Good morning and welcome to Matt and Air on Air.
Jane Matt and Air, Greg Bach, Calvin Butenoff coming to you live from our studio here at Radio Park in Racine.
You can always join us, call or text the number is the same.
855-752-4842.
Leave a comment if you're watching on the live stream on Facebook, YouTube, and what used to be Twitter, another really jam-packed
show for
you.
Coming up after the 1030 News, Tyler Wensloff,
is going to join us.
He is with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, and we're going to talk about foreign ownership in U.S.
farmland.
And this is
not a new thing, but it is a growing concern among some.
And I admit that I am not particularly knowledgeable about this, which is why
We have on people who are knowledgeable about these things.
We are expert adjacent.
Expert adjacent, exactly.
So Tyler Wensloff is gonna be joining us.
I also wanna talk with him about, it's called Acre Trader.
Yeah.
It's all perfectly legal.
It's still, I think it's Hinky.
That's my word.
I love
that word.
Hinky, you like Hinky.
I heard the first time in the movie, The Fugitive.
There's a discussion over the word.
Tommy Lee Jones hates it.
Yes.
So we're going to ask him about the acre trader and that as well.
So that's coming up after 10.30.
After 11 o'clock, Judge Susan Crawford will be joining us.
Of course, Tuesday, the big election here in Wisconsin, Judge Susan Crawford against former Attorney General Brad Schimel.
So we will be talking to Judge Susan Crawford after 11 o'clock.
Dan Schaefer will also be here when we're talking to the judge.
Dan, of course, from the Reconbobulation Area and also Civic Media's political editor.
He has a new column in the Reconbobulation Area about...
Some of Brad Schimmel's actions when he was the Attorney General of Wisconsin or shall I say inactions?
Yes
of Brad Schimmel when he was the Attorney General of Wisconsin
he loved getting coins made Yes, he is a he's a
big proponent of of of commemorative coins only cost us ten thousand dollars But I'm sure for Brad it was worth every penny and then as we always do we will wrap it up with this shouldn't be a thing today
Thank you, Calvin, for finding this.
There ought to be a law.
Oh, there are several elements to this, Tisbat, which I really like.
I feel like when it comes to Tisbat, you enjoy the title a lot when the title is well written.
Whereas I feel like for me, like yesterday's the cult of chicken.
Oh, yeah.
I'm obsessed with this whole marketing campaign now.
The ad for KFC.
Oh,
it's awesome.
If you missed it, and if you ever miss any of the tizbats, you can actually download those as a single podcast, right?
Yes, you can.
So where would I do that if I wanted to do that?
That's a great question, Jane.
You're going to go to civicmedia.us, click on the shows tab at the top of the page, and you're going to go to find Matt and there on air, click on Matt and there on air.
And on the right side, you'll see you'll see something that said the exact wording is special segments.
Under that, you'll see a graphic of Jane and I and says this shouldn't be that you can click on that.
And you can download those straight from the page to your device or
Or go to your favorite podcast distribution center of choice and download both the show, the full show as a podcast, as well as this shouldn't be a thing.
Subscribe to them.
They'll be automatically delivered to you.
You'll get three downloads from us a day, one for first hours, two for second hour, and the third will be this shouldn't be a thing.
and then they're right there.
And then you could listen
when you
can.
Exactly, because we know you're busy.
You have lives.
Even the people who don't like us on the live stream are like, I gotta go to the market.
I gotta download this and hate it later.
which you can do.
That's so
nice, that's so nice that you can hate on us later.
So take advantage of it.
And another, just a reminder as well, we are, it is underway, our statewide text to win breaking the spring contest also next hour after the 11 o'clock news, we will have the keyword that you want to text in via the Civic Media app only.
Only.
So make sure you have it.
Download the Civic Media app.
It is completely free.
You can do it right now.
Wherever you get your apps, download the Civic Media app.
And the next hour when we give you the keyword, you can text that in to whatever station you are listening to across the state up for grabs.
A chulab is to get away.
Milwaukee Brewers Club level tickets.
We went to a game last year.
Great seats seats are cushiony.
Yeah, they're they're great seats or a hundred dollars in cash And then every entry gets you into the grand prize John drawing a brand new Queen mattress set from Verlo that
sounds
fancy including a mattress sheets and more mattresses are pricey Especially if you want a good one
mattresses are pricey.
Oh my god sheets are pricey to buy new sheets, and I really lost my mind like why aren't these $30 their sheets?
It cost me like $75, like medium ones.
Yeah.
So this is your chance to pick up a brand new Queen mattress set from Verlo with a mattress, sheets, and more.
That's the grand prize for our break into spring text to win statewide contest coming your way next hour at 11.06.
Again, the election on Tuesday getting all kinds of attention and not just here in Wisconsin.
It's interesting how many outside people are interested what's happening here.
This from Wisconsin Public Radio talking about things that are hinky.
Nick Rommel with the byline again from WPR, election mailers disguised as local newspapers sent to Wisconsinites.
These mailers published by conservative funded media company are coming from Chicago.
Yeah.
You have some of these.
You've
been the recipient of some of these.
I got a lovely little paper, lovely little paper called The Kenosha Reporter.
That's mentioned in this article.
And as soon as I looked at it, I said, this is a scam.
And I open it up and oh, Mother Glory.
It's just all the great things that the GOP are doing, all the great things that Brad Schimeliger and how much Susan Crawford hates the law.
It's just such, it's not even trying it.
Well, but it, it.
It looks, and again, they have some examples of, it looks like a legitimate local newspaper.
The Kenosha Reporter, the Fox City's News, the Chippewa Valley Times.
So you get this in your mailbox and you look, it's like, oh, I didn't know this was a new local news outlet.
Yeah, that's because it's not.
No, it's not.
This is packaging for the Wisconsin Republican Party, essentially, trying to pass itself off again as a legitimate news organization, which it's not.
It is not indeed, yeah.
The return address for all of these publications and office building in Chicago.
Interestingly, you know, it was a big funder of this company that does this based out of Chicago.
The E-Lines.
This company is called Metric Media, which again is sending out these bogus newspapers, trying to look legitimate, but essentially just a way to.
push the Republican Party line.
Metric Media has received millions of dollars from conservative megadoner Richard E. Line.
Hmm.
Yeah.
It's part of a larger trend, according to this article, thousands of mostly digital media operations now use the cover of a traditional newspaper to push their agenda.
So I guess my point is just be aware.
Yes.
Be aware that
What is ending up in your mailbox along with so many of these mailers now?
Oh my god,
and they're spending a lot of money in those mailers that really heavy cardboard stuff.
Oh, yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Can't be
cheap.
No, they are not.
They weren't cheap when I was doing elections back in the day.
They're not being cheaper nowadays and and you got to put more pictures on them, more colors on them, more words on them and people and honestly, people see them and and
If the person you like is in black and white, you know it's not for them.
So you throw it out if you support them and vice versa.
So honestly, I throw away, I throw away like when I get Kamala Harris ones, I throw in the trash because I'm voting for her, it's great.
Don't send them to me.
Save your money.
Websites linked onto mailers obtained by WPR, also published by Metric Media.
Metric Media, also behind a fake Catholic newspaper.
that went out before the 2024 presidential election.
So again, just have this in the back of your mind when you get some things that you think might be legitimate.
You may want to double check that just a little bit because misinformation, it's there.
It's out there.
It's a thing.
I'm always very, very not surprised.
It just makes me who it always is.
It's always the same group of people.
the ones who are the bootstrapers, we are the party of personal responsibility, we are the ones who have the best, we are the patriots.
But they always have to resort to, they have to resort to lies and backhanded obfuscation.
Oh, good word.
They just always have to do that.
Where is he, we're here on the matinee around air program.
We try to be upfront when we're doing something that's not legitimate.
Like this next ad that we're gonna run for you.
We created this last year before the presidential election and shockingly, it's in the running for an award.
What?
I know from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.
That's not happening.
I think that event is in May.
Yeah.
But we just found out that in the humor category, our spoof ad is in the running.
We are so humorous.
And it's still kind of appropriate even today.
Oh yeah.
Right?
It applies.
So Calvin, let's
Take a listen to our completely legitimate, totally on the up and up.
It's not.
Spoof, Ed.
From Matt Nair, on air.
Oh, beautiful floors, spacious skies, forever
wait away.
Dear regular Americans, life can be hard.
Finding affordable housing, childcare that doesn't equal a mortgage payment, and hoping your used car makes it another year.
We know what it's like to struggle.
Just try finding a decent Italian villa that doesn't need to be completely gutted.
34 million dollars a year just doesn't go as far as it used to, does
it?
Sometimes.
We know how much money it takes to buy a United States Supreme Court justice,
so they'll rule in
favor of our company's best interests, not yours.
So vote for the people who want to keep giving tax breaks to big corporations and the ultra wealthy.
We're America's 1% and we intend to keep it that way.
Big finish.
Paid for by your taxes.
And we got nothing else super packed.
Someone the other day said it was unfunny on that's that's not true.
We got we got nominated for a major award for humor
Well, we'll see what happens when we go to that in May, but you know, it's we know how much it costs to buy up
a U.S.
Supreme Court Justice.
Now we know how much it costs to buy a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.
Apparently it's around $20-21 million.
Oh,
I think it's gonna be $30 million.
We'll have to
check with Elon when he's here on Sunday.
Stay close.
You are listening to Matt Nair on air.
This is the Civic Media Radio Network.
We'll be right back.
Good morning and welcome back to Mattnare on Air.
Jane McNair, Greg Buck, Calvi, Teenie on the board coming to you from our studio at Radio Park in Racine.
You can always join us, call or text at 855-752-4842.
Leave a comment on the live stream on Facebook, YouTube, and what used to be Twitter Brewers.
Yeah, they lost yesterday, but that's all right.
There's 947,000 games left in this season.
There's 161 games
left.
There's lots of games left in this season, including on Saturday.
When the Brewers once again take on the Yankees, our broadcast starts at 11.30.
You can't listen to the game on the stream.
You do have to listen on Terrestrial Radio, so check out the game this Saturday, starting at 11.30, WRCE Richland Center, WISS in Oshkosh, WRJN here in Racine and Kenosha, WCQM in Park Falls, and our latest newest Brewers affiliate, WBZH.
in Hayward, Brew Crew, and the Yankees this Saturday are broadcast beginning at 11.30.
Before we get away to our segment, we're calling Go Away.
No, really, Go Away.
There's an article about turnout from the Milwaukee Journal's Sentinel Mali Beck, early voting near 500,000 in Wisconsin's election featuring pivotal Supreme Court race.
That's big turnout.
Early turnout
that's huge early turnout for a spring race.
It really is and that's great because we want to see people take part in our democracy But please don't think that means that you don't need to vote and that your vote isn't important
One thing we saw last year was the acceptance of the GOP of early voting
And people will see the embrace all of a sudden from yes
from Republicans.
Oh vote bank your vote And so when you see early voting that does not mean that they're voting for the person you may you may endorse so Big turnouts wonderful.
I love a lot especially for spring election, but If anything says it more than this it's it's a fact you need a plan Vote you can still early vote today.
It ends in most municipalities today
You might be able to vote tomorrow, it depends, but you have to call your local clerk's office to find out.
But most likely then is today.
