1 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:08,580 W o n d. Calling 96099271100. 2 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,300 And I am absolutely thrilled to have Assemblyman 3 00:00:11,439 --> 00:00:12,339 Brian Bergen 4 00:00:12,785 --> 00:00:14,324 of District 26 5 00:00:14,464 --> 00:00:15,285 on air 6 00:00:15,585 --> 00:00:18,324 together with of course, it's Fitzherbert Friday 7 00:00:18,704 --> 00:00:19,925 with Brian Fitzherbert, 8 00:00:20,464 --> 00:00:22,085 my buddy, and I 9 00:00:23,345 --> 00:00:23,845 assemblyman, 10 00:00:24,304 --> 00:00:26,404 welcome. How are you and Brian? 11 00:00:27,170 --> 00:00:29,890 Doing fantastic. Thanks for having me. And, Nel, 12 00:00:29,890 --> 00:00:31,190 it is my pleasure. 13 00:00:32,850 --> 00:00:35,729 I know, we, we missed you last week, 14 00:00:35,729 --> 00:00:38,210 but believe me, when we talk politics, I 15 00:00:38,210 --> 00:00:39,350 understand politics. 16 00:00:39,795 --> 00:00:42,195 My father was involved on the periphery, and 17 00:00:42,195 --> 00:00:44,354 he could be called upon at any hour 18 00:00:44,354 --> 00:00:45,494 of the day or night. 19 00:00:45,875 --> 00:00:48,454 So I know how how difficult that is. 20 00:00:50,354 --> 00:00:51,895 Please tell our listeners 21 00:00:53,500 --> 00:00:54,399 what was, 22 00:00:55,100 --> 00:00:56,079 offensive enough 23 00:00:56,940 --> 00:00:58,320 for you to, 24 00:00:59,420 --> 00:01:00,320 ask for 25 00:01:00,700 --> 00:01:01,440 an investigation, 26 00:01:02,700 --> 00:01:05,280 in the ethics committee about an assemblywoman 27 00:01:05,739 --> 00:01:06,239 who 28 00:01:07,114 --> 00:01:07,854 really rankled 29 00:01:08,155 --> 00:01:09,215 you, who 30 00:01:09,594 --> 00:01:10,174 who really 31 00:01:10,474 --> 00:01:12,474 woke you up to how low you can 32 00:01:12,474 --> 00:01:12,974 go. 33 00:01:13,754 --> 00:01:16,734 Yeah. Well, it's so the assemblywoman is assemblywoman 34 00:01:17,034 --> 00:01:19,435 Katie Brennan. She's out of, I believe, 32 35 00:01:19,594 --> 00:01:20,814 32nd District. 36 00:01:21,890 --> 00:01:22,390 And 37 00:01:22,770 --> 00:01:24,790 she introduced a piece of legislation 38 00:01:25,090 --> 00:01:25,590 that, 39 00:01:27,170 --> 00:01:28,069 it it's spelled 40 00:01:28,450 --> 00:01:30,630 f ICE, you know, the vulgarity 41 00:01:31,010 --> 00:01:31,510 ICE, 42 00:01:32,450 --> 00:01:33,730 in a in a bunch of words. So 43 00:01:33,730 --> 00:01:35,890 they act they spelled out this acronym. And 44 00:01:35,890 --> 00:01:38,185 so, you know, I I took offense to 45 00:01:38,185 --> 00:01:38,685 it. 46 00:01:39,144 --> 00:01:41,644 Look, I have no offense to, you know, 47 00:01:42,344 --> 00:01:43,885 language like that. I mean, 48 00:01:44,344 --> 00:01:45,805 out in public or but 49 00:01:46,584 --> 00:01:49,724 in the context of legislation, it's just not 50 00:01:49,950 --> 00:01:52,109 it's not something people should be doing. And, 51 00:01:52,109 --> 00:01:53,629 you know, she was quick to point out 52 00:01:53,629 --> 00:01:54,129 that 53 00:01:54,829 --> 00:01:56,750 I, at one point, during a heated argument 54 00:01:56,750 --> 00:01:59,629 on the floor, called somebody the an a 55 00:01:59,629 --> 00:02:00,109 hole, 56 00:02:01,069 --> 00:02:03,134 during a on a hot mic. But I 57 00:02:03,134 --> 00:02:05,075 see those things a little bit as fundamentally 58 00:02:05,215 --> 00:02:06,674 different things. She 59 00:02:07,454 --> 00:02:08,194 put something 60 00:02:08,894 --> 00:02:11,694 in a public document into legislation that was 61 00:02:11,694 --> 00:02:12,754 clearly designed 62 00:02:13,215 --> 00:02:13,875 to have 63 00:02:15,510 --> 00:02:18,150 that acronym spelled out F ICE. I just 64 00:02:18,150 --> 00:02:19,530 got a problem with that. I don't 65 00:02:19,830 --> 00:02:22,090 think that's how our legislature should be used, 66 00:02:22,230 --> 00:02:23,590 and I take a lot of pride in 67 00:02:23,590 --> 00:02:26,629 the institution of the New Jersey state legislature, 68 00:02:26,629 --> 00:02:29,085 and when someone does that that's not right, 69 00:02:29,085 --> 00:02:30,525 I I think that we need to do 70 00:02:30,525 --> 00:02:31,884 something about it. And so I chose to 71 00:02:31,884 --> 00:02:34,284 file an ethics violation against her. Well, I'm 72 00:02:34,284 --> 00:02:36,145 I'm thrilled that you did. 73 00:02:36,764 --> 00:02:37,985 I think it's, 74 00:02:38,764 --> 00:02:41,085 it shows the lack of class of this 75 00:02:41,085 --> 00:02:41,585 woman. 76 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,919 Don't know how old she is, but she, 77 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:46,860 she thinks that she's clever, 78 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,819 when in fact she's just low class, 79 00:02:50,599 --> 00:02:52,520 and I'm I'm really happy that, 80 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:55,419 you're doing it. Has it, made any progress 81 00:02:56,134 --> 00:02:57,674 in the, in the assembly? 82 00:02:58,294 --> 00:03:00,055 Well, it won't for a while. The the 83 00:03:00,055 --> 00:03:02,935 ethics joint ethics committee hasn't even reorganized for 84 00:03:02,935 --> 00:03:04,454 the year yet, so they sought to do 85 00:03:04,454 --> 00:03:06,454 that. Then once they do that, then it 86 00:03:06,454 --> 00:03:08,534 should get scheduled ideally for a hearing with 87 00:03:08,534 --> 00:03:10,159 them. So it'll be a little bit of 88 00:03:10,159 --> 00:03:12,219 a long time before something like this happens. 89 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:14,280 But the feedback time has been pretty good. 90 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,280 I think people are bothered by it in 91 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:17,879 general, and they understand what I've tried to 92 00:03:17,879 --> 00:03:20,540 do. Ironically, a lot of a lot of 93 00:03:20,599 --> 00:03:23,319 the Democrats, particularly the further left, who like 94 00:03:23,319 --> 00:03:25,020 Katie Brennan for her activism, 95 00:03:25,604 --> 00:03:26,104 are 96 00:03:26,564 --> 00:03:28,164 are coming back at me saying, well, why 97 00:03:28,164 --> 00:03:30,405 aren't you doing something about Trump or this 98 00:03:30,405 --> 00:03:32,564 person or that person? And at the end 99 00:03:32,564 --> 00:03:34,084 of the day, you know, I'm a member 100 00:03:34,084 --> 00:03:35,544 of the New Jersey state legislature. 