Mandela Barnes on Wisconsin’s Future: A Bold Plan for Change

Good morning, welcome to Community Voice. Good morning, Clark Kent. Hey, I'm with you. Hey, write out. Yes, sir, John. My wife was imitating you, dude. Uh-oh. What'd I do? Yeah, we used on stage. You know, she was taking pictures. She saw you. Your hand was playing the keyboard. She said, look it right out. I couldn't help it. Look it right out. I wanted to play, but I was looking at the keyboard. Oh, you were so busted. She said, look at him. He doing what he do. I said, yeah. Man, I heard the chords. Man, I wanted to play.

Well, good morning, everybody. Welcome to Community Voice. I'm your host, Keith Parris. And as you know, yesterday, we started a series of conversations with the Democratic candidates for governor for the great state of Wisconsin. We had the county executive David Crowley yesterday. We had state senator Kel DeRoyce yesterday. And we reached out to all five campaigns. We've heard back from four.

and four have been scheduled, and so let me welcome Mr. Mandela Barnes. Much appreciated. Glad to be back. Thank you for having me. Thank you for facilitating. Let's see how it goes. So again, I'm going to ask you the same questions I asked. And so let's just go. You ready? All right. What experiences in your personal, professional, public service background has best prepared you to serve as governor?

And what distinguishes you from the other Democratic candidates in this race? Well, I appreciate it, man. Thanks for that question. And, you know, at times I try to think about what is that one specific thing. But I can tell you, I'm the only person running right now who has been elected statewide. I'm the only person who was not just elected to a safe Democratic district or a reliably Democratic jurisdiction. I've had to take my message all across the state before, and I have one doing so. And I have had to work

diligently day in and day out to not just meet the needs of communities that weren't my own but to balance the needs because as you know there's a lot of unfortunate finger-pointing between communities whether it's urban, rural, suburban or otherwise because communities have been starved of resources. Republicans in the legislature failed to fully fund public schools they fail to provide adequate state aid for local government and it leaves communities saying oh well this

Community get something and I'm not and it's not a zero-sum game This is a top and bottom politics that we've been experiencing for generations where the wealthy continue to get more wealthy They aren't taxed appropriately. They run away with the bag and leave communities scrambling stuck Scrambling for resources and that's created the biggest political device that we're experiencing But let's take it back to personal life. I was born and raised here in Milwaukee now the challenges the things I talk about

in this campaign aren't things that I had to learn aren't things that had to be taught to me I have lived every single experience I talk about whether it's health care I've had a health care the story where I found myself in medical debt because health insurance companies want to play games as you know they continue to do so and get over on people I have dealt with insecurity in many ways having lost a job in 2008 which is obviously one of the most difficult

moments in time that people have faced compared to now. And I know what it's like to be on food share. I know what it's like to have to apply for energy assistance. I know what it's like to be on badger care, all these things as an adult. And that's why I fight so hard for these issues because I know what people are going through. And you got a lot of, again, Republicans mostly in the legislature that want to demonize people for facing challenges in their lives. But I'm here to say that

We should be in the business of uplifting individuals so that we can uplift communities and ultimately have the best state for people to be able to live, work, raise a family or chase your dreams. You know, there's a lot of labeling, labeling to define your, your, your candidacy or your, your opponent. So how would you describe your place in the democratic party? Would you characterize yourself as progressive, liberal, moderate or something else?

And how does your governing philosophy shape the policies you pursue as governor? I can tell you like the more I've been involved in this The less it becomes about labels. I've always run on a bold progressive platform But I can tell you When I'm traveling out across this state when I'm talking to people or even you know during my time as lieutenant governor People weren't concerned about what brand of politics I brought to the conversation people just want to know

How much you cared and how committed I was to actually fixing the problems. And that's what it comes down to. As I mentioned earlier, it's not always left and right. It's not red and blue Democrat Republican. It's about top and bottom. We've had so many people take advantage.

of working-class folks all across the state and all across this country. And government has allowed it to happen. A broken system has allowed it to happen. So I do approach not just this campaign, but I approach the thought process and the way I address issues as more independently progressive. There's not like a specific ideology that I would even subscribe to because there's no blanket approach. And I think that taking the blanket approach

is ultimately what leaves more people behind and actually gather more people under that blanket or proverbial tent. So to that point, like I said, always ran as a progressive, always showed up, govern or represented as a progressive because that's what the moment calls for. Things have gotten so bad for people for so long. Our minimum wage has been $7.25 since it became the federal minimum wage.

We are one of 10 states that has not expanded our Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act. We have increasing rates of poverty and our children are dealing with this the worst because it is reflected in educational outcomes, college, too affordable, people losing jobs left and right. This is a dire situation. So whether it's progressive,

or whether it is just the bold message that confronts the challenges we're facing, that is the lane I will always be in until we fix the problems. Do you have a problem with the progressive movement as I was rooted in socialism?

So do you have a problem with that tag democratic socialist? I don't have a problem with tags because my goal has been to unite the party That's what I've always done and I've demonstrated even in this campaign is the only person that can actually unite progressives moderates and centrists and I've been able to do so because we talk about the issues one that matter

But also, I give people the time of day. Now, there are some folks who may be in more centrist or moderate camps that will write off socialists and won't have conversation with them. There are some people who see themselves in very progressive lanes or socialist lanes that won't have conversations with moderates or centrists, and that ultimately is what leads to us being more fractured and more weakened as a movement. If we are going to take on

the MAGA threat that exists in this state and in this country, we can't do it fractured. And I used to always say, look, we have problems. We have issues. We have differences. I think that's ultimately what makes us the Democratic Party, where we're not a monolithic political organization. And to that point, we spend a lot of time arguing out of power.

and arguing while we are out of power is one of the reasons why it has been more difficult than it should be to achieve and maintain that power. We'll talk about that a little bit later when we get into Wisconsin being a purple state. So what's your vision for Wisconsin for the next four years? So if elected governor, what would you want people to say change for the better because you were elected governor? My vision

It's for the next decade, the next generation. I think too often people have a political vision, and that's why they think for the next two years or the next four years, because it's not about how we can change the state fundamentally for the better. It's about how a person can improve their prospects at reelection. Now, to that point, it is important for people to get in office and to get reelected because you don't want the wrong person to get into office.

do all the hard work that you've done. But at the same time, I think that it has limited people's desire to be as bold as we should be. Like I spent a lot of time in, you know, with tribes all across the state of Wisconsin. And, you know, they say every decision they make is with the seventh generation in mind, seven generations down the line. And I think that our short term vision is ultimately what leads to these quick fixes.

that may yield a political win, but does not yield a structural win. So when I say my vision for Wisconsin, I want this to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family. The city of Milwaukee used to be ideal for black people. Things have drastically changed. I'm not sure where your family came from. Where's your family come from? Tennessee. And my, my came from, well, Tennessee, but we're Mississippi by way of Tennessee, my grandmother's side.

My grandfather came from Louisiana because this is where the jobs were. This is where the opportunity was. And it's a reason why people, especially in my age group, don't see Milwaukee as the place for them to be able to chase their dreams. And it's crazy to think 70 years ago that the prospect of being able to get into the middle class, of being able to buy a home, about being able to create a solid foundation that it has dissipated. So how would, how would.

What would you want people to say, change for the better after four years? And to that point, we need to bring back good paying jobs. We need to create good paying jobs. And unfortunately, a lot of those job opportunities that have been extracted from our community because that factory, I'm going to ask you, what brought your family here? What industry? I don't know if it was an industry as much as it was a better situation.

than working in those fields in Tennessee. Exactly. So my grandmother, sharecropper family from again, Mississippi, then Tennessee, then here, my granddad, dirt farmer, he went to the Navy in Canaan, Milwaukee, because I know, I know, but that's, but I'm bringing this around. I'm bringing it around. I'm bringing it around because it is the point that I make is that for him in early 1950s to be able to get a job,

Without a college education that allow him to be able to purchase a home. How is it worse right now? So what we need to do in those jobs again that factory doesn't even exist anymore because Company the corporations the executives felt like they can make more money which they did by sending our good-paying jobs Overseas and this is the corporate greed that has ruled the day that has made life difficult in Milwaukee as it has made life difficult in rural, Wisconsin that being said

We have to get back into the business of building things and we have to hold corporations accountable corporations get away and end up making money hand over fist and leaving communities.

destitute, leaving communities in desperate situations. We need to bring good paying jobs. We have to embrace the technology that exists already. There are good paying jobs being created in the renewable energy sector. It's spurred off other ancillary job growth as well. And Wisconsin has an opportunity to be a clean energy leader. 60%, at least that was the case. I'm safe to say over 50% of the energy here in Wisconsin is generated

by coal. How many people you know working in coal mines in Wisconsin? None, because there are no coal mines here. We don't have oil in the ground here. We're not in extraction state. We have an opportunity, one, to create or excuse me, to generate clean energy and also stop having to spend money transporting energy from coal and oil from other states here. We are missing out on a world of opportunity. And as Wisconsin has a manufacturing base,

manufacturing background we can get back into manufacturing again and we still per capita we're still up there don't get me wrong but

It's not at the same level. It's not the same heft that it was back in the day. Creating those good paying jobs. Also, I mentioned the health care issue. If Wisconsin expands our eligibility for badger care, increase a public option, we'll be able to be a more attractive state for small business owners, for people who are working in gig economy, people who are in between jobs. One of the limiting factors that exists right now is the fact that people

don't have access to health care and get locked into a job they don't want to be in, and this stifles innovation. When it kind of gets to the next question, then, have you identified the three challenging issues that's facing the state of Wisconsin? And then how would you address them if elected governor? Well, I mean, the affordability issue is, you know, it's foreign center. But as you know, the affordability issue ain't new. The affordability issue has been here.

especially as we look around where we sit right now. So as governor, what impact would your policies have then on affordability in the state of Wisconsin? One of the reasons people can't afford things is because people are getting paid the same amount they were 20 years ago. And that money is so significantly less valuable than it was back then. And if people don't have money in their pockets and prices continue to rise, costs have gone up, wages have not.

So we need to get more money back in people's pockets We need a tax cut for working-class people and that needs to be funded by making billionaires pay up by making people with incomes over one million dollars Pay up pay their fair share. This is not about taxing people out of the state. This is about making sure that people are contributing to society considering that that wealth wasn't just conjured up it wasn't just generated by

you know, sheer thought process.

was generated on the backs of hardworking people who hardly ever get paid what they deserve. You have two more pressing issues. Healthcare, like I mentioned, Healthcare Wisconsin is one of 10 states has yet to expand our Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act. Congress has failed to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And for those two reasons, healthcare costs have ballooned in the state of Wisconsin. People's health insurance premiums are going through the roof of them. People who can't afford health insurance see

a three-fold increase in their health insurance premium chances are they are going to go without. And if a person is going without and people continue to go without, that increases the risk pool. If the risk pool of uninsured Wisconsinites continues to grow, the cost of health insurance is going to rise for every single person. And then third, you know, I would say that the third issue is obviously,

People will say education and I will agree with that is education because This came up last night in the debate this came up yesterday in my conversations With the two other candidates this idea of education Right now it's a question of resources How would you fix the funding formula?

because currently right now, just about every school district in the state is doing referendums to deal with short, you know, the short gaps, the gaps they have in their funding. How do we change our current formula for how education is financed in the state and then what's your position on the 400 year tax? So it is a question of resources, correct.

