Bill Meyer Show Podcast - Sponsored by Clouser Drilling www.ClouserDrilling.com - 12-02-25_TUESDAY_7AM

Episode Date: December 2, 2025

12-02-25_TUESDAY_7AM

The Bill Meyer Show podcast is sponsored by Klauser Drilling. They've been leading the way in Southern Oregon well drilling for over 50 years. Find out more about them at Klausordrilling.com. Here's Bill Meyer. Delighted they have you here. It's 11 minutes after 7 on Pebble in Your Shoe Tuesday. Joining me is State Representative Dwayne Yunker. Hello, Dwayne.

Welcome back. Good day have you on. Well, thank you, Bill. Good morning. Yeah. Understand that you may have a potential Democratic challenger, I guess. Boy, there was a lot of ink spilled over that. over the weekend.

Do you notice that? Yeah, I'm not worried about it right now. Yeah, I didn't think so either. I didn't think so either. But I think all you had to know, all I had to know in that Daily Courier article was that last part in which the Challenger said that, well, you know, the OSAA needs to respect all children, which means boys or men in girls' locker rooms, right? That's how I interpreted that, wouldn't you say? Yeah, I think there's several things. things that I'd say that my constituent disagree with.

You know, I'm handing out needles. She's in favor of the homeless. HB. 315 has caused all the problems. She, like, males playing sports. I mean, it could just probably be a Democrat. Yeah. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions, something that you let me know about yesterday. It had to do with a million-dollar check that was cut.

And this is to the tribes. and you were putting some information out about that yesterday. Could you explain the bit of that story, please? Yeah, so during the federal shutdown, on November 6th, the governor announced that she was going to give the tribes a million dollars because of the SNAP benefits not going on. But in the same day that she announced that, SNAP benefits were released. So there is no need to write the tribes a million dollar check out of the general

fund? Is that what you're saying? No, there's no million. And then on November, just some timelines, on November 12th, the government was reopened back up. On November 13th, the contract was signed to the tribes for the million dollars. On November 17th, I was in committee on this, committee on this, and I asked the Department of Human Services how many tribal members were on snap. The number was given being was $8,200. Okay. Why did the tribes get a million dollars? She gave $5 million to the Oregon Food Bank. Why were the tribes singled out and given a million dollars? So that equals out to about $125 per tribal member. Okay. It's on SNAP. It's on SNAP. In about, I don't know, six or $7 for the rest of the $757,000 that are on SNAP.

So I guess the question that one would ask then, why, it's kind of like an animal farm thing, all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others? Why are tribal members on SNAP worth 125 bucks apiece from the state government, while regular people on SNAP are worth seven? What's the deal? I think there's many questions along that line is, why did they get preferential treatment? why didn't the contract get canceled if they got their staff benefits anyway is their favoritism there

why did the governor get $15,000 in money from the grocery people you know pack and you know why you know you can't discriminate against one group of person

and people against to another are the tribes being favored so there's a lot of questions I'm being asked is why is this why was this done. You know, I have my theories, but I'm asking questions. Um, this is taxpayer dollars. Yeah. Now, uh, can we talk about this, um, this response that you ended up getting in a text message? It, it looks like the state was responding, but they didn't really want you to see the response, because I guess they were talking amongst themselves. Is this what happened?

This, uh, this text message? Can we discuss that or is this a confidentiality issue right now? No, that's, that was an email, um, that I think you. it was a reply all, they replied all to the message, and I got a caught, and I got replied all on it, and asked me, why do I need to see the contracts? We gave him the numbers. Well, I'm a state representative of the people. Don't I have access to see the contracts and see what's going on with the taxpayer dollars? Yeah, I'm looking, I'm going to read this part of this email, okay, and it came from

Maria Clemenko, and it says, I'm not sure that we should provide these agreements nor for what purpose. He, that means you, right? He knows the amounts. Roberto, are there any confidentiality concerns with tribes that we should be aware of before responding? Now, my question, Representative Younger, is it, why would there be any confidentiality agreements between the tribes and the state government to get tax money from the taxpayers? Could you explain that? I can't. There shouldn't be. It is, if it is a dollar amount, it is not a trade secret. You know what I'm saying?

