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CJP #21 Judge Karen Ortiz (NY-12) · Coconut Justice

• speaker-0: Karen Ortiz is an American lawyer and judge who served as an administrative judge at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's New York District Office. Until, that is, she got fired for resisting Trump's order on gender identity. Now, she's running for office in New York's 12th district. This is my conversation with Karen Ortiz. Before we get into it, Remember to go to coconutjustice.com to get you some clothes that I think would look good on you. Let's go. And welcome back, everyone. This is going to be a great conversation. I just know it because this is the one time in history I get to talk to a judge that's not on the other side of a desk. You guys welcome the honorable Karen Ortiz. speaker-1: Thank you. Thank you. The honorable and fired. speaker-0: It happens to us all. What a crazy way to lose your job. I've lose I've lost jobs in the weirdest ways. speaker-1: You know, I've never been fired before. I'm such a goody goody. I was a literal girl scout. And ⁓ yeah, so ⁓ Yeah. speaker-0: You wanna jump into let's get into everything. speaker-1: Shell version. Yeah, so I speaker-0: No, take your time. We have plenty of time. It's the juicy detail. speaker-1: Alrighty. Yeah, I mean I had I had landed my dream job as an administrative judge for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is the agency that enforces anti-discrimination laws in the workplace. So after being an attorney for almost 20 years, I had the opportunity to be interviewed and meet with the folks in the EEOC's New York district office and they hired me ⁓ in ⁓ twenty eighteen. And it was like this is how I was gonna finish my career. ⁓ and I was so excited and I loved the work. And then ⁓ even during the Trump 1.0 administration, I managed to hang on. but speaker-0: How long before Trump first round? How how long were you a judge before he took off? speaker-1: Well I was I was hired during his during his first administration. I was hired by the EEOC. Yeah. So ⁓ I had had federal service before. I had worked for the Social Security Administration for almost eight years, ⁓ more in the beginning of my career, and then had gone to various different state and ⁓ city agencies. So I've I've worked for the New York City Parks Department. I was a taxi court judge at one point, which was fascinating. And I worked for MTA. I was a legal director of a unit at New York City Transit. And so, you know, that's been my world, public service and and and government work. So when I landed ⁓ the AJ position with the EEOC, I was just so excited, so happy. The work was truly meaningful. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: And you know, I was able to give remedies to people who had been discriminated pretty badly in the workplace. So the cases I dealt with were with federal employees who would bring claims of discrimination in ⁓ pretty much every federal agency. And then we also did civilian military cases. So it was wonderful. I mean, the work was meaningful. I got to meet ⁓ people in all different agencies, all different job titles. and and it was just good, solid, meaningful work. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: And then Trump 2.0 came in and ⁓ they started rolling out those executive orders, specifically the executive orders about trans people. And in my opinion, they are illegal and unconstitutional and immoral. And I just refused to comply. And so that to my hiring. speaker-0: What what what was it about the executive order that stood out to you? speaker-1: The the first executive order, I don't have ⁓ know the number of it offhand, but it declared that there were only two sexes, male and female, and pretty much everything that everything flows from that, from that binary. Now, first of all, it's patently untrue. We have intersex people. and speaker-0: We have people that are born with different different body. speaker-1: Yes, yes. You know, people might not understand it, but you know, I it and on also our case law was in direct opposition to this executive order. So, you know, we had a case, there's a Supreme Court case that came down not too long ago, and it actually speaker-0: It's not speaker-1: says that trans people and and non-binary people are protected by our discrimination ⁓ our inf discrimination enforcement mechan mechanisms and this is it's title seven and won't get into the weeds on on everything but you know it and it was a major it was an opinion written by Justice Gorsuch who's a conservative justice so this executive order went directly against that and I was like how And nobody was questioning it in my office. Then we started to get sort of the trickle down orders flowing from that from the then acting director of the EEOC. Now she she was confirmed he nominated her to be chair. ⁓ sorry, acting chair, I should say. She's now the chair. and her name is Andrea Lucas. And I've been on like a one woman campaign to oust her because she sent out directives saying to that we needed to pull back on these cases. So any cases where we had trans complainants, they were pausing. Any cases that the agency itself had filed on behalf of trans and nonbinary ⁓ complainants, they were seeking to withdraw from. It was really quite scandalous. So I was like, when is anyone gonna say anything? And why are we listening to this clown in the White House who doesn't even have a law degree? What is going on? And exactly, and he's his I hit so many words for him, but yeah. So I just I got so angry and upset with a lack of leadership in my office. speaker-0: Who's obviously slanted. speaker-1: I mean, we're it's a bunch of lawyers and and judges. And they're letting this they're not saying anything. And I'm like, excuse me, we're a civil rights we're a civil rights agency. This is our thing, right? speaker-0: was going what was going through their head like when you were talking to them did you not be like speaker-1: First of all, I mean, I saw this coming because Project Twenty Twenty Five had been out there and any lawyer, especially any government lawyer and judge who had not bothered to read at least the parts of Project 2025 that pertained to their specific department or agency, that's malpractice in my in my eyes. I made it my business. To read Project 2025 so I would know what was coming down the pike because these are you know and the Heritage Foundation drafted it. But the Heritage Foundation works in conjunction with the Federalist Society, and they're just like a pipeline of evil. They really are. So and these people are serious. They are serious and they have already implemented a good chunk of Project Twenty Twenty Five. So people I don't know if they were like in shock because they hadn't read Project Twenty Twenty Five. I mean it's spelled out that they basically want to dismantle the EEOC. But they were like, I guess folks were in shock or they just didn't want to deal with the reality of it. They didn't want to accept the fact that we are in a fascist government. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. speaker-1: And I I don't it's it's really weird. It's sort of like the the Emperor's new the Emperor's new clothes, whatever that that story is. Yeah. Clothes. Yeah. It was like we are given these these stories and examples of what it looks like to stand up in not only, you know, in historically in real life, but even just through fables and stories like be the brave one, say the truth. And nobody was doing it. And I was like, speaker-0: Has no clothes. Yeah. speaker-1: Damn, I'm gonna have to be that person. speaker-0: You did you not listen to the story about what's the three ⁓ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo? Like they stood up exactly like this, Christians. speaker-1: Crazy. It's crazy. And then you know, I never want to think of myself as anyone special. So you kind of you're like waiting for that the person that that person to stand up, you know. And then I was like, shit, that's gonna be that's me. I have to. Yeah, I don't have a choice because they're this administration will start with shitting on trans people and non binary people and they'll move on to the brown people and they'll move on, you know, it's just they're gonna put everyone in fear and and take away all of our rights so that the, you know, one percent, the elite, I don't even think it's one percent. It's like 0.01% of the population is going to dominate us. And that's all it's about. It's about domination, quite frankly. speaker-0: And the and the majority of the people, because you said something that kind of triggered a memory of just kind of like as Latinos, especially our parents, we've been taught don't speak until you're asked to speak and know your place. speaker-1: I mean, I mean, definitely, you know, I'd say my parents kind of walked the line with with that. ⁓ my parents encouraged our feistiness. So I'm one of three kids and they always stood up for us and set that example. At the same time, though, we were heavily assimilated. I grew up my parents were both born in Puerto Rico. And they came here when they were, I don't know, maybe eight, ten. And I was I I w I I would say fortunate, but you know, ⁓ fortunate enough to be raised in ⁓ upper white middle class town on Long Island. And you know, I had all the creature comforts. I mean, my parents had hustle before I they had, I don't know how they did it, quite frankly. ⁓ but yeah, I grew up pretty privileged. But ⁓ I had to assimilate a lot. So I kind of walked in both of these these worlds. Yeah. Until I decided I didn't want to do it anymore. And that that's when I became a problem. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. My grandmother used to say, I'm gonna call you Charlie. I said, No, my name is Carlos. No, why can't I call you Charlie? Well, if you wanted to call me Charlie, you should have named me Charlie. But my name is Carlos. speaker-1: I mean, my name is Karen. I have like the most Anglo name ever. