Bill Meyer Show Podcast - Sponsored by Clouser Drilling www.ClouserDrilling.com - 02-13-26_FRIDAY_8AM

Episode Date: February 14, 2026

Former sen. Baertschiger and (now) not under consideration for Jo Co Commissioner comments on the weird process of getting a new commissioner or two. Open phones, D62 quiz and emails of the day to wrap the week.

This hour of the Bill Myers Show podcast is proudly sponsored by Klauser Drilling. They've been leading the way in Southern Oregon well drilling for more than 50 years. Find out more about them at Klausor drilling.com. Diner 62, the delivery today, and we are going to have a diner 62 quiz later this hour, because it is 802. So it will be the 8 o'clock hour on KMED, KMED, H.D. H.E.O. Point, Mefford, KBXG grants pass, translator K290AF, Rogue River, and K-294 a.S. Ashland. Foo, got all that out. But they delivered a Kilbossi Scramble.

Oh, my gosh. I mean, this is like going right into my Slovenian heritage. I almost need a, you know, really instead of ACDC, as much as I like that, I need my polka theme. Kilbossi Scramble. Man, it's delicious. Anyway, we'll talk about that a little later, all right? It is fine. Your phone Friday.

Good morning. Hi. And who do we have on the phone? Who's this? This is Chris and my parents Hey Chris, what's going on with you today? Well, I'm a Mercer. Yeah, from Jeff Merkley.

Is this the one about you talking about the surveillance pricing ban that he wants to do? Yes, it is everywhere and you don't even know it. Really? In sight you get. And the prices will be higher on their website versus someone. If you're someone else. Oh, I have read. I have read about such schemes percolating through the,

well, through the cloaca or plopping out of the cloaca of corporate America. Yeah. Yeah. They give it an exciting name. They call it dynamic pricing. Mm-hmm. And, yeah, so it is something that the nature of what I do, I actually have visibility on more than one version of the website

and how they present, whether certain features are easy to use or difficult to use, things that plums with, but I am, you know. No, I get that. I get that. And this whole idea that it's a different price depending on who you are given on this surveillance capitalism of it. It's bad enough that we have enough surveillance capitalism as is. but then to take this even to the, you know, one person gets it for a different price just because, you know, let's say, just because even, of course, I don't know, is it any different, though, than someone getting a coupon or is it different from having, just getting a coupon? How do you see this, the surveillance capitalism?

It is. It is. And fly is often. They're lower inches or lower something that they do. on a regular basis, so we're going to give it to them at a little bit lower price to encourage purchase all the time, higher income. They'll give you a higher price is what they'll do, right? Give you a higher price and then make it harder to extract yourself from that.

Interesting. Yeah. The thing with the coupons in the stores, I will put in my telephone number to get a coupon, but I will not use the app and clip coupon. I do not want to be surveilled on that level. I refuse the apps for the same reason because then they're really plugged into the fount of your information. No way.

No way. And so I just stopped shopping at places like that that are trying to encourage me to go in that direction as much as possible. All right. Myself as well. All right. Thanks for the call, Chris.

Thanks for telling us about your experience from behind the algorithm wall, okay? Now more with Bill Meyer. Oh, we've had a couple of former state senators called the show this morning. Of course, Ellen DeBoer, a few minutes ago on what was going on up in Salem. And former state senator Herman Berchiger. How you doing, Herman? Welcome back.

I know normally when we talk to you on Tuesdays and catch up on things political. But you ended up getting your rejection form from the county yesterday in your application. Of course, you were a county commissioner, but apparently you don't qualify. now to be a county commissioner, right? How many times have I told you on your show they're never going to pick me? Yep, many times. Many times you have mentioned that. And Bill, that's easy, you know, I ran because a lot of people wanted me to run,

and I guess I had to prove my point that they would not select me, and I did, because it's a political position. And, right, currently in Josephine County, the Democrat and current and, current and, and former department heads, which Commissioner Ron Smith calls the scum group, they're running the county. And so this, in essence, is a soft, well, either soft Republican and harder Democrat coup in some ways, isn't it? What's going on? Yeah, and there's a true, Bill. If those people selected me for the next 10 months to serve out, all those Democrats, they were out there collecting signatures for the recall,

and all those hundreds of hours of work and everything they put in would go absolutely berserk. So they didn't want that fight. And I tried to tell people that, and maybe now they believe me. But that's what's happened. You know, if you really think about it, the Republicans of Josephine County, which outnumbered Democrats two to one, by the way, they actually gave the keys to the county to the Democrats by not showing up to vote in those recall elections. Yep.

