Latest / The Dave Allen Show / 04/16/2024 The Dave Allen Show on 580 Live - Earl Whittington, Kelli Steele, Mike Pushkin

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04/16/2024 The Dave Allen Show on 580 Live - Earl Whittington, Kelli Steele, Mike Pushkin · The Dave Allen Show

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or WVRC Media. From the studios of WVRC Media, the country, the
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United States of America, the state West Virginia, the city Charleston. This
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is the Dave Allen Show on five eighty Live, and your host. What
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we've got here is fail the Milk's kind of a big deal. I have
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come here to chew bubble gum and kickout. Got a hall out of bubble
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Dave Allen, and a good Tuesday morning to you from the Palmar Store studio.
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Welcome to the show. Ryan Nicholson is our producer. Today big Ley
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the show from the Parmars store studio. If there's not a Parmar Store here,
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is a Buffalo Wild Wings and cross Lanes at six o'clock this Thursday night.
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If there's not a Parmar store near you now, there will be soon Coming
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up a little bit later on the show, Delicate State Democratic Party Chair Mike
2:15
Pushkin is going to be joining us also a couple of weekrun a weekend in
2:20
three or four days away from one of the biggest events in the area.
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It's the West Virginia Food Truck Festival. It's Putndam County Fairgrounds and Eleanor Kelly
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Steele, the director of the Putnam County CVB, is going to join us
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to talk about that, plus going to get into some things from Charleston City
2:31
Council meeting last night, as well as always your phone calls and text to
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welcome again big Ley Pickley Wiggly Hotline three zero four three four five fifty eight
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fifty eight through pharmacy texts three zero four nine three five five zero zero eight.
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Earl Weddington is a gentleman's name. He currently serves as magistrate in Kanawha
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County and he'd like to remain as a magistrate. He's joining for re election
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and he joins us now, Magistrate, Good morning, welcome to the show.
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Good morning, sir, Thank you for having me, Thank you for
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being here. Give us the bio on earl Way Well. I'm sixty three
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years of age. I was born in Columbus, Ohio. We moved here
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when I was six years old. I've been in Kannall County ever since I
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have. I'm a thirty year veteran of the police department for City of Dunbar.
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Eight of those years I spent as a police chief for the City of
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Dunbar, worked under three different mayors. I retired in twenty fourteen from the
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City of Dunbar and immediately went to work for the Kanaal County Sheriff's Department,
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serving as a judicial security officer, protecting the judges and checking packages and so
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forth at the front door of the judicial building. And that's where I currently
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was up until the point that I was appointed as the magistrate to replace Magistrate
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Ferrell who left and Chief Judge Mary Claire Akers had taken applications for that position.
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Seventeen people put in for that position, and she seen had enough faith
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in me to appoint me to that position, and that's what I'm currently at
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now city in the magistrate position. I have a few hobbies, you know,
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a weightlifter, I like to ride motorcycles, pay golf, and spend
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as much time on the beach as we can. I'm married to my lovely
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wife, Ashley of eleven years. Which are you better at golfing or motorcycles?
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Much better at motorcycling than I am golfing. I would have to tell
4:20
you a bunch of untruthful stories in my golfing career, and we kind of
4:25
discouraged that when it comes to political figures. Talk about your experience as a
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police officer and in that realm of things, you mentioned that you work for
4:32
the Sheriff's department. Does that give you, like maybe a little advantage as
4:40
far as being magister because you've seen things on the other side of the desk,
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so to speak. How does that work? Well? I would like
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to think that gives me a huge advantage do to the fact that we have
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served on that side of the fence. Now, it's entirely two different types
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of jobs, but I've seen the type of people that come before the court.
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I've dealt with those type of people that come before the court. And
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I believe that my position as a police officer for thirty years, not only
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just as a police officer only, but also as a police administrator, a
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police chief, it gives me. It gave me the ability and the training
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to make the tough decisions when we need to make the tough decisions. Talking
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again with their old Weddington News currently Kenaw County Magistrate and I said, you're
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running for re election. You were appointed to the position, so I don't
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know correct correct term. And then what timeframe was that that you were appointed.
5:34
We're looking at it approximately a couple months ago. Okay, all right,
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so this is your first election for this right, this is your my
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first election, yes sir, but Dave allence on five. Any life brought
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What do you enjoy about being a magistrate. Well, I'm a people
6:04
person. I've always been a people person. I've always wanted to help people.
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That's why I stayed in the position I did until retirement from law enforcement
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and continue doing with the Sheriff's Department. It's the idea of helping people,
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and this just gives me another ability to possibly help people steer their life in
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the right direction and they've made simple mistakes. You know, it's kind of
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hard to direct a career criminal in the right direction because that's what his career
6:30
is. He's going to be a criminal. But the people that you know,
6:33
sometimes good things are bad things happen to good people, and if you
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can help those people get off into the right direction, then you feel like
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you've done something. Get back to the community. What you know, it's
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a non part of some position. But would you like to tell us what
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your political party is, Yes, sir, it is absolutely a non partisan.
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But I am a Republican. Okay. What are some of the biggest
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challenges that one faces in the judicial system today? Are well, repeat offenders
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obviously is an issue that we have a revolving door. They talk about seeing
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a lot of the same people and you saw that as a police officer too.
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Absolutely, it's the same people that I was bringing to the court I'm
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now seeing in the court or maybe their kids or on the other side.
