Hot Topics of the Day – 9-15-25

Jason Schwartz with Scott R Bushnell in the NEUTRAL Zone on Maui — 9 15 2025- spicy conversation about the affairs of the day, not locally & nationally. Scott is a recurring guest and co-host from alohaswimlessons.com. A clever and informed guest!!

Summary of the Show – Transcript is below

• [00:16 → 06:56]

Introduction and Local Updates

• Jason Schwarz introduces the show from Maui’s Kaku88.5 FM and Maui Community Media, highlighting its long archive of videos spanning 25 years.
• Lighthearted banter about radio personalities and hair loss remedies, setting a casual, conversational tone.
• Discussion about TV series longevity with examples like The Blacklist and Murdoch Mysteries, emphasizing storytelling challenges in long-running shows.
• Positive remarks about the reopening and beautification of Bea Avenue in Kihei with new streetlights and sidewalks encouraging walking.
• Personal update: Jason’s son Brian moved from New Mexico to Maui and was recently hired by Hawaiian Airlines. Mention of senior citizen parent travel benefits (details Not specified/Uncertain).
• [07:32 → 09:17]

Encounters with Famous People and Reflections on Maui Life

• Jason describes spotting Tony Hawk, the famous skateboarder, and Larry Bird, highlighting Maui’s appeal to notable figures.
• Reflection on Jason’s 37 years living in Maui, emphasizing his identity beyond political labels.
• [09:17 → 16:52]

Deep Dive into Brain Chemistry, Meditation, and Controversies

• Scott shares his research into GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid), a brain chemical involved in seizures and neurological states.
• Explanation: GABA acts like a tuner in the brain, controlling the “radio stations” of neural signals. During seizures, GABA levels fluctuate drastically.
• New medicines and microchips aim to regulate GABA for epilepsy and impulse control disorders.
• Interesting finding: Tibetan monks and Sufis in meditative states lower GABA, facilitating spiritual experiences and heightened world awareness.
• Discussion about the possibility of manipulating brain function via rDNA technologies to selectively tune brain activity, with potential medical benefits but also concerns about nefarious misuse and invasion of privacy or autonomy.
• Caution about how such technologies could be exploited by governments or others, though the primary intent is to help patients.
• Commentary on personal choice regarding what substances or interventions people put into their bodies, emphasizing individual freedom.
• [16:52 → 18:55]

Vaccine Debate, Mental Health, and Societal Reflections

• Jason reflects on the controversial vaccine debates, referencing RFK Jr. and vaccine skepticism, and respect for personal choice.
• Personal anecdote about losing 21 friends to myocarditis, possibly linked to vaccines, raising awareness of rare but serious side effects.
• Observation that many school shooters were on psychotropic drugs with warnings about suicidal or homicidal behavior, linking mental health medication use with societal issues.
• Critique of society’s tendency to medicate rather than invest time and care in addressing root causes of mental health problems.
• Emphasis on appreciating simple natural experiences like sunsets and phenomena such as the “broken rainbow effect” witnessed from Haleakalā crater, which Jason captured on photo/video, illustrating Maui’s unique natural beauty and spiritual feel.
• [19:22 → 22:27]

Maui’s Economic Shift and Housing Challenges

• Discussion of Maui’s economic transition from sugar cane industry subsidy cuts in 1996 to a tourism and vacation rental economy.
• Comparison with other regions (e.g., Oregon coast) where industry closures caused massive unemployment and community hardship.
• Tourism is currently slow, with vacation rental owners struggling financially, paying high fees but seeing decreased occupancy (reported as half pre-fire levels).
• Example of an elderly woman who relied on rental income now struggling to pay association fees, illustrating the financial precarity of many local residents.
• Concern about regulatory changes threatening long-held rental rights, creating uncertainty and distress for residents.
• [23:41 → 27:48]

National Politics, Media Algorithms, and Social Polarization

• Scott updates on national political climate, mentioning Charlie Kirk’s funeral and the polarized reactions to his assassination.
• Praise for Kirk’s approach of engaging with ideological opponents rather than echo chambers.
• Criticism of the media and social platforms’ use of algorithms designed to trigger anger rather than satisfaction, maximizing engagement but deepening division.
• Anecdote about targeted ads appearing without search history, illustrating pervasive data tracking and the influence of algorithms.
• Concerns about how rDNA-based technologies and media may manipulate public perception and behavior.
• Observation of families absorbed in phones even during perfect beach days, symbolizing widespread technology addiction and detachment from nature.
• [28:32 → 31:44]

Tourism and Consumer Behavior on Maui

• Tourism industry noted as slow in the current season, with business owners hoping for increased visitor stays.
• Safeway grocery store on Maui compared to Whole Foods, with high prices but strong coupon incentives.
• Personal experience purchasing discounted ribs during a special $5 Friday deal, emphasizing the importance of savvy shopping to save money.
• Positive note on Brian’s new job with Hawaiian Airlines, flying internationally, which is a source of pride for Jason.
• [32:23 → 36:06]

Technology in Health Monitoring: Apple Watch and Medical Alerts

• Jason’s son Tyler is in charge of Apple Watch division, highlighting technological advances in health monitoring.
• Jason shares his experience using an Apple Watch to detect heart arrhythmia, alerting him and prompting hospital visits.
• The watch can detect falls and automatically call emergency services if no response is received, adding safety for active or elderly users.
• Comparison drawn between modern devices and older emergency alert buttons used by seniors.
• Discussion about the practicality and limitations of wearable tech (e.g., must be worn on wrist).
• [36:36 → 38:37]

Lifestyle Changes and Health Challenges

• Scott shares that he has moved to a quieter apartment complex with pool access, improving quality of life.
• He continues regular water exercises and maintains activity despite surgeries and health issues.
• Lighthearted discussion about smoking habits and the need to manage blood pressure and fitness.
• [39:10 → 42:42]

Media Production and Public Access Challenges

• Scott talks about his website building challenges with GoDaddy and difficulties managing content updates.
• Akaku (Maui’s community access TV) has reinstated fees for space usage post-COVID, increasing costs for producers.
• Funding competition and declining public resources have made community media financially challenging.
• Scott reflects on his decades of experience with radio and public access, including hostile audience reactions and controversies.
• He emphasizes that controversy is not necessary to attract audiences; instead, sincere discussion and questioning are key.
• [43:16 → 46:36]

Media’s Shift from Journalism to Newsreading and Social Impact

• Critique of the media’s transformation from journalism to newsreading aimed at generating clicks and emotional reactions.
• Algorithms reward content that triggers anger, causing sensationalism and polarization.
• Political discourse has become theatrical and confrontational, resembling “pro wrestling” to capture audience attention.
• The loss of substantive debate and reliance on outrage undermines democratic processes and public understanding.
• The show positions itself as a neutral zone encouraging open, respectful dialogue across political divides.
• [46:36 → 48:39]