We're not dealing with trade secrets. I mean, it would be different if it was, you know, trade seekers with the CIA, giving tax dollars that are federal dollars actually through the TANFBF. Actually, there were TANF dollars. And giving them up should be transparent to everybody, not just me. Any taxpayer should do, be able to do a records request and see these contracts. I don't know why I got that comment or even thought that was appropriate response. I can't answer for them.

I just was messaging it. Yeah, but the fact that someone in the state would even bring up a confidentiality agreement. Hey, listen, you know, this is, you know, we're not talking about, you know, government surveillance secrets of some sort of thing. It's like, you know, you're writing checks out of the state treasury and going to the tribes to redistribute as they see fit, apparently. and it would seem that that stuff should just be out in the open like anything else, shouldn't it? It should be no problem with it. It shouldn't be a problem.

If you're not, I was looking at it, if you're not doing anything wrong, what are you worried about? Yeah, yeah. But there is, you know, throughout,

you know, my two years there now, there seems to be a lot of secrets. And who's getting money and what groups are getting money and who's being discriminated on. You know, I have another thing right now. I'm talking with the federal DOJ,

just even last week. We were talking about the OHSU 30-30 program, which is to get more diverse people in the medical field. And they're giving, they had a, they got $46 million this plan in the budget to do this. More discrimination. Yeah. Is there some, is there some evidence that supports the fact that a more diverse medical group somehow forced in by the state of Oregon will give us better health care? Where is their rationale, I guess? Yeah, where is it?

There is no rationale. Do we need more stupid people? Okay, maybe when they talk about diverse, they're meaning intellectually diverse. So we need stupid people to go up with the smart people. How about that? Maybe that's what they're talking about. It is very discriminating towards people that you're trying to pick winners and losers. Okay.

by people's skin color, nationality, you know, or even giving people that are not supposed to be here illegally, you're giving them our tax dollars. This is a Democrat, what the Democrats do in Oregon. So this is just more of the same, even the secrecy with the tribe agreement. By the way, have they come back with you going back to that story? Have they said they're going to give you the contracts or is just a work in progress right now? I did get the contracts yesterday, and this is another, now, is it just, I have, now I set more questions now because they give me the contracts, and they split the money equally between the nine tribes. Okay. But the tribes are not equally population-wise.

Yeah, why wouldn't they have split, why wouldn't they have split the money to the tribe, supposedly for SNAP benefits, that's Oregon Trail Card? Why wouldn't they have done that based on how many tribal members are in each tribe? and you divide it to, you know, that way. That would make much more sense, wouldn't it? Yeah, and you got to remember, tribe people have all the same benefit, but, well, they have all the benefits we have, plus more, I would say. They can go to the Oregon food banks in their neighborhood. You mean, if you're out in Burns, I don't forget what tribes out there,

you can drive into Burns. My brother, little brother, runs the food bank there in Burns. You can't discriminate these food banks. They can get food just like anybody else in Oregon. So why are they getting special treatment? I want to know why they're getting special treatment. If you're part of the Calcrete, you can drive anywhere in Douglas County and go to a food bank and get money just like the rest of us that need it, you know. It just seems that the tribes got special treatment here.

You can't help but wonder if this is politically oriented because a lot of contributions end up going to the Democratic power structure there, don't they, from tribal interests? Yeah, if you looked it up, it's about 80, 20, about 80, a little more 80. percent of the all contributions from the tribes go to Democrats, and the other part goes of Republicans. So you can see the split. All right. I could tell you this right now, in the last five years, the co-chairs, the ways and means have gotten over $75,000 given to them from the tribes.

Could be buying some influence. Who knows? All right. Dwayne, I wanted to ask you about something else. Do you know Representative Graber from Portland? Yes, I know who she is. Okay. In her latest newsletter, I'm reading that Oregon is seriously talking about decoupling from the federal tax code.

