you're wrong, man.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I hope I'm wrong too, but I'm hearing it from more people now
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807but now I'm starting to hear it in the media
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807from other folks that.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807not another presidential
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I'm hearing this from, you know, Caucasian folks. this is not coming from me. Now. I'm hearing grumblings in the media. Yeah. This, they, they, they're doing this. if this thing passes the Senate, DOJ you are at the whim of the president. Oh. And he's now using the DOJ to. Assist in civil litigation against any police officer
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807who is sued civil, sued in civil court
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807not the way it's supposed to work. Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807the DOJ,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807justice. That their job is not to assist, cops that have been rightfully litigated against for their actions. No, their job is not to assist them, but he is so pro knocking heads. He's not pro justice. He's not ProLaw and order.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mike, he's pro organized,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Yes, correct. Thank you. Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807look, the mob has nothing on him.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807There you go. He's a convicted felon,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807So at this point, when this is how a convicted felon is going to, operate the presidency.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807So if people can't see that, we are not talking about people of color. if your own party can't see
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807and many of them do see it now,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807He's in office and even people in his party that he's turned his back on the poor who voted for him. Yeah, they're starting to see there's no justice for them. there's no more Department of Justice, so we got nobody to complain to when something happens
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807and history is going to repeat itself like it always
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807do people do
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807they get so fed they just can't take it anymore?
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807What is that?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Revolution.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Every single time, every single, there's nothing you can do History has shown that over and over again.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807At some point people gonna rise up
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807and if you take away my right to vote. we gonna have a conversation about these taxes again, because am I paying the same tax rate as the white people
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I'm a second class citizen.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right, right,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807you taxes to erase my history.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807right.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I don't pay you taxes to, bring over more racists from South Africa.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807my taxes to pay for their government plane and give them some of my tax money when they get here
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807paying you for that.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I'm not paying you to brutalize me or people that look like me.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I'm not paying you to remove the civil rights, department of the Department of Justice. I'm not paying you to. From the Smithsonian, which is not your job in the first place, of the president is to conduct a business of the United States, not to reshape America and his image.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807The business of the
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Ooh.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mike,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808He says something there.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807his
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807in his,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807That's not the job of the
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807reshape anything in his image.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I paid taxes to live in a democracy,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807taken that.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807that away,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah, That's true. Mike. he's taken the idea of, the power of departing way too far. Right? Because that was a thing of compassion, but not a thing of just getting every criminal off. I saw something that he suggested that if Diddy is rightfully convicted, and I can't weigh in on that one way or another, but you know what, the media says and, what you see on Facebook. But he said that he would, pardon Diddy. I mean, that's funny. That's laughable, but that's not what your authority is for.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807right,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807he's such a power hungry guy. He literally takes it as I can do whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807my guy, when they let him in that office, that was the wrong thing to do. not only once. but at least before there were checks and balances and people in the Republican party who said, some old school people who was like, no, this is not how we do things. Sir, I know you're a businessman coming in here to try to work it like a business. But there are ways to go about what you're trying to do now that those checks and balances are out the window.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808The people he surround themselves now don't have a clue.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah, they're Yes. People.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right?
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807yes
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807yes women.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808yeah,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807you know the former Fox guy who's over the defense,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808yeah,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807He,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807right,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808All right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807womanizer.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Right,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807mean, you know, he gets the worst of the worst and gets rid of the finest that they have because in order to get those positions, you had to have some pedigree.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah, yeah,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807had to be knowledgeable, and now all you have to be is a friend of his,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808That's crazy.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807it's,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807of Defense needs to be led a general, somebody with at least three or four stars,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807knows
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807on in our defense, community.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I leave it alone.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Save the children in Michigan.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I miss
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808what is it called? The economic summits they have in, Mackinac Island.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Is that what it's called? Where our leadership goes there?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807policy.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Conference? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So right now they have a panel, and the panel discussion was about how do we get. Our Michigan education metric Michigan education ranking down to, we're in the top 10.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808'cause right now, we're 37th and fourth grade math, we are 44 and fourth grade reading we're 33 and eighth grade math and 31 and eighth grade reading. I mean, I don't know what they're discussing up there. I didn't get a chance to, catch any of that.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Okay.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808What do you think they're discussing up there? What do you think they're making as a part of the change in our education system around the state of Michigan? Because it's not just Detroit.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807No,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808No, it's, you know, I mean, yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807just say
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808it is Cadillac.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808is, it's Grand Rapids,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Right,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808you know?