101 00:03:36,805 --> 00:03:38,324 This is the role I have. This is 102 00:03:38,324 --> 00:03:40,439 the people I deal with. You know, Trump's 103 00:03:40,439 --> 00:03:42,460 not in the legislature last I checked, 104 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,840 so I'm worried about what happens in our 105 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,000 house. And she's in she's in that house, 106 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:48,520 and that's why I took the complaint from 107 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:49,020 her. 108 00:03:49,639 --> 00:03:51,960 Alright. Well, you know, we can only hope 109 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,340 that as it travels through the assembly and 110 00:03:56,175 --> 00:03:57,314 through all of the 111 00:03:57,775 --> 00:03:59,395 the law people that are there, 112 00:03:59,855 --> 00:04:02,254 that it shows up as something that is 113 00:04:02,254 --> 00:04:04,495 not allowed anymore and that people really do 114 00:04:04,495 --> 00:04:05,474 have to pay attention 115 00:04:05,935 --> 00:04:07,474 to bringing class 116 00:04:08,254 --> 00:04:08,754 to 117 00:04:09,379 --> 00:04:11,479 politics because believe me, 118 00:04:11,860 --> 00:04:12,360 Brian, 119 00:04:12,659 --> 00:04:14,120 you see that all the time. 120 00:04:14,419 --> 00:04:15,400 It's the lowering 121 00:04:15,780 --> 00:04:17,319 of our humanity 122 00:04:18,500 --> 00:04:19,720 when people throw, 123 00:04:20,339 --> 00:04:22,454 these kinds of things at one another and 124 00:04:22,454 --> 00:04:23,754 you look and you say, 125 00:04:24,214 --> 00:04:25,754 why why is this happening? 126 00:04:27,254 --> 00:04:29,014 Yeah. No. I totally agree. There's a time 127 00:04:29,014 --> 00:04:30,294 and place for stuff. This is not a 128 00:04:30,294 --> 00:04:31,894 time or place for that kind of behavior. 129 00:04:31,894 --> 00:04:32,634 And so, 130 00:04:33,095 --> 00:04:34,629 so I'm calling out on it, and we're 131 00:04:34,629 --> 00:04:36,490 gonna see if we can't get some disciplinary 132 00:04:36,629 --> 00:04:39,110 action against her. I mean, what's so I 133 00:04:39,110 --> 00:04:40,230 think about it all the time. Well, what 134 00:04:40,230 --> 00:04:41,850 happens if they say it's okay? 135 00:04:42,230 --> 00:04:44,150 Well, then that opens the floodgates to people 136 00:04:44,150 --> 00:04:46,629 doing this stuff all over the place and 137 00:04:46,629 --> 00:04:48,330 naming bills all kinds of 138 00:04:49,585 --> 00:04:51,985 terrible names. We don't want that. Not in 139 00:04:51,985 --> 00:04:54,145 our not in our legislature. Our people deserve 140 00:04:54,145 --> 00:04:55,205 better from our government. 141 00:04:56,064 --> 00:04:56,564 Oh, 142 00:04:57,105 --> 00:05:00,464 isn't that isn't that the truth? Because we've 143 00:05:00,464 --> 00:05:00,964 discovered, 144 00:05:01,425 --> 00:05:02,785 to our chagrin that, 145 00:05:03,779 --> 00:05:05,319 politicians, by and large, 146 00:05:06,100 --> 00:05:07,620 so many of them want the power and 147 00:05:07,620 --> 00:05:08,279 the wealth. 148 00:05:08,819 --> 00:05:10,899 They don't want the acrimony that comes when 149 00:05:10,899 --> 00:05:13,720 they they throw bad things at good people, 150 00:05:14,259 --> 00:05:16,040 but that's where they are. 151 00:05:16,365 --> 00:05:17,504 And I don't know. 152 00:05:17,964 --> 00:05:20,605 This is just one of probably many bills 153 00:05:20,605 --> 00:05:21,824 that, yeah, you are, 154 00:05:22,524 --> 00:05:24,785 putting out there. Is there anything else? 155 00:05:25,485 --> 00:05:27,404 Because I agree with you 100%. 