Reflections on Violence and Political Narratives

• Discussion of the shooter who assassinated Charlie Kirk, emphasizing mental health perspectives over political blame.
• Compassion expressed for the shooter’s family, including a veteran police officer father.
• Skepticism about narratives blaming political parties for violence; focus on individual and societal factors instead.
• President Biden’s role is briefly discussed, with recognition of his economic achievements but criticism of his communication style.
• [48:39 → 52:42]

Education System in Hawaii: Past Success and Present Challenges

• Historical note: When Hawaii’s Department of Education took control (~50 years ago), Hawaii was ranked #1 in education nationally.
• Currently, Hawaii ranks near the bottom, comparable to New Mexico, indicating sharp decline.
• The centralization of curriculum and administration in Washington DC is criticized; local control is preferred.
• Funding issues: only a micro amount of education budgets actually reach teachers; majority goes to administration and expenses.
• Budget breakdown shared:
  | Category | Percentage of Education Budget |
  |——————-|——————————-|
  | Teachers | ~6.5% |
  | Capital Outlay | 14.5% |
  | Administration | ~80% |
• Over-administration burdens teachers, who lose instructional time to paperwork and bureaucracy.
• Hope expressed that AI may help reduce administrative overhead, though job losses may result.
• [52:42 → 54:21]

Construction, Housing Costs, and Post-Fire Recovery

• Building trades in Lahaina are booming; skilled laborers and dump truck owners earn very high incomes (~$50/hour or $800k/year for owner-operators).
• Housing rehab costs are extremely high, with some homes costing ~$849,000 to repair from fire damage.
• Frustration expressed over building codes restricting reconstruction to one home, limiting multi-unit or ohana dwellings, affecting displaced families.
• FEMA’s role in recovery is under scrutiny with ongoing issues.
• [54:50 → 56:26]

Upcoming Events and Closing Remarks

• Announcements:
  • Maui’s Deadly Firestorm screening on PBS Frontline, held every third Thursday (next event Thursday, 6-7:30 pm).
  • Podcasting basics workshop on Saturday, September 27th, 10 am – 12 pm ($20 or free for Akaku members).
  • Video/radio/podcast collaboration event on Saturday, September 20th, 10 am – 12 pm.
• Jason and Scott express gratitude and encourage community participation.

Key Insights and Themes

• GABA and brain chemistry research highlights the intersection of neuroscience, spirituality, and emerging biomedical technologies, with ethical concerns about control and autonomy.
• Media algorithms are designed to maximize engagement by triggering negative emotions, fueling political polarization and social fragmentation.
• Maui’s economy remains fragile, transitioning from agriculture to tourism, with significant challenges for local residents in housing and income stability.
• Education funding and administration in Hawaii are deeply imbalanced, with excessive bureaucratic costs detracting from classroom resources and effectiveness.
• Technological advances such as health-monitoring wearables provide new ways to manage chronic conditions and emergencies but raise questions about privacy and dependence.
• The show embodies a neutral zone ethos, encouraging open, respectful dialogue across divides, emphasizing facts and civil discourse over sensationalism.
• Mental health and medication issues are linked to broader societal challenges, including violence and addiction, suggesting a need for more compassionate, holistic approaches.
• Maui’s natural beauty and community spirit continue to inspire and sustain residents despite economic and social pressures.

Quantitative Data Summary Table

Summary Timeline of Topics Covered

Full Transcript with Timestamps

00:00:16 – 00:01:33
Hello everyone. Can you believe we’re in the middle of September 2025? [Music] Hello world. My name is Jason Schwartz. I’m your host here at the neutral zone. MauiNeutral.Zone That’s a new one. We’re going to be podcast that’s coming up. But we’re Maui neutralzone.com. We’re at Kaku88.5 FM, the voice of Maui, this beautiful studio. We’re simal cast on Akaku, Maui Community Media, channel 55 and more. And on your phones, Maui stream, three television station, then a radio

00:00:54 – 00:02:03
station. And you can find us if you put YouTube.comdreamau and the number one. You’ll see hundreds and hundreds of videos and you’ll say that doesn’t look like you. That’s 25 years ago. We have a real archive there that goes for a long time and sees Maui in its younger days. I was going to say when Mike Molina had hair. I like to pick on Mike Molina. He’s been around so long doing good things. He’s a teacher. He’s still good. And um he really grew into himself. And uh I

00:01:33 – 00:02:45
always wondered someone came to me yesterday and said take use rosemary oil on your head and the scalp and it will grow back your hair. I I don’t I’m not even worried about it. But you guys that are radio ears, you know that’s Scott R. our bush. Now, you bet. Our co-host when he’s in the field and he’s had too much hay or too much whatever. He calls in and says, “Hey, see what I mean?” Yeah. That’s why I said, “Hey.” See, you were thinking something different, but you

00:02:08 – 00:03:04
were saying, “Hey, I have some time. I got some things I want to say.” Welcome to our show, Scott. Happy to be here with you. Good to see you again. I hadn’t seen you in a while. Well, you know what happens? If you hear my stories, you’ll say, “Oh my god, you I’m No, no, Jason, you’re you’re always somewhere out there, you know. I’m helping something.” You you loop around. We all loop around. We have a wonderful format discussions. Good. Yeah. Thank you.

00:02:37 – 00:03:38
Which this you mean? Yeah. I It’s a perfect, you know, we ask questions and go, “Okay, well, what’s the right answer?” If we don’t have an answer, then well, if we don’t have an answer, it isn’t Hollywood. It’s not Hollywood. They It means they always have the answer. They do. They start from the end and they work backwards. They make up stuff and just kind of bring it forward. Well, you know, it’s it’s really interesting to see these plots that they build. They’re so long into the, you

00:03:07 – 00:04:09
know, eighth season of what now? What are we talking about? I’m just making an example. Like there’s a show called Blacklist. I’m on season number one. Okay, that’s but there are like eight, nine or 12 seasons. That’s a hundred something shows. So you have to you have to start by a big concept realizing that you’re going to have to create filler. Like when I watch the comedy stuff and I see years and years you have to have a character, but how do you keep it fresh and new?

