The Daily Signal - #530: Blue State Business Owners Are Packing Up

Episode Date: August 19, 2019

Months after New York passed an extreme abortion law, one bookstore owner and pastor decided he has had enough. On a visit to Texas, Jon Speed got a glimpse of a better life--and decided to go for it. Plus, we discuss the similar case of a California business owner who's also leaving.We also cover these stories:•New York, Connecticut, and Vermont, are suing the Trump administration over its immigration policies.•President Trump tweets, "I don’t buy Rep. Tlaib’s tears. I have watched her violence, craziness and, most importantly, WORDS, for far too long."•A new report examines whether Facebook is biased against conservatives.The Daily Signal podcast is available on Ricochet, iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play, or Stitcher. All of our podcasts can be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave a review. You can also leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at [e-mail]. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Wednesday, August 21st. I'm Jared Stetman. And I'm Kate Trinko. One bookstore owner is fed up with New York State after the state's passage of an extreme abortion law. He joins us today to share how he's fighting back. Plus, we'll talk about the California business owner who has had it with the Golden State's insane policies. And if you're enjoying this podcast, please be sure to leave a review or a five-star rating on iTunes. And encourage others to subscribe.

Now on to our top news. Three states, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont are suing the Trump administration over its immigration policies directed at new arrivals using services such as food stamps and public health insurance. Immigrants using these services could be labeled as so-called public charge and could be, according to NBC News, deny green cards, visas, and other forms of legal immigration status. New York's Attorney General Letitia James said of the policy, quote, quite simply, under this rule, more children will go hungry, more families will go without medical care, and more people will be living in the shadows and on the streets. We cannot and we will not let that happen. President Donald Trump said in a statement that, quote,

to protect benefits for American citizens, immigrants must be financially self-sufficient. President Trump reacted Tuesday to comments made by Representative Rashida Talib the day before. Talib, along with Representative Il-An Omar, both Democrats, had spoken out after getting the red light from Israel when it came to visiting the country. Talib, however, was told she could visit her grandmother who lives there if she didn't engage in politics. Talib was emotional in a press conference Monday.

I spoke to my family, and I think my grandmother said it beautifully when she said, I'm her Asphur. Asphur in Arabic means her bird. And she said, I'm her Jewish. dream manifested. I am her free bird. So why would I come back and be caged and bow down when my election rose her head up high, gave her dignity for the first time. And so through tears at 3 o'clock in the morning, we all decided as a family that I could not go until I was a free American United States congresswoman coming there not only to see my grandmother, but to talk to Palestinian

in Israeli organizations that believed that my grandmother deserved human dignity as much as anyone else does. Trump tweeted Tuesday, Sorry, I don't buy Representative Talib's tears. I have watched her violence, craziness, and most importantly, words for far too long.

Now tears? She hates Israel and all Jewish people. She is an anti-Semite. She and her three friends are the new face of the Democrat Party. Live with it. President Donald Trump addressed worries of an economic downturn and spoke about the possibilities of additional tax cuts in remarks on Tuesday.

Mr. Mr. President, what sort of contingency steps or plans is the White House thinking about to stave off any kind of economic slowdown? We've heard that there's been some talk of a payroll tax cut kicked around, some other tax cuts. You've been talking about a cut in the Fed rate, quantitative easing. What are you looking at? Well, I'd like to see a cut in the Fed rate because that should have happened a long time ago. I think they're being very tardy and not doing it and not having done it sooner. They raised too quickly, and, you know, I've been quite vocal on that.

They also did quantitative tightening, which was ridiculous. And so, and despite that, you know, if you look, I guess you could call it normalized, but if you look, our economy is doing fantastically, and if you take a look at the previous administration, they weren't paying interest. They had no interest rates. They had loosening, not tightening. And frankly, it's a big difference in our economy is incredible. or jobs. You look at the jobs market, but you have to be proactive. And so we really need a Fed cut rate,

because if you look at what's going on with the European Union, as an example, they're cutting. You take a look at Germany, what they're doing and what they're paying. I mean, they're actually doing something inverse. They've never seen. Nobody's ever seen it before. We have to at least keep up to an extent. So right now, we're paying a very much higher rate of interest, and we didn't follow the world. And generally speaking, that's okay, but you can't have that much of a disparity. So we're looking for a rate cut. We could be really greatly helped if the Fed would do its job and do a substantial rate cut. Also, they were doing quantitative tightening, very bad to do. They should do easing, actual easing, no tightening, or at a minimum, they should be doing nothing

about that. But they have to do a rate cut. The other thing is, yeah, we're looking at various tax reductions. But I'm looking at it. that all the time anyway, tax reductions. That's one of the reasons we're in such a strong economic position. We're right now the number one country anywhere in the world by far. Former Arizona Republican Senator John Kyle is looking at Facebook's request at whether the tech giant is biased against conservatives. Now Kyle, after leading an investigation where dozens of top conservatives were interviewed, has released a report. In its conclusion, the report states, quote, Facebook has recognized the importance of our assessment and has taken some steps to address the concerns we uncovered.