156 00:05:27,404 --> 00:05:29,824 That shouldn't be allowed. They should they should 157 00:05:30,069 --> 00:05:31,910 insist that she change the name of this 158 00:05:31,910 --> 00:05:33,689 bill that she wants to see passed. 159 00:05:34,149 --> 00:05:35,990 But is there is there anything else that 160 00:05:35,990 --> 00:05:38,089 you are literally fighting for 161 00:05:38,389 --> 00:05:41,850 to get passed in, the New Jersey legislature? 162 00:05:43,134 --> 00:05:45,214 Well, I I find myself most of the 163 00:05:45,214 --> 00:05:46,355 time fighting against 164 00:05:47,055 --> 00:05:49,694 stuff just because I'm in the minority, and, 165 00:05:49,935 --> 00:05:51,875 the the role that we have to play 166 00:05:52,014 --> 00:05:54,735 typically is trying to beat the majority back 167 00:05:54,735 --> 00:05:55,475 to the middle. 168 00:05:56,095 --> 00:05:56,595 So 169 00:05:56,895 --> 00:05:57,795 most oftentimes, 170 00:05:58,689 --> 00:06:01,509 I'm playing defense, not offense down there, 171 00:06:02,610 --> 00:06:04,290 because I'm not trying to get a bill 172 00:06:04,290 --> 00:06:06,850 passed that's meaningless, you know, like a license 173 00:06:06,850 --> 00:06:09,490 plate bill or naming the new state flower 174 00:06:09,490 --> 00:06:11,235 petal or something. So, 175 00:06:11,634 --> 00:06:13,735 so I focus mostly on defense. However, 176 00:06:14,435 --> 00:06:16,115 I do put some proposals out there that 177 00:06:16,115 --> 00:06:17,814 I would love to see become law. 178 00:06:18,995 --> 00:06:21,495 The the most recent one were some budget 179 00:06:22,034 --> 00:06:22,534 ideas. 180 00:06:22,995 --> 00:06:23,875 And this won't 181 00:06:24,514 --> 00:06:25,014 initially, 182 00:06:25,394 --> 00:06:27,490 your listeners may not be on my side 183 00:06:27,490 --> 00:06:29,009 when I first started talking, but hopefully by 184 00:06:29,009 --> 00:06:30,229 the end, they are. So 185 00:06:30,689 --> 00:06:32,689 the the the budget state budget has a 186 00:06:32,689 --> 00:06:33,649 $3,000,000,000 187 00:06:33,649 --> 00:06:34,149 deficit. 188 00:06:34,930 --> 00:06:36,629 And what that means is that 189 00:06:36,930 --> 00:06:38,930 even though we have the money because we 190 00:06:38,930 --> 00:06:39,750 have a surplus, 191 00:06:40,105 --> 00:06:42,745 the state is gonna spend $3,000,000,000 192 00:06:42,745 --> 00:06:45,805 more than it takes in, and the surplus 193 00:06:45,944 --> 00:06:47,865 allows us to do that without being in 194 00:06:47,865 --> 00:06:49,165 violation of the constitution. 195 00:06:49,705 --> 00:06:51,865 Had we not had a surplus, you couldn't 196 00:06:51,865 --> 00:06:53,785 do that. Yeah. It has to be balanced. 197 00:06:53,785 --> 00:06:55,805 So they use the surplus to balance it. 198 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,080 But it's a problem that will eventually bleed 199 00:06:58,080 --> 00:06:59,920 the surplus dry, so we have to fix 200 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:02,180 that. It's called a structural deficit. 201 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:04,800 So I looked at two of the biggest 202 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:06,420 programs that could be 203 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:07,540 eliminated 204 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:09,060 that aren't necessary 205 00:07:09,544 --> 00:07:11,625 that contribute to that deficit. And it's the 206 00:07:11,625 --> 00:07:14,024 anchor program and the state New Jersey program. 