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807It's,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807yeah. it's been bad for so long
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yes, it has.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807that the lottery and there's so much money going into the lottery now. That money was supposed to go towards education.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807of that money was supposed to go towards education and so. I really don't have a good
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I just know that right now You say what I, what do I think they're talking about? How do you not pay the educators enough to wanna stick and stay?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807That's
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Because
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807the best representation for educators based on what they earn?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right. Yeah. but that's just recent. I think, Keith, that's my opinion recently with the page scale not being. Up to par, I guess you could say. Because teachers were always going to, strike when I was going to school. We were outta school a couple of times due to strikes when I was coming through the school system.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807So when you
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808So
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807When somebody goes on a strike, what does it mean?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808that means they were looking for better pay.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807so do you have to, if you're making enough money,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808No, no, no.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807begs
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808but the thing is, is that it's not the, I guess the disparity,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Okay.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808you know, now it's not as great as it was because, I mean, it looks like it is to me right now, when I look at the pay scale from teachers, you can make more money at the plant, but back then. I don't think that was the case. I thought educators got paid more than people were inside of the plant. Mike's saying, no,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807that,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808no,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807true.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808no.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807never
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808That was never true.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807No.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807my grandfather in 1972 was making$80,000 a year
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808What?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807as a janitor at gm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808What?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Now I want you to think about that.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_1618081972?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I can show you a paycheck stub,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807right?
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807that's crazy.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807paycheck stub.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Tax return.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807or tech.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807know, when I was cleaning up, I found all this old stuff, I'm
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Daddy James, you was making this kind of money. I had no idea
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807grandfather was a simple man.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808All.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I didn't know.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807he never bought a fancy car.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807He never did. He never flashed in any way, shape or form.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Yet when he passed, my grandmother was set for life. And then when she died, there was still money for me, my brother, my aunt, and her son.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807you know, after everything we went through with her.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807my point is. back to what you said, Tom, are they doing in Mackinac about the education
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807doing?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807in
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807of the things that I did read this, that they were talking about salaries, signing bonuses, doing something with class sizes, the same stuff that we've been hearing for the last 40 or 50 years. but now it's more acute because, we're using un, many, many school districts are using un, un, licensed
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807fill in
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807teachers, you know, when they're off or, you know, as a substitute or, whatever. And I'm, it's not bad. Well, it is bad. that's the best they can do. They have to do the best they can with what they have to work with, and that's what they have to work
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807the information that I did look at, I didn't look at a lot that was coming outta Mackinac, but the little bit that I did see did suggest that, you know, they were talking about it. You know, raising teachers salaries and signing bonuses and like I said, the same old thing, but
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807not a lot you can do, to make people want to become teachers
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807until you give them,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807So we know that salary is a huge issue
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807It's huge.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807teachers have to use their portions of their salary to get supplies for their students. and that is right. That's a huge issue. But, you
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807are other things, but it's not, there's no easy answer. There is no easy answer. I think my personal opinion, if you raise the salaries high enough, if we value the teachers to the point where we're paying them 80,$90,000 a year or whatever the figure is, then you'll get people interested in to become educators because they can make a living at doing that.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807You see what I mean? If I can make a living at doing that, then I'll become interested in doing
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807if I know I can't make a living at that, I know that if I do that, it may be something I wanna do, but I'm probably gonna have to get a second job doing something else, then I might not go into that profession.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807So, I think salary is number one
