The I Love CVille Show With Jerry Miller! - Went To 3 City Departments To Change Light Bulbs; What's Most Regressive Of All The CVille Taxes?

Episode Date: March 13, 2024

The I Love CVille Show headlines: Went To 3 City Departments To Change Light Bulbs What’s Most Regressive Of All The CVille Taxes? Reid Super Save Market Says Things Are Better Who Is More Famous In CVille: Ralph Or Dave? QB Aaron Rodgers Targeted As VP For RFK Jr. 9 Restaurants That Serve Tiramisu Around CVille CVille Fortune Telling WIth The Great JerrDini Sidekick Boobini Will Ask JerrDini Questions Read Viewer & Listener Comments Live On-Air The I Love CVille Show airs live Monday – Friday from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm on The I Love CVille Network. Watch and listen to The I Love CVille Show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, iTunes, Apple Podcast, YouTube, Spotify, Fountain, Amazon Music, Audible and iLoveCVille.com.

We work hard for you. Spread the gospel. Spread the gospel. Am I the man behind the meme accounts? Bubini may ask me that. Good Wednesday afternoon, guys. My name is Jerry Miller. And thank you kindly for joining us on the I Love Seville Show. I cannot believe I'm saying this. I cannot believe I'm about to say this.

Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is in very serious discussions, as reported by the New York Times, serious discussions with Aaron Rodgers to make the New York Jets quarterback his potential running mate on an independent presidential ticket in November. Aaron Rodgers, a quarterback, vice president, potentially, on an independence ticket in a presidential race that is turning into,

how do we characterize this, Judah? I was going to use the word profanity show, ass show. I guess I could call it poop show. I mean, it's turning into a zoo. It makes the country look horrible. As my sister, hold on, hold on, let me get on air. We'll talk about that on today's program and how Charlottesville is going to respond.

Aaron Rodgers is 40 years old and a four-time NFL MVP, a former Super Bowl champion with the Green Bay Packers. He is an ardent supporter of RFK Jr., frequently mentioning RFK Jr. in interviews. The New York Times reported that the domain KennedyRoders.com was registered last week on GoDaddyJuda. What was your sister going to say? It's only smart that even if he doesn't end up going with Aaron Rodgers, it's still smart to get the domain. Is it smart to welcome Aaron Rodgers as the vice president? That's not what I said.

No, I know that. They secure the domain. It's so cheap. Why wouldn't you own the domain? Yeah. We own significant amounts of domains. Yeah. Why wait until some...

Someone poaches it from you. Yeah. Yeah, 100%. I have no beef with the purchasing of the URL. The beef I have is RFK Jr. asking Aaron Rodgers, potentially a quarterback, to be the vice president. And the look it has... Do you see who his other top pick is?

Yeah, the former WWE wrestling champion, the former governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura. Yeah. I mean, what, is he going to jump off the top rope and body slam Biden and Donald Trump, Jesse Ventura? But at least he's been a governor. I'd pay to see that. At least he's been a governor.

This is turning into reality television before our very eyes. We'll talk about that today. Reid Super Save Market is evidently on much better standing. They got a sizable GoFundMe contribution, reads Super Save Market. I think it was to the tune of, what, $21,000? I don't know what the final number was. No, no, it's closed now. I think they're shooting for 10.

And it surpassed 10. 21,000 is the exact number. More than 21,000. Excuse me, I stand corrected. Now its co-owner, Sue Clements, tells local media, quote, it'd be really easy to walk away and say, okay, I think it's time, but the community wants us here, end quote. She says, we want to be here, end quote.

And she says that we're back on our feet. Let's celebrate and champion REEDS, getting some financial stability, an icon of significant proportions. We'll talk about that on today's program. Also on the show, I want to highlight the most regressive tax of them all. Is it a slam dunk that it's the real estate tax rate is the most regressive one? Is that a slam dunk? Not necessarily. I don't think so either. You can make a very convincing argument for the meals tax being the most regressive of all of Charlottesville's increased taxes. I think that's probably what I would go for

just because it hits people daily where the property tax... Some landlords aren't necessarily going to raise rents based on their tax increase. And a lot of people get their taxes added to their mortgage via... They're still paying for them. Yeah, I know. Via increased escrow. Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely. I just think that the daily nature of the food tax is something that you see more often and affects you you i think it affects the most citizens weekly the meals tax definitely if the meals taxes increase it would be raised to 7.5 percent ladies and gentlemen that means when you go out to eat in the city of charlottesville when you combine state and local sales taxes on top of the meals tax, 12.8% of your bill will be taxes when you eat out. Call it 13% even if they do this.

