On The Mark
KCAA: On The Mark with Mark Westwood (Thu, 3 Oct, 2024)
We wear our work, day-by-day, stitch-by-stitch. At Dickies, we believe work is what we're made of. So, whether you're gearing up for a new project, or looking to add some tried and true work wear to your collection, remember that Dickies has been standing the test of time for a reason. Their work wear isn't just about looking good. It's about performing under pressure and lasting through the toughest jobs. Head over to Dickies.com and use the promo code WorkWear20 at checkout to save 20% on your purchase. It's the perfect time to experience the quality and reliability that has made Dickies a trusted name for over a century. What's the easiest choice you can make? Window instead of middle seat? Picking a vendor who sends a great gift basket, outsourcing business tasks you hate. What about selling with Shopify? Whether you're selling a little or a lot, Shopify helps you do your thing. However you ch-ching, Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. From the launch your online shop stage to the first real-life store stage, all the way to the "Did we just hit a million orders" stage, Shopify is there to help you grow. Whether you're selling scented soap or offering outdoor outfits, Shopify helps you sell wherever and whatever you're selling. Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/try. Go to shopify.com/try now to grow your business, no matter what stage you're in. Shopify.com/try. NBC News Radio, I'm Dina Kodiak. Hurricane Helene is now the deadliest storm to hit mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina. Lisa Taylor has more from Raleigh. Officials say at least 202 people have died due to the storm that slammed the southeast a week ago and 61 people have died in Buncombe County alone in North Carolina where Sam Brock reports. There are still dozens of towns that are not accessible except by plain or either mule in some cases. Supplies being taken up that way. And then the infrastructure hit is enormous. This is one micro example. A huge crater in the road here. It's lining up and down this main highway, highway 70 as residents don't know if it's going to be weeks or months before they have running water again. The death toll will likely continue to go up as hundreds remain missing. Hundreds of thousands of people are still without power in Georgia and the Carolinas. Doc workers in Newark are speaking out on this third day of a strike along the East and Gulf coasts. Kristen Marks reports. ILA Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett leading the call on the picket line for increased wages and a ban on automation. We are okay with technology that makes the job safer and more efficient for our workforce. But we are never going to allow and we're never going to apologize for robots taking our work. There are no contract negotiations on the table after they collapsed early Tuesday and the union rejected a nearly 50 percent race. The strike is believed to be costing the economy billions a day. Officials are urging people not to panic by as many coveted items are made in the States. The U.S. government is helping Americans get out of Lebanon. About 100 U.S. citizens left on a fight yesterday and the State Department says thousands more want more information about leaving the country. This comes as Israeli soldiers continue fighting in South Lebanon against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. Iran fired over 180 rockets into the Jewish state this week in response to the assassination of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders in Lebanon in Iran. Israel has vowed to retaliate. You're listening to the latest from NBC News Radio. K-C-A-A Loma Linda. One of the best ways to build a healthier local economy is by shopping locally. Teamster Advantage is a shop local program started by Teamster Local 1932 that is brought together hundreds of locally owned businesses to provide discounts for residents who make shopping locally their priority. Everything from restaurants like Corkys to fun times at SB Raceway and much, much more. If you're not currently a Teamster and you want access to these local business discounts, contact Jennifer at 909-889-8377 extension 224. Give her a call. That number again is 909-889-8377 extension 224. K-C-A-A Real like Don Williamson is your county assessor. Some people run for office to serve themselves first. Others, like Don Williamson, run for office to serve you. He has a history of service as a former Marine and tech saver. When you're the assessor, you need real experience and knowledge to be effective. As a former three-term San Bernardino County assessor, Don has a wealth of information for the people. Now he's back, running again because he wants to help people first, including seniors, veterans, mobile homeowners, and small business owners. Don's the only real, experienced, educated, and certified tax professional from San Bernardino County who's actually done the job. He's a public servant. Don Williamson will cut your high taxes again. Go to votedonwilliamson.com. That's votedonwilliamson.com. I'm Don Williamson. Simple fine. I want to help you save money by proving this message. Paid for by the committee to re-elect Don Williamson 2024. ♪ Hi, I'm Kaylee Speer, a licensed agent with Litchfield Insurance Associates here in Beaumont. A large portion of Americans don't have life insurance, or don't have enough. Whether you need a temporary policy, something to help with income during retirement, or making sure your final expenses are taken care of, having life insurance is an act of love and security for your whole family. Having a local trusted agent makes navigating through the sometimes complex world of life insurance so much easier. And I would love to be the one to help you. I'm Kaylee Speer for your free consultation. People are calling 951-769-0005. 951-769-0005. ♪ Mr. Favourite Show, download the podcast at kcaaradio.com. K-C-A-A. ♪ K-C-A-A now presents Crossroads, a program in the public interest, bringing you the issues you need to hear about here in our community. Now here is your host, Mark Westwood. And good afternoon to you. Welcome to the 2 o'clock hour of Community Crossroads. We'll be on at three as well today, interviewing candidates. We're going to be interviewing a lot of candidates in the next few weeks because we're exactly 34 days, I believe, before the election. And, well, you'll be getting your ballots soon in the mail. There's a lot to decide, lots to decipher, lots to talk about. And we're going to do our level best to talk about that. Last week we had the folks from the city of Yucaypa on, the public information officer, Joe Pardetta, and Phil White, the financial officer from the city of Yucaypa. And they're proposing, or they're not proposing, but they're, I don't know if you say advocating, but they're educating, they want to say. This Measure S, and of course, in my mailbox was this big thing, about a 1% sales tax increase because the city of Yucaypa has a $7.3 million projected budget deficit, projected budget deficit. And the way they do that is they look at what they think is going to be incoming resources, benefits, and all the stuff they get from the state, and the current taxes, and utility taxes, and property taxes, and sales taxes, all those things that they collect, and they say, well, this is our expenses. This is what we have to pay for fire, this is what we have to pay for police. And then they have projected and have proposed this. They proposed this about three or four years ago, it was called Measure E. Now it's called Measure S, it's adding a 1% sales tax across the board, whether you're buying gas, whether you're making a big ticket purchase like an automobile, or whatever. There's problems with this. They need to pass this with a 50% plus one vote, and they may not get to that. They only got 30% of the vote last time around when it was Measure E. And, well, you look around and you're buying gas, and you've got Redlands, or Banning, or Beaumont, or Eucaypa, or Highland, anywhere near you, or San Bernardino, and they have 7.75% sales tax, and tax on gas is all a little bit high as it is. You can save a little money, you might not buy your gas in Eucaypa. Well, what does that do to Eucaypa businesses? That hurts Eucaypa businesses because the sales they were making, you know, you want to buy a used car, and you're going to spend about $10,000, that's kind of a big ticket item. That's a lot of tax to pay, and, you know, on that, you know, you're talking $800, with extra money, you're going to pay just on that one ticket item. So, you know, it could hurt, and it will probably kind of sting, at least, you type of businesses as people realize that, and so I don't know. There's a lot of debate on that. I'm proposing a Town Hall Forum to be aired here in our Associate KQLH in Eucaypa, and we're putting that together. It might be at the Sheriff's Department meeting room, and we might bring in some pro and some anti-measure-esque people, and hash it out, talk it out, and educate you. We'll be promoting that and advertising that soon. Also, coming soon in the mail, you might have, from the California Democratic Party, how we stand on the statewide propositions. Well, we've been talking, you know, we watched the debate a couple of nights ago, and, you know, we've been watching other things going on, the Democratic Convention, and all the little short snippets as they follow the Trump-around guy. You know, we really haven't been talking about local issues. Now, it's start, you know, 34 days out, it's time to start looking at local issues, like the statewide prime positions. Cliffs notes on this, I can tell you, you vote yes on everything except Prop 36, and 34, you're on your own, but we'll be talking about those propositions. You know, we'll be talking about Adam Schiff's race. We'll be talking about Kamala Harris, of course, and Tim Walz, but we'll also be talking about, you know, who's running for county assessor, for instance, and things like that. And today, we're going to have, very shortly, a person running for the 19th Senate District, which if you're in your KIPA, if you're in part of Redlands, if you're out in Palm Springs in the desert area and places like that, you might want to consider voting for this person, Lisa Middleton. I'm going to introduce her in a minute. I will say that you can register to vote still, so you're not out of the race here. If you want to have your voice and you should take it, go to iwillvote.com. iwillvote.com, or you can go to the California Secretary of State's web page at sos.ca.gov/elections. That's like, save our soul, but it stands for Secretary of State. sos.ca, which is abbreviated for California.gov, which is abbreviated for government, forward slash elections. Google it. Find out how you can vote and make sure you're participating. Maybe you're looking and seeing your registration up to date. Is your ballot going to the right place? You will be receiving a ballot in the mail any day now. By the seventh, they're going to start to mail them out. Probably today and going out, and by the seventh, in your mailbox with all the junk mail, don't throw that out. It might look like a pizza KIPA. It might look like a flyer from Stater Brothers. It doesn't. It's blue and yellow. It says voter ballot. Make sure you save that. If you know mail it in right away, you'll take yourself out of the running for all those mailers. Those political mailers really quick that way. People don't realize that, but when you do vote and the name comes off the list of the people who voted, then the political consultants all up and down the state say, oh, well, they've already voted. We won't send them those flyers anymore. If you want to get those flyers and you want to read it, make sure you hold your ballot out a little bit, but at the same time, we want you to vote as soon as possible. That's my spiel I usually do at the beginning of each hour here. Once again, I'm Mark Westwood with Community Crossroads, and you're listening to KCA, 1050 AM and 106.5 FM, the stations that leaves no listener behind. This time of the year, we leave no candidates behind. I'd like to welcome Lisa Middleton, who is running for 19th Senate District in the State of California. Welcome, Lisa. Mark, thank you. It is a pleasure to be with you and all your listeners. It's a pleasure to have you. Lisa has been a City Councilwoman for the City of Palm Springs, correct? That is correct. I was first elected in 2017 and have thoroughly enjoyed serving the people of Palm Springs and now looking forward to the opportunity to serve a much larger part of the Inland Empire in the California State Legislature. And you were elected in 2017 to the Palm Springs City Council, so you've been around a while. I have been in government all of my adult life, 36 years on the non-elected side, and now seven years as an elected officer. And you worked as an auditor for the California State Compensation Insurance Fund? That's where I started as an auditor. I spent 36 years with the State Fund. After a few years in auditing, transferred into claims, became the statewide director of claims for State Fund. Wait a minute. Slow down. You just got to brush through it. That's a big deal. The Statewide Director. That's great. That means you're really qualified. Do you know, put somebody in that position is not qualified? I had a great opportunity to serve the people of California in the Workers' Compensation System. It was something that I felt very strongly about when I was about 11 years old. My grandfather lost his right arm in an industrial accident. And from that moment on, I had a passion around how people are treated after injury. This is somebody who had worked all of his life in -- he was -- came out from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl, brought the family, worked farms, worked in cotton