But there is still significant work to be done to satisfy the concerns we heard from conservatives, end quote. Meanwhile, Nick Clegg, Vice President of Global Affairs and Communications at Facebook, said in a statement. Facebook gives everyone a voice, no matter what your political views may be, which candidates or parties you support or which causes you advocate. So we take accusations of political bias made against us extremely seriously. Our policies and how we apply them can have a huge impact. So we have a responsibility to apply them evenly without favoring one side or another and without devaluing the principle of free expression. Next up, we'll have Kate's interview with the bookstore owner who's explaining why he's going to move from New York to Texas.

If you're tired of high taxes, fewer health care choices, and bigger and bigger government, it's time to partner with the most impactful conservative organization in America. We're the Heritage Foundation, and we're committed to solving the issues America faces. Together, we'll fight back against the rising tide of homegrown socialism, and we'll fight for conservative solutions that are making families more free and more prosperous. But we can't do it without you. Please join us at heritage.org. So we're joined today by John Speed.

He is the bookstore owner of the Book Scout in Syracuse, New York, and a pastor at a Baptist church, Christ is King. John, thanks for joining us today. Thanks so much for having me on. Okay, so you've decided to close your bookstore. Can you tell us why? Back in April, I was traveling down to Austin, Texas to testify on behalf of a bill that would have ended abortion in Texas. And we came from that area when we came up here to plant the church. and we were just sort of comparing notes.

My family was as we were, you know, thinking about life in Texas versus life in New York. And just really realized we had a lot more freedom in Texas than we do in New York. And, you know, we obviously care about the abortion issue. And it seems like down there in Texas there's a pretty good fight going to try to end abortion. And so, yeah, one thing led to another. to our pastor in that area that sent us up here in the Fort Worth area and did a lot of praying and talking to the church down there and after a few months of talking about this with them decided to make this move. So you were very upset when New York passed its extreme abortion law

earlier this year. And you, I believe you've enclosed your bookstore for a day, right? Correct. Yeah. So why were you so upset about that issue? Well, they passed the Reproductive Health Act, I believe, was the 23rd of January. And we have been involved in trying to end abortion for, you know, a few years since about 2011. And we released a film back in 2014 called Babies Are Murdered Here. And we're working on a sequel called Babies Are Still Murdered Here, which will be available through EndabortionNow.com. And basically, we care about that. We want to see abortion end. And here we have a state that not only has, you know, obviously allows abortion, but pushed it right to the third trimester and several other

extreme, you know, measures that they included in that law, including allowing physicians assistance to perform abortions, midwives, you know, removing any criminal charge for someone who assaults, a woman is pregnant and the baby dies and the woman. just very extreme. And so I was just grieved about that at that time and didn't know what else to do. We just wanted to sort of register my displeasure with our customers. And when we hung the sign on the door, it just sort of went viral. And that's what happened back there.

And so at that time, you know, I'm actually from a blue state myself from California. And, you know, there's always people in these blue states who don't agree with, you know, the left on abortion, etc. What did the people in your area think about this abortion law? What were people saying? Well, what our customers were saying, even some that were liberal, you know, Democrats have voted consistently Democrat. One of our customers said, well, you know, I kind of figure that I've got blood on my hands for voting for Governor Cuomo. And he says, I can't do anything about what I've done in the past, but he says in the future, I'm rethinking my allegiance. And so there's even liberal Democrats in upstate that are rethinking things.

But, you know, and of course we have a lot of conservative customers, and they're just as upset about it as I am. And we're glad that we, you know, made a public stand like that against such a ridiculous law. So you mentioned that when you were visiting Texas that you would live there before and that you saw that there was a lot more freedom and a lot of respect. What besides the issue of abortion drew you to Texas and made it seem like it would be a different kind of life than New York? Oh, there's just, you know, first of all, you don't have a state income tax. Yeah, that's a big deal. The prosperity of Texas, just financially how much more industry and prosperity there is there compared to upstate New York is dramatic. Those are the kinds of things that really stand out when you're there.