But I like to zoom out a little bit and I talked about this yesterday as well. It's the communities that are under resourced. Just take a look around any community that's doing well. Chances are that school is also doing well. And our communities that... But Glendale is a very affluent school. And that is my whole point. They have resources. But they're also doing referendums.

to help deal with certain short gaps in their funding? For sure. And I will get to the referendum question, but you touched on my point perfectly because you have communities that are starved of resources in general, communities that don't have good paying jobs, communities with limited food access, communities that see higher rates of crime. And it is no secret that the schools in the communities that are dealing with the most severe social constraints.

are the ones that have the most disparate outcomes in education. And so always, like to say, it's important for us to address the concerns of communities, to make sure there are good paying jobs everywhere, to make sure that people have access to health care, mental and physical health, so that our children are shown at school a level playing field. The state's responsibility is two-thirds funding per the Constitution, and that is a funding commitment that has yet to be met, has yet to be met.

the state has advocated its responsibility. Can you address that as governor? Well, absolutely. But we also, to change the formula, you got to change the legislature because there have been Republicans in the legislature who consistently denied the funding necessary for our public schools, which leads school districts all across the state to go to referendum every single day, or excuse me, every single year, every single election cycle. And not only

Are these referendum questions popping up? And you see a historic number of referendum questions. You're now seeing historic rates of referendum failure. And when these referendum questions pass, it ultimately puts the burden on property taxpayers. If we fully fund our schools, that burden gets off property taxpayers. Think about seniors who spent 30 years on a mortgage, finally paid off their home, or on a fixed income.

and ultimately property taxes are shooting up. And now all their hard work may be lost because it's still more difficult than they expected to be able to stay in their home. It's a travesty right now. And let me ask you this, and in terms of that, one of the impacts that now out state communities are facing is that they've removed the cap, that statewide expansion of the voucher and charter school program.

that money comes out of the coffers of those public school systems. Are you supportive of that in terms of one, the expansion and the removal of the cap and the impact that then it has on local schools? Because again, that's money that's being taken away from those school systems.

To basically support private education. No, I don't support the statewide expansion and no I don't support the lifting of the caps never have This is a drain of resources. This is a diversion of resources and the main reason for any person to not support it is the fact that

Our traditional public schools have not gotten the resource that they need so there's no justification for expanding the expansion I do think that we have to take a serious look at first accountability accountability is the most important thing and I keep saying this because We have schools that don't play by the same rules I personally deeply philosophically believe public dollars belong in public schools to that point it is important

that any school receiving a dime of public money should have to face the same set of public standards, accountability, and also public governance, open records, you know, compliance. And if they can't adhere to those standards, they should be out of the program. And I can tell you, overnight, over half the bad actors will be out of the program, which would free up resources for our public schools. Should that program...

be allowed to continue statewide no and I do like I think I think I think I think in Milwaukee we do need to take a hard look at the impact on our public schools which has overall been negative because it's been a drain of resources a few more questions here I got a few minutes left of technology AI part of is AI is is our not our futures are present but the big issue right now is data centers

How do you respond to communities who may or may not want those data centers in their community? I heard this term moratorium. How do we address that? Because there are some environmental impacts. There are economic impacts in terms of communities bearing some of the brunt financially of those data centers.

How do we deal with that issue around data center? Yeah, I'll tell you the issue of data centers comes up No matter what room no matter what community because people are fed up They're fed up with social media companies these tech companies being involved in every facet of our lives They've contributed to mental health crises specifically amongst the youth. They've abetted political polarization and now

They are constructed in data centers and communities that do not want them. If community doesn't want a data center, shouldn't be built. And I can also say that as governor, there'll be no new data center construction without guardrails in place, which is what touches on your point. If we don't have guardrails that protect our natural resources, our air and water, if we don't have restrictions that

protect ratepayers so that their energy costs aren't going through the roof, and also making sure that all other valid concerns with noise pollution, light pollution, whatever the case may be, if there isn't a mechanism to address those, then the data center shouldn't be built.

the infrastructure around the water, the sewage, all those different roads, should that cost be borne by the people who are building the data centers? Every, every, every cost associated should be borne by the data centers also should not have a dime in public subsidies. We're talking about $2 billion that these trillion dollar companies are getting from us.

and this continues this goes all the way back this whole conversation has been so circular because I'm talking about how corporations and corporate greed has ruled the day and now we see trillion dollar companies trillion trillion dollar companies that are asking for our money

to pollute our water, to pollute our air, to impose themselves in our communities. It is an issue of fairness. So, yeah, no new data center construction without those guardrails in place. And if they can't play by a set of rules that have been set in place to protect people in Wisconsin, because the people should always come first, if they can't adhere to a set of rules and they don't belong here in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a...

considered a politically purple state. How do you, I'm going to substitute this word consensus. That's very difficult. How do you, first of all, is compromise a bad word in politics? How do you build compromise around issues that affect people who live in the state of Wisconsin? Compromise is not a bad word, but capitulating is. And what we see so often is capitulation.

under the guise of compromise meaning that people are willing to negotiate everything away just to score a political victory not a victory that's a policy victory not a win for communities because what you see is people using an opportunity to say hey we were able to get this done in a bipartisan way but fundamentally nothing changes

And in many instances, fundamentally, things get worse, but a person gets to take credit for saying, oh, we got this done. I was able to work with XYZ. This is what hard work and achievement looks like. And so I am happy to negotiate and get faith with anybody. Unfortunately, people like Robin Voss have demonstrated an inability for the last 15 years to actually negotiate and come up with real compromise. It has been Republicans

negotiating in their own interests just so that Democrats can effectively say that they got something done. I'm not willing to play that game. My final two questions. What happens August 12th, winter lose? What should happen on the Democratic side August 12th? Well on the Democratic side and on August 12th

All focus needs to be on defeating Tom Tiffany. Make sure you get nowhere near the governor's office. Final question. Why should people vote for Mandela Byrne? Well, I think that I am the candidate who's most uniquely prepared for this moment. I've been through the fire before. I'm battle tested. I'm fully vetted. In 2018, we kicked Scott Walker out of office once and for all. We changed the dynamic here in Wisconsin. Now, there's a whole lot of work left to do. But I'm the one who's actually been there to help put

the beginning stages of the work in motion. And to that point in 2022, I took on another tough fight. I've never shot away from the tough fights. And I want people to also know that when the fights got tough, I've never given up. I've never walked away because it got a little bit difficult. And in 2022, my race was decided by one point, 26,000 votes is the closest in a race in the state in the hundred years, closest challenge to any incumbent statewide, no incumbent law statewide in 2022.

And I know what it takes to win because I've been on both sides of that coin. You learn a whole lot more when you don't win. I can tell you that much right now. When you win, you think you did everything right. When it's a close race, you think about those 26,000 votes every single day, and that's what motivates me. That's what put me back into my roots of organizing. With power to the polls, we developed the largest black voter mobilization effort ever. Hired more black organizers ever.

than any other political operation here in Wisconsin. I'm proud of that work because we increased Milwaukee's turnout. And in 2022, I had more votes in the city of Milwaukee than any other person in a midterm election. This is my home and nobody knows how to connect my story or anybody else's story here from Milwaukee to the rest of the state because that is what I've had to do. Now just throughout the course of this campaign,

But during my time as lieutenant governor while I was campaigning for lieutenant governor and I am also in addition to being the only person elected statewide I'm the only person who's ahead of Tom Tiffany according to the most recent Marquette poll and that means something it means that the message that I carry from my home base in Milwaukee Resonates with people who may not always agree with me politically. This includes independent voters

This includes disaffected Republicans because we have taken on a broken system that has failed everybody. I'm the only candidate that can claim that. Appreciate you. I appreciate Mandela Barnes. He is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor for the state of Wisconsin. Always good seeing you, man. I appreciate you. Appreciate always been too long. I know we've been we've been you're listening to Community Voice. We're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back. Five FM with your host.

Keith Parris. All right, welcome back. Join us Friday, July 31st at 11 a.m. for 11th annual Community Resource Fair at the Clinton Rose Senior Center, 3045 North Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. There will be tons of resources, money, giveaway, every hour, state fair tickets, MPD, ice cream truck, oh, fun, Vercity Mobile Unit, the Mobile Survival Live House, Book Bad Giveaways,

A demo drive of a Tesla and fun for the kids. That's the 11th annual WNLV resource fair held at the Clinton Road Senior Center 3045 North Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. That'll be this Friday starting at 11 a.m. So I got a quick question for you, brother. Yeah, bro. So you just said that MPD was giving out ice cream. Yeah, man. Do you got a show ID?

Because if you do, it's a trap. Don't go. They do that contact card. You're a Super Bowl ticket. Let me say, and every time I get a chance now, those officers love that duty. Oh, they love that duty, man. Because it was a couple of years, I don't know if it's a year, right after COVID, we were doing an event.

And I said, man, will y'all bring the ice cream truck back? They said, man, we try to get it back. Because, you know, that's great duty for them. You know, they do that. I don't know if they're still giving out baseball cards. I haven't saw any officers do that. That's good. You know, and that was something else when people came out. But the ice cream truck was a great public relations move. That's a good one, man. Now, I remember saying on TV years ago, I think it was in Philadelphia,

that the officers set up a sting, but they claimed it was giving out tickets. People awards. People awards. Right. And they said they'd give it away, too. Man, people for free. You know, anytime to the point that, wait a minute, is that too good to be true for free? There's a set up. I'm telling you for free, man, for free to get black folks in a whole lot of trouble for free.

Am I like this for free? Is it for free? Oh man, let me do this. Again, so let me thank David Crowley, Kel DeRoyce, and Mandela Burns.

I'm going to open up the phone lines. We're going to go to a break. But I'd love for those of you last night who watched the debate to get what your impressions were, 414-444-525-0. 414-444-525-0. What were your impressions of the candidates last night?

And we're still anxiously awaiting the the market poll that's supposed to be dropped sometime today to kind of see what has happened since County Executive Crowley has gotten back in the race. You're listening to Community Voice. We're gonna take a quick break and we'll be right back. 6.5 FM with your host Keith Parris. Hi, welcome back to Community Voice. I'm gonna get a little bit of so I can hear myself a little bit. Thank you.