Agreed. Agreed wholeheartedly. And I'm trying to find out for the life of me, Herman. What is it about the standard Fox News watching? I don't know if they're Fox News watching, but I'm just going to use this as a broad brush. Republican voter who is sitting around there and says, yeah, yeah, gosh darn old Democrats, and this and that and the other. and then if Trump's not on the ballot, they go to sleep.

What is going on there? I think that's what it is. Am I right or wrong in my supposition? I think you're on the right track. I sense that Republicans think because Trump is president, all is calm on the front. And nothing could be further from the truth as your local and state government. government continues to be plundered, right? I mean, that's the way I look at it.

You know, the next shoe to drop, I mean, they're going to pick somebody and, or two people, which I still, the whole process and everything, I just kind of shake my head. Okay, all right, for those that don't know, Herman, because maybe some people don't know, I was watching NBC Five's coverage of it yesterday, and I'm just about ready to spit because, you know, the anchors they're talking about and the applicants numbered 12, 13, 20, 29, and 33. And I said, what? What do you mean? Applicants number 10. Name the names. And I guess the Daily Courier ended up requesting the names and finally got them. They started leaking. But where did that nonsense come from? Do you think in the first place?

Well, yeah, because, you know, four of those elected officials are up for election and they're just scared to death. You know, they're scared to debt. What, what, is everybody Ron Smith now? Is that where we are? Yeah, they're scared because they know if they vote for this person, the Democrats are going to go haywire. And if vote for this person, the Republicans are going to go haywire? Yeah, but if the Democrats go haywire, they're only one-third of the voters there. Why?

Well, but by skewing everyone's name, that was kind of ridiculous. I mean, they released the five, they released the top five, but they haven't. released all the applicants and they haven't released the resumes or anything. There's absolutely no transparency and that's why I think they tried to do this through like hiring an employee because there's certain state statutes that says that you don't have to release certain. Well, I know that method you don't have to release it using that method, but that method in my opinion is illegal in the use of appointing a commissioner, a political appointment. That's how I would see it. Well, when you look at the statutes, it says that it's not

common on political appointments, and it doesn't apply. But they just kind of overlooked that. It's just like veterans preference. Okay. If you look at the language of the preference preference bill, which was kind of written in my office, it talks about it applies to civil servants. elected officials are public servants. See, there's a completely different category. Public servant versus civil servant. Civil servant comes under employment law. Public servant does not, right?

But see, there's nobody to check them. They can do whatever they want. No, I disagree with you there. Wally Hicks is a lawyer. Wallie Hicks can read the statutes, can't he? Well, Wally Hicks is up for election, and it's a lot nicer to go through election season with no opponent than to have an opponent and have to put $50,000 into a race and such things like that. What is this? Okay, Herman, is this something as simple that all of these elected officials in Josephine County on this temporary board?

Is it just about the PERS pension? Is that all this is just making sure that we just keep riding that gravy train? Well, I'm sure long-serving people in the PERS program, it is a high priority of their concerns. I'm sure of that. Are you on cell phone, Herman, or something else, smack your cell phone? Yeah, but it sounds like it's coming from you. It is? So, sorry.

Okay. Well, I'll tell you what, hang on just a second, and I'll be back in a couple minutes. to call you back, get you on a different line. Okay. All right. All right. I want to finish this up with former state senator Herman Beertrigger. This hour of the Bill Myers Show is sponsored by Fontana Roofing. For roofing gutters and sheet metal services, visit fontanaroofing services.com. Hi, this is Megan at mini B-Yr-R-N-A.com. This is News Talk 1063, KMED, and you're waking up with the Bill Myers Show. That's why I want to have right back with former state senator, former Josephine County Commissioner Herman Berchiger.

And I'm just astounded at the temporary board's decision to be so opaque about this, so secretive about this process, and so apparently bought off that I guess everyone's more worried about the purse pension, but you were telling me off there that there's real money at stake with a lot of these individuals. Is that maybe driving some of this capitulation to being opaque rather than transparent in process, Herman? What's say you? Well, yes, you look at the base salaries of these department heads in Josephine County, and they're pretty damn good. I mean, anywhere from 110,000 clear up, you know, exceeding 150,000, then you have to add 70% to that number to pay for all the associated payrolls

costs, the purse contribution, health care contribution, and all those kind of things. So if you add all that up, there's some of these people are making 10 times more money than the average income earner in Josephine County. But yet I get this impression that everyone feels like they're held hostage to the recall situation. And by the way, I always liked, I've always liked, and I've been on the record of always liking Ron Smith, but I have vehemently, or vehemently opposed to his decision to not try to make a choice and get another member of the board on there or two members of the board, you know, when he had the opportunity. So I disagree. you know, with him on this one.