Then you have to vote on Tuesday, but make a plan.
Bring friends.
Mark a time off if you have to go.
Absolutely.
And I will say this from personal experience.
You think you can vote and then something can happen.
You get a
flat tire.
Flat tire.
You can't
get sick.
Yeah, exactly.
And then all of a sudden you are not able to vote and you're not thinking about it anymore.
because you got other things to deal with.
So when it's front of mind, take care of make a plan now.
And if you can vote early, yes.
And please remember every vote counts.
This is likely to be a very, very tight election when it comes to the Supreme Court race.
It could come down to a couple of thousand votes.
That's nothing.
That's nothing.
And something we haven't talked about at all, which is very much probably going to be the thing is if.
Susan Crawford wins, there will automatically be scrimmings of fraud, election tampering, ballot
dumping,
all the things that we got in 2020, not in 2024 for some reason, it was just fine.
Isn't that interesting.
But in 2020, you will see that again, if she wins,
period.
That's why it would be really nice if she'd win by a landslide.
She wins by a landslide
makes it a little bit easier.
Either way, please make a plan to vote, be a voter.
It is critically.
Critically important and Judge Susan Crawford is going to be joining us after the 11 o'clock news as well So stick around for that very briefly before we go to the 1030 news.
I just wanted to do this because it makes me laugh Vice president ish JD Vance and his wife are going to Greenland today Why is that Jane because of course Donald Trump wants Greenland and they should apparently just give it to us but
Originally, they were going to go to the capital city of Greenland, and they sent some advanced people to Greenland, hoping to set up some meetings with some locals.
No one wants to talk to JD Vance or his wife.
I don't blame him.
I don't want to talk to him either.
No one was willing to get on camera and say, this sounds like a great idea.
We want to be part of the US as much as the Trump administration can say that that
is not the attitude we're hearing from people who live in Greenland.
I think that kind of cold calling is dangerous because I'm the type of person.
I'm the type of person who's gonna be like, yeah.
Oh, do it.
I love to talk to them.
Where do I go?
Is there gonna be a sandwich available for lunch?
Like, I would totally go in on it.
That would be fun.
Originally, they were going to go again to the biggest city in Greenland, and then they were gonna go to a dog sled race.
and meet with some locals but no one wanted to do that so now they are just going to the American base that is in Greenland and then they're going to come home.
Things I am reading this morning say essentially that JD Vance is going to go there and insult Denmark and say what a poor job Denmark has done with Greenland and Greenland is a mess and dirty and all of these things so
I always think it's a good idea when I invite myself over to someone else's house that once I get there to insult them.
Nothing works better.
Nothing works better than inviting yourself somewhere where you're not wanted.
And then when you get there, you insult your host.
It's like if the president of another country came to your country, and instead of extending a warm handshake and saying, how can we help you, you yell at him in front of the press.
Oh, that's right.
JD Vance did that as well.
Oh, you did that.
Yeah.
He is such a
horrible
person.
Oh, they're
so smooth.
Vance is expected to attack Denmark, a US ally.
For now.
for now, which comes as President Trump has inflamed international tension with threats to take over Greenland.
Greenland's prime minister said earlier this week, until recently, we could safely rely on the Americans who were our allies and friends and with whom we like to work closely.
But that time is over because the new American leadership is completely and utterly indifferent to what we have stood together on so far.
Now it's only a matter of a matter of them taking over our country over our heads.
So have a fun trip today, JD.
It's going to be quick.
It's going to be kind of a turnaround.
Yeah.
Go to the base, turn around, fly back.
Go away, really.
Just go.
Just go away.
And really quick, I just want to reiterate the fact that Mark Carney, who is replaced Justin Trudeau in Canada, also said America can no longer be trusted.
Yeah, that's.
News is coming up next.
I hope you will stay with us.
You are listening to Matt Nair on air.
This is the vast statewide countrywide Get the app or global baby
civic
media radio network.
We'll be right back
Good morning and welcome.
Welcome to Matt Nair on air.
Jane Matt Nair, Greg Buck, Dr. Slide on the board coming to you live from our studio here at Radio Park in Racine.
You can always join us, call or text the number is the same.
855-7524842.
Leave a comment on the live stream on Facebook, YouTube and what used to be Twitter coming up after the 11 o'clock news.
Our next round of the
breaking the spring text to win statewide contest.
We will have a key word to give you right after the news at 11 o'clock.
You want to text in that keyword using the Civic Media app.
And that's going to put you in the running for either a getaway at Chula Vista, some Milwaukee Brewers club level tickets or $100 cash.
And every entry will get you into our grand prize drawing a brand new queen mattress set from Burlo.
with a mattress, sheets, and more.
So stick around to be listening for that keyword.
Coming up after the 11 o'clock news, our break into spring, a spring, rather, text to win statewide contest.
Next chance in the one o'clock hour with Todd, and then in the four o'clock hour with Dominic.
Right now, they're very excited to be talking to our next guest.
He is the director of the National, of National Affairs,
for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.
Tyler Wensloff is joining us.
Good morning, Tyler.
How are you?
Good morning.
I am fantastic on this beautiful Friday.
Beautiful Friday, depending if I guess really where you are.
But we can use the rain, I would think, at least in most parts of the state.
But Tyler, I've been wanting to talk to you for a while about the practice of foreign countries buying farmland in Wisconsin.
And you appeared in an article
in the CapTimes not too long ago talking about this particular issue.
This is an article in the CapTimes, as I said, from Erin McGrody, foreign ownership of Wisconsin farmland is a problem according to lawmakers.
So this is not a new thing, Tyler.
Is it that foreign countries are buying American farmland?
No, not really.
I mean, you've heard some stories from North Dakota about the Chinese purchasing land next to military installations.
Canada has had a footprint in Wisconsin for a very long time when it comes to timber contracts.
But it's a relatively new thing that lawmakers are getting interested in.
And so we're happy to work with them and see where they want to go with this.
Tyler, how does this benefit Wisconsin farmers?
Can you explain to me how this actually works?
Yeah,
so foreign ownership in the state is really based on Canada and Chinese.
So when you talk about the Canadian ownership, most of those are in timber contracts.
And the Chinese are based in some of the chemical companies that you see around the state that do a lot of research.
And so while foreign investment in farmland may be a relatively small percentage of the overall land ownership in the state, its impacts can be pretty significant, especially with Wisconsin stands in terms of agricultural research.
The concerns about foreign ownership and investment really extend far beyond just the land ownership and it encompasses all parts of the food supply chain.
So it raises serious national security and economic issues, especially we saw this especially highlighted during COVID-19.
It highlighted the vulnerabilities in the US food system.
This is particularly true in sectors like the meat processing, where foreign ownership has significant implications.
Four out of five of the largest meat processing companies are controlled by foreign corporations.
So when you start talking about situations like wars, pandemics, trade disputes, which obviously is a big deal right now.
Our nation's ability to produce its own food can become a matter of survival.
A company that can't feed itself cannot survive.
And so foreign ownership of key supply segments could complicate things, especially when you start talking about tariffs and what's going on at the national politics.
Republican lawmakers in the Wisconsin legislature have introduced a bill specifically seeking to keep
foreign adversaries of the U.S.
from owning agricultural land in Wisconsin.
And on the federal level, junior Senator U.S.
Senator Tammy Baldwin has partnered with Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley on a measure that would implement tighter policies to track this, to track foreign ownership of agricultural land.
Are these good measures, do you think, Tyler?
Is that a move in the right direction?
It's definitely a step in the direction.
So when you started talking about like Senator Baldwin's efforts, we supported her effort back on the Farmland Security Act of 2022, which was signed into law as part of the fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations bill.
This included new requirements that USDA is implementing right now to address our security concerns.
She also has a new bill, Farmland Security Act 2025.
which builds on her efforts and there's also another bill it's important to remember so when you talk about uh at the federal level uh foreign ownership and who reviews this so there's a committee that reviews it's uh it's uh the committee on foreign investment in the united states and it's made up of different chairs so it's the treasury the justice homeland security commerce defense state energy
US trade representatives the office of science and technology and policy so all these all these people are involved in reviewing Foreign ownership, but there's one big giant red flag of somebody who's missing USDA USDA is in charge of farmland and they're not on this committee We were supporting up.
Yeah, it's it's crazy.
It's it's absolutely crazy.
So we also support a bill that would put
USDA on this committee so they can start so they can help review some of the purchases that are going on.
Why would they?
I'm sorry.
You just
blew
both of our minds.
I had a
question prepared.
I don't remember what words are anymore.
What are you talking about?
USDA
is not
involved in this.
They are not a member of the committee.
And so it's it's crazy.
It's just it's you know, the agency is
multi-billion dollar agency that's in charge of all of our food and in Commerce and they are not on the committee that reviews for an ownership
Just give us one
second Folks listen to this information music, please.
I'm sorry brief intermission.
That's
just that is is there a is there a reason?
Were they on they were taken off?
Is there was there ever an explanation on why they weren't on there in the first place?
I mean this is
in and of itself a story in my opinion.
Yeah, it's crazy that this has not gotten more attention.
I don't know like the background of why they're not on it.
If there's simple, you know, government oversight of, hey, let's not include these guys.
But, you know, it's one of those things where obviously this would be a department that should be involved.
They should be
And it seems like common sense.
Of course, this is this is, you know, government we're talking about.
That's true.
Who's not here?
Who did we forget to invite?
Oh,
wait, don't tell me.
Don't tell me it'll come to me.
Oh, the farm guys.
Well,
besides what seems to be an inexplicable, I don't want to call it blunder, but like just oversight oversight, whatever you're like, I'm just baffled by the thing in the article we've read is that, you know,
It's a pretty bipartisan thing too.
This, this doesn't seem to be a controversial, uh, uh, path forward.
Like they're, you know, Tammy Baldwin at the federal level, Andre shock is involved on the, and the state level.
And we always, we always love to see bipartisanship, but is there anything that stands in the way of that?
I mean, we know their special interests.
There's lobbying groups, all those things, but with.
a strong sense of having, making sure that American land is owned, at least by American companies, if not American people.
What are, are there any bumps ahead that you see?
Yeah.
So I think as you guys rightly pointed out, this is a, you know, non-partisan issue in a agriculture for the most part has been pretty non-partisan.
Um, people usually have, have gotten along on most of the issues because obviously some smaller stuff that things.
get a little bit more difficult.
But when you talk about the state level, it's everybody's really on the same page for the most part.
We're all moving in the same direction.
We want to see this go forward.
What it comes down to is, OK, what are they going to be the limits?
Because right now at the state, we already have a limit on the amount of foreign agricultural land that can be owned within a township.
And so what is that number, that new number going to be?
And then, is it going to be retrospective or prospective?
And then, what is that going to mean to our friends up north, you know, with the Canadian timber contracts with Sygentil?
They have a huge, or Sygentil, sorry, they have a huge research facilities here and plots of land that they do research on.
You know, it's
It's one of those things where we want to continue to do R&D here.
We want to have investment in Wisconsin agriculture
and
some of that stuff is going to have to come from overseas.
But we don't want to hamper that, but we also want to make sure that we hold, we don't want foreign agriculture.
We don't want Ireland because they're not making more agriculture land.
We don't want that brought up and turned into, you know, just held on to.
and turned into foul land.