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. As but like how's that feel? Like you your name is the same as like a bitchy white lady. speaker-1: And I g I tell you when the whole Karen meme thing was was at its its ⁓ apex, I I got a few exes reached out and said like, great, you know, now I can't get away I really can't get away from you because this Karen thing is all over the place. And I was j I just said, you're welcome. For real, I think like three exes reached out. I was like, damn, first of all, how do you still have my number? And two, you're welcome. speaker-0: And three, if you if you if you thought that you couldn't get enough of me back then, wait till I take this office. That's really gonna burn their bacon. speaker-1: I feel like too, as part of my campaign, I might do something, you know, get my because the the endorsements have been slow to come in. I mean it's early on. I don't have to do a primary, but I guess we can get to that. But I feel like I should have the ex endorsements because I am on I am on really good terms with a few of my exes and I think they would give me a great endorsement. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. And the fact that they're still around means that you're patient and forgiving. And speaker-1: And vice versa, honestly. I can do it. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. So how was it being a kid of Puerto Rican descent? Did did you were you born in Puerto Rico or you were born in speaker-1: No, I was actually born in New York, in Manhattan, in the district that I'm running in. And I think I'm I might be the only person running in New York District Twelve that was actually born in New York District Twelve, but I'm still doing opposition research. So Yeah. Yeah, no, I was born in Manhattan and then raised on Long Island. I did live we did live in Florida for one year when I was in high school and then moved back to New York. Yeah. And speaker-0: That is different. Vallettiin no sitä. speaker-1: Like, we wanna be a little warmer, but the culture in New York, you know. Yeah. So I have a ton of family in Florida too. So I'm keeping an eye on on those congressional races as well and trying to encourage my family to back some of the other candidates that are part of the the a coalition called the courage candidates. So you know, just trying to throw the love around. speaker-0: Was it you that was connected to Bernard Taylor? speaker-1: Through the courage candidates. Yes. Okay. Yes. So Bernard, I believe I have family in the district that Bernard is running in. So I'm trying to spread the word, but speaker-0: Yeah. C4 Explosive lives in his or Mike, whatever you know him by. ⁓ he lives in Bernard's district. So it was good it was good to see them connect. And now Mike is actually becoming active for Bernard. speaker-1: District, yeah. love that. Yeah. You know, it's it's interesting that being part of this this coalition, so you know, just for folks who don't know, there's an organization called Citizens Impeachment, and the priority is to impeach ⁓ convict and remove Trump and his merry band of bandits. Yeah. And the can't the the those of us that are running for office that have ⁓ speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: vowed to introduce articles of impeachment day one are part of a coalition and that spans the entire country. So I'm meeting people running for Congress and other offices that share that goal. And we're finding out we a lot of us share a lot of other policy ⁓ platforms. And it's wonderful because it really drives home that, you know, it's this isn't just about one state, one district. These midterms are so important for the for the entire country. And ⁓ this way I hate when people say like, ⁓ you know, fuck around and find out, or they voted for this, or I would never move to Texas or Florida. I'm like, hello, they're human beings there, you know. So exactly I have a lot of f family in Florida. I have a lot of friends in Form F Florida and Texas. And ⁓ I'm gonna get behind those candidates that are progressive, even if they're not in my state and who like actually care about people. Right. So it's it's actually very heartening for me to see people running in districts where I have family in Florida who are really for the people. Bernard is one of those people. I'm so impressed with him. speaker-0: He he I don't know if it's his favorite, but I always talk about how Bernard is a literal superhero. speaker-1: For sure. Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah. We've we've had him on the show and he's like, hey fellas, I gotta go. Someone drove off the highway or something. And then he has to go save a life. speaker-1: Yeah, and he's I'm like, dang, I gotta get into shape like as a kid. Yeah. ⁓ speaker-0: Yeah. I can't wait to meet him face to face. He's been on the channel a few times, couple of times. But yeah, good dude. And I and I think that good people we we kind of talked about this before we started recording, but good people don't always get the the financial backing or even the support that they need to be able to move forward with. Spreading the news of good people, you know. speaker-1: It's been really I mean, I decided to run a little bit later than I think some of the folks in New York who are who have to do a primary. I'm running as an independent because I'm I left the Democratic Party and been really, really sad about ⁓ at least my my leaders, my democratic leaders, how they've turned their back on the the community and they're just like they're interested in their corporate. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: you know, overlords. So speaker-0: Yeah. I ⁓ I had a conversation with Carlos Alvarez Araños just last night and we were talking about that where because I get to talk to a lot of you guys that are grassroots and just getting into the political system, it's a little It's a little tough to hear how you guys are not just up against the Republicans, but you're up against the Democrats as well. Yes. And I was telling Carlos how I feel like the Republicans are forcing the issue to take us somewhere that we're not comfortable going. And the Democrats know that we're going there, but they're just they're they're they're playing hard to get. speaker-1: Yeah, I mean that Yeah, they're they're controlled opposition. And so I mean I I've been so disappointed with s my senators, Schumer and Gillibrand, and ⁓ for many reasons. And Jerry Nadler, who's my congressperson, is retiring. I knew who they were teeing up to run for his his seat, and that's my local district council member who speaker-0: Either way we're gonna end up over there. speaker-1: I embraced, I voted for him. I was like, well, not this past election, but originally I voted for him. I had started a tenants association, my building, and invited him over and you know, heard all the things that I wanted to hear. And, you know, he presents well and and all of that. But then I started to see how our local elected officials were turning their back on ⁓ NYCHA tenants. So NI NYCHA is New York City Housing Authority. And ⁓ those are the folks who are lower income and overlooked. And so there's a whole ⁓ there's a whole controversy happening here where a lot of the folks in NYCHA housing who are my neighbors are are going to be displaced. And that's a whole other thing that, you know, I'm I'm That's one thing on on my platform. It's a big thing, is is housing rights. So when I saw that and I saw that, you know, my city council member also comes from the real estate world, ⁓ had turned his back on the NYCHA residents and now is being courted, you know, by by real estate. And I I believe he's also backed by Zionist entity. I was like, damn, I'm gonna run. ⁓ because the NYCHA tenants and the people who are there are a lot of people overlooked in District Twelve in New York. They deserve to be represented. And I do believe that a a rising tide lifts all boats. And so if we take care of the most vulnerable in our community, that's just gonna have a positive ripple effect. So ⁓ yeah, that's been one really big motivating ⁓ factor for me. But I am not ⁓ bringing it back to getting attention to my campaign, you know, I got a lot of press when I first spoke out against the Trump administration and the anti-trans executive orders. I was in the New York Times a couple of times, ⁓ Marie Clare magazine, AP did a did a story with a video component to it. ⁓ I had TV interviews a lot. And I thought, ⁓ they'll this'll be. An interesting follow-up. You know, they'll want to know that I'm a fired Fed now and I'm gonna run for Congress. There's been really very little outreach. and I think my candidacy is also being actively suppressed by certain certain parties. So it's hard to break through all the noise. However, I also speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: believe that I believe in myself and I will persist and I don't have to do a primary. So I can build a little more slowly and I'll be walking every block of this district in the next six or seven months. I'm gonna meet people where they're where they physically are and just keep grinding. I mean it's really hard when the donations are are just sort of dribbling in and I don't have the name rec recognition of some of the people who are running because it's like a super crowded field. But I have to persist because there are people that need to be represented that have been overlooked for decades. Yep. And they're those are the people that I'm running for. speaker-0: Good. And and I think Social media for as big of a problem as we think it is. It's I always describe it as a double-edged sword. Cause yeah, we have a lot of content that's just noise that doesn't have anything to do with anything. But here we are, and I'm talking to you, getting an explanation of your platform. And so hopefully we'll get people who really do. want to make change and really do want to and not just change from like the Republicans, the Democrats back to Republicans, but that's not the change that we're looking for. We're looking for, you know, where where people are basically left alone and they have their right to go and be happy and be smart and be whatever it is that you want to be in this world. speaker-1: I think so much of the ⁓ the fear and the suppression behind ⁓ candidacies like mine and and and other independent candidates or more progressive candidates is just a fear. People are really afraid to dream big, to really envision what life could look like. And I'm a goddamn New Yorker, I'm a dreamer. ⁓ Like I live in walking distance to Broadway. Like I am dazzled by the sheer ⁓ creativity of my neighbors and the diversity, just even within my district. I mean, it's fantastic. And so why not why not dream? Allow yourself to dream of a world that can uplift everyone and take care of everyone. And it's just a failure of the imagination, Democrats and Republicans. You know, I'm like, why can't we all have healthcare? Why are we