00:03:37 – 00:04:43
Yeah, it’s it’s amazing. I we we we were back uh on the mainland and Andrew’s dad says, “Oh, there’s a show Murdoch Mysteries. It’s like started 20 years ago. It’s a Canadian series. It’s about a detective um back in 1908.” And they do it period period is perfect. They have the clothes. They have the the culture. They have this detective that’s a Catholic who’s getting prejudiced against, not getting promoted, but he’s brilliant. It just goes through the

00:04:11 – 00:05:29
whole concept of what’s going on in u Quebec back in um the 19 early 1904 1905. And it’s it’s so fun. It is just I you know, is it murder mystery style? It’s a little bit. Yes. you know, he’s married to the coroner and she’s a woman doctor, which is something that was unheard of back then. And they’re going through a lot of the stereotypes are going through the the Teddy, the young Teddy Roosevelt hunter who was coming to Canada to hunt. And I mean, the story goes all over the place. And we we’re

00:04:49 – 00:05:51
talking about 40 episodes a season and 24 seasons. We’re talking about these people are 40 episodes. two of the guys that are in there the same age as I am and I’m just watching them age through this series and I’m like this is I guess you know they got makeup but yeah no but I mean it changes a lot a lot I mean everything from you know it’s like when remember the old days Dick Van Dyke show okay we get the guys in the room okay we got to have a show for Sunday or Saturday Night Live

00:05:20 – 00:06:28
one of those quick demand got to deliver new fresh stuff or I think of my friend Chuck my friend Chuck Chuck, you’re still my friend. I haven’t seen you in 40 years, but there you’re still my friend. Chuck Lori and the way he keeps cranking out that series and you can see I can see in the humor he’s got that same inner thing. He just puts out and he just knocking out and it works. He has a team. Everybody that does this has an amazing team. Yeah. So, what’s been in your life? You I can

00:05:55 – 00:06:55
see you’re taking care of yourself and looking Yeah. Yeah. You know, I’m I’m still slowly cutting weight, feeling good. I uh got my miles in this morning. Um I It was really fun. Um Bea Avenue, the one going through Kihei, is finally open again, and it’s so beautiful. They put beautiful street lights up. The sidewalks are wonderful between Safeway Center and the Long Center. Yeah. Yeah. It’s open now. Yeah. It’s so beautiful. They’ve landscaped it. They’ve put in

00:06:24 – 00:07:26
Oh, it’s it’s gonna be amaz. It makes you want to walk. Makes you want to walk. Makes you want to walk. Center. Yeah. My My son um came and he’s living here. My son Brian. Um he was living in New Mexico and he said, “Dad, I I just got to get a change of pace.” Got here and about two weeks ago, he got hired by Hawaiian Airlines. He starts in a week and a half. And you know what? Senior citizen parents fly free. You know any of them? I know. I know. It’s going to be something else.

00:06:56 – 00:08:08
Is that right? Yeah. I I’m I’m not sure the whole thing. No, but just saying that slowly even still worked. It does. Senior citizens. Citizen parents fly free. I don’t know if it’s if it’s once a year or if it’s whatever whatever parameters. That’s all nice. I just they lived in the mainland since 2007 January. Wow. So, where are we? Quite a while. A long time. I’ve just passed that mark. So, it’s like I’m finally that you can’t There is no not senior citizen after 65.

00:07:32 – 00:08:50
Yeah. Welcome to the club, young man. Yeah, I know. But walking. So, I have seen walking and that my path which goes from Andrew’s base station and I walk all the way back. I have seen Larry Bird. I’ve seen Kevin McCale. And the other day at 7:15 in the morning, I’m going walking by the skate park like I do. I look over and I’m going, “That guy’s really good.” And so I kind of stopped and I went, “He’s kind of old. He’s skating guy.” Yeah. He’s he’s like doing this stuff

00:08:10 – 00:09:22
and I’m like, “Oh my god, that’s Tony Hawk. Help me. Who’s Tony Hawk? Tony Hawk is the most world famous skateboarder of history. He’s 57 years old and he’s still airborne on his skateboard doing tricks. Wow. Yeah. And I stopped and I went skateboard. He came down. He’s kind of coming towards me and I go, “You’re Tony Hawk.” And he goes, “Yeah, I am.” And we talked. He was the nicest guy on the planet. early in the morning, nobody around. And I’m like, I got a selfie

00:08:46 – 00:09:46
with him. That was really cool. I wanted to do that with Larry Bird and so the basketball guys visiting. I don’t know. I guess from from some of my uh family over at parents and children together, they say he they see him all the time. So, I guess he kind of likes Maui. What’s not to like? What’s not to like? Yes. Half of my life. Did you know I can’t believe that 37 years I’ve been in Maui? Yeah. I’ve been talking this same rap. How do you label me? Green Republican. No, you’re Jason,

00:09:17 – 00:10:18
right? You’re Jason. What are we doing with the national politics? What’s the craziness going on now, Scott? Well, you know what? There’s something that I have been researching. We’re going to leave Mr. Kirk aside for right now. Um, that’s that’s a that’s a very large large subject. Yeah. But I have been doing this research. You know, I’m kind of a behavioralist. I teach people to swim. I turn their fears to fun. That’s my that’s my thing that I’ve been doing for for decades.

00:09:46 – 00:11:11
But I’ve been researching this chem biochemical that happens in the brain called GABA. And that’s just the abbreviation for a very long term about a chemical process that happens in the brain. They have realized that GABA levels in an epileptic person when they’re having a seizure change drastically. Okay. So now they have created a microchip. I set aside that one. But they’ve created medicines now that can change GABA levels so that people who have um seizures or yeah that they can they can calm those. And

00:10:29 – 00:11:37
basically what we’re talking about here is this GABA. This gabbit is like if you had a radio and it was tuned to every station all at once. Bam. That’s like the seizure in the brain that’s causing or that’s what’s going on in the brain when you have that seizure. So this GABA which they are we’re learning to manipulate but what the interesting thing is they have tested monks in Tibet and they’ve tested people great Sufis and they’re finding out that when they go into a meditative state

00:11:03 – 00:12:17
they lower their gaba so they can become in touch with the world around them and it gets them spiritual and it brings them a spiritual high which makes sense when you meditate and you center yourself and you pray or whatever your uh form of relaxation is that you become more in touch with the world around you. Now let’s make this frightening. So that already the edge of that I can hear someone wants to do something with that. Yeah, somebody has who’s that? So if you talk about this radio station playing all these stations

00:11:40 – 00:13:04
in your head, they have been able to narrow that down and make you focus on one station. What kind of technology and and do they use in medicine for that? RDNA. I was just going to say sounds like the CO thing. RDNA. Well, my doctor, because I had a heart thing, they said you should regulate your own. If someone else is focusing on one, they’re letting everything else through. Same here. Yeah. Same here. Yeah. So, this RDNA research, which was this is we’re not talking about CO at all. No, but it’s same mechanism. same

00:12:23 – 00:13:39
mechanism, but it hard DNA. It it actually lets your brain let certain radio stations through and other ones not. Yeah. So, I don’t want to talk about co I’m not talking about mass media or anything. But if they have the ability to do that and help epileptic people, help people with impulsive disorders, help people who are serial killers, serial rapists, you know, I work to jail too. if they this our DNA allows them to this research is is shattering shattering and I’m reading about this

00:13:00 – 00:13:58
but where’s the where where is it being used nefariously or could it go well you leave it to our government who knows but do we consider just that usage an invasion? Has anyone looked at that yet? I think if you what you put in your body is what you put in your body. Nobody should tell you what you can put in your body. So that has been discussed. No, it’s it’s it this is groundbreaking that this I guess has been around a while, but the research papers that I’m reading that are, you know,

