FM Talk 1065 Podcasts
Jeff Poor Show - Friday 7-12-24
(upbeat music) - From Bucks Pocket to the shores of Orange Beach, at all points in between, an insider's perspective on Alabama politics. It's the Jeff Porsche show. ♪ I don't think they've got it this way ♪ ♪ No ♪ (upbeat music) - God, what a 65, thanks for joining us on. This Friday morning, Friday, Friday, we finally made it to Friday, text slide, 251-3430106. We'll be in touch with the show. All you gotta do is text me. That's the way we communicate on the program. Come up on today's program. I'm gonna push you back a little bit. He had, I don't know if you're why, but Todd Stacey, Alabama Daily News, will be with us in 10 o'clock hour as well as House Pro-Tim, state representative Chris Pringle. We're talking about the fentanyl bill that they passed last session. And if it's making a big difference or not, that's coming up in the 10 o'clock hour. So make sure that you stay tuned for that. Also on the program, we do it every Friday, our attorney champion, state Senator Chris Pringle. So a lot of reasons for you to stay tuned, stick around. And we get into a lot of the nitty gritty. By the way, text slide, 251-3430106. Did you watch the press conference last night? I don't know, the bar was low. I think it was just good enough for Biden to hang on. Yeah, he had his flubs, but what else is new? This is the way he rolls. This is what he does. But he's always done this. He's always been a gaffe machine. When they went with Joe Biden to 2020 and that Democratic primary guys, I am telling you, the whole idea there was, it was just more of a branding call than anything. At what competency, at what do you think along those lines? It felt like branding. I mean, he looked kind of presidential. The other guys didn't. I mean, what do you mean, Amy Klobestar is your commander in chief? No, all right. So none of that. I don't think any of that was really any of those competitors in the 2020 field had the general election field that the masters of the universe and the Democratic party had sought. And that's what you stuck with now, who would have thought four years later? It would be what we knew was that they ended all those shaky ground back there, but this is what they're stuck with. But a few things there. I thought it was just good enough. Look, Pelosi and all these people trying to lead to the media about their concerns about Joe Biden, but not willing to put a face with it, not willing to be out there, be it so passive, aggressive about it. Tells you what you need to know that there really is no energy, no leadership here for movement until there's a face of the anti Biden, als by Biden, whatever you want to call it, movement is going nowhere. And I see these members, the governors are going to meet again, huh, and have another meeting about this or we're going to have a five more house members defect. I mean, it doesn't matter what you've got there's you got to ask him. He's it's clear right now looking at this. Then he's not going to go quietly. You want to know how you get Joe Biden off the ticket, guys? If there's any Democrats listening to turn off your radio, give him a bag of cash and buy them off. This just did guys, and I was wondering why one of Katie Brits people was calling me. You know, here's the headline. You know, Senator Katie Brits celebrates $550 million investment into Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project. Uh, that's pretty significant. Well, I mean, it's sort of a dent in the overall price. And if you add that, let's see, uh, this $550 million investment into Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project is a huge win for Alabamians to drive along I-10 since Senator Britt, or any American driving along drives along I-10. I was proud to help lead the entire congressional delegation in support of this well-deserved grant. I appreciate governor. I was continued partnership of the MPOs and local officials who have spearheaded the community-driven crucial project. Returned Alabamians, harder taxpayer dollars back to this great state is a top priority of mine in the Senate and I'll continue fighting to do just that. So it's a, it's a significant, uh, development on the bridge project. This price keeps escalating though, had that $550 million come a long, uh, not too long ago, like maybe six years ago, we'd, we'd be halfway there, wouldn't we? So I'm, I'm interested to see what the, uh, what the governor is, uh, what, what, what, what, what is going to be done with this? Two, five, one, three, four, three, zero, one, zero, six. So, uh, sorry for that. I'm brief depart, uh, abrupt departure from our Biden discussion. But, uh, uh, the way it's been explained to me about Biden leaving, I, you can buy him off, but it's also going to take this. It's also going to take the people in his inner circle. When they say it zents, they said, uh, obviously the family, Ron Klane, there's two or three others there that are like right there in the middle of it. So, uh, Jerry Carl also on the, oh, we get to the bridge stuff in a moment, uh, or put a wrap on this though. It's, it's, if the inner circle is the only ones who are going to get Biden to move. It's not morning Joe. It's not seeing it in. It's not, it's not even Obama. It's not going to be George Clooney for sure. So there'll be any of those guys. It's going to take. It's, it's, it's going to take. Someone in the, in the very inner circle and probably some kind of payoff to get Joe Biden to walk away from the democratic nomination. So legally it was explained to be $100 million on the table here in campaign money. What they would have to do to get him to walk away from it. Well, legally democratic party rules. Say that if for whatever reason, the person they dominate is unable to run and they're still going to talk about doing this virtual dominating thing in early August, but the, the much later in August is the, the DNC. But if they nominate Joe Biden and, and, and because of health reasons or whatever he is unable to continue, he steps aside. Didn't the nomination automatically goes to the running mate who would be Kamala Harris. And Kamala Harris, he keep that $100 million that was raised for Joe Biden's reelection effort. The other possibility of it had to be this, that, that for Kamala Harris to keep that $100 million in her campaign coffers, Joe Biden would have to resign the presidency. If it happened before this virtual dominating conference, you would have to resign the presidency and she would have to assume the presidency. Oh, it's just very complicated how we have our election campaign finance laws. But that's what it is. The way it's been explained to me about a couple of lawyers. That's my understanding and it makes sense, I guess. So I'll, I'll, all of this sort of, uh, Kabuki theater. I don't, I, it looks to be like Joe Biden doesn't want to go and he's got to, he's got to fight to keep the nomination. I don't think Democrats care about the hypocrisy angle at all here. They are not, I mean, we're not talking about democracy anymore, aren't we? When it comes to Biden state on the ticket and you never hear this question from the media. How do you maintain the moral high ground on democracy with Republicans? When you're going to take away from a vote of the people, a voted Democrat voters, caucus, goers, primary voters, whatever the state has, you're going to take that away and give it to someone else when they went to the ballot box. When they went to the caucus meeting, fully anticipating the support Joe Biden. And then you're just going to do an end around against what the wishes, the will of the voters is to put somebody else on the ticket. If other more, would you do that? Well, what we won't, what's the point? What's the point of these expensive primary races? Why, you know, why are we going to do it this way? I mean, are we going to, if this is going to be the new way, if this does happen, where they pull it out from under him. No, no, we, we can do something else with our time and money that rather than watch every damn pancake breakfast in New Hampshire for six months. Such as the American system, but this is what we got. Let's get text, like 2513430106 will be a touch with the show. All you got to do is text me and I will respond to whatever it is that is on your mind. Okay, this is from Jerry Carl on the bridge just to catch you up to date here. I'm excited to announce a $550 million federal grant has been awarded for the ITN Mobile River Bridge and we project this project is one of the huge step close to reality and I proud of all the work team Alabama has accomplished together. He continues. I will continue working with Senator Stubberg, Governor Ivey and our local leaders to get this project across the finish line. What a great day for South Alabama. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And this Friday, Friday, finally, Friday morning, 2513430106, you want to be a touch with the show, you got to text me. Uh, still a couple of program. We're going to get even the top of the 10 o'clock hour. Usually, typically we get him in that, uh, in that, uh, the 930 block, but we'll be moving back just a touch. Uh, we got Todd Stacy from Alabama daily news. Uh, Governor Ivey, uh, coming in with a comment on the $550 million discretionary grant, uh, for the Mobile Bay Bridge says, it's a great day for Alabama exclamation point. The federal funding, it will be a game changer, not just for Baldwin and Mobile counties, but for our entire state region. I think Katie Britt and an entire congressional delegation for their support of this critical project. What about Tupperville? Where's Coach at on this? Anyway, uh, so, uh, the governor with her statement out, uh, Mobile Mayor Sandy Simpson. So they had the, uh, they had the, uh, courts ready to go here. It's hard to overstate how important today's announcement is for the future of Mobile. The funding is a monumental boost for the Mobile River Bayway project. And we are moving full steam ahead. I want to thank the USDOT and the White House for their efforts advancing this project, which benefits everything from daily commuters to hurricane evacuations to the growth of our report. Industrial Bay. So I want to thank Governor Kay Ivey for keeping this project alive over the last few years without her unwavering support. We wouldn't be here today. The benefits of today's announcement will be felled along the entire I-10 corridor from Florida to California. I should go make some point. And what else we got? Yeah. From City Councilman, Jack Burrell, chair of the Easter Shore planning committee organization, Baldwin County resident should be thrilled with today's news. This is the most significant day in the project's history. On the behalf of the Easter Shore MPO, I would like to thank the federal government and the USDOT for their support of the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project, the Easter Shore MPO, and the counterparts at Mobile, Al Nott, and the governor have worked tirelessly to advocate for this project to ensure that it's built in a way that benefits local residents and addresses national needs. It's a project that deserves federal support like what was announced today. With the USDOT's continued support, we can build this bridge soon. And we heard this before. So who's excited? Anybody out there? Two, five, one, three, four, three, zero, one, zero, six. You want to be in touch with the show. Text me, text me what you think. Any news on any of this? I think it's good news. Oh, and I've also just been informed that Congressman Carl will be on with Sean here at some point today. And noon, he says. So you'll want to stay tuned for that. I'm kind of looking at this announcement here. So what, they halted construction and they were going to find more money, but now here's half a billion dollars. ♪ You hide a black tornado ♪ Well, better relates it never is to this guy. We got to get a break in here. We're working through some things, but I think we've got to resolve. Text me, two, five, one, three, four, three, zero, one, zero, six. This is a Jet Force show with a flip saw, four, zero, six, five. ♪ Long before you take this cowboy's hat ♪ Now if your leather jacket means to you what this hat means to me, then I get... ♪ The promise, my son, not the new things I've done ♪ ♪ Walk away from trouble if you can ♪ ♪ It won't be in your week if you turn it on the cheek ♪ ♪ I hope you're old enough to understand ♪ ♪ The sun you don't have to fight to be a man ♪ Well, go back to the Jet Force show, if I talk about those six, five. Thanks for staying with us on this Friday morning. Two, five, one, three, four, three, zero, one, zero, six. I'll see you here. Text. Jeff, you said half of one billion dollars. I'm thinking about half of one billion dollars. You know what I'm in. But thanks for the correction there on Dave Texture. Gee, Tubby is too busy. I'm a colleague, Democrats, communist. Gene, I think you're just a... I think you're just about content. I never... You know, like your entire Democratic party right now is crumbling before you. Life has to be pretty bad when you're turning on the cold wallace and you're Jeff Poor show talking point text message tirades. And here on the Republican delegation, it's half a billion dollars. Don't be mistaken for half a billion, half a billion dollars for the Mobile River Bridge. And you got some kind of Tupperville joke. Well, okay. Joe, I didn't see Kay. I'll be going up to Washington advocate for money for the Bay Bridge. What has she done? I'm sure she's done a lot. I don't think Kay Ivy is lobbying me halls of Congress, though. But it's certainly going to take some buy-in for Governor Ivy. I mean, she's going to have to... She had to go up there and call the delegation to her... to Montgomery and say, "Hey, look, we need to do this." There's kind of like one last thing for Jerry Carl on his way out. I mean, tell him legacy building. And although he was only up there for two terms, I mean, this is significant. I just hate what the courts did and the way they decided to divide up Mobile and Ballwood County. It is a crying shame the way that turned out. It's very disappointing that we can't keep both very more. Jerry Carl in the house. I'm sure Caroline Dobson is going to do just fine. I am not very keen on... I mean, I would be keen on some of our figures just because of his policy positions. But I don't think he's running that great of a campaign because I know that he's going to have a certain amount of votes already cast and stunned for him. But he is just not... Why don't we know about this man, other than his mom and daddy were the figures? Is he just spending all his time in Montgomery? I don't really know circles, but there's no... There's no effort to reach out to moderates. I'll tell you why I know that because you would see Doug Jones, Arthur Davis, guys like that that were really trying to play the moderate doing a little more outreach. But you don't see that. Why didn't Grandma Mitch and Shawn Sullivan? Good question. Vivek Ramaswamy, another text here, name texture. Ramaswamy thinks the deal is mostly struck by the dipper at power brokers at Biden. One thing remaining is negotiating the financial payoff and the post-election part is for members of the Biden family. Now going on our only smoking mirrors until that time when the loose ends are properly tied. I think you guys give these people too much credit. They are disorganized. They are not this well-oiled, miscalculating machine that you think that they are. They just are. There's clearly some disagreement within the Democratic Party. No one has the dare I say cahonies to step up at a major elite level like an Obama, Pelosi, Schumer level and just say it's time for Biden to go. 2-5-1-3-4-3-0-1-0-6 is the text line, but that's what it's got to be. It's going to have to be somebody. I mean, notice you're reluctant to do that telling me this. Until Pelosi, until Obama, until some major, not just boy/doggett from Fort Worth, Texas or wherever. Until a significant, Bill Clinton or someone like that, Hillary even, you have to look at who the royalty is in the modern American Democratic Party until somebody like that says, "Hey, it was a good run, man, but this is at your time." I would even say Kamala Harris, but she's not going to do that to Biden. But until somebody like that, I just doesn't seem to seem like a rudderless ship of, like, leads to the media, passive, aggressive, leading from behind, which Obama was known for. And you're not going to get the, you're not going to get what they hope to accomplish here in Biden off the ticket. Because he's not going to go. It was all volition. He's just going to go. If somebody, somebody that matters says, "Hey, and you've got to get to his inner circle, and that's who I think you've got to get to." Kurt Digger. They're already gone, joined his staff. The question, the answer, he has been part of the government too long. We came back during Reagan Bush a little. But when Democrats are in charge, they tax us to death. Trump got us back up the hill. Now we are sliding down the hill. We don't need support in the world and pay NATO all the way. We have problems at home in the country. Trump will get us back on the right path. The guy we trust is not Democrats in government. Dr. Mariana, maybe he'll drop out when China's sissy drops out. Maybe a name texture. Do the delegate votes automatically go to the nominee or whoever that might be? No. But the delegates, as Biden pointed out, they can vote for who they want to. They can do whatever they want. But if you're a Democrat voter and you went to go vote in the primary, you went and you didn't check a box for a delegate. Maybe you did. Maybe you did some states as the names of the delegates. But basically, you're going in there and you're checking a box for Joe Biden, whoever else is on the Democrat ballot, what Dean Phillips or whatever. Whoever qualified. Depending on what state you're in. And you went in there knowingly casting that vote for Joe Biden. And once they, I think it was New Hampshire, they did a writing campaign for Joe Biden. I mean, you had to know that you were going to go vote for Joe Biden if he wrote his name in. And these are the people who preached democracy, but I am convinced the Democratic Party doesn't care about their hypocrisy. They could care less. Hypocrisy only, that doesn't matter. Just scream louder. Just scream project 2025. That'll show them. And guys, this project 2025 reminds me of like the way they make call rove out to be during Bush or Dick Cheney or what waffle it's and all these deal cons and that they were up to something evil and nefarious. And once Democrats like adopt a talking point, this is nothing but a talking point. Why have we heard about project 2025 until two weeks ago. And the heritage foundation does is every election cycle going back to 1980 coming out of Carter. And probably very little of it actually gets fulfilled, but they're trying to make this out. They're trying to make it about policy now, I guess. But it's a policy to vote against not for. So this is the magic formula. People will get something before the vote for something and we can make it against the policy and not about the person that we have a better chance of winning. So we'll, but we got to, we got to create a face of it. We got to create a project 2025. And this is the path they got down and it's like you're stupid to figure this out. They know better than you. This is what we do. Um, Mariner, yes, the voice was a little low on the show. So I have a invest in this radio equipment here in it today. I hit the connect button and it just, uh, it dies like the, the flux capacitor just let go. So we had to last minute and thank to the guys back at the studio for, uh, for pitching in here. But I think I think we kind of got a fix for now while I'm out later running a radio studio out of your home sounds like fun, but it can be challenging at times. Two five, one, three, four, three, zero, one, zero, six, a text or we need our Gary from Summerdale writes this. Uh, sounds to me like you're a Democrat plant show. Why the hell do you keep preaching to get rid of Biden for your Republican should want to keep him because Trump will stop the crap out of him. We need Sarah Huckabee VP. All right. Well, two things. They're calling me a Democrat plant. Probably so. Gary, you know what? You got me. I'm a Democrat plant. I've been fooling you guys. What? How long have I been here? Get here late 2020. So 21, 22, 23, 24. We're going all four, three years here, three solid years. Four years. I am a Democrat plant. You got me. I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for you, better league textures, but my whole goal coming to mobile Gary was to. To brainwash you. To get you to vote for Joe Biden in 2024. You got me. Hopefully y'all can forgive me for that. Uh, fire dog. Can we just give Biden bars of gold and say, Brian Menendez, our cold cash, William Jefferson difference, see him to be easy to bribe. We just need to find out the amount. I think I think you could give Joe Biden a pile of cash and get him to walk away. Do you want to do that? Um, would you rather face Joe Biden? I probably. I Chris Matthews was on morning Joe yesterday morning and said something remarkable and this is my fear. They were able. What if they're able to turn Biden into this underdog, the sympathetic figure, taking on the elites of his own party. Sort of the way Trump was in 2016. He becomes not Joe Biden, but symbolic of something else, symbolic of like a, the Wall Street, Hollywood, political elites, Silicon Valley elites. Trying to manipulate the lower middle class and poor people. They're issues for their own self serving desires and. Biden's just a guy in the storm and he's fighting for a little man and he's going to get the unions and this is Chris Matthews, not me saying this. He's going to get the unions. He's going to get the black vote. He's going to rally these. These people, it turned him into this like symbolic, the sympathetic figure. And that's good. Well, we'll get him the election because the elites who are griping about mine right now are going to vote for him anyway, but there's not enough of them. From a pure like, vote tally to matter. They're just got platforms and they're the loudest voices in the room. And they're going to vote for him anyway. And what's going to happen? He thinks is they're, they're undermining their cause just by trying to play masters of the universe. And Biden's going to become the sympathetic figure. It did. Once Biden's reelected, which is OK, Chris. He's going to get revenge on these people. Uh, fire dog. Jeff was prideful. Go bars. Yeah, you got me. I'm a Democrat. She'll. All these years, man. I mean, like, at a very early age, like Reagan, Republican at like third grade. They'd argue with my teacher about Walter Mondale or something like that. But, uh, the gig is up, I guess. Uh, we had a good, we're good 40 year run of being a Democrat plant, posing as a Republican. Dr. Mariana, make him a martyr. And martyrdom is the best political platform. Jeff, love the show. Too many policies between your words, though, because I'm reading text. And even when I'm not, I'm, well, it doesn't matter. Jason, I knew it. That's why you've been so sympathetic to Jean and screeching Karen. Jason also follows the Democrat plant. Don't you think I could do better with my official Democrat response to Parker Griffith? Think about that. We'll be right back. This is the Jet Force show. I could talk about 065. A little turn of it on a Mason Dixon line. It's my life. Oh, it's all right. My big sea landing line. More, much more than this. I did it my way. Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew. When I fit home, more than I could choose. What about to the Jet Force show? What if it talks about 065? They're sticking around on this Friday morning, 2513430106. If I don't deserve enough time to turn mine into a sympathetic figure, every press or speech and a plan is another gap. I don't know. You're talking about a, I mean, like people cheered for Tiger Woods, even though he turned out to be kind of a scumbag at the, I mean, at the height of his downfall, but came back and, you know, it was like, you know, America comeback story. People like a comeback story. Is Biden going to come back as a Benjamin Button? No, but I don't know. That's the Chris Matthew's theory. James, the official troll of the Jet Force show, Jeff Jean and I are the only ones who actually challenged him. Use of your show. You should have a time slot for us to debate with your cult members. I don't have cult members. They don't, they don't like the pauses and the, the chronic errors of my delivery. By the way, guys, I am not a trained broadcast professional. I do not, I did not go to the, the Lemma Institute of Advanced Conservative Studies to learn radio. I just happened upon a microphone one day plugged it in and hey, I was on the radio. No, like Sean and Dan and Dalton. I just, I don't know, it was like a, it's kind of like a secondary thing here. It's always a work in progress. But James, didn't you hear I'm a Democrat plan? We had secret meetings, remember? I was to pretend that I was a right wing MAGA cult member and you, you were just supposed to be fodder for my radio show. Don't give up the gig, James. Still to come on the program here in the next segment, Todd Stacey Alabama Daily News, House Pro Tem, Chris Bringle and our Attorney Champion, Stacey Senator Chris Elliott. Well, if you didn't hear the news, $550 million in discretionary federal grant money coming for the Mobile River Bridge and Bayley Project, Jerry Carl is going to be on it new. We may get Katie Britt to hop on here before the conclusion of today's show to juggle some things, but they're very excited about this. It sounds like Senator Britt really kind of lead the charge here with Jerry Carl. Governor Ivy out touting it. So we'll see. I challenge Jeff a lot. I challenge a lot of what Jeff says, but I appreciate his views. You're delusional, James, that from Pat. We have a great show of the listen, that from Daniel. Well, Daniel, thank you for that. It's been a rough morning ain't going to lie when you, when you have a last minute snafu and you're struggling to get on air. But that's what, that's what the big boys do. It's like they do it to press conferences. They do big boy stuff. Line 2513430106, character shortly Todd Stacey. Stay tuned. This is the Jet Force Show on the PIP Talk, 106.5. Back over in strong cowboy. Getting caught and let a strong people I don't even know. And awful is coming over the phone. From Bucks Pocket to the shores of Orange Beach, at all points in between. An insider's perspective on Alabama politics. It's the Jeff pore show. What about to the Jet Force Show on the PIP Talk, 106.5? Thanks for staying with us on this Friday, Friday morning 2513430106. Keep the text coming. Just whatever I'm amused by some of the feedback this morning. I still become on the program, but I'm half hour from now. A house per tip. Chris Pringle going to make time for us thought the fentanyl bill and it's impact on what's going on in Alabama. How is it working? We'll hear from Representative Pringle in about 30 minutes and then in the 11 o'clock hour. Our returning champions say Senator Chris Pringle, potentially sometime in the next two hours. Senator Katie Brent will hop on. We'll talk about that. $550 million nailed down for the I-10 bridge. But joining us now on the line, he is the publisher of Alabama Daily News and he is the host of Capitol Journal. Todd Stacey is on the line with us. Todd, good morning. How are you? I'm great. Yeah, there you go. Well, thanks for making time for us. We always appreciate it. Well, let's kick it off here. I guess you heard the news that the it looks like Jerry Carl and Katie Britt kind of tag team with us here. Getting half a billion billion with a B dollars for a three, three, four billion dollar or two billion. I don't know whatever the estimate is these days for this I-10 bridge, but it does sound like they're making some progress. Yeah, look, $550 million is nothing. It's neither. And, you know, it's huge federal funding. I've always thought with this Bayway project, you know, it's so large in scope. It was always going to take some significant federal dollars, right? I mean, the state just can't go and build a billion dollar bridge, right? And it was always going to take some federal money. This is a really big step in that direction. It might take a little more, but I mean, $550 million is a big, big deal. And maybe gives the state more incentive to go forward with the state and the locals there. So we all want the Bayway project bridge, the Bayway to happen. However, it has to happen. I know the devil is in the details, but federal funding is going to be a big part of that. And so, you know, kudos to Congressman Carl, just Senator Britt on the appropriate. They're two appropriators, you know, all the appropriations committee securing that $550 million. It's also a reminder of why it's so important to have members of our delegation on the appropriations committee. And so, yeah, big deal for Mobile. I mean, is that how this works? So by virtue of them being on a probes, they're able to steer this. Or was there a, was it somebody in the DOT, in the Biden administration that had to sign off on this, too? Well, I'm sure Senator Britt can probably speak more specifically about exactly what happened. But, yeah, I mean, being on the appropriations committee absolutely is part of that. I mean, just look at what Senator Shelby was able to do in terms of the dredging project. And that has been, you know, really like a 40-year goal for the coast and for Mobile. You know, Shelby, you know, built all that political capital, became chairman of the appropriations committee, and on his way out the door, get exactly what he wanted. And that was the, the, the dredging project along with a lot of other projects. But when you're an appropriator in Congress, you have a seat at the table for all kinds of spending decisions. And your vote matters when it comes to federal agencies getting their, you know, budget requests through Congress. They have to have your vote. And even, you know, think about Senator Britt, she's in the minority, right? A slim minority, but still she's in the minority. But she's still on the committee. And she still has a say in what happens with those appropriations bills. And so absolutely it gives you influence on how things work and how things are allocated. You'd rather, from an agency standpoint, like, you know, DOT, Department of Transportation, if you're Pete Buttigieg, you'd rather have, you know, good relationships and agreements with members of Congress, with members of the Appropriations Committee, than disagreement. You don't want one of your appropriators to be upset with you and become a barrier, you know, an obstacle. So, yeah, that's why it's so important. It's complicated. It's intricate. But, you know, from the Katie Britt perspective, from the Senator Britt's perspective, she came up and appropriated, you know, world with, you know, working for Senator Shelby for all those years. She knows the ins and outs of that committee and how you can wheel influence and pull these levers for funding. So, yeah, it's a big deal. And it's pretty significant. When you, I mean, you think about her. She's only been there a year and a half and a very junior senator somehow managed to get on appropriations. But this is a typical behavior of a junior, a very junior U.S. senator, is it? I would say it's pretty impressive that she's been impressing this entire time. I'm not really surprised because, you know, you know, Senator Britt, she wants to deliver and she obviously went to the Senate with a mission and wanting to deliver those things for Alabama. But also, let's talk about Congressman Carl. He made it a point. I know he's on his way out, right, because of the election. But he made it a point after being elected and after serving that first term. He wanted to be on that appropriations committee. He knew how important it would be for Mobile, for the rest of the state. And you're seeing that delivering right now. And so moving forward with all of our delegation, it's important. You know, we're always going to have Congressman Adderholt as an appropriator. He's a veteran member of that committee. But I would say, you know, we probably need one more from the House to try to get on the appropriations committee to make sure that things like this continue to happen. Senator Britt can't do it all by herself. You've got to have some help from the House. We would think, I mean, to look at the current slate of our delegation. I mean, isn't Terry Sewell, she's on a probe, says it. I don't think so. She's on financial services and she's on energy and commerce, I believe. I don't think she's on appropriations. I mean, you would need, like, maybe a Dell Stronger. Somebody's got to be looking at that. Well, it's Jerry Carl X. It's, you know, I don't think it would be very more. But our Gary Palmer, either. But you got to start thinking, like, well, who's the next? At least a kind of Dell Stronger is kind of assuming that role right now. Yeah, I mean, I think Strong would be a good candidate for that. You know, obviously, Mike Rogers is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. So I don't think it would allow him to also be on appropriations. Again, Robert Adderholt is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. He really could have been chairman. There were some kind of extenuating circumstances that led to Tom Cole becoming chairman instead of Mr. Adderholt. But still, he's very high ranking on the Appropriations Committee. But yeah, I mean, you get to remember Joe Bader was an appropriator for a long time. Martha Robey, who I worked for, took his place as an appropriator, especially for a defense appropriations, which is so important to Alabama. Yeah, I could see a Congressman Strong trying to make a play for that. But he is on Armed Services, which is also really important. Boy, that is where Jerry Carl was before, I believe. Last, last Congress, he was on Armed Services and gave that up to be on. I don't know. Maybe I was imagining that Terry Sewell is on appropriations, but she's not. But somebody else, you're right. Like they need to find one more member. The natural fit would be Dale Strong. Yeah, and it's been interesting. You know, Mobile has kind of found the way over the years to have their member of Congress be an appropriator, or at least close to the appropriations process. And, you know, for good reason. There's a lot going on in the coast. There's a lot going on with the port. And, you know, obviously Shelby was very good to Mobile. And look at Katy Britt following in that legacy and delivering this really huge appropriation of $550 million for the bridge. Look at stuff first. The bridge, or some kind of change, the Alabama Constitutional gambling. That's a good question. I would say the bridge. I think you're right. And that's saying something. I think you're right. We bring the gambling. Like I was up talking to the Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader. I mean, gambling is just -- Todd, you and I have been at this a long time. If we both grew up here in Alabama, how long have we been talking about gambling? I mean, I remember the 1999 boat ride. I remember when Don Siegelman beat Bob James in the 1998 election. I was probably in like eighth grade. And that was a big deal because I'm just -- you're just getting tuned in. Bob James was governor. Don Siegelman comes and beats him largely on a promise to institute a lottery. Because Georgia had the Hope Scholarship lottery and that was really popular. And at that time, it was just Georgia and Florida that had the lottery. So Don Siegelman promises the lottery. That's why he won that election. But then it goes to -- then, you know, pass it to the legislature. It gets to a vote of the people. And it fails in 1999. And there's a lot of reasons why. But kind of the conventional wisdom was that it was too riddled with kind of pork and, you know, sweetheart deals and back room. You know, it wasn't just a straight up, it was fun education lottery. So really, ever since then. And then you had the, you know, these counties using their bingo constitutional amendment to prop up casinos. You know, bingo casinos, if you will. Which kind of led to the porch Greeks having their facilities. So, I mean, yeah, ever since 1999, 1998, we've been having this conversation. And I can think we'll continue to have it. Well, to blow your mind here, I was -- I was a sophomore at Auburn. I was -- we were studying for finals the night that Siegelman beat