mills, and suddenly can no longer work. Yeah. Well, you know, you have a great, very distinguished history of service. I like to say some politicians work to serve themselves and others like to serve others. And, Lisa, quite clearly you've worked to serve others. You were mayor of Palm Springs coming right out of the pandemic. I was, and it was a fabulous time to be the mayor of Palm Springs. We had an economy that actually performed incredibly well coming out of the pandemic. We've always been a tourism-related community. And as people were being somewhat cautious as to where they would travel to, we wanted to make sure that Palm Springs was an accessible community, but also was a very safe community. So at a time when other cities were not enforcing masking rules and other kinds of things, we felt that was important. And what we discovered to our benefit was not only did people want to find places where they would feel safe, that there were an awful lot of them. And we had our best year in the history of the city. Awesome, awesome. You know, Lisa, you certainly have all these qualifications. In 2019, I was just reading, you know, you were put on the board of CalPERS, which is the public employees retirement system. Well, I had, obviously, as someone who served for the state of California and being a member of CalPERS myself, the importance of public pensions and financial security for individuals was something I felt very strongly. But being a member of a city council, I also knew very clearly how critical the costs are and how immense the cost are of this system. So my passion was to make sure that the pensions that had been earned by public servants would be there for them and their families, but also that we ensured that this system was affordable for California's public employers, because nobody on city council wants to be making a decision as to whether or not they fund a park or fund a pension. We've got to be able to do both. Exactly, and that's a direct service to the people. My mother benefited from CalPERS for years when, you know, before she passed away. Unfortunately, she was a teacher and she collected CalPERS for a number of years. There's over two million members of CalPERS. Two million members and their families that were responsible for helping provide their financial security. And always keep in mind that these pensions are earned by the employees and they contribute to their pensions as well. The most important part of the funding of pensions is the financial returns that we get from our investments. And CalPERS has over 500 billion with a B, invested in the global economy and our responsibility. 500 billion. 500 billion. Think about that, folks. How much money that is? You know, we think of a million and a billion, it sounds kind of similar, but it is nowhere close. A million and a billion, you know, 999 million plus as a billion, and then you put that times five. It is an immense responsibility. It makes a difference for communities and people across this state. And I am pleased to be a part of an organization that has never failed to meet a financial obligation. You know, right now, folks, if you're just tuned in, we're speaking with Lisa Middleton. She's a Democratic endorsed party candidate from the 19th Senate district who will be running against an incumbent. And, you know, we have all these qualifications here. Lisa, it's great to hear in these qualifications and see somebody so qualified to run for office. And, you know, she kind of waxes over, "I was this, or I was that, or is this, I was that." But when you start to break it down and, you know, she oversaw a fund of 500 billion dollars and 2 million employees, and you just start to go, "Wow!" She's been the mayor of Palm Springs. She's been a city councilwoman. You know, she's done all these things. And then we start talking about what's real to everybody else. And that's that, you know, you like to be called yourself as a neighborhood advocate, you know? You know, first of all, Lisa Middleton, you have a website. So if you're driving down the road and you have to get out of the car in the next five minutes, let's do that website right now. Do you know what the website is? Hopefully. I do. It's electlesamittleton.com. You score 10 points just there. Because, you know how many times I've had a cannon on? I say that. They don't know. electlesamittleton.com. I'm one of those believers that titles should be something you can understand and something you can remember. There you go. Excuse me for my cough, folks. Anyway, just a little bit of a -- not a cold, but just allergies. I think to all this dirt and stuff in the air from the fires. Lisa's running for state senate to advocate for hard-working, you know, families across over-side San Antonio counties, which is where, you know, tell us exactly where your senate district was. It's an immense senate district. It is nearly 20,000 square miles. But one way to think about this district is take the southern part of the district along Interstate 10. And if you start driving east at the 215/10 intersection, right there we're Grand Terrace and Colton and San Bernardino come together. Just down the road a piece from our studios, yeah. That's right. And you drive east through Redlands, Ucaypa, Calamesa, Banning, Beaumont, and then on into the Coachella Valley. Keep driving until you've gone about 75 miles and you get to the Lekinta, Indio City boundaries, and that will be the eastern edge of the district. Then if you take, again, they are at the 215 and 10, drive around the city limits of San Bernardino and go up to Highland. So you have the whole city of San Bernardino? Do not have any. Only a very tiny part of San Bernardino. So you have to drive around the city limits to a little bit of Highland. Then up into the mountains, Lake Arrowhead, Crestline, Big Bear, all of the mountain communities out into the high desert, Apple Valley, Barstow, Baker, over to the Nevada state line. And then head back south through until you get to Murango Basin, 29 Palms, Yucka Valley, and that's the district. Wow. It takes you 10 minutes to describe the district, no less driving. You have to have a helicopter for it. They build these districts geographically so big, especially out in this area, because the population isn't as dense per square mile as in Lake Los Angeles. So this is, we have the communities in and around the suburbs of San Bernardino and the San Gogonio Pass. So much of the desert communities, which being in Palm Springs, I'm very much used to the desert and enjoy being a part of this region. So you have Yucka Valley and Yucka. Yes, we do. You have the Y cities. You have Palm Springs. You have Cathedral City, correct? We do. Yeah, all of those out there. And then you have Gran Terrace. We have all of Gran Terrace and we have even a small sliver of the city of Colton. So imagine Gran Terrace, India, those two communities together representing those. So one of the things that these very diverse cities have in common is all of them are smaller cities. So when I get to Sacramento, one of the things I'm going to be standing up for are smaller cities. I've served on city council for seven years. I've also been vice president of the League of California Cities. And one of the things I have certainly learned and seen first-hand as an executive officer with the League of California Cities is the big cities have an awful lot of pull in Sacramento. One, they've got big populations, but two, they've got a lot of representation there. So I want to make sure that our smaller communities are getting our fair share of resources. And I particularly want to make sure that the Inland Empire is getting our fair share of resources. We're the fastest growing region in terms of population. We're the fastest growing region in terms of the economy. But we have not kept pace when it comes to roadways, infrastructure. Bridges that we need over dry washes and other places, transportation network. Anyone who has gotten on Interstate 10 heading west on a Sunday afternoon, trying to get back to Los Angeles, realizes immediately they should have left the night before. It's true. We have just simply not kept pace with building the roadways that we need. So I've been a part of the Riverside County Transportation Commission. And I took transportation issues on as a priority for me on city council. I believe in public transportation, but we also have to build roadways. Most of us get everywhere we are going to go in an automobile. And we are going to continue to rely on automobiles. We need to make sure that people can move from one place to another. As I was growing up in the Los Angeles area in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, one of the reasons that the California economy was the strongest economy in the country, if not the world, is we had the best transportation network of any state anywhere. We need to get back to having that kind of quality transportation network that connects communities and connects people. So we're speaking with Lisa Middleton, and she's talking about some important priorities. We're also talking about her very, very qualified background. I keep brushing over other things. She just brushed by another qualification. She does have a master's degree in public administration. And she's had a lot of years of government service and government experience. She's eminently, and I hate to say it this way, but I'll be the attack dog in this case, more qualified than the lady representing her husband who used to be in her position. And the husband turned out. So okay, we'll put the wife in there and then the wife can make the votes. But the fact of the matter is, Lisa Middleton, being a Democrat, will be a part of the majority party. You will be the voice at the table that the minority party doesn't have. You will be on the committees that they don't get. They'll be at the top of the committees. It's simply a matter of fact that in any legislative body anywhere, the majority party makes the final determinations as to what's going to pass and what's not going to pass. And I am going to be a part of that majority party. And one of the things that I am very confident that I'm going to be able to do is I will be influential within that majority party. Why folks, you have to ask yourself this question. When you have your ballot in front of you, and whether you're on one side of the political argument or the other side of the political argument or what partisan you are, you have to look at what can be the most effective person to represent you, to bring the money back, to bring the dough back to the district. And that will be in California that has like 27 Republicans, all of Sacramento. That includes state officers from the governor, the state controller, the state superintendent of schools, the state insurance commissioner, the treasurer, the secretary of treasurer, all of those, all of those people are Democrats. And then you get to 120 legislators, 80 of them which are assembly members and 40 which are senators. And you go, okay, wait a minute. If there's 23 out of all those people, who's going to have the loudest voice? Who's going to have the place at the table? Who's going to speak the best for you in your district? And that would be the Democratic endorsed candidate, Lisa Middleton, who's running for the 19th Senate district, electlesamitalton.com, right? We're not done, but we do have to go to a break because they're making motions in the control room at me. So we're going to go to the break here very shortly, and we're going to come back. We've talked about Lisa's qualifications. She's eminently, eminently more qualified than her incumbent opponent. But we're going to talk, and she's got a great track record, a great history of being an effective administrator, an effective governing member, the mayor of Palm Springs, the city councilwoman, all of these things. We've laid out the map of how qualified she is. We put her on the map where she would deal with you and deal with the matters of the district in Sacramento and be your loudest voice. But when we come back, we're going to talk about the issues. We're going to delve into the issues with Lisa Middleton, state, Senate candidate, district 19 on the ballot, October 5th. KCAA 1050 AM, 106.5 FM, I'm Mark Westwood, community crossroads. We'll be back right after this. KCAA Loma Linda. The legacy KCAA 1050 AM and express 106.5 FM. Calling all business owners, this is your moment. Join us for the 14th Annual Connecting Faith and Business Summit happening on October 17th at the beautiful Double Tree Hotel in Ontario, California. Registration opens at 9 AM, and the conference kicks off at 10 AM sharp. This isn't just another business event. It's a gathering of minds and hearts where faith and entrepreneurship comes together. Bakers, SBA representatives and marketing experts will be there to equip you with powerful tools to grow your business. Plus, we'll take a special moment to pray for your business because we know that true success is built on faith. Don't miss out. Go to AMPAC.com today to register or call of 909-915-1706. Step into your purpose and unlock the resources you need for your business to thrive. We'll see you there at the 16th Annual Connecting Faith and Business Summit where your faith and future connect. We wear our work, day by day, stitch by stitch. At Dickies, we believe work is what we're made of. So, whether you're gearing up for a new project, or looking to add some tried and true workware to your collection, remember that Dickies has been standing the test of time for a reason. Their workware isn't just about looking good. It's about performing under pressure and lasting through the toughest jobs. Head over to Dickies.com and use the promo code Workware20 at checkout to save 20% on your purchase. It's the perfect time to experience the quality and reliability that has made Dickies a trusted name for over