Latest / Concerned Clergy Podcast / Concerned Clergy Podcast August 12, 2026

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Concerned Clergy Podcast August 12, 2026 · Concerned Clergy Podcast

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SPEAKER_0: The following program is paid for by the Concerned Clergy.
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SPEAKER_0: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the
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SPEAKER_0: hosts and guests
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SPEAKER_0: and do not necessarily reflect the views of Urban One Incorporated,
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SPEAKER_0: Radio One, or any of its subsidiary companies.
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SPEAKER_0: The Concerned Clergy invites you to their weekly town hall meeting on Praise AM 1310, 95.1 FM.
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SPEAKER_1: Well, we invite you to catch the replay.
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SPEAKER_1: What is the replay?
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SPEAKER_1: That is the Concerned Clergy Substack,
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SPEAKER_1: which we'll replay tomorrow on the Progressive Indiana Network.
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SPEAKER_1: And if you're not able to catch the show in its entirety on tonight,
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SPEAKER_1: you can always catch it on our Substack.
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SPEAKER_1: Once again, the Progressive Indiana Network.
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SPEAKER_1: I want to say good evening to everyone.
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SPEAKER_1: Praise the Lord.
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SPEAKER_1: Glad to have our president back with us this week.
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SPEAKER_1: President Greene, how are you?
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SPEAKER_2: Doing good.
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SPEAKER_2: Glad to be back with you, Reverend Alexander.
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SPEAKER_2: It's been a minute since I've been on the radio program, so I'm glad to be here tonight.
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SPEAKER_1: I'm glad to have you.
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SPEAKER_1: You've been a busy man.
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SPEAKER_1: I've been busy.
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SPEAKER_1: So why don't you go ahead, if you don't mind, open this up in prayer, Mr. President.
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SPEAKER_2: Eternal God, our Father, we come before you once again as humble as we know how, Lord God, we...
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SPEAKER_2: Thank you for the sunshine and the rain.
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SPEAKER_2: We pray, Lord, you continue to watch over us in the midst of these storms.
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SPEAKER_2: Continue to cover your people, Lord God.
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SPEAKER_2: We pray for all the families that have been impacted by the storms as well.
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SPEAKER_2: Lord, we thank you for the Concerned Clergy.
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SPEAKER_2: We thank you for the advocacy work that we do.
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SPEAKER_2: Thank you for all of our listeners and participants.
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SPEAKER_2: We pray, Lord God, that this conversation will bring glory and honor to your name.
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SPEAKER_2: In Jesus' name we pray.
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SPEAKER_2: Amen.
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SPEAKER_1: Amen.
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SPEAKER_1: And we're also
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SPEAKER_1: also on various Facebook pages as well as it gets shared.
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SPEAKER_1: Feel free once again to get on and share as well.
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SPEAKER_1: And we certainly want to say good evening to the Progressive Indiana Network
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SPEAKER_1: as they're joining us live.
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SPEAKER_1: Glad to be back with you.
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SPEAKER_1: So, Mr. President, we're going to talk about a couple of things on tonight.
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SPEAKER_1: We're going to talk about education that's going to kind of,
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SPEAKER_1: I'll say, dominate our conversation on tonight, where we are with education.
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SPEAKER_1: Education right now is a mess.
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SPEAKER_1: Whether you're looking at right here locally in Marion County here in Indianapolis,
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SPEAKER_1: whether you broaden it to statewide in Indiana,
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SPEAKER_1: even when you broaden it to a federal perspective, education right now is a mess.
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SPEAKER_1: Funding's being taken away.
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SPEAKER_1: We have children that can't read or write,
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SPEAKER_1: and we're going to try to get a viewpoint from someone who is an educator
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SPEAKER_1: that is witnessing this firsthand.
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SPEAKER_1: But before we get into the education piece in which there's a lot
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SPEAKER_1: of referendums also that are going to be on the ballot in November,
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SPEAKER_1: we're going to talk about that also.
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SPEAKER_1: But before we get to that,
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SPEAKER_1: I want to kind of follow up on last week, Mr.
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SPEAKER_1: President,
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SPEAKER_1: while you were not here,
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SPEAKER_1: we did have Pastor Davanta Scruggs,
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SPEAKER_1: who joined us on the program and he shared his family's grief
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SPEAKER_1: as they were grieving.
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SPEAKER_1: It was one of his relatives who was involved in an officer-involved shooting with IMPD.
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SPEAKER_1: There was a lot of questions in regards to what exactly happened.
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SPEAKER_1: The family,
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SPEAKER_1: the family being for the one that lost their life,
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SPEAKER_1: Dalys Jett,
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SPEAKER_1: they were asking for body-worn camera footage from IMPD,
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SPEAKER_1: had been given a timeline in which it would be ready for them to view.
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SPEAKER_1: That didn't happen.
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SPEAKER_1: But my understanding is on today that the family was going to be granted
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SPEAKER_1: an opportunity to actually view that body-worn camera footage late this evening.
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SPEAKER_1: So I hope, you know, they were able to do that.
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SPEAKER_1: I don't know if that's been done,
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SPEAKER_1: if there's been any statements, but I do know it was late this afternoon.
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SPEAKER_1: So that's what I know, Mr. President.
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SPEAKER_1: I don't know if you have any additional updates.
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SPEAKER_2: I don't have any other additional updates at this time.
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SPEAKER_2: I know it was scheduled for late this afternoon, so they may be looking at it right now.
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SPEAKER_1: So my understanding is they were going to be able to view
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SPEAKER_1: the body-worn camera footage from that incident,
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SPEAKER_1: which I believe now is maybe a couple of weeks old,
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SPEAKER_1: but they were able to at least -- hopefully -- that meeting was set
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SPEAKER_1: for 5:30 is what my understanding is.
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SPEAKER_1: And we want to continue to pray for that family as they're going through
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SPEAKER_1: that process and have to make whatever decisions there may be moving forward.
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SPEAKER_1: We're thankful there were some IMPD officers that were injured.
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SPEAKER_1: We're thankful that they are recovering,
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SPEAKER_1: but at the same time,
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SPEAKER_1: we also want to make sure that community members as well are remembered and then get
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SPEAKER_1: the answers that they need.
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SPEAKER_1: So with that being said,
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SPEAKER_1: education, Mr.
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SPEAKER_1: President,
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SPEAKER_1: we have a lot -- 38 school districts here in Indiana are going to be asking
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SPEAKER_1: for referendums.
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SPEAKER_1: We've got right now school is just starting.
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SPEAKER_1: We have new charter schools that are just opening.
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SPEAKER_1: We have charter schools that are closing.
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SPEAKER_1: We have a lot of transition when it comes to what's going on now here
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SPEAKER_1: in Marion County with the new entity that is in charge of -- rather,
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SPEAKER_1: instead of having IPS board commissioners
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SPEAKER_1: that are really running our IPS school district.
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SPEAKER_1: We now have an entity that is for the most part run by the mayor of Indianapolis.
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SPEAKER_2: Well, yeah, that board reports to the mayor.
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SPEAKER_2: So he, in essence, is running the largest school district in the state of Indiana, IPS.
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SPEAKER_1: You know, I hear that term.
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SPEAKER_1: So often, the largest school district in Indiana.
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SPEAKER_1: And you know what it always reminds me of is when Amos Brown would always quote that.
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SPEAKER_1: When he was seeking,
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SPEAKER_1: whether it be resources or answers,
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SPEAKER_1: understanding what's going on within IPS, he would always highlight that.
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SPEAKER_1: But you know what?
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SPEAKER_1: Here's the difference.
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SPEAKER_1: And this is what should be disturbing as we talk about
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SPEAKER_1: the largest school district here in Indiana.