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807You get those salaries. We value our, what we value in society to change. Our teachers have to be valued more. have to pay them in coordinates with that. means 80, 90, even a hundred thousand dollars a year salary, if that's what it takes, that's what it takes. That's a, because this is a new time. 20, 30,$40,000 ain't gonna do
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807ain't gonna do nothing. 30 is not gonna do nothing. 40 is not doing nothing. It, you know, a person making$65,000 a year, can't afford a mortgage.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807So if I'm a teacher and I can't afford a mortgage and I don't have to have a big house,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807a modest
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I'm a teacher and I can't even afford a modest house,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807have to look at something different.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807it
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807what about public school versus privatization? Vouchers?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808The charges screw stuff.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Charter school
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807away from places like
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807inner city where you have mostly public schools and unfortunately they don't have the best
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807to the fact that teachers have to use their own income, their own money to supply or help supply kids with books, pencils, papers, whatever they need to learn. So I know the option of how are we gonna proceed if monies are taken away from the public school system to fund charter schools via vouchers?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808But I thought the money follows the child.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808the dollars follow the child. So what about the parents who homeschool their kids? They get a, a stipend or something like that? I believe.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Okay.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808so,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Okay,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808so if the parent pulls the student outta that particular district and puts'em in a charter school or puts'em in another district, the money just follows the kid. that's what I thought happens.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807okay,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807thought.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807okay.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807that's right.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807makes sense. But if you're in a public school that doesn't have just the basic. books and so forth that the kids need,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807be inclined to pull your child out of that school and send him or her to some place that has adequate staff,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807material learning materials. And so I'm sure that's gotta be a part of the conversation. what's the name of our, our, our, the, the woman that's over education now? I think McMahon, Linda McMahon, I wanna say.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807So she doesn't know much about education,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808No.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807but,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808And neither did the last one he had in there with a, the DeVos. DeVos.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807right, right.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807So, you know, it make, they make me wanna holler, man, because the thing is everything that's in politicized, they really don't, and when I say they, I don't mean at the conference that you were referring to. but in general, they just don't really have the kids' best interest at heart. I don't feel, because there are just so many things that we, including, you know, us parents, you know, I don't have any
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807school age kids, but, we all have to take a greater interest in terms of making sure that they're receiving what they need so that they can get the proper education. Mike talked last week about just even nourishment, just being able to. Provide a meal that when they're in school, they're not hungry.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807they're focused on learning and not when am I gonna eat or I wish I had something to eat. I'm sure there's a lot of balls up in the air in terms of what they're trying to address to see what they can do to improve on those numbers, because we've been bad a long time.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807You know what I'm saying?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808but
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807represented as a state for a long time.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right, and, I have to assume. That private schools numbers are not in that calculation for those scores.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I don't know.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808I if,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I can't say.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808if that's the case, I mean they might be holding the numbers up and the numbers could be a lot worse.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807How about that?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah. That's really scary.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808But not to pit private against public. Because of the cost of going to a private school these days are just crazy. I mean, you know the school around the corner from you Keith,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808probably at 20,000.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807number specifically, but
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I wouldn't be surprised.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right. And Uua D high school back in Detroit. My old neighborhood, they gotta be 15,000 a year. You know, that is just high school. I can't imagine what parents are paying for private school. Middle, you know, primary education, but
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807K through five.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807and then middle school.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Out here. They're paying a pretty penny to put their kids through those schools.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808right. But I mean, so but the teachers that are in those schools, do you think they're either even, let me, let me put it to you this way. If you had a teacher who came from Harvard. And went to DPS or GPS Grand Rapids or GRPS as an educator and against Catholic Central in Grand Rapids and Catholic, central in Detroit. How, how, how could, I mean, how does, why, why does it have to be so different in the education? I guess I know those schools have resources, and that's probably the reason, so I'm probably answering my own question. But if you have teachers who come from Harvard, it goes to the, the, the public school system and not go to a private school and puts the same effort into those kids, shouldn't it be the same result? The outcome for those kids?