So it's a balancing act.
It's a needle that we're going to have to thread through.
And so it's taking a little bit of work, I think, but we're all moving in the right direction.
And it's been a minute since I read the article.
And is there going to be something in legislation that will let's say one of these foreign companies or groups wants to sell the land off?
Will there be a
something in there that says, like, you must entertain offers from American individuals
or
groups first before selling it to another foreign group.
Yeah, sure.
So, like, almost like a TikTok type thing where, you know, you know, you have to find an American buyer or something like that.
There it is.
Yep.
Yeah, so I think that's probably something that they're looking at and working in.
It's one of those things where it's pretty fluid situation right now where conversations are still getting into the details while we have a basic outline on what we want to do.
Those kind of details are...
may not actually be written into the bill and those might be coming in through rules through the actual department when they try to implement it.
If you're just joining us, Tyler Wensloff is our guest.
He is the director of national affairs for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.
And we're talking again about foreign investments in US farmland and agriculture and what that means.
And I think you said something really interesting, Tyler, when you talked about particularly the meat processors in the US.
and which have a lot of foreign ownership and how difficult it is when we talk about America is going to be completely self-reliant and we don't need anything from anybody.
That's really not realistic.
As you said, there are some things we are always going to need from overseas.
Yeah, it's unfortunate.
Four out of the five largest meat processing companies in the US are controlled by foreign corporations.
So you have JBS, who's Brazilian, Tyson, who's
partially owned by a foreign firm Cargill privately owned but has a substantial international investment Smithfield Fu is Chinese owned so you know we you started talking about these things and this was especially true when COVID was going on is that they don't always have the best interest in of the US in their minds when they're making business decisions and so especially when you started talking about
the meat processing facilities.
So it becomes very interesting when you start looking at how these companies are going to be controlled and how they control the food supply in the United States.
And like I said, if you cannot feed yourself and it becomes a national security issue.
And so this is especially true if you start, if you start looking at, you know, we have tariffs going on, tariff wars.
And so these could
spiral into something else, where if you all of a sudden decide, okay, especially in Taiwan, you know, that all of a sudden becomes a hot zone.
Tyler, I'm going to have to put you on hold.
We're coming up against a heartbreak.
We will be right back.
We're going to continue our conversation with Tyler Wensloff.
Stay close.
You are listening to Matt Nair on air.
This is the Civic Media Radio Network.
We'll be right back.
Good morning and welcome back to Natnair on air.
Jane Natnair, Greg Bach, Dr. Slide on the board coming to you from our studio at Radio Park in Racine where you can join us, call or text.
The number is the same.
It's 855-752-4842.
Leave a comment on the live stream on Facebook, YouTube and what used to be Twitter.
It's coming up very shortly.
Our break into spring.
Text to win statewide contest.
After the 11 o'clock news, we will have a keyword for you to text in via the Civic Media app.
We are playing next hour for either a Chula Vista getaway Milwaukee Brewers Club level tickets or 100 bucks in cash.
And then everyone who plays is going to be in the drawing for the grand prize, a brand new queen mattress set from Verlo, including a mattress sheets.
and more, so stick around.
Our break into spring text to win contest coming up after the 11 o'clock news.
Right now, we're joined by Tyler Wensloff.
He's the director of national affairs for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.
Briefly, Tyler, for people who do not know, what is it that the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation does?
Yes, so the Wisconsin Farm Bureau is Wisconsin's
largest general ag organization.
We represent farms of all commodities, all sizes and all management styles and we are the lobby organization for farmers and we try to represent them in the halls of the state capitol in Madison at the capitol hill in Washington DC and also in different towns and county boards as well.
when, right before we went to the break where you were talking about, there's actually something bipartisan that both Democrats and Republicans can seem to be agreeing on, which is a miraculous thing in
and of itself.
We love that when it happens about trying to keep an eye on foreign ownership of farmland in the United States.
But I also wanted to talk, Tyler, I'm sure you're hearing from Wisconsin Farmers now about all of these tariffs that we're waiting to go into effect.
Also curious, Donald Trump's first Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, famously said at one point, go big or go home.
That's got to be concerning to a lot of Wisconsin farmers.
Yeah, the tariff battle has been something that we understand that...
has to be done, but we hopefully it's not a protracted battle.
When I talk to Wisconsin farmers and agribusinesses, they're okay right now.
They have the fertilizer they need for the planting season.
But once you start talking about second application and harvest, that's when we could see prices and imports really elevate.
And the other thing that I keep seeing, which I don't know, maybe I'm the only one who doesn't understand, what is potash?
So that's a main fertilizer that Wisconsin farmers use it comes out of Canada and It I think like 98% of it that we use comes out of a Canada is something ridiculous amount high high percentage and it's it's something that we can't produce here in the States and We need it for Wisconsin agriculture.
Is that it is it a fertilizer?
Yes.
Yes.
Yep
But again, it is impossible in this day and age for us to supply every single thing that we need.
There are other things that we need from other countries.
And it always will be that way.
As you just said, Tyler, we don't produce potash here, and we never will.
No, it's not something that we can produce here in the States.
You know, we're not, the tier of battle is not something that we really were looking forward to when it was first announced.
And we're hopefully hoping that it doesn't, isn't a protracted battle, but the uncertainty really.
The on again, off again thing is really is what is concerning to Wisconsin farmers.
And you know, Wisconsin farmers, they're, they're optimistic.
They, they're flexible.
The problem is we just need to know the rules of the game and we could play it.
We just, but the moving of the goalpost and the rules and stuff, that's, that's the uncertainty that really is, is difficult to handle.
We talk to farmers a lot on this show, Tyler.
And one of the things they can all agree on is that.
you know, they go to the, they go to Washington, do their days and meet their representatives.
And, you know, we still don't know a farm bill and it's just everything that's happening.
They just, they don't want to hand out.
They don't want to check.
They want to work.
That's what they want to do.
And regardless of who they vote for, that's what they are in it for because they're not, they're not in it to become billionaires.
They're going to provide a service to the state and they want to work.
And I think that's a fair, that's a fair request is have some simple guidelines.
and then allow them to do the work they so desperately want to do.
Well, farmers deal with so much uncertainty the way it is, right, Tyler?
Just with the weather alone.
And then, as you said, the moving, the constant moving of these goalposts, it's just got to be exhausting.
I can't even imagine.
Yeah, it's one of those things where they're price takers, not price makers.
You know, we don't ask for that of any other industry in the country.
And so it makes it very difficult.
The dairy farmers are also dealing with changes to the federal milk marketing orders.
and an increase in make market that make allow us that will take money out of Wisconsin Farmers checks.
So it's a lot going on right now.
There's a lot of moving pieces.
Like you said, the Farm Bill is still there.
We still have jobs and tax cuts that we would like to make permanent.
So Congress has a lot on their plate that they need to get done in 2025.
Absolutely.
Tyler Winslow, the Director of National Affairs for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.
Thank you so very much, Tyler.
It's been
really, really enlightening.
Really appreciate your time.
Thank you so much.
I really appreciate it.
Stay with us.
News is coming up next.
When we return, Judge Susan Crawford will be here and we're also going to kick off the statewide text to win breaking the spring contest.
Be listening for that keyword.
It's on the way and stay with us.
You're listening to Matt Nair on air on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Good
morning.
Welcome.
Welcome to Matt Nair on air.
Jane Matt Nair, Greg Buck, Calvin Butenoff, and Dan Schaefer coming to you live from our studio here at Radio Park in Racine.
You can join us.
Call or text at 855.
7-5-2-4-8-4-2.
Leave a comment if you're watching on the livestream, on Facebook, YouTube, and what used to be Twitter.
We will get to our statewide text to win contest and the keyword in just a little bit right now though because we only have a limited time.
We are welcoming on the phone Judge Susan Crawford is our guest.
Good morning Judge Crawford.
Good morning, Dan.
Can you hear me?
Yep, we got you now, Judge Crawford.
Thank you so much for
joining us.
I'm sure you have a very, very busy schedule.
I did want to ask you real briefly.
Our unelected co-president, Elon Musk, has announced that he is going to be in Wisconsin on Sunday night.
to personally hand over two checks for a million dollars for people who have already voted.
I'm wondering if your campaign is going to have a surprise announcement about handing out millions of dollars anytime soon.
No, we don't play those kind of corrupt games, Jane, that we leave that shimmel and
mask.
And we're not even going to get into whether or not that's legal or not.
I think there's a whole bunch of questions about that.
But what have you been hearing from folks when you're out on the campaign trail, Judge Crawford?
Well, people are really enthusiastic and excited about this election.
People are also mad.
I think seeing Elon Musk come in and try to prop up the failing campaign of Brad Schimmel is really, really disturbing to people.
And people know Brad Schimmel's record.
They know that...
He left all those sexual assault kits untested when he was Attorney General.
They know about his extreme views on abortion, his support for the 1849 abortion ban in Wisconsin.
And I think a lot of voters are really disgusted with that, but they're also really enthusiastic about my candidacy and working really hard to get out the vote.
Dan Schaefer is with us.
He's a civic media's political editor.
And Dan, you recently did a column about Brad Schimmel's inaction, shall we say, as Attorney General regarding the opioid crisis.
Yeah.
Yeah, thanks, Jane.
I wrote a piece last week on that and Judge Crawford, I wanted to ask, you know, since he refused to join these multi-state lawsuits taking on opioid manufacturers and took campaign dollars from Purdue Pharma, what does his record on this issue tell you about what type of justice he'd seek to be on the Wisconsin Supreme Court?
Well, you know,
Brett Schimel has always been about politics, partisanship, and special interests throughout his career.
We're seeing him do the same thing now.
He has not prioritized the health and safety of Wisconsinites.
That's what he did when he was Attorney General, and I expected what we would see from him as a justice on the Supreme Court if we ever got there.
He has openly said that he wants to be part of Trump's support network on the court.
He's obviously accepted millions and millions of dollars of support from Elon Musk.
And Elon Musk, we know is in it because he's got financial interest in the state of Wisconsin.
His company Tesla filed a lawsuit against the state of Wisconsin, a case that's moving through our courts right now.
Yep.
So essentially, wouldn't it be nice to have someone who is on your side should this case end up in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, right?
Exactly.
I think Elon Musk is looking to buy himself a seat on the Supreme Court so that he has some access and influence over the Wisconsin judiciary.
And I think he won't stop here in Wisconsin either.
I think he's looking at this as kind of a test case.
He's obviously got financial interests all over the country.
So I think if he can make this work here, we'd see him try to play the same game someplace else.
Our guest is Judge Susan Crawford.
Of course, the election is Tuesday, April 1st.
You can vote early.
And if you're not sure where to go, go to myvote.wi.gov.
Myvote.wi.gov.
All you have to do is put in your address that is going to bring up where you want to go cast your ballot, where you can vote early, what is going to be on your.
ballot.
It's very important.
Turnout is very, very important.
We discussed Judge Crawford an article earlier this morning about early voting is already at like 500,000, which is big for a spring election in Wisconsin.
Yeah, it's been really robust so far.
And I think that that is
a great sign.
It's showing that voters are really engaged and understand what the stakes are in this race, and they want to make sure that we still have a Wisconsin Supreme Court after this election.