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SPEAKER_1: When Amos Brown was making those quotes, he also added a district of over 100,000 students.
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SPEAKER_1: Right now, that number is just over 30,000.
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SPEAKER_2: Exactly.
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SPEAKER_1: Big difference.
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SPEAKER_2: Big difference.
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SPEAKER_1: That is showing you what is happening now.
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SPEAKER_1: When folks talk about the dismantling of IPS,
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SPEAKER_1: while we can still make that same statement,
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SPEAKER_1: it definitely carries different weight now.
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SPEAKER_2: Without a doubt, because the numbers are drastically different.
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SPEAKER_2: You're going to be -- what hopefully our listeners understand is that of the number
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SPEAKER_2: of school buildings, they're going to get reduced.
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SPEAKER_2: And this board is going to be responsible for the sale of those facilities.
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SPEAKER_2: Not an IPS school board that's elected by the people,
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SPEAKER_2: but a board that's been appointed is going to make decisions related to IPS property
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SPEAKER_2: that taxpayers were a huge part of for decades.
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SPEAKER_2: Because of the numbers -- because it's no longer 100,000 students, it's 30,000 --
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SPEAKER_2: so you don't need as many facilities.
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SPEAKER_2: And I understand that.
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SPEAKER_2: I don't disagree with that.
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SPEAKER_2: What I have a problem with is a few people who are going to make the decision
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SPEAKER_2: of what gets sold, when and where, to whom, and for how much.
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SPEAKER_2: That's outside the hands of the community now.
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SPEAKER_2: And that is very significant.
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SPEAKER_2: And very much one of the reasons why this is all happening.
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SPEAKER_2: Because this is involving -- I mean -- IPS owns a lot of properties.
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SPEAKER_1: As we talk about this,
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SPEAKER_1: we have an opportunity where we can really use IPS as the example
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SPEAKER_1: for what has happened and what is probably going to happen based on
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SPEAKER_1: the track record.
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SPEAKER_1: I say that because while we can talk about IPS and be more specific,
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SPEAKER_1: there's 38,
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SPEAKER_1: once again,
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SPEAKER_1: 38 school districts that are wanting,
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SPEAKER_1: you know,
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SPEAKER_1: more taxpayer dollars so that they can,
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SPEAKER_1: you know,
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SPEAKER_1: improve their schools,
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SPEAKER_1: whether that be for capital building,
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SPEAKER_1: you know, structure or whether it be for teachers and resources.
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SPEAKER_1: Matter of fact,
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SPEAKER_1: a lot of schools now are actually talking about getting rid
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SPEAKER_1: of their sports altogether, not having sports programs.
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SPEAKER_1: And you know if you're not going to have sports programs,
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SPEAKER_1: you're not going to have some of these other programs that are pretty much
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SPEAKER_1: the social avenues for our children in addition to having that education.
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SPEAKER_2: Well, yeah,
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SPEAKER_2: because the schools,
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SPEAKER_2: given the decisions by the governor and the Republican-dominated legislative branch,
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SPEAKER_2: they're forced into these referendums.
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SPEAKER_2: Those referendums are coming across the board, urban and rural.
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SPEAKER_2: They're forced to make these decisions.
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SPEAKER_2: And if they don't get the money,
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SPEAKER_2: the referendums, you will see these major programs cut because they cost money.
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SPEAKER_2: It costs for transportation or going to ballgames and doing this and doing that.
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SPEAKER_2: They're not going to be able to do that.
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SPEAKER_2: It's going to be a huge cut to...
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SPEAKER_2: teachers, counselors, staff.
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SPEAKER_2: In some of these areas, we've already seen it starting this school year.
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SPEAKER_2: Those people have been cut and been reduced.
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SPEAKER_2: And that's why this session is going to be critical.
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SPEAKER_2: But what's going to happen in November is going to be critical
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SPEAKER_2: because everybody now,
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SPEAKER_2: because of how the property taxes got restructured,
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SPEAKER_2: are saying, okay, the schools don't have as much money.
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SPEAKER_2: And they have to make that up.
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SPEAKER_2: And the only way to make that up is to do a referendum.
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SPEAKER_2: But that is in line with the federal system because
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SPEAKER_2: the president is saying you want quality education, you pay for it.
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SPEAKER_2: And that's the part that disturbs me the most because it's going to come down to
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SPEAKER_2: if you're rich and you got plenty of money,
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SPEAKER_2: like you have private school money already, you're not going to be impacted.
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SPEAKER_2: But it does impact everybody else.
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SPEAKER_2: And we should be wanting quality education for all of our students,
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SPEAKER_2: not just for a few who happen to have parents who have enough resources
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SPEAKER_2: that they can basically pay for a private school.
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SPEAKER_2: I don't think that's going to make for a great Indiana.
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SPEAKER_2: And as far as developing a workforce, et cetera, we need quality schools across the board.
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SPEAKER_2: And in some cases, sports is a motivator for some of these people to go to school for a while.
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SPEAKER_2: Make sure they got their grades up.
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SPEAKER_2: Why?
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SPEAKER_2: So I can play baseball or football or whatever.
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SPEAKER_2: That's a motivator for them on their way to leaving school to be able
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SPEAKER_2: to do something productive.
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SPEAKER_2: So if you take that away, I don't know.
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SPEAKER_2: Do they stay motivated?
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SPEAKER_2: Do they stay engaged?
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SPEAKER_2: Are they a positive contributor to the classroom?
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SPEAKER_2: Or do they become a disruption?
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SPEAKER_2: Because I don't want to be here anyway.
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SPEAKER_1: Let me hang out.
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SPEAKER_1: That right there.
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SPEAKER_1: That point right there.
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SPEAKER_1: Because sports, in a lot of cases, it can be used to get that rage out.
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SPEAKER_1: That disruption you do in a classroom, I can do it.
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SPEAKER_1: If we're doing something on the field,
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SPEAKER_1: playing basketball, whatever it is, I can get it out then.
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SPEAKER_1: By the time I get to class, I'm tired.
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SPEAKER_1: You know, or -- you know -- I know I can do it then.
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SPEAKER_1: So now I can maybe focus on whatever it is.
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SPEAKER_2: Yes.
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SPEAKER_2: And we need it.
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SPEAKER_2: It's proven.
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SPEAKER_2: It's data-driven that students need this.
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SPEAKER_2: But these superintendents,
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SPEAKER_2: the school boards are being pressed into a very, very, very difficult situation.
13:43
SPEAKER_2: Right.
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SPEAKER_2: And unfortunately,
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SPEAKER_2: you know,
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SPEAKER_2: I'd be really surprised, shocked if all 38 referendums got passed in November.
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SPEAKER_2: I'm not sure that's going to happen for most of them.
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SPEAKER_2: There's not a lot of marketing going on about it right now.
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SPEAKER_2: You don't run in political circles and kind of understand that they're looking at this stuff.
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SPEAKER_2: For the most part, the average citizen is going to work every day trying to make it.
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SPEAKER_2: Doesn't even know that there's a referendum coming in November and they're going
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SPEAKER_2: to want more money for wherever they're living at.
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SPEAKER_2: And again, I want to understand it's 38 school districts across the state.
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SPEAKER_2: This is not limited to Indianapolis.
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SPEAKER_2: This is across the state.
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SPEAKER_2: So people listen to our Substack, etc.
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SPEAKER_2: You want to find out what your school district is doing
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SPEAKER_2: because you very well could be looking at a referendum and understand what's
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SPEAKER_2: the amount of that referendum.
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SPEAKER_2: And what's the plan?