You spend $100, 13 of that is going to go to taxes. I want you to think about that. If you go out, let's just say you go out. But I think put better, if you spend $100, add $13 to that just in taxes. If you spend $100, okay, and then $20 on tip. So you're looking at $1.20, and on that $ a buck 20 that you spend, 20 is gratuity, and 13 is taxes. So 33 of your 120.

That's over 25%. Think about that. We'll unpack that on today's edition of the I Love Ceevo show. I also want to chitter chatter um the Ralph Sampson story from yesterday I'm still blown away by Ralph Sampson walking out of our studio on Market Street and literally Judah you saw it he stopped traffic yeah it is that safe to say he stopped traffic on either side of Market Street with cars behind them,

people hoot and hollering out of their window to the UVA basketball legend. I am now convinced after seeing that that Ralph Sampson is the most famous man in Charlottesville. I'm not saying I'm saying when you're within Charlottesville, Almar or central Virginia limits, Ralph Sampson will command more notoriety and attention than anyone else. And yes, I'm including Dave Matthews in there. Judah made the point yesterday, Dave is not 7'6".

He can wear a hat and some sunglasses and be relatively incognito. Ralph Sampson, significantly incognito. Easily incognito. Okay. Sampson at 7'6 cannot. A lot we're going to unpack on today's program, Significantly incognito. Easily incognito. Easily incognito. Okay. Sampson at 7'6 cannot. Yeah. A lot we're going to unpack on today's program,

including the great Giardini with sidekick Bubini, who fully embraces his moniker and absolutely loves his moniker. I mean, look at Bubini's face over there. We're in the shadows, of course, of Thomas Jefferson's university, less than two miles from the University of Virginia, less than two miles from the Rotunda, less than two miles from the John Paul Jones Arena in Scott Stadium. A hop, skip, and a jump from the Charlottesville Police Department, a block removed from the Albemarle County Courthouse, the Charlottesville Courthouse, and right off the downtown mall, our studio on Market Street. Judah, we had a conversation with a friend of the program. This friend is a regular listener of our talk show,

a man we admire who's had success in the restaurant space, in the restaurant industry. He does things the right way. He takes care of his team members. He serves food at multiple restaurants at reasonable price points. He's got two distinct restaurants that he owns. One sit-down, one fast casual. I have a conversation with him on the phone two days ago. And this particular conversation, Judah,

surrounded what it took for this small business owner to get city employees to change light bulbs in downtown Charlottesville. The restaurant he owns, two oflesville yeah his the restaurant he owns two of them one of the restaurants he owns that's that he has owned the longest is right off the downtown mall and one of the side streets that leads to his restaurant had a number of lights on the side street that had burned out, completely burned out. So as any small business owner who is looking for success and longevity for their pride and joy, their business, they're like, look, I've got to get these lights on, right?

For safety reasons, we want these side streets lit. So this particular friend of the program, this particular businessman, goes into City Hall. And he goes into City Hall right off of Main Street. And he goes, look, the lights are off on this side street. We need to get these light bulbs changed. And as he walks into City Hall and he asks for help, he relays this story to me and he says, getting the light bulbs changed, you would be shocked of what it took.

I had to go to three different departments and neither department was aware of who actually changes the light bulbs in the city of Charlottesville. He went from economic development to parks and rec. Parks and rec broken up into two different groups. Three different departments he spoke to before he was finally able to get the lights changed. And I relay this to you because I want to convey this. Are we living in a city that is so focused on the big picture or so focused on macro challenges that it cannot solve the most common and everyday micro difficulties? The type of challenges that must be resolved for a city to just operate efficiently. You want to keep downtown safe? Have lights on the streets. If you want to drive business and incremental tax revenue to downtown Charlottesville, make sure the perception and appearance is safe.

And one of the easiest ways to doing that is to take dead light bulbs and replace them. And this particular restaurateur had to go to three departments each time the department telling them to go somewhere else before he was finally able to get results and have lights changed on a side street right around the corner from an eatery that's his own for 14, 15, 16 years, a very long time. You and I had a conversation about this. I want you to relay some of the thoughts you had to the viewers and listeners about what we chatted about. I mean, it's kind of, it's kind of emblematic of government today that's, like you said, very much more worried about... about...

I don't know how to... what to call it. Things like how much money to give to non-profits, which is great when we can support them, but if that's at the expense of the running of the city, big ideas are great, but they need to be built on smaller ideas, and smaller ideas need to be built on being able to change the light bulbs, right? What do they say?

Don't run before you can walk. Obviously our city has been running for a long time, but in this case, let's perfect the smaller systems so that everything runs smoothly and then worry about expanding that into bigger systems. Deep Throat, number one in the family,

his photo on screen makes a joke. How many CVO public servants does it take to screw in a light bulb? I don't know, but I called the city to find out, and the department that answers questions is still working from home and too busy negotiating a collective bargaining contract to actually answer the question.