I do find it interesting, however, that on the Republican side, when they demonized early voting for so long, mail-in voting, ballot drop boxes, those were all evil, and yet now it's all about bank your vote.
The turnaround on this has been quite something.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think that, you know, they've started rethinking that those positions because they've seen that it doesn't actually help candidates and, you know, I encourage everybody to go and cast their ballot vote early.
It's an important exercise in democracy and we want to make sure that.
There's great turnout for this race.
I am asking people to vote for me because I'm the only candidate who's really pledged the affair and impartial justice who will interpret the law on the Supreme Court rather than partisan arm of the federal government.
But people should vote.
Judge Crawford, we have a few minutes left and you have a few days left in the election before Tuesday.
What's on the docket?
What's on your schedule?
Imagine you're all over the state 24-7.
Yeah, that is absolutely right.
So I'm on the road right now heading to Beloit at the moment.
Additional stops today, tomorrow, Sunday, and Monday right up until the end of the campaign.
And we have been on the road basically for the last week nonstop, talking to as many voters as we possibly can in this.
big final push.
We're just going to try to end really strong and encourage people to get out the vote.
The last time you were able to join us, Judge Crawford, I did ask whether or not, and I'm just curious if you will again reiterate that you will not spend taxpayer money if you are elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to buy commemorative coins in your own honor.
I absolutely can promise that I will not do that, Jane.
Finally.
Finally.
I just, what a relief.
What a relief.
Judge Susan Crawford, be safe on the road.
Really appreciate you taking the time and get out and vote, everybody.
It is
very, very important.
Judge Susan Crawford, thank you so much.
Well,
thanks for having me on.
Dan Schaefer is here.
We're going to continue our conversation with Dan a little bit more about
your latest Reconpopulation article about Brad Schimmel, seemingly not too concerned about going after these opioid makers.
But, but, but we do have important business that we need to take care of.
It's a contest.
Is it a sweepstakes?
It is not a sweepstakes.
It's our break into spring text to win statewide contest.
Your daily chance to win a shoe lavish to get away.
Milwaukee Brewers Club level tickets, or $100 cash, and every entry is gonna get you into our grand prize drawing for a brand new Queen mattress set from Verlo.
With a mattress, sheets, and more, okay, here is the word you need to text in by noon today using the Civic Media app.
The word today is sun.
S-U-N, nice easy one.
Well, I know there's always there's somebody's gonna misspell it son S u n is the word right now grab your phone Go to your civic media app Open it up
and spell it correctly
spell hit the text button and text the word son S u n right now.
We have $100 up for
grabs All those people on the live stream that you come with the safer bump
Get your phone
Don't allow the app.
Yeah win Patrick from Wisconsin Rapids.
We have Ryan from Edgar Joanna from Madison.
We have a plumber from Madison Paul from Madison Ryan from Marinette Coming in from all over the place.
The word you guys is Sun S U N That's what you want to text in right now using the civic media app before noon today.
We're trying to beat Todd Alba
We're trying just once, just once I want to have more entries than he does.
You never, you never care until the day of, and you're like, I desperately need this.
And then competitive Jane
comes out.
I am not.
Well, OK, I am
just a little.
Well, listeners, do it for competitive Jane, if nothing else.
If even if you don't care to win this prize and all that, do it for competitive.
Who are you talking to right now, your fans?
The Janey X.
There we go.
What do you think?
I love it.
That was a
listener who Who suggested that and by the way kudos to Tom from LA because we we credited Janie X to Tom yesterday He actually texted in because he wanted to make sure that he that we were aware He was not the one who coined that yeah, and he didn't want to get unfair credit for it So shout out to Tom from LA whoever came up with it I would love to give you credit if you want to shoot us an email
We will, we will give it to you.
You can always contact us at janesaysatcivicmedia.us, J-A-N-E-S-A-Y-S, janesaysatcivicmedia.us.
Look at Cassandra's comment on the live stream.
She says, I only entered during your show, Jane.
Cassandra!
My
girl.
A
true Janiac.
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true Janiac.
John from Jamesville and Oscar from Madison and Glenda from Madison.
We see all your texts coming in.
That's fantastic.
Keep them coming.
The word this hour is sun.
S-U-N.
And let's talk about the little kickback message.
Yes, indeed.
So if you get a bounce back message from us, please do not block it.
Do not ignore it.
It is your chance to get an extra
Entry and you will you will be getting that only once during the contest time right two weeks not every single time, but it might include
uh, down, uh, uh, subscribing to our newsletter or follow us on Facebook, something like that.
Uh, I know that sometimes we've actually asked about registering to vote as well.
So just follow, follow what they wanted you to do.
And you get an extra entry.
And who knows if you win that verlo mattress, it could have been on that extra entry.
That might be what does it.
All right.
You have until noon to text the word son, S U N via the civic media app.
Get those entries in this hour.
We're playing for $100 in cash.
We're going to continue our conversation.
with Dan Schaefer on the other side.
Stay close.
You are listening to Matt Nair on air.
This is the Civic Media Radio Network.
We'll be right back.
Good
morning.
Welcome back to Matt Nair on air.
Jane Matt Nair, Greg Bach.
The Board Lord coming to you from our studio here at Radio Park in Racine.
You can always join us.
Call her text at 855-752-4842.
Leave a comment if you're watching on the live stream, on Facebook, YouTube, and what used to be Twitter.
We're going to recombobulate a little bit with Dan Schaefer.
From the Recombobulation Area, also Civic Media's political editor.
First, though, we have some Rep Scallions on the text line.
What are they doing?
What are they up to now?
Jim from Brookfield.
Hi, Jane and Greg.
Will Sun, S-O-N, get me entered into the statewide text-to-win contest?
No.
No.
S-U-N.
S-U-N, no daughter.
You sassy person in Waukesha.
Daughter's not going to get you entered either.
Either the word this hour is son, S-U-N.
Text in the word son by noon and you are in the running to pick up $100 and you'll be in the grand prize drawing.
Everybody who enters will be in the grand prize drawing for that brand new queen size Verlo mattress with sheets and all the wonderful things that go along with it.
So text in the word son, S-U-N.
Don't be sassy.
We want you to get into it.
You know what?
Be sassy.
You can be sassy.
Be sassy.
We kind of process it.
Live your
life.
All right.
You know, I was on the fence about joining this contest, but you mentioned Mattress has sheets.
Now I'm in.
I know.
Greg was just talking about how expensive sheets are.
They are expensive.
Yes.
If you want nice sheets.
I
didn't even get nice sheets, and they were nearly $100.
So enter the contest, S-U-N until noon.
When we were talking to Judge Crawford, Dan, and we only touched on this briefly, but again, our non-elected co-president, Elon Musk, now announcing he's going to be in Wisconsin on Sunday, to hand out million dollar checks to people who got paid $100 to sign this petition against activist judges.
How is this legal?
It used to be a poll tax was when we charged folks
or made them jump through hoops, unnecessary hoops in order to get to vote.
Isn't this a poll gift?
Well, I think for one, Elon Musk is openly acting more egregiously than any right-wing fever dream about what liberals might do in an election.
And of course, not a single so-called conservative will care, because this is never actually about election integrity for them.
It's only ever about power.
So that's for one.
And two, it does seem like I've poked around a little bit on this.
There was a post from Rick Hassan on the election law blog saying that this looks to be violating Wisconsin law.
And just in from the official statement from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair, Ben Wickler, he said that Elon Musk, quote, Elon Musk has committed a blatant felony.
by offering money for votes in order to help Brad Schimmel.
Musk's illegal election bribery scheme to put Brad Schimmel on the Supreme Court is a chainsaw attack on democracy and the rule of law in Wisconsin and our nation.
So that's what we're up against right now.
That's what we're looking at.
Can you imagine if George Soros announced he was going to come to Wisconsin to hand out million dollar checks?
coordinated explosion of heads.
Just a rumor.
I mean, seriously, it's astonishing to me that there aren't any Republicans who would come and say this isn't right.
No, because it's never actually about principles.
It's only about power.
And keeping it.
They only care about power.
And keeping it.
That's
the only thing.
Yeah.
And I think it is, it's just so, you know, we've heard so many claims for so long over the years from Wisconsin Republicans about, you know, if this type of activity happened, you're right, if it was George Soros or somebody on the laughter, whatever it might be, you know, a conservative talk radio would just spontaneously combust.
Absolutely.
And people would be absolutely losing their minds and be up in arms about this.
And because it is somebody on their side,
It's fine.
There will be nothing.
This is nothing more than the, the, at least in the past, I would say George Bush Tea Party years and on of this, being able to switch lanes with no explanation.
And anytime you're called off for hypocrisy, they just brush it off their shoulders and keep walking forward.
I mean, we mentioned it earlier in this, in this hour a year ago, early voting was theft.
It was egregious.
It was anti-American.
You hated the elections if you tried to vote early.
And then all of a sudden, just on a Tuesday, it's great.
I mean, Donald Trump in a speech would say, you got to vote early and say how terrible it was.
And people are like, yeah, totally, I guess.
And then that's it.
They don't have to answer to why all of a sudden they just changed their mind.
They never have to explain why they changed their mind or think what they do.
But this kind of goes along with the whole.
Roy Cohn playbook.
And if you don't know who Roy Cohn is, I highly suggest that you look him up.
He was the guy that Roger Stone learned everything from.
And Roy Cohn is the lawyer that Donald Trump has referenced more than once.
Where is my Roy Cohn?
And his three world rules were never accept responsibility, double down.
And blame the other guy attack attack attack attack and never ever admit that you were wrong No,
he wouldn't take any responsibility during like this is all part of their playbook now.
It's just It's it's it's now.
I'm not I'm not surprised all Dan you said you're having can you hear us right now?
I can hear you fine.
Can you hear me?
We can hear you excellent excellent here.
Just can't see me.
No worries
So it's just so over the top what's happening with this right now.
It's so far over the top and it's You know, but Wisconsin had this is a piece that I wrote a wrote about a couple weeks ago Wisconsin has a unique opportunity to send a message to Elon Musk
in this
election because if Wisconsin voters defeat this effort defeat this
unbelievable amount of spending and activity and bribery that he is bringing to this election, it will be a shot heard around the world.
It will resonate.
in such a profound way if Wisconsin to voters defeat this.
We have such a unique opportunity in front of us right now.
And it will also have a profound effect if it works because Elon Musk will take this to every state around the country and do the exact same thing.
We have news coming up next.
We will continue recombobulating with Dan Schaeffer on the other side.
Stay close.
You are listening to Matt Nair on air.
This is the Civic Media Radio Network.
I need you to recreate me.
Good morning.
Welcome back to Matt Nair on air.
Jane Matt Nair, Greg Bach, Calinator on the Board coming to you live from our studio at Radio Park in Racine.
Join us, Scholar Text at 855-
7524842.
You can leave a comment on the live stream on Facebook, YouTube and the platform that Elon continues to actively ruin.
It is underway.
Our statewide text to win contest.
The word this hour you want to text in using the civic media app.
The word this hour is sun s u n text in the word sun.
You could pick up $100 in cash and then you will be
in the drawing for the grand prize, a brand new queen size mattress set from Verla with a mattress and sheets and all the good things.
Text in the word sun, S-U-N, you have until noon.