a century. At your job, do you ever have to deal with a nose roller? How about a snub bully? Well, if you're installing a new conveyor belt system, dealing with the different components can sound like you're speaking a foreign language. Luckily, you've got a team ready to help. Granger's technical product specialists are fluent in maintenance, repair and operations. So, whenever you want to talk shop, just reach out. Call clickgranger.com or just stop by. Granger, for the ones who get it done. NBC News Radio, I'm Dina Kodiak. Hurricane Helene is now the deadliest storm to hit mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina. Lisa Taylor has more from Raleigh. Officials say at least 202 people have died due to the storm that slammed the southeast a week ago, and 61 people have died in Buncombe County alone in North Carolina where Sam Brock reports. There are still dozens of towns that are not accessible, except by plain or either mule in some cases. Supplies being taken up that way. And then the infrastructure hit is enormous. This is one micro example. A huge crater in the road here. Don't know if it's going to be weeks or months before they have running water again. The death toll will likely continue to go up as hundreds remain missing. The U.S. government is helping Americans get out of Lebanon. About 100 U.S. citizens left on a flight yesterday, and the State Department says thousands more want more information about leaving the country. This comes as Israeli soldiers continue fighting in South Lebanon against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. Dina Kodiak, NBC News Radio. K-C-A-A, Loma Linda. The grassroots, and I love that. Grazing in the grass, because we kind of consider ourselves grassroots here. And we like that song. It's kind of a favorite song. I'm sitting here with a good friend, very qualified, eminently qualified candidate for the Senate District 19 in the State of California. On the ballot, in just 34 days, Lisa Middleton, Democrat, and we've been talking about our qualifications. We're going to delve into the issues a little bit. We mentioned a few of the social issues. Although state senators, state assembly members, they really don't vote on these issues. They certainly have an influence and a voice. Is that correct? It depends on what issue you're talking about. One of the things that we have clearly seen is it is the states now that are making decisions regarding woman's reproductive freedom. And in California, we have made it abundantly clear that it is the woman herself who has the fundamental right to choose and control her own body. And I am sorry to see that in far too many states, they have chosen that it should be the government, not the woman herself, who is making fundamental decisions on her life. Encouraged if you saw the vice presidential debate by people like JD Vance, who literally stood in front of the microphone and said, "Well, we'll just take a vote on it. We'll do this federalist kind of thing." And they said, "Oh, we won't have a federal ban on abortion, but yet that they want to put it to a vote. Well, how are you going to do that? And why, Lisa, correct me if you disagree, would you put a woman's personal choice of what she's going to do or anyone's personal choice of what they're going to do with their body to a vote?" One of the things that is fundamental in the history of our country going back to the original Bill of Rights is that there are some things that we're not going to put to a popular vote. They are the rights of an individual themselves. If you do not have bodily autonomy, what other right do you have? Exactly. And with men, you know, where does this stop? You know, maybe a man decides I've had enough children, I want to have a vasectomy. And maybe they ban that, you know, in vitro fertilization. They, as soon as Roe v. Wade was tossed out, they went right for IVF. And that's, you know, for people who want to have children, they want to have children, and, you know, banning that as well or seriously regulating it so you can't do it. The government has no role in determining what your health care is going to be or should be. I believe that when you walk into your doctor's office and sit down with your doctor, that that is a sacred place. And you must be able to tell your doctor the whole truth, and they have to be able to tell you the truth so that you make the very best health care decision for yourself, exercising your autonomy as an individual human being. What right does the government have to intrude into that place and tell the doctor what he or her can say to you or what treatment is appropriate for you? And doctors, every call across the United States are worried about their medical license, is worried about their livelihoods, because they are now the second indirect victim, because they're afraid to do certain things. My mother had an ectopic pregnancy. In 1957, I wouldn't be here because I was born in 1963. In 1957 at St. Bernadine's Catholic Hospital, they did something called the DNC. That's what they called it then. But she got the health care she needed. And in 2024, there were women that are not getting that. We're not sure that that would happen in some places. What we have seen in Texas and in other places, the extent to which these radicals will go to exercise autonomy over another human being. When a woman who has a family, who wants to grow the family, is fighting the state supreme court over what is appropriate health care and has to fly to another state. Haven't we gone too far? Exactly. And some of the things they're talking about, tracking women who were pregnant. The total invasion of privacy, you know, I trust women. And as a man, I don't have a lot of -- I don't have a lot of voice. It's a woman's body. Just like a woman doesn't have a voice about, and if they're all women legislators, it's telling me, you know, what I can do with my body. That wouldn't be right. But I trust women. I trust science. My position is safe, rare, and legal. But that's not my decision. That's just my opinion. And that shouldn't ever be my decision. That's between a woman, her doctor, God, if you believe in that. And I trust women to do the right thing with their bodies and do the right thing. When, as we are seeing in many states, they now have a crisis of not having a sufficient number of OBGYN physicians because physicians are leaving the state because they're frightened that they would be put in a position where they would need to make a health care decision for one of their patients that could put their medical license at risk. I think it's time to wake up and realize that they have gone too far. For those of us in California, we think that we do not have to worry about this because we are protected by the legislature that we have today. But that could change, and the United States Supreme Court has made it clear that it recognizes very few boundaries in what kind of decisions that we will make. I have spoken with nurses who treat patients at hospitals here in California and because of medical complications that have occurred to women in other states, they're coming to California trying to get the health care that they should have been able to get at home and have to come here. There are women who have, for instance, not been able to get the medical treatment they needed, like my mother got, and they've lost their fallopian tubes and their ability to have children. So let me be clear. My opponent has a zero percent score from Planned Parenthood, and I believe her feelings on this issue are honest, and she certainly has absolutely every right to make a decision for her. But she does not have the right to make a decision for everyone else. Right. The voice of her previous predecessor husband, who termed out, we won't mention the name, but I will tell you this, there are very few women that disagree with you, and very few women that take that stance, the extremist stance, for sure. And that's because you realize your body is very, very volatile, very susceptible to things, and we haven't even talked about rape or incest or any of those things that happen in states where a woman could be forced to carry a baby to term. Well, we have seen that happen as recently as last year in Indiana, where a young girl had been raped. I forget now if she was 11, 12 years old. 11 years old. And struggled to be able to get a safe abortion. I would like to believe that rape and incest does not occur. It does, and we need to be able to protect those women, but frankly, so frequently it's young girls. Absolutely. And, you know, so that's one issue. It's important that we have a state legislature, a senator who represents women, who represents that ideology, who represents really safety for women. It's a safety issue, as much of anything else. And it's a tough issue to talk about. It involves science. I remember when I was a young kid hearing the rabbit died, and she was pregnant. And when I researched that, I found out it's five weeks from the time that a woman thinks she's pregnant, that they can administer that rabbit test. It was where they took the ovaries out of a rabbit, combined it with the urine of a woman who might be pregnant, and, you know, you know, if the ovaries acted in a certain way, they knew she was pregnant. It was 65%. Only 6% accurate after five weeks. You can go, literally, I look this up. There is an EP test at state of brothers for $5.97. That is 99% accurate. 99% accurate. So, say, for our legal women are doing the right things. They are making sure that they have an early termination if they're going to do it. Women are not, as the Republican presidential candidate has said, and national TV out in front of everyone, there are no such things as nine-month abortions or abortions after the baby is born, or late-term abortions. Most 99.99% of pregnancy terminations are done early on. You know, I'm old enough to have watched and remembered Dr. Welby. I remember Marcus Welby, MD. He was a whole lot more effective than relying on Dr. Internet and Dr. Social Media. I think we need to get back to paying attention to our medical professionals. And trust science. They're trained, they're educated, that sort of thing. So, let's move on from that subject. You mentioned a couple other subjects you'd like to talk about. So, this is your time to bring these subjects up, because I know you want to represent these people. Well, I'm looking forward to representing people across the 19th district. And ours is a district in which only 36% of registered voters are Democrats, 35% are Republicans, 29% are all everybody else. And they're individuals who don't necessarily align with either party. And then what they're looking for is somebody who's going to make government work and provide pragmatic practical answers. So, I'm an extremely proud Democrat. I will go to my grave as a member of the Democratic Party. But that doesn't mean we're always going to agree. My party, very strong... I wouldn't want anybody to just put Democrats first as a partisan player. Because you're subject to party politics and all that stuff. I want somebody who represents the issues in public safety and education and things like that. And I'm glad you mentioned public safety, because I understand they're very strong feelings on both sides. And when it comes to Proposition 36, which would restore many of the changes that were made by Prop 47 some years ago. When I talk to the retail store owners in my community, and most importantly, when I talk to the police officers in my community, they have told me over and over again, that Prop 47 is not working, that people are not afraid of being arrested for committing crimes. What we have seen in our communities is the smash and grabs and other kinds of things where individuals are not fearful that there's a consequence to theft. We need to make a change in that. So I am supporting Proposition 36. I've been very public with it. There was an op-ed that ran in the San Bernardino Sun and the Riverside Press Enterprise of me outlining the reasons why I was supporting Prop 36. And it goes back to this is a tool that our law enforcement organizations, our police and our district attorneys need, our district attorneys have promised us. If given this tool, they will use it responsibly. And I will be there making sure that they do use it responsibly. So we're speaking with Lisa Middleton, candidate for Senate District 19. She's a Democrat. She says she's a proud Democrat. Now, make note of this folks, put an asterisk by this moment. Because I just read the propositions as endorsed by the California Democratic Party. And Proposition 36, she's an exact opposite of that. But she's not being a partisan player right now. She's now saying, Proposition 36, she is for it. And tell us what Proposition 36 does to cure the ills that were passed by the voters in Proposition 47. Proposition 36 makes it possible for those individuals, for district attorneys, to charge felonies in cases where individuals have committed multiple theft crimes and makes it easier for individuals to be convicted of a felony, so there has been substantial theft. Proposition 47, one was put on the ballot some years ago, was all about, you know, all these people that were three strikes who maybe have had, you know, something that was kind of, you know, possession of marijuana back in the day or something like that, to release them from that. And of course, there were some people that got released on the street. But I guess there was also something in Proposition 47, correct me? I'm just guessing at the moment, because I don't know that front and backwards, that said, you know, if you steal $999 or less, you will not be prosecuted as a felony. I think the figure was $950, and the idea was that we would provide much more treatment for individuals. Well, $900 in theft is a lot of money, and when you can see someone, as we have seen the video, walk into