There you go. That's it in a nutshell. Yeah. We are so focused on the big picture, and that picture is clouded and convoluted with challenges that perhaps can never truly be solved, whether that's housing affordability, whether that's housing affordability, whether that's collective bargaining,

whether that's equitable perspectives, whether that's how we make the city more cost efficient, how do we keep a budget in check that we're not even thinking of changing light bulbs? That's a microcosm of so much. And for a small business owner who employs, what, three dozen, four dozen, five dozen people across two restaurants in the city to say he had to go to three different departments in City Hall, each department telling him to go to a different one to get basic light bulbs changed on a side street in the mall, that's a microcosm of so much. We need to focus on the basics to be able to successfully navigate the more complicated endeavors. When you're teaching a kindergartner, you work on learning your ABCs and your 1-2-3s

before you go to your multiplication tables and writing sentences. How are we going to be able to fund nonprofits, navigate collective bargaining, housing affordability, crime, if we can't keep light bulbs changed or know who's going to change the light bulbs? And that's something that's important to relay to you. Viewers and listeners, let us know your thoughts. We'll relay them live on air. Kevin Yancey, thank you for watching the program. We'll get to some of your comments. Carol Thorpe, we appreciate you watching the show. Juan Sarmiento

watching the program. I think he's back from his cruise. I'll get to your comments here in a matter of moments. In fact, Juan Sarmiento says he changes the light bulbs in the fleet of vehicles that Charlottesville owns and manages and runs, not the street. Ray Cadell watching the program. Is Ray Cadell a member of the power ranking? I don't believe he is. Oh my goodness

gracious. Ray Cadell's got to have his photo on there. Ray Cadell's going to come in on the iloveseville.com forward slash viewer rankings at number 47. Ray Cadell, the horn player and the talented, talented real estate agent he says this so I'm on my way home from the homestead which is my biggest client we always discuss how do you enhance what we call the homestead experience and he says

maybe someone needs to be talking about the Charlottesville experience and how we enhance it Georgia Gilmer watching the program she is a key member of the family someone needs to be talking about the Charlottesville experience and how we enhance it. Georgia Gilmer watching the program. She is a key member of the family. Let's get Georgia's photo on screen. Georgia is, what is your ranking, Georgia? I love seville.com forward slash viewer rankings. She is 12 in the family. She says non-profits should be funded by private donors and not by government agencies and taxpayer money. We talked about that earlier in the week, how non-profits, many of them in the Charlottesville ecosystem, are seeing their funding requests

increase by more than 100% at a time when the city is money to nonprofits? And should that criteria be tightened? And do the nonprofits have, is there a pop? Is there a proof of performance? Is there any kind of, like, what is the standard that they're held up to when they're given money? Do they have to meet some goal? Or do they just get money? Because I'll start a nonprofit and apply for some money if that's the case.

If all you're going to do is say you're doing good things. What's your non-profit going to be? I'd just come up with a cool name. And ask city council for mine? Yeah. John Blair watching the program, number two in the family. Let's get his photo on screen he says jerry i think the phrase that you and judah may be looking for is state capacity state capacity refers to the ability for a government to actually do something

on an operational level replacing state capacity with esoteric ideological aims is what causes distrust and disenchantment with government. That is fantastic. Yeah. Did you hear that one? Mm-hmm. That's great. That is fantastic. Mm-hmm.

He also offers this commentary, John Blair. I don't know that anyone would dispute that the sales tax on groceries is the most regressive tax. Everyone has to purchase food and the grocery tax is going to be paid even by the bottom 10%. That is why Youngkin's campaign pledge to end the grocery tax, state not local, was the most progressive policy proposal in the 2021 governor's election. Another strong comment. Yeah. Do we go with the grocery tax as the most regressive as you're putting lower thirds on screen? I think so. You say grocery, slam dunk over tax rate, real estate, property tax, meals tax, lodging tax. I'll say the least regressive of all is the lodging tax.

Agree or disagree on that one? I would agree. Because you're taxing outsiders. Now, if you raise the lodging tax too much, it could prevent outsiders from coming because it becomes too expensive, but I don't think we're anywhere near there yet. Right. And the other thing

is, how do outsiders look into that? I mean, is that something, and how often do people when deciding to visit a city, how often do people look into the lodging tax? I don't think. I don't know. Maybe we'll go to another city. Yeah, I don't think that happens.

For example, I'm not going to be here on Friday. I'm taking a long weekend. I'm going to be in Folly Beach, South Carolina, for some festivities. Friday, Saturday, coming back Sunday, back in the saddle here in the studio on Monday. Looking forward to some R&R and some recharging. Not once that we'd be like, oh, this taxes do I. We're like, we want to go to this place. Let's make it happen.