To text that in, your next chance will be in the one o'clock hour with the wonderful Todd Alba and then the fabulous Dom Salvia in the four o'clock hour.
So right now,
Text in the word, son, S-U-N.
Just like Nate from Durand, we have Teresa in Green Bay, Megan in Wauwatosa, Carla in Madison, keep them coming in.
The word this hour is son, S-U-N.
Joining us on the phone, Dan Schaefer, our political editor here at Civic Media, and also the creator of the Reconpopulation Area,
And Dan, this just breaking as we came back on the air, we were talking about our unelected co-president Elon Musk, who's going to be coming to Wisconsin on Sunday.
This posted on Twitter knew Elon Musk has just deleted this tweet from 1 a.m.
about his upcoming talk in Wisconsin.
The rules surrounding these checks have drawn some legal scrutiny.
Talking about Elon's post Sunday night, I'll give a talk in Wisconsin entrance limited to those who have voted in the Supreme Court election.
I will personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote.
And now that post is gone.
Because the million dollars
was very
interesting.
Yeah, the million
dollars was for the petition, right?
Yes, well everybody who signed that petition against activist judges got a million dollars and then I'm assuming from a hundred
dollars
a hundred dollars and then from those people Two people will get a million dollars
because he's he used the term to vote
You think
that's if you would have said the two million dollars for assigning the petition to make sure we safe grab blah blah blah blah But he says to vote in there and that could be construed as oh, you're paying people to vote
What do you think, Dan?
That seems right.
That seems to be where this is headed.
And I think the fact that the Wisconsin, you know, minutes after we just read the statement right before the break from Ben Wickler at the Wisconsin Democratic Party talking about how this is blatantly violating Wisconsin election law, saying he committed a blatant felony, and the fact that he takes the post down.
Uh, just minutes after that press release goes out.
That's, that's pretty interesting.
It's very
interesting.
It is very interesting.
May have gotten himself into some hot water here.
Is this something though that, that Josh call would take on our current attorney general?
I mean, it seems like he should, uh, at least take note of the fact that this is happening and that's could warrant an investigation and perhaps just to say that.
We are looking into this just as we are looking into, you know, all so many other things surrounding, you know, election law regarding the spring election, right?
We're looking into all aspects of what's legal going into this and this, you know, clearly there are some red flags here.
Absolutely.
So clearly it would make sense to, you know, give it a second look.
Nate from Durand texting in, we need to label Elon's bribes musk bucks.
or Tesla tips or something like the like like the Zuckerbucks and and just to just to clarify that the money that Mark Zuckerberg provided came in the form of grants that municipalities would apply for to help them to all municipalities could apply for to help them run their elections.
He was not giving out money to individual people to go vote.
Well, what's funny is that when Zucker bucks was happening, it's Mark Zuckerberg giving away money to all the democratic city so they can cheat on the election.
As soon as he came out and said, Hey, you know, we're going to do away with all this stuff.
And he became a friend of Donald Trump.
They never said anything about Zucker bucks again.
In fact, they probably welcome Zucker bucks now because he stood next to Trump at the inauguration and, you know, he's buddies with Dana White and all that stuff.
But I had a question for both you and Dan about.
uh, Brad Schimmel really fast.
Um, he has been running since the end of the last Supreme court.
He's been, he said he's been running for 18 months and he's been, he's doing the work.
Great.
Talking to people going all around the state.
And do you think that had he not aligned himself so hard, and I'm not, I'm not assuming, I'm, I'm no way saying Susan Crawford is going to win.
I'm just saying in the last week,
In a half, two weeks, there's been a definite stink on Brad Schimmel.
Had he just stuck to his plan of just running and he could say, Hey, Elon Musk can do whatever he wants.
Donald Trump can do whatever they want.
I'm going to run and have been more of a candidate like Susan Crawford.
Do you think he'd have better, I guess
putting some
distance between them?
If he put some daylight between that, between that movement and his own campaign, do you think he'd be, he'd be in a better position?
Cause I feel like right now people are.
really tired of Brad Schimmel, especially the fact that he's making no bones about declaring how he feels about all of these topics that are on the top minds of Wisconsinites.
If that's, if that question makes any sense at all, I just feel like had he just run a campaign, he'd been fine, but instead he just got immediately into bed with the mega movement.
So, so do you think it is something like if he had not, because I think this race is in many ways becoming a referendum on Elon Musk.
Yes.
Right.
And so is what you're saying that like, if he had not made this situation where this election became a referendum on Elon Musk, that he'd be in better shape?
Yeah, I think if had he not tied himself so closely to the, to that movement, would he be in better shape?
If he was just a candidate who was supported by, but he didn't really embrace.
I'm
not sure that he would because I really don't think he's a very good candidate.
Yeah, okay You know, I don't think he had a great record as Attorney General I mean that's something I wrote about in that piece on opioid settlements that he refused to take on opioid manufacturers at that time and you know We've obviously heard so many times about the the untested rape kits like there was a reason he was not reelected after one term as state Attorney General and I think he has been running
Even, you know, Elon Musk, the Elon Musk of it all aside, like even before all of that, he was running a just like an unbelievably partisan campaign.
And it seemed like the statement of his campaign was if we Trump won Wisconsin in November, if we get the, if we get Trump voters out in April, then we're going to win.
So I think that was the approach that he's really been taking all along.
Uh, is to just really, you know, go hard on being ultra partisan in this race.
And I think he's, he's veering into like Dan Kelly, Mike Gabelman territory over and over again, because I think that's the type of justice he would be.
And I think the, and that's the thing is when I think of Brad Schimel, I think of Dan Kelly, Dan Kelly appointed to the Supreme court under weird circumstances and then immediately not reelected because.
He was not the right man for the job.
And of course, took it like a professional too, by the way.
But yeah, okay, thank you.
Cause that's what I, cause he's, he tried to play this aw shucks.
Like, I'm just a guy who's trying to, I want to be, I want to do right.
I'm just a
guy standing in front of voters.
Who wants
you?
And I want you
to love me.
He was holding a boom box.
Right, right.
Cause Dan, you and I talked about this.
He was trying to present himself as a guy of the people and I'll listen to the people if they say this is what they want.
But in fact, we know that's not the case at all.
Right.
Right.
And it is.
But I also think like at the end of the day, it's like, could we be talking on April 2nd and say, you know, if Schimmel wins, we're talking like, well, of course, the richest man in the world spending more money than anyone.
Yeah.
Doing all of this stuff in the final stretch, just like he did in November.
Couldn't we, you know, wake up?
that next morning say well of course that's what that's what guy he tried to buy a seat and he did
and he didn't
yeah and you know 20 million dollars or or whatever the the number is going to be when it's all said and done
You know, I was looking back at the numbers for the 2020 race, when that kind of like became one of the, that set a record for spending in that race and that was 10 million.
Oh, that's so adorable.
Total.
Right.
And now we're soaring past 100 million with more and more than double what the record was five years ago from one single individual.
And you know, don't so many of these elections come down to just following the money whoever spends the most has the best chance of winning an election.
Like I think.
You know, it's clearly, I think it's really Schimel's best chance to win is to just embrace as much of this spending as he possibly can, because I think a lot of it's going to field operations, too, and really get out the vote type of stuff.
And
that seems to be working.
That is
going to be a huge factor, because, you know, in the 2023 race that Janet Protasewicz won, you know, there was less than two million people who voted in that election.
And there were more than, there was like close to 3.4 million people who voted in the presidential election last year.
So there are going to be about a million voters who voted last fall, who aren't going to be showing up in the election this year.
And you know, whatever impact that Elon's money that the Musk bucks.
uh, are going to have on this election, that's going to go a really long way.
Well, and we did talk earlier this morning.
There's an article in the Milwaukee Journal sent notes today about half a million people have already voted early.
That's a big, that's a big turnout.
That is a really big turnout for a spring election.
Absolutely.
And I think, you know, I think we're going to have, I think this could hit two million voters in turnout.
a by-election day and that's going to be, that will set a record probably for Wisconsin Supreme Court races, given all the spending, all the attention, all the national proxy war, right?
That this race very much has become, there's so much on the line with this.
There was so much on the line with this just for Wisconsin, just like it was two years ago in the protosewitz race.
There's so much more.
national symbolic resonance on the line for the race here between Schimel and Crawford.
Well, and again, if this works here for Elon Musk, then he's going to take this all around the country and do this everywhere.
And from Chippewa Falls texting in says, just think a million dollars or two is nothing to Elon to control everything in the country.
And that's lunch money.
I mean, an investment of
probably less than from him.
Yeah, this is this is chump change.
This is couch money.
This is.
I
just want to stop him from doing this in any state level, local level race that has national importance.
Like he's if he is successful in his efforts to buy a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, what's to stop him from doing this everywhere?
Nothing.
This could come down to school boards for heaven's sakes.
Yeah.
Right.
Right.
And I think with the way that he's throwing like money in politics has always been a problem.
It's a problem on the left, too.
Yes.
It's a problem on the right.
It's a problem across the board.
What Elon is doing is taking this to a ridiculous new level that we have never seen before at a time where he is basically controlling the federal government.
Yep.
The merger of money and power that we're seeing emblem, you know, encapsulated by what's going on with Elon Musk is like nothing we've ever seen before.
Wisconsin voters have to show up and stop this.
And it would send such a profound message.
And if you sat out the last election, if you sat out the presidential election, please get up this time and vote.
It's gonna be a close election.
There is no front runner at this point.
We don't know what's gonna happen just in the next couple of days.
And as Rob McFarland has said when he's called in here and on other shows on Civic, talk to folks you know.
Talk to folks in your community.
Talk to folks who are friends at the grocery store.
And just ask them, hey, are you going to vote on Tuesday?
Do you have any questions about it?
Here's what I can tell you.
Here's what I know.
Share what you know.
It's going to mean more coming from you than coming from you or me or Dan.
Well, it'll mean the most coming from Jane.
More
than anyone.
None of you watched some of the comments on the live stream, but anyway, the word this hour is sun.
Text in the word sun, S-U-N.
Using the Civic Media app, our statewide text to win contest is underway.
When we return, this shouldn't be a thing.
There ought to be a law.
Oh my God.
It's a good one.
Stay with us.
You're listening to Matt Nair on air on the Civic Media radio network.
Welcome back to Matinair on Air, Jane Matinair, Greg Buck.
Calvinator on the board coming to you from our studio here at Radio Park in Racine.
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We got all kinds of entries coming in and from Brookfield and Tom from Jackson.
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Bonnie from Eau Claire.
Keep them coming in.
Son, S-U-N is the word this hour.
Your next chance in the one o'clock hour with Todd Alba and then in the four o'clock hour with Dominic Salvia.
So make sure you join them as well.
You can enter each hour.
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Thank you.
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Keep them coming in.
Sun S-U-N is the word this hour.
All right, as we always do, we wrap up the show at 11.53-ish with Calvin.
This shouldn't be a thing.
This is actually a two-part tisbat.
What?
I know!
The first part from Ben Hooper and UPI, Otters escaped from Wisconsin's zoo enclosure amid snowstorm.
Keepers at the new zoo and adventure park in Green Bay said the North American river otters Louis and Ophelia.
escaped during a winter storm early on March 20th when they had a big snowstorm up there.
There was a little breach in the fencing that they managed to push through.