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Well, correct, but the childly I say that jokingly, but sadly that
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is the case. A lot of law enforcement officers tell me that at people
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in in the judicial system in general. The sad part is that the children
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end up being a product of their environment. And so as a magistrate,
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you know, if we have the ability to change the environment, then maybe
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we can help save those children. What do you hear from the public when
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you've been out, you know, on the campaign trailer, just since you've
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been appointed to this job, if you're out of teen at your local Kroger
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store or wherever that you happen to be pumping gas or whatever. What do
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what do people tell you that they want to see in a magistrate? What
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do they want to see from the court system. Well, one, they
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want to see, you know, dedication and they want you to deal with
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the problem. There's nothing more aggravating than an end of it. Who's had
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a crime committed against them and then they see that person out and they're revictimized,
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and they see that person out again and they're revictimized. Sometimes you'll have
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the same victim on two or three different crimes, and it's very very annoying
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and agitating to that person, and they're looking for a person that can hopefully
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stop that, and they're wanting to put their faith in a person that can
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maybe curtail that activity so that they're not victimized anymore. So that seems to
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be the biggest issue that I hear about, is that they're consistently people are
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letting being let out to commit more crimes, and we're hoping that we can
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change a little bit of that. Talking about your campaign style, what have
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you been doing are you? Are you sign waving, door knocking? What
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are you doing? Well? We're doing at all. I'm a people person.
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I get out and I talk to people. Anybody that knows me knows
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that that's the kind of person I am. So I will never walk into
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a room and leave that someone will not know me when I leave. I'm
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making a point. I want you to feel comfortable when you talk to me.
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I'm approachable and I'm all about just trying to do the right thing.
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And that's what I tell everybody. You know, my father had taught me
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from a young boy. You know that treat you treat everyone like you want
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your family treated, and you should be Okay, Well I did that in
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my career as law enforcement, and I was very successful with that. Do
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you have a website or Facebook, social media anything that you'd like to put
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us out of the people. I have a campaign website, okay, it's
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Earl Wington Magistrate twenty twenty four. Of course, I have a personal Facebook
9:33
page, but which I try to keep it's fairly personal. But since the
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election that's not been too personal for Most of my friends are contacting me there
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and I'm trying to send them to the campaign page. But that's kind of
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where we're at. But that part of it, all right, give me
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the well I do a thing or a magicure that I call the final thirty.
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When I asked people to give me thirty seconds uninterrupted from me, it's
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not actually timed. Why should we actually have a stopwatch in lay away right
10:03
now? We have we can't afford to stop watch. Why should someone vote
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for Earl Wennington for magistrate? Well, like I said, I have an
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extended amount of experience in law enforcement, so I know what the job entails.
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I'm fair, I'm firm, I'm not afraid to make the hard decisions.
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If you want somebody that's willing to do the right thing, that's me.
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Sometimes that's not always popular, but I will always do my absolute best
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to do the right thing. And at the end of the day, I
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think that's about all you can ask is do the right thing. I'm hard
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working, I'm dedicated, I'm loyal. Anybody that knows me throughout my career
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will tell you that I am a dedicated employee. I'm dedicated to the citizens
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of Kanac County. I've gave over forty years of service to strictly Kanall County
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and I would like to continue that service with the Kannall County citizens. All
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right, Earl of Iss the best elected a campaign Earl Weddings and current Kenawh
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County Magistrate, hoping that to be elected. You are appointed to the job
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and hope to be elected this time around. I appreciate you being here.
11:01
Thanks a lot, Thank you for having me, sir. It is nine
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to eighteen of Dave Allen showing five Vidael. I brought to you a part
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toss saddled only twenty ninety nine at your favorite husband's location. Speaking of food,
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Westernginia Food Truck Festival is coming to Eleanor. It's the Putnam County fair
11:16
Grounds this one week from the Saturday. Kelly Steele, who is the director
11:20
of the Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau. They along with the Putnam County
11:24
Chamber of Commerce, we've put in this on. We're going to talk about
11:26
that with Kelly when we come back right after this from the Parmar Store Studio
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on the Voice of Charleston WCCHS. Brought to you by the Eric J.
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Tar Family Businesses. Eric J. Tar Family Businesses want to thank you for
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supporting local small businesses. We need real conservatives in the House of Delegates.
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as a conservative lawyer. I am a strong supporter of life, faith and
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Trump and President George W. Bush. Let's elect a new Conservative Republican to
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the House. I am Mark Carter and I would appreciate your vote for House
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Commercial Interiors dot Com. In Morgantown and Charleston. It is nine twenty the
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the Charleston Dirty Birds. Dirty Birds will have a home run derby at the
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ballpark Gomar Ballpark this Saturday. Gets open at five thirty. The home run
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derby starts the six thirty members of the Dirty Birds team. We'll be matched
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with local community members to tales coming up a little bit later on the week.
13:46
Matter of fact, I will have folks from the Dirty Birds on the
13:48
show on Friday to talk about it. And I do understand that we are
13:52
going to have people from this here media company here that are going to take
13:56
part in that. Don't know exactly who. I need to get with Coop
13:58
and find out who is going to take part in that. I do know
14:01
that one of the parts of the celebrity wing, if you will, as
14:05
he said, on the show yesterday is going to be a canon Kanta Commissioner
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Ben Selango. He is actually going to be one of the people taking part.
14:11
And hopefully because Selango told the story in the area yesterday that as a
14:16
young basketball player how he scored the winning basket for the other team, we're
14:20
hoping that doesn't he doesn't embarrass himself again. But that's coming up at the
14:24
ballpark again. We'll have more details coming up on Friday's show. Tickets are
14:28
They are on sale now, Dirty Birds Baseball dot Com Kids twelve and under
14:33
get in for free. Had a text here and I just had a EARLD
14:37
Weddington on the show and it was a Texas says, does Matress at Weddington
14:41
collect police retirement and matteriss at pay? If so, is that considered double
14:43
dipping? I asked him about that off the air and he does collect a
14:48
retirement, but it is perfectly legal. It's gone through all the process and
14:52
he's allowed to do that. According to a text Textra says, I like
14:58
this guy. He appears to have common sense. Well there you go,
15:01
which means he won't get very foreign in politics. I'm caddying, I'm kiddying
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Katy and Katy Kenny Kenny, but Dave Allen showing five any Live who is
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Apprenticeship today for more information. Coming up a little bit later on the show,
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State Democratic Party chair and Delicate Mike Pushkin is going to be here,
15:31
plus going to address some things from Charleston City Council from last night as well.