But then... I think Ron Smith, darkest days are ahead of them. They're not behind him, trust me. There's a few more shoes that are going to drop. We just seen in the courier, a sexual harassment lawsuit files. I think there's some other things that are becoming over the next month or so. Yeah, I get that. But this report, but this situation, what we're talking about with this temporary board,

they're all taking dives. They're all hiding. There's absolutely no courage or conviction of open transparency in any way. And that's the part that I think should be concerning that that's the way we're going about choosing two more members of the board here. Just saying, Herman, that's what. They really deviated how things historically, and you can go back 30, 40 years in Josephine County when they had to do commissioner appointments. By the way, the commissioners make about the least amount of any elected official in Josephine County. And that's okay.

You know, the whole time I was there, I voted no to increase the salaries of the commissioners. Now, there were COLA increases that are automatic. But, you know, last year they gave a pretty good, another pretty good boost to the sheriff. And, you know, I'm just, you know, they all do good jobs and everything, but you got to keep things in perspective. So you've got the average person. It's average. These are hard numbers, Bill, $32,000. So it's went up a little bit.

So the average person in Josephine County makes $32,000, and your average county employee starts at more than three, sometimes almost four times that in the department head world. No, actually, you've got to add the associated payroll cost because they benefit from those down the road. So you've got to add that on top. So it's whatever their salary is, use about 70% that's i think that's a pretty good number and it's it's big big money they're the most

you know those and school teachers and the medical industry and the rest of us out here that that have to pack a lunch and go to work we're making you know these lesser numbers it's just i think things are starting to get a little out of kilter well the way that this process of selecting a new board member is out of kilter too seriously. Now, I don't know. Now, I'm familiar with Colleen Martin to a certain extent. Got Lorna Jesse who is on here, Gary Richardson on school board, Grants Pass School Board, Kirk Bruce, and Simon Hare. Now, are these individuals, in your opinion, looked at as more pliable with regard to what the department heads are looking for? Because it appears that this is

about the department heads wanting to run the board, rather than the board running the department heads, which is the way it's supposed to be. If they, if they take Simon Hare, I'll eat my hat because he's filed for commissioners, you know, and I cannot imagine the Democrats being very happy. So we're going to have to sit back and who they select next Tuesday. Then we can talk about going forward. You know, I think some of these are just, some of them may be just put out there for political distraction. In other words, oh, we're being fair, we're wanting people that have political experience, and oh, here's Simon, right?

So we put Simon on. You've got to remember, you know, Colleen, Martin, and Gary Richardson were, you know, they were rejected by the voter. And they tried this before. So, anyways, you know, it is, it's politics. And that's, you know, I say that. People get mad and I go, it's politics. Why are you so surprised? This is how politics work. It's a dirty business, and it can be very dangerous. Well, I get that, but I would expect at least keeping it open. And I mean totally open and not running this as if you're hiring administrators rather than actual political appointees, which is so disappointing about this.

Look, they've deviated from the normal practice of commissioners just appointing. people. And historically, it's always been former commissioners because you got somebody that understands the ropes, you know, how things work. They way deviated. But who's holding anybody accountable? Nobody. The courier couldn't even get a public records request answered on who's running. Even in the newspaper, they've ignored everybody because they know there's no consequences, still. And I know that we normally, we have a lot of things to say about the courier. It's not always positive, but God bless him for asking at least yesterday. I appreciate that part, you know. Right. So we don't, we have, the public has no idea who the applicants were, except for me,

because I'm pretty vocal, and you give me an opportunity to talk on, on your show, and I put things on Facebook, which I don't know how good for that goes. It goes into cyberspace. But other than that, how does Mr. Mrs. Jones, how do they go, well, who were all the applicants? How do they get that information, Bill? Yeah. You know, I would like to know who apply.

It would be interesting to know, and I mean all of them. And I know that, and maybe that was the whole idea of having them apply through the employment process where you could check that little box that says you don't want your information put out, right? Right, right. Yeah. And, you know, I put my resume on Facebook for everybody to see, and some people said, oh, you're just trying to rig the system.