a store, steal a television, and walk out of the store believing they're going to have no consequences. When we have retail shop owners telling you, I don't even bother to call the police on some theft in my store than we have gone too far. I am a member of 24-hour fitness. Believe it or not, see me, I am lost weight. I remember 24-hour fitness, and right next to the 24-hour fitness over here at Mountain Grove Shopping Center is a Nike store. And I was walking in the store one day, into the fitness center one day, and outrun 10 people with their arms full of Nike tennis shoes. Some of them falling down, they're running like a bat out of, you know, wear. And I said, "Is that a smash and grab?" And she says, "Yeah." And the lady at the desk at 24-hour fitness, "Oh, that happens about two or three times a day." It's amazing that the guy can go on, and they don't get caught. So you might be onto some about props in '36. You might very well be onto something about props in '36. And I encourage everybody to study this and learn and research. I'm going to have to study and learn and research. I've been so busy going to the DNC in Chicago, and campaigning for the top of the ticket, and for other things, and trying to get some of the local candidates that I haven't paid much attention to the proposition. So it's time to start studying that. You know, there's another proposition where I am absolutely 100% with my party, and it divides me and my opponent. That's Proposition 3, which restores merit, which will change the California Constitution to ensure that in California, marriage equality is the law of the land. Right now, today, because of the United States Supreme Court, gay and lesbian couples are able to get married. But we know that the United States Supreme Court has at least two members who want to overturn that decision. It is critical that we change the California Constitution to ensure that you can marry the person that you want to marry. One of those is Justice Clarence Thomas, who's in a mixed marriage, man and a woman, a mixed marriage, but also race mixed. And, you know, who's had to fight for rights and everything else, when it was not accepted very well. Now he's attacking the LGBTQ+ community and saying, you know, marriage equality is next. This is such a no-brainer. Who cares who you marry? Who cares who you love? It's your business. Stay out of, you know, as Governor Tim Walz, our vice presidential candidate, says it's none of your damn business. Yeah, you know. You know, one of the absolutely wonderful things about being on the Palm Springs City Council, in particular being mayor in Palm Springs, is the ability to officiate at weddings. And in Palm Springs we have a very sizable LGBT population, and we also have a very sizable senior population. So some of the weddings that I've been able to officiate at are individuals that have been together for 25, 30 or more years. Never believed that they would have the opportunity to marry the person that they had loved, the person that they had cared for, the person that was the most important individual in their lives. Their lives partner. And when you perform a wedding like that, no matter how much people are trying not to cry, by the time the service is halfway over, and these are fairly quick services, tears are whirling down the cheeks of absolutely everyone, they are tears of joy. It's a beautiful thing. It is an incredible scene. And my opponent. We wear our work, day by day, stitch by stitch. At Dickies, we believe work is what we're made of. So whether you're gearing up for a new project, or looking to add some tried and true work wear to your collection, remember that Dickies has been standing the test of time for a reason. Their work wear isn't just about looking good. It's about performing under pressure and lasting through the toughest jobs. Head over to Dickies.com and use the promo code Workwear20 at checkout to save 20% on your purchase. It's the perfect time to experience the quality and reliability that has made Dickies a trusted name for over a century. If you're a facilities manager at a warehouse and your HVAC system goes down, it can turn up the heat, literally. But don't sweat it. Granger has you covered. Granger offers over a million industrial grade products for all your operations, including warehouse HVAC maintenance. And even better, they offer access to experts and fast delivery so you and your warehouse can both keep your cool. Call 1-800-Granger, click Granger.com, or just stop by. Granger, for the ones who get it done. Has said she cannot support a constitutional right for marriage equality because she is fearful that somehow another church would be forced to perform wedding. Well, every wedding I have performed has been performed in the Palm Springs City Council chambers. That is a secular place. And we have a right to be able to marry the person that we love. I am in a same-sex marriage, and my marriage is as important as anybody else's marriage. It is no better than anyone else's marriage, but it is no worse. And you know what, Ms. Bogue, there are plenty of churches that also perform same-gender marriages. And they're fine with it. And so what you're doing is now you're separating religions from religions. You know, if you belong to a church that doesn't want to do that and choose not to do that, it shouldn't be forced to. Nobody's arguing that point. But if you belong to a church that's affirming, you know, a lot of Episcopal churches there are. There are churches that will do that. I think that, you know, those churches should be allowed to do that. And that it's not anybody else's business who you love that, you know, it is everybody's business that you do know how to love. And we teach our kids that too. Since we have been a country in the United States, churches have performed weddings for individuals that are conforming to the rules of that church. Frequently, you need to be a member of the church in order to be wed in that church. I don't think this is an issue that our churches are struggling with. They know how to enforce their rules, and they should be able to enforce their rules. And we don't need those protections. There's some 1,300 laws that are defined as marriage. That's it. Just marriage. And people need protections from taxes, from the sales of their homes, to medical care, and everything else. It's so important that we codify this. This is what this is doing. It's codifying what's already legal in California to make sure that people like Justice Clarence Thomas or, you know, whatever other Supreme Court justice there is does not take that away. And the one way that you can codify at all is to vote yes on prop one, and then also then vote for Kamala Harris. And vote against Project 2025. We haven't even gotten into that. Well, certainly one of the differences between my opponent and I is we both have a choice for who to vote for president. I'm voting for Kamala Harris. My opponent's voting for Donald Trump. And there you have it. And there you have it. So, you know, moving on, we're talking with Lisa Middleton, who is a candidate for the 19th Senate District right here in KCA, 1050 AM, and 106.5 FM. You can find out more information than we'll ever be able to talk to you about today on her website. Just go to it. It's very easy. You can just Google Lisa Middleton. It'll come right up. But, Milton, is this the way it sounds, M-I-D-D-L-E-T-O-N. I'm Lisa, very easy name. Lisa Middleton. Or just go to electlesomittelton.com. And it's all right there. It's all laid out for you. We've got another about six minutes or so. There's not a lot of time to cover warehouses, but I do want to cover that. And there's reasons why I want to do that. We are affected a lot by warehouses here. And they're encroaching everywhere. In UKIPA, for instance, there's one being built and another two being proposed. And trucks and traffic and all that. So, over the course of my adult lifetime, we've gone from shopping in small stores to much larger stores. The Costco's and the Walmarts of the world, and now we're finding that particularly with the younger generation, they're turning to pick up their phone when it comes time to go shopping and order something from one of the online services. And the warehouses are a product of a different way of people buying goods and services in this country. What we need to do in government is make sure that our communities are protected as we take and move forward with the various warehouses that are being built because they are fundamental to the way the goods and services are being distributed. I think it is incredibly important that in the Inland Empire area that residents are protected when someone wants to put in a warehouse near where they live. Exactly. In Ontario, their warehouse is built right up to the backside of homes. And all they see in their backyard is this 25, 30-foot edifice. We've also seen in the Inland Empire that many very economically challenged communities by the intelligent installation of some warehouse facilities have been able to afford new services for their community to build parks because they have accepted in. We have to be able to make sure that the communities... We have to be smart about it. We have to be smart about it and we have to recognize... And we have to regulate it. We have to regulate it. Or it will be like our home industry. And these organizations have absolutely enormous economic power. And one of the things that gets missed is the extent to which they try to play one city off of another. And so I will be in Sacramento trying to make sure that the various huge entities do not take and find themselves in a position where they can play one city off of another. Or they're paying one candidate off another too. This is very true. I mean, the step aside, this is not anything to do with Lisa. But we have a tax assessor candidate that's accepted $18,000 almost from a warehouse builder. And she wants to be the tax assessor. Okay, now what do you think that is going to be? So, you know, I'll step aside from that. But we need to talk about that in another show. But this is an important matter, Lisa. It has to be done smartly. It has to be done correctly. And too much of it is an investment by some out-of-town investor who wants to come in, build the warehouse, and then walk away from it and leave us with whatever goes into that warehouse. So what I can tell you is I spent three and a half years on the planning commission, seven years on a city council. We know, I know how to address issues of development. I've worked on it in my city. I have spent 36 years in the non-elected side. There is nothing about these issues that are going to come to a surprise to me. And I will be able to respond to those folks. You can't rattle Lisa Middleton, that's for sure. We have just a couple more minutes. And I want to take you to have this time to pitch directly to the voters to vote for you. So, ladies and gentlemen, Lisa Middleton, Senate, Canada District 19. One of the things that I am particularly proud of when I ran for city council in Palm Springs seven years ago, I promised folks one thing that I would always listen. And I was very upfront. I said we may not always agree, but I will always listen. And over and over again, during my time on city council, people have come up to me and said thank you. I didn't agree with you on that issue, but you listened to me and you explained why you were doing what you were doing. I will continue to listen to you. If government cannot explain to you why we are doing something, we shouldn't be doing it. I will tell you why and why it is important that we do something. I am going to work every single day for the people of the 19th district. I love this region. I love this area. It matters that government does what it does well so that you can move on with the rest of your life. I am not running for the California state legislature to try out to be on one of the cable news programs. My work will be to go to Sacramento and get things done for you. In every legislative body, there are show horses and there are work horses. I will be one of the work horses that isn't trying to create a whole lot of attention, but it is going to produce results for you and your community. It is time that we have a state senator for the eastern part of Riverside and San Bernardino County who gets things done. Thank you. Thank you. Listen Middleton for State Senate candidate. Thank you. On KCAA 1050 AM, 106.5 FM, the news at Derrick Marshall is next. Hey, let's have a Derrick Marshall commercial right now. NBC News on KCAA Loma Linda is sponsored by Teamsters Local 1932, protecting the future of working families Teamsters 1932. NBC News Radio, I'm Dina Kodiak. Hurricane Helene is now the deadliest storm to hit mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina. Lisa Taylor has more from Raleigh. Officials say at least 202 people have died due to the storm that slammed the southeast a week ago and 61 people have died in Buncombe County alone in North Carolina were Sam Brock reports. There are still dozens of towns that are not accessible except by plain or either mule in some cases, supplies being taken up that way. And then the infrastructure hit is enormous. This is one micro example. A huge crater in the road here. It's lining up and down this main highway highway 70 as residents don't know if it's going to be weeks or months before they have running water again. The death toll will likely continue to go up as hundreds remain missing. Hundreds of thousands of people are still without power in Georgia and the Carolinas. Doc workers in new work are speaking out on this third day of a strike along the East and Gulf Coast. Kristen Marks reports. ILA Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett leading the call on the picket line for increased wages and a ban on automation. We are okay with technology that makes the job safer and more efficient for workforce. But we are never going to allow and we're never going to apologize for robots taking our work. There are no contract negotiations on the table after they collapsed early Tuesday and the union rejected a nearly 50% raise. The strike is believed to be costing the economy billions a day. Officials are urging people not to panic by as many coveted items are made in the States. The U.S. government is helping Americans get out of Lebanon. About 100 U.S. citizens left on a flight yesterday and the State Department says thousands more want more information about leaving the country. This comes as Israeli soldiers continue fighting in South Lebanon against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. Iran fired over 180 rockets into the Jewish State this week in response to the assassination of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders in Lebanon in Iran. Israel has vowed to retaliate. You're listening to the latest from NBC News Radio. K.C.A.A. This is not just the sound of someone picking up a sweet treat at Walgreens. This is the sound of someone picking up a sweet treat right after receiving all their vaccines in one trip. This is the sound of treating yourself because you protected yourself. Stop buyer schedule both your flu and COVID-19 vaccines today and grab yourself a sweet treat while you're at it. Vaccine subject to availability, state, age and health-related restrictions may apply. Flow here from Progressive to tell you how you get more than great savings with us. You get customer service access through our mobile app, online chat or by phone. That's a lot of ways I can get in touch with you. I see what's going on here. You can't name favors, but I'm your number one customer. Actually, we offer all our customers these ways to contact us. I'm sure you give just any customer your personal company contact info. Well, you did call us more than any other customer this year. So in that sense, you are our number one customer. Get help from Progressive through the website, app, chat or phone. Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates. KCAA Loma Linda. We've got to hire a new Marshall, Derek Marshall. Your ballots are in the mail. Mail them in today. Now there's something to vote for because there's a new Marshall in town. Vote Derek Marshall for 23rd Congress. You all know we need to change Congress. The current Congress has nothing but fight with each other. They've forgotten why we sent them there to work. Let's Marshall and fix our problems at the border. A comprehensive plan, not political rhetoric and infighting. Yes, there's a new Marshall in town. The rent is too darn high. Let's Marshall in affordable housing and real affordable universal healthcare. Better union jobs. The current Congress member put his party first and not people. But there's a new Marshall in town. Our incumbent party politician voted no on the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill. He voted no to $3 billion in new funds for our district and no to 35,000 new jobs right here at home. He said we need a secure border. But now he's rolled it back to play politics. We need to Marshall real solutions. Vote for Derek Marshall because we've got to hire a new Marshall, Derek Marshall. You can go to Derek Marshall CA.com. Paint for us at Derek Marshall. My name is Derek Marshall and I approve this message. ♪ Located in the heart of San Bernardino, California, the Teamsters Local 1932 Training Center is designed to train workers for high demand, good paying jobs and various industries throughout the Inland Empire. If you want a pathway to a high paying job and the respect that comes with a union contract, visit1932trainingcenter.org to enroll today. That's1932trainingcenter.org. We wear our work, day by day, stitch by stitch. At Dickies, we believe work is what we're made of. So, whether you're gearing up for a new project or looking to add some tried and true work wear to your collection, remember that Dickies has been standing the test of time for a reason. The work wear isn't just about looking good. It's about performing under pressure and lasting through the toughest jobs. Head over to Dickies.com and use the promo code Workwear20 at checkout to save 20% on your purchase. It's the perfect time to experience the quality and reliability that has made Dickies a trusted name for over a century. If you're a facilities manager at a warehouse and your HVAC system goes down, it can turn up the heat, literally. But don't sweat it, Granger has you covered. Granger offers over a million industrial grade products for all your operations, including warehouse HVAC maintenance. And even better, they offer access to experts and fast delivery, so you and your warehouse can both keep your cool. Call 1800 Granger, click Granger.com or just stop by. Granger, for the ones who get it done. What would you do if you had a broken bone? You'd go to the doctor and use your insurance, right? Well, what would you do if you have a serious problem with drugs and alcohol? Most people do nothing until it's way too late. Your insurance can help you get clean and sober with the assistance of a place like the detox and treatment helpline. Many times, addiction treatment is fully covered. So why not use your insurance to treat your addiction problem, just like you would if you had a broken bone? And with the Family Medical Leave Act, you're allowed to take time off by law, and your employer doesn't need to know the reason. So there are two good reasons. You've got insurance you can use for your addiction problem, and with the Family Medical Leave Act, it's completely confidential. Call now, 800-398-7414. That's 800-398-7414. Calling all business owners. This is your moment. Join us for the 14th Annual Connecting Faith in Business Summit happening on October 17th at the beautiful Double Tree Hotel in Ontario, California. Registration opens at 9 a.m., and the conference kicks off at 10 a.m. sharp. This isn't just another business event. It's a gathering of minds and hearts where faith and entrepreneurship comes together. Bakers, SBA representatives, and marketing experts will be there to equip you with powerful tools to grow your business. Plus, we'll take a special moment to pray for your business because we know that true success is built on faith. Don't miss out. Go to AMPAC.com today to register or call 909-915-1706. Step into your purpose and unlock the resources you need for your business to thrive. We'll see you there at the 16th Annual Connecting Faith in Business Summit, where your faith and future connect. Mr. Favorite Show? Download the podcast at kcaaradio.com. K-C-A-A. K-C-A-A now presents Crossroads, a program in the public interest bringing you the issues you need to hear about here in our community. Now here's your host, Mark Westwood. Good afternoon, and we're back for our second hour here at the Community Crossroads desk. I'm Mark Westwood, and wow, the time is just flying by. And if you haven't already known this, I will tell you that today I believe is 34 days until the election, 34 days until the election, and we don't have much time. I think four or five weekends left before the election. The candidates are getting busier and busier, and there's time to start making choices. You're going to get your ballots here in the mail any day now. I believe they're starting to be mailed today and yesterday, and they should be in your mailboxes by the 7th, is what they're saying, and we will see what we are doing. You know, there is just an amazing amount of work to do. I was just talking to my guy in the control room about all the production we have to do here in the next day or so to get these candidates spots on and get them done and get them on the air for this weekend. You know, and we have holidays coming up, and so time is time to pay attention. And it's time to start doing your research and start listening. If you're one of those listeners that, "Dah, you know, maybe you're hearing my show once in a while, or maybe you hear the news once in a while, but you don't know how to vote on the propositions, you don't really know where the candidates are, who vote for tax assessor, you know, anything like that, then you need to start googling and paying attention because the ballots are going to be there, and you're going to have to make that choice. And it's a very important choice, this election. There's a huge, diverse difference between the candidates. I hope you recognize that, and I hope you recognize, you know, that maybe an old 80-year-old man who seems to have some neurodivergent cognizance problems, you may not want to vote for him, somebody who tried to overthrow our Constitution, our election, and is considering, you know, in day one, enacting something called Project 2025, if you don't know what that is, you've got to research that. There is so much to decide on, there's so much to pay attention to, this election is coming fast, and it is like lightning speed all of a sudden, and it doesn't seem to be enough time to talk or meet the candidates, but I want you to meet this next candidate. We just finished this last hour talking with Lisa Middleton, a very, very, very qualified candidate, and a very eminently better qualified than the person that's the incumbent to making decisions, very pragmatic. We saw that, you know, she will part from the party and play in partisan politics and vote her mind, and support things like Proposition 36, and support some things that maybe other Democrats didn't want to support, and wanted to keep the stuff from Proposition 47 in place, we saw that. We've seen candidates that have different views on warehouses and things like that. We have a diverse group of people, but I will tell you, the Democratic Party has a great bench. If you were a baseball team and you're a baseball manager, you'd be happy with this bench. You've got some really good players, and one of those players is on the phone with me right now. He's running for the 23rd Congressional District as the endorsed Democratic candidate. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Derek Marshall. We wear our work, day by day, stitch by stitch. At Dickies, we believe work is what we're made of. So, whether you're gearing up for a new project, or looking to add some tried and true work wear to your collection, remember that Dickies has been standing the test of time for a reason. Their work wear isn't just about looking good. It's about performing under pressure and lasting through the toughest jobs. Head over to Dickies.com and use the promo code WorkWear20 at checkout to save 20% on your purchase. It's the perfect time to experience the quality and reliability that has made Dickies a trusted name for over a century. Shop Macy's VIP sale going on now. Use your coupon or Macy's card and take an extra 30% off the latest fall trends from designers that rarely go on sale. And save 15% off skincare, makeup, fragrances and more. Plus, shop false specials for even more great deals on top brands at Macy's. Savings off regular and already reduced prices, exclusions apply. Ballot are in the mirror and there's a new Marshall in town, Mark. There's a new Marshall in town, I love that spot. We see your signs up with the hat on. That's kind of cool. They're all over around my area. I hope that's the way it is in the upper desert now in Palm Springs and that area too. Congratulations on being a candidate. Congratulations being a candidate. So I'm going to let you introduce yourself here for a second. Ladies and gentlemen, Derek Marshall running for the 23rd Congressional District. Tell the listeners, give them a brief introduction of who you are. Yeah, for sure. Thanks, Mark. Hey, listeners, this is Derek Marshall. I'm sure if you listen to the station, you have probably heard the commercial by now about there being a new Marshall in town. And just, you know, we're playing off of my last name. I'm not actually law enforcement. I've got two Ls, there's a new Marshall in town. And I'm running for Congress here in California's 23rd Congressional District. I'm looking to change leadership. We've had one guy who's been in there for a couple of cycles now, and he's not particularly effective and not particularly great at the work that he's doing in terms of bringing back resources to the district. And I'm looking to change that. And if you're sitting there thinking, hmm, this is a type of representation. The contours district, it goes from Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead Crestline, it goes across the Mojave Desert, Victorville, Hiberia, Apple Valley, Edelanto, all the way to the Nevada line. It includes Yucaypa. It includes South Redlands, Loma Linda, parts of Thailand, parts of San Bernardino, and the Morongo Basin. So it's got Yucay Valley, Joshua Tree. And if that wasn't enough, we also have California City. And we have Lake Los Angeles as well. So we are a massive district. The size of West Virginia. I feel like I'm running for governor of a small to medium sized state when I'm running. And in terms of policy that I support, like I said a second ago, I mean, I'm going to do anything and everything that it takes to bring back the resources to our community. We are a logistics community with the I-15 and the I-10 corridors. There's a lot of development that is currently happening. I think that's the way. And when we say you're a logistics community, that means there's a lot of trucking and transportation that's going on over the roads. Exactly. Moving items and goods around services. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead. Well, exactly. And my whole thing right now is we're developing very quickly and the question is how do we develop, right? You know, we talk about warehouses. We take a look at the pollution that we're seeing right now in the air. We talk about just the needs. I mean, we've got a huge strike on the east coast with Longshoreman. And so there's a lot of thought right now going into logistics. And I think that it's really important to have someone that's going to be ready on day one with the relationship both in Sacramento and in Washington to be able to get in and make sure that our region develops in a way that on the one hand ensures that there's going to be jobs and lots of new jobs that are coming into the region. Jobs are good. But at the same time is protecting and developing communities that are providing good air, you know, good and clean air to breathe, clean water to drink. And I think right now, the reason that we have such a good bench is because folks like Lisa Middleton, Chrissy Holstidge, the whole slate that I'm running alongside of, it's kind of a one package deal. If you vote for all of us, you're going to get a bunch of folks that like each other, that are working with each other and know how to advocate for smart policy at every single level of government. You know what would be so nice, Derek? Mm hmm. Tell me. Some good smart people like Derek Marshall and Chrissy Holstidge and Lisa Middleton and Kamala Harris and people that we can put in these spaces to do the job and we don't have to think as much. We don't have to worry as much. We don't have to keep our eyes constantly on them. We don't have to hear a barrage of crazy things being said. Imagine the next four years without having to listen to Donald Trump ever again. I mean, that's heaven. It's heaven, folks, you know, to not hear JD Vance saying some crazy things about cats or denying the fact that Donald Trump tried to overturn the election. Imagine that. Imagine that. And with Democrats that we're talking about here, these aren't radical Democrats. These are Democrats that when you think about it are conserving our Constitution, are conserving our way of life, life, liberty, justice, equality, equity for all, freedom for all. Kamala Harris, this big song by Beyonce is freedom, freedom. I mean, that's what we all want. These aren't like obscure ideas or concepts, folks. These candidates represent what has been the core, the words at the base of the Statue of Liberty, the Colossus poem. Tell me you're tired, you're poor, you're huddled masses yearning to be free. That's what we always stood for, right? Derek? Derek? Absolutely. I'm really happy to be on that side. Yes. I'm proud to be on that side. Definitely. I really am. We're not radicals. You know, no Democrats have ever taken your guns away. We may regulate them a little bit more to protect our children so that our children don't have to worry about being in school, correct? Absolutely, absolutely. I think the other thing that's great about this plate of candidates is that all of us have Republican friends. All of us are used to working across the aisle and that's something that I really am very proud of with the plate of candidates that we have right now and that, you know, I would say none of us are super, super partisan, right? Like we're all independent minded people, really, really independent. I personally have an independent vein inside of me. I've been endorsed by the Working Families Party in addition to the Democratic Party and there's only two other candidates in the entire state of California, congressional candidates that were endorsed by the Working Families Party and that'll come to show a six-to-list procedure and you're trying to make a decision for that. You're breaking up just a little bit, Derek. I don't know if you're on your phone, turn your head one way or the other. Okay. I've got a little bit better, I don't know, stand up, sit down, I don't know what you need to do, but I think it's going to improve here in just a minute. I'm proud to have Derek Marshall, Canada for the 23rd congressional district on the line with us and he's running on the ballot for November 5th and so Derek will continue on with you now. Awesome. Sounds good, Mark. Yeah. Sounds good here too. Okay, perfect. You know, and we're talking about issues and talking about not being, you know, strictly partisan, but we're representing the people and the issues first, not partisan politics. We're not on teams where one team has to beat the other. We're all on the same boat together, whether you're Republican or Democrat, you are on the same boat together and things like, you know, turning the lights on, right, the lights need to work, clean water to drink, you know, good schools, those types of things are important to people when you break it down, right? Absolutely. And I think that's the great thing about, you know, the slate of candidates that we have is that we are, yeah, we're really committed to being everybody's candidate and elected once we're elected to really serve everybody. And that has been something, I think people are just tired of the bickering. We're tired of the Republican, on Democrat, bickering that's happening. Heck, I'm tired of it, you know? And so I think that that's the really great thing of this coalition of candidates that I'm running with right now, is that all of us feel the same way. And we're not afraid to reach across the aisle. We're not afraid to have those friendships and to really have the hard conversations. And that's something that is fantastic and we understand the role of government. I mean, the problem with my opponent is that he just doesn't fundamentally believe that the government has any role in, you know, almost anything. And what makes it so hard is that when you're talking about fixing roles, if you're talking about bringing back resources to the district, right, money that you need for local schools for parks, for, you know, for investment in the Bright Line West bullet train, for example, he loves to put his face and say, "Oh, look at, I'm, you know, I'm tied to this Bright Line West." Well, he voted no on the project. No. It's like, how dare he put his face on there saying, "Oh, I'm a great champion of this project." When he voted no on the funding mechanism. Absolutely unbelievable. He voted no on the project and then is trying to take credit for it. Where have we heard this before, you know, and this is what we're dealing with. Somebody who votes as he's told to vote and that's the problem. When you try to elect somebody and you do elect somebody or you vote for somebody and you really don't know that they're electing, they're not representing you, they're representing Donald Trump or somebody in Washington D.C. or some PAC or some lobbying firm and there's something fundamentally wrong with that. We need to send people to Washington D.C., like Derek Marshall, who will listen to the people, who is a part of these people, who isn't over and above or separated from or thinks they're insulated from, that part of our real challenges, real problems, child care, pre-kindergarten, child care, child care is hard to pay for, but parents are burned without every day, you know, things like medical leave, health care coverage, hey, here's a new concept, Derek, you want to hear a new concept? Dental. Dental coverage. Imagine, we were so busy trying to fight for some basic medical rights, keeping, you know, having something, you know, a predisposition or you're eliminated for, you know, something that you already had, you know, imagine if we didn't have to fight for that and we could, you know, have really good, decent medical care, affordable medical care, it's gotten more affordable, more people are covered, but we can do better. We all know that. But imagine adding dental to that. Dental street is so expensive to the average person, you have to have a bridge, it's $2,300. You get a tooth pulled or something, you know, it's $1,300. How can we have a program that covered dental, too? Absolutely. I mean, dental care is health care, vision care is health care, mental care is health care. We need to, we really, I think, need to kind of elevate and enter the 21st century or certainly the other group of developed nations that provide really thorough, thoughtful health care. And that is, you know, definitely one thing. One of the things on my platform that I really am a champion of, I believe very strongly in a Medicare for all system, having spent some time in Germany and France and in the UK and having been abroad and having lived in societies where health care is covered, it's amazing to not have deductibles, it's amazing to not have premiums or, I mean, all of this is when you have people from other countries, other developed countries, they come here, their jaws drop to the floor when they see that the way in which our private system, private health care system here works. And what's crazy is that it's like 60, 70% of all bankruptcies in the United States are because of health care costs. Absolutely. No other country has that. People are going broke by just trying to be healthy. People are going bankrupt by trying to take care of their loved ones to make sure that their older parents or their elderly parents are taking care of properly. We have to do better. We're doing better, but we have to do better. And part of that is not just funding it or ensuring it, but actually having the infrastructure in place. We have enough trained medical professionals, radiologists, dental people, all those people trained. Part of that is we make that more available for people to be educated and learned and be trained in those professions and those vocations. There's all kinds of things that we really need to do better at. And Derek, I've had you on a few times and it's always delightful, but one of the things I want to do is maybe open up the phone lines a little bit and maybe we talk to a person or two. They might have questions because I have the microphone all the time and you have the microphone a lot. Let's open it up, 1-888-909-1050, 1-888-909-1050, be polite, be mature, be respectful, but we would love to talk to you, 909-792-KCAA, or 909-792-5222, or the last toll-free number is 809-KCAA, just 5222. So you can dial any of those numbers and let's see if we have somebody on the line here. We have, it looks like line three going here. This is Mark Westwood on KC8-1050-AM106.5 FM with Derek Marshall, who do we have on the line? Hello? Hello. Yes, this is Stacey. Hi Stacey, thank you for calling in to KC8 today and the Community Crossroads show. We have Derek Marshall on the line, do you have a question for him? I do. I was listening a little earlier and Derek said he wants to bring resources back to the area. I'm just wondering if he has maybe a top one or top two objectives that he wants to find if he were to get resources brought here. Derek, did you hear that? So, repeat the question, get from your mark, it was a... Okay, no, I'm sorry, I was listening in earlier and you said that you wanted to bring resources to the area. And I was just wondering if you had maybe a top one or two projects that you would like to see realized here. Resources top one or two projects, yes. Yeah, absolutely. So, I think one of the biggest benefits that me and our campaign and our coalition bring to the table is not only really good relationships with Washington and Sacramento because, look, truth be told, if folks think about it right now, whether you love them or hate them, Democrats are having a super majority in Sacramento. And when you have Democrats, when you elect a Democrat that is able to have those good relationships with the party in power, particularly here in California, that means that you're going to get your project screen lit a lot easier than some of the Republicans that are out here. And that's just business, right? And that's kind of... It functions both ways and I hate to say it like that. And I don't necessarily think it's right, but it sort of is the reality and the same thing is happening kind of at the federal level as well. And so pivoting back though, in terms of the resources and the projects, again, because of the good relationships that we have with Sacramento, because of the good relationships that we have with trade unions, so with Laiuna and seamsters, the AFL-CIO, because of the good relationships that we have with the Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club. And with business, Lisa Middleton is beloved of the business community. And so because of this coalition, because we have these great relationships with normally sides that are opposed to each other, we're going to be able to fast track a lot of different types of projects, projects like one of which our campaign is calling it, don't kill me for the name of Marshall Plan for the Inland Empire or Marshall Plan for the I-10 and the I-15 corridors. And basically what we're looking to do is to build a renewable energy logistics corridor on disturbed land that involves both unions and conservationists at the table and business that sit down with federal and state officials and say, "Hey, okay, how are we going to be able to bring what types of resources?" And we all know that global climate change is happening, right? I mean, it's 100 degrees today here in Victorville. And I was out knocking doors, I knocked 200 doors yesterday, I knocked a bunch of doors today, I felt like I was going to pass out, it's October 3rd and it's over 100 degrees. So we know the climate change is happening. So we're both the front lines of global climate change, but also front lines of the solution to global climate change. Because of this logistics corridor, because we have a lot of what environmentalists and conservationists like to say as disturbed land, we have a lot of territory and a lot of area that we can build renewable projects such as solar. One of the ideas is to do a solar development along the I-15 or along the I-10 offer programs to cover solar on warehouse rooftops, things that are going to, on the one hand, create jobs because all this needs to be built. And on the other hand, it's going to help us to fight back against climate change. And so I would like to, you know, I think the woman's