Bob James. And I remember I said, "Well, we're going to get to the lottery." And then that next year, I remember going to vote, voting for the lottery. I was stupid and young then. But also on the ballot at Auburn, they didn't have Sunday alcohol sales at Auburn up until '99. And on the same ballot as the lottery was Sunday alcohol sales. And both -- both won in the city of Auburn. And then they -- the bars didn't open up at Auburn on Sundays until after that lottery to '99, because it passed to the last Sunday liquor sales. So you got the drink, but you didn't get the lottery. They didn't get the lottery. They didn't get the lottery. They didn't have to drive to -- because what -- what you had to do -- and those of you who were back in Auburn, may remember this. I don't know, Todd, wire road there, if you go the back way out to the interstate, right when you hit the making county line, there was like an old house. Yeah. And it had these banners off of Miller Light and Budweiser. And you would have to drive to making county if you wanted to drink on Sunday. And it was these old ladies in making county that sold -- I don't know how they got a liquor license or the ability to sell, but they -- there was a little beer store that they turned this old house into. And you would just see it was just full of like good old boys with 43 tags and pickup trucks right there at the making county line right there at wire road. So as soon as they passed out of me, obviously that went away. But I remember that as kind of like -- that was sort of the mood of the times at Auburn. But we didn't get the lottery. And I think this, Todd, if you -- if you talk to Dodd-Siegleman now, he -- since his biggest regret was making it a special election and not putting it on the ballot was something else. Yeah. And I think that was probably negotiated. Not that I did that in making county in wire road. Not that I ever did that. I don't know exactly what you're talking about. But yeah, I mean, there are many probably regrets in terms of gambling in Alabama. And, you know, when I hear Greg Albright talk about gambling and how to -- you know, we need to get it under control. I mean, he's right about that. It's just not an easy path. What I'm curious about, you know, looking toward this next session that will start in February is -- everybody wants to know, will there be another gambling bill similar to what, you know, transpired a lot of time? Maybe, maybe not. What I'm curious about, though, is if they're serious about cracking down. Because that was the whole premise behind the gambling package, right, was, "Hey, this stuff is, you know, it's the wild west. You know, we don't have strong enough laws to crack down on all those local law enforcement doesn't have the tools. The attorney general doesn't have the tools." What I'm curious about is, okay, let's take a break on legalizing gambling and sports betting and lottery and casinos and all that. What if they just went after, like, really beefed up the law and allowed the attorney general a loud local law enforcement? Maybe compelled local law enforcement to truly crack down on this stuff. Would that be, you know, palatable to the legislature? Or is it the kind of thing where, "Well, that's the gambling bill, and we can't pass the gambling bill unless everybody gets their, you know, their special thing?" And so I'm still curious about that, because if you truly do want to crack down, why not just do that first? And then we'll talk about what we want to be legal and not legal. So I got to leave it there, but folks want to know what you got coming up with Capitol Journal and how to set up for your newsletter. How can they do so? Absolutely get Congressman Strong on Capitol Journal tonight, also talking with the Middle Health Commissioner Kim Boswell, also talking about the sales tax holiday that's coming up. We're about to go back to school, which is kind of crazy. It's only July of it. Back to school, sales tax holiday coming up, so Capitol Journal tonight, 730 on Alabama Public Television, yes. 5news.com, enter your name and your email, and you will be on the list. Todd, thanks for making time. We'll talk again soon. All right, yes, be good. All right, let's have a talk, 106.5. Then it crashes south of Nashville, and it turned that car around. He said, this is where you get off, boy, because I'm going back to Alabama. As I stepped out of that Cadillac, I said, Mr. Minute Thanks. He said, you don't have to call me Mr. Mr. The whole world called me high. What about to the Jeff Port show? What if I'm talking about those 6.5 things are staying with us on this Friday morning? 2, 5, 1, 3, 4, 3, 0, 1, 0, 6, ask the text line. James writes this, Jeff, I think you're closeted independent yet to be careful. My occult members will turn on you to Harvey. They turn on me on a daily basis. I'm not an independent. I'm a right-wing conservative. I would identify as a Republican. You know, it's taboo to do as a journalist. You're not supposed to be partisan. But here's my belief. I'm going to lay it out there for you. This is what I believe. This is what I consider myself. And this is what I'm going to be. And this is what you're going to hear. Whereas the mainstream media, the Democrats, the liberals, but they will tell you that. And then they dressed up their opinion as, well, as some kind of like stated fact. But I'm not what would define independent. I mean, like you can be conservative and be independent too. But here's the thing, James. The members of the Republican party, conservatives alike, went out and they made Donald Trump the nominee. He is the head of the party. He's the head of the movement right now. And I tend to think that's the will of the movement. You need to appreciate that, accept that, respect that. You have no respect for that because you think these are stupid people. But the dirty little secret is, you're wrong about them being stupid because they come to logical conclusions just like you and I. But furthermore, they pay you to the system. They go to work every day. They don't are supposed to. They follow the law for the most part. And even if you don't like the big bad orange man and selling his Bibles or whatever, I mean enough people do, that's their choice. And what you got to do, even if you disagree with it, and I would say this is true about Republicans and why Democrats and liberals the way they do, at least try to understand why they do what they do. Don't just reject it because you disagree with it. Maybe you can on a philosophical level, but at least try to walk a mile in those shoes and understand why. And James, guys like you are like, it's a cold. We have to just disavow it. There's no credence to it. There's no credibility. Screw it. It's stupid. But you can't, that's not the way the world works. Understand what led them to this moment in history. We'll be right back. This is Evan Talk, 106-5. You big talking man, and I'll be waiting in Jackson, behind my Jay Pan player. [MUSIC] Welcome back to the Jup4 show with Evan Talk, 106-5. So we're coming to program. State Senator Chris Elliott, about an hour from now, and the possibility that Katie Britt might hop on with us before now, and he ended the program to talk about this $550 million grant for the I-10 bridge that was announced this morning. So stick around for that. But joining us now, he is the pro temp of the Alabama House of Representatives and represents you guys in Mobile, state representative, or shall I say, House pro temp, Chris Pringle joins us. Good morning, Representative Aria. I'm great, and I'll tell you what, that announcement today is incredible. People don't realize this, but when I worked for Jack Edwards back in 1984 on Capitol Hill, we were talking about this bridge across the river back in '84. That's 40 years we've been talking about this. So I mean, to see that move forward is just tremendous for our docs and the data. We've got, you know, thousands of containers coming in our docs. We've got to disperse them. We've got to get them out of our docs and onto the interstate system and out of our vehicles as fast as possible. So we're thrilled. Well, that's good to hear. You know, what do you think, though? I mean, what else, is there anything the state can do, or is it just what's left to be done from a, at least your standpoint, do you think of this? Get it built. When you prove the contract, you're saying contract with you for an engineering firm to do, which is structure management. So we're moving forward on a project that's been needed for a long time. We've had an interstate that's going through the mobile on IPN. This time of year, it's a talking lot. Every Friday afternoon, every Saturday, Sunday, it's just terrible. And every week, my understanding is 18 realers of eight. If they have a load and they have to go through mobile, hearing a load, they add $150 to their trip just because of the traffic problems. Well, let me ask you this, to get you on to what we were scheduled to talk about. What do you think of this? It's a chair of the construction and renovation business. Well, what do you think of this construction management approach the state's taken on some of these big, big projects? You know, that'll go back to that whole rental space that held out for about 35, 38 years or something. It just, it's powered out by it. And it's going to take out about a while to get out from underneath it. And that's probably the best way we have out building highways and bridges, understanding. Give them the circumstances. Okay. Let's talk about this. I talked to the speaker about a week ago about this. But, you know, we have a law now on the books that is going to raise the penalty for fentanyl trafficking. And like, there was nothing really before this. So what I've been told is that what we're actually seeing is some tangible results here. Is that what you're hearing? Oh, definitely. I mean, that'll what happened. I mean, we had this problem. We created this drug addiction to opioids. You know, we had these toolmills. They were getting people hooked on opioids. And then we shut down the pillmills, but we didn't solve the demand problem. And, you know, trying to solve an opportunity. And they've been sending their fentanyl into Mexico and the drug cartels have been using in order to bring just tremendous amounts of fentanyl into this country. I mean, in one year alone, they captured a billion fentanyl tablets. Well, they weren't catching 10% so far because how much fentanyl they've poured in this country because there are certain issues that I can bet. Last year, we're running on alcohol and we're protecting people out from fentanyl. And so there's kind of a two-pronged approach. Representing that Simpson pass a bill that enhanced the penalties for trafficking fentanyl. If you're caught selling it, your penalties, your present time goes up. My bill says, if you are selling fentanyl and you call somebody's debt, we can charge you a manslaughter now. So it's a two-pronged approach and it's paying dividends. We've had several people arrested. We had four people arrested and bought a gowning for someone's fentanyl. We had a young teenage girl from what I understand and it killed those four people in charge in the manslaughter. And a week later, they arrested two of them again for an additional manslaughter charge. And I think we have a case of none of that on the same fine. So it's very rewarding to see a bill that was signed into law in April and it's already taken effect and we're able to put these drug dealers away. Well, and this gets me to my next question. I guess it's just this. We're like in this brave new world or whatever you want to call it. And we're playing catch-up, aren't we? Like with fentanyl, but also with some of the crime and some of the cities in this state. I mean, is that sort of like keeping you guys on your toes in this state house? Well, I remember we had the methamphetamine epidemic and we were always fighting meth. Because we would make certain type of meth illegal or the drug dealers just, they tweaked the recipe so it wasn't technically illegal. So we'd finally just, you know, brought a lot of the capture and all of it. Which is what we've done on this bill because the bill actually raised meth and all the handout it