And then on the abortion issue, when I wanted to testify on behalf of that bill, there were over 300 people that testified in favor of that bill. The hearing went until 3 in the morning. It was a committee hearing. And there were only like five people testifying against it. So, I mean, I was trying to imagine something similar in Albany. And there's just no way you could imagine that unless ever. everybody was on drugs or something.

You know, there would never be such a thing in this area. So, yeah, those are the things that come to mind. And what kind of response are you getting from the New York community about your decision to move? Well, you know, Syracuse is kind of a funny place. It's pretty apathetic. They didn't much care the first time around the people that are not our customers. There's really not much.

It's kind of a shrug of the shoulders. You know, it's similar to what Governor Cuomo gives as an explanation why people are moving away. He says, well, it's just there's places that have warmer weather than our area, and that's why they're leaving. They'll try to find any excuse that they can as to why people would leave. They can't possibly imagine that their policies have anything to do with it. And have you known others to leave during your eight years there? Oh, yeah. Yeah.

I mean, I've lost quite a few customers. that have moved south. I had a guy who was interested in buying the bookstore, and he's not now because his wife wants to move south. You know, I mean, there's a lot of not just moves south to get away from the weather, but for the sake of the, you know, the prosperity in other conservative states. So it's an interesting phenomena we're seeing in recent years where I think both conservatives and liberals are moving to some of these redder states

because for factors you mention, like the liberals may not agree with the social issues, but they like the prosperity, they like the relative freedom. Yeah, I mean, what do you, I mean, you're just one person, but what do you think this trend is driven by? Well, it's certainly driven by issues of freedom, you know, and tyranny. You know, you mentioned California being a police state. I think it's a fair term for what these places are turning into. And if you're conscious and conscientious, you're aware that you don't have the freedom. And, you know, for us it was something that just started us on the path.

You know, for us, it's a spiritual calling. It's the calling of God. You know, God directed us that way. You know, if prayers hadn't been answered the way that they were, we might not be doing this. Well, we wouldn't be doing this. But, you know, it's the thing that got us moving in that direction. And I think at some point, Albany is going to have to wake up and realize that, you know, either they're going to have to do something to turn the tide of the exodus that's happening out of, at least New York. You know, I just think that the lines are being drawn.

You know, I have to use the term battle lines, but, you know, it's forcing people's hands to do something a little more drastic to try to have. some freedom in their lives. Okay. Well, thanks so much for joining us. I hope you have a good move and enjoy the warmer weather down there. Well, thank you. Americans have almost entirely forgotten their history. That's right. And if we want to keep our republic, this needs to change. I'm Jared Stepman. And I'm Fred Lucas. We host the Right Side of History, a podcast dedicated to restoring informed patriotism and busting the negative narratives about America's past. Hollywood, the media, and academia have failed a generation. We're here to set the record straight on the ideas and people who've made this country great.

Subscribe to the right side of history on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and Stitcher today. Small business owner Elizabeth Novak moved her salon out of Sacramento, California, because she says the homelessness problem is out of control. She said in a viral Twitter video directed at Governor Gavin Newsom that the problem has become intolerable. This video is for Gavin Newsome. I've had a business in downtown Sacramento for 15 years. I just want to tell you what happens when I get to work. I have to clean up the poop and the pee off of my doorstep. I have to politely ask the people who I care for.

I care for these people that are homeless to move their tents. So I want to know what you're going to do for us. Well, Kate, I think as both Native Californians, we can at least have some sympathy with what this unfortunately small business owner is going through. But, you know, this problem seems to have gotten really bad in California in the last few years. and, you know, especially in places like San Francisco and Los Angeles notoriously, but really around the state. And kind of speaks to some of the dysfunction we've seen there in California. Absolutely.

And I should know, by the way, that we obtained that clip via Fox News. I think what's interesting is it's been a few years since I've been to Sacramento, the city itself. I've been in the suburbs to visit relatives. And, you know, I don't remember there being an extreme homelessness problem. I do think California, by virtue of its weather, in some ways, has maybe always been a little bit more, I don't know if alluring is the right word, but at least more compatible with being homeless. There aren't freezing nights. So I do get that this is a different kind of problem than the East Coast faces. At the same time, you know, this is not what anyone wants.

This isn't what business owners want. This isn't what citizens want. This isn't what the homeless want. So it does seem pretty depressing how California is handling this. Yeah, I think one thing, and she certainly said this in her Fox interview, that she was complaining, that she said there was a lot of drug use, that there was a lot of problems with, of course, you know, we've talked about mental illness and things like that, a lot of people on the streets who really shouldn't be on the streets. And I think that should be a major concern.