funding wars? speaker-0: And and let's talk about let's talk about the healthcare because I always try to I always try to like folks that say ⁓ whatever healthcare healthcare for everyone is just a bunch of people begging and I say no it's not just a bunch of people begging think about the money that you don't have to pay for healthcare, think about how much. farther you can actually reach. If I had speaker-1: Yes. It's not tied to your employment, you know? speaker-0: If I had an extra, I don't know, thousand, twelve hundred, two thousand dollars, depending on the family, depending on the situation. I I'm very entrepreneurial. I would take that money and I would try to build a small company. I would try to make the world a better place. Just because that's we need more people with more ideas. We can't just let Right now the way I see I see politics is we have a bunch of rich people that are boring telling us ⁓ telling us what's cool. speaker-1: They are bored. Culture comes from the people, not from the politicians. You know? No matter how sassy they are, you know. Culture doesn't I'm not particularly cool. speaker-0: Exactly. Exactly. So depends on who you talk to. There's a lot of people that don't think I'm cool either. But ⁓ but yeah, just think about it. Think about how much, you know, right now if you turn on the TV, everything is despair, everything is that, but imagine if everyone was good. Yeah. Everyone was able to reach a little further, everyone was able to, you know. speaker-1: And also, you know, what what so what if someone's begging for health care? You know, like and this is what what really gets my goat about the Christian nationalist movement or people in Congress calling themselves a Christian. I'm like, you ain't no Christian if you're cutting off ACA subsidies if you are not for health care for all. You are not a Christian. I'm sorry. speaker-0: Hello. speaker-1: So miss me with that. But like, so what? It's just taking care of each other. Like what at the end of the day, we're all gonna die anyway. We might as well take care of each other while we're on earth. I don't it's like to me, it's so simple. It's so simple. And I'm like, how much do these greedy oligarchs need? And who's gonna put them in their place? We have them in their place. Yeah. speaker-0: It's the game. speaker-1: It's a game of domination and they f they feed their own egos. But these are people who are really actually, I think, deeply insecure. When you don't care when you know, when you don't care about those around you and you're just trying to, you know, puff your chest and and dominate others, that's a deep insecurity. speaker-0: Yeah. I'ma be racist. I'ma say it. I'm selectively racist. I'm selectively racist. speaker-1: I'm not Listen, we all have biases. I it's funny 'cause like s I I will say that I would say that to my colleagues and to my law interns. I'm like, don't don't think that any judge doesn't come with a s their own set of biases and preconceived notions. It's you just have to be aware of that. And so yeah, it's a reality. But yes, go on about waiting for the speaker-0: Yeah. For me, I yeah, my racism. I'm like other shit. I've been I've been I this is not scientifically proven, but I wonder if there is a link from you know, we'll say the Nordic countries where everything was scant. Everything was like you had to fight hard to get the you to break through the ice to be able to plant plants and stuff like that, right? Yeah. And then they come down to like where we live, and we know a world of abundance. Right? In Port is in Puerto Rico, you can walk down. We decorate with plantain trees. Yep. You know what I'm saying? And you just reach up and grab a platano, you fry it up and you make maduros, you do whatever you want. Yep. Right. And then these folks come down and then they they, you know, it it was easy to. speaker-1: Mm, mm. speaker-0: take over because we have plenty. speaker-1: Right, right. It's the welcoming the stranger. Right. Which is also what a Christian would do. speaker-0: Well, you would think you would think, but America is doing a really good part or let me say United States is doing a really good job of proving that wrong. speaker-1: Think though some s some, you know, w one thing I I hope to encourage people to do, and I you know, and I I hope I win, I make it into Congress, because I think I I I could reach a lot of other reps and even senators, ⁓ to take ownership of your heritage and be proud of that and do some research, you know, so Do you have roots in Norway or you know or Germany or whatever? Explore that. Get in touch with your ancestors. Maybe you won't be so hellbent on, you know, demonizing other cultures if you really get down with yours and not accept that ⁓ American culture, which really isn't a culture. It's it's it's ⁓ imperialism. You know, maybe like, you know, do a little, do a little homework, find out, do your family tree. Find those interesting stories, foods, songs, ⁓ rituals. speaker-0: Yeah. Like Carlos said last night, we have to take those people and bring them into our culture to show them like, you know, what was it that he said? He said something to the effect of a minute or I want peace and quiet. But when you're hanging out with Latinos, we don't do peace and quiet. We do peace peace and merengue speaker-1: I mean, I was kind of ⁓ I I had a nickname growing up. ⁓ my nickname was Grumpy because I I had I sort of had a a limit, you know, where at some point I wanted the peace and quiet and I would just sort of excuse my myself. You know, everyone would be mid mid salsa and I'm like, okay, I I gotta go. So but yeah, yeah, embrace it. Embrace it all. Embrace it all. And and speaker-0: I rather know. speaker-1: You know, I I was in DC a couple of weeks ago. I go every so often because I like to make my presence known. I like to do my my I like to do my own form of activism. And I I had bought a hundred copies of a book by Amanda Seals called What Would the Ancestors Day? She thought I was nuts. I ordered a hundred copies of her book and I hand delivered them to every senator's office over the course of two days. And it's a book about getting in touch with your ancestors and what would they say about how you're moving through the world right now. It's quite poignant. It w it was it's based on her one on Mandasiels' one woman show, but I was so moved by it that I was like, I don't care if only one or two senators actually picks it up and reads it. ⁓ I wanna put it in their sphere and maybe a staffer or an intern or a visitor will pick it up and read it and they'll I'll plant like a seed. You know, it it's important to realize that we're part of a continuum. It doesn't end with us. Right. These and that's the same thing for Congress. You know, I'm 53. So, you know, if if I get into Congress and I have a decent run, you know, there's still so much I can set in motion really wonderful things that'll persist well beyond my existence. Yeah. And that thrills me. You know, people are also afraid to die. I think that that's that's like Musk and all of them. They're afraid to die. speaker-0: Which is hilarious. I always say I don't want to die, but I'm just not afraid to die. Like what do you mean? I I don't have to wake up and pay bills ever again. Yeah. speaker-1: I mean they really just the way they behave, even the way they talk, you know. The I think Peter Thiel wants to put his brain in some I I don't know. I've heard all kinds of crazy crazy speaker-0: is something special. He's he's researching the Antichrist now. speaker-1: I know. He's so goofy though. He's goofy AF. I mean they they they they act like so highfalutin and everything. I'm like, no, you're just goofy as fuck. speaker-0: You're just goofy. You're just goofy someone gave you enough money to be Yeah, exactly. speaker-1: Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's like you're wasting all that time and these you know, rockets to Mars and all of this. I'm like, hello, can we just take care of the planet that we have? There's so many wondrous things to to discover about our own planet and about our own neighborhoods. Right. It's crazy to me. speaker-0: While we're here, you know, going like looking at those knuckleheads who are flipping rockets and doing all kinds of extraordinary things. Yeah. Okay, cool. You guys are are are engineering marvels. I get it. All right, cool. How cool would it be though? speaker-1: Going to you know. Paying the they're paying the people that actually do the engineering. Yeah. speaker-0: Exactly. Exactly. You're smart enough to buy a company that was already profitable. All right, cool. But how cool would it be if the United States were to educate their people and it was our people that were doing the flipping the rockets. Right? We don't need to import smart people if we are chalk full of smart people. speaker-1: Yeah. I know, which is crazy to me about the whole H H B one visa. speaker-0: On B B, sir. I'm a victim of that. I'm a victim of that. speaker-1: You know, the whole th i and I don't even think you know, they th let me back up. After twenty twenty five is a blueprint, right? And they are following it, but they also still don't know what they're doing within that that construct. 'Cause you see the the you know, they they can't even rein each other in. I mean, at some point ⁓ the the girls are gonna start fighting, like for real for like Trump, Johnson, Musk, well they kind of pushed him to the side, but he's still there. Yeah. ⁓ speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: You know, all of them. Those egos can only check each other for so long before they implode. And that's what I'm waiting for. speaker-0: Yeah. Do you have a favorite movie? ⁓ speaker-1: ⁓ I love ⁓ The Wizard of Oz. Wizard of Oz Katie Garland. And ⁓ it's funny, I was just talking about this with my neighbor the other day. And one of my favorite movies is a German film called Run Lola Run that came out in the nineties. Uh-huh. And I actually have the movie poster framed. ⁓ and I love that movie because it's the main character is a woman, a young woman, and she's speaker-0: Nice. speaker-1: Trying to like save her man, trying to get get get this money to save her man. It's a very basic story, it's very relatable. Cause at some point, ⁓ saying this as a woman, we all try to save a man. and it does it, it's like she they they it's in s in three parts the movie, and each part is her different attempt to kind of be able to get this money and save her man. And speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. speaker-1: She's literally just running all over Berlin and it's just frenetic. The mu the soundtrack is great and she's just just a badass. Yeah. So I just love that movie. Run Lola Run. Big plug. speaker-0: So the reason I ask you that question. speaker-1: Yeah, that came out of nowhere. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Number one, ⁓ I make movies and stuff, so it's important for me. Just so you know, my favorite movie is Disney's Robin Hood. 2D animation. It's the best buddy comedy. speaker-1: Robin Hood Green now too. speaker-0: Beautiful. That's what I'm talking about. So this administration, imagine having the script for the run Lola run and you hand it to the three stooges. speaker-1: Yeah. Okay. speaker-0: That's disadministration. Like twenty twenty five. speaker-1: Yeah. And not even speaking English. speaker-0: And they're handing it to a bunch of bumbling dum-dums. Yeah. speaker-1: For real. Terrible. I mean it is I did know it was gonna be this bad because when after the election I couldn't sleep for about three weeks, like for real. I was struggling and and then then something clicked and and and and I think this primed me for speaking out at the agency. ⁓ something clicked and I was like, Okay, I gotta lock in and I'm gonna fight, however that looks. And f for real, I also had a, you know. come to Jesus moment, come to Allah, come to whoever moment with myself. And I was like, if I have to die, I'm ready to die. Yeah. Because this is about all of our liberations. Every policy, every yay or nay vote for me, the motivating factor is this in service of our collective liberation. Yeah. And people get scared off by that, but I'm like, there's no other reason. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: To be a politician, to be a public servant. If you just wanna make a bag, then become, you know, do something else. Right. speaker-0: Start you to hang out with the Trump administration. They're they are they are grabbing bags left and right. Yeah. speaker-1: So yeah. Yeah. I mean you wanna grift? Be a grifter, you know, but don't don't speaker-0: Don't go into politics and yeah, ruin things. That's a frustrating thing, is is when you just when you read the introduction of what is the United States, the preamble and the constitution, right? It sounds good. Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? speaker-1: It's pretty good for something written by the speaker-0: For all of us, by all of us? Okay. I'm in. speaker-1: I mean they still they still their the the founders still o only thought that black people should be three you know, counted as three fifths of a of a human, but you know, it's a it was a it was an okay first trap. speaker-0: a good yeah, yeah. All men are created equal unless you're a female and you're a male. But the oldest speaker-1: Right? Yeah. No flow. founding fathers were they came over on their goofy boat you know ⁓ right unfortunately they're not just goofy they're also vile and ⁓ you know genociders greedy all the things yeah I'm really fun at parties speaker-0: That's why they called you grumpy. speaker-1: Or like, let her be grumpy 'cause if she starts talking. ⁓ speaker-0: So he ain't never gonna get it a stop. What was it that made you want to become a lawyer in the first place? speaker-1: I had ⁓ it's funny because I didn't find this out until my my dad had passed, but my dad had always wanted to be a lawyer. He was a pharmacist, yeah, and which is a wonderful noble profession. And ⁓ but I didn't know this until after he died. My mother told me that, you know, your dad always wanted to be a lawyer, and I was like, damn. So I think that seeped in somewhere along the way. But ⁓ when I was in high school, now my cat is meowing. As I said before, I'm a cat lady. I'm a childless cat lady. Yeah, take And they're all surrounding me. Anyway. So when I was a teenager ⁓ in high school, I think it was my junior year. ⁓ we did a mock Supreme Court oral argument on abortion. And I was selected to be one of the Supreme Court justices. speaker-0: So you took a easy easy subject. speaker-1: Yeah, right. And this is what nineteen eighty-eight or eighty-nine. So ⁓ yeah, so I I was like, ⁓ I like this. I liked the intellectual challenge of it, hearing, you know, not even just both sides, but different sides to an argument. And then I really liked making the decision. So that planted a seed. And then when I was in college, ⁓ When I was an undergrad, I started working for Barry Slotnik, who, if you're a New Yorker, you might remember that he defended Bernie Getz, who was a subway called the Subway Gunman, was also in the 80s. ⁓ but I worked I was his personal assistant and a and a law clerk there for a few years. And ⁓ that kind of got me further into, you know, get it fed my interest in the law. And so I ended up working for him as an undergrad and then before I started law school, I took I took a year and just worked for him for a year. And then he and his partners were were like super ⁓ encouraging for me to go to law school, which was which was nice. And ⁓ so I went to law school. I ended up not doing criminal defense. I ended up going straight into public service. So that sort of the speaker-0: So when you go into public service as a lawyer, is that kind of like public defender, like you're speaker-1: Well, ⁓ my first job was working for the Parks Department as a lawyer for the New York City Parks Department and I worked in employee discipline. So what I look at public service as sort of a government job, you know, ⁓ in the public service, not necessarily ⁓ like d defense work. So yeah, I was with the parks department for a bit and that was a wild ride. New City Parks Department, especially under Henry Stern, who was one of the kookiest ⁓ parks commissioners ever. ⁓ that was interesting. And I got paid shit. I had colleagues, ⁓ classmates coming out working for white shoe law firms making 200 grand. And this is in 1998. Yeah. And I I think my my starting salary at the Parks Department was like 32,000. And I was thrilled. I was thrilled to have a job and and like do something fun. And they, you know, they they let me do everything. Yeah. So I learned a lot. ⁓ contract work, just employee discipline work. I dealt a lot with the unions. This is a really funny story. I dealt a lot with DC 37, which is a big union in New York and a lot of ⁓ New York City employees are in DC 37. And the other night I was at an event for ⁓ a housing event in my community because I'm concerned about what's happening with NYCHA housing. Sitting behind me was a union attorney that I used to deal with all the time when I was a baby attorney. And we started talking and his name sounded familiar and then I was like ⁓ my God We've met like a million times when I was a baby attorney at the parks department. And then last night I saw him at another. So I'm gonna we're gonna get connected. And I'm like, clearly we have a lot of ⁓ I mean, he's retired now. He was he was he's been retired for a while, but ⁓ he's still active in the community and doing the it and I'm like, this is really cool. So we've connected, but it was just wild. I was like, God, that was like a lifetime ago. speaker-0: Nice. Yeah. speaker-1: So yeah, lots of parks department stories. Weird agency. speaker-0: So since you since you've dealt with a lot of this stuff, w what do you say to people that say the government needs to be run like a corporation? speaker-1: ⁓ that's not th I I would say corporate law needs to be dismantled. ⁓ corporate law and I actually did quite well in in corporations in law school, it's a racket. It is just a way to structure labor and compensation to benefit a small class of people. You know. ⁓ in my opinion. And ⁓ and a way to shield people from responsibility. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: from accountability. So and I actually think that lawyers, like we're really in two different buckets. They're the people that do corporate law and then there's the rest of us. ⁓ And I'll say this to any of my my classmates too. I'm like, ⁓ you went the corporate route. For me, the law is should be used for good. And I think corporate law is just garbage. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah, corporate law basically you're you're you're defending different corporations. speaker-1: Yeah, and you're shielding people. And and it also it also ⁓ I mean look, it could be reformed, maybe. I think my views are like beyond progressive. There's something else. My views are something else. That's why I'm an independent, because I can't really be put into a box. Yeah. But ⁓ you know, we can And then it's also it makes things inaccessible. Like you you have to know a particular body of law to move in that corporate world. And it's gatekeepy and it's gross. speaker-0: Yeah. There's so many gatekeepers. Depending on what it is that you're trying to do. speaker-1: So many. Yeah, even just running for office. I can't even tell you that yeah how what a steep learning curve it's been for me. And I'm a lawyer and it's still I mean even just setting up my damn bank account so I can get the donations. Yeah. Was like, are you kidding me? You know. So there's a lot of gatekeeping in that. Unfortunately, you know, not everybody has the energy or time or resources to to but To to push against that. speaker-0: Since we're talking about funding a campaign, what's your stance on Citizens United? speaker-1: It needs to go in the trash shredder. ⁓ I I don't know that big monster in in the Star Wars movie, the sand monster, like throw it in there. It is so awful. And I also think that the Supreme Court has shown us that there needs to be term limits with the Supreme Court. We need to have a constitutional amendment. because those nine people are responsible for for so much. speaker-0: Damn it. speaker-1: What are everyday yeah, so much damage. And it is clear that some of them are bought and paid for, Clarence Thomas. Yeah. ⁓ and Citizens United n made that so clear to me. I'm like, ⁓ this is corrupt. I mean, you know, Sotomayor, Kagan, Kentanji Brown Jackson, they can try to hold it down, but that's just three of them. You got, you know, it's just it's awful. It's awful. Citizens United needs to be overturned. However, we need to do it. Strangle it. speaker-0: So we we no, we just need a bunch of you guys to go in there and say, No, we gotta be done with this. speaker-1: And it was as a lawyer too. I was so intellectually offended by that Supreme Court decision. ⁓ and a bunch more that have come come since. But then then you have politicians that are like, ⁓ it's a bad thing, but they're still taking PAC money from APAC real estate lobby. Yeah. Yeah, it's not just APAC. It's not just APAC. There's a ton, a ton of different packs that prop up ⁓ these senators and congress people. It is so gross. I'm like, why are you asking for money? You're already in office. What do you need money for? You get a budget. Like speaker-0: Right. speaker-1: Give me a break. And I th I do think they should be capped speaker-0: That normal people are gonna be like, what the hell? speaker-1: And nobody and I'm like, why? And then you see the numbers. The number I mean, I Corey Booker has taken like over 800 that over $800,000. And where is that money going? I'm like, what are you doing with that money? What's interesting, I think one of the courage candidates is building an app, a transparency app. So ⁓ hopefully that'll get rolled out at some point soon soon to see like how much what are you spending those those donor dollars on? So I'm I'm not taking any pack money. Not that anyone's knocking on my door to give me pack money. I don't know what pack would be, you know, because they don't they're not gonna get anything exchang in exchange except what I'm running on. ⁓ but yeah, I'm only taking single single dollar donations, single donor donations. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, because we'll we can we can take thousands. We don't need single dollars. We need lots of dollars. speaker-1: Yeah, no you can give thirty five thirty five hundred is the cap. Yeah. So speaker-0: Yeah. So that's that's what makes it's the lawmakers that take advantage of Citizens United that are turning normal people away from what the government's supposed to be doing. speaker-1: And then they're like, ⁓ I'm not as And then for some, I mean, it gets it gets even griftier when you see that, you know, now I see that they're priming Kamala Harris is priming to run again. And I'm like, please, girl. It's just to raise money and funnel it through the DNC. I mean, it's gross. It's gross. I mean that was that was really heartbreaking for me. I actually did vote for her. Yeah. ⁓ even though I felt a way about, you know, her not clear them trying to suppress the voices of of those of us who actually have solidarity with with Palestinians. But ⁓ I was I was hopeful and then my eyes really started to to be opened and I you know and I was like God they're all awful all of them and they will use their identity to get your vote and get your dollars. Yep. And then turn around and and vote. Against your interests. speaker-0: Exactly. Vote against the ultimate. Yep. Vote vote according to who wrote you that check. Exactly. And the people that you represent are sitting there. Mm-hmm. Hungry. Yep. Uneducated. No health insurance. speaker-1: The betrayal. Exactly. Yeah. And then, you know, there are three states now that are underwater. They're having, you know, and they're and it's not even hitting the media. I'm like, we have brothers and sisters in other states who are suffering. Yeah. And I'm never gonna say fuck around and find out because I have MAGA people in my family and I want them to thrive too. I don't care. I want them to care and speaker-0: Right. And I understand like fighting fire with fire, stuff like that, but I take your approach. Like I don't I don't want you to fuck around and find out. I want you to understand that it sucks being poor. I want you to understand that it sucks being sick. I want you to understand that we can make everything better. We just have to do away with dumb shit like Citizens United and just corporate interest. speaker-1: Yes. And the Patriot Act, take that one to the trash too. Cause that also works, you know, we our surveillance state is also what's ⁓ causing this this this this construction of these data centers to run AI to survey us that uses resources ruins the the ⁓ the climate. Yeah ruins the environment. It's just it's all tied together. speaker-0: Other way. speaker-1: But yeah, sorry. I could go on and speaker-0: ⁓ no no no no I'm I'm making ⁓ speaker-1: places on all those those laws that we need to repeal and this and shred. But the Patriot Act is just awful. speaker-0: Yeah. I'm reflecting back ⁓ a couple years ago I got to go to Dubai and everyone it's it's wonderful. It is seriously one of the one of the coolest ⁓ vacation not vacation because I was working, but one of the one of the coolest trips I've ever been on was that the culture there is really cool. The fact that they built everything, all those buildings are younger than you and me. speaker-1: Yeah. Mm. I mean, w we're fifty three, so speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. So those buildings are younger than us. speaker-1: The building I live in is younger than me. speaker-0: And so and so people are like, ⁓ but aren't they like super strict and all this stuff? And I said, Yeah, you know, but you know, I'd walked by this coffee shop and there was a laptop on the table in the street, and nobody touched it. I'm coming from Chicago, so I was I thought I saw like a unicorn, like speaker-1: Go on. speaker-0: There's a laptop just sitting here. Nobody's watching. But then you look around and everything is surveilled. And if you if you go and you touch that laptop and they set decide to, you know, take your hands, everything is surveilled. So then now that you're you were talking about the surveillance state and and and ⁓ the Patriot Act and la la la, that stuff. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: It made me think about that. And then it also made me think, all of those guys, those are the guys that are putting a lot of money into these lawmakers' pockets. The Saudis, the Qataris. speaker-1: Yes. That and crypto. Crypto, AI, you know, and and we have to clock that stuff too. speaker-0: Yeah. Crypto crypto is just money laundering. speaker-1: You said it. speaker-0: being used for money laundering. Let's stop again. speaker-1: That's why, you know, they're thank you. ⁓ mic drop. I don't need to say anything on that. speaker-0: Turn the light on. And they're paying for access to Knucklehead. And Knucklehead, what you need to understand is Knucklehead is selling you out. speaker-1: I call him Trumpy Dumpty. That's my name for him. Trumpy Dumpty. speaker-0: Trumpy Dumpy's happening in his pants a lot. ⁓ speaker-1: The man, first of all, he's stupid. ⁓ he's speaker-0: Yeah, you grew up in New York. You grew up in New York. So and that's where he became a thing. Like tell people what he was like before he was president. speaker-1: Yes, he was racist. He wouldn't rent to black and brown people. There was a lawsuit against that. I mean, he has a beef with the government. So what do they do? He became the government. And now he has a beef with everybody else. But he's not a good person. And we you know, we tried to tell people, but I I I I don't know. My stepdad was was MAGA and I think he was starting to see Because we we had a very good relationship, which was the most bizarre thing in the world. My my mother would be like, How do you two get along? Like 'cause we would talk politics. Yeah. For some reason we respected each other. He was also a veteran. And ⁓ I kind of understood why he was the way he was. Yeah. But ⁓ you know, even even now I'm getting now I'm losing my my train of thought. ⁓ but yeah, no, he was he was MAGA and what were we saying? speaker-0: Okay. speaker-1: Was I talking about the Patreon? speaker-0: About we're no, no, no. We're talking about what it's like living in New York when Trump was speaker-1: I tried to thank you. Thank you for bringing me back. I would try to tell him what an awful person Trump is. Yeah. You know, and my mom would too. I'm like, listen, we we know this monster. Like this is this is what he was about. And he's just racist to the core and selfish to the core. But ⁓ he tapped into something that ⁓ overrode those. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: checks in your in your in your head. I mean so that was that was interesting. And then my stepdad passed two years ago. ⁓ and this he he's a big reason why I'm running also. So my stepdad was a veteran. He was ⁓ helicopter pilot in Vietnam and he also served in the Gulf War. And speaker-0: Mm-hmm. speaker-1: You know, he ultimately died of a glioblastoma, a brain tumor that was attributed a hundred percent to his exposure to Agent Orange and chemicals in the Gulf War. and we were able, I was able to give him a dignified end to his life. And he had a good life after sir after serving. He did manage to build a really wonderful life for he and my mom. Good. But not everybody has that. And Veterans are shit on by this country. They are s chewed up and spit out. And ⁓ speaker-0: They're literally the reason you get to talk that much shit. Not specifically you, but yes, people listening. Yes. Veterans are literally the reason you get to talk shit. speaker-1: Thank a veteran for your first amendment, right? ⁓ and so I've gotten to know more veterans well through him, and then also I was in I was a US delegate for the global samood flotilla. So that was the humanitarian effort ⁓ recently to bring aid to Gaza. I was supposed to be on a boat, my boat never sailed, so I ended up working doing working on the ground, but I met all the veterans that were on the veterans' boat. There was a specific veterans boat. So I've gotten to know them and they have educated me too. And so that's a big part of my platform. We need to take care of our veterans and from the minute they they sign up, put on a uniform till they till the end of their life. We really need to take care of them. And also find different pathways for them to use those skills, those military skills. Because I saw these veterans from the captain of the veterans' boat was not a veteran, but The captain had told me I would work with these people any day of the week. They were the best. Yeah. And ⁓ yeah, it's just they have just an incredible skill set that they're able to transform or I call it alchemize it into doing something so beautiful and wonderful. And we can harness that, you know. and what would that look like? What what how how let's imagine what what that could do. that force of people with those deep skill sets instead of sending them to fight stupid war in Venezuela or, you know, into our own communities to police each other, what can we really do with their skill sets that would elevate all of us? Right. So I have a soft spot for veterans. speaker-0: Thank you. And let me I speak for veterans when I say we have a soft spot for you too. My my ⁓ you regular folks don't understand the training that we have to go through to become a soldier. Or shout out Sergeant Rhodes or a Marine or or or But they strip you down mentally. Well, they strip you down physically. They cut your hair off, they do all the things. You get their uniform. And then you have to they break you down mentally. So you understand things in a different way. Because you need to understand. speaker-1: They factory reset you, that's what they do. speaker-0: Yeah. Yep. And unfortunately what they do is when you're done, they just say, All right, cool. Thanks. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: And so there's a lot of folks, there's a lot of it's incredible how many veterans don't quite fit into corporate America. speaker-1: That's not surprising. speaker-0: We went from being in the military, we went from no one left behind, don't fuck your body, da-da-da-da-da. Everyone is in it for the team. And then you go into corporate America, and it's everyone for themselves and backstabby, and just it's it's not a smooth transition. To the point where when I call the VA to get my health insurance or not health insurance, but when I go to do all my health stuff at the VA, what the first question they ask is, Do you have a home? Do you have a safe place to call home? Because if you don't fit in the machine that is making all the money, what do you do? And that's why you see veterans in the streets. Because their brain is all mixed up. speaker-1: Mm-hmm. Yeah. speaker-0: I thought we were I thought we were here for the USA. I thought we were here. You see what I'm saying? speaker-1: And then you're not being taken care of. Yeah. Right. I mean, a lot of the cases I would deal with I dealt with as a judge emanated from the the VA. There, you know, this is a huge agency, so just by nature of how big the agency is, we would get a fair amount of cases where VA employees were alleging that they were being discriminated against. And I can't talk about specific cases because of the privacy act, but I did see a lot of cases where the person was trying to do the best they could in that position, but the structure wasn't supporting them, or they had PTSD, which in a work space is really, you know, you you need a support system to help people thrive in the in the workspace. That's specifically speaks to to those types of ⁓ conditions that the average person who hasn't served wouldn't really have experience with. So I I and it was really it was those cases were really hard. Yeah. ⁓ because like I said, I do have a soft spot for veterans. And then we are, you know, I am as a judge, I have to follow this strict body of law. And so and and in my opinion, the burden was pretty high for people to actually establish that they were discriminated against, which within the framework that we had to analyze cases. So just a lot going on. But yeah, I did I mean that that's sort of my experience dealing with some of the challenges that that veterans have. speaker-0: Yeah. Shout out to all my veterans, man. Shout out to all of ⁓ Every single one of you guys. I don't care what you believe in. I don't care who you voted for. None of that stuff. I know what you've been through. And just nothing but support. And and and again, that's one of the reasons why I like to reach out and talk to people like you that actually realize that there's a problem there too that needs to be addressed. And again, I can only imagine how difficult it is to try to do things and get things accomplished when you have. You know, Dr. Bone Spurs is the one that's in charge of everything. And he doesn't know what it's like to do anything for anyone else, unless obviously he gets his thing first. speaker-1: Yeah, and it's it I I don't I don't know how those the military elites can even be in a room with him. You know, and and have Pete Hexeth as their speaker-0: Did you see bits and pieces of that goofy ass presentation that they did in the room full of all those important soldiers? speaker-1: ⁓ my god. I was like, how is anyone not thrown a tomato at him yet? Bring back throwing tomatoes. One of my moto motto. speaker-0: But that's Goes to show you it goes to show you how well trained we are. You can you can have some moron up there beating his chest about some silly stuff. Yeah. And all those men, all those all those high ranking officers, I don't know, I don't think they were all men, but all of those military service members, high ranking military, very respected folks were sitting there who have given their life to serve this country. speaker-1: I That's right. speaker-0: And they have to stand there and listen to these two monkeys bouncing up and down on the stage. Yep. And they that's how that's how that's how tight we are. We can watch that circus and we could just sit there in silence. speaker-1: Popped off. speaker-0: Yeah. ⁓ speaker-1: That's why they fire. They fired me, they fired me by email and then they said, We'll ship your stuff to you. They were so afraid of me coming to the office. I said, What do you think I'm gonna do? Throw a donut at you? Meanwhile, I was known as the nice judge in the New York district office. Cause I was nice. But when you're stupid, you know, and you're insulting a group of very well trained. speaker-0: Morico, that's what you're gonna do. Yeah. speaker-1: High level officials. My God, a tomato is called for. Now I'm gonna have the FBI at my door. Now you threatened to throw a tomato at Pete Hagseth. speaker-0: ⁓ you're right. speaker-1: That's why love the, you know, when I was in DC, I I got to meet some of the folks who were in that c encampment ⁓ in front of Union Station. So that's flare and ⁓ remember your oath and met met ⁓ some of the veterans there. I'm like, ⁓ these are my people. speaker-0: Shout on Sergeant Rhodes, man. He he gets me going, man. He's such a good time. speaker-1: There's you know, and but it's it's really important that we have people look fine, they want to keep a straight face while Heg Seth is doing his clown show, fine. But I think it's really important for for veterans and people like me, judges, who sort of there's like this veneer, this decorum that we're expected to have at all times to break that that wall and say there's fuckery going on. speaker-0: Yeah. The emperor is naked. speaker-1: The emperor is naked with a teeny tiny weenie. Like, come on. speaker-0: Ha ha ha speaker-1: Like th this is what's going on. And it it's interesting the reaction I've gotten. ⁓ s some people are like, thank you, thank you for speaking the truth, especially my trans ⁓ siblings, like they really appreciated someone standing up for them in a really meaningful big way. But then you also have people within my own profession that ⁓ have completely shunned me because they're not ready to hear the truth. About their profession and about our world. So it could be very isolating too. So that's why it's so great to meet all these other candidates who aren't afraid to envision what a better life could look like for all of us. And I'm like, ⁓ thank God my people. Because it can be really, really isolating when you're like a whistleblower or when you speak up. ⁓ for the military too. I mean, I can't imagine. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: what what it's been like for like folks like Dylan Blaha or you know who who and and Bernard too, you know, like as a as a firefighter, you know, is it was Bernard a veteran as well? No. No, as a as a firefighter, you know, someone who wears uniforms speaker-0: Fire paramedic. He does literally everything else. speaker-1: Yes, yeah. I mean it's and then you're talking you're talking real people. Yeah, it's people get uncomfortable with that. But I want to normalize that. Like, listen, I'm a human being. You know, and there's there's there's things that are happening that are really bad. And we have to talk about it and not be afraid to talk about it, otherwise we just perpetuate ⁓ this situation we're all in. speaker-0: And and go out to a protest. speaker-1: ⁓ yeah. speaker-0: Because you make connections and you see like you might have you might have thoughts in your brain that you're like, it doesn't feel quite right, but I don't know what to say or how to say it or ⁓ or even if anyone else is thinking these things. And then you go out to a protest or you go out to any kind of meeting that has anything to do with this stuff, and you see that you're not alone. speaker-1: That's such a good takeaway. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. Not alone. And there's a lot of people that are trying really hard to do the right thing. Yes. And they're trying really hard to make the right kind of change. speaker-1: And then Yes. And not just in this country, all over the world. speaker-0: All over the world. Yeah. speaker-1: tell you when i i was in tunisia for the flotilla that's where i was based in tunis and it wasn't just the us delegation there it was people from all over the world and being around hundreds of people from all over the world with the single goal of bringing humanitarian aid was the most uplifting thing I've ever done. and just to know ⁓ they're fighting in Malaysia ⁓ they're fighting in Europe ⁓ they're you know ⁓ to lift all of us. And I'm try I try to like in those moments where it feels isolating or I feel like my voice isn't breaking through, I just think about, you know, no, there are people all over the world who are doing this work who who wanna want us all to be liberated and happy and joyous and free. ⁓ we are we're out there. Just remember that. There's somebody, you know, a continent away who's doing something. So speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: And use social media for good. speaker-0: Exactly. Exactly. That's my thing. My thing is again the double edged sword. It it's full of kids eating tide pods and doing silly things. speaker-1: They're still doing the Tide Pods thing. speaker-0: No, no, but everyone that's the one everyone remembers. ⁓ either that or the ice bucket challenge, but that one is actually for good. speaker-1: Yeah, the ice bucket challenge was was that was a good viral thing. Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. But this is like doing things like the having this conversation really does it's it for me, it gives me ⁓ just a little bit of the feeling from when I go to a protest or when I go and hang out with people that really do want to make a difference. You know? So exactly what you said, using social media, leveraging it to for the for the betterment of society. I would hope that more people do this. and not for anything, but it's just not that difficult to do. speaker-1: No, you just tap into your better angels and speaker-0: And spread speaker-1: And don't be afraid to be corny. No, seriously. I mean I I was I I think I I can't remember if I said this before you started recording, but I was a Girl Scout growing up and did it all through high school. Yeah. And we were corny. But speaker-0: No, it's for real. It was a good speaker-1: Yeah. I was actually on the Girl Scout cookie box back in the eighties. For real, for real. Every yeah. Well they they renamed them. They were called Samoas. Renamed, I they call them subcaramel Delights or something now because the name was I think not PC, but ⁓ yeah, they they every few years they would take girls from a different Girl Scout council and speaker-0: For real? ⁓ subtle flex. Flavor. Which flavor? ⁓ hell yeah. speaker-1: and use them to do photos. So the all the girls on those Girl Scout cookie boxes are real Girl Scouts. Yeah. So yeah, back in the eighties they're like, okay, we're gonna use you we're gonna have scouts from Nassau County, which is out on Long Island, ⁓ be on the box. So they did a casting call at the the Nassau County Girl Scout Center. And I was chosen to be on the box. I'm playing the saxophone on the box. And I still have a have have a box, you know, ⁓ speaker-0: Hold it up. Do you have a I right now I'm doing a Google image search and I'm trying speaker-1: I don't have it. I don't have it available. It's funny, like you can't find it on Google on Google Images. I think it's just too old. But I do have it. I have proof. And then that's awesome. And then I think in the south that that the photo was on a different different cookie, but for the most part it was it was Samoa's. So yeah, I mean I was so corny, I was on the Girl Scout cookie box, but it's okay to be corny. speaker-0: Yeah, if your message is is is good, ⁓ coronel. ⁓ speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah. I know in Chicago if someone calls you goofy, they just cussed you out. Yeah, goofy is one of those words you don't want to be called in Chicago. Yeah. speaker-1: ⁓ yeah. Yeah. We'll s leave leave that for the the clown in the White House. speaker-0: Yeah. How are you feeling about mom Donnie coming into New York? speaker-1: ⁓ wait and see. ⁓ I was excited about his candidacy. I was excited to vote for him. ⁓ however, he did say that he's gonna keep Jessica Tisch as the commissioner of NYPD, and that is a no-go for me. She's I mean, she's just terrible. Terrible. ⁓ her family has a lot of lengths to The the IOF, ⁓ she's problematic in a lot of ways. Yeah. So I'm hoping that he's just saying that and he'll actually give her the axe once he's in office. But NYPD is also becoming a surveillance state and it's directly linked to the ⁓ the technology that is used in Israel against Palestinians. I mean, there's a direct correlation. It's ho it's horrible. I got so upset because during the ⁓ Tesla takedowns, there's a Tes Tesla store not far from me and I was doing those every week. They started having drones at them and I got in NYPD's face about it. I was like, there is no reason to have drones. This is like a bunch of hippies. ⁓ you know, and you have all these cops. What do you need a drone for? This is really invasive and and then I would I would get into their faces. I get into NYPD spaces all the time. And they stopped with those drones. But you walk down any city block and there's, you know, cameras everywhere. And it's Yeah. And even just people with their own ring cameras. They're, you know, low key, like becoming a part of the surveillance state. And as far as I know, NYPD can access. speaker-0: Lights everywhere. speaker-1: all of that ⁓ that footage. So I'm like I don't need to I don't need a surveillance state. We can police e communities can police themselves. Yeah. I mean, you know, Puerto Rican communities, we can police ourselves. You know. speaker-0: All you need is a chocolate. ⁓ speaker-1: I mean, my parents me and my siblings on a tight leash. My mother knew what we were doing when we we could be a mile away and she she would know if something was up. That's that intuition. You know, you don't need I I think it's invasive, unnecessary. The data will be used against us. ⁓ and it all emanated from the Patriot Act, which was based on a lie of weapons of mass destruction. So they create. speaker-0: Balids. speaker-1: The elites create these situations that, you know, ha where people will buy into surveillance and other things that are completely against their interests. And Jessica Tisch is part of that machinery. So he needs to jettison her. speaker-0: ⁓ This is my frustration with all of that is they would rather buy cameras and drones and all those things instead of investing in those communities. And instead of turning, instead of surveilling drug dealers and muggers and shit like that, you could invest in the education and grocery stores and in those communities. speaker-1: Please, Mom Donnie, get rid of her. Thank you. speaker-0: And you wouldn't have to worry about those people because everyone is good. You know who doesn't steal shit? People that have shit. speaker-1: Mm-hmm. There you go. speaker-0: I'm on the It's not that difficult. It's not that difficult. speaker-1: And the ⁓ you know the bloated NYPD budget is so ridiculous, so wasteful. We don't need cops. At least we don't need as many as as we have. J and that's how I feel about the military too. Like we can take that skill set and it can look different, you know? we could have community officers who are really community officers, and another thing too is This is interesting about working for New York City is that there are some titles, job titles, that are exempt from living in the city. Otherwise, if you're a city employee, you have to live in one of the five boroughs. So what it does is it creates a c a different class of worker. And cops do not have to live in the five boroughs, which to me is ridiculous. Why do I, as you know, a lowly parks attorney have to live in the five boroughs and a cop doesn't? speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: And then the higher ups too. There were certain titles at the Parks Department that were exempt. It was a lot of shady bullshit. speaker-0: Yeah. And I bet you I bet you a lot of that is you know, to lean into the the racist thing again. Wow You hire a bunch of white cops that don't want to live in the black and brown neighborhoods. speaker-1: Absolutely. I mean while Yep. Mm-hmm. But you know who's the one when when NYPD is assisting in these ice raids and stuff, who do they put on the front lines? Black and brown cops. It's a total style. speaker-0: To show that they're divers. speaker-1: Yeah, or it's so it's so bizarre. So I I really hope that speaker-0: Instead of again, instead of building up those communities so you don't need that many police officers. That's the thing. Like you guys are are are surveilling and you're trying to control communities. I don't know about you, but the majority of the black and brown people that I know all go to church. They are too busy trying to find work and doing the work. They don't have time for this bullshit. Right? So instead, if you were to invest in the neighborhoods, all this crumbling infrastructure, all this stuff, you wouldn't need all of these cameras. I'm not saying we don't we we we do need some cops and we do need some some. speaker-1: Do speaker-0: some folks to help with like some minor whatever. speaker-1: They should live in the communities then. They shouldn't be able to like run to the suburbs after their shift. Then they need to be embedded in the community and then and understand the community and be a part of the community. speaker-0: And imagine being imagine being a part of a community, policing that community, and you know that that community has it going on. And you know that that community doesn't want any any trouble, they don't want any anything because they have something to live for now. Yeah. You're asking people that are not invested in the community because the people that have been running that community have completely forgotten about them. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: So how do you expect us to be to be locked into a system that treats us the way that you do? And going back to the Gaza thing, pay attention to how they talk about Gazans and the way they talk about us. Doesn't it it might not be the same words, but doesn't it sound, doesn't it rhyme? Yeah. speaker-1: Absolutely. Yeah, we're we're just just ⁓ dispensable. You know, it's really I mean, Gaza woke me up in such in such a hard way. Yeah. And ⁓ once I saw it I couldn't unsee it. And then you see more and more and more about how all of this is really tied it tied tied to the imperialist war machine. speaker-0: Yeah. And now a bunch of real estate agents are taking advantage of the fact that they have the keys to the war machine. Yep. speaker-1: Yep. Then chomping at the bit. I'm like I'm like, what are you chomping at the bit for? You've destroyed the environment. You don't think that's gonna speaker-0: shortcut though you have to take those buildings down eventually if you're gonna build up if you're gonna be a real estate developer like ⁓ kushner he's already he's already got the little lines for the different neighborhoods speaker-1: Yeah, and I'm sure and they it it's they're they're doing it here. I'm sure they're they're they're looking at other places in the world beyond Gaza that may have, you know, rich r resources. I mean Venezuela and who who knows? And who knows what we don't know about. ⁓ but you know, it's and it but it's happening on a micro level too. Like here in New York, we have deed theft, ⁓ the NYCHA residents, they're trying to displace them so that private equity speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: can come in and build affordable housing and change their section nine housing, which offers the tenants way more protections, change it to section eight vouchers. I mean, it is, it's happening on a micro level and on and across the world. Like, you know, no one is disposable. We we deserve shelter, food. speaker-0: If if as a leader you have people that are disposable, that's a reflection of you as a leader. speaker-1: And your mindset, yeah. For sure. speaker-0: Yeah. Sure. Because I'm sorry. Everybody can be good at something. I don't care who you are. speaker-1: And you don't I don't I don't buy buy into the the fac the idea that everyone has to be useful to society. You can just exist. Just exist as a human, you know? speaker-0: Yeah, that too. Yeah. I know I know a bunch of people that they're not into the rat race. They like they like waking up, drinking their coffee on the way to work. They do their job, they come home, they watch Price is Right and Wheel of Fortune and they go to bed. Perfectly. And that's fine. speaker-1: Yep. And that's Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah. What's your ⁓ what's your stance on the Super Bowl halftime show? speaker-1: Excited. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: I'm excited. I'm gonna see what what what Bad Bun Bunny brings to the to the table. I mean, a lot of pride as a Puerto Rican. I I don't really follow footballs. I usually just just watch the halftime show. So and I think I I think his approach has also been, you know, s cultural pride, but also everyone's welcome, which is so Puerto Rican. It's like we're so proud of proud of our culture and come and join us and dance and eat and and speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. speaker-1: party and do the thing. Yeah. Yeah. So I I'm looking forward to it. What about you? What's what speaker-0: ⁓ I'm so excited. ⁓ okay. And I know I know that some of his music is a little potty music, but don't listen to the words. Just dance. Yeah, make up your own words. It's fine. It's fine. I mean speaker-1: Or make her make your own word. the the you know, Trumpy Dumpty's crazy tweets every day. If we can, you know, deal with that, you can deal with it a little bit of colorful language in a song. speaker-0: And it's not like the people that are complaining will literally go to a Mexican restaurant and listen to sunset music. Yeah. While they're eating their tacos and stuff. Stay bad. Stay bad. You know what I'm saying? speaker-1: Yeah. I love that he sort of brought back the or or ⁓ elevated the the Hibado hat. I love it. I love speaker-0: I have been shopping. I almost, almost, almost bought one for Halloween. ⁓ speaker-1: ⁓ I should campaign trail. My my my dad was from Barranquitas, so that's like that's as Hibaro as you get. speaker-0: Yeah. My ⁓ my family, my grandmother. So this is what's funny. My dad's side of the family escaped Cuba, but they live in Puerto Rico. They live in Carolina. And yeah, I went to Florida just after Thanksgiving to celebrate my grandmother's one hundredth birthday. Yeah. ⁓ She's so wonderful. But yeah. speaker-1: Nice. That's amazing. ⁓ god. speaker-0: I haven't been to Puerto Rico since I was four though. speaker-1: ⁓ you gotta go back. speaker-0: Yeah. And this year my grandmother was like, Hey, come see me in Puerto Rico. And now that she said that, like I had I have to start looking for tickets. speaker-1: You have to. You have to. And then while you're there you could probably find a protest against, you know, the the US government using it as a as a aircraft carrier. speaker-0: Yeah. Not just that, but like a bombing site and all kinda they've been doing so many things to us out there. speaker-1: It's interesting too when my friends who aren't Puerto Rico kind of find out more about the history of the colonization, they're like, ⁓ man, I'm like, Yeah, it's always been that way. Like, you know, why do you think that so so so many Puerto Ricans are in the States? It's 'cause they've they've really just really done a lot of harm to the island. And now we have a governor who's like a puppet, you know, a puppet of the US Empire. She's just awful. So but speaker-0: There's a speaker-1: Bunny will will I I love the the ⁓ the spotlight he's putting on Puerto Rico. speaker-0: Yeah. And now, you know, going going to the dark side or the geeky side of my brain, it's gonna be cool to see ⁓ one of the things so the people that are putting the halftime show together is Apple. And not just is Bad Bunny selling more records than anyone on the planet, but Apple has these AirPods. that will live translate for you. Interesting speaker-1: I'm a fan of Apple, but I'm a fan of accessibility and that's really nice. speaker-0: Yeah. That's one of the big reasons why I have been I have a little brother that's blind and Apple had in their software ⁓ visually impaired software that was just built in. speaker-1: And that should be the standard. I'm I'm glad that you I mean, that's that's so amazing. And ⁓ the one of the people I volunteer dog walk for is blind and lives in a building in my neighborhood that is mostly blind residents. And ⁓ when I started thinking about rolling out posters, palm cards, flyers for my campaign, I was like, I have to have braille in there. ⁓ because when I'm in that building All the signage is also in Braille. And I was like, this is such like a this is an accessibility issue. This is wonderful. And I actually found a printer that will do it, that can do it. And yeah, so that will happen in January. But all of my printed material will have Braille on it. And ⁓ I'm I'm this ⁓ speaker-0: Wow. This might be a tacky joke, but does it run on ink? Is it like an inkjet printer? speaker-1: No, it's like it's this is like a big ⁓ printer. They do a lot of of print work for ⁓ for Canada. speaker-0: Like a company printer. Okay. speaker-1: It's actually it's ⁓ company called Radix in Brooklyn. It's a cooperative and it's all umed. Yeah. Shout out Radix, R A D I X. And they're gonna do they're gonna incorporate the Braille into my my signage. And I'm hoping that becomes the standard. If there's one thing that my running for Congress, one thing that I could do, whether I win or not. speaker-0: Shout out Raddox. speaker-1: is make accessibility the standard, I'll consider that a win because Trump now is talking about, ⁓ I don't want an ASL interpreter. That's not my cats are fighting. That's ⁓ you know he doesn't have an ASL interpreter now because it's not his ⁓ his thing or it doesn't it it's so ridiculous. So I actually have an ASL interpreter that's going to do ASL for my website when I roll out some of my longer speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: videos on my campaign website. So I was like, no, this is no, I'm gonna lean the other way. And I want my campaign to be as excessive, ex excessive, yes. And accessible. Excessive and accessible. Because it's important to include everybody. And that's like I said in the beginning, that's who I'm running for. The people who are unseen and ⁓ ignored. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. And again, how do you expect people to tap into or be or or want to contribute to something that they don't feel a part of? That's what that's Yeah. speaker-1: Exactly. Or that vote. They don't do it to be a brat. They do it because they don't feel not yeah, exactly. Or that they matter to the people who are running. And so you know, everybody matters to me. Even if I don't like you, you still matter. And you still, you know, you still should be included in the in the conversations. speaker-0: Because they're not convinced that it matters. Yeah. Yeah. And with that, we've been going for it's about to be two hours. So I'd like to feel it's I'd like to I'd like to keep going. but I know that you're busy and ⁓ you're you gotta get ready, pack your bags because you're going to DC soon. speaker-1: Okay. Good friend. Listen, ⁓ I I'll go to DC and I will also spend as much time in my district as possible. Because that's where the real work is, real work is. So speaker-0: Yeah. So if you want to leave people with your sales pitch is a terrible way to say it, but give them your pitch as to why you should have the opportunity to make the change. speaker-1: Call myself a dark horse. So I'm running my own race and I'm running my race for the people. I'm not for a party. And I will be that fierce, outspoken voice that you want in Congress. I will fight. And I have a proven record of fighting against this administration, and as you can see from the conversation, against anything that's harmful to us as human beings. That's my motivating factor. I'm not here to to get a bag or make a name for myself. I don't need that. That's not what motivates me. No. So if you're if you're looking for that kind of representation, hang with me. And also, you know, read my website. I'm putting new material on there every day. Find out what the other candidates are about too. And just educate yourselves so that when you go to vote. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: You're excited about who you're voting for, whether that's me or somebody else. But I will fight for you. I'll fight hard. speaker-0: I love it. And so if people are trying to find you online and they're trying to follow up with your message, where can they find you? speaker-1: They can find me at koforcongress.com. That's the number four. That's my campaign website. And all my socials are that same handle, ko for congress. speaker-0: And we're gonna have all the links to all of your social media in the description of this video too. So we make it easy. Great. So if you're watching this video, just look down there, you'll see it. Or then follow speaker-1: I'm spicy and I don't miss words, so speaker-0: We ain't afraid. We like spicy. We support spicy. speaker-1: Yay. Thank you so much for this conversation. This was great. speaker-0: Thank you. It was lovely meeting you. I know we've been we've been in the same groups and stuff and you know, Instagram and stuff. And so it's really nice to finally meet you face to face. Everyone has talked about how wonderful you are. speaker-1: And slightly unhinged. I know. I feel like I should come with a warning label. Like you might like too much. speaker-0: We like that though. Ha ha ha ⁓ speaker-1: May cause you to curse. speaker-0: Yeah. Thanks again for taking time out of your busy schedule to come and and share your message and your efforts. And thank you so much for being one of those grassroots people who who doesn't feel the need to sell out or go get the bag to actually come and make change and make people feel a part of something. Thank you so much for doing that for us. speaker-1: Thank you for seeing me. That means a lot to me. speaker-0: And with that, everybody, we are out. speaker-1: Thank you, Carlos. Coconut trust us.