Thank you. The front lines open 414-444-525-0. 414-444-525-0. How many of you all watched the debates last night or just your observations of the three conversations we've had with the three candidates thus far? We have scheduled Joel Brennan to be here on Friday at 9. So we'll have him and again,

we reached out to all campaigns so it wasn't hey this is my guy reached out so i'm just what your impressions were uh clark i don't know what we got in the comments here get a sense of where people are in the chat scroll up uh let's see okay all right

Someone wanted to know what took Mandela Barnes so long to make an appearance on this radio station to present his ideas to the community. I don't know if you're talking about this particular race. But I know when we reached out to his campaign, they immediately got back to us to set this up.

Let's see here. This is what have you done as a politician to make significant difference for the people who are consistently in the top three in every negative category in the city of Milwaukee in the state. All right. Keep on Zebra said baseball cards are no longer in the MPD budget and good morning. Evil Kenya. So anyway, 414. I don't know how many people watched it last night. Maybe people have already made up their minds.

You know, early voting started yesterday. And so I was just curious to what people thought, what their impressions were. Carla, welcome to the program. Hello, good morning. Good morning. Well, I want to ask a question. And I have checked out the candidates. There's one in the research. This app is a leadership. Would you give your

way to a total stranger. What I hear you give your property away to a total stranger. You work 30 years for it, and now you're going to give it away to a total stranger. Of course, the answer would be no. OK, good. I hope the other people are listening because you work 30 years. And I haven't heard any of these guys.

to address the issue with the evers increasing educational tax for real estate. And this is all over the state. This ain't just the city of Milwaukee, but I'm concerned about the city of Milwaukee because we're the urban area. Now, what he's done is he set a floor for what is the minimum

in terms of what should be a tax assessment to support public schools on a local level. Now, the state, if you want to get rid of that 400-year tax, then change the formula that the state uses to help fund public schools. Okay, listen, brother. All in the name of kids, I'm not willing to give away. Now, I'm not willing to give away. I don't, I don't know Mandela Barnes, I don't know. Eber, I don't know.

uh, none of them. All right. I don't even know Tom Tiffany, but he has vowed to remove it because if in five years he, if you, if the way you set now, and I'm still trying to figure out where this is alternative when he removes it to make sure that public education is adequately funded on the state level. Does he, does he have an alternative? You know what? Anything besides take the property of the people.

Does he have an alternative? What is the alternative if he removes the so-called authority? So at this point, and again, it passed the Republican legislature. What happened was that there was a veto that the governor did where he's able to go and do a line item veto to make it last into perpetuity because the Republicans only wanted to last from 2026 to 2027. So if he's going to remove it,

then what is his alternative to make sure that schools are adequately funded on a state level? Okay, I don't think the people understand the impact though. No, no, when you said they don't understand the impact, the impact, you're talking about property taxpayers, what is the impact on students going to public schools? Should that be considered? We've been making it this far. I'm not willing to give my property, you're willing to give your future away?

I have a better future when our children have a quality education. Society benefits from well-educated children. In the name of education, I'm to sacrifice my house or my grandparents' house. I think you're talking about an extreme.

It's not extreme. It has always been pitted. It's always been pitted that people whose kids probably went through public school.

benefited from the public schools when they get older they say, well why should I have to pay the taxes? What greater life than a man lay down, I mean what greater friend than a man lay down his life. That's what you're asking somebody to do. No I'm not. What I'm saying is that we have a societal responsibility to educate our kids and it doesn't end when I become a retiree.

Can you answer the question? Would that mean sacrifice my property? Well, I don't know if that that I think you're taking it to an extreme man. No, no, no, it's not because it's $1,000 per thousand. Then you have not given me an alternative to finance public education. The government is going to serve the government is going to surpass the old school. No, they're not. That's the whole point. That's the state has not.

That's why every, just about every school district in the state has had a referendum to deal with budget shortfalls because the state's inadequate funding to public schools. So we couldn't come up with nothing better than that. Hey, Tom Tiffany says he wants to get rid of this. So you need to ask him, what does he have that's better than what's going on right now?

Let's don't get into that debate. No, you brought him up. So I'm just saying, you said he's against it, but you haven't given me his alternative to replace it to make sure schools are adequately funded. You even evaluated, you got some kids, you got step kids, or you got some God kids, people that you love, right? Right. Have you considered God forbid anything ever would happen to you, man?

Okay, and in your wheel you got it set for that job a meet you being circled now. Let me get the next call. I appreciate you know what you can blame that on me is my fault call and welcome to the program I'm okay even though I'm paying so much in property taxes, I'm still okay, okay

All right. We have to find a way to work together. All right. And that's, I think that's the question you've been asking everybody. All right. I mean, what are we supposed to do? Send our children to the mill to work or maybe the mine, you know, when they're eight, nine years old, like we used to, you know.

make our young people work, I don't know, 80 hours a day like we used to. You know, hold out education is something only for the well-to-do or the extremely talented like we used to. Make our old people die in their living rooms of cancer like we used to. I mean, if we didn't learn anything,

from the past 250 years. We ought to have learned that a better life for everyone is a better life for you. And this, I don't know you, you don't know me, Lord. There's people on my block I don't know. It's all right. I trust them and sure I don't.

And even the people in Waukesha that you say, well, they can't change. I want to change them. What would I do if I changed them? If I changed them, they might change back. I don't want to change the people in Waukesha. I want them to realize that there's a way we live together and it's in the Constitution and it's in our agreements with each other. It's in the way we worship and the way we learn and the way we work.

in the way we drive. And I think I found out who I'm going to vote for and mainly because of WNOV. Thank you. Appreciate you. Paula, welcome to the program. Good morning. Good morning. I watched the debate last night and you know something. I'm basing my opinion on.

Who's the person that has handled a budget, has people reporting to him, know what it is to reach across the line, know what it is to be in tight spot. I mean, I know this other guy, Brennan, or whatever his name is, he's worked in some different arenas, yes.

But as far as the other one, Mandela Barnes being the lieutenant governor, he didn't have a budget. He was really supporting the governor's plan. And I'm sorry, I'm going to be going with Ada Crawley because I think

he would be our best bet if they had to go back 11 years to find some little garbage on him they don't have much but they look at what letting a republican get in there that's going to do exactly what Donald Trump wants them to do now they want to cut Medicare and we to fix his plane we did all his dumb stuff he lies right to our face telling us he's negotiating and he's not

and the people from across the way are letting us know we're not meeting, we're not doing anything. At what point did we get tired? And just pray that we're making the right decision. And as far as this other young lady goes, I don't know her, but I bet you if you were to go over to her country, you wouldn't even get a chance to do, you wouldn't get a chance to run for dog catcher, okay? So now,

We in here in America. We just let anybody come in that sounds good. Looks like they might do something. Check people's records out and as thorough as you possibly can. And people. So what? Off of your bed. Did you watch the debate last night? And vote. Did you watch the debate last night? Who to vote for? Did you watch the debate? And do something.

Did you watch the debate last night? Yes. And what impressions did you get from the candidates? OK, I felt Mandela did a lot of talking and gyrating out of hands and all this here kind of good stuff. And all of them had one issue. When it's really all of their issues, one person get up there and say, I'm going to do, they have to do all of these things because all of these things affect them.

I mean, our kids, let's just take our Milwaukee public school system. They don't do their homework, just like this is the school building that burned down. That huge building only had 400 kids in it. You know, but you brought that up. But hold on, wait, let's talk about that because the reason why these buildings are half empty

is you have 30,000 students who are part of the voucher charter program, even though we still have those buildings, those buildings have to be maintained, right? Or you have to close or you have to combine. So part of it is, and then that is, those are resources that NPS would have, but now they don't have. Can I just say another thing? Who's intelligent here? Number one, when you have these charter schools,

It should have been a line cut. Only so many kids can go can get into these lottery things and not that. An infinite number go to charter schools or just open it up to all charter schools. But my thing is Republicans would love to see that. And I'll tell you the next thing they're going to close six of our schools in our community.

and send them out to these white areas. No, we don't want that. We want the best school in our community. But you just cited an inner city school that was probably half full. That's the same thing on the north side. These are not overcrowded schools that they're sending students. There is, and certainly what we call the inner city, there's a depopulation going on of young kids.

those folks are moving out to the northwest side that that's the fastest growing area right now in the city because you have single families you know they're not buying homes that living in the apartments you know that that so I'm saying that the part of it is the depopulation of public schools but we still have to maintain those buildings okay can I see another thing there yes

To whom? If some people want to buy and turn them into nursing homes, turn them into places where in the winter people are looking for somewhere, shelters. I mean, we have to get created and live in the time in which we're in. Get out the box and start using your head. We have these educated people that they're so dang educated, they're stupid. All right. Well, I appreciate it. And we need to get together with some community people in zone.

And let's start talking. All right. Thank you. All right. All right. You're listening to Community Voice. We're going to take a quick break so I can bring my guests in. And one more thing before you go. What we find out is that these issues become a little bit more complicated. So anyway, so again, we're going to take a quick break. Clark, we're good. All right. Take a quick break. We'll be right back.

host Keith Parris. Welcome back to Community Voice and it's that time of year again for the Black Arts Fest and we're joining us today by Mr. Nate Treryler. Good morning. You're the CEO. I'm not the CEO, I'm the planning chair. She's the planning chair. I'm glad to be here. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Good to see

Well, welcome. Welcome. Welcome. You see, you have the t-shirt. You bet. Man, last year, my guy hooked me up. I mean, he made sure I had. I was just telling you, I think I wore it like Monday. I appreciate that. That's a beautiful t-shirt. Thank you. They are for sale. $30 on site. Hey, no. Hey, look. And you want to get, I had this pet peeve. At the family reunion, if the shirts are purple,

don't come in with a family reunion t-shirt from three years ago here's the thing you know what i'm we family i'm gonna say this if you got a t-shirt from three years ago wrap your t-shirt from three years ago another one three years ago i i made it there she said come buy another one so you can wear it three years later

You want to be in the front row of the picture with the wrong shirt off. I had to say that. Y'all, I'm defending y'all. What's your t-shirt if you won't? You don't be looking at them a little scared when they come in. You just spit your money. Oh, you know what? Here's the thing. I'm going to be honest with you.

I love whatever. Really? Come in your t-shirt, come in your own clothes, come in what's new. Money, my mom used to say money is funny. Money's so funny. Listen, we want you to come on down to Black Arts Fest on Saturday, on some fest grounds. Once you pay to get in, we endeavor for everything else to be free and at no cost. And all you're paying for is food and stuff that you want to buy.