Generally, I think it's high enough that the cost of, say, getting a hotel or an Airbnb for a weekend or a week is high enough that I think people are less considerate of what taxes they're paying. Whereas going to the grocery store, you see it every day, and it's a lot easier to notice changes from one week to the next. Okay, we'll say it's between grocery and meals tax. Michael Payne in the Seville Weekly today said the meals tax, in his opinion, is the most regressive, the city councilor. Michael Payne highlights the meals tax, in his opinion, is the most regressive, the city councilor. Michael Payne highlights the meals tax. He says he's hesitant to raise the meals tax.

In a quote, Michael Payne said, quote, I personally think the meals tax should be the last tax we seek to raise. It's our most regressive tax. After raising it again, we'd be near the top of the state for our meals tax rate. He says local restaurants operate on small margins, and unlike with our real estate tax, there is no tax relief program for the meals tax. Get this. If the meals tax is raised, which that's the chatter,

it'll be the third time the city has raised its meals tax in the last five years. It's currently 7.5%. They're seeking to raise it to 7.5% from 6.5. Excuse me, it's now 6.5%. They're talking about raising it to 7.5%. That means if it's raised, the state and local sales tax and the meals tax would be at 12.8%. Yeah.

You spend $100, 13 of it's going to be taxes. 12.8%. Yeah. You spend $100, 13 of it's going to be taxes. 12. 12.8. That's 13. It's closer to 12 than 13. If you're saying, if you're adding the tax to make the 100.

No. If you get a bill that's $100, 13 of that is taxes. It would be closer to 12, though. 12.8. If you spent 100, then you would have to add the 12.8 to that. No, I'm saying 100 total spent. Yeah, I know. But that would be what?

It doesn't matter. I know. Yeah, you're doing that thing. But it's high enough, right? But that would be what? It doesn't matter. I know. Yeah, you're doing that thing. But it's high enough, right? Yeah. Interesting that Payne highlights that as opposed to the real estate tax rate. Do we want to say why?

Go ahead. Do you want to say why? I know what you're, you know what I'm saying. I'm not sure. Counselor Payne is not a homeowner. Oh yeah. That should be highlighted. Fair enough. Is that fair to highlight? Yeah. It obviously hits him less than it would other people, but I don't think that invalidates his statements. I don't think it invalidates it, but it's something that should be highlighted.

Albert Graves retweets the show. We appreciate you, Albert Graves. We really do appreciate you, Albert Graves. Warrior AG. I speak about this before I go on to the next topic about the gentrification of the dining experience.

You take your kids out to restaurants to help socialize them. If we make it preventative or cost preventative to take kids out to restaurants to help them socialize. Cost prohibitive, yeah. Cost prohibitive, thank you, Judah. That's going to create

a haves and have-nots issue with socialization and maturity. And that should not be underestimated. And frankly speaking, let me go to bat for our restaurant owners again. I often do on this program. Raising the meals tax is another reason or another way that we're creating headwinds for small businesses. They have small business headwinds when it comes to escalating labor costs, cost of goods costs,

escalating rent. They have headwinds with how the consumer is now choosing to dine, ordering through third-party apps, and eating their food on their couch in their living room. They also have to deal with the real estate tax.

The real estate tax passed to them in their leases. I'm working on one of those right now. And now this? Why do we want to crush an industry that has propped Charlottesville up? Restaurants.

Goodness gracious, great balls of fire. Anything else you want to add before we go to Reed's? The Reed's story is so positive. Reed's got $21,000 as you're changing the lower third. $21,000 in the GoFundMe. And now its owner, its co-owner says, we're on stable ground again. The shelves should start getting stocked.

I'm happy for Reed's. I'm impressed with the community rallying around them. And I wish nothing but long-term success for this grocer. Do I think long-term this spot's going to be a grocery store? No, I do not. I think the grocery business long term, it's going to be consolidated by less brands and not more brands. I think we're going to see a lot of that in a lot of different areas.

Expand. What's that? Expand on that. Oh, well, I mean, we've seen it in, you know, Amazon has taken over a lot of industries. And we've seen Walmarts taking over in towns, and I think that there are, like you said, headwinds for a lot of small businesses, and that makes those areas of commerce ripe for people with deep pockets and a willingness to spend money on you know in your hometown being opportunistic

being aggressive utilizing economies to scale and access to capital to win battles of competition against competitors that may not have the financial resources or the labor resources or the purchasing power of big box brands? We've talked about the shrinking number of small businesses on the corner. I don't think there were ever very many small businesses in Stonefield.