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SPEAKER_2: And we must understand that come 2028,
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SPEAKER_2: there will be even more school districts because the ones
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SPEAKER_2: that are putting it off happen to have a little bit of a surplus
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SPEAKER_2: that they think they can cut and make it a little bit.
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SPEAKER_2: But all the school districts ultimately will be looking at a referendum.
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SPEAKER_1: They definitely have prayer -- these schools now -- because they're praying.
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SPEAKER_1: Find a way to get us the resources so we can do what we have to do.
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SPEAKER_1: They're all really struggling.
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SPEAKER_1: And even because you mentioned like, okay, well,
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SPEAKER_1: next year you're going to have maybe some different ones
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SPEAKER_1: that thought they could hold out another year.
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SPEAKER_1: But guess what?
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SPEAKER_1: This is IPS's first go around.
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SPEAKER_1: You're going to have some others that will be coming back asking for another dip in the jar.
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SPEAKER_1: They're going to come back asking for it.
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SPEAKER_1: But, you know, again, well, last one that was for capital.
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SPEAKER_1: This one is going to be for, you know, the teachers.
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SPEAKER_1: Well, you know,
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SPEAKER_1: the next one -- and something else you mentioned and we can't gloss over it
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SPEAKER_1: because it's too important in this conversation -- is the transportation piece.
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SPEAKER_1: They are struggling with getting transportation just for the students getting
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SPEAKER_1: to school every day.
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SPEAKER_1: And a lot of these sports and other activities,
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SPEAKER_1: band, whatever, you need buses to go to these events and things like that.
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SPEAKER_1: If you can't get transportation just to get your students to school,
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SPEAKER_1: there's no way you're going to be able to help in any extracurricular activities.
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SPEAKER_2: Exactly.
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SPEAKER_2: I mean, let's be honest.
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SPEAKER_2: I mean, there are consequences to higher gas prices.
16:31
SPEAKER_2: I mean, the school has a higher budget for all that stuff.
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SPEAKER_2: It means you need more money.
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SPEAKER_2: And so they're going to be -- rightfully so -- they're asking.
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SPEAKER_2: They're going to say, hey, here's this referendum.
16:43
SPEAKER_2: I mean, I know there's one going on in Zionsville.
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SPEAKER_2: There's a couple of them going on in Hamilton County.
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SPEAKER_2: So it's not limited to, well, it's just some poor areas.
16:54
SPEAKER_2: No, it is across the state.
16:56
SPEAKER_2: You know,
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SPEAKER_2: a whole bunch of places that you wouldn't even think about,
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SPEAKER_2: but they all have the same challenge.
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SPEAKER_2: We can't keep our teachers,
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SPEAKER_2: keep transportation,
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SPEAKER_2: keep that stuff with the amount of money that was coming in once the governor redid
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SPEAKER_2: the tax structure, property tax structure.
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SPEAKER_2: So they have to go and say, people, community, we need more money.
17:20
SPEAKER_2: We need a referendum.
17:22
SPEAKER_2: Now, I don't know if everybody's going to go and vote for that.
17:26
SPEAKER_2: And that doesn't mean they're against education.
17:28
SPEAKER_2: I want to be clear about that.
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SPEAKER_2: Doesn't mean they're against education.
17:31
SPEAKER_2: We have to keep in mind that AES rates went up and they go up again in January.
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We have to keep in mind that,
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you know, Marion County just passed -- we're going to do a wheel tax.
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SPEAKER_2: Some of the surrounding areas have already said they're doing a wheel tax.
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SPEAKER_2: When you start to do all that,
17:51
SPEAKER_2: a person has got to be thinking, can I handle this utility increase?
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SPEAKER_2: Can I handle this additional wheel tax stuff?
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SPEAKER_2: Now you want me to handle referendum?
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SPEAKER_2: Just stop there.
18:05
SPEAKER_2: That ain't including if some other things have gone up.
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SPEAKER_2: So they could be for some of this,
18:12
SPEAKER_2: but say,
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SPEAKER_2: I can't vote for that because I'll be homeless myself because they're just dealing
18:18
SPEAKER_2: with all these other increases.
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SPEAKER_2: When each of these increases -- everybody sells it.
18:24
SPEAKER_2: Oh, it's not that much.
18:25
SPEAKER_2: It's only a couple hundred bucks.
18:26
SPEAKER_2: It's only a couple hundred bucks.
18:28
SPEAKER_2: But when you get three couple hundred bucks, now you're $600.
18:32
SPEAKER_2: That ain't what we started out talking about.
18:34
SPEAKER_2: And a lot of times it's not looked at holistically.
18:38
SPEAKER_2: It's looked at through this little silo, this little lens right here.
18:42
SPEAKER_2: Well, it ain't that bad.
18:43
SPEAKER_2: We're just over here.
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SPEAKER_2: We're AES.
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SPEAKER_2: We're just doing this.
18:46
SPEAKER_2: Oh, this referendum won't be too bad.
18:48
SPEAKER_2: It's only, you know, two or three, four hundred bucks.
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SPEAKER_2: But they forget now.
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SPEAKER_2: This is compounding for people.
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SPEAKER_2: And so then they're looking at it.
18:58
SPEAKER_2: I'm full.
18:59
SPEAKER_2: I mean, they're not anti-children,
19:02
SPEAKER_2: but I don't know if they're going to say I can afford that and want to do that
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SPEAKER_2: and say, and then clearly they're going to have some questions.
19:09
SPEAKER_2: What amazes me now is for so many referendums,
19:13
SPEAKER_2: there's not more community meetings explaining what you're going to do.
19:19
SPEAKER_2: How this is going to work,
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SPEAKER_2: how much money this is going to be, what you're going to do with the money.
19:24
SPEAKER_2: You know,
19:24
SPEAKER_2: I'm hoping they're not just waiting in November or October thinking,
19:29
SPEAKER_2: this is on the ballot, just vote for it.
19:32
SPEAKER_2: I don't know if people are going to do that.
19:33
SPEAKER_2: It's going to be interesting to watch.
19:36
SPEAKER_2: I mean, really interesting to watch.
19:38
SPEAKER_2: Because I know people that's in Hamilton County that's against it.
19:42
SPEAKER_2: They don't want to do it.
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SPEAKER_1: Well, if I recall, there was a Hamilton County superintendent that actually lost his job.
19:51
SPEAKER_1: And while we didn't get the actual reasoning, the timing was telling.
19:59
SPEAKER_1: So when this was an issue for that school district up there and you mentioned where,
20:06
SPEAKER_1: okay,
20:07
SPEAKER_1: here we are dealing with IPEC now, the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation.
20:15
SPEAKER_1: And we -- you and I talked about this on our program --
20:19
SPEAKER_1: the fact that when they were looking for a leader,
20:22
SPEAKER_1: they're looking for a chair,
20:23
SPEAKER_1: whatever they call whoever's leading that group,
20:26
SPEAKER_1: that whoever that person was going to be,
20:29
SPEAKER_1: they had to come in running,
20:31
SPEAKER_1: trying to sell whatever they want folks to vote on for this referendum.
20:38
SPEAKER_1: I've not heard anything from anyone.
20:41
SPEAKER_1: I can't remember who it was that ended up with that position.
20:44
SPEAKER_1: Help me.
20:45
SPEAKER_2: Well, yeah,
20:46
SPEAKER_2: I'm familiar with that conversation,
20:49
SPEAKER_2: and it was very important that we needed to do that.
20:54
SPEAKER_2: My concern,
20:57
SPEAKER_2: and I felt like whoever the leader is,
21:03
SPEAKER_2: whoever would become that leader needed to be the face of this referendum.