This would mean that all the good stuff that the Trump administration has brought forth in the big, you know, the big bill earlier this year. A lot of that would not help Oregon. is this something now being openly discussed, are you aware of this before, or is this just something new coming out of left field? No, this is not new that Democrats have been talking about doing this ever since the bill came out because it takes $880 million that would come to the state of Oregon and puts it back in the pockets of Oregonians. and so they in other words tax breaks that donald trump wanted to give every american wouldn't count then in oregon right wouldn't count that's correct so we we align our tax system with the federal government and they want to they want to um like you said disconnected and i don't think they need a three fourth fifth vote to do that so it'd be a simple majority oh um 31 votes in the house to pass this bill

and that would take $880 million supposedly that would be coming back to taxpayers in Oregon and the Democrats would use it for their stuff, you know, whatever they wanted to use it for. All right, that's kind of concerning. So it wouldn't change your federal tax bill, but if you're thinking that the same deductions or the same situation that would give you a tax break

and, you know, in the federal world would help you in the state, the state just wants to keep all the money, right? That's all they're coming from. that's it and then you know i've put this information now you know our our state budget is just doubled over the last 10 years so i mean it's more we have a spending problem not a revenue problem and um you know the democrats keep coming out of the governor like oh you know the orgonias are hurting but they're okay to take your money though yeah yeah they're hurting so much they want to keep the uh the tax code as it were okay or as it is rather i suppose

all right um so this is nothing new something we're just got to keep an eye on then all right the other thing i wanted to ask about is that you're headed over to the aleck conference and could you tell us a little bit about that and what's uh what's going on with this yeah alex um puts on a conference it's american um legislative exchange council um it's conservative people um conservative legislators from all of the united states we're meeting in fort worth Texas this year. And they exchange ideas. They put on classes, good government, stuff that's, you know, limited government, low taxes, things that give people's rights back. And so I'm heading to this convention. There will be a lot of vendors that are more, that are conservative vendors.

There will be, something justice, I can't even name. But they'll be there, too. A lot of the right side of things will be there to talk about things. Ted Cruz is the main speaker this year. Oh, yeah. So, yeah, just exchange ideas, you know, collaborating. Last year I went to it and got some ideas for some bills. But, of course, we're in a blue state, and it's really hard to pass really great ideas. Yeah, if you got really – now, see, you need to come up with some really bad ideas,

and then your bill will pass, okay? Yeah. All right. let us know if there's any good model legislation. It's always interesting to see what the think tanky people like the Alec folks are thinking when you get back. Okay, I look forward to finding out. All right. All right, Bill. Thank you so much. And thank you for everybody's support. All right. And all the best to you and safe travels. Okay. Take care. Okay. Thank you. Bye-bye. State representative, Dwayne Yonker. He's actually about a quarter of a

mile across the street, but he's, you know, waiting to get on the plane, head out to that conference. 725 at KMED, 993 KBXG on the Bill Meyers show. Oh, dead battery. Head to Batteries Plus. Our experts will set you up with a new car battery. Most are installed in under 20 minutes. That was fast. Upgrade with a premier install for longer battery life.

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Gosh, you can be the same day. In-house lab. Ask him about it. It's on a Freeman Way right next door to the Mazelon Mexican restaurant, which, by the way, is also pretty good, but I just thought I'd mention it because it was good. You know, get my teeth clean and then go have Mexican food. I have to go back in there. And we have Lori writing me this morning.

Bill, I don't know why you. you are defending narco-terrorists? How many Oregon children and Oregon citizens have died because of these narco-terrorists and the Democratic drugs? The only reason Democrats are defending the narco-terrorist is because it's their drugs, their money. Why do you think they provide needles? Why do you think they provide tents? And they use our money providing the drugs to the addicts. Well, we taxpayers pay for these drugs, we pay for our children's lives. What you've been saying on the air attacking Trump in the administration is disgusting, I don't care how many of these narco-terrorists draw I die, Lori, with all due respect, you're full of nonsense when it comes to saying that I'm defending

narco-terrorism. What I'm talking about is defending rule of law, things that we have signed on to. We have signed on to the law of war. That is a treaty. And my concern is that the Trump administration could potentially be getting itself into trouble, just more drama, rather than taking a lighter touch. I think you can stop the boats. I think you can do all sorts of things rather than blowing things.