15:35
Let's talk about some fun stuff right now. The West Virginia Food Truck
15:39
Festival is happening in the city of Eleanor at the Putnam County Fairgrounds and it's
15:45
one week from this Saturday. I'm gonna be there because well it's food admission,
15:50
it's for you, lots of great food, games and of course great
15:52
music too. Kelly Steel, the executive director of the Putnam County Convention and
15:56
Visitors Bureau. They are presenting this along with the Putnam County Chain of our
16:00
Commerce. Kelly joins us now, good morning, welcome to the show.
16:03
Good morning, thanks for having me. I was thinking about this, Kelly,
16:07
how long has this been going on? Because I could remember when it
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started in downtown Hurricane, but in effect really got with all due respect to
16:15
the folks and Hurricane who were wonderful, it actually got a little bit too
16:18
big for downtown Hurricane and they had to move it over to the fairgrounds.
16:21
How long has this been going on? The first festival was in twenty sixteen,
16:25
but this is the sixth festival because of breaks due to COVID and remodeling
16:30
of the Valley Park. So this is our sixth festival. But the you
16:33
know, it started in twenty sixteen. You're right in Hurricane. It was
16:37
originally in Valley Park and then downtown and we just ran out of space.
16:41
I forgot about it. It was in Valley Park. I forgot about that
16:45
too. I was only thinking abouth the one in downtown Hurricane. But it
16:48
is a great event. It always is one of the hours and again it's
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all going to be one week from Saturday in the twenty seventh. What are
16:53
the hours over there? So you can come in for free from one pm
16:57
to five pm anytime, no ticket required. And this year we've added on
17:04
a VIP ticket option from noon to one so that's only ten dollars and that
17:08
gets you in an hour early and gets you, like, you know,
17:12
shorter lines. We limit the number of tickets so you can come in,
17:17
you know, when you're really hungry for lunch and enjoy the trucks and enjoy
17:21
some craft beer and the live music with low crowds. Or you can come
17:26
in for free starting at one pm. All right, either one. Again,
17:29
we're talking with Kelly Steal from the Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau about
17:32
the Western Food Truck Festival. And that's what you know. If there's been
17:36
any complaints, Kelly, and people like to complain, and that's okay because
17:38
when you start messing with their food, they do get a little touchy sometimes,
17:42
thank you as well. Do I get angry as they say. The
17:45
lines in the past for the food trucks have have been have been quite long.
17:49
So you're hoping and the organizers are hoping that this is going to kind
17:52
of help to alleviate that situation, that's right. So it gives people an
17:57
opportunity to make sure that they're not waiting in line for an extra long time
18:03
and to try some multiple multiple trucks before the lines get crowded. And the
18:07
other thing we recommend if you really you know, you don't you don't want
18:10
to pay the extra money, which we'd love for you to pay the extra
18:12
money. It helps us bring in great entertainment, which I'm sure you'll mention,
18:17
but it does. We do see that the crowds tend to drop off
18:22
the longer the festival goes on. The risk there is that you know,
18:26
some of your favorite dishes might be sold out by then, but there are
18:29
you know, the crowds are center starting at around three four o'clock. That's
18:33
the other option. Let's talk about the music. Do we have on the
18:36
musical lineup this year? Yeah, we have Keegan McLean is playing during that
18:41
VIP hour from noon to one, and then after that we have the River
18:44
Jam Band. We have Spurgey Hankins and E. V. Shaefer, so
18:48
that rounds it out. They're they're playing each for about an hour, so
18:52
you can come and enjoy live music for the whole day. Great acts coming
18:57
up too, but a've allance showing five. The line brought to you apart
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by General Hardware of Windfield and Milton and General Number of Windfield. If you're
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any location for details as a General Hardware WV dot com. Let's talk about
19:11
the charitable aspect of this, Kelly. Yeah, So each year we choose
19:18
a different nonprofit partner and any profits that are received from the festival, along
19:22
with proceeds from a raffle basket and donations, go to a different different local
19:26
nonprofit each year, and this year is the Friends of the Putnam Library,
19:30
so it helps support our local library system. They do a ton of great
19:33
programming all year round, plus summer reading for the little ones in the summer.
19:40
But we just have a very active and engaged library system and want to
19:45
do what we can to support the works that they're doing here. And again
19:48
the food is the highlight over there, but we mentioned the music, and
19:51
also there is craft beer available if people want that. A lot of the
19:53
games have been done in the past too, that's right. We always have
19:57
some long games, so you can come and play cornhole or uh lawn jinga,
20:03
you know, connect four. We have plenty of things set out.
20:07
We'll have frisbees again this year, so people can toss a frisbee around.
20:11
And we do encourage folks. While we do have picnic tables and things set
20:14
up, we do encourage you to bring your your camp chair, your lawn
20:18
chair, or just a blanket to spread out. Once when it's crowded,
20:22
it's hard to find a seat, and that way you can just kind of
20:23
find your favorite spot and enjoy enjoy the music for several hours. What about
20:29
pet somebody texted the show I remember once before and ask about bringing your pets
20:33
over there. I mean, you're in a big old, wide open field
20:34
as long as they're not out of control. Same with your kids. By
20:37
the way, they both need to be on lead. They both need to
20:40
be on leashes. They don't require at least for kids, but you know
20:44
that's up to you. We do ask that you if you're going to bring
20:47
your dog organ cat, you know, put them put them on a leasher.