21:08
SPEAKER_2: When we didn't do that, because
21:10
SPEAKER_2: Rausch is the new executive director -- if he's not doing that, which I'm not seeing it either.
21:17
SPEAKER_2: I'm not saying he's not doing it.
21:19
SPEAKER_2: I'm just saying I'm not seeing it or hearing of it.
21:24
SPEAKER_2: Then how do you sell it to people across the IPS district to say, go vote for this referendum?
21:31
SPEAKER_2: You've got to be the face of it.
21:33
SPEAKER_2: I think part of the reason why we don't see anybody yet is because nobody wants
21:38
SPEAKER_2: to be the face of it.
21:40
SPEAKER_2: I don't think Alicia Johnson, the superintendent, I don't think she wants to be the face of it.
21:45
SPEAKER_2: I don't think
21:47
SPEAKER_2: Rausch wants to be the face of it.
21:49
SPEAKER_2: I don't think Michael O'Connor, who was the acting director, wants to be the face of it.
21:52
SPEAKER_2: So then it becomes a problem because who wants to be the face of
21:57
SPEAKER_2: the first thing I'm doing --
21:59
SPEAKER_2: we just hijack the school board and say, we want a referendum.
22:04
SPEAKER_2: Trust those people that have been appointed to handle the money right.
22:07
SPEAKER_2: Because some people have questions about that.
22:10
SPEAKER_2: They're going to be like, wait a minute, this is just a bunch of seven appointed people.
22:15
SPEAKER_2: Why are we trusting you with these millions of dollars?
22:18
SPEAKER_2: How do we know you will do what you said you will do?
22:21
SPEAKER_2: At least with voting people, you can vote them out.
22:23
SPEAKER_1: Well, folks won't even know what to vote for.
22:25
SPEAKER_1: If you're not outselling that we need this and here's why,
22:30
SPEAKER_1: whether you're putting whatever the span is,
22:33
SPEAKER_1: if you're not even doing that,
22:35
SPEAKER_1: folks are automatically going to say, well, I'm not with it.
22:39
SPEAKER_1: You're not even giving me a reason to vote for it.
22:43
SPEAKER_1: And in my opinion,
22:44
SPEAKER_1: I think that speaks volumes that they didn't initially come out and say,
22:51
SPEAKER_1: we're going to really fight for this referendum.
22:54
SPEAKER_1: We're going to be informative.
22:56
SPEAKER_1: Because one thing we can say,
22:57
SPEAKER_1: at least Alicia Johnson,
23:00
SPEAKER_1: the last couple go rounds when they were asking for money,
23:03
SPEAKER_1: they did a lot of community meetings.
23:05
SPEAKER_1: Now you can debate whether or not, okay, there was really community input.
23:10
SPEAKER_1: That was always an issue,
23:11
SPEAKER_1: but at least they were throwing out, you know, here's what we're trying to do.
23:15
SPEAKER_1: Here's why we're trying to do it.
23:17
SPEAKER_1: And in 2026, Pastor, we can look and say all that stuff failed, but we got to go to break.
23:23
SPEAKER_1: So if you'd like to be part of our conversation, you can call into the radio station.
23:26
SPEAKER_1: That number is 317-480-1310.
23:30
SPEAKER_1: And you can also comment on our Facebook page.
23:33
SPEAKER_1: We'll catch you on the other side of our break.
23:35
SPEAKER_1: You're listening
23:36
SPEAKER_1: to the Concerned Clergy Radio Show on Praise AM 1310, 95.1 FM, Indy's Inspiration Station.
23:45
SPEAKER_1: Welcome back to the Concerned Clergy Radio Show.
23:48
SPEAKER_1: I'm Reverend Tony Alexander,
23:49
SPEAKER_1: and we're joined by our President,
23:51
SPEAKER_1: Pastor David W.
23:52
SPEAKER_1: Greene Sr.,
23:53
SPEAKER_1: and we're talking about education tonight,
23:56
SPEAKER_1: what the status of education is here in Indiana,
24:00
SPEAKER_1: and really we're looking at across the entire United States.
24:05
SPEAKER_1: Specifically,
24:05
SPEAKER_1: we've been citing some examples here in Marion County in regards to IPS and across
24:12
SPEAKER_1: the state where there are several districts that are looking for funding,
24:17
SPEAKER_1: asking for money,
24:19
SPEAKER_1: putting in place referendums that the community voters will have to vote on.
24:24
SPEAKER_1: Where they're asking for your support.
24:27
SPEAKER_1: And we have to ask ourselves, why are we here?
24:31
SPEAKER_1: Why can't we get quality education funded with our taxpayer dollars
24:36
SPEAKER_1: that we're already providing on both the state and the federal level?
24:40
SPEAKER_1: Why is it that we're finding,
24:43
SPEAKER_1: and good evening, Imhotep,
24:44
SPEAKER_1: why is it that we're finding that resources are actually being taken away,
24:52
SPEAKER_1: being removed, and here we are now having to ask for money?
24:58
SPEAKER_1: But we got a call on the line.
24:59
SPEAKER_1: Let's go ahead and bring in our caller.
25:02
SPEAKER_1: Imhotep, are you there?
25:04
SPEAKER_3: I'm here.
25:05
SPEAKER_3: How are you doing, gentlemen?
25:07
SPEAKER_3: And thank you for taking my call.
25:12
SPEAKER_3: This is a sore, sore subject.
25:16
SPEAKER_3: I'm 60 this October.
25:18
SPEAKER_3: You guys are probably a lot younger.
25:19
SPEAKER_3: You all look younger, look real good.
25:21
SPEAKER_1: Praise the Lord.
25:22
SPEAKER_3: But it's painful.
25:26
SPEAKER_3: Especially,
25:27
SPEAKER_3: I'm a political science minor,
25:29
SPEAKER_3: and we used to have knock-down,
25:30
SPEAKER_3: drag-out debates about political systems, capitalism, socialism, communism.
25:37
SPEAKER_3: I don't think people really know the difference between the two.
25:39
SPEAKER_3: But what we have,
25:41
SPEAKER_3: the problem why education is not funded,
25:43
SPEAKER_3: and this all ties into why education is not funded properly,
25:46
SPEAKER_3: because we have crony capitalism in this country.
25:48
SPEAKER_3: We have socialism for the rich and rugged individualism for the rest of us.
25:55
SPEAKER_3: This is a fact.
25:55
SPEAKER_3: Larry, if you're listening, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
25:57
SPEAKER_3: I hope you're listening, Larry, because you know this to be true.
26:01
SPEAKER_3: Most Americans,
26:02
SPEAKER_3: considering that only 56% of Americans read on the sixth grade level,
26:06
SPEAKER_3: most Americans don't understand the systems,
26:09
SPEAKER_3: or mostly all systems, like you guys speak of in this country.
26:13
And so until the -- what has been pain for so many years is -- you don't want to tax
26:20
the corporation.
26:22
SPEAKER_3: We know for a fact that Meta,
26:23
SPEAKER_3: Google, and all of them, NVIDIA, and all of them have offshore corporate sites.
26:33
SPEAKER_3: They're not paying anything in federal taxes.
26:35
SPEAKER_3: The state's giving them whatever they want.
26:37
SPEAKER_3: Like what this Bears discussion we had up there.
26:39
SPEAKER_3: Why don't we --
26:40
SPEAKER_3: first of all,
26:40
SPEAKER_3: we haven't even finished paying for the RCA Dome,
26:42
SPEAKER_3: which I think we still owe a couple million dollars on that.
26:44
SPEAKER_3: It's been gone forever.
26:46
SPEAKER_3: We still got a bond we're paying on Lucas Oil Stadium,
26:50
SPEAKER_3: which Mr. Lucas barely gave a million dollars.