things up in international waters. I think it's very provocative. And in my opinion, this is just my opinion, I know that I'm supposed to, if President Trump ends up having gas and he breaks wind, I'm supposed to applaud the tune that's played, I'm going to tell you the truth of what I think good or bad. There are wonderful things coming out of the Trump administration, and there are some things that aren't so wonderful coming out of the Trump administration. The methodology of the attacks on the drug boats? Not because we don't want the drugs. And of course we want the drugs kept out, okay? And I wouldn't, I'm not questioning, you know, that part of it. It's how do you go about it? I think what's going on here is that the Trump administration's trying to send a message

more so, but it could get itself in trouble. As we now know about the, uh, the law of war being brought up with the attack, which has now been confirmed on survivors. We signed treaties and say we don't do that. Okay? Now, that's the part that I think that has not been so wise with the Trump administration. Okay. Now, I'm going to give you something that shows why I'm glad I voted for him. All right? I'm not just going to be a lick spittle like about 90% of the rest of talk radio that is going to be when things are good and when things are smart, I'm going to say so. And when things are not so smart, I'll say so also. Okay? now here is an example of something very good this is in the new york post trump administration is

working towards cutting legal migrants off from federal tax benefits and money transfer services this is a big deal okay the treasury secretary scott besant said this on uh friday at trump's direction we're working to cut off federal benefits to illegal aliens and preserve them for u.s citizens Now, this is always supposed to be the law, but they have been skirting rules for a number of years, okay? The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 is what they're talking about. It openly prohibits illegal immigrants from getting most taxpayer-funded benefits. But as you well know, Lori and everybody else, they're getting a lot of it, all right? However, in a February executive order barring illegal immigrants from access to federally

funded benefits, Trump arguing that in decades since, numerous administrations have acted to undermine the limitations directed by Congress, and so he's looking to restore this, and Treasury's final regulations expected to apply beginning in tax year 2026. And the talk is, you know, illegal immigrants come here, take jobs, and then send the money back to Mexico and elsewhere while they're mooching off of public services, including public education. Now, the public education thing could be a tougher one to fight because of Supreme Court precedent and ruling that we have to provide everybody who has a child here, a free government paid for education from the other taxpayers. But I digress. That's a good one. Also connected with this,

here's another one. USDA to review, this is an epic times today, USDA to review all programs to ensure only legal citizens get government benefits. This is from the U.S.D.A. to review, this is from the USDA Secretary Rollins. Right now, we're requiring states to turn over recipient data to fight waste, fraud, and abuse. This is the one that Oregon is suing over, by the way, all right, because they don't want to give the information up. Even though 22 blue states have refused to provide the data, we're using every tool

to compel their compliance. What are they hiding? Who are they hiding? Thank you, President Trump, for putting Americans first. And Donald Trump issued that executive order ordering the USDA. This is SNAP benefits and all the other stuff I was talking about, like with State Representative Younger, to enhance eligibility verification to make sure the taxpayer benefits include any ineligible alien who entered the United States illegally or as otherwise unlawfully present in the United States.

This is a big part about knocking down the support structure for people to illegally immigrate and then mooch off the services. Now, see, that's good stuff. it's smart stuff and we need more of that okay all right another email the day I'm going to give this to Jeff Jeff writes me this morning Bill

about pets and stores some people wrote me over the weekend you were complaining about the rise of the fake therapy animals and so I'm going to share this one from Jeff and Jeff says Bill this subject that you brought up is not a pebble in my shoe it is a

boulder in my boot I can't call in because there would be too many bleeps. Therapy animals are not service dogs. If you're blind, the dog is your eyes. That's a service dog. If you're deaf, the dog hears for you. It's a service dog.

If you have a disability, the dog compensates for that disability. It is a service dog. There is not one single trained service ferret, cat, guinea pig, iguana, or snake. Nobody knows how well you care for your dog cat, rat, or groundhog. Nobody wants your fleas jumping into the clothing on the wrong. rack, and they certainly don't want your dog's butt rubbing on the child seat in the grocery cart. I didn't thought about that.