20:49
Amartness. Yeah, but pets are welcome. We love we love greeting
20:53
our furry friends over there. We at the point where we can mention some
20:56
of the food trucks that are going to be there. Yeah, we have
20:59
some come up on the website now and I'll be working with the chamber to
21:02
get more. I do know that we have fifteen registered and the ones the
21:06
ones that that have that are ready to show up. Our wild, wonderful
21:10
barbecue, the rolling stoves, which I'm excited. That's a new that's a
21:14
new truck for us Farmhouse fixings. They were their last year. Crafts of
21:17
the Coal, ice cream, Wicked cool shaped ice and lemonade. We also
21:21
have some donuts, some tacos and we'll be updating that. You can find
21:25
all of the all of the details on we Food Truck Festival dot com.
21:27
But we have about fifteen trucks signed up so far and we are still accepting.
21:32
If it's a last minute and you want to come, you can sign
21:33
up on the website. And what is the deadline for people to sign up
21:37
if they want to take part, Yeah, that would be this Friday Friday,
21:41
so about a week to get you in there. Yeah, and make
21:45
sure that people know that and again it's a it's a wonderful facility. To
21:49
have this in Kelly and again the folks Valley Park were wonderful. In downtown
21:52
Hurricane, we're wonderful as well, But the decision was made a couple of
21:56
years ago to move it over there because you're in that big, wide,
21:57
open fair ground type space over there. You got plenty of free parking and
22:03
uh, it's it's certainly it's not a long drive. It's just it's a
22:06
short drive right off the main drag there off Roosevelt in Eleanor. You can
22:10
find it easily. And it's just this thing just gets bigger and better every
22:12
year, with people literally coming from from all over this part of the country
22:17
for this thing. That's right. We're excited about it and looking looking forward
22:21
to it, and we're very thankful to have the fair grounds available to us
22:23
to host the event. It gives us plenty of space, lots of power,
22:26
food trucks take a lot of electricity, and it's great for the great
22:30
for the trucks, and great great for attendees. We've got plenty of room
22:33
for you to stretch out and enjoy the spring the spring day. Hopefully the
22:37
weather will be great, because you know this time of year, you never
22:41
know what it's going to be. We've done it over there because I've served
22:42
as your MC and then the past we've had it in the in the and
22:47
it was so hot you couldn't stand it to where we were all wearing jackets.
22:51
Just you just you never know. Welcome to Spring in West Virginia.
22:55
I r at. The event is Saturday. The twenty seven starts in noon
22:57
Putnam County Fairgrounds in Eleanor the twenty twenty four edition of the Western Indian Food
23:02
Truck Festival, and again proceeds will benefit the library system in Putnam County.
23:07
Give us the website. I know you're all over social media, but give
23:11
us the website again. And if you have a food truck and you want
23:12
to sign up, you got to do it but this Friday, and I'm
23:15
going to have you on the day before the Food Truck Festival, which would
23:18
be one week from this Friday, so that way you can give us an
23:22
updated list of the food trucks that are going to be there. But give
23:23
us the website again, Kelly. Yeah, it's Wvfood Truck Festival dot com.
23:29
All right, It's the twenty seventh of April, one week from this
23:32
Saturday. Over in Eleanor at Putnam County Fairgrounds the twenty twenty four edition of
23:34
the Western Indian Food Truck Festival. Kelly Steal from the Putnam County Convention and
23:38
visitors Beer, I appreciate you being here, Thanks a lot, Thanks for
23:42
having me all right, and again, the CVB sponsors that in conjunction with
23:45
the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce. And if you've never had an opportunity check
23:49
it out, you need to make sure you do so because it is a
23:52
big, big old event. It's just a big party five or six hours
23:56
over there. Hopefully the weather is good. You can bring your pets out,
24:00
want you enjoy some craft beer or you can just have some food.
24:03
But you know, the lines can be a little bit long. That's why
24:07
they're doing the whole VIP thing. Just go to the website, to their
24:10
Facebook page and get more information about it there. We hope to see you
24:12
there over in Putnam County one week from this Saturday. Bigley Pickli Wiggly Hotline
24:17
three zero four three four five fifty eight fifty eight Fruit Pharmacy Texts three zero
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dot com slash five eighty WCHS. As you know, the cleanup is continuing
24:52
following the storms of last week. Now tomorrow night, there's going to be
24:56
a chance for those who were impacted to make official their storm damage reports seven
25:02
o'clock tomorrow evening at the Washington District Community Center. The addresses thirteen thirteen Sandplant
25:07
Road, South Charleston, and the space of being provided courtesy of the City
25:11
of South Charleston. This is an opportunity for residents to get in person help
25:18
in completing the storm damage reports and to be able to talk to people face
25:22
to face with the necessary officials and representatives. Again Tomorrow night, seven o'clock
25:26
thirteen thirteen Sandplant Road, Delicate jb Acres is one of those taking part and
25:32
he is going to join us on the show tomorrow to talk about it.
25:36
But if you're one of those people impacted, it's an opportunity to fill out,
25:40
to get help in filling out the damage reports, and to just talk
25:42
to officials one on one. Again, it's happening tomorrow night, seven o'clock.