is. So they tried to tweak the homicide they would and still get them. But, you know, the legislature, this problem was created. When we opened that border and the Chinese started taking advantage of it with the drug cartels out of Mexico, flooding the market with it. And in Alabama, I can't do anything about the open border. But I can make it, you know, well known that if you're a drug dealer and you bring that garbage into the state of Alabama and we catch you with it, you're going to spend a long time in jail. So you don't want to bring it to Alabama. Well, the apple seeds and the rise, whatever the left wing groups are, I lose track. They say, well, you just keep passing these laws, which is why we were to put these people. What do you say to that? I mean, is there any, do you worry about that? I mean, there's so much of the judicial discretion and dealing with that, that this law, it's going to be hard to enforce just because of the circuits are hard to, I guess, not enforce, but hard to exact the punishment that you would like to see because of the circumstances. Well, you know, those liberal organizations are opposed to anybody in jail. But if you're killing family members and friends or this poison, you need to go to jail. You're killing people. What crime is it that you shouldn't go to jail for? You've murdered an innocent person. I think you deserve to go to jail. And you're selling poison that kills people. You need to go to jail. And that's just, when the system works, you break the law, you go to jail. Well, it's just a lot of those getting at, like, we don't have a place to put them, do we? Do you worry about that? I guess the prisons are coming along and we'll see someday, but we pass all these laws. And I think they do what they're supposed to as intended, but the system itself is flawed. Now, in this system, we've got problems in our prison system. There's no doubt about that. That's the reason why we're building the new prisons to herald these people. Because we have a very violent, violent prison population. And the people who are non-violent then parole. And we're down to the people who are truly violent people. But so are these drug dealers. These drug dealers, if they're not strong enough in their product, they will actually add fentanyl to it in order to make sure they kill some people because their drug sales go up. That's how powerful these people are. That's the level of callousness and disregard to human rights. And you're that callous. You need to go to jail for a long time. And, you know, here we are in Mobile, Alabama, or alongside Ted Court. I mean, there are places in the state where this is trafficked, right? This is where -- it's not just here in Alabama. But this is the pipeline for a lot of places around the country, getting from Point A, which I would assume is probably somewhere in Mexico across the border and up into the rest of the country. For sure, they might have to go up on 55 to continue on the last ten over the 995 on the East Coast. Right. But, you know, these drug cartels, they use Euros Highway 80, too. They sometimes run the back roads because they think there's less drug enforcement than the drug eradication on those. I drive lost 65 all the time, and I see drug enforcement units on the interstate constantly, but don't necessarily see them on some of these other highways cutting through the state. Right. Well, this is kind of it. Like, you didn't have -- but you didn't have an enforcement mechanism. And the idea that the stuff was coming through the state and headed to other places, and now it's not just -- it's not just protecting people in Alabama. I mean, it's something other. I do think other states maybe have some more measures enacted, but particularly here in Alabama kind of doing our part to stop this. Well, you know, unfortunately, the legislative process, by its very design and nature, is often a reactionary process. I mean, we try and stay in promise of issues, but oftentimes, the issues just present themselves to us. We have to react to them. And that's what's happened with Denmark. I mean, nobody ever saw this play coming until it hit us. Right. Other, you know, talk about this, enforcing this. I mean, and I think about this all the time. Whenever we add it all to the books, you got to like -- just get the law has to be enforced. Is this coming at an additional cost? I mean, like, what resources does law enforcement need to be equipped with to handle fentanyl enforcement? Well, in the beginning, our drug top screens want catching fentanyl. So they were declaring people overdosing on heroin or cocaine or something, because the drug screens want catching fentanyl. And when we've improved that ball and counting, they have a swab they use. It's -- they try to defeat persons of gun. And that's how they were able to arrest these people so fast, because they test the positive for a fentanyl right there on the spot so that you go out to people. It's probably -- I see an increased call. I mean, you'd still have a death. You'd still have an arrest for the distribution of the controlled substance. All these laws are going to just enhance the penalties and making it -- so these -- these people go to jail for long periods to stop. Well, yeah, and if you're handling this stuff is dangerous, it's hazardous, right? You're talking about Narcan, but, you know, if just a little bit -- these law enforcement officers have to put themselves on the line for this stuff, right? Like, it's not -- it's almost like handling some kind of toxic waste. Oh, it's terrible, because in a meeting with the Drug Education Council in Mobile, I do not know this. You know why they're selling multiple packs of Narcan now? Because Narcan doesn't work on fentanyl. It'll bring you back to my heroin overdose or cocaine overdose, but on a fentanyl overdose, it will get you breathing, again, very -- you know, on a temporary basis, but eventually, the fentanyl overcomes a Narcan, and you -- you quit breathing again so that it has to hit you again with Narcan to keep you around until paramedics or somebody get there, and they can, you know, start breathing for you. Yeah, and, you know, it's just a matter of, like, public safety and making sure that the officers are taken care of, too. You know, right? Exactly, I mean, you know, these drug dealers have brought this problem to our doorstep, and we have to address it now. And this is going to cause law enforcement more money to protect the first responders, you know, firemen, policemen, everybody. And, you know, now it's kind of the point where you're scared to even provide assistance when you find somebody on the street. You don't know that they don't -- well, they're -- you know, what the problem is. So it's -- it is a -- it is a poison in our community. Now, again, these children, these young kids are buying stuff off the Internet. They don't know if the pill that was made in China, and they -- they think they're buying, you know, one thing, and they take it, and it kills them. And this is very personal to me. To find a mind -- to find a mind's son, that territory got addicted to opioids, like so many people did back in the day, and, you know, they got them off opioids. They sent them to rehab, and this drug dealer is relentless. He would go to walk-in meetings, walk-in on meetings, and grab the guy when he came out and started trying to get him to buy drugs. And he was blowing his phone up to the point where the kid got a new cell phone up. So the dealer couldn't, you know, call him. The dealer went knocked on his mother's door and said, "Hey, your son showed me a piece of real estate, you know, six or eight months ago, and I really -- I've got the money fine now, but I can't get in touch with it." And the mother was thinking, "It was a real estate dealer, not a drug dealer." She gave him a new phone up. And the drug dealer, the following boy, just pulled the boy down, sold him a bill, and it turned out he was setting on and killed him. It makes sense that y'all did something here. Real quick, just a couple more minutes here, Pro Tem. We're talking about what -- looking ahead to this next session and beyond, I mean, like, you've gotten a lot of -- you guys got a lot of done, I think, even if you take gambling out of it so far. What's left to do besides -- we would think ethics. So, what do you have that you're looking at? Well, I think we are going to deal with ethics because, you know, we did a contract yesterday with an attorney to analyze the ethics laws in the state of Alabama that proposed changes to them. But don't forget, we've got a trial in November on the state senate districts. So, we might be dealing with senate redistricting in the next session, which, you know, that would -- that would consume a tremendous amount of time, you know. And then in February, we go to trial on -- again, another congressional redistricting case. So -- Well -- And I'll talk to your counterpart to say it about this. I mean, do you -- a lot of people tell me this all the time, Pro Tem, that it looks like, potentially, you've got to get another crack at even the congressional districts, too. You know, it's going to be interesting to see what the federal court rules. I mean, basically, in 2007, the federal court slapped our hand and said, "You rely too heavily on race and drawing your districts. You need to draw your districts more race neutral and not rely on race to do it." So, we drew -- we redrew the legislative districts. They said, "Perfect, that's what we wanted. Bless emphasis on race." So, when we started this process -- I remember telling the lawyers, "All we have to do is follow the law. We're going to be fine because we don't have to do anything nefarious." And, you know, I had the bastards pending against me before I ever introduced a congressional plan. The league of women voters had already sued me. And we thought we followed the laws. And the court came back and said, "No, you didn't rely heavily on all race. And you have to draw, you know, rely on all race to make these districts." So, I'm like, "Tell me what I did. One time you tell me, "Don't rely on all race. One time you tell me to rely on all race. Just tell us what we have to do to comply with the law." It's too confusing. Representative Thay -- you're always generous with your time. Best of luck out there that he stays safe, but thanks for coming on. Enjoyed it? Have a good weekend. Be safe. That was House Pro Tem. Chris Pringle there. We'll be right back. This is the Jeff Porte Show at open talk. 1-0-6-5. 2-0-6-5. I'm depending on your son to pull the family through. My son is all left up to you. I can't get to sleep at night, parking lot so loud and bright. D.A.C. hasn't worked in 20 years. Probably never made a single person cold. But I can't say the same for me. I've done it many times. Welcome back to the Jeff Porte Show at open talk. 1-0-6-5. That's your stay with us on this Friday morning. 2-5-1-3-4-3-0-1-0-6. You would be in touch with the show. All you have to do is text me and I'll respond to whatever it is that is on your mind. So a quick programming note here. We've got Katie Brick coming up in the next segment that's confirmed. We'll talk about this announcement. If you're just now tuning in, $550 million, half a billion dollar case. I'm a little muffled. Federal Grant, discretionary grant for the I-10 Mobile River and Bridge in Mayway. Katie Brick appears to have led the effort here. If you're not chasing, I talk about it. It's just about how you positioned yourself in the United States Senate. But that has come to be, and we'll hear from Katie Brick in the next hour. Yeah, at the very beginning of the next hour. So please stay tuned for that. We have a text here. Nothing says you're from Mobile and used to being the red stepchild better than being excited about a federal government giving us $500 million to build a $2 billion bridge. They should say, "For I can't wait for all these politicians to come on the radio to say how lucky we are." It's really sad that they did their job. The government would pay for the whole damn thing. Ben, if you get those "let these a" time slot, then I'll be the first to drink the Kool-Aid. Those guys won't have a time slot. Referring to James and Gene. Ben, gentle say yourself short. Shawn is like Nick Saban of Talk Radio. He gets five stars on the station. All the ones on the station are the best in our community. Well, if it's Shawn's a five star host, what am I? I'm opening up some danger there. Josh, George Clooney, she just can see to tell Biden that he's the nipple Batman. After all, Biden is Dick Tracy Villan. Mumbles. And then, okay. He was the mandatory worker's meeting yesterday. Gene, unfortunately, had decided to send you all to the Gulag. Remember in Siberia, they have cold and cold running water. See, we can make a joke. What else we got here? Moz, I remember the keg house at the wire road exit. Joel, what hard work are the teachers doing? We're going to do with the half a billion dollars. We'll get so far on the bridge project. Anyway, we'll continue discussing on the bridge project. 