I've seen that one. I've seen that one, Jeff. Or watch the hair and dandra fall off your 20-pound chihuahua while you lean over the produce rack, okay? Now, to their credit, there are some stores that post service dogs only, you know, therapy animals are not service animals. Now that, since COVID, we have the curbside services and grocery delivery all available from the convenience of your app,

leave your blank-blank-blank-blank-blank dog at home. Jeff, I appreciate the email. Another email of the day. Sponsored by Dr. Steve Nelson. This is the Bill Myers Show. Herman joining me next. News brought to you by Millett Construction,

specializing in foundation repair and replacement. Get on solid ground. Visit Millet Construction.com. From the KMED News Center, here's what's going on. It's been confirmed by Portland Democratic Representative Darcia graber in a newsletter, the Democrats are looking at severing Oregon tax code from federal tax code, meaning that Oregon taxpayers will lose about $888 million annually in tax savings.

The severing would also eliminate an unknown amount of state-level tax cuts on tips and overtime pay. A federal judge denied release for a Medford businessman Joel Caswell. Ruling Monday, he'll remain in custody while awaiting trial on more than 20 federal financial charges, including aggravated identity theft. Couswell, alleged. traveled out of the country last year after fraudulently obtaining a temporary passport from Berlin and leaving the country using his brother's name after his passport was seized as condition of release in a separate state case. Geologists say a new discovery in a volcanic crater on the Nevada, Oregon border has an enormous deposit of lithium-rich clay with a value of

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He said Mangioni recommended reading books by authors who are known for dealing with totalitarian oversight of society and resistance to unjust government policies. is Eric Sean outside the courthouse in New York City. Coming up shortly at the White House, President Trump's ninth cabinet meeting. Polls closed at 7 p.m. Local time, Nashville, Tennessee, in a special house race between Republican Matt Van Epps and Progressive Democrat, Afton Bain. And first time, gas is under $3 a gallon for regulations May of 2021. That from AAA. America's listening to Fox News. Hi, I'm Deb with father and son jewelry. And I'm on KMED.

Boy, that Fox News reporter about Mangione, is there anything more disgusting than when you look in it and you see all the women's going, oh, he's our hero. Yeah. See, that's a pebble in my boot this morning, too, Herman. Herman Berchiger, former state senator, is with me this morning. We always sit around, shoot debris on politics and other things, huh? What are you thinking? Well, a couple things. You know, a lot of discussion about, you know, the narco guys and shooting out of the water.

And I think, you know, I probably have a different point of view. You know, when I was in the Senate, I met with multiple parents who their children have died of overdoses. I've spoke at funerals of children have died of overdoses. And it's just I've seen the pain and the hurt. Hey, I completely understand. I completely understand, and I'm sympathetic, and I'm not questioning that, you know. Yeah, but let me finish. And then for years, I hunted in Mexico, and I had to quit doing it because the Cinaloa cartel took over the little farming community that I hunted.

And if anybody crossed them, not only did they kill them, they went and killed all their family and their kids. So these people are the worst of the worst. So I don't have a lot of sympathy for them. And you've got to also remember Obama went after bin Laden. We've been going after Somali blowing Somali pirates out of the water. So I'm just, you know, it sounds bad, and it is bad. It's all bad. Yeah.

But my sympathy is very low. Well, you know, people misinterpret me questioning the blowing them out out of like somehow I'm being sympathetic to narco terrorists, which is not the case. And you're right about this. There are ways, in my opinion, to do it that don't attract, in other words, don't hand Trump's energy or enemies, rather, more ammunition for which to hit him over the head. Or if there is a flip in the house next year, you know, the impeachment proceedings, which you know would be coming. You're absolutely right. The political aspect, if they can use it against Trump, they're going to. That's what I'm getting at here. And if you have, now, now you are aware of the law of war treaty that we're with that we signed on to. You know, you don't.

Yeah, and that, I will tell you, I'm not an expert in that field, and there are people that are, but, you know, those are pretty complicated stuff. Yeah, well, what I'm going to do is I'm going to have the former Fed prosecutor, John O'Connor, on tomorrow morning. We'll explore that more because he understands that law more than I do. But, you know, we did sign a treaty that says we don't go after the survivors. And they are not uniform military people. So whether I like it or not, technically you're supposed to pick them up. And they did back in September when they blew one boat up and there were a couple of survivors. They sent them back home is what they did.

But then that lawyer apparently was forced out that was telling the Trump administration, and, hey, you know, you've got to send them back, you know, that kind of thing. So it looks like they're getting different legal advice right now. Like I said, this is not defending drugs coming here. I'm telling you, it's very complicated. Yeah. And it is, anyways. But I do support the president at stopping this fentanyl from the fentanyl.