I said, no, I'm not trying to rig the system. I'm just letting people take a peek of who I am. No, but what this temporary board did with all this secrecy at number 9, 10, whatever, that's rigging the system. That's the biggest rig of all. We're supposed to be transparent, and that this was about as transparent as a mud pie. You know, I just shake my head.

I just, I just shake it. And all I would say is that why would any of these people going for re-election this year, why would they expect the people's vote after this stunt? And that's the way I look at it, Herman, a stunt. Yeah. I don't know. You know, when the dust all settles, it's really up to the voter. And like I said, the Republicans handed the keys of the county to the Democrats by not showing up to vote. I'm sorry. I love my Republican people. They've always supported me, but they really blew it on this one, Bill. Yeah. And believe me, Trump is not going to save you here in Joseph Feter Jackson County. All right? No, I'm sorry. That's not going to happen.

All right. Herman's here with me here. Let me grab a call here, Herman. They may have a question or comment. Go ahead. Hi, you're on with former Senator Berichiger. Who's this? Wayne. Hey, Wayne? It's on your mind. Well, I just wanted to tell you a little story about the Diverson payroll now, the public employees and the private. Yeah. Last year, I worked in a logging wood. That was one of the log cutters was a young, ambitious family man.

he cut logs from daylight till noon at 1 o'clock. You go home, clean up, get an hour of sleep, and then he went to work as a janitor. I can't remember what was Phoenix or Medford school system. Swing shift. Guess where he made more money? Something tells me being the janitor in the school district, right? The janitor made more money than the guy risking his life

every minute he's out in the logging woods, cutting logs. Boy, that's kind of to your point, Herman, isn't it? This has been a long time ago. This has been several years ago. This was the way it was. And I can certainly relate to that because I cut logs for 30, 35 years, so I know exactly what that's all about. Yeah. It used to be that working for the government was, you know, it was decent pay but good benefit. Now it's exceptional pay and the exceptional benefits. And the private sector, you know, we're falling behind in the private sector. And I really worry about the elderly and the people on fixed incomes and everything, because they have no way to

increase their income. They have no way. They're stuck where they're at. But yet, you know, they're going to go after, you watch, here's my predictions for Josephine County the next two years. first of all, they're going to clean house, and anybody that was hired in the last few years under the last few commissioners, probably are going to lose their jobs. And then it would not surprise me that former department heads are going to be rehired again. So, you know, the tail's wagging the dog, and I can't do nothing about it. The only people that can do anything about it is the voter. there we go Herman i appreciate the call as always and by the way thank you caller for checking in on the the janitor's story there too all right herman good weekend for you but uh hey at least with you

being not under consideration you can be as candid as ever and we always appreciate that okay all right thank you bill all right got you later former state senator herman berchiger 833 at km ed 993 kbxg yeah he ended up not being number 12 13 20 29 or 33 What nonsense. What nonsense. Anyway, you'll catch up on a few things. And when I return here in just a moment, I would love to take your call for a diner-62 real American quiz. A nice pallet cleanser.

They ended up delivering to me El Kilbasi scramble. Now, I like any kind of sausage. You know, you have a spicy animal inside his skin. I'm down with it, okay? You know, that's what I like. That is like food as God intended. And frankly, it was so good. It's like I saw God as I'm eating it during the commercial break a few minutes ago.

You could get that or anything else with a $20 gift certificate from Diner 62 on Highway 62 just south of White City. If you haven't won this in the last 60 days, try and play it next. 770 563-770 KMED. I said 770 KMED. Something's supposed to happen. There we go. 375722 MSRP 24-185. tell you right.

Webroot.com slash Kim. This hour of the Bill Myers show is sponsored by Fontana Roofing. For roofing gutters and sheet metal services, visit Fontana Roofing Services.com. And it is the Diner 62, Real American Quiz.

Diner 62, of course, Clamp Chatter Friday is today, by the way, and all those amazing breakfast favorites like I talked about, including now, they'll kill bossy scrabble. Boy, that was good. I can't tell you how good that. Well, I have been telling you how good that is.