2513430106, this is the JetPort show on Fibt Talk 10065. ♪ On the road my friend was gonna keep you free and clean ♪ From Bucks Pocket to the shores of Orange Beach. Orange Beach at all points in between. An insider's perspective on Alabama politics. It's the JetPort show. ♪ I don't think I ain't done it this way ♪ Welcome back to the JetPort show with Fibt Talk 10065, number three now underway. Thanks, Ryan. If you can work it in, 2513430106, we'll do our best to respond given a limited time, but we'll rush them through when possible. I still come on the program about 30 minutes from now. Stay centered. Chris Elliott will be with us, our attorney champion. Stay tuned for that. Joining us now, last minute addition to the program. Very thankful she could make time for us. U.S. Senator Katie Britt is on the line. Senator, good morning. How are you? I'm doing well, Jeff. I appreciate you letting me come on. It's always great to talk with you and to be in front of your listeners. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Happy Friday. Well, happy Friday to you. Some good news. Obviously, I'm really curious to see how this came to be. A $550 million grant for the ITN bridge here. I didn't know one would have predicted this was coming, but talk about that. Talk about how it came to be. Yeah. Well, as you know, I came on your show back in December, 2021, when I was actually running for office. We were talking about this, talking about the challenges of how are we going to get funding? How are we going to make sure that the hardworking people of both Mobile and Baldwin County have access to get their kids to school for them to get to work and to move around? And so I told you then, I said, that's led, that I would fight hard for more federal funding for this project. And, well, promise made and promise kept. I led the Alabama delegation both in letters and efforts to support this well-deserved grant award. And, listen, we're not done yet. I mean, we're going to keep pushing. We're going to continue to push through, whether it be the mega grant program or ALDOT applying for the federal loan. You know, making sure, you know, exactly can actually cover up to 49% of the total project, I mean, cost. So I think it's just critical, not only for local commuters, but truly regional commerce. I think I told you then in December of 2021, but you cannot get from Texas to Florida without coming right across the I-10 bridge. And so making sure that we can move people safely and efficiently, I think is critically important. We're going to keep fighting for more. Well, this, I mean, you're probably aware, I mean, they had to pause it because they ran out of money, but this comes, it sounds like the construction will be able to resume next year. But is that sort of the plan? Just get the ball rolling again and buy some more time and then maybe we can kind of piece this thing together and finally get it done once and for all. Absolutely. And like I said, we're not finished yet. You know, I really appreciate Governor Ivy, her continued partnership on this. The leadership of the MPOs, the local officials that have spearheaded this. I mean, this has been a community driven effort because this is such a critical project. So absolutely, what we'll do is continue to look and say, okay, when can we get this moving? What else do we need? How do we make sure that we continue to push, continue to put the very best application forward, the best effort forward? And, you know, Mobile in Baltimore County have done a great job with this. I mean, this is something that I remember, obviously, there's been some pushing for years and years ago. And so just sincerely want to say thank you to Governor Ivy, to all of the local officials for coming together and speaking with one voice. Because, honestly, when you have local communities that choose to kind of sort of fight over these things versus come together and say, okay, this is what we want to do first. And that doesn't mean that they don't have another priority that they're going to push forward next. And then another priority that they're pushed forward then, but it truly makes a difference. And this huge award, I mean, $550 million investment in the Mobile River Bridge and the Bayway Project is huge. It's huge for Alabama. It's huge for America. And it is the result of a lot of people doing a lot of things that have attributed to this ultimate success. So, just -- do we talk about the process of getting something like this going? And Todd Stacey, he was on earlier. I mean, your role in the appropriations committee and the Senate had something to do with this, getting this advance forward, right? Well, listen, one of the things I always say is that it is my job, obviously, to make sure that the hard-earned taxpayer dollars come back to Alabama. So, when Alabama sends them up to D.C., I believe it is my job to send as many of those back to Alabama as possible. And I have been working diligently to create relationships not only within the Senate, but within these different agencies to make sure that we could have our voice heard. You know, I always say I want both our values and our people to have a seat at the table. And so, I work diligently to do that not only within the institution of the Senate and, you know, across the hill with my colleagues in the house, but also within these different agencies. So, you have to work with DOT, you have to work with the different staff members, you know, no one to push, no one to pull. And so, really worked hard on that and have a strong seat at the table. And I do think being on the appropriations committee helps me provide oversight when it comes to federal spending and really allows me to advocate to the administration, how they allocate these dollars. And that's the other part of this. Yeah, we'll talk about working with the Biden administration and the Department of Transportation, like, because it read to me like discretionary, like the White House, maybe not directly from the White House, but let's say the Department of Transportation had something to do with this decision. Absolutely. And I have to say, I appreciate their willingness to objectively look at the projects in front of them and realize that there is a deep need here for this, not only for Alabama, but for Americans. I mean, this is not only going to be critical for local Alabamaans involvement in Mobile County. I mean, this is critical for this region and is ultimately a huge thoroughfare for commerce across our nation. I mean, you take a look at I-10 and then you look at where we are here. I mean, you go back, I mean, we needed this when it came to capacity for travelers. You know, it'll help divert the majority of traffic onto kind of the new infrastructure and it'll also allow the hazardous cargo. It'll push that away from Africa town. You know, it's going to create just an overall safer and more efficient route and, you know, we have worked diligently on this in a non-partisan way, because it's a non-partisan issue. And I certainly appreciate the people. Like I just said, you know, thank the local community, thank the governor, and I appreciate the people at the Department of Transportation and the Administration for looking at this objectively and not playing politics. Well, and the thing about it is, I guess if you look around the country and any prioritizing, everyone's got needs, right? It's true. But I would have to think probably if you're looking at relative to national need that this would obviously be an I-10, that thoroughfare from L.A. to Jacksonville, it would have to rank up there up on the list. And maybe that's why this moved up, right? Yeah, and you, I mean, you have to also look at, I mean, take a look at both the Wallace and the Bankhead tunnels. I mean, you know, just start to look at the fact that both of those are over 50 years old. I mean, they're each, you know, taking in three times the capacity that they were designed for. I mean, you look at all of the different things. You look at the fact, just like you said, that I-10 connects the country's major cities and state ports. And so this is an issue not just about moving people, but moving goods across, not just Alabama, which is obviously our priority, but truly across the United States of America. It also, too, serves as a major evacuation route, given the Gulf Coast location and kind of sort of the path of so many storms. I mean, we're staying obviously incoming storms now here and getting ready for hurricane season. We all know with these name, making sure that people can safely travel and evacuate is also a priority. So that's, I mean, that is what we did. We put forth the facts. We said, look at the infrastructure. Look at the needs. Look at what this is used for. Look at what happens if we continue to allow this to be clogged. So while you, when you're looking at how to do these types of things and how to really get the attention of the administration and get the attention of a department or an agency, you've got to know yourself. So you got to drill down. You've got to anticipate every question they're going to have. You have to also know the process because it's the moment they can say, well, you don't have this information for us. And what they get to do is they get to set your project to the side while they're working on other things. I mean, while you're working on getting that may begin to help other people with other projects. So you've got to have, you've got to have diligence in this. I have learned this over the years. You've got to drill down. You've got to think of every question. You've got to close every loop. And then you've got to think about not just what it means to your state, but how this impacts our nation. And when you can effectively make those types of arguments consistently and then you've developed the relationships where people actually want to sit at the table with you and have these conversations. And they respect what you say and they believe what you say. The progress can be met. And sometimes it does not happen overnight. Sometimes it is building. We've obviously been attempting this and we kind of figure out where are the holes. You also have to go back to Jeff and look at who is being awarded these things and maybe take a look at what they put forth. And you get ideas and you strengthen your own application. You strengthen your own position. And these are the types of things I've learned over the years. These are the types of things that I have my team do. This is then. This is why we take so much time, so much energy. I am really proud of the group of people that we put together in our office. For the work they do for the relationship they're building for the way that they represent our state and ultimately are able to get things done for our state and our nation. So like I said, it is a big team effort. Everybody from working with the administration, working with the department, working with the governor, working with local officials and everybody coming together for a common good and I certainly am proud to be a part of it. Joey Biden, United States Senator Katie Britt here on the program. Senator, just a couple more questions. We're in the throes of an election cycle and Joe Biden continues to. I don't know what he continues to do, but he continues to exist in some capacity, but seeing what you're seeing now and wondering what's going on there. I mean, none of this that he has done since the last time