When you talk to law enforcement or drug rehabilitation folks and stuff like that, The fentanyl is a whole new game, Bill. It's lethal. It's lethal, lethal, lethal, lethal. But, of course, you know where most of that's coming. China. Yeah. And it's also coming through Mexico, the Venezuelan aspect of it.

I think there are other balls in play than with what's going on in Venezuela. And more and more, I'm kind of leaning towards maybe what we're looking at here is a battle between Deep State. and Deep State really is CIA and the Trump administration because, you know, essentially it's pretty well known that CIA has been running that town for a while, along with many other towns. You've got also remember, as you and I, the only information we got is what we get from the news media. Exactly. Can you imagine how much information there's out there that we don't have? But I think there's more to this than fentanyl. I think that's just window dressing for a deeper issue.

that may be going on there with Venezuela. It could be, you know, it's all speculative. We don't have, we don't have it all. All as I know is my experience with these drugs, it's never a happy story. And it's just gut-wrenching the hurt. Yeah, but has there ever been any success at really stopping the supply, though? And I'm not being defeatist about this kind of stuff. I think that's what Trump is trying to say.

There hasn't any. My God, we're going to do it this time. Uh-huh. But what are we going to start lobbing a bomb or two on Interstate 5 when, hey, there's a known, there's a, there's a narco-terrorist car, you know? No, but I think, I think we ought to reevaluate the laws. I think there should be harsher penalties for dealing drugs. But I also think there should be harsher penalties for using drugs. them again. And I think that's part of it. We're only trying to attack the supply about it,

and we don't do anything about the use, the use side. What do you think? So there's two sides of that sword. You're right. If we stop using it, then there's nothing to sell. But the problem is it's the addiction properties of the drug. So, you know, a person can become addicted, you know, the first time they use it. Yeah. Now, I'm not one of these people that, in fact, I think, gosh, who was it that said and there was something pretty thing. You know, you talk about drug addicts, just let him die or kill them or something like that. But I would advocate civil commitment for people who are addicted to these drugs rather than, you know, let's try to get them a house that they won't take care of because all they do is exist to take their next hit of drugs.

That's kind of what I'm thinking over time. You know, I've been involved. I helped start drug court here in Josephine County many, many, many decades ago. and I've seen it, and I kind of understand what these addicts are going through, and that's why I'm so adamant about trying to stop the flow of drugs. You know, you talk to them, and they tell you how addictive it is. They just can't help themselves. It's crazy.

I mean, I guess if you have any experience, you don't know it, and I'm not going to experience. I'm going to tell you that. Oh, yeah. Me neither. Okay. But so anyway, it's a big, big problem. I hope Trump stops it. I understand exactly where you're coming from.

I don't want him in trouble with it either. I mean, what a great way, Tim Pichy. Oh, I know. And then it, you kind of, and let's face it, what is that rule that's the AUMF, I think is what they use, to do practically everything extra territorial, anything, involving regime change, everything involving terrorism attack. That's that authorized use of military force deal that came in post 9-11. Every president has used that to get us involved in foreign interventions.

Every president since that time. Well, we used it before. I mean, you know, look what Reagan did. Look what Bush did. Look what Clinton did. So, I mean, those are just recent, you know, in the last. Now, the other thing I wanted to mention here about the drugs, I know that Jackson County Sheriff, Nate Sickler, has been very big on wanting to expand drug treatment within the system. One of the reasons he wanted to the new jail, because one of the challenges we face, and I think that he's right when he ends up mentioning this, is that the first things first, if you're going to get off the drugs, you have to stop taking the drugs.

I absolutely agree with Nate, and I've said that forever. And that's more than three days. Yeah. That makes a lot. You know, it's getting the monkey off their back is what they say. And, you know, 30, 60 days or something, you've got to get it out of the system so you can actually have someone starting to think like a human again instead of... Well, that's another thing, Bill.