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807You talking about in terms of structure and teaching and lessons
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Lemme just hypothetically ask,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807many Harvard educated.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Probably zero. I mean, but if that was the case though, what if they. what if, just like doctors right now, doctors who graduate, they get a stipend, they get their tuition waived if they go to an Indian reservation or if they go to an urban community.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808if you go to Harvard and got$250,000 in debt and you say, okay, we're gonna wipe your debt if you go to teach in the public school system.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Okay.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808So that's how they got there.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Okay.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807The curriculums
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807and the two. Okay, let me back up First off, the funding.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Uhhuh,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807A lot of school systems are funded by local property taxes,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808correct.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807know, in Michigan.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Grand Rapids, if you have a more stable tax base that is a community of homeowners as opposed to a tax base, which is not so stable. That is a community of some homeowners, but mostly renters who are moving place to place. that's not a stable tax base. So that Harvard, educated,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah. Maybe would go to the, to the Detroit. to get their debt removed. I'm sure that teacher would rather go to Grand Rapids it's a more stable tax base where the, salaries are more stable and the kids, the kids are coming to school ready to learn.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807It's a different challenge.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807when you're a homeowner. Or a community of homeowners children are, more stable. They do better because they know what elementary they're going to. They know what junior high they're going to, they pretty much know what high school they're going to. They know what to expect, and they govern themselves accordingly. As opposed to a community where you don't have as many homeowners, you have renters moving from school to school. those kids. Generally have lower test scores because they're going from school to another, not necessarily with the exact same curriculum.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Not knowing, they gotta make new friends at each school,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807learn new teachers, learn a new way of socialization,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807so that they have a lot of things thrown at them and, their test scores and their learning ability is diminished. Because there's so much else going on there. they don't have an expectation of what's gonna happen next, what's gonna happen next. I don't know. I'm in survival
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Survival.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Whereas if I'm in a Grand Rapids school and I, I've come from a home, where it's a community of homeowners. Okay? I know I go to X school and my middle school is right over
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807You know your state. You know what to expect. And the worry of, oh God, I gotta make new for, no, you know what to expect
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807good study after study has shown that this is the case. So, communities, we're back to Tom's question
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807about the Harvard educated teacher, right? They're gonna choose. If they could, the community where the kids are coming ready to learn.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808but that's probably not gonna be the option for them.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Correct.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808That's probably not gonna be the option for them to have the choice. If, you have to go, you may have to go to the community that's in the need, whether it be poor, Huron, Muskegon, east Lansing, you know, or Ypsilanti.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Correct.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808they're probably not gonna get placed in Ann Arbor Grand Rapids,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808you know?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807an opening, you know, and they just luck into it,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808right. But if the scores in those communities are above average,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808that's not a community in need,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Now, again, not pitting private against public. I think the resources at private school are just, you know, outnumbering the resources that are, that are at a public school system.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807percent.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807And what I found interesting, I didn't know this was even going on in Michigan. did you know that people are getting, private schools are getting public money?
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I didn't know that. Public money for public education.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808In what way?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807right. And I was shocked to find out that this was going
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Like I said, I say what?
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807he's.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808For operations or for,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807I am not sure about that,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807because I was so, I got so mad. I just had to turn it off when I saw, you know, this was on channel four
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Okay.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807is some months ago.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807yes, What happened? Some well-to-do parents, I guess, sued in some way, I guess,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807But they were able to get a voucher for their kid to go to a private school. And their argument was, I'm paying taxes. Shouldn't some of my tax money go to, my child at a private school? Well, no, it shouldn't. Tax money for public schools is just that, that tax money is not for private schools. That's for public schools. If you want to use your tax money for your child's education, send'em to a public school
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807But that's what the voucher system is about though. And that's all they, they kind of peck away at trying to diminish,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807the public schools.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808So.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I. already, behind in terms of, of, of money allocated, right? Like you said, Mike, if the tax base is such that there's transient in the community and there's not, consistent tax money coming through, then you're not gonna be funded the same way. But to your point earlier, Tom, you said the money goes with the kid.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807a voucher attached to that kid and they go to a private school, why wouldn't that money go to a private school?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807I'm just the logic of it.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Right. but the law was that money could only go for a public school or trade school or something like that. You couldn't use it for private
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807the reason was because, private schools are funded by very well to do people. So if you can afford to send your child to a private school,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807they just wanted more
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808let me ask you this question, Mike. Was it private schools or was it a charter school?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807it was private. This was private schools.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807So they're already paying the tuition. They can already afford the tuition to send their child to that private school.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Okay.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807more just like, these attorneys and judges who had children and they didn't wanna pay for their college education. They could afford it, but they weren't gonna pay for it. So what they did was they had a member. Who was not as fortunate
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807to adopt them paper, right. On paper. So now this child is not eligible for some grants or for some, public money to go to school. And the attorneys and the, judges didn't have to pay a number of them were doing this