We're your old stuff for your new stuff. We're rocked that all and come on down and kick it. We're doing the gathering, right? We're just gathering the people. We're just gathering the people. I ain't gonna say that. Dude, where you at? Keep on moving. Like our special MCA. You're gonna ruin the whole thing for me. Talk about that day. Man, what year is this for now? This is the sixth year. Right.

So as you guys know, so we get this question so much. Are you all part of African World Festival? Are you all black arts? Are you all Afrofest and such? And the answer to that really is this is our sixth year. Black Arts Festival, MKE has existed for six years. But we absolutely are the festival that celebrates African heritage and black culture on the summer fest grounds. And that legacy is 50 plus years old. So what can people expect for that day?

food, fashion, fun, culture, black, you know, black beautifulness. So what we have starting from noon to 10 p.m. all day long is everything that is fly about our culture. Everything that is to be celebrated about our culture. I sometimes say he who holds the mic pushes the narrative. And so, you know, when folks got the mic, what narrative they push of us. So now that we get the mic that day,

We're going to push everything that is beautiful. So we're going to have everything from the kids stage rocking hosted by DJ Homer Blow rocking with all the things that our babies experience and that our babies go, that our babies are dancing, our babies are modeling, our babies are singing, our babies are playing instruments, our babies are dancing, all the things on display. Free horse rides for the kids through shout out to the Buffalo Soldiers, which are the Black Cowboys. We love that. On the ground we also got

The $500 culture competitions. We have three categories. We have African heritage here We have African we have the essence of style fashion design and then third category is Fine arts and so in those three categories African heritage here Fine arts and the essence of style fashion design each winner gets 500 cash dollars to

to showcase our Black culture in African heritage. You also, I know there's intense, well, there's the village almost like the Bazaar where you can go in. What about where people want to purchase Black art? So the fine arts category is integrated with the Black art show. And so there's 10 featured Black artists. So let me back up. From the vendors, there's artists that

Artists but in the art show the official art show there's ten featured artists and those artists are not only competing for the $500 Best of Show cash award But in that they're also displaying their art and then also selling art So if you want to buy black art you've got the vendors who are there to sell black art and then you've also got the Opportunity to purchase art from those featured in the art show our competition at this point How many stages are you using this year? We have two

Main stages and then we have the kids stage. So the kids stage is always open and and like I said DJ home or blows hosting that and they have our main stage Which is the overall pavilion for folks who not familiar with the summerfest ground that we're a pavilion is a cover stage So rain kryptonite. I got your back. Um, so that's our main stage in that where the old

When you get when you get right to the main gates and you're walking into the waterfall right there the big white covered one is the huge Yeah, that's where the old grandstand used to be. That's where our pavilion is covered and then on the grass is where our cultural stage is and we erect that we've got a big tent that's going to Cover that as well. And so we've got good good good cover And we love that and then we have

So getting back to what else we have on the grounds. We talked about the the culture the $500 cash prize culture competitions Then we've got some some some festival favorites the D9 party to buy nine parties always gonna come back. They just rock hard. We their vibe. We love that I Never know who won because I never care who wins and the reason why I never cares because they just rock and it's about the culture for me. I'm not Greek. I'm Greek adjacent All my friends are Greek

But you know, they particular about that kind of thing. I don't know the trouble. I was there for that. It was a lot of... I don't know if it was the Delta. I think it was AKAs. Listen, they come out. And what I was just telling somebody the other day, I love the showcase competition that they do on stage, but I also love the straw because the straw for me is I love intergenerational, multi-generational stuff. I love when young people and old people are together and we vibing.

And so that roll call is just open membership. If you are a member of and it'd be the young folks, it'd be the older folks and they both be doing the same rhythms and I'd be like, let's go. Let's go. So for me, my favorite part of the Divine Nine Party is the roll call. And then we have the Michael Jackson tribute at four. You all.

If y'all saw, I think you were part of our Eric Abadou versus Jill Scott. That tribute was dope years ago. Each the singer did, Tina Turner laid that thing out, laid it out. This year, Bruce City Soul is doing a tribute to Michael Jackson. Pulling out all the stops. So that's gonna be a great time. I said four. We have from one to four, we have our blues and soul.

So a number of folks are coming in for that. So let's stop here because we need to give away tickets. Let's give away tickets. All right. 414-444-5250-414-444-5250. We have a set of tickets for you. If you call right now, 414-444-5250. We have a set of tickets. Absolutely free.

For you to call all right go on Okay, so we talked with Michael Jackson tribute it was about the blues and so from one to four some of the Michael Jackson tribute at four There is a divine nine party there are the the African heritage here competition the African here the culture competitions Would you clue the three categories I talked about? We have poetry and plug which is a festival favorite. They come out in rock every year to Audi Amores Audi Morris performing with them

We got sold out coming home to be part of our fashion show. Yeah, I'm going to do this question. Let me let's do it. We got a question. Good morning, Carla. How are you? Wonderful. Do you want to go to the Blackhearts Festival? Yes, I do. OK, that's the question. All right, there you go.

All right. Thank you for calling me and calling. Let's get your information. You answered the question correctly. Let me help them. Let me help them. Let me help them. Because he could ask because they have me at these different events doing trivia questions. All right. So do you want to go? That's our first question. All right. So let's talk about the lineup.

Headliners. Yeah, Dave Hollister is headlining the festival. We love that. I would do it again, but okay. Um, yeah, so David Hollister. Everything is different now, bro, right? Oh, Dave Hollister is headlining the festival. We love that. Um, he's out on the stage at eight. Now, listen, let me tell you all this. Don't be loud. I'm coming at eight. I'm coming at six. Don't play yourself.

We open them gates at noon and we rock hard until the gates close. And so come on out all day. Have a great time in state for Dave Hollister. But if you come and see that show business, we welcome you still. But we got a great day playing for y'all. Come on out at noon and kick it with us. So like I said, we got Dave Hollister is headlining the festival at eight. And then at seven, we have the Lattimore brothers. They got an email? Yeah.

the Lattimore brothers are coming home for their first performance without their brother also for their musical director. He said that he's their musical director. Where there is music though, there is Jermaine. We know that and so we so great to give them this platform, give them, bring them home and just have them kind of come out of hiatus if you will at home to our too. So we just love that. We're so excited to see them. You know what?

There is a Jacob with them. I think it's senior though. You talk about the baby. That's there's there's rockin hard and in acting on it Was he a lot of more brother? No, yeah, I think it's seniors. I don't think the baby, you know, I don't want to say no because you know The universe be listening and so I would say I don't know cuz come on break them down. It's gonna be nice. Don't be nice though Call it welcome to the program

Yes, hello. Hey, how are you? Good and yourself? Well, I'm doing all right. I'm doing all right. How you been? Great. How you been? Great. How you been? What's your question? Well, it's really been nice talking with you. Thank you for checking in. Have a great day. Let me, let's see, let's see. I need to ask you a question in order for you to win these tickets, right? Okay. Okay.

This is an easy one. You grew up in Milwaukee. Did I grow up in Milwaukee? Yes. Okay. Did you go to public school in Milwaukee? Yes. What is the most popular lunch item at MPS? Mark chicken legs. Oh, there you go. You just won. I know Michelle was listening. Yeah, there's that Mark chicken leg question. All right.

We appreciate you. Enjoy this show. Enjoy the festival. Doreen's going to get your information. All right. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. Yeah, that is

And then when I went to high school, I went to Catholic school, right? First of all, their lunch was Alucard, and there were no mock chicken legs. And it broke your heart. Well, you mad about it. Too late, and my mom would pay the tuition. I had to stay. It could have been a deal breaker. Listen, that's when you take action. You form student council, you say, listen, we need to put this on my chicken. I need to introduce you all to her. So people, if they want.

When you have opening ceremony, right? Absolutely. The opening ceremony is at 12.30. So the gates open at noon and then folks are just kind of in and kind of looking around, seeing where the stages are. And at 12.30, we all convene on the main stage, which is the Aurora Pavilion for the opening ceremony at 12.30.

And then that's a short ceremony at one o'clock. All the stages are open and we got the whole thing. Performance is going live. Can people buy tickets in advance? They can buy tickets in advance at our website, which is BlackArtsFestMKE.com. They can also buy tickets at the gate just walking up. There's QR codes to scan all throughout the gate area, throughout the gate area. We got two gate promotions from going on from noon to 1 p.m.

So from noon to 1 p.m. courtesy of the pits mortuary the new pits mortuary It's our peace pledge the first 100 people to come to our gates and sign the peace pledge Get free take get free tickets to get in now with that said I'm gonna clarify is the first 100 people between noon and 1 p.m. So at 12 15 that could be done Okay, so that's our great. That's our first gay promotion The second gay promotion is all senior citizens over 65 years old getting free from noon to 1 p.m

unlimited amount of so there are two gay promotions again are the first 100 people to come to the gate between 12 and noon and sign the peace pledge get in free courtesy of the new pits mortuary and then also all singers over 65 get in free between 12 and noon i'm sorry between noon and one i'm sorry so that means that debault clark and keith they don't need they press credentials they can just go down there and say

Yeah, y'all making me be rude.

$30 for general admission $20 for seniors unless you come from noon to one and $15 for youth 12 in between 12 and up, you know and then

Seven and under are free for the babies Kennedy. You just made it. Come on. Kennedy just turned seven You know when I was a kid I was taught right So they never could believe I was under 12. Yeah, you know, so they they try to charge me like dude Full blown whoopers at them gates. They're like, you know

We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to win orders at the crib. We went over to

And then the kids get all moral. You taught me not to lie. We don't want no trouble. Also, veterans with credentials are free as well. I understand it. Listen, don't beat you. You don't listen. I understand what you got to do. Kids under seven is free. And veterans with credentials are also free. And listen, that's

I don't got nothing to do with that. I said, I'll probably send you a website, like our SwissMKE.com. Well, that was a long ride. I'm not saying it. What did I tell you? You can't even do wrong, right? You lying any other time. Right, right. Now all of a sudden, you get Jesus. Right. So you get Jesus. We got another call. I do have another set of tickets.

call and welcome to the program. Oh, I called in already. Where's the blue? Where's it going to be at? Let's go with the blues and soul. Blues and souls on the main stage from one to four. So right after the opening ceremony, you said blues. I'm sorry. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. So it's from noon. Is this Saturday, August 1st after Summerfest grounds from noon to 10 PM and you will need to go to will call to pick up your ticket for those who are winning today. Those who are winning today.

Okay, where is that located? Right at the front gate. The ticket windows. Oh, okay. Are you bringing a 7 year old with you? Are you bringing a 7 year old with you? Most definitely. You know what? Clean this all up. Yes, bring out your family son. We appreciate you bringing out your family.