A lot of these people should be somewhere other than, you know, spending the night on the street. And of course, the health risks now, I think maybe an under-talked about issue. I mean, we've had serious problems, especially in Los Angeles, with outbreaks of diseases like typhus, things like this. That's a serious health risk. It's a health risk for the police officers and the medical responders who have to deal with this. And, of course, everybody in the community, then you combine that with things like small property crime. And you can see why a small business owner could say, you know, I've had enough. Right.

And I think this is a theme that you've written about a lot for the Daily Signal in your op-eds. And, you know, I think we've both seen this is just California. policies just over and over again show no concern for the middle class or even really the lower classes. Sometimes there's government assistance for those who are struggling financially. But again, as I said, this isn't helping the homeless. But it's also like, you know, rich Californians can essentially afford to ignore this problem. They don't have to deal with this. They can pay people to deal with this, et cetera. And I think this just perfectly encapsulates how the cities of California don't care about the middle class.

Yeah, it's kind of phenomenal, too. I mean, a state that's focused on banning plastic straws and plastic bags. And yet here we have, I mean, beyond crushing poverty, we have homelessness. We have an increasing amounts. I mean, especially small property crime has gotten very bad in places like San Francisco. It makes it very inhospitable for a middle class person. Of course, you're dealing also with the very high cost of living in a lot of these California cities. You know, I know full well having grown up in the Bay Area, it is a huge.

huge problem. Middle class people just can't live there. And they're creating an environment of super rich and very poor and in many cases now homeless with small business owners feeling like they're really not welcome and that their concerns are not being addressed. I mean, yeah, that can kind of continue on for a while. But we've seen cities, you know, go through a lot of dysfunction and it suddenly becomes, you know, we've talked a lot recently about the issues that Baltimore has right now. And, you know, this could happen to a lot of California cities too, even though maybe a little bit nicer weather, but these problems won't just continue forever without there being serious consequences. Right. And I'm glad you brought up the housing. I don't know how much that's

directly contributing to the homeless problem, but it's hard to believe it's not at least somewhat connected. You know, as you say, the area where we grew up in, it's insane how expensive it is right now. But it's also very frustrating, at least to me, when I go home, because there is so much California could be doing that they're not doing. One, there's just very little that zoned for you can't really have necessarily skyscrapers because of the earthquake stuff, but you can certainly build significantly denser housing than exists in most of the area right now as well. The amount of protected land near San Francisco is insane. And I love nature, and I do think land should be protected.

But I think it might be close to half the land area there that's protected right now, which is crazy. And lastly, people are moving further and further out in order to, try to have a home for their families. They're commuting insane distances to San Francisco now. But of course, the liberals won't let anyone widen the freeways or make more lanes. And so people literally spend who have houses their entire lives and their stupid cars not with their family. Anyway, I just, the disregard for actual human happiness shown by California policymakers is unbelievable. Yeah, and that's why it's so incredible to see that how many people are moving out of places that, assumedly are booming. Or are the coming. Or are they,

economy is doing well. The tech sector is obviously doing great. You know, this is a booming area and people are wanting to leave. That kind of tells you that something isn't quite right with the policies and how things function there. Right. And I think I was reading this article a few months ago that I think was in Slate, that was a money diary by an anonymous person. And they claimed to be, I think they had two kids and they were two income household. And I think they said together they made $400,000, which is a ton of money. But they were sort of saying we're actually not really wealthy in Silicon Valley because everything costs so much. So I was like, wow. I mean, I have a little bit of judgment for these anonymous people. But, I mean, I think that tells you something. If you don't think $400,000, you know, is a huge amount that the area, the cost of living in that area is just out of control. Yeah. And that's typical Bay Area.

And it's definitely too bad for the future of the region. Well, hopefully someday, you know, all the little. liberals will move out, conservatives can retake California back, then we can get all the beachfront property. There you go. And that'll do it for today's episode. Thanks for listening to the Daily Signal podcast, brought to you from the Robert H. Bruce Radio Studio at the Heritage Foundation.

Please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, or SoundCloud, and please leave us a review or a rating at iTunes to give us any feedback. We'll see you again tomorrow. The Daily Signal podcast is executive produced by Kate Trinko and Daniel Davis. Sound design by Lauren Evans and Thalia Rampersad. For more information, visit DailySignal.com.