Let me go to the phones here. find out who is first up. Hi, good morning. Or pardon me. Excuse me. Good morning. Hi. Hello. Who's this? This is Ron. Roe Griver. Hey, Ron, turn your radio down. Could you do that? Oh, yeah. All right. There we go. Because it causes all sorts of confusion, and we don't need any more confusion than we already have. All right. It was today in 1917, Ron, that the American schooner, Lyman M. Law, is sunk. A U-35 submarine bombs and sinks, the schooner in the Mediterranean.

sea off the coast of Sardinia. The Lyman M. Law, captain by S.W. McDonough, had embarked on its final journey from Maine with a crew of 10. It carried a cargo of 60,000 bundles of lemon box staves, and the schooner traveling across the Atlantic bound for Palermo captured and subsequently sunk on the morning of February 12th. Now, the question, though, which country responsible for sinking this American boat? was it A, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, B, Bulgaria, C, the Ottoman Empire, D, Germany, or E, the Czech Republic, one of those five.

What do you say? I'm going to guess the Czech Republic. You're going to say Czech Republic? That's what I was kind of thinking in that way. Is that it? No, it's not. I'm sorry. We'll try the next one here, not the Czechs.

Hi, who's this? Morning. Hello? Hello, this is Dan. Hey, Dan. Ostro-Hungarian, pardon me, Austro-Hungarian. Okay, I'm just going to say the Hungarian Empire, just because it makes me stumble.

The Hungarian Empire, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire, or Germany? Which ones ended up sinking the Lyman-M-Law? Germany. Germany. Was it Germany? Yes, Germans are always blamed for everything. No, not this time. Okay.

Let me go to next line. Hi, good morning. Who's this? This is David and Phoenix. Good morning, Bill. Hungarian Empire, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire. Which of those three sunk responsible for sinking the Lyman M law? I'm just going to go nuts and say Ottoman Empire.

Ottoman Empire. We're counting down. No, it's not it either. All righty. So we're down to a 50-50 chance. Hi, good morning. Who's this? Joe, Jerry.

Jerry, Austro-Hungarian Empire or Bulgaria? One of the two. Choose the first one I'm running out of time, okay? Austro-Hungarian. There you go. Just by nature of being the last man standing, you're going. I had to approve my odds. There you go.

Known as the dual monarchy, the empire was divided into two semi-independent halves. There was the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, and they ordered the crew of eight Americans and two Brits off the scooter before they blew it up, setting fire to the 1,300-toned vessel prior to sinking it. And the crew, unhurt, though, transported to a coastal town where they were released. Now, it was February 26 that President Woodrow Wilson referred to the unprovoked sinking of the Lyman M. Law and the sinking of the Houstonic by a German submarine in his request for congressional authorization to arm U.S. merchant ships so that they could defend themselves against possible attacks. And once again, the U.S. would formally enter World War I, April 6th of 1917, although he ran on, he kept us out of war.

Wink, wink, wink, nudge, wink, wink, wink, right? That kind of thing, Jerry? Yeah. You remember your history. Yeah. Yeah, just like, well, Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He ran to keep us out of war, too. It's fascinating how many people who run for office saying they're going to keep us out of war end up taking us into war.

Is that just me? Yeah, I agree. I agree with it. Yeah. I want you hang on. We'll get you set up. And I agree you're going to Dieter's 62 and you're going to have a great time, all right? 770563 as we continue open phones on Find Your Phone Friday. This is the Bill Meyer show.

Imagine a vehicle speeding through your workplace at 65 miles per hour. It's the Bill Myers Show on TV. KMED, Southern Oregon's place to talk. Delighted to have you here. Haven't done a dad joke today. Dad joke of the day. We always like to do a dad joke or two on Friday for sure and Thursday, just because as the week grinds on, we need a laugh.

Okay. Today's two dogs fab, joke of the day, dad joke of the day. Mom says, hey, did you hear the neighbors just got two quarter horses? Dad says, so what good is half a horse? That contributed by Doug Dean from Rogue River. Hello, Doug. Keep the laughs coming, all right. Dad jokes sponsored by two dogs fabricating on Brian Way off Sage Road in Metford.

You got a better one. Go ahead and contribute that, okay? They will transform your truck and trailer into the ultimate work rig. The ultimate work rig making your job easier, more organized, and looking your best when you roll up to a job site. It's on Brian Way off sage road in Metford. Dad jokes by two dogs fabricating. Keep them coming, all right? Brother Brad is here.

Hello, Brad. You wanted to talk about the big Trump regulatory rollback, that endangerment ruling from the EPA, from back in the Obama time, which said that climate change, danger, CO2. That's where it all came from. Danger, Will Robinson, danger. That's right. Yeah.