25:45
It's thirteen thirteen Sandplant Road is where it's happening. It's at the Washington
25:52
District Community Center. And again Delicate Jbacres appreciate the information there. He and
25:56
others will be on hand. Delicate Acres will be on the show It Up
26:00
tomorrow to talk about it. Phone calls to Dave Island show a service of
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Big Lee Pickley Whiggily. When shopping at your big Ley Pickley Wiggily, be
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sure to join their loyalty program. You can say big at the gas pumps
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your hometown Family Pharmacy. I did not get to attend the Charleston City Council
26:36
meeting last night, nor did I get to watch online as I frequently do.
26:38
I was actually attending the wake of a very good friend of mine from
26:41
my hometown, so I was kind of out of the pocket last night.
26:45
I do understand, though, from talking to people that were there, that
26:49
there were people, including one of the accusers of former police Chief Ti Hunt,
26:56
that were upset that more or is it being said about the investigation into
27:03
the former police chief. He of course was placed on administrative leave. He's
27:07
been knocked down a couple of ranks as far as his title goes, and
27:11
we all know. We all know the story now. It's been all over
27:15
the news, covered on this show and other places. Councilwoman Shannon Snodgrass spoke
27:21
at last night's council meeting asking why more has not been released the city,
27:27
the mayor, the do police chiefs got Dempsey all saying that it is a
27:33
personnel issue, and I, like others, have asked for details. You
27:42
know, there was more information that came out last week. Had the mayor
27:45
on the show on what was it Friday, I guess Thursdays when we had
27:49
the severe storms in the flooding in Knawa County. I had the mayor on
27:53
at that time, and I had people then telling me I should have asked
27:56
her, Well, that's sorry, that's not the time and place to ask
28:00
that sort of question. But if if they do want to release any information
28:04
about that again, the chief and the city are saying it's all a personnel
28:07
issue. They're more than welcome to come on this show. I will make
28:11
time available. I make time for everybody on this show. I do understand
28:15
and talking to Hoppy Kerchival that he is going to discuss it some on Talkline
28:21
Next Hour. Former Mayor Charleston Danny Jones is going to be on the top
28:25
of the show. I understand with Hoppy to give his take on the whole
28:27
thing, and there may or may not be one of the members of city
28:32
council on the show. I talked to Hoppy about that a little bit this
28:34
morning. I don't know what the final verdict on that was whether Shannon Snodgrass
28:38
was going to be on the show or not. But Councilwoman Snodgrass, the
28:41
mayor, everybody, they're always welcome on this show. All they gotta do
28:45
is just let me know. But again, Hoppy is going to get into
28:47
that coming up a little bit, I think Top of the Hour. Former
28:49
Mayor Danny Jones on Talkline Bigley Pickli Wiggly Hotline three zero four three four five
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State Democratic Party Chair and Delicate Mike Pushkin is here back after this from the
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our hard earned money. Let's vote for Republican Dwayne Duncan for Ganaha County Commission.
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Paid for by Dwayne Duncan for Cananei County Commission. Tory Takubo, Treasurer.
31:02
Hey, they're Charleston Wrestling fans. It's Hollywood. Jeff Petty here,
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can hurt you. Ryan Nicholson Desire Producer Today big Ley Pickley Wiggly Hotline three
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zero four three four five fifty eight fifty eight fruh Pharmacy text three zero four
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nine three five five zero zero eight Coming up. I mentioned former Mayor Danny
32:15
Jones on Hoppy at ten o six. Brad mclhanney is going to be on
32:17
more on the Trump Trial with Tony Jay Powers of Fox News Radio. Jared
32:22
Halpern for Fox News Radio. Also on the show, Hoppy Kirch full ten
32:24
oh six from the Cove Insurance Studios and the Dale Miller Build in Morgantown.
32:30
Coming up right here, all right, Mike Pushkin, Hey man, how
32:32
are you. I'm doing well. How are you doing? Thanks for having
32:35
me on? Doing well, Thanks for coming in. You're you're Natalie klad
32:38
all dressed up today, Manatalie clad, Natalie Clytte. Who's Natalie Klatt?
32:45
Yeah, not to be confused with former Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, who
32:51
is going to be on this show, who's also very well dressed, is
32:53
going to be on this show this Friday. Well, I guess you're gonna
32:55
have cameras installed here soon, so for you, this will be the norm
32:59
at some time. I'll have to for one of you. My days in
33:01
state government are done. Man. I'm not wearing suits and ties anymore.
33:05
But yeah, yeah, we are going to have cameras, and we got
33:07
we got ladders over in the corner in case you get, you know,
33:09
like out on a rail here and I decide I want to go hang myself.
33:12
I've already got a ladder over there, so it's not worth it,
33:15
Dave, don't do it. So all right, Uh, the we got
33:20
interims going on before we get into what you're really here to talk about.