And Barracks has always maintained a few, but... Less and less. Yeah. Comments are coming in fast here. Vanessa Parkhill, her photo on screen. Key member of the family, the Queen of Earliesville. Ms. Parkhill is six in the power poll. She says this.

The meals tax may be regressive, gentlemen, but people don't need to eat out. I'm sorry it hurts the business, but the average citizen can eat at home. So maybe she points to the grocery tax there. Yeah. Definitely. I mean, it's a shame that

the meals tax will hurt our small businesses, the restaurants that we love bragging about Charlottesville for so much. But yeah, she's right. Ray Cadell says, I'm not sure what the current situation is, but I do remember when the municipal band contribution from the city went to zero.

The 100-plus-year-old municipal band, by the way, that has always performed exclusively free concerts for our community and free events. Ray Caddell, your photo and name will be on the ilovecivil.com forward slash viewer rankings. You've made the program better, my friend. And I am shocked and appalled with me personally that you are not on that viewer and listener power ranking you should be. Nothing but love for you. Bill McChesney says it's no longer called the Charlottesville Municipal Band. It's simply called the Charlottesville Band.

I love when the viewers and listeners make us smarter. If you want to change the lower third here to Ralph or Dave, I want to highlight the story from yesterday that continues to resonate with me. Ralph Sampson was on the Jerry and Jerry show yesterday. He spent over an hour in our studio with yours truly, with Judah, and with Hootie Ratcliffe. He was a gentleman and a scholar. Handshake, knows your name, class act. As he's walking out of our studio on Market Street, his very classy and elegant Mercedes-Benz parked directly outside of our door. He walks out the front door

and the entire world stopped for him. Someone driving on Market Street from the grocery store to the police station. That side of the road, the side of the road close to us, literally slammed on her brakes, pushed her driver door open with such force it slung and flicked back on her before she had to open it again.

She swings her left leg and then her right leg out so quickly out of the driver's side door and catapults out of the seat, sprints around the car while her car is still running, while the driver's door is open, and basically jumps in Ralph's arms to greet him, as if he was Taylor Swift. On the other side of the road, for the folks driving from the police station to the grocery store, two vehicles stop in the middle of Market Street,

roll down their window, and scream like schoolgirls, with jubilee, with bliss, and with zest, asking for photos and selfies with Ralph, screaming his name as if he was Taylor Swift. Two lanes of traffic stopped because Ralph Sampson walks out the door. A bus directly behind one of the drivers who had stopped their vehicle is blaring the horn with the driver shouting out the window, what are you doing?

Come on, come on. And for that 60-second period, traffic had come to a screeching halt in downtown Charlottesville because a 7'6 man walked out of the I Love Seville studios. And at that very moment, I knew that Ralph Sampson

was the most famous man in Charlottesville. You can walk by Dave Matthews on the downtown mall and Barracks Road and Mud House and CVS. I have many times. And he, whether it's choice, whether it's strategy of being incognito, can come across

as nondescript. So much where you could walk by him and not even notice him. You're not going to be able to do that with a 7'6 person. This man is the clear most famous person in the Charlottesville area, and it's not even close.

Some folks are saying Dwayne the Rock Johnson, Dwayne the Rock Johnson, Dwayne the Rock Johnson. Do we put him on the list? I said no, because this was just an auxiliary market of living for him, a secondary market. The Orange County farm that he has. I would imagine Dwayne the Rock Johnson would command

the same stopping in Market Street as Ralph did. He also is of notable size, not 7'6", but 6'4", 250, 260, 270. Do you think it's a clear cut, Ralph Sampson? He's definitely got a firm lead over most other people in terms of, what's the word I'm looking for? Visibility. Man, I have many words today. Sorry. Yeah.

I'd seen it before, like at games and arenas, and even at his restaurant, but I never had seen it like that in the road. In fact, I don't think I've seen anything like that. I remember when I was in college at UVA, Britney Spears was visiting Charlottesville, and was rumored to be at the Biltmore. This was my second or third year. And we all sprinted to the Biltmore on Ellywood Avenue to catch a glimpse of Britney Spears. And she was there. She was swarmed. I remember as a kid, the U.S. gymnastics team, remember the gold medal winner, Dominique, I think her name was Dominique Mochiano she was at Bush Gardens in Williamsburg and me

and my buddies made sure we went through the turnstiles and headed for the Loch Ness Monster or Big Bad Wolf or Dragonfire or the Battering Ram to see if we could catch a glimpse of Dominique and her gold medal but what I saw with Ralph yesterday was if we could catch a glimpse of Dominique and her gold medal.

But what I saw with Ralph yesterday was it was adults that evolved or devolved into schoolgirl fans and schoolboy fans. Screaming his name at the top of their lungs. Yeah. Some people get crazy. I'll say it's a clear-cut Ralph. What's the next one on the header?