So, you know, hard to believe Obama got elected in 2008. Hard to believe that was 18 years ago, isn't it? I know. We're still mourning. even today. It's the gift that keeps on giving. 18 years ago, our friend Sal Esquivel, was a state representative. And when this whole discussion came up on pulling the plug on the boardman plan up there on the Columbia and the boardman, you know, again, 550 megawatts of power, a lot of power.

At the time, it was about 30% of the entire power needs for the state of Oregon. This thing was producing. And the discussion was, should the state of Oregon raise the regulatory emissions requirement so high that the plant could no more, could no longer afford to operate profitably, and then the whole thing would get sunsetted. Shell Esquivale said, this is the craziest thing I've ever heard of. And that's exactly what was done by the state, the craziest thing ever done. And even though it was technically a federal regulatory authority, FERC,

that ended up really pushing that, isn't that true? Right. Well, again, what Oregon did, Oregon, as a state voter, to make the particular requirements so strange and that the plant could no longer afford to operate without all these really expensive modifications, but the underpinning for all that were these endangerment findings that came from the EPA and DEQ studies

that have been adopted by the federal government. Those are now gone. All of that is gone. So, Bill, here's my question. Now the federal government says, no, you can't pin that. Why shouldn't we fire that 550 megawatt plant back up and take advantage of all that inexpensive base load electricity.

Because the state doesn't want to it. It doesn't have anything to do with any common sense or that the federal government is prohibiting it. The state wanted it done. And I don't think that changes the climate nonsense that Oregon is going to go down. Am I correct or wrong on that? Okay. The reason I'm saying this, though, remember, Golden, remember, Golden is still pushing his

It's not called his bill anymore because it became a joint resolution or a committee bill, rather. But, you know, it's still about making the polluters pay. That polluter's pay nonsense thing, which means that everybody else is still going to end up paying more so that Jeff Golden can spend stuff on useless democratic projects, I guess. But he's not stopping. Do you see him stopping? Any evidence of them stopping? So I want to make sure that I understood you accurately because here's what I think you just said,

is that our legislators from an agenda-driven point of view have decided that Oregonians are not eligible for affordably priced basal electricity because of their ideological leanings. Is that what you just said? That is exactly what I just said in a roundabout way, all right? So I'm glad you're noticing, okay? You have noticed that there is an agenda-based process here. And I have a feeling that Jeff Golden will not be happy until everyone except perhaps a few elites like him. because, you know, being a, you know, Ivy Leagueman, of course. Yeah.

You know, until we're in mud huts and eating dirt and having very small families, I don't think he'll be happy. I don't think he'll be happy. I don't think Alan Jernay will be happy until we're all in mud huts. Okay. Bill, you know this. We've got brownouts and blackouts coming, and I'll tell you what, even people on the left side of the political spectrum are not happy when their electricity gets turned off.

Even they are not happy when that happens. Well, we'll see how happy they'll be as time goes on because Northwest Power Council is saying that the probability of increasing power outages rising greatly here in Oregon because of our wonderfully gangrene inefficient power supply. Okay. Thanks for the call. Always brother Brad. Good morning. Hi. Who's this?

This is Minor Day. Yeah, Dave. Go ahead. I recommend that you draft Alan DeBore for Jeff Golden's feet. I think he would be a good replacement. He's held the seat before, and I think he could raise the money that it would take to beat Jeff Golden over the head. Well, Brad Hicks has already declared for the position. I don't know if Senator Nabor needs or wants to get involved into that kind of a primary battle right now.

I don't know. Well, it's just my thought. Okay. He would certainly be more than qualified for it. I don't know. But at least I can make recommendations. I remember last time when there was an open seat there, I think they spent, what, $300,000 or $400,000 a piece at that time on a state Senate.

$5 million. Yeah, I'm sure it's a million dollar seat, if not more. 770KBD, thanks, Mider, Dave. Hi, good morning. Who's this? Welcome. Hello. Good morning.

Hi. Yeah. Yeah, you know, I was thinking about this energy issue we always have. I got an idea. What we have to do is figure out how to turn the gas light into energy, and we're good for thousands of years. Turn the gas lighting from the politicians, in other words, huh? Yeah, that's exactly right. And then we can, they get around pretty good on their, you know, just hot air balloons.