33:22
How overall, how have interim's gone. We'll get specific, you know the
33:24
most. I mean that that fits right into what I'm on here to talk
33:28
about, because I think the most interesting meetings so far and a meeting that
33:31
went almost an hour over schedule. We were scheduled to have a meeting the
33:36
Joint Committee on Health, scheduled to meet from four to six yesterday, and
33:39
we went well past six, you know, almost to seven. And because
33:44
of the importance of the issue, and that was the funding for the IDD
33:47
Waiver program, which is the waiver to help folks and their families with intellectual
33:54
and developmental disabilities. It's an issue that's been you know, talked about as
34:00
it should be. It's incredibly important that this program is funded. And you
34:07
know, look, you know me, I'll get political. I'm very partisan
34:10
on the chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party. This is not an issue
34:14
to politicize. This is life or death to the families and the members of
34:20
the IDD waiver program. It's incredibly serious, and it was the program was
34:27
cut in the current budget that passed. I didn't vote for it, A
34:30
lot of folks didn't vote for it. In that budget that passed on the
34:35
eleventh hour of the session, there were drastic cuts to Medicaid in general,
34:42
just draconian cuts to Medicaid, mainly to this IDD waiver program that allows for
34:47
folks to get care in their homes or in a smaller setting, keeps these
34:52
people out of out of institutions where they do not belong, and it's incredibly
34:57
important and it's definitely not something to play politics with. So I think the
35:00
money needs to be at the very least restored. I mean, the House
35:05
budget actually added eleven million dollars to the program, but after this hearing we
35:09
had yesterday, I think that they could, they being the Department of Human
35:15
Services, if the money is restored, that they could, and they should,
35:22
and we need to hold them accountable to it. They need to increase
35:24
the Medicaid reimbursement rate for the providers of these services so they are able to
35:32
pay people better to work as direct care workers. There's a crisis level shortage
35:37
of direct care workers in this field. We can't find enough people to do
35:40
this very important and very difficult job of caring for these folks who need this
35:45
help. So, like I said, some believe politics at the door and
35:49
just fix this. Does it come down to pay? Is that why we
35:52
can't get people to fill these positions? Min Well, I mean that's basic
35:54
you know capitalism one oh one, isn't it. I mean, if you
35:58
have a shortage, if you have a if you have a shortage of folks
36:01
in a certain area. Yeah, and generally the pay needs to be better.
36:06
It's an incredibly difficult job. If you can make more money working fast
36:10
food or working at Walmart, and you can leave your job at work,
36:14
you're gonna do that as opposed to working in a field where it's incredibly difficult.
36:21
You're working with a clientele that sometimes is is difficult to work with,
36:25
but very you know, very important to work with them, and they need
36:29
our help. Also, when there's a shortage in the workforce, you might
36:32
not get off work at the time you're supposed to get off work if nobody
36:37
shows, if there's nobody there to relieve you, you cannot just leave that
36:39
client there and you get their friends or you've got family and you got other
36:43
responsibilities. You got to Yeah, So it's an incredibly difficult job. They
36:45
need to be paid what they deserve, and I think that's how we're going
36:50
to attract more people into that field. We're unable to do that right now.
36:52
The providers can't do that. The agencies that hire these direct care workers,
36:57
they're unable to do that right now because the Medicaid reimbursement rates our two
37:01
are too low, much lower than any other state. Uh, They're very
37:06
low, and so we need to at least raise it to be you know,
37:09
uh competitive with surrounding states. And in order to do that, Yes,
37:15
we need to the legislature needs to do its job. We need to
37:17
restore the money to that partinue to that line item. You hear the interview
37:22
I did with sen a financial eryitor yesterday, I did, okay, and
37:27
and your response, I disagree with much of what he said. Was this
37:30
brought out in the meeting that was held yesterday, was because you were both
37:32
of you on that in the same company. What he was saying is well
37:36
that we don't need to whire you know, we should cut them because they're
37:37
not spending all the money they're getting, well, they're not spending they being
37:40
the Department of Human Services, aren't spending down the money because there's not enough
37:45
services to spend it on. Okay. So if somebody is a member of
37:49
the id D program, say if you have a child that needs this extra
37:52
help, and they're saying, well they could benefit from this service, from
37:55
that service to well there, they're going to be appropriated a certain amount of
37:59
money. But if there's nowhere to spend it, if those services don't exist,
38:02
well then that money goes back to the department or the money doesn't go
38:06
out to the client to begin with. So they always they appropriate more money
38:09
than what could be spent because unfortunately there's not enough services out there for them
38:14
to spend it on. Okay, So we need to be able to increase
38:17
they We need to allow that, and first of all, must be clear
38:21
the legislature does not have the ability to increase the reimbursement rates. The department
38:27
does. They need to do that, but we need to make sure that
38:30
they are able to do that by giving them that making sure they have the
38:34
money in that line item so they are able to confidently raise the reimbursement rates,
38:40
and then we need to hold the providers accountable if they get that.
38:45
If they get that increase in the reimbursement rates, they have to make sure
38:46
that passes down to the direct care workers. I believe it will, because
38:50
there's such a shortage in that field, they're going to have to increase their
38:52
pay to draw people to that to that field. It's not going to say
38:57
Democratic Party Channel Delegate Mike Pushkin. So let's talk about the meeting that was
39:00
held yesterday. At the committee meeting, you were in on that. Others
39:04
were what came out of the meeting, I mean basically what you're saying now.
39:06
I thought it was a very productive meeting. I said, it went
39:08
almost an hour over what was scheduled, and and and nobody got up and
39:12
left because it's that important. Like I said, this isn't political. This
39:15
is life or death. Do you feel it's being politicized though, Mike,
39:20
I hope it doesn't, Okay. I think we need to keep that out
39:23
of it. I don't think we need to be playing, uh, you
39:25
know, in kind of political football with the lives of people, uh with
39:30
who are disabled, who have intellectual developmental disabilities, that shouldn't be politically.
39:36
There's quite a turnout at the Capitol, and we had a story post about
39:38
no. Kerry covered the story on Sunday at the Capitol. Uh A rally
39:42
held and I don't know if there were people there yesterday or not, but
39:45
there was. There was quite a turnout. There was a huge agree you're
39:49
saying at the Capitol, yeah, well it's there. It was just it
39:52
was the families of the of people who were in the program, with a
39:54
lot of the clients. There was some self out. I mean, it
39:57
was the most moving thing if you're not moved by that when somebody gets up
40:01
there and speaks and they advocate for themselves. Somebody who has a developmental disability
40:07
gets up, takes the microphone and talks about why this program is important.