These drugs are so bad, plus whatever other chemicals they put in the drugs to dilute them that are bad. But it's Friday, some people will never come back. Their brain, the chemical reactions and the brain have taken its toll, and they never. And the long-term effects, I know people that quit taking drugs 30 years ago, and they're having problems, mental problems. So it is a huge, huge issue for this country. Well, I've even known people that quit cigarettes 30 years.

ago. And they still say every morning I get up and I would love to just grab a smoke and move on. It's the way it is for some people. Alcohol has this big problems too. Sure. Sure. Big, big problems.

All right. Here's another big problem I want to ask you about. Okay. Decoupling from taxes, from the tax bill, the Trump tax bill, which of course most of us were real excited about, right? Wow. Love this big, beautiful bill love these tax breaks no tax on social security no tax on tips and now the democrats are

saying oh no not so fast we're going to disconnect from that 800 something million dollars a year that would be continued to take from uh from oregon taxpayers is this more of the uh of the war on of the war against the people coming from tina what yeah Tina Kotech has declared war on the voters of Oregon she's smarter than every single person in Oregon I mean look what she she's threatening all these things now that we got the signatures to repeal the gas tax and the bmv fees and everything now she comes out and that's what she used to do in the legislature all the time threaten you point your finger at if she'd take her finger and point it at your nose and start threatening and i i never went for it i i just kind of swipe her hand away and say stop it just

stop that you know and i watched her and senator uh or president courtney fight like cats and dogs that they most people don't know they didn't work really well together you know and she's a bully she is a bully she's well she thinks she's a bully and that's what she's doing now it's the same thing and and now would they want to decouple and what that means for businesses so if you're a business and and you make uh 500 thousand dollars and but to gross 500,000 and you had to buy vehicles, you had to do all this stuff, so you section 179-0, and you bring your net income from $500,000 down to $100,000, okay? So that's your net.

That's what they call taxable income, and that's what you pay your federal taxes on. And then Oregon will recognize that number. Oregon will recognize that number is your taxable income, and that's what you'll pay your Oregon tax. But decoupling means that a lot of the Trump tax breaks will only apply to the feds, but not the tina's number, right? So the extreme would be, depending on what they do, and, of course, Oregon will probably do some of their own deductions, but you start at $500,000 as your gross income, and since the state is decoupled, they will dictate what your taxable income is for the state.

So that may, you say, you may only get it down to $250,000, or $400,000. Boy, I'll tell you. Oh, you'll, like I told you, the old Ross Perrault statement, the sucking sound of people leaving Oregon. And there's your sound about, Larry. Giant sucking sound. People leaving the state. There we go. And that's, and it did happen.

And it will happen. It will happen. Do they, does Tina not understand, does Tina not understand that there are limits to the funding capabilities of people in her in this state? No, she's an activist. She's not a governor. She's not an administrator. She doesn't have those skills. She's an activist.

She's great at running down the street with her flag and getting a bunch of income poops to follow her. That's what she's good at. And according to Twain, she's good at cutting a million dollar check to the tribes. A little bit of political payback, probably. Those are, that's how they follow her. She just runs down the street waving a check. Uh-huh. So that's what she's good at.

But she is not an administrator, and she's not a business person. She never will be. She runs on emotion. She doesn't run on facts. It's just how she is. Talking with former state senator Herman Beartziger with me this morning. Herman, I think people want to ask a question or two. Let's see what they got going on.

Hi, you're on with Herman. Who's this? Hey, Bill, it's 12-7. Hey, Steve. A takeover discussing? Go ahead. Well, I was going to say something about the boat. coming out of Venezuela, but...

Oh, that's okay. I'll call back later. Okay, you will do that. We'll have open phones coming up, okay? Thanks. Okay. All right. Hello, caller.

Do you want to weigh in on something now? Go ahead. Hey, Martin Bell. It's Cliff. Hey, Cliff. I want to ask Herman what his opinion is of the executive order that Kotech just did on the Carbon Reduction Act. And apparent, from what I've read, is going to add a stealth tax. on fossil fuel products here in Oregon.