They would do good. Yeah. To travel around. You were wondering how they get around. Do you happen to know, by the way, I asked State Senator Noah Robinson. Do you know how Senator Golding gets around? I mean, is he on some perpetual motion machine of some sort that is not connected to the grid or somehow is, you know, maybe he's probably an electric car, I would imagine. Do we know how he travels?

No, I think maybe either a broomstick or maybe a balloon with Disney's hot air. Oh, okay. I appreciate that call. 770, okay, MED. I'm only half kidding about something like this because, you know, unless Jeff is walking to the state legislative assembly, he's just as much involved in this as all the rest of us. You know, unless he's living in a mud hut on subsistence living, he's involved with needing real energy. And even if you are in an electric car, oh my gosh, think about the environmental degradation from digging out the cobalt and all.

all the other nasty minerals to make those two-ton batteries for your three-ton car. I don't know. It's just a strange world that we find ourselves in. And, oh, oh, as if the coal-fired power plant energy that we're still having to import from the Midwest or out in the Wyoming. Is it Wyoming or Montana? We're still importing some of that. You know, they're trying to say that we don't have any of that here.

It's still happening. But, yeah, it's okay. I guess if there's the pollution, I guess the polluters don't have to. pay in Montana, but then we'll take the power from them. And that's probably what we'll be doing, okay? 770K-MED, 7705-633. What's the price of gold going on? Price of gold ended up hitting, take another hit the other day.

Oh, we're covering back up again. It's up above 5,000. You know what happened is that Vladimir Putin said that he would actually, in order to end the Ukraine war, a proposal came out to say that he would use the U.S. dollar in trading for like oil and various other things. And so that strengthened the dollar. And everyone said, oh, it's all over. Ukraine thing's over. Don't worry about it. So gold took a hit, silver took a hit, and they both kind of popped back up again. Gold over 5,000, 5,014, silver at 7785. Is it still going to be a healthy situation for the dollar long term? It could be. Looking at 39 trillion?

Probably not. So maybe you want to stack a little. little bit. You're thinking just in case, well, talk to our friends over at Jay Austin and Company, gold and silver buyers, the recognized expert, 6th and G in downtown Grants Pass, and at 1632 Ashland Street in Ashland. They know these markets. Talk to your financial advisor. There's always risk involved in such things, but I'm thinking personally, this is just me talking that it's not a good idea to have none. I'm not saying go all in, but I think having some is a pretty good idea, okay? Fortunereserve.com.

That is fortunereserve.com. Once again, the recognized experts, Jay Austin, call them at 482, 3715, get your appointment today. It's pretty busy. I'm Susan Lee, and this is... Metals involves risk, insult with your tax or financial professional before making investment decisions. 8.56 and change.

A couple of emails of the day before we wrap for the week. Sponsored by Dr. Steve Nelson. Central Point Family Dentistry. Central Point Family Dentistry.com. Great. Showroom, but you won't stay in there very long because they get you in and out. Good professional folks. Get your appointment at Central Point Family Dentistry.com, all right? Eli writes me this morning, Bill, middle school children at Hedrick, middle school children allowed at Hedrick to leave school to protest. My daughter is a student there considering arranging a protest to see if the alternative viewpoints are treated equally. looking forward to hearing you on the best talk radio show on the West Coast.

That's very kind of you, Eli. Dan writes me this morning, hey Bill, I'm going to try my best and call on the show. I work at a surface mine in northern Arizona, start early one hour ahead. We're still tuned in every day. My subject will be fair elections in Oregon. I moved to Grants Pass at 1993 and then moved to Medford. Oregon is, in fact, a very red state that has a blue boil on its butt. Looking forward to you, Colin, Dan.

All right, Colin writes me this morning. Bill, Merkley's bad idea. couldn't help writing it this morning one of the worst ideas i've ever heard of first just the concept of charging different people different amounts of money for the same goods simply unfair second do we believe the government could if enacted get it right with what they charge whom yeah it's it's an interesting point Colin i just want to make sure and be specific Jeff murkley wants to get rid of this growing deal of grocery stores charging different people different prices through the surveillance he wants to ban that surveillance side of

But to be fair, Jeff is actually trying to fight that unfairness. And I think most of us listen to what is being discussed in saying, yeah, they look at your face and say this person gets charged something. And they look at a different person and say they get charged more or less. We'll talk more about it Monday. Email Bill at Billmyershow.com. Have a great weekend. Looking for a sales career where your work makes a real impact? Markey Broadcasting West is hiring an account executive in Southern Oregon.

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