40:09
This one gentleman said, if he doesn't have this help, he is going
40:14
to be left alone, you know, sitting in his own filth. It's
40:17
it's you know, if you're not moved by that, I'm not sure if
40:21
you have a heart. So this is something where you leave politics at the
40:23
door. You restore their funding. You've got to hold the department accountable,
40:27
make sure that they do keep their endo the bargain and give a significant rate
40:32
increase, and that the providers passed that rate increase along to the direct care
40:37
workers. So we have people who are able to go into the homes and
40:39
take care of people's loved ones. Tex Say's wife said week three of back
40:45
in the office of d HHR, she laughed last night at dinner telling me
40:49
about the office drama and the threat of grievances. I don't know if this
40:52
has to do with the remote worker. I think that has more to do
40:53
with this executive order that can't well, wasn't an executive order, this memo
40:59
that went out about, you know, taking away the ability for remote and
41:02
hybrid work. I've said, I think a lot of these folks were hired
41:07
with that expectation that they would be able to at least partially work from home.
41:12
You can't pull the rug out from under them if that's how they were
41:14
hired on and they were pulled away from the private sector with this offer of
41:17
job flexibility, and if they're getting the job done, and what does it
41:21
matter where they do it from. So in a lot of these places,
41:23
they've been doing this hybrid work for so long that they don't even have the
41:28
office space to accommodate them if they come back. So it's going to be
41:30
a big problem, and especially in the in the in the the folks who
41:35
run the IDD program heard from them. A lot of them have been working
41:37
remotely or now being called back in. We already have a shortage in the
41:42
public sector. I don't think this is going to help the matter. It's
41:44
going to hurt it. But I agree. Let's talk about so before we
41:49
go to break, there will be a session held next month. You got
41:52
your not interims, but you but you can special session coming up the next
41:55
month. What would you like to see on the call, mic, Well,
41:58
first of all, we need to fix the budget, which is what
42:00
I'm talking about right now. Need to restore that money, especially in Medicaid,
42:05
and you know in that that Medicaid line item specifically, we need to
42:08
restore the money to the id D waiver program. That's utmost importance, especially
42:13
to the people who who who live it every day, people who rely on
42:16
that money. But I also agree with with Mayor Williams, the Democratic candidate
42:22
for governor, that we should put a constitutional amendment to allow people to decide
42:27
for themselves on reproductive freedom. Every other state has taken it up, and
42:32
even President Trump said this should be up for the states. Well, let's
42:35
leave it up to the people of the state. And so you'd like to
42:37
see that on the call, Yes, I would. Do you think it's
42:42
going to happen? No, I don't. I don't think. I don't.
42:45
I think they're afraid. I think they're afraid that they would lose that
42:47
just like every other state. I don't think I will say this and then
42:51
we'll go to break. I don't think that. I think the Republican Party
42:53
had better be careful what they wish for. They don't want it for a
42:58
reason, because, as you said, and this is not me being this
43:00
is not my personal opinion. Look at where when similar issues or similar candidates
43:07
have been on the ballot in other states, the extreme pro life movement loses.
43:12
And every single time since Big since the Dobbs decision, since Roe has
43:16
been overturned, every single time that people get to speak, they speak very
43:21
loudly and clearly that's a right, but most people write that has been You
43:24
know that women have had in this country for fifty years and it was taken
43:29
away from them. So I think let the people speak on this. You
43:31
know they will say, well, they voted in twenty eighteen. Twenty eighteen,
43:35
it was a hypothetical Roe hadn't been overturned yet. Also on the ballot
43:38
in twenty eighteen was public funding. This has nothing to do with public funding.
43:43
It's simply a return to row as what we're asking for the same,
43:46
the same constitutional moment that they voted on in Ohio. That's what we've asked
43:51
for now. Also what I think should be on the as well as the
43:53
budget, that constitutional amendment. Of course that's part of the budget, but
43:58
you know, having the governor keep his promise about the funding the West Virginia
44:00
State University. I think that's also very important for this valley as well.
44:06
Tex says Mike. Are pregnant women able to claim their in womb child as
44:09
a dependent? I I don't believe so. Not tax expert, but no,
44:15
I just think that women should. I think we should let women make
44:20
decisions for themselves and know the governments stay out of it. But I'm not.
44:23
I'm not. I can't answer tax questions. Call H and R block
44:29
on that they have some free time. Tax Day was yesterday, but Dave
44:31
Allen showing five eighty Live is Bride to You. Fired by Live Healthy West
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start your journey towards better health Today Back after this and the Voice of Charleston
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WCCHS brought to you the Eric J. Tar Family Businesses. Eric J.
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Tar Family Businesses care for your family. We need real Conservatives in the House
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of Delegates. We need Mark Carter in District fifty seven. Hi. I
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am Mark Carter as a conservative lawyer. I am a strong supporter of life,
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faith, and the Second Amendment. Mark Carter was appointed to national offices
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Omega Commercial Interiors dot Com in Morgantown and Charleston. Yeah, if you haven't
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your favorite Metro news programs, talk Line, Sports Line, three Guys and
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more of the Metro News TV app for your Apple, tv iOS, Android,
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Roku, Amazon and more. Mike Pushkin us here, Texas. Seems
46:55
silly that Pushkin wants only the people to vote on abortion. If we do
46:59
that, how do we need delegates? Aren't we a representative democracy? I
47:01
think on a question this important, we should do what every other state has
47:06
done with the issue and put it up to the people. So yeah,
47:08
I think the people should have a right to decide on this. And you
47:12
know, if the Republicans are so sure that they have public support on this,
47:15
well then they shouldn't be afraid they they should allow us to vote on
47:19
it. Texas, the people already decided. The people put in our constitution.