26:52
SPEAKER_3: What did he give?
26:53
SPEAKER_3: $10 million, I think, out of a $700 million stadium.
26:56
SPEAKER_3: And then now you want to talk about -- are you looking at giving the Bears, the McCaskeys?
27:01
SPEAKER_3: I'm from Gary, Indiana.
27:03
SPEAKER_3: The McCaskeys are the last people to need any taxpayer money.
27:06
SPEAKER_3: They've been sitting on money forever.
27:07
SPEAKER_3: But you want to give them $2 billion?
27:09
SPEAKER_3: Yet, education has to continue to fight, claw, and scratch.
27:13
SPEAKER_3: I talked to some young people this week.
27:15
SPEAKER_3: Lunches have not been looking good in the schools, sir.
27:18
SPEAKER_3: If you get a chance, it's not service.
27:19
SPEAKER_3: If you get a chance, talk to the young people.
27:22
SPEAKER_3: It could be because when Trump came in, he got rid of all the FDA and USDA stuff.
27:28
SPEAKER_3: I think the USDA handled school lunches,
27:30
SPEAKER_3: and I think they got rid of all the options that they would have and things like that.
27:34
SPEAKER_3: But I've been hearing for the last three days,
27:36
SPEAKER_3: four days, that lunches have really looked paltry.
27:39
SPEAKER_3: They've really looked bad.
27:41
SPEAKER_3: And so that is direct relationship to the USDA,
27:45
SPEAKER_3: Trump administration,
27:46
SPEAKER_3: cutting costs in cahoots with the U.S. Department of Education, in cahoots.
27:53
SPEAKER_3: And so now our children are suffering nutritionally-wise, too.
27:57
SPEAKER_3: So until the corporations are made to pay their fair share.
28:02
SPEAKER_3: They got to use these roads.
28:03
SPEAKER_3: They want their trucks going down all these roads,
28:05
SPEAKER_3: delivering all this cargo and stuff like that.
28:07
SPEAKER_3: Yet they don't want to help pay for the roads.
28:09
SPEAKER_3: Look what happened yesterday or the day before.
28:10
SPEAKER_3: They took away the veto, which I agree with.
28:13
SPEAKER_3: I agree with the veto.
28:14
SPEAKER_3: I don't think we should have been paying anything extra.
28:16
SPEAKER_3: Okay, but they overrode the veto.
28:18
SPEAKER_3: Maggie Lewis was saying they got to raise this $50 million.
28:20
SPEAKER_3: $50 million is not going to do enough for these roads.
28:22
SPEAKER_3: But until you make the corporations truly
28:25
SPEAKER_3: -- I don't care about their philanthropy --
28:27
SPEAKER_3: really need to pay their fair share of taxes, just like everybody else.
28:31
SPEAKER_3: Until that happens,
28:32
SPEAKER_3: and then that builds the general fund up,
28:34
SPEAKER_3: then education is going to continue to be grabbing and clawing and scratching,
28:38
SPEAKER_3: and we're going to keep getting squeezed, gentlemen.
28:41
SPEAKER_1: Thank you so much.
28:43
SPEAKER_1: One thing I would say, Mr.
28:44
SPEAKER_1: President,
28:45
SPEAKER_1: that when we're talking about dollars and where we can find them,
28:49
SPEAKER_1: it seems like when you're looking at ballpark projects,
28:52
SPEAKER_1: you're looking at lawn projects,
28:54
SPEAKER_1: when you're looking at all these other projects that Trump wants to do,
28:59
SPEAKER_1: he's always finding private money,
29:01
SPEAKER_1: quote-unquote,
29:02
SPEAKER_1: where the taxpayers don't have to spend any money to take care
29:05
SPEAKER_1: of whatever it is he wants.
29:06
SPEAKER_1: Now, we know that's not true,
29:08
SPEAKER_1: but he is getting some private money and it does flow pretty freely.
29:13
SPEAKER_1: Let's go ahead and bring in Guy.
29:18
SPEAKER_4: Good evening.
29:19
SPEAKER_1: Good evening.
29:23
SPEAKER_4: I'll second what Imhotep just said.
29:27
SPEAKER_4: He hit it out of the park.
29:29
SPEAKER_4: And you know what?
29:31
SPEAKER_4: You may be familiar with the gentleman in Indianapolis by the name of Dr.
29:37
SPEAKER_4: Eugene White, who was previously superintendent of IPS.
29:46
SPEAKER_4: To me, this is an educator
29:50
SPEAKER_4: who needs to be spotlighted because he is for the students.
29:58
SPEAKER_4: He doesn't take any guff from students, but he's for the students.
30:03
SPEAKER_4: He knows what's happening with the money.
30:05
SPEAKER_4: In fact,
30:07
SPEAKER_4: you know,
30:07
SPEAKER_4: when he resigned and a different superintendent came in,
30:13
SPEAKER_4: you know, you remember all that issue back in that time?
30:18
SPEAKER_4: And what has happened since then?
30:21
SPEAKER_4: So has the Concerned Clergy ever considered maybe having Dr.
30:26
SPEAKER_4: Eugene White,
30:28
SPEAKER_4: maybe Imhotep,
30:30
SPEAKER_4: you know, and others that are interested, maybe like a community forum?
30:35
SPEAKER_4: Because a lot of people don't even realize that on November the 3rd in
30:40
SPEAKER_4: the general election, you also have a school board election coming up.
30:46
SPEAKER_4: They don't know how many people are running for the school board
30:50
SPEAKER_4: and what districts are open for the people to run in.
30:56
SPEAKER_4: You know, you don't hear much about that at all.
30:59
SPEAKER_4: Maybe it would be a good thing to have something like a community forum with Dr.
31:04
SPEAKER_4: Eugene White, Imhotep, and others that are really interested in the community.
31:10
SPEAKER_4: You know,
31:13
SPEAKER_4: back in the day when the Concerned Clergy was first formulated,
31:23
SPEAKER_4: they would be on it like white on rice.
31:27
SPEAKER_4: These are the kind of issues that they would tackle.
31:31
SPEAKER_4: I would just like to say maybe it would be a good idea
31:34
SPEAKER_4: if the Concerned Clergy might consider doing something like that.
31:38
SPEAKER_1: All right.
31:38
SPEAKER_1: Thank you, Guy.
31:39
SPEAKER_1: We got it.
31:40
SPEAKER_1: Mr. President, you want to respond?
31:45
SPEAKER_2: I'll go back to Imhotep.
31:46
SPEAKER_2: I agree with a lot that he stated because it was fact in terms of how we're here now
31:54
SPEAKER_2: in terms of what the federal president did because he basically gutted
32:00
SPEAKER_2: the Department of Education, etc.
32:03
SPEAKER_2: It was new to me about the food, but I'm not surprised about that.
32:06
SPEAKER_2: When you're cutting budgets, meal stuff is going to take some hits.
32:13
SPEAKER_2: Directly or indirectly,
32:14
SPEAKER_2: it's going to be part of this referendum stuff because they're operating to
32:18
SPEAKER_2: a budget, you know, and everything went up.
32:21
SPEAKER_2: When gas is up, then getting food to the schools is up because it costs more to transport.
32:28
SPEAKER_2: So all these budgets are going to be impacted and you got less money.
32:34
SPEAKER_2: So on that tip, I agree.
32:39
SPEAKER_2: I certainly agree.
32:40
SPEAKER_2: We're talking about this matter now.
32:42
SPEAKER_2: I know Dr. White
32:48
SPEAKER_2: fairly well, so I'm sure we can put that together.
32:52
SPEAKER_2: The main thing will be can we get citizens to come out.