Is that true or not? Yes, it is true. And she's just springboarding on what Governor Brown did. We stopped cap and trade, and then Governor Brown went and did it through an executive order, and we all know how that. So what Pina is doing right now is she's building a coalition to fight us. that's what she's doing right now

so she's doing this to get the greenies on board she sent checks to the tribes to get the tribes on board she's going to do things for the union so she's building a coalition and she's going to come out swinging now what I'm wondering about here Herman how can an executive order legally raise the price of something though because in essence is that not a tax or is it the nonsense

that the courts say that what's happening is not a tax it's a fee yeah The executive order will stand it until somebody challenges it in court. Got it. All right, Cliff. Okay, one more quick. So this is an end around to the initiative petition to stop the gas tax, the $4.7 billion bill. I wouldn't say it's an end around.

It doesn't replace it, but it's kind of like a supplement. So I don't think it'll raise near as much money, but it'll raise some. All right, Cliff. Cliff, I appreciate the call. Thank you for that. Herman, before we take off, you have a pebble in your shoe, maybe a boulder in your boot, and it has to do with Pacific Power. What did they do? So it seems like I'm always picking on Pacific Power, but, you know, I also have to remember where would life be without any lights on? But anyways, one of my forest properties last week, I was visiting it, and they were, they had some crews that walked in, and they were

trimming the trees, and I went and talked to the foreman, and I said, what, you just trimming the trees in the easement here, and yeah, and I says, you're not going to cut any of the trees? No, we're, no, sir, we're not cutting any of the trees. We're just trimming them up. Yeah. So then I show, I, I stopped by Sunday, and I'm walking around, guess what? Big trees on the ground. Oh, they mowed the trees down. That's a trim, according to Pacific Power, huh? Yeah.

And they're just left there, you know? And I'm just like, you know, first of all, they don't even call you when you, when they're going to be on your property. Okay. There's no trespassing signs everywhere. They don't even call you. And then they really only have a right-of-way 10 feet on either side of the poles, so it's only 20 feet wide. but yet they drive their trucks all over your property. They don't have rideaways on that, okay?

And I'm just like, how rude, I mean, the arrogant is just absolutely, I don't know. You know, it reminds me of an old comedy bit on Saturday Night Live probably four years ago in which we don't care, we don't have to. And I think they were talking about the phone company back then, right? Yeah, right. But we don't care, we don't have to. were the power company but now is there do you know any rules or laws they're supposed to call because people were complaining when hunter fiber ended up going through the neighborhoods and just started walking through people's gardens and front yards and just uh you know you know burying cable

and digging stuff up and just leaving it that way although to be fair they left it pretty neat unlike pacific power from the sounds of your experience well it's just the relationship with the you know where where are there people you know, it's just common courtesy. I know they have to trim because you don't want the trees hitting the power lines. I'm not that. Yeah. But, you know, before they open your gate and drive all over your property and cut your trees down,

don't you think you ought to get a letter in the mail say, hey, we're going to be evaluating and trimming trees on your property on such and such date and stuff like that. Nah, no, no, come on. Listen, that would take seconds to send that letter out. Yeah, or a phone call. gosh, they send, when the power goes out, the first thing that happens is your phone rings. Oh, this is Pacific Power. You have an outies. Yeah, this is Pacific Power. We estimate your power restoring it to be two hours, you know, that kind of thing. Right. Yeah, but yet they can't,

they can't even, I don't know, do they even have a public relationship officer or a person in Pacific power? Yeah, I think there is a PR person in Pacific Power, but their job is to sell us on smart meters and why we want to put solar on our roof. That's what it is. I think that's all they do. Or pay more money for green energy. Exactly. Overpay for the nonsense energy. Okay. I love that. It's one of my favorite things. Or the other thing, the PR company will send you the one that says that, what's the other thing they always talk about? Oh, yes. We've noticed that your energy is, your energy use is only in the middle of the pack. We can help you improve that. Click here. You know, that kind of stuff. That's what they do with PR.

That's what they do. Yeah, right. Yeah, yeah. Right along with their stupid envelopes that never work. All right. Well, yeah. I do the paperless billing now. I think they give me a 50 cent a month discount, Herman.

So I love that, okay? Oh, you're such a fugal individual. I know. I know. Be well, my friend. We'll talk next week. All right? You take care.

Thank you. Former state senator Herman Berchiger. Shee before 8, KMED, KMED, HD1, Eagle Point, Medford. KBXG grants pass. You have that problem with Pacific Power just coming on your property, maybe some other utility?