00:13:30 – 00:14:35
are confirming confirming. Yeah. That that they’re really able to within our DNA be able to complexely change what you listen to and what you hear. And that’s is the way a brain is firing. We we’re we’re on the edge of something that I’m I I’m trying to wrap my brain around. It’s a dangerous thing to feel like could be controlled. Yeah. And how it can be incorporated into, you know, I don’t like to think nefariously. I don’t want to either, Jason. They’re

00:14:02 – 00:15:00
they’re trying to help people with epilepsy. Like with all the controversies now with RFK and the thing about vaccines and everything’s lumped into one pile and all the accusations back and forth, it’s ugly. It it is. But, you know, I think it’s your body. It’s your choice. You know, those words don’t come out of my mouth very often, but as far as getting whatever you put in, I mean, you’ve heard these things going on about the vaccine. You have any kind of feeling? I mean, I know you know RFK a

00:14:31 – 00:15:50
long time. I know. I I follow Bobby for forever. I love the his work in the environment. I know he does not speak lightly without heavily researching things, right? And I don’t believe the government should ever tell you what to do with your body, ever, you know, and the whole thing that went on this last six years. Um, I I I found it repulsive. You know, I have family that don’t want their kids to get certain vaccines to go to school and have homeschooled. Um, I respect that. I really questioned it for

00:15:10 – 00:16:14
a long time. And now those kids are grown up and healthy and fine. But at the time I was like, “No, no, you’re supposed to do exactly this, this, and this.” And I never questioned that. Nobody ever did when you got your polio vaccine and you did all that. Never as a kid. Yeah. Nobody Nobody questioned that. Even though a lot of kids got really sick, that was kind of before us. And this you’ve heard and I’ve heard probably projections of longterm co Yeah. And the definition of long-term they’re

00:15:42 – 00:16:58
the discoveries that they have about long-term effects. Yeah. On many things. Do you remember when I was coming in about two years ago and I said, I don’t know what to do. I’ve lost 21 friends to myocarditis who were healthy swimmers, athletes. One of my friends that used to ride up and down the crater and now that is a side effect of the vaccine that nobody heard about. Now we know that every school shooter, every school shooter has been on psychotropic drugs to help with depression or anxiety

00:16:20 – 00:17:22
or all that. And if you look at the pill bottles and you read the warnings, homicidal behavior, suicidal behavior are all on these medications that we’re giving our kids because we don’t want to spend enough time with them to help them. You know, you give them a pill, send them on their way. That that’s got to stop. Well, our whole society has created that. Oh, yeah. By the whole nature of how society is. It has. We We take a pill, fix it, take a pill, lose weight. We’re all too busy

00:16:52 – 00:18:02
to spend the time to do We were I’m I totally was. But here we are now. But let’s We are We who live in Maui know that if we budget into our lives the time to appreciate a beautiful sunset. Oh yeah. An incredible Did you see the picture I posted the other day? I was up on Holly Aqua. We went up because it was the full moon, blood moon rising. Incredible. But before that, we were getting like light rain showers and I’m standing on the edge of the crater. I’ve got to show you this picture. Oh,

00:17:27 – 00:18:40
okay. There was a a a It’s called a broken rainbow effect and I saw my shadow in the center of a rainbow. Your shadow? Really? Yeah. So, that was from the top of the crater looking down into the crater. I wish you guys could see this. Oh, yeah. Well, wow. You send me a snap of that. I’ll put it up. It looks like Jesus is standing on the top. Like you’re looking down and there’s a reflection of a man with his Yeah, that is extraordinary. Yeah. And I even took a video and you could see me wave.

00:18:03 – 00:18:52
I’m just like and I’m going and then um I posted it and then one of my friends Sher who’s this beautiful spiritual woman said, “Oh, that’s called the broken rainbow effect.” And I went, “Oh, you can kind of see it from airplanes now and then.” But I it the weird part was I have family that are going through some some health issues right now. So I’m up there. Andrew is chilling in the car and I’m sitting there and I’m praying and I’m in a meditative state.

00:18:28 – 00:19:22
Okay. I’m just like I’m like just I love being on Holly and I open my eyes and that’s what I saw and I was like oh I was and then I’m looking around at there’s a couple. Do you are you seeing this? Are you They are too. They are too. And I’m like they’re like, “Oh my god.” The whole family came over and they’re all in they they took a picture with the whole family inside the rainbow. They were from Michigan or somewhere. But I was like, “What a nice

00:18:55 – 00:19:51
I was like, “Oh my god, I’m not the only one seeing this. This is so cool. Maui is magic.” It really is. You know, you’ve been here a long time, too. You know, um for those of you who aren’t here, you’re welcome here. You’re welcome to buy here as long as you contribute to and what we have here. If not, you’re going to find a lot of people who say, “Why are you coming here? You’re going to exploit us.” And then the people say, “Well, we’re not

00:19:22 – 00:20:48
exploiting you. You guys pay for money to everybody.” Yeah. The trickle down. I’ve heard that thing. You know, I still don’t think that the trickle down should have to come the the way it should be coming from people wanting to give. This this debate this debate started in 1996 when Congress decided, I believe it was 96, I could be wrong, when they decided they were no longer going to uh support the sugar cane industry and those subsidies because it costs more to grow sugar cane in the islands than it does in in

00:20:06 – 00:21:20
Bolivia or where or down in South America or wherever they grow it. And so all of a sudden the sugarcane industry was hemorrhaging money and the leadership at the time were like we’re going to have to transfer into a uh vacation resort um economy and anybody knows I you know I was very young child growing up on the Oregon coast when the the lumber mills were closing the salmon uh industry was being so overregulated that people couldn’t fish for a living and I watched 85% unemployment in the little town of

00:20:42 – 00:21:49
Gabaldi and uh watch families just devastated and tourism doesn’t pay. you know, there’s there’s a small margin and people that even have vacation rentals here. Um, and I had a lady in in swim lessons the other day and and her vacation rental that they’re afraid they’re going to have to sell it because they’re not getting the people coming to the west side really at all. It’s really slowed down. Depends who you speak to, but yeah, slowed down dramatically. Way more than

00:21:17 – 00:22:26
the numbers I’m hearing. Yeah. And well, she she’s saying it’s half what it was before the fire. And she said half, you know, pays the $2,500 a month association fee. Choke, choke, gag, gag. Um, right. It cuts into their money. Yeah. They’re not making money. They were always happy to break even. And when you start an investment and someone says, “We’re going to change the rules in the middle.” Oh, yeah. It is really a devastating devastating painful. I don’t know. Right. Devastating. Well, I had

00:21:51 – 00:23:03
that happen to me. I don’t want to tell my story for the billionth time. That’s why I’m an old poor man. Yeah. Cuz someone pulled a rug out from under me. Exactly. So, yeah. I I met a lady when I went over to a condo uh for some lessons with a beautiful family over there and I sat with the lady in a pool and she says, “I retired here. I bought the condo next door to me in 19 She’s quite elderly. She um think she bought it in like the early 90s and that was her income. She had the second vacation rental. She