32:55
SPEAKER_2: We need people to hear it.
32:57
SPEAKER_2: I'm not sure.
32:58
SPEAKER_2: It is a little bit confusing about it.
33:00
SPEAKER_2: Who's running?
33:01
SPEAKER_2: I mean, I do have some names for the IPS board,
33:03
SPEAKER_2: but I don't know if they're staying in, et cetera.
33:05
SPEAKER_2: But you got to remember that board doesn't make decisions now.
33:08
SPEAKER_2: You got to target IPEC.
33:11
SPEAKER_2: You got to hold that group accountable because if you're just on the school board,
33:15
SPEAKER_2: you're still doing whatever IPEC decides.
33:17
SPEAKER_2: They're not making that decision.
33:19
SPEAKER_2: So strategy has to shift because they have shifted.
33:24
SPEAKER_2: What we did before.
33:25
SPEAKER_2: Yeah.
33:25
SPEAKER_2: When you're electing people, we're going to be making the decision.
33:28
SPEAKER_2: When we're not electing people, it's going to be making a decision.
33:31
SPEAKER_2: IPEC is making the decision.
33:33
SPEAKER_2: So you have to figure out ways of how you're going to hold IPEC accountable,
33:39
SPEAKER_2: given the scenario of where we are.
33:41
SPEAKER_2: And is the whole thing a design to have IPS become a takeover school of the state?
33:48
SPEAKER_2: Is all this just a sham,
33:52
SPEAKER_2: a play, if you will, Reverend Alexander, where the state is going to take over IPS?
34:00
SPEAKER_2: And is that really somebody's goal?
34:03
SPEAKER_2: All this other stuff over here is just some noise.
34:06
SPEAKER_2: But here's what the real plan is.
34:08
SPEAKER_2: Because when we started going down the IPEC road,
34:11
SPEAKER_2: even though there were community meetings, let's be real.
34:17
SPEAKER_2: They did not listen to the community.
34:19
We were down at the city-county building -- to knock this down,
34:22
to protest -- Reverend Alexander.
34:24
SPEAKER_2: You and I were down there.
34:26
SPEAKER_2: We know where the community stood.
34:28
SPEAKER_2: We know where we stood.
34:30
SPEAKER_2: And people went against what the people wanted.
34:33
SPEAKER_2: It's almost like the data center thing.
34:35
SPEAKER_2: When they move ahead with a data center, it ain't because the people said they wanted it.
34:40
SPEAKER_2: The people was on the other side.
34:41
SPEAKER_2: And this is where this was.
34:44
SPEAKER_2: But IPEC was a plan by -- as Imhotep says -- the system.
34:49
SPEAKER_2: And the system is...
34:51
SPEAKER_2: When the people who have money are making more money, and they ain't worried about this, right?
34:55
SPEAKER_2: Like I said originally, if I got enough money, I can put my child in a private school.
35:00
SPEAKER_2: I don't care about any of this.
35:02
SPEAKER_2: They don't even receive this noise.
35:05
SPEAKER_2: The public schools are for people who say, I need a public school.
35:08
SPEAKER_2: I need a public choice.
35:10
SPEAKER_2: And they should have a good choice.
35:13
SPEAKER_2: And it shouldn't be something where the food is not the same quality.
35:16
SPEAKER_2: Most importantly, education is not the same quality.
35:18
SPEAKER_2: And, you know, they should have access to activities.
35:22
SPEAKER_2: It shouldn't be like,
35:23
SPEAKER_2: okay, because I don't live in this zip code, my education level fell off the cliff.
35:31
SPEAKER_2: The opportunities for my children fell off the cliff because I don't live in the right zip code.
35:36
SPEAKER_2: That's what we're talking about.
35:38
SPEAKER_1: Well,
35:38
SPEAKER_1: I also think that you're going to have a lot of folks that want to see IPS fail,
35:45
SPEAKER_1: and they're certainly not going to support a referendum.
35:48
SPEAKER_1: And I also believe,
35:49
SPEAKER_1: and I've been saying this,
35:51
SPEAKER_1: you'll see how serious they are if it is just a facade to really have state takeover
36:00
SPEAKER_1: for IPS in the schools.
36:02
SPEAKER_1: You'll see by virtue of how hard do they lobby and do they fight for
36:08
SPEAKER_1: the referendum that's coming up here in November.
36:12
SPEAKER_1: And while we look at November,
36:14
SPEAKER_1: let us also remember early voting starts at the beginning of October.
36:20
SPEAKER_1: So we really don't have that much time.
36:22
SPEAKER_1: Let's go ahead and take our last commercial break of the hour.
36:26
SPEAKER_1: If you would like to be part of the conversation, the phone number is 317-480-1310.
36:32
SPEAKER_1: Or you can also comment on our Facebook page, the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis.
36:36
SPEAKER_1: You're listening to the Concerned Clergy Radio Show on Praise AM 1310,
36:40
SPEAKER_1: 95.1 FM, Indy's Inspiration Station.
36:47
SPEAKER_1: Welcome back.
36:49
SPEAKER_1: Welcome to the Concerned Clergy Radio Show.
37:20
SPEAKER_1: Let's go ahead and bring in Pat.
37:23
SPEAKER_5: Hi.
37:24
SPEAKER_5: Thank you so much for taking my call.
37:26
SPEAKER_5: I've been sitting here listening to your very, very interesting, informative show.
37:32
SPEAKER_5: And I just wanted to make a comment.
37:33
SPEAKER_5: That's all.
37:34
SPEAKER_1: All right.
37:34
SPEAKER_1: Go right ahead.
37:37
SPEAKER_5: Number one,
37:39
SPEAKER_5: when you speak of what's going on with the education system,
37:43
SPEAKER_5: this is not something that's just by chance.
37:46
SPEAKER_5: This is well-planned tactics.
37:50
SPEAKER_5: You prevent a people from being educated.
37:55
SPEAKER_5: You take away their health, decent housing.
37:59
SPEAKER_5: You actually choke the light out of those people.
38:02
SPEAKER_5: And this is an ongoing tactic.
38:04
SPEAKER_5: It's been going on for some time.
38:07
SPEAKER_5: However,
38:08
SPEAKER_5: you're seeing the reality of it with this racist administration
38:13
SPEAKER_5: and this racist governor that we have here in this state.
38:17
SPEAKER_5: They don't want our children educated.
38:20
SPEAKER_5: Because when you educate them, they become progressive.
38:25
SPEAKER_5: They go on to have quality of life.
38:28
SPEAKER_5: This is something they don't want to happen.
38:30
SPEAKER_5: This is just another tactic to push Black people back to the Jim Crow era.
38:36
SPEAKER_5: This is exactly what they're doing.
38:39
SPEAKER_5: The only children of ours that they even care about are the ones
38:43
SPEAKER_5: that they can make money off of.
38:45
SPEAKER_5: And when I say that, I mean...
38:48
SPEAKER_5: The high school students who are in sports,
38:50
SPEAKER_5: basketball,
38:51
SPEAKER_5: football,
38:51
SPEAKER_5: they're scouting them early because they want to see who they can make money off of.
38:57
SPEAKER_5: And if they have a progress report that they can do this, then they'll help these kids.
39:03
SPEAKER_5: But the rest of them, they don't really care.
39:05
SPEAKER_5: They don't care about their health, their mental health, their living arrangements.
39:11
SPEAKER_5: They don't care.
39:12
SPEAKER_5: And if people don't stop being lackadaisical,
39:16
SPEAKER_5: laid back,
39:17
SPEAKER_5: if they don't get up and go mobilize,
39:20
SPEAKER_5: organize, and vote, we're going to find ourselves in a very sad situation.