207 00:07:14,024 --> 00:07:16,044 Both are property tax relief programs. 208 00:07:16,345 --> 00:07:17,884 And the two of them together 209 00:07:18,584 --> 00:07:20,665 didn't exist five years ago, by the way. 210 00:07:20,665 --> 00:07:21,884 They're brand new programs. 211 00:07:22,345 --> 00:07:22,845 And 212 00:07:24,019 --> 00:07:26,899 the two together cost $5,000,000,000 213 00:07:26,899 --> 00:07:27,560 a year. 214 00:07:28,500 --> 00:07:30,920 So if we were to eliminate those two, 215 00:07:31,459 --> 00:07:33,459 we would save $5,000,000,000 216 00:07:33,459 --> 00:07:35,220 That eliminates the $3,000,000,000 217 00:07:35,220 --> 00:07:38,420 structural deficit and leaves 2 extra billion dollars 218 00:07:38,420 --> 00:07:41,235 to do something with. Now that 2,000,000,000, 219 00:07:41,295 --> 00:07:43,375 the Democrats, you know, when they find savings, 220 00:07:43,375 --> 00:07:44,975 they would find another way to spend it. 221 00:07:44,975 --> 00:07:46,334 But I wanna try to find a way 222 00:07:46,334 --> 00:07:47,074 to reduce 223 00:07:47,615 --> 00:07:49,475 the tax burden on on the taxpayer. 224 00:07:50,014 --> 00:07:52,915 So I suggested the option of eliminating tolls. 225 00:07:53,490 --> 00:07:53,990 And, 226 00:07:54,370 --> 00:07:56,870 tolls bring in about $2,000,000,000 a year. 227 00:07:57,410 --> 00:07:58,230 And so 228 00:07:58,610 --> 00:08:01,410 with that savings, you could completely eliminate tolls 229 00:08:01,410 --> 00:08:02,769 and still be able to take care of 230 00:08:02,769 --> 00:08:04,449 the roads just the same as you as 231 00:08:04,449 --> 00:08:05,269 you do today. 232 00:08:05,569 --> 00:08:07,329 And one of the reasons I targeted tolls 233 00:08:07,329 --> 00:08:08,709 is it's a it's a regressive 234 00:08:09,625 --> 00:08:11,225 fee on people. If you have an E 235 00:08:11,225 --> 00:08:13,225 ZPass and you travel down the Atlantic City 236 00:08:13,225 --> 00:08:15,324 Expressway today, I think you paid $3. 237 00:08:15,545 --> 00:08:17,384 If you don't, Toll By Place is now 238 00:08:17,384 --> 00:08:18,764 charging you $7. 239 00:08:19,145 --> 00:08:21,225 So somebody who doesn't want to sign up 240 00:08:21,225 --> 00:08:22,045 for E ZPass 241 00:08:22,504 --> 00:08:24,685 and give them a $100 of their money, 242 00:08:25,220 --> 00:08:27,860 to hold until they use it is gonna 243 00:08:27,860 --> 00:08:30,100 be paying double the price for tolls. It's 244 00:08:30,100 --> 00:08:32,100 it's really not right. It's ridiculous. So I 245 00:08:32,100 --> 00:08:33,240 chose that. Now 246 00:08:33,700 --> 00:08:35,059 you cannot do that. It could take the 247 00:08:35,059 --> 00:08:37,460 $2,000,000,000 and reduce the income tax or reduce 248 00:08:37,460 --> 00:08:39,379 the sales tax or reduce anything that you 249 00:08:39,379 --> 00:08:41,264 want to do. But that was a proposal 250 00:08:41,264 --> 00:08:42,705 I put out in place. Now the reason 251 00:08:42,705 --> 00:08:43,365 I targeted 252 00:08:44,144 --> 00:08:46,304 stay in New Jersey program and the anchor 253 00:08:46,304 --> 00:08:48,705 program is these tax rebate programs. They're all 254 00:08:48,705 --> 00:08:49,365 a gimmick. 