00:22:27 – 00:23:44
lived next door. She took care of it and she says, “Scott, I don’t I’m my social security doesn’t even cover the um the association fee.” Mhm. I’m like, she this she was honestly she’s old. Not as old as you, but older. And um I’m like old. Not as old as me. No, not that old. [Music] If you see a sign that says RIP, that was me. Yeah. Rest in peace. No, I’m telling you. Yeah, I’m not old. But anyway, what you see, what happened to this poor girl? Well, she’s she was so devastated

00:23:11 – 00:24:12
because they were talking about taking away Yep. woman taking away her ability to use that as a rental even though it had been a rental for decades. Can’t she sell it and make a zillion? Um, she doesn’t want to. She This is just too bad. So sad. Yeah. you know, take away that something that she’ll be able to pay it by the year. She’ll be able to pay the next decade and she’ll never have to look at it again. But she’s frightened. I appreciate it. Yeah. I The whole world is frightening. Take a

00:23:41 – 00:24:51
I’m going to go back national only because I figure Yeah. that you well I had in fact people come in all the time but people came to me today here in the studio and said I hope you’re going to talk about what’s going on in the country at a larger scale why are we fighting three million people showed up in the UK to go we’re tired of this one of my guests is going to go to Charlie Kirk’s funeral whether or not there’s going to be whether or not you can even get close. Millions of people

00:24:16 – 00:25:17
are going to be there. He was Jason. He had a format to go to the places where nobody agreed with him. I’ve done that. I love that. So to me, that is a someone I respect. I don’t even I don’t remember or ever really heard about him. Everyone said, “Oh yeah, I’ve been following him for eight years.” His form, Jason, his format is brilliant. Go where people hate you and just have a conversation. you know what we’re talking about. Why talk when you only talk to people

00:24:46 – 00:25:50
that agree with you, what is that proof? No, it just reinforces your neurons. That doesn’t help. But when he goes there and someone shoots him, I don’t think any when someone then declares that as a political Democrat thing and blames it on Democrats. It’s murder. It’s an assassination. It’s not since Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, but I don’t think that there is a political party tie. No, that need that. And I keep hearing it, you know, and I don’t know that’s just they’re selling.

00:25:18 – 00:26:31
Does that make you a rhino if you’re a Republican believe that it isn’t this conspiracy? Are you going to be thrown out of government or someone? You’ve heard all these things. I’m sure we all No, I I don’t believe this. This This is just what happens when you sit in your basement and the algorithm the algorithm. The other day, I put fresh brakes on my my Subaru. Uh Andrew and I did that Sunday afternoon. Somehow on my phone the other day, a brake tool shows up on an ad. I’m going,

00:25:55 – 00:27:26
“Where in the heck did that come from?” I didn’t Google anything about my brakes. I got my parts. makes you know that someone’s someone’s listening to us. Yeah. And I was like what is going on? So again that tell go ahead again back in 19 or about 2003 2004 the media industry social industry realized that the algorithm that made them more money was when you triggered people’s anger neurons versus triggering their pleasure neurons. And so they draw they created these algorithms and we know they’re

00:26:39 – 00:27:49
there. They exist. And so what you watch is what you get more of. What you don’t watch you don’t get more of. And they And now I’m going to go back to that RDNA because who knows where that’s been for the last 15 years. So when you’re watching that, is that new RDNA that they could be in medications or whatever triggering more and more response? It’s like that clickbait, that whole genre of watching and watching and watching. I I watched a whole family on the beach the other day.

00:27:15 – 00:28:21
I’m walking by them. It Jason, it was beautiful. Low tide, crystal clear water. I walked by a family. There’s four teenagers, two pre-teens, mom and dad on a beach in Maui. Yeah. On their phones. Not not photo not photographing it, but they’re sitting and I’m watching them from quite a distance. I I cut in um at veterans uh uh the VA and I I’m walking there and by the time I curve around the corner, I’m looking down towards almost the corner of my beach and I’m watching these

00:27:48 – 00:29:16
people for a good 15 minutes on that walk. They never got off their phones. It is the most perfect day on the beach in Kihei. Dead water, pure calm, glass, clear, and they’re on their phones for the love of a I’m going there. It It’s an addiction. It truly is. Speaking of addiction, I mean, this is a change of subject. Addiction. Bing bing. Change subject. How is tourism? Um, slow slow slow. I have uh a couple of uh triathletes that work in the food and beverage industry in WEA and and they’re they

00:28:32 – 00:29:37
were told that this is a real slow time right now. It’s coming and school just started. People are transitioning back to college. These stories that go with them. Well, there there’s they they know they know when stuff usually happens. I I’ve been slow. But they get their money right at the top and then they hope people will stay on premises. All the people off premises are going, “Please get out of the hotel. Come.” I know. Yeah. I I I we were going to go to the We went by Pa Fish House there in

00:29:06 – 00:30:09
uh That’s how we judge the other day. And I’m I’m going ah it’s too long a line. Go to Safeway. go to Safeway and get slumped when you walk up and you say, “Hi, it’s me.” And you take it out and you watch the line going. Yeah. So, you know, I see those lines. You went to Safeway, you went, “They have good stuff.” You know, it’s expensive. What is happening? Has Safeway become the Whole Foods? No, you absolutely. The prices are high. No, you absolutely have to ship. Their

00:29:36 – 00:30:39
coupons are amazing. Their click coupons are amazing. I’m I’m I don’t buy without a coupon. gas at Safeway because you’ll get a discount on your gas and that’s why they choke you on prices over here and you got to like finetune. You have to hit the coupon. Oh, hey, got to use my phone on the coupon. I I get my I get my gas over here at Maui Oil. I have for over 10 years. I love them. They h I just My cars always run perfect. My brothers when they were visiting were using cash each month, right? You already have

00:30:09 – 00:31:16
a credit. It just that just comes out of my account. Yeah. Yeah. All right, that’s good. Well, I I must say I still um I’m just amazed at the bundling these I guess we all are trying to do it. Find out how can we show value in who and what we are. Yeah. To bring in more. So, Safeway, I guess. Well, you’ve got to you’ve got it. Everything you’ve got to play it. I mean, Andrew and I the other day went over we I don’t know how to make ribs, okay? But our son Brian’s living with

00:30:42 – 00:31:50
and I’m like, “Do you really know how to make ribs?” And they had two two pounds for $5 on $5 Friday. Brian made ribs on Friday. They were like beach bums. They were so good. And Andrew goes, “That was $5 Friday deal, right? Let’s go get more.” We go up to Safeway, sold out. Walked up to one of the ladies and I go, “You need more of those ribs in the back.” Oh, no. Go get a go get a a rain check and you can come in when they’re back in stock. The ribs cost me $15.