39:27
SPEAKER_5: I just wish that our people would wake up, smell the coffee, and see what's really going on.
39:33
SPEAKER_5: All right.
39:34
SPEAKER_5: I just want to thank you for allowing me to make my comment.
39:37
SPEAKER_1: Well, thank you so much for listening and calling in.
39:40
SPEAKER_1: I think those are some very valid points, Mr. President.
39:42
SPEAKER_1: I look at,
39:43
SPEAKER_1: you know,
39:44
SPEAKER_1: in addition to what Pat just mentioned,
39:47
SPEAKER_1: when you really look at the direction and what we're being sold now,
39:53
SPEAKER_1: we're really being sold now that the federal government said,
39:56
SPEAKER_1: hey, okay, we'll fund -- check this out -- we'll fund trade schools.
40:02
SPEAKER_1: What we're not going to do is we're not going to pay for Black students to go to college.
40:06
SPEAKER_1: Okay, we're not going to do that.
40:08
SPEAKER_1: But what we will do if you're going to be a plumber or you're going to be
40:11
SPEAKER_1: in some trade -- because we want to put you in some certain track when you're young.
40:17
SPEAKER_1: And that's all, you know, that's all you can do.
40:19
SPEAKER_1: We don't want to expose -- even our charter schools are being shaped that way
40:23
SPEAKER_1: where they have specialties, if you will.
40:26
SPEAKER_1: Our children need to be exposed to
40:30
SPEAKER_1: as widely and as broadly as possible to many options in their learning experience so
40:39
SPEAKER_1: that when they become eligible to be,
40:42
SPEAKER_1: you know,
40:43
SPEAKER_1: career owners,
40:46
SPEAKER_1: you know,
40:46
SPEAKER_1: having their own careers and things like that, they can have broad experiences.
40:51
SPEAKER_1: Even when we talk about college,
40:53
SPEAKER_1: very seldom do you see a college person come in,
40:56
SPEAKER_1: have the same major that they did going out.
40:59
SPEAKER_1: Because things change.
41:01
SPEAKER_1: And they're trying to stop our children from being able to be exposed to a whole lot
41:05
SPEAKER_1: of that stuff by putting them in a certain track or trade when they're young.
41:13
SPEAKER_2: Ms. Pat's on it 100%.
41:16
SPEAKER_2: First of all,
41:16
SPEAKER_2: I'm thankful for her calling in and sharing because she's hitting the nail on the head.
41:22
SPEAKER_2: And what you said is true, Reverend Alexander, because the private schools don't practice this.
41:28
SPEAKER_2: It's the other places, right?
41:30
SPEAKER_2: The private schools got over here saying,
41:31
SPEAKER_2: we're going to lock you into a track -- city -- and be a plumber.
41:34
SPEAKER_2: That is not what a private school does.
41:37
SPEAKER_2: And so they are trying to stunt the growth of certainly our Black people.
41:45
SPEAKER_2: And I agree as well.
41:47
SPEAKER_2: Unless you demonstrate value, okay, you're the next whoever, LeBron James, you name it.
41:54
SPEAKER_2: Okay, then they're going to take care of you.
41:56
SPEAKER_2: Because they'll let you into that private school.
41:59
SPEAKER_2: But if you don't have that, you're not connected like that, then you're on this other track.
42:06
SPEAKER_2: And it is to get you where you don't care.
42:09
SPEAKER_2: And unfortunately, I think it's had a huge impact.
42:12
SPEAKER_2: Because if you go look at voter turnout, who is it that doesn't vote?
42:15
SPEAKER_2: Black people.
42:17
SPEAKER_2: And we need to be at the polls more than anybody.
42:20
SPEAKER_2: Because that's the only way we can flip this stuff around.
42:22
SPEAKER_2: Right?
42:23
SPEAKER_2: We're the ones that's going to be like, I ain't going, it don't make a difference.
42:26
SPEAKER_2: Well, it does make a difference, but we've got to vote and have huge turnout.
42:31
SPEAKER_2: When we don't turn out, that's what they're counting on.
42:35
SPEAKER_2: And the less educated you are,
42:37
SPEAKER_2: if you can't read, well, then you can't read what's really going on.
42:42
SPEAKER_2: And therefore, next thing you know, you don't care and you're not voting.
42:46
SPEAKER_2: But, you know, we're building up the prison system because we're part of that.
42:50
SPEAKER_2: All the negative stuff in terms of health, et cetera, we're, you know, at the bottom in that.
42:56
SPEAKER_2: And a lot of it starts with this whole education piece.
43:02
SPEAKER_2: And it's detrimental.
43:04
SPEAKER_2: The fact that we literally went from an elected board to
43:07
SPEAKER_2: an appointed board should have especially Black people in an outrage.
43:14
SPEAKER_2: We don't elect our judges.
43:16
SPEAKER_2: Now you're not electing your school board.
43:18
SPEAKER_2: When are Black people going to say enough is enough?
43:23
SPEAKER_2: They don't do this anywhere else.
43:24
SPEAKER_2: They only do it where Black people are.
43:27
SPEAKER_2: Exactly.
43:29
SPEAKER_2: If it's so good, why aren't they doing it in Kokomo?
43:31
SPEAKER_2: Why aren't they doing it in Lafayette?
43:32
SPEAKER_2: They ain't doing it there because those people up there can read and they're doing it to us.
43:40
SPEAKER_2: Literally to us.
43:41
SPEAKER_2: And we should be outraged.
43:43
SPEAKER_2: Go from -- I can elect a board -- but the appointed board now is the ones making the decision.
43:49
SPEAKER_2: So the elected board there is just only there for show.
43:52
SPEAKER_2: Just to fool people that don't know about IPEC, right?
43:55
SPEAKER_2: If you don't know about IPEC, you will assume the school board is making some decision.
43:59
SPEAKER_2: There will be people literally years from now,
44:01
SPEAKER_2: two or three,
44:02
SPEAKER_2: four years from now waking up like,
44:03
SPEAKER_2: well, school board president, why did you let that go on?
44:06
SPEAKER_2: Well, that person ain't in control of it no more.
44:09
SPEAKER_2: IPEC is in control.
44:10
SPEAKER_2: Well, when did that happen?
44:12
SPEAKER_2: Okay, in 2026 and you were in 2030.
44:15
SPEAKER_2: That's the kind of -- we're behind it.
44:19
SPEAKER_2: Absolutely.
44:20
SPEAKER_2: Things that,
44:21
SPEAKER_2: you know,
44:21
SPEAKER_2: used to work don't work anymore because it's,
44:26
SPEAKER_2: you know,
44:26
SPEAKER_2: as Guy says, okay, we ain't against having a forum, bringing people together.
44:30
SPEAKER_2: The question is getting the people to come.
44:33
SPEAKER_2: We're so complacent and, you know, we're into TikTok videos and other stuff.
44:40
SPEAKER_1: There you go.
44:41
SPEAKER_1: We're into stuff that doesn't make a difference.
44:46
SPEAKER_2: Can I get them out of the cigar bar to come to the forum?
44:49
SPEAKER_2: Can I get them away from TikTok or something else, video games and get them to the forum?
44:55
SPEAKER_2: Not to hear me, but to hear some experts in this area who would tell you the truth.
44:59
SPEAKER_2: This is what's going on.
45:01
SPEAKER_2: And I think that's part of the challenge we have in today's society.
45:06
SPEAKER_2: It is, for sure.
45:07
SPEAKER_2: It's not limited to Black people.
45:08
SPEAKER_2: There's white people in here, too.
45:10
SPEAKER_2: It's across the board.
45:12
SPEAKER_2: It's across the board.