All right appreciate you. Hey y'all we do have another set of tickets. Appreciate you ma'am. Carla, welcome to the program. Good morning. Good morning. How are you? I'm good. You had a good time Saturday. That was that was Sunday. I danced my heart away. Yeah, but I saw you Saturday. Oh

Didn't I see you Saturday? Again, that's the Blackhearts Fest this weekend August 1st at the Summerfest grounds The gates open at noon they go from noon until 10 p.m. To 10 p.m. Again, if you want tickets you can go to the MKE

BlackArtsFestMKE.com for our tickets. Also, you can follow us on Facebook. So BlackArtsFestMKE, we're all on Facebook. We're pushing out all the information. But our website where you purchase tickets is BlackArtsFestMKE.com. And you can also get tickets at the gate. You absolutely can get tickets at the gate. Absolutely. And then the tickets are, excuse me, the tickets are electronic. So you can actually just walk up, put your cell phone, boom, there's notifications right on the end. Yeah.

So we are so excited. We are so excited. Like I said, we've got the Latimer Brothers coming home. We've got Dave Hollister headlining. We've got the Blues and Soul. We've got the Blues and Soul. I'm about to see the Blues and Soul Fest. We've got the Blues and Soul performances. A pair of tickets. I work it. Listen, I stay ready. I stay ready, bro.

Oh, baby, I would have took you, but they only gave me one ticket and a half. Baby, you saved it. Baby, you saved it under, baby. You saved it. But Junior could go. Junior could go. You can't go there with me. You can't go there with me.

We don't want no

If you ever been married, you know that there are questions you do not answer Stay married long, you know cuz I got my single buddy. I would have told her the truth

No, you wouldn't. Yes. Well, just do it one time. It's called good counsel. Just I did it one time. That's why I'm good counsel. My wife's some of the greatest advice we ever had in our marriage. She said everything that comes up don't have to come out. I wish somebody would have told me that. Yeah, I got real simple. Be nice.

Be nice. If you're gonna say it that's fine. Say it nicely. Sometimes just don't say don't as what do they say? Don't say a mumbling word. Just close your eyes and go to sleep. Sleep it off. That's for you. That's your all rule. The husbands don't say a mumbling word. They correct. The wives, we say it. Oh, y'all gonna say it. We just say it nicely. But we saying it. Man. I say, hey, you sleep. Don't care. Hey, hey, hey, hey. You need to talk. Hey, hey, hey, hey. You sleep. Don't care. My wife, my wife.

My wife said something to me one time. It was so God awful. Man, she had me in a fetal position. That's just how bad that was. You know, when you are barbed up. If you upset me, I'm mad. She came back and she came halfway down the stairs and she looked at me. She said, I'm sorry that what I said upset you. You're not sorry for saying it. You're sorry for my reaction to it. OK.

and I'm going back upstairs. What do money might say? Don't be sorry. Be careful. Be careful. So again, gosh to be okay. Gosh to be. We talked about black guys first. MKE happy news time. August 1st at the Summerfest Grounds. The gates open at noon. You can go to the website to get tickets or you can buy them at the gates. So again, and then for our listeners who won, you pick up your tickets at will call. Nature, thank you.

Always good. You always a lot of fun. I love y'all. Y'all my people. Indeed. Let's go. Y'all listen to Community Voice. We're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back. Your host, Keith Parrish. All right, welcome back. We have a few minutes left. You wanted to do some shout outs. You bet. You bet. I want to shout out to the community. Like I say, he who holds the mic pushes the narrative. And so I'm just so glad that radio stations like WNOV

Hose the mic and pushes the our narrative. I'm also really glad to have Black Arts Fest MKE As a festival celebrate African heritage and black culture and be able to hold the mic and push the narrative and then I like to think our board Our board is just a phenomenal group of professionals individuals that come together that came together and said, you know what in the hiatus when the whole community said Why we ain't got no festival. What we gonna do? They came together formed and said that's this answer that what we gonna do

pulled the festival together, brought it back. I love that. So people say, she brought it back. I didn't bring it back. She didn't bring it back. We brought it back. So thank you to everybody for that. Also, too, our sponsors got to thank our sponsors, right? So I will walk you through that, talk you through that. And

Hold the phone as my mom say hold the phone So we have our sponsors that I would love to thank we want to thank Greater Milwaukee Foundation Brewer's Community Foundation Cecilia Gore over there is a rise in tide making sure we're all both are lifted. I love

Cecilia Gore. Like I say, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, we've got Beard, we've got Northwestern Mutual, Waterstown Bank, 98-3, Baydard Philanthropies, Town Bank, we've got Black Smoke MKE is sponsoring our, is hosting our cigar lounge this year. So y'all know our cigar lounge is a vibe. So shout out to Black Smoke United MKE and their festival starts today. I'm not mistaken. So they're going through the weekend and on Saturday,

their their event is at it starts at Black Arts Festival from and then goes over to Exotic Blins. So shout out to Black Smoke United MKE. Also thanking all in Milwaukee, thanking Milwaukee Fellows, Kid Town Academy, shout out to Kid Town Academy, Herb Cole Philanthropies, the New Pits Mortuary mentioned again is our Peace Pledge sponsor, Alive MKE, Gruber Laws Offices. Reach for the Stars!

Big one. Reach for the Stars Film Academy. You guys may have heard of our Black Hollywood experience this year. We've got a Black Hollywood panel that is like Black producers, Black writers, Black actors, Black all this is going to talk to us about the how we get in the business, what you do in the business and all the things. And the second part of that is Black film karaoke, which is where the crowd gets to act out their favorite Black film scene. Yes. And then they could win a chance to be in the, not win a chance, they win a role.

the winner gets a role in the upcoming film series the mill and so um shout out to to reach for the stars film academy on there steve old love shout out to him and um you asked who was on our board so on our board we've got um greg westley is on our board thank you for the t-shirt yeah he's the one who read the t-shirt man that's that's i just love i love good people yep

Shout out to Greg Wesley on our board. We've got Jackie Harry Barber on our board. We've got Corey Nettles on our board. We've got Mark Wade on our board. We've got Grady Crosby on our board. We've got Kayla Haywood Senior on our board. We've got Barb Wanzo on our board. And in our board chair, save the best for life. Our board chair, Derek Tyus is our board chair. And he and I, partner, really lift this thing. And I always, always...

just so appreciative of our partnership. Let me get this last call. A call and welcome to the program. Thank you, Keith. Good morning. Good morning, young lady. Please forgive me for not having this course and directed toward the festival, but I appreciate your your efforts and everything and title of W speaking. I'll do the best I can to get out there. Good morning again, Keith. Good morning, Jermaine. Good morning, man. Clark Kent. Milwaukee.

very quickly. I did watch the debate, but I had a question for you. Whoever wins it, I think everybody did the self well. I mean, last night and I missed, I caught Mandela on your shoulder today, but I missed them. I think he said whoever was number one. Yeah, I heard. I heard both of them on Michelle, but I missed her on your show, but I think everybody did themselves well there. You know, how long would it take after whoever wins it out of the five?

How long would it take for them to start taking some of these ones that they beat out of the five on stage into their own cabinet? You know because I think they all got wonderful Physicians moving us forward if you can whoever wins and starts taking on the ones that they beat I think you'll start putting together a wedding team there because I I Can't say that I saw any losers that I mean they're talking about what the people need with the people wanting everything the issues and the

you know, the, you know, the talking points and agendas and all that stuff there. So I think everybody did their self well. But how long would it take for them to start taking on whoever, whoever wins it, taking on the other final four there, you know, that are standing. And I'll listen to you over the air then. Thanks a lot then, if you can answer that for me. All right. Yeah. My observation was that it's very talented group of people. And there's not a lot of

distance in terms of their positions. I just think it's really, it's a talented group of people. And just in general, I was at a forum for candidates for the assembly, and I was joking. I saw Jordan Roman's Saturday, and I said, you know, I walked away thinking maybe y'all overqualified to go into state legislature. I mean, just how talented these people really are. And so I think, you know, people have a choice. I know it's

There's a lot that's happened that made this race what it is. But yeah, there's some real talent to people there. And I'm appreciative that I had the opportunity to be able to speak to them in person. And that's one of the perks of this job is that you get a chance to have great conversations with great people. And, you know, so, yeah, I hope that answered it for you, Tyrone.

Again, so let me thank you in each way. I appreciate this people have a tendency to Milwaukee Don't don't Blank what my mom will say don't blank where you eat Right, you know and learn how to appreciate all the good things that this city has to offer and We're all part of that. I was listening So listening to someone yesterday

on our soon-to-be sister sister station and they they were shouting out they said man don't sleep on Milwaukee yeah you know and I think people have a tendency to do that but this is always a great undertaking and looks like this year and the weather's gonna cooperate weather's gonna cooperate because I told it so well it wasn't bad last year

Yeah, I have not been out there. Yeah, where it's been. We've had you've been very fortunate. Yeah, to really have some good weather. We are the city of festivals, you know, we are we leave with us. Just a shout out to our planning committee. Those professionals that come together on a number of different work streams to your point to make this whole festival come together and work and so

Shout out to them. We've got, you know, Joanna Rogers. We've got Deetra Rogers. Deetra Rogers spelled last names are all different. We've got Lalisha Anderson, Terrell Morgan, Ego, O.K.A. Ego, the artist, a slew of people. I can't even go into the entertainment folks because they are supported from everywhere. And I just got a call two seconds ago from somebody with some ideas and connection. And then just our planning committee, absolutely. And then the community.

I thank y'all because, you know, there's a question. Why can't we have more than one day? Why can't we have a bigger space? Y'all community got to come on out. We got to bust at the seams. We got to show, you know, some of us, we got to show that we need more days. We need when we, you know, um, and so the childhood community that that comes out in and party all day and bust at the seams. Again, let me thank Mr. Mandela Barnes. Let me thank Mr. Nature, Riley, callers. We thank you. I can't thank you, sir.

Apostle, thank you. Bishop, chairman of the board. Good Lord, Will and Creek, don't rise. Hope to talk to everybody tomorrow. And as always, go from this place in peace.

Good morning, welcome to Community Voice.

Good morning, Clark Kent.

Hey, I'm with you.

Hey, write out.

Yes, sir, John.

My wife was imitating you, dude.

Uh-oh.

What'd I do?

Yeah, we used on stage.

You know, she was taking pictures.

She saw you.

Your hand was playing the keyboard.

She

said,

look it right

out.

I couldn't help it.

Look it right out.

I wanted to play, but I was looking at the keyboard.

Oh, you were so busted.

She said, look at him.

He doing what he do.

I said, yeah.

Man, I heard the chords.

Man, I wanted to play.

Well, good morning, everybody.

Welcome to Community Voice.

I'm your host, Keith Parris.

And as you know, yesterday, we started a series of conversations with the Democratic candidates for governor for the great state of Wisconsin.

We had the county executive David Crowley yesterday.

We had state senator Kel DeRoyce yesterday.