00:31:15 – 00:32:11
That was a $42 savings. Wow. Yeah. So, you you gota you got to be smart with your shopping. You I didn’t know they gave rain checks to things like that. Yeah. I That’s what that lady told me. And I got my rain check in my wallet and I’m like, when those ribs get back in, Brian knows how to cook them. long as he’s with us. We got ribs. Fly Brian over again. Yeah. No, he’s he he’s gonna be a little or he’s gonna be a Hawaiian Airlines. I’m so proud of I was just gonna say you’re gonna be

00:31:44 – 00:33:02
I am so proud of you. You’re going to be delivering Hawaiian ribs to ever now. I know. They fly they fly to Japan, Australia, New Zealand. I am just Can I be a senior immediate family? I am Jason. I am beyond That’s awesome. Yeah. And uh and tomorrow is my my oldest boy Tyler’s birthday. And uh I’m really I’m so proud of you. Ask how old is Tyler? Tyler will be 38. How can that happen when young? But the cool part is he texts me the other day. Hey dad, turn on Apple. See what I did. So all

00:32:23 – 00:33:29
the new watch, he’s in charge of all the watch division now. He’s it. And here I’m watching all this new technology come out. The the new the the new heart rhythm stuff. the more it’s more in depth than it used to be following. If your health problems, it’ll read them for you. How much are watches like that now? Um, if you if you have a like a T-Mobile account, it’ll cost you $15 a month for a couple years. 15, huh? 15? No, about 15 bucks a month if you get 0. Yeah. Yeah. They’re like a,000 bucks,

00:32:56 – 00:34:05
but you can get them with T-Mobile 0% interest and you just add it to your phone bill. So what do you find advantages that it d it told me when I had um what is that heart thing I had about six months ago? Um an arhythmia pre um it’s when your heart kind of jumps a beat. What is that called? Yeah arhythmia. Yeah it my heart got out of sync and my watch is like blinking red going check your EEG. Okay, check my EG. Red, please, you should go see a doctor or go to the hospital. And Andrew is seeing

00:33:31 – 00:34:28
that he sees me looking at my wife. What’s that? Oh, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. Then it pops up again in five minutes. The third time Andrew grabs my arm and said, “No, we’re going to the hospital.” So, yeah, I I had had some heart flutter thing. How do you know how accurate? I mean, I they Kiser sent me this fancy blood pumping machine. Yeah, they’re cool. And it comes out high and then I go to Ariel’s, I’m like, “Normal.” Yeah. So it um it actually sends a print

00:33:58 – 00:35:07
out to my phone and then I just click on that and send it to the doctor and you know and it keeps it accurate perfectly. They were like this is perfect. They said no this is really good and if when I fall down because you know I’m kind of stumbling on the beach when I’m not paying attention and I take a take a stumble on the soft sand. It knows that I fell down and says are you okay coach? No, it does. He says, “We detected a fall. Are you okay?” We detected a fall. And it says, “Would

00:34:33 – 00:35:40
you do you need assistance? I can dial 911. If you do not respond, we will call 911. If I get in a car accident, it will detect that. And if I don’t respond, it will automatically call 911, call my oldest son, my daughter, and my son Brian, who’s living with us now, and Andrew, obviously first. But yeah, great technology. Well, it used to be my mom wore this little button around her neck at home that, you know, you you know, if you fall down or you need help, you know. So, it’s gotten to that, huh?

00:35:07 – 00:35:58
It’s gotten to that. Can you have an Apple Watch without having on your wrist? Not really. I don’t know if that they don’t have an Apple Watch fob like a No, I don’t think so. That’s an interesting. Yep. I’ll I’ll pass that one on to Tyler, may get a kickback. I’d like the first one. Yeah, there you go. Maybe not the first one, but that I’d be interested. But wearing it on my wrist. Yeah. I’ve never seen you wear a watch. Yeah. I’m not a big watch person.

00:35:32 – 00:36:38
I’m watching and you’ve been comfortable with it. Yeah. And I like when we were walking and we have to do that again. Yeah. when we’re walking in the water and you go, “Oh, there’s my as I said.” Yeah. The neat part is too now, you know, I take people out snorkeling and stuff every so often. Not as often as I used to, but if I’m out in the ocean and I have a problem, I can tell it to call 911 and it will GPS locate me. That’s really great. To the Coast Guard and to 911.

00:36:06 – 00:37:07
Yep. Yeah. Yeah. I keep wondering whether I’d be happier with a permanent band on my thing, but then I think I’m trackable. Well, then then you look like a criminal. Oh, Jason, you’re you’re wearing you’re wearing your ankle place bracelet. I just don’t want to run out of time. How we doing on time? We still have time. Oh, good. I know that I just u I haven’t spoken to you about life in a while. Things okay with you guys? Yeah, it’s you know we moved. No, I didn’t.

00:36:36 – 00:37:37
Yeah, we moved from one end of the complex to the other. Now when I walk out on the patio, there’s the swimming pool. There’s no busy road. There’s no dust. There’s no diesel fumes. Wow. Oh, Jason, congratulations. Put the put the dining room table, which is a bar high tiny, put it on the back patio. We eat all our meals outside now. Oh, that’s so nice. Oh, it’s so just ah two-bedroom, two bath. So, actually, you know, God works in mysterious ways, but you know, here’s

00:37:07 – 00:38:06
Brian. He’s like, “Man, I’m just devastated. This all has happened in my life. I’m working on I said, “Okay.” And we moved in a week before he got here. So, we actually had a room and a bathroom. So, that’s worked out good. And the pool is close. The pool is right there. I am in the pool almost every day. I have my water polo ball. Well, it’s a volleyball and I do my underwater exercises that I’ve been doing forever, but now they’re there. The pool’s night. The pool was

00:37:35 – 00:38:30
80, excuse me, 87 degrees last night. Oh, at night? Oh, it’s a bathtub. C Can you have visitors? Well, yeah. Up till 9:00. You’re always welcome. We’ve walked in my pool. Yeah, I know. I was thinking we haven’t done that. We haven’t done that in a while. Well, it’s because of my all those surgeries I’ve had. Your bionics, Jason. Well, right now, you know what the thing that’s going on is? I have shortness of breath when I start walking. See, you got to put down the bong. You

00:38:04 – 00:39:11
can’t be two and ching chong lighting that bong all day long at the same time. No, you it’s going to screw up your prey. Where are Where are we, man? Hey, man. I’m Jason’s got these great ideas, man. He’s on a radio show, but he smokes a lot of weed because Maui’s just filled with it. No, seriously. I I found like this morning and the what I’ve also tied it in is high blood pressure and I’m oh no really watching my uh activity and wondering what the heck you need to get more activity.

00:38:37 – 00:39:39
Well, that’s what I’m thinking. I think that’s why I go to the gym, but I the gym. Yeah, but just sitting watching the girls play basketball is not helping your your your blood pressure. Where’s that gym? I don’t know that gym. I can spend an hour there. Extra exercise helps. You know, if you don’t breathe, you’re it’s a muscle. So, your room has room. Yes, of course. Always. I’m right now building these websites. I have to give a shout out to GoDaddy. Oh, yeah.