Their absence was noted immediately by zookeepers doing their morning rounds.
Tracks in the fresh snow were evident.
They brought in a tracker to find them.
Zoo security camera footage.
show the otters playing in the snow after they got out.
We will include this in our show notes so you can watch the video of it.
North American river otters are native to our area, so they're very comfy in the climate.
The zoo is surrounded by natural ponds and other waterways, so they're not really concerned about their well-being because they're kind of in their own natural habitat.
They still like to get them back.
Now the second part of their otter be a law.
Ben Hooper with the follow-up.
Headline reads, Raccoons impede attempts to capture Wisconsin zoos escaped otters.
The New Zoo and Adventure Park in Green Bay revealed not too long ago that the river otters Louis and Ophelia escaped during a March 20 snowstorm.
They have tried to set up traps to get the otters back.
Raccoons, quote,
have unfortunately impeded some of our efforts, even setting off the traps not long before an otter arrived and tried to go in.
Officials say they are now attempting to use raccoon-proof traps to ensnare the otters.
So the raccoons are coming to the rescue, essentially.
You're a fellow mammal.
Yeah, I got you.
I got you.
We got your back.
Yeah.
We got your tail.
You go enjoy the snow and be cute laying on your back while you're floating holding hands.
But we have, again, there's a video element in case you would like to watch it today.
Greg will have that in the show notes.
And I'm assuming there will be a part three of this ongoing series, Louis and Ophelia in the Wild.
Hopefully.
Some knucklehead isn't going to go looking for and harm them.
Some what?
Some knucklehead.
Oh,
knucklehead.
A knucklehead?
Yeah.
Leave him alone.
Yes.
Oh, yeah.
Let him be happy and do otter things.
But thank you, Calvin, again, for finding another really good.
You're good at this, Calvin.
He's on a streak.
You might be the VP of TISBAT.
That wraps up today's episode of...
This shouldn't be a thing and if you ever have a thing you think should not be send it into Greg and me at Jane says at civicmedia.us Coming up on the show on Monday.
He is back Matt Randolph.
Mr. Global is going to be here oil and gas industry expert He's been it for more than 30 years.
He knows of what he speaks He has the knowledge the experience and the facts to annoy everyone
It's wonderful
specifically one guy lately on YouTube that's been really challenging.
Oh
really guy named Bob.
Oh, I'll have to go look yeah, Mr. Global has his own YouTube channel You will learn so much.
Yeah, if that's your thing apparently not everyone likes learning No, they don't like facts.
They don't things like that.
They just but if you do like facts and you're pro-learning things Check out Mr. Global's Matt Randolph's YouTube channel
It's called Mr. Global, I believe.
I believe so, yeah.
And he will be here Monday at 10.33.
So thank you, Greg and Calvin and all of our engineers without you guys.
Absolutely nothing works.
And thank you most of all for calling and for texting and for listening.
It really does mean the world.
I hope you find some joy over the weekend, even if it's just a little bit and you have the chance to share it.
Don't forget, son, S-U-N.
You got about 90 seconds.
S-U-N.
Yeah.
Next time with Todd, next time with Dom.
Have a great weekend.
News is coming up next.
Keep it right here on the Civic Media Radio Network.
All dear.
Bye.
See you Monday.
Good morning and welcome. Welcome to Matt Nair on air. Jane Matt Nair, Greg Buck and Calvin Butonoff coming to you live from our studio here at Radio Park in Racine. You can always join us. You can call. You can text. The number is the same 855.
7-5-2-4-8-4-2. You can leave a comment as well. If you're watching on the live stream, on Facebook, YouTube, and what used to be Twitter, got a jam-packed show coming up for you today. In just a minute, we're going to welcome Ben Wickler, the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. After the 10-30 news, we're going to talk about childcare.
which is an ongoing issue here. Corrine Hendrickson has a child care center in northern Wisconsin. She's going to join us after the 10 30 news. They are having an event this Saturday in Ashland. So if you're in that area and you are concerned about child care, you may want to check that out. Should be very, very interesting. Next hour, federal money and your school district. Donald Trump, of course, has talked about eliminating the Department of Education.
If that would happen, just how much money would your school district end up losing? And where are they supposed to recover those funds that will be after the 11 o'clock news? As we always do, we will lighten things up for the last half hour of the show with a segment we like to call Audio Sorbet. So after the 1130 news, we're going to talk about
your favorite line from a movie. What is your favorite movie line? Something we started talking about with Don Rosen from WRJN. He does the morning show over on WRJN and before he took off this morning, we were kicking that around. So we'll talk about your favorite movie lines and we will wrap it all up as we always do with this shouldn't be a thing.
Today it is the Bear With Me edition that is all on the way. But as we said, we're going to start off this morning with Ben Wickler, the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Good morning, Ben. Thanks so much for joining us. I am sure you have many, many, many things going on in what we're less than a week away from the April 1st election. Yes, indeed. We have six days and then we wake up and it's election day.
This election has become a referendum on whether people like what Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing, destroying Social Security, attacking the Veterans Administration, attacking the Department of Education, operating outside the Constitution and the law, whether we want a rubber stamp in Brad Schimel's hands, who has completely sold himself to Elon Musk and is essentially running on a promise to do whatever it is that Trump wants, even if Trump breaks the law.
Or if we want a fair, impartial, honest judge like Susan Crawford, who will apply the law equally to everybody, no matter how many billions of dollars they might have, that's essentially the question. And then whether to have a total abortion ban in our state, which Brad Schimel seems to really want, we have just a handful of days left. Elon Musk has poured $19.3 million into the Schimel campaign. And Schimel is now running ads all the time using Musk money about how
Trump has endorsed him. And if he claims that Susan Crawford would block Trump's agenda implying whatever it is that Trump wants to do, he'll support it. So this is a very clear choice.
And I have to say the key to this is turnout. It is getting people, recruiting people to go cast a ballot for Susan Crawford. Yep, absolutely. Early voting is underway right now. So if you don't want to wait until Tuesday, you can go cast your vote today. And if you're not sure where to go, go to myvote.wi.gov. It's a wonderful resource. Not only will it tell you where to go cast your ballot, it will show you what is on the ballot. It has all of your elected officials.
all of their contact information, which I just think it's nice to have in case you ever want to give him a friendly call. But go to my vote.WI.gov and take advantage of it and make a plan now for how you're going to go vote next Tuesday. If you're not going to vote early, Ben, we've tried to encourage people to make it a thing and make it an event. Get four friends with you who might not necessarily
have easy access to go vote. Maybe you can all carpool together and then go get brunch or go do go do something. But this is critically important. And you had mentioned, Brad Schimmel, I was really stunned, Ben, when he came out and said that it is his role as a Supreme Court justice in Wisconsin to be a support for the Trump administration. I didn't think that was in their job requirements.
I mean, last time I checked in the U.S. Constitution, in the Wisconsin Constitution, there is something called separation of powers. And the judiciary is supposed to be a check and a balance on the executive, meaning we don't have a king. The king doesn't decide what's legal and what's not. It is up to the courts to decide that. And if a rogue president breaks the law, they need to be held accountable. But Schimmel's just running ads all the time. And musks, people are going around handing out these flyers that say,
that Schimmel will advance Trump's agenda. And Schimmel is saying on the campaign trail that he'll be Trump's support network. Like this is not the job. Right. And like this administration is ripping up our constitution in real time right now as it's attacking things that working families rely on across the country, across the state of Wisconsin. So the idea that the state Supreme Court would just become another kind of henchman as Trump tramples social security. Like that is, it makes me want to rip my hair out. And this is.
The question that we get to the side, nowhere else in the country do people get to cast a ballot in this moment to determine whether the whole government will collapse under the Musk-Trump attack. But here in Wisconsin, we can actually vote for Susan Crawford and ensure that we have a judiciary that understands that its job is not to follow the whims of right-wing billionaires, but to serve the people and our Constitution. I would say that one of the other things too, and because we all get the mailers, get the door knocker, the things that are hanging on our door knobs,
How little Brad Schimmel actually even matters in the equation, because everything I get for Brad Schimmel has a picture of Donald Trump on it. It's not even Brad Schimmel, and it's always Donald Trump with a thumb in the air saying, Brad Schimmel will be the guy for Trump. So really, I mean, if we could see, if there was any more proof that Brad Schimmel is just gonna be nothing but a conduit of the agenda, I think that's the proof right there. 100%. 100%.
As of this morning, literally they're running this ad that it starts with Trump endorsing, breaking news, Trump has endorsed Brad Shimmel, and then it ends with a shot of Trump surrounded by his cabinet signing some kind of executive order to attack the Department of Education or whatever it is. And then the middle is a woman of Wisconsin saying, if Susan Crawford's elected, then all the good things Trump is doing might not trickle down to Wisconsin, which is like.
I don't think we want the things that Trump is doing to trickle down to Wisconsin. The trickle is like corrosive acid destroying our state parks and cancer research and the airline administration and veterans administration. And that is what we do not want to happen here. Yeah, exactly. And I don't think, Ben, that people disagree that there's not waste in government. I think everyone can agree that, yes, there are probably things that
things that could be pared down and pared back, but you don't do that by coming in with a chainsaw. And yeah, and then and then a week later, hiring back the 25,000 people that you just let go without even knowing what jobs those people were essentially doing. I'll tell you a little story that just said it chilled on my spine. The US does this brilliant thing for generations. We collect the seeds for all the different
types of wheat and all the different crops that keep you know Americans alive that feed families across this country in case some kind of blight arrives and destroys one then we have the backup alternatives but musk came in and fired the people responsible for keeping the seed bank so this is like just exposing us to you know future uh you know biblical pestilence or locust or whatever and these blights come all the time i read another thing yesterday someone was creating a better covid medicine
And then their clinical trial was shut down because the National Institutes of Health canceled their grant funding. So this is like basic stuff about safeguarding humanity, safeguarding our food supply, safeguarding our health from viruses and diseases that spread over and over. We know this happens. We just had the COVID pandemic. Musk is shutting down our ability to respond to crises. And he's doing that with Trump's full support. It is the most short-sighted, disastrous, stupid thing I've ever seen. It's like a dentist operating with a chainsaw. Well, and you make such a good point, though.
These do not seem like long term thinkers, long term planners. They're not looking. What could the possible ramifications be from this? There doesn't seem to be that element in their decision making. Yeah. Uh huh. Not even a little bit. And I.
But this is essentially, we have six days to get this right. And if we can defeat Musk and Brad Shimmel in this election, then it sends a message to the whole country that no matter how much money Musk puts in, that voters are going to reject his agenda. And that, my hope, could lead Republicans to actually stopping the march off the cliff that they're doing with Elon Musk at this moment. Democrats are.
totally united against what Musk is doing. What we need to do is show Republicans that their jobs are on the line. And that is something that we can only do with the ballot box. No matter what the polls say, if they think that Musk's fortune can get out of political jail free card for them, then Republicans will keep rubber stamping the stuff, including all six of Wisconsin's Republican members of Congress and Ron Johnson, who seems to love it. So we have to win this election to send a message to the whole country that Musk has to be stopped. He's out of control and Americans will not accept it.