And we reached out to all five campaigns.

We've heard back from four.

and four have been scheduled, and so let me welcome Mr. Mandela Barnes.

Much appreciated.

Glad

to be back.

Thank you for having me.

Thank you for facilitating.

Let's see how it goes.

So again, I'm going to ask you the same questions I asked.

And so let's just go.

You ready?

All right.

What experiences in your personal, professional, public service background has best prepared you to serve as governor?

And what distinguishes you from the other Democratic candidates in this race?

Well, I appreciate it, man.

Thanks for that question.

And, you know, at times I try to think about what is that one specific thing.

But I can tell you, I'm the only person running right now who has been elected statewide.

I'm the only person who was not just elected to a safe Democratic district or a reliably Democratic jurisdiction.

I've had to take my message all across the state before, and I have one doing so.

And I have had to work

diligently day in and day out to not just meet the needs of communities that weren't my own but to balance the needs because as you know there's a lot of unfortunate finger-pointing between communities whether it's urban, rural, suburban or otherwise because communities have been starved of resources.

Republicans in the legislature failed to fully fund public schools they fail to provide adequate state aid for local government and it leaves communities saying oh well this

Community get something and I'm not and it's not a zero-sum game This is a top and bottom politics that we've been experiencing for generations where the wealthy continue to get more wealthy They aren't taxed appropriately.

They run away with the bag and leave communities scrambling stuck Scrambling for resources and that's created the biggest political device that we're experiencing But let's take it back to personal life.

I was born and raised here in Milwaukee now the challenges the things I talk about

in this campaign aren't things that I had to learn aren't things that had to be taught to me I have lived every single experience I talk about whether it's health care I've had a health care the story where I found myself in medical debt because health insurance companies want to play games as you know they continue to do so and get over on people I have dealt with insecurity in many ways having lost a job in 2008 which is obviously one of the most difficult

moments in time that people have faced compared to now.

And I know what it's like to be on food share.

I know what it's like to have to apply for energy assistance.

I know what it's like to be on badger care, all these things as an adult.

And that's why I fight so hard for these issues because I know what people are going through.

And you got a lot of, again, Republicans mostly in the legislature that want to demonize people for facing challenges in their lives.

But I'm here to say that

We should be in the business of uplifting individuals so that we can uplift communities and ultimately have the best state for people to be able to live, work, raise a family or chase your dreams.

You know, there's a lot of labeling, labeling to define your, your, your candidacy or your, your opponent.

So how would you describe your place in the democratic party?

Would you characterize yourself as progressive, liberal, moderate or something else?

And how does your governing philosophy shape the policies you pursue

as governor?

I can tell you like the more I've been involved in this The less it becomes about labels.

I've always run on a bold progressive platform But I can tell you When I'm traveling out across this state when I'm talking to people or even you know during my time as lieutenant governor People weren't concerned about what brand of politics I brought to the conversation people just want to know

how much you cared and how committed I was to actually fixing the problems.

And that's what it comes down to.

As I mentioned earlier, it's not always left and right.

It's not red and blue Democrat Republican.

It's about top and bottom.

We've had so many people take advantage.

of working-class folks all across the state and all across this country.

And government has allowed it to happen.

A broken system has allowed it to happen.

So I do approach not just this campaign, but I approach the thought process and the way I address issues as more independently progressive.

There's not like a specific ideology that I would even subscribe to because there's no blanket approach.

And I think that taking the blanket approach

is ultimately what leaves more people behind and actually gather more people under that blanket or proverbial tent.

So to that point, like I said, always ran as a progressive, always showed up, govern or represented as a progressive because that's what the moment calls for.

Things have gotten so bad for people for so long.

Our minimum wage has been $7.25 since it became the federal minimum wage.

We are one of 10 states that has not expanded our Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act.

We have increasing rates of poverty and our children are dealing with this the worst because it is reflected in educational outcomes, college, too affordable, people losing jobs left and right.

This is a dire situation.

So whether it's progressive,

or whether it is just the bold message that confronts the challenges we're facing, that is the lane I will always be in until we fix the problems.

Do you have a problem with the progressive movement as I was rooted in socialism?

So do you have a problem with that tag democratic socialist?

I don't have a problem with tags because my goal has been to unite the party That's what I've always done and I've demonstrated even in this campaign is the only person that can actually unite progressives moderates and centrists and I've been able to do so because we talk about the issues one that matter

But also, I give people the time of day.

Now, there are some folks who may be in more centrist or moderate camps that will write off socialists and won't have conversation with them.

There are some people who see themselves in very progressive lanes or socialist lanes that won't have conversations with moderates or centrists, and that ultimately is what leads to us being more fractured and more weakened as a movement.

If we are going to take on

the MAGA threat that exists in this state and in this country, we can't do it fractured.

And I used to always say, like, look, we have problems.

We have issues.

We have differences.

I think that's ultimately what makes us the Democratic Party, where we're not a monolithic political organization.

And to that point, we spend a lot of time arguing out of power.

and arguing while we are out of power is one of the reasons why it has been more difficult than it should be to achieve and maintain that power.

We'll talk about that a little bit later

when

we get into Wisconsin being a purple state.

So what's your vision for Wisconsin for the next four years?

So if elected governor, what would you want people to say change for the better because you were elected governor?

My vision

It's for the next decade, the next generation.

I think too often people have a political vision, and that's why they think for the next two years or the next four years, because it's not about how we can change the state fundamentally for the better.

It's about how a person can improve their prospects at reelection.

Now, to that point, it is important for people to get in office and to get reelected because you don't want the wrong person to get into office.

do all the hard work that you've done.

But at the same time, I think that it has limited people's desire to be as bold as we should be.

I spend a lot of time with tribes all across the state of Wisconsin.

And they say every decision they make is with the seventh generation in mind, seven generations down the line.

And I think that our short term vision is ultimately what leads to these quick fixes.

that may yield a political win, but does not yield a structural win.

So when I say my vision for Wisconsin, I want this to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

The city of Milwaukee used to be ideal for black people.

Things have drastically changed.

I'm not sure where your family came from.

Where's your family come from?

Tennessee.

And my, my came from, well, Tennessee, but we're Mississippi by way of Tennessee, my grandmother's side.

My grandfather came from Louisiana because this is where the jobs were.

This is where the opportunity was.

And it's a reason why people, especially in my age group, don't see Milwaukee as the place for them to be able to chase their dreams.

And it's crazy to think 70 years ago that the prospect of being able to get into the middle class, of being able to buy a home, about being able to create a solid foundation that it has dissipated.

So how would, how would.

What would you want people to say, change for the better

after four years?

And to that point, we need to bring back good paying jobs.

We need to create good paying jobs.

And unfortunately, a lot of those job opportunities that have been extracted from our community because that factory, I'm going to ask you, what brought your family here?

What industry?

I don't know if it was an industry as much as it was a better situation.

than working in those fields in Tennessee.

Exactly.

So my grandmother, sharecropper family from again, Mississippi, then Tennessee, then here, my granddad, dirt farmer, he went to the Navy in Canaan, Milwaukee, because I know, I know, but that's, but I'm bringing this around.

I'm bringing it around.

I'm bringing it around because it is the point that I make is that for him in early 1950s to be able to get a job,

Without a college education that allow him to be able to purchase a home.

How is it worse right now?

So what we need to do in those jobs again that factory doesn't even exist anymore because Company the corporations the executives felt like they can make more money which they did by sending our good-paying jobs Overseas and this is the corporate greed that has ruled the day that has made life difficult in Milwaukee as it has made life difficult in rural, Wisconsin that being said

We have to get back into the business of building things and we have to hold corporations accountable.

Corporations get away and end up making money hand over fist and leaving communities.

destitute, leaving communities in desperate situations.

We need to bring good paying

jobs.

We have to embrace the technology that exists already.

There are good paying jobs being created in the renewable energy sector.

It's spurred off other ancillary job growth as well.

And Wisconsin has an opportunity to be a clean energy leader.

60%, at least that was the case.

I'm safe to say over 50% of the energy here in Wisconsin is generated

by coal.

How many people you know working in coal mines in Wisconsin?

None, because there are no coal mines here.

We don't have oil in the ground here.

We're not in extraction state.

We have an opportunity, one, to create or excuse me, to generate clean energy and also stop having to spend money transporting energy from coal and oil from other states here.

We are missing out on a world of opportunity.

And as Wisconsin has a manufacturing base,

manufacturing background we can get back into manufacturing again and we still per capita we're still up there don't get me wrong but

It's not at the same level.

It's not the same heft that it was back in the day.

Creating those good paying jobs.

Also, I mentioned the health care issue.

If Wisconsin expands our eligibility for badger care, increase a public option, we'll be able to be a more attractive state for small business owners, for people who are working in gig economy, people who are in between jobs.

One of the limiting factors that exists right now is the fact that people

don't have access to health care and get locked into a job they don't want to be in and this stifles innovation.

It kind of gets to the next question.

Have you identified the three challenging issues that's facing the state of Wisconsin?

And then how would you address them if elected governor?

Well, I mean, the affordability issue is, you know, it's foreign center.

But as you know, the affordability issue ain't new.

The affordability issue has been here.

especially as we look around where we sit right now.

So as governor, what impact would your policies have then on affordability in the state of

Wisconsin?

One of the reasons people can't afford things is because people are getting paid the same amount they were 20 years ago.

And that money is so significantly less valuable than it was back then.

And if people don't have money in their pockets and prices continue to rise, costs have gone up, wages have not.

So we need to get more money back in people's pockets We need a tax cut for working-class people and that needs to be funded by making billionaires pay up by making people with incomes over one million dollars Pay up pay their fair share.

This is not about taxing people out of the state.

This is about making sure that people are contributing to society considering that that wealth wasn't just conjured up it wasn't just generated by

you know, sheer thought process.

was generated on the backs of hardworking people who hardly ever get paid what they

deserve.

You have two more pressing issues.

Healthcare, like I mentioned, Healthcare Wisconsin is one of 10 states has yet to expand our Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act.

Congress has failed to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

And for those two reasons, healthcare costs have ballooned in the state of Wisconsin.

People's health insurance premiums are going through the roof of them.

People who can't afford health insurance see

a three-fold increase in their health insurance premium chances are they are going to go without.

And if a person is going without and people continue to go without, that increases the risk pool.

If the risk pool of uninsured Wisconsinites continues to grow, the cost of health insurance is going to rise for every single person.

And then third, you know, I would say that the third issue is obviously,

People will say education and I will agree with that is education

because This came up last night in the debate this came up yesterday in my conversations With the two other candidates this idea of education Right now it's a question of resources How would you fix the funding formula?

because currently right now, just about every school district in the state is doing referendums to deal with short, you know, the short gaps, the gaps they have in their funding.