47:23
But there is no right to abortion in West Virginia. And I'm against
47:27
abortion because it's wrong to intentionally kill it that way. It was a hypothetical
47:30
back then because Roe had not yet been overturned. And what the people who
47:36
say that forget about is that also had public funding in it. I think
47:39
there are people out there who are pro choice yet fiscally conservative. I know
47:44
a lot of people like that that might be pro choice, but they're not
47:46
for public funding of it. Completely different question, completely different issue, in
47:50
a completely different time. Now that Roe has been overturned Texas, this push
47:53
you can get a salary or some other compensation as chairman of the company versus
47:58
Democratic Party, and so how much is it You don't have to discuss your
48:00
I can discuss it now the chair of the Democratic Party in West Virginia.
48:05
It is not a paid position. It's a volunteer position, a full time
48:08
job and no pay check. Says Republicans are scared to death of direct democracy.
48:15
They may chant we the people, but they mean we the Republicans will
48:17
tell you what to do and we'll control your lives. Just look at the
48:21
failed West Virginia constitutional amendments from the last election. Everyone was a power grab
48:25
by the Republican legislature. Yeah, and you know they put a constitutional amendment
48:30
on this time about physician assisted suicide in West Virginia, which is already illegal.
48:35
We don't have that in West Virginia. So they put that meaningless constitutional
48:38
amendment on the ballot, and now there's a chance that they're going to put
48:42
another constitutional ament on the bout one that failed at the at the last hour
48:46
of the in the legislature about saying that only US citizens can vote. Well,
48:51
guess what, in every state of the Union, only US citizens can
48:53
vote. It's another just political ploy. So if we're going to have those
48:57
types of meaningless constitution amendments, how about one that is meaningful to many folks
49:01
in West Virginia and that's restoring their reproductive freedom. Texas, please talk to
49:07
Mike Pushkin about Stewart Gate and his threatens threatening to weaponize the West Virginia AG's
49:12
office. Reference to state cenater Mike Stewart, who's running for attorney General.
49:15
He'll be facing JV McCuskey as one of the opponents in the Republican primary.
49:22
Mister Stewart, you know the situation right now. You know the thing in
49:25
Mingo County. We talked about it on the show. He basically said in
49:29
a tweet that he has exposed corruption and Mingo County would be a good place
49:34
to start on that the corruption is them not endorsing him. Is that corruption
49:38
or is that just their choice? Because then I said, you know when
49:42
I started this interview that not there's certain things you don't politicize. The IDD
49:46
waiver program is something we shouldn't politicize. Helping people with disabilities is something we
49:51
should definitely not politicize. Another thing you shouldn't politicize is you know, a
49:57
state trooper and their family who was killed in the line of duty, and
50:01
I think they felt that he made this overly political, especially when you know,
50:07
the widow of the state troopers asked him to stop politicizing her husband's death
50:10
and he ignored her pleas and kept going on. I don't think this has
50:15
anything to do with the with the Mingo County Deputy Sheriff's Association. Has everything
50:22
to do with Mike Stewart and his inability to separate politics from just being a
50:29
decent human being. Sometimes, Texas, I'm tired of hearing the pro abortion
50:32
is so called concern over health and safety. The person they called a mother
50:36
if that clump of cells she's carrying around is not a human baby, then
50:38
how do you refer to her as a mother. If the cells are not
50:43
a baby, then she is not a pregnant mother. Let the people vote,
50:46
That's all I'm saying. You can vote no, you can vote yes,
50:50
but I want you to be able to vote. Texas PSA man the
50:52
the pushkin. We're West Virginia, not every other state that didn't support the
50:55
Representative democracy. What's that? I think it's a little history lesson saying that
51:01
West Redinia does did not represent the West re indidion't go along with the representative
51:07
democracy. I have to look that one up irs websites. As the textra
51:10
says, child is to be born alive to get tax dependent status, Mike,
51:15
if the Republicans are going to use the government to force births, the
51:17
least the remaining Democrats can do is make state codes to include the fetus as
51:22
a dependent since a fetus would be considered a child by law. That's an
51:25
interesting concept. I just think the people should be able to vote on it.
51:29
And really the main thing I came on here to talk about and I
51:31
want to get back to close. It was so important that we restore the
51:36
money to the waiver programs. And there's more than just the IDD waiver,
51:39
which is the waiver for folks with intellectual developmental disabilities or als of the age
51:44
and disabled waiver. There's also a traumatic brain injury waivers. There's also as
51:49
a separate line item now the Substance Use disorder waiver, which is that's how
51:52
we pay for a lot of people to get better. These are all very
51:55
important, but we've got to restore the money to these waiver programs and and
52:00
we have to hold the Department accountable. They need to ask they need to
52:05
increase the reimbursement rates for Medicaid so the providers are able to hire people and
52:10
bring people in to take care of the loved ones and families in West Virginia
52:15
who need our help. That's the very least that government can do. I
52:19
think there's a philosophy, maybe a difference in philosophy of the role of government.
52:22
At the very least, we got to be able to take care of
52:23
those who cannot take care of themselves. It's not political. We got to
52:28
fix this all right now, all to get and save Democratic Party Chair Mike
52:30
Push can always appreciate you being on the show Man, thanks for having me
52:32
on, all right. Coming up on the show tomorrow, Millie Snyder from
52:35
the Shape Shop is going to be stopping by get some other things we're going
52:37
to get into tomorrow as well, Hoppy and the news. And look who's
52:42
hanging out in the studio. It's from a mayor of Charleston, Danny Jones.
52:45
He's coming on with Hobby coming up at ten o six. I will
52:47
see you tomorrow. Till then, have fun. I Love Somebody W two
53:00
four three t r f N Charleston at W two A three a Q Cross
53:02
Lanes, a WVRC media station. We're proud to live here too.