we talked about the debate, that hasn't really changed anything for you, has it? No, Jeff, and I don't think we have to wonder what's going on. I think it is clear that our commander-in-chief is not in command, and I think it is also clear that not only is President Biden in decline, but he has put our country in decline as well. And each and every time that he stands up and shows the vulnerability, shows his weakness, shows his inability to truly lead, not only is that a had day for America, but it is a day that makes us weaker and more vulnerable abroad as well. And I continue to look at this and think all of these Democrats are trying to decide what they're going to do for the next four years, because remember, they were just fine with him serving in this capacity as long as they believed they were winning. So they were willing to put power above what they knew to be best for the nation. And now, we are obviously getting a window into all of this as Americans as to what so many of them have known for so long. And as you know, I said in my State of the Union response that he was a diminished leader, and I think the world is seeing that today. And the sad thing is that while Democrats are trying to figure out what they're going to do for the election in November, I think the rest of America is sitting back and saying this man can't lead until January. So it's a sad day for our country. It really is. And I know that our adversaries, I would think, are going to continue to take advantage of that. And I say continue because they have been seeing this and his weakness has invited so much aggression from each and every one of them, whether it's Iran or China or Russia or North Korea. They know he's weak and they continue to prey on him. And aside from what's going on with the Democrat side, Republicans hit it and enter their convention next week. Do you feel good about where Republicans are? Not just White House, but also, you know, the U.S. Senate and even the House pretty good right now? I do. I really do. I am excited about the convention. Look, we had a meeting at the NRC with President Trump just a few weeks ago, and it was an outstanding meeting, Jeff. I mean, there were people from all walks of the Republican Party sitting around one table in one room having a conversation with the next president of the United States in a unified and visionary way. It was exciting to not only hear President Trump talk, but to start to feel the energy in the room about what we can accomplish the day that he is sworn in. Because when he is sworn in, we are also going to have won the Senate, and hopefully we will have a larger majority in the House. And because at the end of the day, what this is doing for the American people is they're seeing that Democrats care more about power than they do about actual people. And when they take a step back and look at the things that we've been pushing for, secure borders, safe streets, stable prices, strengths abroad, they realize that this is what we need to move our nation forward. And it's the Republican policies that is the leadership of President Trump, and it's a Republican Senate that can actually get things done, and it's a larger majority in the House. So I'm taking a look at our candidates. They each are doing extremely well, not only in open seats, but in seats against Democrat incumbents. And that's what you're seeing right now, the panic in the Democratic Party. It's not that they have a leader that's incapable of leading, it's that he is dragging them down, and they are afraid they're not only going to lose the White House, they will lose the Senate and the House. And so the sad thing is, is they would have been just fine if they could have kept him on script and back in his basement like we saw in the last election. They would have been just fine with this continuing to move forward, but shining a light on how weak Joe Biden is, is also shining a light on how detrimental his policies have been. And I think in the convention, you're going to continue to hear the unity of the party, the excitement of getting our country back on track for our children, and a vision for a more prosperous and a strengthened America moving forward. Senator, you've been very generous with your time this morning, congrats on the grant, but thanks for making time for this program. Yeah, it's huge, and congratulations to the Mobile Involvement County, and just know we're excited about today, and we're going to continue to keep pushing moving forward. So thank you so much, Joe. Thank you. You're Senator Katie Britt there. We're going to get a break here. We'll be right back. This is a flip talk. One, six, five. [MUSIC PLAYING] Welcome back to the Jupyter show of the talk. One, six, five. They just stay with us on this Friday morning. See Senator Chris Elliott coming up in about just a few minutes here. So stay tuned about eight minutes or so. I'll see what we got here. Not once is James. Gene or James should argue with why Biden's are go to a guy only bashing you in Trump. Pretty wild to see the toddler's texture show. Yeah, it's always about Trump. Like their guy is just not in any way. Damn Yankee, so no surprises from old man Biden last night's NATO conference. My mother passed away from dementia. It's a very slow progression of symptoms and an even slower death. My non-medical opinion is Biden is six, 12 months max. Wow. Johnson is thank you, Katie. Gene says fact. I don't know what that refers to. Name text here. Jeff, thanks for having Katie Brittoam. She's a superstar. She's absolutely right about Joe Biden. He could even be a greener at Walmart. No offense to the greener is a Walmart, but he couldn't even do that now in this age of his life. And then we did it last text here. I T Jesus with all the issues with Biden even when I've seen him on his game. He so comes off as a VP, not a president. Anyway, so there you have it. We still got a little breaking. Well, this is in case you haven't been listening of $550 million for the ITN bridge for the federal government. It looks like an effort kind of spearheaded by my Senator bread and Congressman Jerry Carl. So a significant news there. But I think that's interesting that there's still more to be done. More money they think they could get from the federal government. So that's going to be interesting to watch. And I'll say this just as a casual observer. Here it is. July 12, 2024. Katie Britt sworn in in January of 2023. I need $500 million for a project taking the place of like a guy who was known for his port. We're going to put you on kind of like double secret probation for a while. But Senator Britt getting it done there. David Secretary Pete can get us another $500 million bridge. I think we should call it the rainbow bridge. And in KCC go Katie. All right. We got to get a break in here. We'll be right back. This is FM talk. 1-0-6-5. Welcome back to the Jeff Moore Show. Let's talk. 1-0-6-5. 34 minutes after the hour on this Friday morning. Text line 2513430106. Real quick. We didn't do this in the last segment. But our programming note on Monday. We'll have a state representative shade stringer and Dale Jackson and a guest to be named later. So we'll figure that out. In due time, always Twitter.com. Actually, let's Jeff underscore poor. It's something that eight o'clock hour. I was really today. But I try to post a guest list. Joining us now. Just every Friday. Our returning champion. State Senator. Senator. Good morning. Are you? I am doing well. It's been a busy weekend with a good ending. It seems like. Yeah. I mean, I didn't see it coming. I think it was probably just officially, you know, blessed this morning. But I think they kind of they've been knowing for a while that it's coming. But to your point, the amount is huge. $550 million is a $500 million. A giant building block of the capital stack that will be necessary to build this project. And in the amount, you know, compared to other amounts awarded around the, you know, around the country are just staggering. And so a good win for our congressional delegation, the master appropriator, Katie Britt, for sure. And for Governor Avi and the team at Albot. They have learned over the years how to interface with and work with USDOT, talk with USDOT, and their efforts of late have born much more fruit than their efforts from 10 years ago. And, you know, the challenge now is you've got $550 million. You've got to figure out how to do the rest of it so that you don't squander this opportunity. So the real work starts now. Well, does this kind of start things moving things back now? Jack Burrell in our 18, 19 news story on this. So it looks like a sexual start again, restart next year. I mean, this is what it looks like to me, just kind of piece milling together what you can just to keep the ball moving, right? Well, you do have to keep the ball moving. And I would have been hesitant to say construction will start next year. You know, I understand everybody's anxious, but you've got to realize even Albot is saying this is a $3.5 billion project. And while you've got, you know, $550 million in hand, there's still a lot of pieces that have to fall into place. And now really have to fall into place to make that work. And so, you know, those other pieces from the toll revenue study, from the TIFIA loan and approval process, there's still a mega grant request sitting out there. There may be a supplemental immigrant request sitting out there. And then, of course, the state is going to have to make up the balance, the shortfall on any of that. You know, the number they continue to espouse is $250 million. But that number is going to have to be whatever the gap is. And so, there are still huge pieces of this that need to fall into place in order to make all of this happen. But to say anything other than this is a jack step in the right direction would just be wrong. This is a good day. It's a good day for coastal Alabama. There's just a lot of work left to do. Well, it looks like back up in that can kind of tally here. You got a grant total of $650 million in federal grant money. Why do we expect that they can borrow from the toll revenue expectations, any other revenue sources? Like, what do you think the tally is that is realistic right now that the state can count on? So, as long as the toll revenue study based on the lower tolls that have been agreed to by the Metropolitan Planning Organization, justify it, right? As long as the revenue study justifies it, you can borrow up to 49% of the project cost, you know, against that future revenue through a program called TIFIA. So, round numbers, that's $1.75 billion of the total project cost, okay? And so, you start, you know, adding this up and you've got this $5.50 million and you start adding that back into there, okay? You know, here we are, 2.3 billion. You're getting there. You're still a billion, 2.3, assuming that 3.5 is a good number, short. And so, you're really dependent on the balance of those federal grant programs. From the government, the federal government, that just gave you $550 million in one of the largest awards ever in the program's history. You're still needing some more from them or the state's got to make up the difference. And those are big numbers for the state and they're big numbers, you know, without federal money, but they may be doable. It just is going to eat up a lot of state resources in order to make that happen. We'll also feel like the clock is ticking here, Senator. I mean, every day you wait longer, the price goes up. We're just in this unfettered, inflationary environment that you've got to get moving on this thing or a tag. You know, what used to be 800 million? Now it's, you know, 2 or 3 billion, and does it keep going up the longer we stall on this? So, like, the expediency here seems like to me to be an issue. But you're exactly right. I mean, if anything history's proven, you know, that this project continues to get exponentially more expensive, the more time we spend on it. And so, you know, time is of the essence. Plus, there's going to be a clock on, you know, on the expenditure of this $550 million money. I mean, it's going to have to be spent typically at the 3-year clock or so. I know it was in for granted. It was a big deal to get the project