How do we change our current formula for how education is financed in the state and then what's your position on the 400 year tax?

So it is a question of resources, correct.

But I like to zoom out a little bit and I talked about this yesterday as well.

It's the communities that are under resourced.

Just take a look around any community that's doing well.

Chances are that school is also doing well.

And our communities that...

But Glendale is a very affluent school.

And that is my whole point.

They have resources.

But they're also doing referendums.

to help deal with certain short gaps in their funding?

For sure.

And I will get to the referendum question, but you touched on my point perfectly because you have communities that are starved of resources in general, communities that don't have good paying jobs, communities with limited food access, communities that see higher rates of crime.

And it is no secret that the schools in the communities that are dealing with the most severe social constraints.

are the ones that have the most disparate outcomes in education.

And so always, like to say, it's important for us to address the concerns of communities, to make sure there are good paying jobs everywhere, to make sure that people have access to health care, mental and physical health, so that our children are shown at school a level playing field.

The state's responsibility is two-thirds funding per the Constitution, and that is a funding commitment that has yet to be met, has yet to be met.

the state has advocated its responsibility.

Can you address that as governor?

Well, absolutely.

But we also, to change the formula, you got to change the legislature because there have been Republicans in the legislature who consistently denied the funding necessary for our public schools, which leads school districts all across the state to go to referendum every single day, or excuse me, every single year, every single election cycle.

And not only

Are these referendum questions popping up?

And you see a historic number of referendum questions.

You're now seeing historic rates of referendum failure.

And when these referendum questions pass, it ultimately puts the burden on property taxpayers.

If we fully fund our schools, that burden gets off property taxpayers.

Think about seniors who spent 30 years on a mortgage, finally paid off their home, or on a fixed income.

and ultimately property taxes are shooting up.

And now all their hard work may be lost because it's still more difficult than they expected to be able to stay in their home.

It's a travesty right now.

And

let me ask you this, and in terms of that, one of the impacts that now out state communities are facing is that they've removed the cap, that statewide expansion of the voucher and charter school program.

that money comes out of the coffers of those public school systems.

Are you supportive of that in terms of one, the expansion and the removal of the cap and the impact that then it has on local schools?

Because again, that's money that's being taken away from those school systems.

To basically support private education.

No, I don't support the statewide expansion and no I don't support the lifting of the caps never have This is a drain of resources.

This is a diversion of resources and the main reason for any person to not support it is the fact that

Our traditional public schools have not gotten the resource that they need so there's no justification for expanding the expansion I do think that we have to take a serious look at first accountability accountability is the most important thing and I keep saying this because We have schools that don't play by the same rules I personally deeply philosophically believe public dollars belong in public schools to that point it is important

that any school receiving a dime of public money should have to face the same set of public standards, accountability, and also public governance, open records, you know, compliance.

And if they can't adhere to those standards, they should be out of the program.

And I can tell you, overnight, over half the bad actors will be out of the program, which would free up resources for our public

schools.

Should that program...

be allowed to continue

statewide no and I do like I think I think I think I think in Milwaukee we do need to take a hard look at the impact on our public schools which has overall been negative because it's been a drain of resources

a few more questions here I got a few minutes left of technology AI part of is AI is is our not our futures are present but the big issue right now is data centers

How do you respond to communities who may or may not want those data centers in their community?

I heard this term moratorium.

How do we address that?

Because there are some environmental impacts.

There are economic impacts in terms of communities bearing some of the brunt financially of those data centers.

How do we deal with that issue around data centers?

Yeah, I'll tell you the issue of data centers comes up no matter what room, no matter what community because people are fed up.

They're fed up with social media companies, these tech companies being involved in every facet of our lives.

They've contributed to mental health crises specifically amongst the youth.

They've abetted political polarization and now

They are constructed in data centers and communities that do not want them.

If community doesn't want a data center, shouldn't be built.

And I can also say that as governor, there'll be no new data center construction without guardrails in place, which is what touches on your point.

If we don't have guardrails that protect our natural resources, our air and water, if we don't have restrictions that

protect ratepayers so that their energy costs aren't going through the roof, and also making sure that all other valid concerns with noise pollution, light pollution, whatever the case may be, if there isn't a mechanism to address those, then the data center shouldn't be

built.

the infrastructure around the water, the sewage, all those different roads, should that cost be borne by the people who are building the data centers?

Every, every, every cost associated should be borne by the data centers also should not have a dime in public subsidies.

We're talking about $2 billion that these trillion dollar companies are getting from us.

And this continues, this goes all the way back.

This whole conversation has been so circular because I'm talking about how corporations and corporate greed has ruled the day.

And now we see trillion dollar companies, trillion trillion dollar companies that are asking for our money.

to pollute our water, to pollute our air, to impose themselves in our communities.

It is an issue of fairness.

So, yeah, no new data center construction without those guardrails in place.

And if they can't play by a set of rules that have been set in place to protect people in Wisconsin, because the people should always come first, if they can't adhere to a set of rules and they don't belong here in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin is a...

considered a politically purple state.

How do you, I'm going to substitute this word consensus.

That's very difficult.

How do you, first of all, is compromise a bad word in politics?

How do you build compromise around issues that affect people who live in the state of Wisconsin?

Compromise is not a bad word, but capitulating is.

And what we see so often is capitulation.

under the guise of compromise meaning that people are willing to negotiate everything away just to score a political victory not a victory that's a policy victory not a win for communities because what you see is people using an opportunity to say hey we were able to get this done in a bipartisan way but fundamentally nothing changes

And in many instances, fundamentally, things get worse, but a person gets to take credit for saying, oh, we got this done.

I was able to work with XYZ.

This is what hard work and achievement looks like.

And so I am happy to negotiate and get faith with anybody.

Unfortunately, people like Robin Voss have demonstrated an inability for the last 15 years to actually negotiate and come up with real compromise.

It has been Republicans

negotiating in their own interests just so that Democrats can effectively say that they got something done.

I'm not willing to play that game.

My final two questions.

What happens August 12th, winter lose?

What should happen on the Democratic side August 12th?

Well on the Democratic side and on August 12th

All focus needs to be on defeating Tom Tiffany.

Make sure you get nowhere near the governor's office.

Final question.

Why should people vote for Mandela Byrne?

Well, I think that I am the candidate who's most uniquely prepared for this moment.

I've been through the fire before.

I'm battle tested.

I'm fully vetted.

In 2018, we kicked Scott Walker out of office once and for all.

We changed the dynamic here in Wisconsin.

Now, there's a whole lot of work left to do.

But I'm the one who's actually been there to help put

the beginning stages of the work in motion.

And to that point in 2022, I took on another tough fight.

I've never shot away from the tough fights.

And I want people to also know that when the fights got tough, I've never given up.

I've never walked away because it got a little bit difficult.

And in 2022, my race was decided by one point, 26,000 votes is the closest in a race in the state in the hundred years, closest challenge to any incumbent statewide, no incumbent law statewide in 2022.

And I know what it takes to win because I've been on both sides of that coin.

You learn a whole lot more when you don't win.

I can tell you that much right now.

When you win, you think you did everything right.

When it's a close race, you think about those 26,000 votes every single day, and that's what motivates me.

That's what put me back into my roots of organizing.

With power to the polls, we developed the largest black voter mobilization effort ever.

Hired more black organizers ever.

than any other political operation here in Wisconsin.

I'm proud of that work because we increased Milwaukee's turnout.

And in 2022, I had more votes in the city of Milwaukee than any other person in a midterm election.

This is my home and nobody knows how to connect my story or anybody else's story here from Milwaukee to the rest of the state because that is what I've had to do.

Not just throughout the course of this campaign.

But during my time as lieutenant governor while I was campaigning for lieutenant governor and I am also in addition to being the only person elected statewide I'm the only person who's ahead of Tom Tiffany according to the most recent Marquette poll and that means something it means that the message that I carry from my home base in Milwaukee Resonates with people who may not always agree with me politically.

This includes independent voters

This includes disaffected Republicans because we have taken on a broken system that has failed everybody.

I'm the only candidate that can claim that.

Appreciate

you.

I appreciate

Mandela Barnes.

He is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor for the state of Wisconsin.

Always good seeing you, man.

I appreciate you.

Appreciate

always

been too long.

I know we've been we've been you're listening to Community Voice.

We're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back.

Five FM with your host.

Keith Parris.

All right, welcome back.

Join us Friday, July 31st at 11 a.m.

for 11th annual Community Resource Fair at the Clinton Rose Senior Center, 3045 North Dr. Martin Luther King Drive.

There will be tons of resources, money, giveaway, every hour, state fair tickets, MPD, ice cream truck, oh fun, Vercity Mobile Unit, the Mobile Survival Live House, BookBad Giveaways,

A demo drive of a Tesla and fun for the kids.

That's the 11th annual WNLV resource fair held at the Clinton Road Senior Center 3045 North Dr. Martin Luther King Drive.

That'll be this Friday starting at 11 a.m.

So I got a quick question for you, brother.

Yeah, bro.

So you just said that MPD was giving out ice cream.

Yeah, man.

Do you got a show ID?

Because if you do, it's a trap.

Don't

go.

They do that contact

card.

You're a Super Bowl ticket.

Let me say, and every time I get a chance now, those officers love that duty.

Oh, they

love that duty, man.

Because it was a couple of years, I don't know if it's a year, right after COVID, we were doing an event.

And I said, man, will y'all bring the ice cream truck back?

They said, man, we try to get it back.

Because that's great duty for them.

They do that.

I don't know if they're still giving out baseball cards.

I haven't saw any officers do that.

And

that was

something else when people came out.

But the ice cream truck was a great public relations move.

That's a good one, man.

Now,

I remember saying on TV years ago, I think it was in Philadelphia,

that the officers set up a sting, but they claimed it was giving out tickets.

People

awards.

People awards.

Right.

And they said they'd give it away,

too.

Man, people for free.

You know, anytime to the point that, wait a minute, is that too good to be true for free?

There's a set up.

I'm telling you for free, man, for free to get black folks in a whole lot of trouble

for free.

I don't know if this is for free.

It isn't for free.

Oh, man.

Let me do this.

Again, so let me thank David Crowley, Kel DeRoyce, and Mandela Burns.

I'm going to open up the phone lines.

We're going to go to a break.

But I'd love for those of you last night who watched the debate to get what your impressions were, 414-444-525-0.

414-444-525-0.

What were your impressions of the candidates last night?

And we're still anxiously awaiting the the market poll that's supposed to be dropped sometime today to kind of see what has happened since County Executive Crowley has gotten back in the race.

You're listening to Community Voice.

We're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back.

6.5 FM with your host, Keith Parris.

Welcome back to Community Voice.

I'm going to get a little bit of so I can hear myself a little bit.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The front lines open 414-444-525-0.