If you're just joining us, Ben Wickler is our guest, the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. You talk six days away, we go to the polls on April 1st with a number of important races. The biggest one, the state Supreme Court race between Brad Schimmel and Susan Crawford. Of course, we have the race for the person who will head of the Department of Public Instruction, either Jill Underly, the incumbent, or Brittany Kinzer, and then that constitutional amendment.
also on the ballot. Going back to Brad Schimel's campaign, we do have a little clip that we wanted to play for you about one of the doorknockers who is apparently going out on behalf of Elon Musk and being paid by a pack that is funded by Elon Musk. Calvin, do we have that little bit, that clip ready, please? Can you play that? Yeah. You're like being paid by Elon Musk right now. Yeah. I'm sorry.
So you don't support Brad Trimmel? Okay, so I'm gonna say this. I don't know much about anything. Like, girl, this is just a job for me. I'm sure we are getting a check. I'm not gonna lie. Who pays you guys? So basically, American Pack, that's who I work under, is a company that's sponsored by Elon Musk and Donald Trump. So that's who basically pays them. So, yeah, I'm just like... How much do you get paid? Girl, I get paid like 25 an hour. 25 an hour? Cool.
Not enough money, apparently, to know what the candidate stands for. When when Democrats send out door knockers, because Democrats do this too, are your door knockers at least a little better educated about the candidate that they're purportedly supporting? Well, we have volunteers to knock on doors across Wisconsin. And these are people knocking in their own communities who.
do it because they care, because they know that Brad Chimmel is corrupt, that he gives plea deals to child pornography defendants when the lawyers contribute to his campaign and didn't sue the opioid manufacturers and is now doing whatever it is that Musk wants because he's pouring money into his campaign. And they know that Susan Crawford is the kind of public servant that you actually want treating everyone equally who walks into the courtroom.
And they they know that and they talk about with they talk about it with voters. And, you know, I don't begrudge someone who needs to get a paycheck, you know, walk around. But I think what we can see here.
is exactly the kind of corruption and decay that happens when Musk is in charge of things. He's doing that to federal government. He's doing that to this race. Don't let him do it to Wisconsin Supreme Court. We can stop it. Go vote early. Go vote next Tuesday, April 1st. Be a voter, baby. Everybody who's anybody is a voter. Ben Wickler is the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Thank you so much for your time, Ben. Really appreciate it. Thank you. Take care. Stay close. You were listening to Matt Nair on air. This is the Civic Media Radio Network. We'll be right back.
Good morning and welcome. Welcome to Matt and air on air. Jane Matt and air Greg box, sweet Cal B on the board coming to you from our studio here at Radio Park in Racine. You can always join us, call or text. The number is the same 855-752-4842. Leave a comment if you're watching on the live stream on Facebook, YouTube and what used to be Twitter. Don't forget our break into spring text. Text to win statewide contest is underway. You have a chance.
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including a mattress sheets and much, much more. You will have the word you need to text in right after the 11 o'clock news. So make sure you have the Civic Media app that is the only way to enter. Go to wherever you get your apps. Look for Civic Media. Download that. It's completely free. And then you will be ready to go to text in that word. That's the only way to enter. You can't email it in. You can't send it in in the chat. Unfortunately, you do need the Civic Media app.
coming up after 1106. Really looking forward to talking to our next guest. She runs the Kareem's Little Explorers Family Childcare. There is an event coming up this Saturday from 9 30 to 11 about childcare in Wisconsin and just how important it is. Kareem Hendrickson is joining us once again. Good morning, Kareem. Thanks for being here. Good morning. Thanks for having me. Absolutely. So.
The funding that we have in place right now for the childcare counts program, that's going to come to an end at the end of July. Can you explain, Corrine, what that would mean for you and so many other daycare providers in Wisconsin?
Yeah, so right now our state invests $0 of state dollars in our budget, all of the child care system that includes pre licensing, our licensors, the way for parents to find us, all the things is federally funded, including our subsidy system for children on low income. So we have had this child care accounts program because during COVID it was revealed how big of a deal it is to have access to child care to those in power because somehow us women in charge don't
know anything, I guess. And so we were able to take that funding and the department worked with us to best allocate it. We were one of the states that did it through wages to increase wages so that we could stay in business, so that we could hire, recruit, retain quality people. And without that funding.
I have to raise my rates $30 a week. I've already had parents tell me they don't know that they can afford that because I already have raised my rates 65 a week from over a year ago because the funding was cut and not replaced. And some other things kind of happened in inflation, like all the costs are going up. And so without this funding being put into our state budget for the first time, have any state dollars in the state budget to invest in childcare
We're looking at mask closures. We're looking at tuition increasing substantially. We're talking 10, 20, 30 percent, some places that would be as much as 50 a week per kid. Parents already can't afford it. So those of us who don't close right away may try to hold on.
But when we increase our tuition and we lose just a few families, we then no longer can stay open and we will close. So even those who make enough to afford that extra will still lose their access to care. Even those employers who have paid their employees are able to pay their employees well enough.
they will still lose employees because those people will no longer have access to care. And we're looking at a disaster. And I think it's important for folks to realize because I can imagine some people listening going, well, you know, that's too bad. You can't afford it. Then mom just stays home and mom stays home with the kids. But if mom is working and most people are too.
Both adults are working in the household. That's just the way the economy is working and has been working for a long time. You are pulling this person out of a working economy. That has ramifications too.
Yeah, and that's the part that people don't seem to understand. If they don't have kids, they don't think it matters. Well, guess what? When your doctor or dentist no longer has the people they need to keep functioning, you now no longer have access to those appointments. Your favorite restaurant. There's limited hours in so many places because of the lack of childcare. And over 70% of women with children under five work. And we still have lost ground. And we still haven't made it up. Wisconsin was always a leader in women in the workforce. And it's because we want to be
in the workforce. It's not that we don't want to be, we want to be. So you're also taking people who want to be outside of the home and spend time with their kids still, but enjoy their time with their kids. And we're forcing them to stay home in an environment that they feel more secluded and away from other people. They don't have the support systems. And so then we're looking at what's happening to that woman, what's happening to those children, what's happening to that family unit, or you end up with parents trying to work first, second, third shifts opposite of each other. And that destroys a marriage and a relationship. So we're looking at
that economic, we're looking at family, we're looking at all of the things that make our communities important. And it's such an obvious solution to the rest of the world. Everybody else uses our data and they make it and they pay for it. And yet we don't use our own to justify, verify whatever it is that needs to happen for those in power to decide that investment is a good idea. Our state already loses $2 billion a year economically because we do not invest in childcare. And this will just make it worse.
It's just frustrating for me. I'm sorry. I don't have a question so much as it's frustrating. We talk about this all the time. These are, this is just one of many topics that Wisconsin taxpayers, parents, grandparents even who have to deal with child care. These are the things they struggle with every day. Meanwhile in Madison, they're like, well, we should talk about voter ID. That seemed, I mean, I can't imagine someone in your position who not only an advocate for this cause, but you work in the industry.
constantly beating on a door saying, well, no, this isn't a, it's important in a speech. It's important in front of a camera, but it's not important in the, it's not important on the floor where these, where these facts are being debated. And it just really makes me, it makes it hard for me to believe that these individuals and men that are like pro, call themselves pro family. Exactly.
Well, but it is it's it's we love babies. We love mothers. We love all these things. Well, great. What do you do for these babies after they're born? Well, yeah, then you're kind of on your own. You better get a job picking something in a field somewhere. You're five. It's time. Especially your Florida. Yeah. Yeah, that's a whole other story. If you're just joining us, Kareen Hendrickson is our guest and she is the owner of Kareen's Little Explorers.
family child care occurring. There's an event going on this Saturday from 9 30 to 11 at Treetop Child Development Center and preschool. Can you tell us a little bit about that event and what's going to be happening then?
Yeah, so it's up in Ashland, Wisconsin. And so my colleague and co-founder of Wisconsin Early Childhood Action needed Brooke Legler and I started doing these presentations in Green County with our child care network with actually the Mental Health Matters Committee. So we tie together how mental health, children's development, brain development, the workforce and the importance of the teachers and the adults that are working for and caring for and educating with these children get paid a decent wage so that they can stay and that they can meet the
needs of the kids. And we talk about like, when we we've now taken the statewide, we did one in Fond du Lac, I've done one in one with Tosa. And we're working with a few other people across the state to support them. So we're encouraging our weekend members to do them on their own. But most are like, come with because you can answer the national and the bigger question. I'm like, Okay, but really, when I go, I'm in a supporting role and that
the lead is the people in that community because it's their community, they know it best. So we actually have superintendent of the Ashland School District, Rob Prater speaking, and Marie K...
Kate Nabazny, sorry if I butchered that, from workforce development and a parent are all going to be speaking and sharing their stories too. So it's incredibly important for these community conversations to be having, to talk about childcare and how it interacts with the community. And basically, I say we're the spoke in the wheel of the foundation of our entire economy. That childcare is whether it's a paid person doing it, you know, like I do, Family Child Care or Group Center or if it's the parents staying home with their own child, we have to support the fact that women
have been putting too much on our backs for too long without being paid or, you know, we're told and patting on our heads like, Oh, you're so great. This is wonderful. You know, thanks, you know, keep smiling pretty or whatever it is. No, no man would ever do this. Why do we do it? So we really are trying to have these conversations and talk about solutions, real solutions, not throw more children in room because they're not widgets, they're people, you know, and really having these conversations and getting in depth and
you know again like to Greg's point yes they keep saying it's a it's an issue it's a problem we have to solve it but then they throw these things that are absurd and nobody wants as the solution and then when we try to say well this isn't why then they say well you just want to hand out and we're like you give handouts all the time to all these other groups and they are true handouts you are not expected to raise wages you are not expected to do anything you don't have to do audits or prove yourself you just get it because I don't know because you're a man.
I'm not gonna sit there and go, I'm not gonna give them that, but I will say, well, when it's a company and those companies can write big checks, checks, who doesn't love a check? Elon Musk gets billions and billions of dollars from the US government, billions of dollars. He gets more handouts than anybody. Seriously, and I'd love to know how much auditing they are doing with all of this money that like Elon and all these other big corporations get, that's our money. Kareen Hendrickson is our guest.
We're talking about childcare in Wisconsin. There's an event this Saturday in Ashland. We will include this in our show notes. If you live in that area and you would like to attend, something else that I have learned in talking to you, Karine, is just how important those early years are for little kids, for munchkins, and the interactions with other children, the things that they can learn from birth to five. There's a lot going on in those, in those early years.
Oh, absolutely. 90% of brain development happens in those first five years, and those neural connections in the brains happen by having relationships with other people, with the caring adults.
A lot of times we don't like to talk about this, but sometimes that only caring adults that's consistent in a child's life is their childcare educator. And so we are a buffer also for these children, and we are consistent. And then we also are the connection for the parents. So when the parents have questions about raising their child, if the parents want to know how they can be a better parent, we are also working with the parents and helping them so that they can have a better relationship with their child. And so sometimes poverty, accidents, diseases, things.
happen in families and we are that consistent person. And then when you are paying us $13 an hour for group centers, I make around eight bucks an hour as a family child care. And then you're having to work extra hours and extra jobs so that you can keep a roof over your own head. How are you then able to work with those kids in a way that you need to work with them? How do you have the patience? And so we're basically setting up the adults for failure. We're setting up the children for failure in our society as well. And now there's more and more news things coming out saying like, you know, more and more.