Let's see. Aaron Rodgers. Oh, yeah. I have to talk about this here Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said that Charlottesville will be and the great Giardini is moments away here so don't miss Giardini

deep throat I'll get to your comments in a matter of moments RFK's headquarters is the old Seville Weekly office on the downtown mall. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He has made a comment multiple times that Charlottesville and Virginia, a bellwether state, are critically important for his candidacy for president. His chance to win the presidency. He said the University of Virginia, his ties to UVA, I believe it was law school, his ties to UVA,

he's going to make a push in Charlottesville and central Virginia and in Virginia in totality to try to get a shot at winning this thing. The New York Times reports yesterday that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is on a very short list for vice president on his ticket. I am left mouth agape with this news. We have a reality television star and Donald Trump. We have a man that clearly has limited cognitive abilities and Joe Biden. We have a candidate in RFK who is all over social media doing the bench press

at various cities wearing Levi jeans and no shirt, spray tan, shirtless, doing the branch press, speaking to anyone who would listen of how COVID is made up and how vaccines are bad. And now he's saying Brian Huluska just walks by, freshly haircutted. And now he's saying he's going to consider a quarterback in the National Football League who is active, who has very sketchy commentary, almost banned by ESPN to do interviews for what he said about Jimmy Kimball.

He's considering Aaron Rodgers, who is anti-vax, certainly a womanizer, questionable in his thoughts and perspectives on many fronts as his vice president. What is the 2024 election going to be? And is every country outside the U.S. just looking at us mouth agape as well,

saying what the hell is going on in the United States? I think they've been doing that for years. I think at this point, it's just, uh, they've got the, they've got the popcorn popped and the, uh, the cushions freshly fluffed on the, on the couch. And I think they're just sitting back and enjoying the dumpster fire. If you look at the Seville Weekly office, the headquarters for RFK Jr., he's got a quasi setup for a talk show set there. RFK can utilize the I Love Seville network if he ever needs to. Yeah. That'd be cool.

In fact, any of the candidates can utilize the I Love Seville network. I think the most realistic one that we could get, though, would be RFK Jr. I cannot wait for the debates. It will be must-watch television. They're not. I've got a fortune for you. Are we going to save this for Giardini? Is Giardini next? It might be. Well, you're the producer. You've got the rundown. I'm going to change screens to see it, though. No, it is next. No, it's not next.

What's next? Tiramisu. Oh, Tiramisu. We'll jump to Giardini and Bubini next. But what was your fortune, your question? They're not going to have any debates this year. I think they are going to have debates. You think?

They can hear that rocking. What? They can hear that rocking in the mic you think that they're going to allow Biden to debate Trump that's what you're asking me I don't think Trump wants to debate Biden I think Trump will

absolutely choose to debate Biden I think Trump lives for moments like that. And he will try to eviscerate Biden. I don't think they'll allow Biden to debate Trump, though. And if they don't allow Biden to debate Trump, that right there is cause for concern. Because if you can't handle a debate...

The RNC has already disavowed the debates. Time will tell. Wouldn't you say Trump would have the edge over Biden in a debate? And could you see a spray tan RFK Jr. debating? Oh, RFK would love to... RFk would do it in a heartbeat yeah but as for the other two i don't i don't think they have anything to say i think trump would love to but i don't think i think he's smart enough to not do it because there's no gain everybody knows what everybody knows what their platforms are. No gain? Everybody knows exactly what they're... It's not like there's anything new coming from either side.

Highlighting or drawing attention to the cognitive concerns of Biden is the gain for Trump. He doesn't need a debate to do that, though. Agree to disagree on that one. The State of the Union, Biden... You didn't watch that? No, I didn't watch it.

It was... It was all over the place. I believe it. It was all over the place. Although some gave them props. You need to go to a one-shot because Giardini needs to come in. And then after you go to the one-shot, tell me when you're on a one-shot.

And keep the viewers and listeners entertained as Giardini comes in. Are you on a one? Alright. I'm on a one. Jerry is going to be changing into his fortune teller outfit. He's getting his props ready right now, moving some things around. And he's got the magic wands out. He's going back to his changing room.

I bet you guys didn't know we had a changing room. We do have a changing room. That's what I just said. We've got a changing room. We do have a changing room. That's what I just said. We've got a changing room. Jerry's back there putting on his lipstick. And I think he mentioned something about earrings last week. So we'll see if he's got the full fortune teller regalia going on. And did you talk about a change of shirt?

Oh, there's a change of shirt. Okay, I didn't know if you were going to stick... There's a shawl. You should get a tank top. There's a tank top. You should get a tank top emblazoned with a new let's say Charlottesville

heavy every week. What? How are we going to do that? I don't know. You could put all your... It's not a new tank top. No, I didn't say it was a new tank top. I said there would be a shawl. In fact, it's more of a cape.