back on the step so that that money didn't go away. But it's reasonable to assume that the same pressure is going to be on this $550 million to get obligated is the key word there. To get it obligated, to make sure that you are able to expend that money. And that's going to mean all these other pieces and parts are going to have to get into place. But that expediency may work out in our favor in that we're moving ahead and we're not seeing this thing continue to creep up in price. What do you think a realistic expectation is for even more money from the federal government? I mean, like, we're up to $650 million now or so. What, how much more can you go back to that well? Well, there are different federal grant programs out there, still in for others, still mega, and those applications are in. And how about some really good job working, again, with the feds here recently. And in particular, you know, particularly our congressional delegation, like Jerry Carl from this area. I mean, you know, he and I spilled some of the same blood in the same mud when we were both county commissioners working on this early on. And he deserves a lot of credit of making all of that work. And so our congressional delegation on the outside, you know, led by Jerry Carl and again, Katie Britt and Senator Feberville will be so very important to make sure that this continues to, you know, we continue to get additional federal money because we need it. You know, Alabama is not a wealthy state. This is the biggest project that Alabama has ever contemplated. And it will eat up a huge amount of state resources. Any additional help the feds can give will mean that we can still do other projects and other part of the state too. George by state Senator Chris Elliott here on the program. I guess the other question I would have any time the federal government puts money into one of your projects. I mean, there are strings attached or stipulations. I mean, we're going to have to have a walking trail next to the bridge. I mean, like what a bicycle path, some kind of solar panels on the bridge. I mean, like they do all this. And this has always been the problem with taking federal money. What do you think those strings attached are? Oh, the biggest string that is attached to this project is the elevation of the Bayway. I mean, that's what made this thing double in price was the requirement from USDOT that we demolish and rebuild the existing Bayway. And all the other stuff is stuff we shake our head at, right? The lighting and the pathways and all that. But the thing that really ballooned this cost was the elevation of the Bayway. And so there are a lot of those strings attached, but it is also a federal interstate. And so with that comes an awful lot of federal requirements in which you just have to jump through. But again, I will say that our congressional delegation has done a heck of a job working with USDOT to say, here's where we are. Can we work together on this as opposed to just, hey, we put in an application and look to what happens? And explaining those concerns and working through that. So they've turned a page from where we worked in years ago to where we are now. It's working a whole lot better. It's almost a team effort to get this done where it really wasn't ten years ago. And you don't think there's any way to get around that elevated Bayway requirement? Well, we're talking about like, you know, 100-year flood and you still have a lot of extra room to give. I mean, what do you think? Can you think me done there? Yeah, that's a really good question. In order to do that, that's part of the record of decision for the Environmental Impact Statement. It's set in stone. You can go back in and update that environmental document. But that takes time, energy, money, you know, all of, you know, it costs time wasn't anything else. We may have to do that if we can't get to the point where we can cobble together the rest of the money to be able to make this go as it is now. But this grant award of this magnitude, again, the second largest in the country really makes you say, okay, we need to stick with the plans we've got and see if we can cobble together the rest of the funding. You probably could have risked this grant and other funding if you kick the can down the road and open the EIS back up. I would not do that unless you absolutely had to or unless you just simply couldn't put the rest of the money together. And, you know, just anything else there that the cost prohibition, the elevation of the bridge itself. Something Katie Bridget mentioned that was kind of interesting. And I think it was probably a big one of the reasons to get this done. You no longer have the hazardous cargo going through Africa town there across the Cockford bridge. Now, you can just go straight through if this bridge is completed. Well, that's certainly a factor. And that helps not just from the hazardous cargo standpoint, but I just help our characters in general and everybody else. It's just, you know, trying to get from point A to point B, you know, the shortest distance is always a straight line. But I think that, again, revisiting any of your design parameters, if you can figure out how to afford this project, we're using significant federal resources, you know, go for it. Could we do it more efficiently? You know, probably could without federal guidelines. Yeah, always, you know. And, when I was on the county commission, you know, if you didn't have to use state money, it was easier. If you didn't have to use federal money, the project was easier, of course. But at the end of the day, if you've got this type of federal investment that this is big, that it is this big. It's with EIS, it's approved. It's with the record decision that's approved. Use the federal money and cobble together the rest of it to make it work. Failure is not an option here. You have to make it work so that you can utilize this money. Last question you're gonna ask us all the time when we talk about this. But, like, now that we're further along, we're like five years down the road from where we were during the 2019 debacle. Like, let's see, like, every 50 years or so, we got to revisit how to get across the Mobile Bay. Is this bridge gonna be built? Is it gonna be, I mean, do you feel like it's gonna, like, not be obsolete when it's finally done? Yeah, I think this is a project we'll be looking back on well over 50 years from now and that it'll, you know, it'll be here and still be, still be serviceable. Maintaining the tunnels, continuing to have them as options, still utilizing the Cochrane bridge, et cetera, is a big deal as well. And so, yeah, this is a, this is a hundred year project. It's not a 50 year project and it'll, it'll likely last that long, especially, you know, with the Bayway improvement. It'll, they'll, they'll last for a long time. And this is huge for the city of Mobile. You know, it's, it's, it's not my district, but it's, it's hard to understate how big this is for their investment in downtown and specifically the airport at Berkeley. The Berkeley airport doesn't work without this bridge, so having this bridge makes, makes a huge difference to them and the investment they're making there. Well, it's just this. It's, from a capacity standpoint, it's, it's going to be, I, I mean, I don't know what the traffic studies say. And I know Bala County's growing and I don't even know that if you would think of Bala County as a bedroom community of Mobile, even a hundred years from now, if it's not doing its own thing like a Hoover Birmingham sort of situation. But, I mean, this is going to, you think, going to be good enough to service whatever the traffic projections are long after you and I are gone. I do. I think, I think again with the existing infrastructure on the causeway, the, this bridge, the tunnels. Yes, I think that with the growth, this will continue to be sufficient for most, most of our lifetimes. And, and there are a few infrastructure projects that I feel comfortable saying that about, but I, I do with this. It is, it is, it's a lot of projects. Again, the biggest project, how about has ever contemplated. And so, you know, again, big, big win for the governor, big win for our congressional delegation, big win for Jerry Carl. And it's got to be, I hate that he's leaving us. It's got to be a sweet note for him to leave on that to be able to secure something like that. So, congrats all involved. Sir, thanks for making time for us. We got to leave it there, but we'll talk again next week. Thanks so much. They said it or Chris Elliott, we got to get a break here and be right back. This is a FIB talk, 106-5. The first thing I remember knowing was a lonesome whistle blowing, and the youngest dream of growing up to ride. On a great train. Welcome back to the gym floor shoulder. If I'm talking about those 6-5, they just stick it around. Let's listen to this Friday morning. Let's see here we got a text, blah, blah, blah. Jeff, we spend billions around the globe. Why can't we get this bridge that I said, wasting, you know, even well, not a Ukraine, but around the world. Why can't we get this bridge done? That's Perry from Fair Hope. And then John, build the bridge now and then worry about the new Bayway. So, you know, you build that bridge and you have the tunnel coming in and all of that at once. I mean, it's just going to be a log jam getting across still. So, you got to do them together. And I would even argue, you got to go six lanes all the way to at least buckies, probably without facing any kind of traffic disruptions on a regular basis. But we'll see how that plays out in the long run. I come up here shortly, midday mobile, Sean Sullivan. What's you got for him today? Jeff, it's the danger of having done this, you know, talk radio, but here, you know, talk about the bridge project for so long that it's because people ask these questions that don't do what we do for a living. I think it's fair, right? But it's like, because you can't, you know, I know it sounds flippant, but they say, well, why don't you just build the bridge without building the Bayway because you can't because part of one funding deal, it all comes together. Yeah, I agree with people. I'd like to say, you know, I'm the pay as you go kind of guy, but that's not how these deals work. So it's, you know, and also like you can't just, if you just went to the federal government for bridge money. And then the Bayway becomes a pressing need. Well, what do you do then? Well, you were just here at the teller window wanting money for that. Now you want this. Yeah, and you can't take all that traffic and then put it back. You can't squeeze it back into one spot. You just move the pinch point down further to the, to the east. Right. So, so you just got to go. I mean, it's just got to kind of go together a couple together, I would think. But I also think like expanding I-10, even if you had to do it all the way to Pensacola, Florida, to the state line there, will be a lot, a lot more reasonable, a lot more feasible for the state to accomplish. More so. You're probably easier left than this bridge. Yeah, but it would be, but I mean, for us and what we deal with in Mobile Baldwin counties, while it's great to take it state line to state line, the reality of the issue comes from the 65 10. Interchange to about the Malbus exit. I mean, there's traffic past that. I get it, but that's like the key, right? They got to rebuild that I-10 65 interchange to some point. Don't you, don't you love that very narrow, narrow lanes going across there? Did you get your racing stripe when you're coming off of a 65 going on the I-10 east? Yeah, it's always fun when you're dragging a big boat or a wide trailer. It's good times. It's like you little loose in the corner there. You better, you bet your white knuckling in across there going over the interstate. Keep things fresh. Coming up in just minutes, Congressman Jerry Karl, to join us obviously to talk about this bridge project a whole lot more, plus Dr. Phillip Carr from the University of South Alabama and hour number two, mid-day mobile on the way. All right, I got to get out of here. I will try to do better on Monday. Sorry, Phyllis. I forgot to say goodbye. This has been the Jeff Moore Show. On FM Talk, 1-0-6-5. [MUSIC]