00:39:10 – 00:40:20
I can say this because it’s radio. You suck. I started with them in May and I wanted a managed WordPress website that I built, had some problems, got their webcare. Do you know I’m still I had to pull it and they still didn’t transfer. I I click on some of your stuff and I just go, “What happened?” Yeah. Well, on a real estate page, you cannot have a donation and membership button. No, it seems like someone that’s fixing that for you or when you know that I put on new shows

00:39:46 – 00:40:57
and it’s in the back office but it doesn’t make it to the front. Isn’t that a nice way to try to get sponsorship? Yeah. So, that’ll all be fixed in the next little bit here because that’s how we in fact did you know that Akaku now has not Akaku whoever it is K a KU has us paying for our spaces here. Really? No, see you’re really is they said to me, well that’s been the policy just when CO came we stopped it but actually when CO stopped you’ve been here longer than CO

00:40:21 – 00:41:35
but I’m saying so the new people might think of it as policy but uh yeah so when I go out there looking for donations and support realize that even public access has a cost these days and that’s clearly because they don’t have enough money. No, there’s so much competition. Public money. You see, we take money away from you see with national public radio and everything’s going away. It’s like because you can do it for free. Yeah, you can do it for free. Well, but not here. You do it on the

00:40:58 – 00:42:09
internet. But that’s why I say, “Hey, how can you charge us when you can’t measure the audience and you’re not promoting it, right? How can anyone know about us unless we do it?” So, sponsorship, donors, we have a 501c3, but all the shows you can be doing. I I kind of I kind of thought I you know, I I when we when I first came on quite a few years ago, I was really surprised. Um, you know, I paid for whatever I needed to pay for to get the license to do this. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And I was just like, “Okay, that

00:41:34 – 00:42:42
makes sense.” Got that. Got that. And I was like, “Okay.” Um, I’ve never known, and I’ve done this since college, you know, I had a call-in show in college and I did it on KTL radio and Tie, Oregon. I had call Oh, that was heated, man. I had people screaming at me. Uh, oh, but uh that was that was back. You never had anyone charging you to to give away your your air time? I mean, no, no, not then. You know, I’ve had I’ve had bottles. I’ve had things thrown at us when we left, you know, halls

00:42:08 – 00:43:16
where I was speaking and debating and um yeah, I’ve I’ve I I know what it feels like to be threatened like that. It’s um really frightening. Well, how does that relate to the Well, yeah, people sometimes they seem to filter out, you know, that you’re just asking questions, you know, I went and spoke at a public access I’m reason bringing it up because do you think public access for what you were doing um did you have to be controversial? Did you need to try to be controversial to get audience?

00:42:42 – 00:43:51
No. No, I don’t want to fall into that trap that that needed and we were talking about that early satisfaction for a sponsor. We talked about I talked about that earlier that when they realized in the algorithm Yeah. that if you got people angry, you got more viewers. And that back back in 2004 and they started the the people who make money, the media stations, the people that have news talker or news readers, not reporters, news readaders, they started filling them. They weren’t journalists anymore. They were reading

00:43:16 – 00:44:14
the news so that it would generate click like clickbait is today. You don’t when you flip on YouTube and you’re looking around, you see these extravagant snapshots of what the video is about and you’re like, “Yuck, I don’t want to watch that.” That’s my opinion. I don’t click on it. But it’s like, okay. So, that’s what generates income. And now they’ve known that since 2004. They were tracking everything. They got algorithms. They get immediate feedback

00:43:45 – 00:44:42
when a reporter, excuse me, a newsreader says something and they have immediate feedback that goes that raised people watching. So they insight. Yeah. What what what did they call that? Muckreaking back in that’s the Murdoch mysteries muckreers. They’re out there and and they politicians have been doing it to each other since the beginning of time. I mean, you read you read the Greek debates and things like that that happened in the Senate back then and it was it was brutal, you know, but they’d

00:44:14 – 00:45:30
kill each other. That was a little different back then, the days of Socrates. But yeah, but the thing is we just as long as we’re moving the ball forward on the field, you know, we need of we need debate. We’ve lost debate. Alls it is on the floor of the House and the floor of the Senate is people trying to Well, that that’s the only way people watch. If you actually talk about how boring it was, how boring. I mean, if you used to watch um C-SPAN, that was just dead feed from the the Senate and the House. It’s

00:44:51 – 00:45:51
boring. They they had to make it pro wrestling. Lots of grits, you know, screaming and yelling. They had to do that or nobody would listen. And they forgot that guess what? We need the facts. We need to know there’s really an amazing group of scientists on one side, amazing group of scientists on the other side on issues. We need to know we got economists on one side, we got economists on the other side, and we need to hash this out. We’ve lost that. Remember count pointer count point counterpoint.

00:45:22 – 00:46:40
Yes. Isn’t that what we are here? We are Jason. We are a neutral zone. That means Yeah. Anything that we discuss here well doesn’t leave the table. No, no, no, no. We are here to take input to I think to to where we can discuss things like my guest for today. Some people think in a controversial way as a Republican and that’s all they think of. Oh, she’s a Republican. She’s a Republican. Then why is she working with one of the most radical leftwing guys? Yeah. to sculpt some legislation to move

00:46:00 – 00:47:12
things forward. Yeah. Because they’re in a neutral zone. Ideas don’t have to be politicized. But we but the algorithm has got people watching. It sure does. They’ve reinforced and then it gets reinforced and it’s like where is real? And then people get angry and then people kill people because they can’t see. They are so convinced that that reality bubble they’re living in is what the whole world believes. I’m sure this shooter in Charlie Kirk’s situation thinks he’s a hero.

00:46:36 – 00:47:33
I think he probably in somewhere in his mind because we’re seeing the stuff he was watching they FBI has talked about that they he probably thinks he’s a hero. I feel so sorry for his parents. His dad is a 27year veteran of uh the police force there. Oh goodness. Yeah. He’s resigned. You know, the family the family is just you. Who wouldn’t? Right. But then for someone to say the Democrats that where where is that? Yeah. You know what’s that coming from? I don’t see it. See, my algorithm I’m

00:47:05 – 00:48:00
not seeing that. Yeah. Not at all. You’re not seeing anyone say that? No. So, who’s saying it? The Democrats. Somebody that you’re watching. I’m I’m watching the I’m saying everything I see is usually from a mental health perspective. What about the president? Does he count in this mixture? He does. He’s He’s a front man. Yeah, but when he says it, that’s really not okay, is it? No, it is. Half the things you’ve got. You’ve got to filter out that guy. I I think so.

00:47:32 – 00:48:32
A lot of the stuff he’s he’s moved the ball forward on the field for us economically. He’s doing a brilliant job. Yeah. And he’s puts his foot in his mouth. He does. And and he’s not a niche player in my opinion. No, he’s he’s playing like this thing we got going on here. We have a much better indic we have a much better idea of what to do here than he does. People report to him, but boots on the ground here in Maui see a unique situation. So, so here’s a question I I I had to

00:48:03 – 00:49:11
answer the other day and I didn’t know the answer to, so I researched it. Okay. When the Department of Education took over uh the education system here in Hawaii, where was Hawaii ranked? Probably near the bottom, right? They were number one. They were number one. They were number one at the highest educated state. Wow. That is a surprise. That perception what I just gave you. I thought that the school system was lucky. No. 50 years later we’re at the bottom. Wait. Wait. We were and now we are.