45:14
SPEAKER_2: But we need to wake up and understand this is a system.
45:19
SPEAKER_2: Imhotep said it right.
45:20
SPEAKER_2: This is a system.
45:21
SPEAKER_2: And they're working that system.
45:24
SPEAKER_2: Because the haves, there's a greater divide between the haves and the have-nots.
45:29
SPEAKER_2: And the haves are saying, you're in the haves, you're okay.
45:32
SPEAKER_2: Yeah.
45:33
SPEAKER_2: But have not.
45:34
SPEAKER_2: We're spreading that out.
45:35
SPEAKER_2: We're making it bigger.
45:36
SPEAKER_2: We're making it harder for you ever to recover because we're trying to put you on
45:39
SPEAKER_2: a track where you won't recover.
45:41
SPEAKER_2: Well, let's be real.
45:42
SPEAKER_2: We're going to put you on a track so you ain't coming out.
45:45
SPEAKER_2: So barring a miracle, you ain't even getting off that track.
45:48
SPEAKER_1: Well, the haves are saying we want to have it all.
45:51
SPEAKER_1: That's what they're saying.
45:53
SPEAKER_1: Let's go ahead and bring in Mayhem.
45:58
SPEAKER_1: Mayhem, are you there?
46:00
SPEAKER_6: Hey, how's it going?
46:01
SPEAKER_1: Good evening, sir.
46:03
SPEAKER_6: Hey, good show.
46:04
SPEAKER_6: Hey, I think it's bigger than education.
46:12
SPEAKER_6: If you look at our politicians, we love them too much.
46:19
SPEAKER_6: The voters, yeah, they're complacent in Marion County.
46:23
SPEAKER_6: They want Marion County
46:25
SPEAKER_6: City Council -- the misleadership has given them the open ticket to come in and take everything.
46:34
SPEAKER_6: The education -- they're taking some Black people out of Marion County.
46:38
SPEAKER_6: So we can blame the voters because we put our politicians as movie stars.
46:46
SPEAKER_6: They're not civil servants.
46:48
SPEAKER_6: We're supposed to tell them what to do,
46:50
SPEAKER_6: but lately they've been telling the taxpayers what to do.
46:54
SPEAKER_6: So we're partly to blame in this deception, in this joint venture -- that Marion County is gone.
47:02
SPEAKER_6: We could talk about it, but, you know, we've been talking about this 10 years.
47:06
SPEAKER_6: Amos was talking about education.
47:08
SPEAKER_6: You see how they silenced him about talking about education.
47:12
SPEAKER_6: You see how they silenced him when he talked about the Black Expo.
47:16
SPEAKER_6: So, hey, we got to go back and look at the mistakes that we have made.
47:23
SPEAKER_6: It's the voters' fault because we worship these politicians that run us instead
47:29
SPEAKER_6: of us running them.
47:30
SPEAKER_6: Hey, have a good one.
47:31
SPEAKER_1: All right.
47:32
SPEAKER_1: Thank you, Mr. President.
47:33
SPEAKER_1: You know,
47:34
SPEAKER_1: if one thing I could say is the constituents --
47:38
SPEAKER_1: one, if you're not voting, you're probably not even reaching out to whoever.
47:43
SPEAKER_1: Matter of fact,
47:44
SPEAKER_1: you may not even know,
47:45
SPEAKER_1: you know, who your city-county council is, you know, who your state rep is.
47:50
SPEAKER_1: They need to really just get more educated and informed,
47:54
SPEAKER_1: first of all, to even hold anybody accountable.
47:57
SPEAKER_1: Because if you don't even know who they are, you just know a name.
48:01
SPEAKER_1: Oh, well, here's a person I'm going to call them.
48:03
SPEAKER_1: You know what?
48:04
SPEAKER_1: They could be, you know, in some other state.
48:07
SPEAKER_1: You saw them on CNN and you think they're the ones to call.
48:11
SPEAKER_1: So I think a lot of that just comes with the basic understanding
48:16
SPEAKER_1: of local government,
48:19
SPEAKER_1: you know,
48:19
SPEAKER_1: state government,
48:21
SPEAKER_1: who those people are before you can even attempt to hold them accountable,
48:25
SPEAKER_1: Mr. President.
48:26
SPEAKER_2: Well, yeah, I do think it comes in the knowledge.
48:28
SPEAKER_2: I do think,
48:29
SPEAKER_2: unfortunately,
48:31
SPEAKER_2: that people do vote for somebody because of name recognition
48:33
SPEAKER_2: because they've been there and they don't circle back to say, how did they vote?
48:38
SPEAKER_2: How did they vote?
48:39
SPEAKER_2: I mean, if you're over here,
48:41
SPEAKER_2: for example,
48:42
SPEAKER_2: you're over here in Brightwood and you were against data centers and Ron Gibson was
48:47
SPEAKER_2: for it.
48:48
SPEAKER_2: And do you still vote for him because he sends you the most mailings come next May or November?
48:57
SPEAKER_1: But do you even know he didn't?
48:59
SPEAKER_1: Do you even know?
49:02
SPEAKER_2: He voted where he stood at.
49:05
SPEAKER_2: You're just going to read something that he sent
49:08
SPEAKER_2: or all I know is I've seen him somewhere at the park with me.
49:13
SPEAKER_2: I mean, it's all that kind of stuff.
49:15
SPEAKER_2: And the politicians know how to be politicians.
49:20
SPEAKER_2: Because we have a number of people who do not vote for their best interest.
49:24
SPEAKER_2: Exactly.
49:26
SPEAKER_2: You ain't voting for your business.
49:27
SPEAKER_2: You're voting because so-and-so's name is there.
49:30
SPEAKER_2: And they showed up at something that you was at and smiled and grinned.
49:35
SPEAKER_2: But you don't know if they helped improve your quality of life at all.
49:39
SPEAKER_2: You ain't interested in that.
49:40
SPEAKER_2: And that's where we messed up.
49:42
SPEAKER_1: We're not, yeah.
49:44
SPEAKER_2: We do see them as celebrities,
49:48
SPEAKER_2: as was stated, because they know to show up at the Black Expo event.
49:53
SPEAKER_2: Certain events they know to be at and they're walking around and they're smiling
49:58
SPEAKER_2: with you,
49:59
SPEAKER_2: but we did not find out how did they vote,
50:02
SPEAKER_2: where were they at on the issues that matter to our lives.
50:09
SPEAKER_2: And then therefore we put them back in because we know this person, we've seen them.
50:13
SPEAKER_2: We'd rather do that than vote and support somebody we didn't know
50:17
SPEAKER_2: because they said something negative about this other person.
50:20
SPEAKER_2: Oh, well, I ain't going with them and I'll just keep, you know, this councilor or whatever.
50:24
SPEAKER_2: So once they get along, it's just natural for them.
50:28
SPEAKER_2: They're going to have name recognition.
50:30
SPEAKER_2: They're going to, hopefully in four years, at least be in one or two new stories.
50:34
SPEAKER_2: And so next thing you know, you're just always agreeing with them.
50:38
SPEAKER_2: And you really don't know what they did if they're improving your quality of life.
50:41
SPEAKER_2: And you never said that.
50:43
SPEAKER_2: That might be the reason why.
50:45
SPEAKER_1: We're over time, Mr. President.
50:46
SPEAKER_1: So we got to run.
50:49
SPEAKER_1: But there's definitely a great point.
50:51
SPEAKER_1: And folks need to take heed to that.
50:53
SPEAKER_1: Everyone,
50:54
SPEAKER_1: we thank you for being with us and listening on tonight.
50:57
SPEAKER_1: Everyone have a blessed week.
50:58
SPEAKER_1: We'll see you next week.