Like child cares are having issues with getting written up, losing their license. It's be cut. And then, of course, six uses. Well, you're terrible. You don't deserve the funding. No. The reason that we're having the issue is because we can only pay around 12, 13 bucks an hour. There are no benefits. So we can't get quality people who can do the job, who can be trained, who have mentors that can help them stick around. And then you end up with a warm body. Right. And you end up putting children and adults into situations that are untenable and unfair. And so really,
looking at like, it's a societal systemic issue. This is not a personal issue. This is not something that is going to be like pull yourself by the bootstraps and you can fix it yourself. It is a systemic failure. And it's something that we need to be more.
accountable to and have the guts to say it does not have to be this way. And that's a lot of what these conversations are about and why we do that is to help people understand it does not have to be this way. So stop and do something better and different. Well, and stop coming up with legislation that is that is a solution in search of a problem. We have problems right now that could use some solutions. Maybe you should focus on some of that stuff instead of what might happen down the road potentially possibly maybe we're going to continue our conversation with
with Kareem Hendrickson. I believe, wait, I'm almost positive. Some of our lawmakers are sitting on money that should already have been distributed to childcare centers. Does that sound accurate? We'll find out on the other side. Stay with us. You're listening to Matt Nair on air on the Civic Media Radio Network. We'll be right back.
That your elders grew high And so please help them with your need They see the truth before they can die Teach your parents well That children's health Will slowly go by and feed
Them on your dreams The one they picked The one you know by Don't you ever ask them why If they told you you would cry So just look at them and sigh
Good morning and welcome back to Matt and air on air Jane Matt and air Greg Bach doctors slide on the board committee from our studio here at Radio Park in Racine join us caller text at 855-752-4842 leave a comment if you're watching on the live stream
on Facebook, YouTube, and what used to be Twitter. Don't forget, right after the 11 o'clock news, about 11 o'clock, we will give you the secret word of the hour. Our statewide text to win contest is underway. You've got a chance to pick up some great prizes in the 7, 11, 1, and 4 o'clock hours. And the word coming up, you do have to have the Civic Media app in order to take part. So you got nine minutes ish.
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9-10-11, I have to, whatever. It's coming shortly. So download the Civic Media app, wherever you get your apps. We're talking to Karine Hendrickson. She knows how to math because she runs a childcare center. And there's a special event coming up this Saturday in Ashland, the critical role of childcare in our community. From 9.30 to 11, Karine owns, Karine's Little Explorers Family Childcare.
And talking about really how critically important it is to all of us and to our economy to have a system that works for working parents. One thing I did see, Karine, and correct me if I'm wrong, because we were talking about only federal dollars right now, go to support childcare in Wisconsin. No state dollars do. But Wisconsin's famous joint finance committee is sitting.
on several million dollars intended for childcare and yet that money has not yet been distributed. Is that accurate? That is accurate and actually there was 15 million dollars put in the last state budget and it was put towards the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to do with what they wanted after Governor Evers vetoed the loan program and turned it into a grant. And then also they tried to reverse that.
legislatively and turn it back into a loan and all of us showed up to testify and say that's not what we want. That's not what we need. It's not going to do any good. If you're looking at people getting into family childcare, it's hard enough to get started. You're not going to take on the debt of right, you know, a loan and plus like how am I paying this back?
Right. And you give grants out all the time to start businesses. You give out grants all the time to expand, whatever. And so the WEDC asked the joint finance committee to make it into, to add it to the childcare accounts pot. And what that would do is it actually would extend it either by a month and a half, or it would actually add to the amount that we get each month for the last few months.
And it's just sitting there. And Senator Marklein is the co-chair of the JFC. And he's actually my senator. We did get a meeting with him this last Wednesday as a Green County Child Care Network. We've been asking him for a long time to come to our things, to our meetings and to meet with us. And he did meet with us for an hour. And we talked about our books. We showed him our budgets. We talked to him about tuition. We had two parents come that actually said they cannot find work because they don't have childcare. And so having the real people have that conversation and having our day.
educators in the classroom where they are talking to him about how hard it is to only make so much money an hour and how they're likely going to leave as soon as there's child interest kindergarten and go work for the school because then they get benefits and get paid better and wouldn't need the wraparound care. And so it was a really decent conversation and we did bring up a lot of investments and why it's needed and how this will help the parents and how it will open up more spots. So I'm hoping that he did listen and that he took note and that maybe there's some.
I hope that something will happen. But as far as the 15 million, it's still sitting there. I haven't heard anything. It's in the, at any point, Senator Markline or in co-chairborn could put it on an exact session and they could pass it. And so by them not doing it, it makes me very curious how this is going to shape up this summer in the budget, because if they can't even bring themselves to put $15 million towards us, what's going to happen next? So.
Cassandra on the live stream said, our rep Dave Murphy suggested to a daycare owner that we need to loosen restrictions on in-home daycare providers. And that just, it, once again, as we were talking about earlier, you're giving, so you're not, these are not solutions. These are just, do this instead. Try this, try this thing. Anything not to give you money, but let the four year olds take care of the two year olds. It's fine.
Yeah, tell me you've never set foot in a family child care without telling me because that is exactly what that is to me. And again, loosening restrictions is actually a problem. Other states have, they've loosened their ratios, they've loosened the amount of number of children you can have maximum, and it's affecting us in Wisconsin because now we cannot get homeowners insurance to cover us if we watch one child.
So even if other states are doing this, it's hurting us. And so we're getting dropped by liability insurance companies left and right because the liability is going up because of all these deregulatory. Because children are hurt, children are dying. It is happening. That's why we have the rules and regulations. And so because of that, it's affecting my liability insurance. And luckily, my homeowners does keep us. But I've heard multiple people getting letters from their homeowners saying they'll no longer cover you.
for your home if anything happens to your home. This doesn't even include the kids. I'm sorry. I'm just processing that. I have to take a moment. I give Markline credit for being brave enough to show up because so many of them just don't even have the courage to do that. But yet it disturbs me that
This information you provided to him was like revelatory and he's never heard this before. This isn't a new issue. This isn't something that's coming out of nowhere. Nobody saw this coming. This has been a problem for a long time.
Yeah, it's weird that it needed to be said to him to make it real. And then also, I don't know how much like we all are writing and talking to the staffers. It doesn't. I don't know what's been able to go through in the meantime. And so it was great that he did come to us. And I think all of our representatives should be doing that. Corrine Hendrickson has been our guest. Thank you so very, very much. Corrine, we will put.
All of the relative and related information into our show notes, you can check it out at civicmedia.us. Karine, really appreciate your time. Thank you so much. News coming up next. Download that Civic Media app. You're going to need it to take part in our statewide text to win contest. That's all on the way. Keep it right here on the vast statewide, countrywide, global on the app, baby, Civic Media radio network.
Welcome back to Matt Nair on air, Jane Matt Nair, Greg Box, Sweet Calvary on the board coming to you from our studio at Radio Park in Racine. Join us, call or text 855-752-4842. Leave a comment on the live stream on Facebook, YouTube and what used to be Twitter, little less than eight minutes to text in the word snooze, S-N-O-O-Z-E, not news, not lose.
Blues, not blues snooze. S N O O Z E via the civic media app in order to pick up $100 cash all part of our statewide text to win break into spring contest. You have until noon to text in the word snooze. S N O O Z E just like Ken from Stoughton, Davina in Madison. We got all kinds of entries coming in. Terry from Cross Plains.
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Also on WMDX, the word this hour is snooze, S-N-O-O-Z-E. Teresa in Eau Claire. Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. All right, Calvin, it's 11.53. That means it is time for... This shouldn't be a thing. As always, if you have a thing you think should not be, send it in to Greg and me at janesays at civicmedia.us.
J-A-N-E-S-A-Y-S, Jane says at civicmedia.us. Shout out to Cardi, who is producer for Earl Ingram, right before us. He was the one who pointed this out to me this morning, said, ooh, I think this would be a tiz, this is a tizbat for sure. And he is so right. This is from ad week. Lucky Britney Kieffer with the byline. The headline reads, not everyone wants to join KFC's gravy cult.
as ads draw backlash. Kentucky Fried Chicken launched a new ad campaign earlier this month in the UK. And we're gonna include a link to the ad in the show notes because you have to see the weirdness yourself. We cannot possibly describe to you. Or do it justice. Oh my gosh. The ad depicts a man who was lost in the woods.
He follows a group of mysterious strangers who are carrying a giant golden egg. Now keep in mind, this is a KFC commercial. They end up at a lake of gravy, as one does, where they baptize the man and induct him into the cult of KFC. Now after they dip him in the lake of gravy, he comes up as a piece of extra crispy chicken. Which means I don't think that he's becoming part of the cult.
I think he's become their idol. He's it is truly weird. It's a really, really strange ad. It's two minutes long. Yeah, it's a long commercial, but they are appealing specifically to Gen Z. Yes. They they think this will this is going to resonate with them, even though two minutes seems like a long time and requires a certain amount of concentration. Yeah.
Uh, now it's generating all kinds of complaints. It's called All Hail Gravy. It's, yes. Grishle, again, from KFC is called All Hail Gravy. Now complaints are coming in from people saying the ad is promoting cannibalism. Oh my god. It glorifies cults and Satanism. Jesus. And mocks Christianity and baptism. Okay. You know what? Seriously. This is the thing that shouldn't be.
This commercial is fantastic. And I skipped this part of the article. This is part two. Oh, there's a part one. There's a part one. What am I doing with my life? But the people who are like, it's mocking and glorify, get over yourselves. I think you were putting way too much into this ad. Agreed. Calvin, you are the person who is closest in age to the demographic that they're trying to reach.
Does all hail gravy resonate with you? Are you more inclined now to go get KFC? I'm curious. I can't say this inspires me to get KFC, but I did find the ad quite entertaining. From a critical perspective, I think more cinematic music would have fit the ad better than the hip-hop break they did in it. Fair criticism. I thought it was unique.
Cool commercial. It's beautifully shot and has better CGI than some Marvel movies I've seen. The executive director of this ad agency that came up with it, Martin Rose, says we are being polarizing because we want conversation. Since the first part of this ad aired last year, the campaign has boosted KFC's brand reputation scores, increased its brand modernity score,
and they have seen positive sales momentum. So apparently it's working. And breaking news from God, God says, thought it was funny too. You liked it, okay. Yeah. We will include this as we said in the show. Oh, it's so included. If you want to take a look and are you inspired now to go get some extra crispy chicken? I'm inspired to get chicken. Maybe not from them. That wraps up today's episode of...
This shouldn't be a thing. Coming up on the show tomorrow, Judge Susan Crawford is going to be joining us in the first hour. We are just days away in hour number two. Sorry. Judge Susan Crawford will be here along with Dan Schaefer from the Recon Population Area and much, much more. Thank you, Greg and Calvin and all of our engineers because without you, nothing works. And thank you most of all.
For calling and for texting and for listening, it means the world. I hope you find some joy today, even if it's just a little bit, and you get the chance to share it. Stay right here. News coming up next. Text in snooze. S-M-O-O-Z-E got a minute and a half. And then Todd Alba on the Civic Media Radio Network. We'll see you tomorrow.