00:48:39 – 00:49:39
We were number one when the Department of Education took over and 50 years later we’re down there with New Mexico. So we are. and now we’re at the bottom of the Department of Education and you just answered your own question because we need to do it here locally. We don’t need people in some centralized part of Washington DC that argument here. But the question was control of curriculum and things that should be with the families who have kids in the schools. So that’s what it was decided here.

00:49:08 – 00:50:24
But there’s also no dollars to support it the way the system is structured. I remember in a state back east where department of that that the paying of taxes paid other things that here they don’t. Yeah. Well, so we have a lot of things paid for transition. Um just like go in with rifles you look like you don’t live in this country. What schools? So we’re going to harass all of you guys just so we’ll find the ones that aren’t good. What schools in New York Yeah. turn out the best educated kids?

00:49:47 – 00:51:18
Which one? The Catholic schools. What schools in New York have the highest number of minorities in New York? The Catholic schools. What school in New York does it cost 15th to educate those kids than the public schools? the Catholic schools. Now, what what’s your point? Over administration is killing the hearts and souls of teachers who want the freedom to learn to teach. You don’t go to college to become a teacher to have somebody give you a book and follow an outline. You have it in your soul. You have you meet

00:50:32 – 00:51:28
teacher. If Linda Carnival over here at Baldwin High School, I’ve known her my pretty much my whole life. She has a passion for teaching. I for edge for teaching drama and all of that. She’s brilliant. She’s brilliant. She had that in her heart when I first met her in college. And that’s the kind of passion that most teachers that get into education have. But then they get and they go, “Well, I’ve got to go and fill out these government forms. I got to get these government forms. I got to get these

00:51:00 – 00:51:55
government forms.” And then there’s two or three administrators that are administrating those forms. And it’s it’s taking away if you started on a thought a train of thought when you’re working with your students and all of a sudden you got dragged out away from that. So what do you think? So they took away the administrative monies. Is that what’s happened? You feel so now give the money to the teachers. But are they? No, there is no money to give. Well, there’s money. It’s a micro amount

00:51:27 – 00:52:46
of the budget that goes to education. Micro amount. Okay. So let’s for a second the micro Excuse me. I let me quantify that the amount that goes to teachers from the department of education for the United States the amount that goes to teachers is 6 and a half%. Okay. So we’re giving 94% to administration and expenses. That’s the big question. What are they doing? Oh. Oh. For for um capital outlay for all that that’s 14.5%. So there we’re at 20%. Capital outlay is only 14 and a half%.

00:52:09 – 00:53:15
Yeah. So now now we’re at 80% administrative administration. And that’s so that they can get the money to the schools. So give the money to the darn schools and get rid of the administrators. AI is going to do that. I have a prayer that AI is going to get rid of. But I don’t think that it can do anything but that. That’s why people are worried about jobs. Yeah. Because it’s so much puff and fluff. Yeah. Well, they people who got degrees um kind of like mine. Unless you’re a teacher or a coach, you

00:52:42 – 00:53:48
know, um administration and administration, the arts, all those kind of things that are they’re great degrees, but then they got a government job doing something off-the-wall and now it’s like I don’t know. But you know what? The jobs in the the industries of building and construction and I mean the guys over in Lahina, they’re they think if you can pound a nail, you’re going to get 50 bucks an hour. Oh yeah. The guys running these dump trucks, 800 grand a year. Owner operators,

00:53:15 – 00:54:28
a little bit slower. The owners of the the guys that own their own dump trucks are over here running. you know, they’re doing a blessing job, but by the time it’s all said and done, you know, because they got truck expenses, all of that. Just lump that into what one truck is income is about 800 grand a year. Whoa. Those little houses up on the hill in Lahina Town. $849,000 to rehab a Home Depot delivered shack or shed and turn it into a house. It’s sickening. You know, it’s sickening. Who’s doing

00:53:52 – 00:54:53
that? I don’t know, Jason. I’ I’ve been digging. It’s not an easy dig here. No, but I mean, exactly. Well, FEMA’s getting drugged through the mud right now. So, hopefully we’re going to see. Yeah, we’re going to see. But again, the ones that are the stuckies. Yeah. With And now California is experiencing the Lahina reality is Well, I had my family living with me in the home that got burnt. Well, you can’t build that. You can only build a oneb home with one shower and two bedrooms because that’s

00:54:21 – 00:55:18
what our code is. Not you can’t have a house with an ohana, but you had when it burnt. Oh, I know. It’s really crazy. Yeah, I I see that we have less than three minutes left. It’s amazing how we run through time. Oh, I know. It’s so much fun. Jason, I was so excited to hear your call today because I’ve been just missing you. Well, you know, I’ve been thinking about you, but I just see like I spoke to someone, they said, “Yes, and then wait, his wife is a doctor, too.” No.

00:54:50 – 00:55:57
And they really aren’t like this. There’s two shows. And then so like, yeah, they fill up. And I’m happy to say we have shows that people that watch them say, “Wow, you have a lot of really interesting guests.” Yeah. You’re really talking about some important stuff. Yeah. Thank you for being so I Jason everything that we do if if you’re looking at this piece of paper and you tell me what color it is and what color is it? Blue. Blue. Okay. But I see this side but it’s still the same issue. So it’s

00:55:24 – 00:56:27
kind of like a Schroer Jurers kind of thing. That’s really important. When we just said that I thought, “Oh yeah, I better tell someone.” Oh yeah, I better talk about that. This every third Thursday. I think it’s this Thursday. Yeah. uh upstairs at a time 6:00 to 7:30 Maui’s Deadly Firestorm screening. Uh there is a screening upstairs of a Maui’s Deadly Firestorm that’s on PBS Front Line. You’ll have seen some of that probably. And we have a podcasting basics workshop.

00:55:55 – 00:56:57
What day is that one? That’s on se Saturday, September 27th at 10:00 a.m. to 12 pm. $20 or for or free for Akai members. Akaku members. Akaku members. That’s a cool one. Yeah. Oh, that’s a good one. That’s a real good one. And then we have Oh, that’s with Susie. There you go, Susie. She’s awesome. And then September 20th, you can come and if you’d like to join in, do video or radio or podcast at uh all the way is that in the morning 10 to 12 on Saturday, September 20th. That’s

00:56:26 – 00:57:10
this one coming. Talk story, share, discover each other. See, you might want to work on projects with others. It’s a great place to share. We are running out of time and it’s coming right up. Look at that. Bam. Holy mackerel. Wow. Thank you everyone. Thank you Scott. Pleasure as always. Always.