Do we see the crystal balls for Gerdini? Do we what? Gerdini has got some props here. People are stopping on Market Street literally before us here. I'm putting you on screen. Put me on screen here. Do we see my dragons, my pets on screen? Mostly.

Do they need to come back because the dragons must be in the shot? Yeah, there you go. Is that better? Probably another three or four inches to get them fully in the shot. All the way back? Yeah. Is that better? That is better.

For Giardini. Bubini needs to get in set. Wednesdays, the Giardini and Bubini needs to get in set. Wednesday's The Giardinian Bubini will be in full effect. Ladies and gentlemen, Charlottesville's fortune teller, Giardini, will answer questions posed by you, the viewer and listener, and we have a number of them today. I have now added a shawl, which, frankly speaking, may be my kindergartner's cape from his Halloween costume to the show.

And of course we have our dragons on the program. I don't know why Bubini did not have his shirt next to him as instructed by Giardini, but oh okay let's go Bubini because you have your questions that you're going to ask on the fly for me today on the I Love Seville show. What do you think of the additions of the gloves? And, of course, the Curtis Schaber tank top is on screen right now. Gerardini and Bumini on a Wednesday in the I Love Seville studio will be taking your fortune-telling questions on the program. Bumini, it's time for you to come on air and ask your first question. It's buttoned correctly. Yes, you're ready to go. Put your hat on and let's

go on the two shot. You don't need to go any higher than that. I don't think I've got the right button. That's totally fine. It's totally fine, Bubini. In fact, Bubini, we're going to change the set up of this on the program. Your first question for us, Bubini, on the Giardini show, as you go to a two-shot. What is it for you? Let's see. My crystal ball is very clear today. Okay. First question. Question.

Is Jerry, is Gerdini the man behind the meme accounts? Am I the man behind the meme accounts? Would that not be the greatest trick ever played if I was the man behind the meme accounts driving attention?

That would definitely be the greatest trick ever played in the history of tricks. I will not answer that question. Okay. We will keep it up and we will never tell. What is your next question? I will not answer that question. Okay. We will keep it up. And we will never tell. What is your next question?

Boobini. Oh, man. Let's see. Will we ever have a professional wrestler as a president or vice president? I think Dwayne The Rock Johnson could be president. You think he could? That doesn't sound like a prediction. I think Dwayne The Rock Johnson will be president of the United States eventually.

Is he eligible? Why wouldn't he be eligible? I don't know. He's very eligible. Dwayne The Rock Johnson is very eligible. You don't have to Google that. If that's what you're doing, I know for a fact he's eligible. What are you saying, that he's not from here?

I don't know. I'm not saying anything. I'm asked a question. He's eligible. He's absolutely eligible. The next one you have. Can you drop the lower thirds and the banners here so people can see our dragons?

Drop the lower thirds? The nameplates? I've got to have the dragons on screen, please. Okay. I mean, these are beautiful. I actually raided my son's closet here and stolen his cape, his dragons. These are not actually his magic wands, though. No. These are magic wands that were otherwise on set. What's another question you have? My crystal ball is still very clear. Let's see.

What's a good question? People are stopping us. Audience. We need questions. I'm thinking of one. Let's see. Who will be on your shirt next week? Oh, it's always going to be the Curtis Shaver tank top. Always?

Yeah. Okay. It's always going to be the Curtis Shaver tank top. You need to come better prepared with questions. I guess. You knew this was the segment for two days. I still don't know. Literally two days you knew this was the segment.

You remembered the shirt but not the questions. Will the city of Charlottesville raise the taxes across the board? There's not a doubt in my mind they will. Every single tax is going to go up. Will Elmira County raise taxes across the board? That is to be determined, but they seem to be operating in more fiscally conservative mindsets than councilors in the board. That is to be determined, but they seem to be operating in more physically conservative mindsets than counselors in the city. Will Ms. Charlottesville become Ms. Virginia? Will Ms. Charlottesville become Ms. Virginia? If she can cure cancer, she deserves to be Ms. Virginia. I mean, think about how difficult it is to be Ms. Virginia.

You have competition that is a doctor that is in the cancer-curing business. She's beautiful. She's well-spoken. She should come on the I Love Seville show. Definitely. They've upped the age limit. What's the next one you have over there, Bubini? This question's come in.