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807and they were caught.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807This was in the news sometime ago. but it's legal.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807mm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808What?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Yes,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Well, Yeah. I guess it is legal.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807stop
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807just called them out, but they couldn't stop
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Right. So people gain the system to, get money for people who can afford to send their children to
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807they still want a handout. They still want a handout, you know? And who are these people? Maga. So, you know, like Tom said, or like you said, Tom, you know, it, it doesn't seem like our kids' interests are really, oh, that was you, Keith,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807interests aren't being, you know, a top of mind. you know, everybody's got their, Special interest as to getting some of this money, you know, public money and they do whatever they can to get it. So, like you said, we just have to be hold, our legislators a little bit more accountable
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807to where our money is being spent in terms of public education.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807make sure it's going to the schools, to the public schools and not to private schools.'cause these people are already rich. They're getting richer by the day they can afford to send their students to these private schools. They don't need this public money.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808All right. Yeah. Well, I've always said, my soapbox has always been is that, you know, I don't mind paying taxes, but I do want you to be responsible. The dollars I send you.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Right,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808You know? Yeah. that's been my stance from day one.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Absolutely. the other thing that's attached to that statement is how engaged you are in the process or the system, right?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807you go back to, do you participate one, do you vote, do you go to, teacher conferences and, do you go to some of these board meetings that they have so that you can have your opinion, known. and I, and when I say you, I don't necessarily mean specifically you, Tom.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Because at the end of the day, it's not on the kids.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807it's up to us as parents to be knowledgeable enough to know to Mike's point, our dollars are going and how they're being used, and whether or not somebody is tapping into the dollars that are allocated for our children.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807a scam, is a scam.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807you're talking about the least of these, if you're underrepresented, then that's like walking around with your eyes closed.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807you know somebody taking advantage of you every time they get a chance. And so there's a lot tied into who's really representing the least of these.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807if those people are transient and they're moving all around, are they even there long enough to even, express any interest to make sure that their kids are getting what they truly deserve?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807No, they don't have time because they see the reason that they're moving around is'cause, rent is high.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807they're in survival bone too, you know what I mean?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807survive too, and that's why they're moving around like that and not stable in a home.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807know,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808But there's a segment out there of people who are homeowners.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808who vote down Millages,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807do.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808because they don't have any kids or never had any kids. Or the kids are grown and going away, but they don't think of the quality of education or the quality of the community that they're living in.'cause people don't show up if there's not a quality education system in that community.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807they don't think about it until they go to the drive through and the person can't even count the correct change.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Isn't
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807isn.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807then now think about it
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right,
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807you
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807school, not around the corner,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807Yeah.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807And Mike, that's really full circle though. And what I mean by that, and it kind of ties into everything that Mike has been saying reparations. could level that a little bit because we're starting off way behind the eight ball.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807in every way, whether it
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807the communities we live in,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807schools that are educating our children or maybe not so much
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807our children. and that's in large part is and has been for years by design.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807by design. It's not happenstance.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807back to, you know, we started off when you, when somebody is building something on your back, you brought over here as a slave.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Yeah.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807everything from you, your name,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807your culture,
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807everything.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807you know you're working, working, not getting paid
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807years, Mike, 400 years. That's a long time. Right. Generations. we're supposed to catch up and, and we're not even talking about Jim Crow attached to that 400. Right?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807we're not talking about, even today, Maga talking about Make America great again. so in a lot of ways, when you talk about, how we're gonna really. Look out for and take care of the kids. we're starting from a disadvantage point and economics plays a big part in terms of what you're able to do and how you're able to provide for your family and your children. And that includes a good education.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808All right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807down in this community, just because it's the only place I can afford. go to the school and the school isn't all that it's supposed to be the understaffed, you know, under budget, very little equipment or, or materials to teach the children, then that's just a, that's just a really, really, really bad cycle, right?
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807so we point at people that look like us and say, man, they're no good. They, you know, they're niggers, right? Because niggers really means shiftless and lazy, right? If you
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807And then we continue to look at that vicious cycle and we try to make it better. And then we take one step up, but we get pushed steps back.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807we gotta continue to fight for the kids, we gotta fight for ourselves. But as we fight for ourselves, we're fighting for the ones that are coming behind us. Right.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807We just can't give in to status quo and what they're trying to do because it's slight of hand, man.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808Right,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807You know?
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807right.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808right,
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807it's, you know, it makes me wanna holler brother.
meet-the-music-a-to-z_2_06-02-2025_161808At the same time you're saving the children. But on that note, gentlemen, it's been a good conversation. I appreciate it and I look forward to next week.
squadcaster-e9c3_1_06-02-2025_161807It's always good to talk to you guys.
squadcaster-f6d7_1_06-02-2025_161807Yes, sir.
To learn more about today's topics, become a subscriber, text us or become a supporter, go to the show description. That's all the time we've got this week. Thanks for listening. We'll be back next week with the What's Going On Podcast.