name was Stacy, is that correct? Yes. Yes. Okay, Stacy, thank you so much for the question. And you know, the answer is to really take a look at the region, take a look at the reality of where we find ourselves, and then use and leverage all of these fantastic relationships we have with both political parties, with business, with labor, with conservationists in order to really help to elevate and smartly develop our region. Absolutely. Great answer. Stacy, do you have another question? Well, I think he answered for these so thoroughly, but I've got a lot to think about now. That's what Canada is supposed to do. Stacy, thank you for calling in. If you have a question you'd like to call in and talk to, Derek Marshall, we would love to talk to you. The number is 888-909-1050, that's 888-909-1050, or 792-KCAA. Derek, we're going to take a break between now and then. We'll be right back after this. Thank you. KCAA Loma Linda. The legacy KCAA-1050 AM and Express 106.5 FM. Hey, DC News Radio, I'm Brian Shook. McCain Halene is now the deadliest storm to hit the mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina. Officials say at least 204 people have died due to this storm that slammed the southeast a week ago. At least 72 people have died in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is calling on the White House to step up and end the dock workers' strike along the Gulf and East coasts. We have 16 different deepwater seaports. We'll work with you to get critical commodities to shore and promptly plugged in. He says the Biden-Harris administration has a responsibility to help the Hurricane Halene storm victims and make sure they have the supplies they need. The Lebanese Army says it returned fire at Israeli forces today. In a post on X, the Lebanese Army said one of its soldiers was killed when IDF forces targeted one of its posts. I'm Brian Shook. The current Congress says nothing but fight with each other. They've forgotten why we sent them there to work. Let's Marshall and fix our problems at the border. A comprehensive plan, not political rhetoric and infighting. The rent is too darn high. Let's marshal in affordable housing and real affordable universal healthcare. Better Union jobs. The current Congress member put his party first and not people. But there's a new marshal in town. Our incumbent party politician voted no on the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill. He voted no to $3 billion in new funds for our district and no to 35,000 new jobs right here at home. He said we need a secure border but now he's rolled it back to play politics. We need to marshal real solutions. Vote for Derek Marshall because we've got to hire a new marshal, Derek Marshall. You can go to Derek Marshall CA.com paid for a Derek Marshall for Congress. My name is Derek Marshall and I approve this message. Real like Don Williamson is your county assessor. Some people run for office to serve themselves first. Others like Don Williamson run for office to serve you. He has a history of service as a former Marine and tax saver. When you're the assessor, you need real experience and knowledge to be effective. As a former three term San Bernardino County assessor, Don has a wealth of information for the people. Now he's back running again because he wants to help people first, including seniors, veterans, mobile homeowners, and small business owners. Don's the only real experienced educated and certified tax professional from San Bernardino County who's actually done the job. He's a public servant. Don Williamson will cut your high taxes again and go to vote Don Williamson.com. That's vote Don Williamson dot com. I'm Don Williamson. Send for five. I want to help you save money by approve this message paid for by the committee to re-elect Don Williamson 2024. Hi I'm Nicholas Dibbs, teacher running for school board here in Garden Grove Unified Trustee Area 1. We need quality vocational education. The district cut 10 intermediate school woodshop classes and four auto shop classes. We need these classes back so students can have a better future. No matter where you live across this country, please support this effort so we can have quality vocational education. Go to nikdibbs.org then I see K-D-I-B-S dot org. Thank you. I approve this announcement paid for by Dibbs for school board 2024. K-C-A-A. We're back. I'm Mark Westwood, community crossroads. This hour we have Derek Marshall, candidate for the 23rd congressional district and hi, welcome back Derek. Hey Mark. Hello. Good to have you back for the second half of this hour here. Derek's an old friend and an activist and somebody who really cares about the issues. He's a people person. He's out there knocking doors and the hot, sweltering, 110, 106 degree heat. He is a committed candidate who is committed to the values that are most important to you. And one value that we keep hearing about, and I'm going to insert my own opinion here just briefly. Derek, just for a minute, is I keep hearing, especially from our president who talks about a baby's being aborted after nine months, which is not true, millions and millions of people being killed by people coming over the border or cats being eaten by Haitians. And you know, my take on this is that number one, prove I haven't seen any of this. We have had governors, we've had mayors telling us, no, it's absolutely not true. We have so much coming at us right now, you know, this border thing is not the issue that people think it is, at least I haven't experienced it. And I live in one of the biggest, largest geographic border states in the nation. And you know, I haven't seen an onslaught of any crime-based immigrant crime or anything like that. But what do we do to address not only what they're saying, but these actual challenges? Yeah, I mean, I think that, you know, first of all, it's, you know, it's an issue that the Republicans and a lot of folks have brought up time and time and time again. And they use it as a boogeyman, as a scarecrow to be able to rally up a response. And that's not to say, yeah, migration as a boogeyman. And it's not particularly unique, I mean, we have been having generation upon generation, upon generation of immigration into the United States. And pretty much every single wave of immigration is met with some type of skepticism and people crying foul and, you know, if it wasn't, you know, if it wasn't, if it wasn't, if it wasn't, if it wasn't, the Irish, it was, it happened with it. Okay, just be breaking up again one more time, Derek, I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. That's being in the high desert, that's, you know, one thing that we're going to make sure to have is more reliable internet and phone service. Absolutely. It happens. It does happen. You know, we were talking about immigration and, you know, reliable laws and responsible laws and also what I have to say is responsible rhetoric. And when you incite people, when you scare people, when you freak people out about something that isn't the truth, you know, you're acting irresponsibly, you're acting selfishly, you know, talk about the issues, talk about your solutions, talk about, you know, the challenges. Give us your opinions, we'll agree with you or not agree with us, but, you know, don't tear people down to build yourself up. Right. And I think that that's what Donald Trump has been doing, and I just want to discover the joy that Kamala Harris will bring us and that, you know, Coach Wallace will bring us and, you know, and just the logic and insanity and, you know, maybe we can sleep at night a little bit and not have to worry about our rights and our dignity being taken away or, you know, I don't know if you remember this or not. I was interviewing Peter Aguilar in 2018, it was before, it was after, it was after the Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump election and Donald Trump was president of the United States. And we had noted that in his first year and a half of his presidency, he had spent, are you ready for this, $212 million, $212 million back in 2018 on just stuff for his presidency, it was flying here and there, golf excursions, paying family members, you know, just splurging on himself. Can you imagine a president? We can't afford that in Donald Trump, $212 million. Is that unbelievable? Or what? It's wild. It's just wild and he'll do it again. And his family members will make all kinds of money. And then we have this issue of, you know, what he's been threatening on day one of executing his adversaries and his opponents of jailing people of, you know, enacting something that is this 750 page, some odd page book called Project 25, 2025, and, you know, unbelievable stuff taking rights away, prosecuting people, eliminating the EPA and all kinds of things. What do you say about Project 2025, Derek? Yeah, I mean, well, first of all, with regards to, you know, with regards to irresponsible rhetoric, I mean, you know, we have to tone it down in this country. I feel like on, you know, on all sides, but particularly, you know, with Trump and with MAGA, I mean, it's the cats and the dogs thing and there are consequences. I mean, January 6 was a consequence of rhetoric and of campaigning and trying to sow mistrust in the electorate. And my opponent first ever votes was to object to the certification of Arizona and Pennsylvania because of irresponsible rhetoric. And so I think that we need to underscore, highlight, it doesn't matter if you're a Republican or a Democrat, if there is a politician that is engaging in, you know, in inappropriate, gone too far rhetoric, you need to just not vote for them because there are consequences and, you know, people, unfortunately, die. And there's a lot of, there's a lot of violence that comes because of inappropriate rhetoric. And I think that, you know, everything that we're seeing in Ohio, everything that we're seeing with January 6, I mean, it's totally inappropriate. And more over than that, you know, pivoting now or, you know, to Project 2025, I mean, this is not coming from nowhere, right? Project 2025 is coming from the Heritage Foundation, which is the think tank for the Republican Party. And 2025 is a latest version, it's the latest software version of the ideology that folks like my opponent and a lot of Republicans, not all, but a lot of Republicans are trying to bring in. And what they're trying to do is they're trying to get rid of Medicare. They're trying to privatize healthcare because, oh, hey, every single person on this call really loves the private health insurance system that we have right now. We all love paying those deductibles. We all love, you know, having grandma get sick and suddenly get hit with a $10,000 bill, you know, or you walk wrong or funny out your front door, you've got a brain, you go to the doctor, you get $5,000. We all love that. No, we don't love that. Right? And Project 2025 is trying to not only not move us away from that, it's trying to say, no, no, actually, we're going to get rid of the Medicare system. We're going to get rid of privatize everything because we seem so satisfied with the current healthcare system. So, you know, and that's just one example, right? It's trying to privatize social security, right? And we have your opponent running for Congress that supports all of those irresponsible retics, irresponsible actions, like, for instance, when Donald Trump got on TV, national TV and said, Joe Biden is not responding to the hurricane victims. Well, it was absolutely untrue and Georgia, the governor called and said, no, I talked to him last night and, you know, he said, anything you need, and if you're not getting something done, give me a call, I'll get on it. You know, that's the kind of, you know, exchange a president with a governor should have when there's been a disaster in the state. And then you go back to Project 2025 and Project 2025, this book, this plan, this playbook that they've got for day one eliminates the government having to help and give aid to disaster victims. I mean... Exactly. And I mean, it's just, it's so classic. And the reason that I brought up, uh, my opponent's first ever vote was because if you're a reasonable person that then gets into the federal level or gets into Congress, and then your first vote is to de-certify democratic protection, uh, put forth by the Constitution and that forever vote. But it outrageous. It's going to be in lock of the process when it's locked up. So you're breaking up just a little bit. But I'm going to tell you that Derek's talking about, you know, Jay Elba Nelty's first vote when he got into Congress was to de-certify the election. And you know, we know that that election today, the headlines are back again. Jack Smith is back saying, okay, we're going to prosecute him as a candidate, not as the president. He was acting as a candidate, not as the president. And he was trying to overthrow our election. But yeah, Jay Elba Nelty was right along there. That's the guy that is the 23rd incumbent right now, right along with Donald Trump in all this mess and everything he says, he continues to support him because Donald Trump is his lifeline. Donald Trump's not my lifeline. I don't think that Donald Trump is Derek Marshall's lifeline, right? No, no, no, no, and he continues to support it. And so we need to send a new Marshall in town, Derek Marshall to Congress from the 23rd congressional district to represent us and to take Congress back so that Kamala Harris, when she gets elected with her 349 electoral votes, it's my prediction, the 349 electoral votes. I'll tell you in a bit that she has the ability to fix things further, build them back even better. You know, President Biden has done one heck of a job undoing the chaos of his previous administration, Donald Trump. They left him with a pandemic, tons of jobs lost, you know, a budget deficit, you know, all these things. And he is slowly and methodically and quietly served us and worked well. He's not a great orator, you know, not a great debater. That doesn't mean that he isn't a good thinker. He is a good thinker. He's got a good heart and he's a good person who takes action and, you know, acts for us on our behalf. Joe Biden did that. Kamala Harris is the vice president. And when you stand in front of people and blame her for all kinds of manner of things that Congress does or, you know, that the president of the United States is responsible for, she's the vice president, not the president. And so all of a sudden they're running against her. They're trying to blame her for everything. And this is Jay O'Walter. He does this time and time again. He's too busy playing partisan politics. He's too busy, you know, sucking up to Donald Trump and running around and being his boy. He's too busy doing all that to really represent us here. And I'm a member and I'm a voting member of the 23rd congressional district. And that's why I'm going to vote for Jay, I'm going to vote for Derek Marshall. And it's such a privilege and an honor to have you here. We've got about maybe another 12 minutes. And I want you to pick what you want to talk about next, Derek. Your priority and what you think is the most important thing you can do as our next congressman in the 23rd congressional district. Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, if you're running for office in the Inland Empire in the high desert, I would be having a huge myth if I didn't talk about homelessness. And I feel like right now we have a housing emergency, a housing crisis here in California. We have a homeless emergency here in California. And I really want to help to stitch together this coalition of down ballot candidates to address and finally, finally eliminate homelessness from our region, from the state. And the way that we do that, we have seen model after model, it's a housing first model. It is a mental health care model. And what you do is you do things like the Wellness Center that we built here in Victorville. But you do it at scale, right? Right now we have 160, 170 beds at this Wellness Center. And the Wellness Center is incredible because they have individual pods that you can have a key card to enter. You have your own space. They have a dog park is part of it. And then they have mental health care facilities wrap around services, social services, job search services, all that are included in this Wellness Center up in Victorville. And I think it's a fantastic model that we can really expand throughout the rest of the Inland Empire to just once and for all end homelessness in our region. And I think that what it takes to get that done, or what it will take to get that done is people working at every level of the government together, city council, state assembly, state senate, congress, senate, to be able to make sure that we have the resources. The vision is there. And there are countries that have already eliminated homelessness. And so we know that it can be done. And I think it's high time that we do that right home here in the Inland Empire. And that's going to be something that is going to be one of my top priorities. My opponent loves to talk about how he's four veterans, and it's funny because privately the number of veterans that I have heard that are totally exact or just completely frustrated with my opponent is it grows by the day. But the number of homeless veterans that we have on our streets right now, and that's something that not a lot of people talk about. I mean, we have a ton of homeless veterans right home here in San Bernardino County in the Inland Empire, and that just should not be the case. And so one of my top priority issues is going to be to end and eradicate homelessness. And that doesn't mean eliminate homeless people. When you're homeless, that doesn't mean you lose your constitutional rights to, you know, life, liberty, justice, pursuit of happiness, all those types of things. But you know, there's multiple reasons why people are homeless. It could be substance abuse, drug dependency. It could be economic disparity, don't have a job, lack of training. It could be an emotional and mental problem. It could be a medical problem. There are all kinds of reasons why people are homeless. So there has to be a multilateral approach to helping these people and giving them a hand up and helping them out of their off the streets and out of that homeless net that they're in. And so many things are just basic things that we could provide. And here we have a congressional candidate who's not running around trying to be a Washington CDC elitist. He's not running around trying to gather as much money as he can. He's talking about a very basic, basic thing, helping, humanitarian, helping people right here at home, our veterans on the streets, people that are, you know, in San Bernardino or in the parks right now, and in two weeks they're saying they're going to remove them from the parks. Where are they going to remove them too? What is the solution? We need to pay attention to that and do the right things. And you know, there's homeless children, there's homeless seniors, there's homeless students, you know, there's veterans, there's all numbers and any kinds of numbers and those numbers keep growing. Homelessness is not going to go away, Derek, if we ignore it, right? It's just going to get worse. It's just going to get worse. And so we need to address it. And we need a congressional candidate like Derek Marshall who's willing to address it. It's not glamorous. It's not something that's going to make you any money, in fact it might, you know, take resources from you. You know, it's not something that a lot of candidates that are there to serve themselves at the buffet line like J.O. will multi is. It's not there for that. But when you're there to serve others first and serve others and you're that kind of a candidate, that's the kind of candidate I want to vote for. That's the kind of candidate I want to elect. You know, let's talk about, you know, just simple things like public safety. You know, how do you stand on public safety, Derek? Yeah, I mean, I think that public safety comes from economic security. And I feel like if you, if you are solving people's immediate needs, that is the true grassroots. That's the true root of a lot of the issues that we see. And so security and, you know, and this is again, it's not a novel idea. Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1930s had a second bill of rights say that everyone deserved health care. Everyone deserved a right to housing. Everyone deserved the right to a job, a decent wage. And I really, I really am inspired by this and, but Roosevelt wasn't just doing it to be a nice guy. I'm not doing it to just be a nice guy. It's a very practical approach, because if you take away the immediate need, if people are able to pay their rent, if they're able to get health care, if they're able to take care of the kids, send the kids to college and, and at the end of every month, work in a full-time job. They're able to save $1,000, they're able to meet all their bills. Well, guess what? You're going to eliminate a lot of the insecurity that we're feeling. A lot of the crimin, the crime that we see right now is coming from, it's coming from the fact that people are struggling. And so I think that when the rent is too damn high. And the rent is too damn high, Marc. That's a chant we always say, and it's the truth. You know, with this unabashed real estate market, nothing regulated, just run away. Houses got, became investments instead of homes. And you know, we have, you know, 900 square foot houses selling for a half a million dollars here in Southern California. We've got to do something about that, because families need homes. People need homes. And not everybody is this, you know, very, you know, a suit, you know, smart, logical person that can make their way through this whole chaos we call life, and have a, you know, $80,000 pickup truck in a half a million dollar home, and put their kids through school, and work, work, work, work, work, they're, I mean, how the capacity to do that, the ability to do that. So we need to figure out how to help them, and how to give everybody an even part equity. Yeah. That's the definition, I believe, of equity. Am I wrong or right? No, that sounds great. And you know, I think ultimately that's what me and this coalition of candidates is looking to do. We want to make sure that, you know, that there's a chicken in every pot, right? We want to make sure that, you know, that we, if you're a hard work in person, you know, that you are able to work a full-time job, and you're able to afford all your bills, and you're able to save, right? Yeah, that's right. If you are struggling, you've fallen a hard time, you know, a parent has died, and you're dealing with addiction, and you find yourself on the streets, that you get a hand up, right? Because we all benefit, a rising tide lifts all ships. And I don't want to live in a society where there's homelessness. I don't want to live in a society where people are struggling, right? Right. To me, that is not a nice place to live. And going to societies where there isn't homelessness and where people are, they're happy, right? They're not mad all the time. They're not, their nervous systems aren't on fire because they're driving three, four hours, you know, on the I-10 or the I-15 to go to work. They're not, you know, struggle, struggle, struggle, how am I going to be able to pay this bill? Like, maybe if I don't pay this bill right now, I'll be able to pay this other bill, and then, you know, maybe I can pay this late fee right here. And the reason, Mark, that you and I know that is because unlike my opponent who's worth a hundred million dollars, we are working-class people. That's right. We've had to live that. We've had to make those decisions. We've had to say, okay, I can pay this bill next week, and it's only going to cost me, you know, forty dollars in fines and penalties to do it, but I got to do it because I got to pay for this. I have to eat, or I have to have food, or I have to have gas in my car. It's, you know, I have to go by medication, as seniors, people like us do that. You're one of us, Derek Marshall, and, you know, if you're not absolutely enchanted by now with Derek Marshall and realize you need to go home and get that ballot in the mailbox and check that box right next to Derek Marshall's name, how can they find out more information on the internet about you? Absolutely. So, my website is Derek MarshallCA.com, so that's D-E-R-E-K, Marshall M-A-R-S-H-A-L-L-C-A for the State of California.com. Also, you, everyone has their ballot, ballots are in the mail, you know, there's a new Marshall in town, go and check the ballot book. We have a ballot statement in there that you can read my ballot statement, you can read my opponents ballot statement, and you can find more information there as well. Well, very, very good, and we just got about three more minutes. I did this with Lisa last hour. This is your time, Derek, to speak directly to the voters and tell them why they should vote for you. Ladies and gentlemen, candidate, Derek Marshall, the 23rd Conditional District. Absolutely, thank you, Mark, and thank you to all the listeners today. Again, my name is Derek Marshall, there's a new Marshall in town. I'm not law enforcement, but I've got two L's, and you know, my thing is simple, right? I'm an independent-minded person, right? I happen to be the Democratic nominee, but if you're a Republican, if you're not of the same political party, I want to be your representative. I'm someone that knows how to get stuff done, and I can't say the same about my opponent, and so if we're talking about a job interview, I think the choice is pretty clear. If you're a senior that's listening today, there's only one candidate of the two of us that's going to actually protect your social security. If you take a look at Project 2025, which my opponent is beholden to, it calls for eliminating social security, and I'm just telling you I'm going to protect your social security. Same thing with Medicare. If you're a woman out there who really want bodily autonomy, I am your guy because I believe in a woman's right to choose. I don't believe that I should be creating policy that's going to control your choice. So I think the option there is clear. If you're someone that wants jobs in the Inland Empire, I want you to think today, okay, who is actually going to be able to bring together all the groups? Is it the person that is a wing, not is a partisan, or is it the person that has proven time and again that they're able to work across the aisle with different people to get stuff done? Again, my name is Derek Marshall, independent-minded person, really would love to be your next member of Congress, and I hope that the traffic is not too bad out there today. Thank you, Derek Marshall. For taking the time to be honest with us once more, again, the election is November 5th. Iwillvote.com if you haven't registered to vote or you need to check on your ballots or anything like that, Iwillvote.com will take you to the state, take you to the California Secretary of State, you can figure it out, it's really easy. Please vote, ladies and gentlemen, we need people like Derek Marshall, 23rd congressional district in Congress. We need to have a logical Congress. In California you can do that. We have enough congressional candidates that can win and Will Rollins and Derek Marshall and Pete Aguilar and Norma Torres and Judy T., Judy 2, that we can take this and we can make this country what it should be. Mark Westwood. On Community Crossroads, thank you to Derek Marshall, thank you to Lisa Middleton, thank you to Erica Sarrio in the studio. We will be back next week with more candidates and more campaign information for you. Vote! [Music] [Music] the AM and expert.