They like the Fox's fornicating shirt more on Bubini. Bubini. I like that one better. What else you got over there? Will UVA do anything about the racism

and anti-Semitism going on on grounds. President Jim Ryan operates in a lot of ways as if he was a politician and not an actual school president. And is that what it's like being a school president in 2024, that you are a politician? Because if you were a president and you were operating in a mindset

of what was best for the school as opposed to what's best for a career, personal career, you would utilize your platform and say, enough with the anti-Semitic behavior on grounds. Enough with the racism. Yeah. Okay? And the

anger and the hate that's being thrown around that's anti-Semitic rooted is distasteful, it's pitiful, and it needs to change. I'm shocked that Ryan hasn't taken more of a deliberate stand on this.

What's more is hypocritical. Explain, Bubini. Well, we've been discussing DEI. We've been discussing problems with... Talk to me, Bubini. ...with Zianna Bryant, you know... Yes, we all know. Keep going. ...acting out against a white woman.

Keep going, keep going. Acting out against a white woman. Keep going, Bubini. And the fact of the matter is that here we have the, probably one of the clearest instances, not just instances, but multiple instances. Like days and weeks of racism, of teachers, of personal attacks on Jewish students. Professors themselves going out in support of Hamas. Yeah.

Professors at UVA. And I'm not even, and let's not even, we don't even have to talk about whether or not someone is supporting Hamas. Let's talk about – let's just talk about – stick to the facts about what's going on with Jewish students at UVA. I mean some of them are afraid to wear their yarmulkes. Some of them are afraid to – some of them are moving off grounds because they are afraid. How is this happening in 2024? Amen, brother. off grounds because they are afraid. That's Wendy.

How, how is this, how is this happening in 2024? Amen, brother. We have a human being of any color, race, or religion in one of the largest schools in the United States.

And there's nothing being done about the racism being shown to them. There it is. It's disgusting. I don't care what you think about a particular racial group. You don't get to choose that they're

undeserving of the protections that everyone else has. Is this group less deserving of protection? Absolutely not. Even if they were, that's what, what is DEI? If it only,

if it only includes the people that you want it to include. There it is. That's, like I said, let's go back to the fact that it's just straight-up hypocrisy. There it is. Oh, man. These gloves make it tough. We'll close with tiramisu before we get out of here. And Bubini will have questions

scripted for next week. It's every Wednesday. Or maybe you can script me some questions. I'm going to script you questions to ask myself? Yeah. Do you realize what that sounds? I am going to script the questions for you to ask me alright you want me to come up with questions I'll come up with questions you might not like them all the headlines are mostly mine yeah

you can do the questions once a week on Wednesdays for the great Giardini you did a tiramisu I want to highlight your favorite aspect of that list my favorite aspect of that list. My favorite aspect of that list, I would have to say is... I have a feeling you're going to go with the Fabio's one, isn't it?

It's the best picture. How could I not go for... You have it on screen? The Fabio's tiramisu is fantastic. I will say that. The Fabio's tiramisu is fantastic. There it is. And the owners of Fabio's are friends of the program and fantastic individuals. I'll give you the Fabio's tiramisu is absolutely dynamite. There goes Brian Holuska again.

Tiramisu options on iloveceville.com. What's the link? iloveceville.com forward slash? I believe it's Seville Tiramisu. Seville Tiramisu. Courtesy of the talented and distinguished Judah Wickauer, who's single and ready to mingle. Any closing thoughts, Bubini?

There's Vivace. They've got a pretty good looking... Vivace once. I've had that one. Any closing thoughts, Bubini? I may have a different shirt next week. Actually, I think that one's better than the Fox's fornicating, frankly. Yeah, I like this one better than the Fox's one, too.

It's much more zesty. Do you like my cape? I may have a cape next week. For Giardini or Bubini? Well, I'm not going to bring a cape for you. Okay, all right. That's fair. It's okay.

Well, I mean, it's for a five-year-old. Every Wednesday, Giardini and Bubini on the show. Thank you kindly for joining us. Remember, I'm out Friday at Folly Beach. So that means Thursday, tomorrow, is the last I Love Seville show of the week. I'm back in the saddle on Monday. For Beanie and Judah Wickauer, for Jaredini and yours truly,

this is the I Love Seville show where we will try anything. And the only thing we ask in return is you spread the gospel. Tell folks about the program. So long, everybody. And thank you kindly for joining us. Studio camera.

This right here, he's got it on a string. Nice. See? So you can swing it. And it goes around the house like this, swinging the dragon, as if it's David and Goliath. And he uses this as a weapon, and he catapults the dragon at us. That's what I'd do.

That's what you would do? Yeah. Hell yeah. It's amazing. This one personally is my favorite because of the green. It reminds me of like beach shells that you could find on the ocean to shine. I could see that. Yeah. And the crystal ball was good. All right. I see in the crystal ball Bubini having questions ready to go for Giardini next time. All right. I see in the crystal ball, Bubini having questions ready to go for Giardini next time. All right.