414-444-525-0.

How many of you all watched the debates last night or just your observations of the three conversations we've had with the three candidates thus far?

We have scheduled Joel Brennan to be here on Friday at 9.

So we'll have him and again,

we reached out to all campaigns so it wasn't hey this is my guy reached out so i'm just what your impressions were uh clark i don't know what we got in the comments here get a sense of where people are in the chat scroll up uh let's see

okay

all right

Someone wanted to know what took Mandela Barnes so long to make an appearance on this radio station to present his ideas to the community.

I don't know if you're talking about this particular race.

But I know when we reached out to his campaign, they immediately got back to us to set this up.

Let's see here.

This is what have you done as a politician to make significant difference for the people who are consistently in the top three in every negative category in the city of Milwaukee in the state.

All right, keep on Zebra said baseball cards are no longer in the MPD budget and good morning.

Evil Kenya.

So anyway, 414.

I don't know how many people watched it last night.

Maybe people have already made up their minds.

You know, early voting started yesterday.

And so I was just curious to what people thought, what their impressions were.

Carla, welcome to the program.

Hello, good

morning.

Good morning.

Well, I want to ask a question.

And I have checked out the candidates.

There's one in the research.

This app is a leadership.

Would you give your

way to a total stranger.

What I hear

you give your property away to a total stranger.

You work 30 years for it, and now you're going to give it away to a total stranger.

Of course, the answer would be

no.

OK, good.

I hope the other people are listening because you work 30 years.

And I haven't heard any of these guys.

to address the issue with the evers increasing educational tax for real estate.

And this is all over the state.

This ain't just the city of Milwaukee, but I'm concerned about the city of Milwaukee because we're the urban area.

Now, what he's done is he set a floor for what is the minimum

in terms of what should be a tax assessment to support public schools on a local level.

Now, the state, if you want to get rid of that 400-year tax, then change the formula that the state uses to help fund public schools.

Okay, listen, brother.

All in the name of kids, I'm not willing to give away.

Now, I'm not willing to give away.

I don't know Mandela Barnes, I don't know.

uh, none of them.

All right.

I don't even know Tom Tiffany, but he has vowed to remove it because if in five years he, if you, if the way you set now, and I'm still trying to figure out

where is his alternative when he removes it to make sure that public education is adequately funded on the state level.

Does he, does he have an alternative?

You know what?

Anything besides take the property of the

people.

Does he have an alternative?

What is the alternative if he removes the so-called authority?

So at this point, and again, it passed the Republican legislature.

What happened was that there was a veto that the governor did where he's able to go and do a line item veto to make it last into perpetuity because the Republicans only wanted to last from 2026 to 2027.

So if he's going to remove it,

then what is his alternative to make sure that schools are adequately funded on a state level?

Okay, I don't think the people understand the impact though.

No, no, when you said they don't understand the impact, the impact, you're talking about property taxpayers, what is the impact on students going to public schools?

Should that

be considered?

We've been making it this far.

I'm not willing to give my property, you're willing to give your future away?

I have

a better future when our children have a quality education.

Society benefits from well-educated children.

In the name of education, I'm to sacrifice my house or my grandparents' house.

I think

you're talking about an extreme.

It's not

extreme.

It has always been pitted.

It's always been pitted that people whose kids probably went through public school.

benefited from the public schools when they get older they say, well why should I have to pay the taxes?

What greater

life than a man lay down, I mean what greater friend than a man lay down his life.

That's what you're asking somebody to

do.

No I'm not.

What I'm saying is that we have a societal responsibility to educate our kids and it doesn't end when I become a

retiree.

Can you answer the question?

Would that mean sacrifice my property?

Well, I don't know if that that I think you're taking it to an extreme man.

No, no, no, it's not because it's $1,000 per thousand.

Then you have not given me an alternative

to finance public education.

The government is going to serve the government is going to surpass the old school.

No, they're not.

That's the whole point.

That's the

state has not.

That's why every just about every school district.

and the state has had a referendum to deal with budget shortfalls because the state's inadequate

funding the public

schools.

So we couldn't come up with nothing better than that.

Hey, Tom

Tiffany says

he wants to get rid of this.

So you need to ask him, what does he have that's better than what's going on right

now?

Let's don't get into that debate.

No, you brought him up.

So I'm just saying, you said he's against it, but you haven't given me his

alternative

to replace it to make sure schools are adequately funded.

You

even evaluated, you got some kids, you got step kids, or you got some God kids, people that you love, right?

Right.

Have you considered God forbid anything ever would happen to you, man?

Okay, and in

your

wheel you got it set for that job

a meet you being circled now.

Let me get the next call.

I appreciate you know what you can blame that on me is my fault call and welcome to the program I'm okay even

though I'm paying so much in property taxes, I'm still okay, okay

All right.

We have to find a way to work together.

All right.

And that's, I think that's the question you've been asking everybody.

All right.

I mean, what are we supposed to do?

Send our children to the mill to work or maybe the mine, you know, when they're eight, nine years old, like we used to, you know.

make our young people work, I don't know, 80 hours a day like we used to.

You know, hold out education is something only for the well-to-do or the extremely talented like we used to.

Make our old people die in their living rooms of cancer like we used to.

I mean, if we didn't learn anything,

from the past 250 years.

We ought to have learned that a better life for everyone is a better life for you.

And this, I don't know you, you don't know me, Lord.

There's people on my block I don't know.

It's all right.

I trust them and sure I don't.

And even the people in Waukesha that you say, well, they can't change.

I want to change them.

What would I do if I changed them?

If I changed them, they might change back.

I don't want to change the people in Waukesha.

I want them to realize that there's a way we live together and it's in the Constitution and it's in our agreements with each other.

It's in the way we worship and the way we learn and the way we work.

in the way we drive.

And

I

think I found out who I'm going to vote for and mainly because of WNOV.

Thank you.

Appreciate

you.

Paula, welcome to the program.

Good morning.

Get my call.

I watched the debate last night and you know something.

I'm basing my opinion on.

Who's the person that has handled a budget, has people reporting to him, know what it is to reach across the line, know what it is to be in tight spot.

I mean, I know this other guy, Brennan, or whatever his name is, he's worked in some different arenas, yes.

But as far as the other one, Mandela Barnes being the lieutenant governor, he didn't have a budget.

He was really supporting the governor's plan.

And I'm sorry, I'm going to be going with Ada Crawley because I think

he would be our best bet if they had to go back 11 years to find some little garbage on him they don't have much but they look at what letting a republican get in there that's going to do exactly what Donald Trump wants them to do now they want to cut Medicare and we to fix his plane we did all his dumb stuff he lies right to our face telling us he's negotiating and he's not

and the people from across the way are letting us know we're not meeting, we're not doing anything.

At what point did we get tired?

And just pray that we're making the right decision.

And as far as this other young lady goes, I don't know her, but I bet you if you were to go over to her country, you wouldn't even get a chance to do, you wouldn't get a chance to run for dog catcher, okay?

So now,

We in here in America.

We just let anybody come in that sounds good.

Looks like they might do something.

Check people's records out and as thorough as you possibly can.

And people.

So

what?

Off of your bed.

Did you

watch

the debate

last night and vote?

Did you watch the

debate last night?

Who to vote for?

Did you watch the

debate?

And do something.

Did you watch the debate last night?

Yes.

And what impressions did you get from the candidates?

OK, I felt Mandela did a lot of talking and gyrating out of hands and all this here kind of good stuff.

And all of them had one issue.

When it's really all of their issues, one person get up there and say, I'm going to do, they have to do all of these things because all of these things affect them.

I mean, our kids, let's just take our Milwaukee public school system.

They don't do their homework, just like this is the school building that burned down.

That huge building only had 400 kids in

it.

You know, but you

brought that up.

But hold on, wait, let's talk about that because the reason why these buildings are half empty

is you have 30,000 students who are part of the voucher charter program, even though we still have those buildings, those buildings have to be maintained, right?

Or you have to close or you have to combine.

So part of it is, and then that is, those are resources that NPS would have, but now they don't have.

Can I just say another

thing?

Who's intelligent here?

Number one, when you have these charter schools,

It should have been a line cut.

Only so many kids can go can get into these lottery things and not that.

An infinite number go to charter schools or just open it up to all charter schools.

But my thing

is Republicans would love to see that.

And I'll tell you the next thing they're going to close six of our schools in our community.

and send them out to these white areas.

No, we don't want that.

We want the best school in our community.

But you just cited an inner city school that was probably half full.

That's the same thing on the north side.

These are not overcrowded schools that they're sending students.

There is, and certainly what we call the inner city, there's a depopulation going on of young kids.

those folks are moving out to the northwest side that that's the fastest growing area right now in the city because you have single families you know they're not buying homes that living in the apartments you know that that so I'm

saying that the

part of it is the depopulation of public schools but we still have to maintain those buildings okay can I see another thing

there yes

To whom?

If some people want to buy and turn them into nursing homes, turn them into places where in the winter people are looking for somewhere, shelters.

I mean, we have to get created and live in the time in which we're in.

Get out the box and start using your head.

We have these educated people that they're so dang educated, they're stupid.

All right.

Well, I appreciate

it.

And we need to get together with some community people in zone.

And let's start talking.

All right.

Thank you.

All right.

All right.

You're listening to Community Voice.

We're going to take a quick break so I can bring my guests in.

And one more thing before you go.

What we find out is that these issues become a little bit more complicated.

So anyway, so again, we're going to take a quick break.

Clark, we're good.

All right.

Take a quick break.

We'll be right back.

host Keith Parris.

Welcome back to Community Voice and it's that time of year again for the Black Arts Fest and we're joining us today by Mr. Nate Treryler.

Good morning.

You're the CEO.

I'm not the CEO, I'm the

planning chair.

She's the planning chair.

I'm glad to be here.

I'm glad to be here.

Good

to see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good

to see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good to see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good to see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good to

see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good to see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good to see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good

to see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good to see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good to see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good to see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good to see you.

I'm glad to be here.

Good to see

Well, welcome.

Welcome.

Welcome.

You see, you have the t-shirt.

You

bet.

Man, last year, my guy hooked me up.

I mean, he made sure I had.

I was just telling you, I think I wore it like Monday.

I appreciate that.

That's a beautiful t-shirt.

Thank you.

They are for sale.

$30 on site.

Hey,

no.

Hey, look.

And you want to get, I had this pet peeve.

At the family reunion, if the shirts are purple,

don't come in with a family reunion t-shirt from three years ago

here's the thing you know what i'm we family i'm gonna say this if you got a t-shirt from three years ago wrap your t-shirt from three years ago

another

one three years ago i i made it there

she said come buy another one so you can wear it three years later

You want to be in the front row of the picture with the wrong shirt off.

I had to say

that.

Y'all, I'm defending y'all.