255 00:08:49,745 --> 00:08:51,924 You know, in order for somebody to get 256 00:08:52,399 --> 00:08:54,240 a thousand dollars back as an anchor check, 257 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,000 you've given more than a thousand dollars to 258 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:57,840 the government because he has to go up, 259 00:08:57,840 --> 00:08:59,220 go through all this bureaucracy, 260 00:08:59,759 --> 00:09:01,919 all just think about all the applications they 261 00:09:01,919 --> 00:09:04,080 have to process, all the checks they have 262 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,335 to cut. There's a lot that goes into 263 00:09:06,875 --> 00:09:09,915 administering these programs. And then ultimately, the people 264 00:09:09,915 --> 00:09:11,674 get less back. So I'd rather not take 265 00:09:11,674 --> 00:09:12,975 the money in the first place 266 00:09:13,514 --> 00:09:13,915 and, 267 00:09:14,554 --> 00:09:17,610 instead of taking, you know, 1,100 268 00:09:17,610 --> 00:09:19,769 to give you back a thousand dollars. And 269 00:09:19,769 --> 00:09:21,850 hopefully, that makes sense to everybody. I mean, 270 00:09:21,850 --> 00:09:23,950 tax relief programs are popular, 271 00:09:24,809 --> 00:09:25,290 and, 272 00:09:25,850 --> 00:09:27,850 you know, they're not, they're not a popular 273 00:09:27,850 --> 00:09:30,425 thing to go after. And I'll just I'll 274 00:09:30,425 --> 00:09:32,205 explain why just for one second. 275 00:09:32,904 --> 00:09:34,825 I'll give you an example of why my 276 00:09:34,825 --> 00:09:37,384 opinion on this, even though I think it's 277 00:09:37,384 --> 00:09:39,325 what's best for the people of New Jersey, 278 00:09:39,625 --> 00:09:40,524 may not be 279 00:09:41,065 --> 00:09:42,845 something that the people embrace. 280 00:09:43,769 --> 00:09:45,690 And I understand that. If you look back 281 00:09:45,690 --> 00:09:46,429 to JCPenney, 282 00:09:47,209 --> 00:09:48,990 what they did in 2012, 283 00:09:49,129 --> 00:09:52,269 prior to 2012, JCPenney was the discount store. 284 00:09:52,649 --> 00:09:55,049 Everything was 50% off, 80% off. I mean, 285 00:09:55,049 --> 00:09:57,129 crazy discounts. You get a coupon in the 286 00:09:57,129 --> 00:09:59,454 mail for, you know, 50% off a sweater, 287 00:09:59,454 --> 00:10:01,934 whatever the case may be. And in 2012, 288 00:10:01,934 --> 00:10:03,534 they had a new CEO came in and 289 00:10:03,534 --> 00:10:05,235 he said, you know what? This is stupid. 290 00:10:05,534 --> 00:10:08,014 We're marking these things up just to fake 291 00:10:08,014 --> 00:10:11,375 discount them. And so he created the everyday 292 00:10:11,375 --> 00:10:12,115 low price. 293 00:10:12,690 --> 00:10:13,990 Basically took the discounts 294 00:10:14,290 --> 00:10:16,690 and put them permanently in place and everything 295 00:10:16,690 --> 00:10:20,529 was as marked. Well they lost $928,000,000 296 00:10:20,529 --> 00:10:22,710 in revenue that year even though 297 00:10:23,490 --> 00:10:25,330 the prices people were going to pay were 298 00:10:25,330 --> 00:10:25,990 the same 299 00:10:26,370 --> 00:10:28,154 or cheaper because they didn't have to print 300 00:10:28,154 --> 00:10:30,475 these coupons and go through this stuff. People 301 00:10:30,475 --> 00:10:32,414 still like the discount so much 302 00:10:32,794 --> 00:10:34,174 that it cost them almost, 303 00:10:34,794 --> 00:10:37,835 almost $1,000,000,000 in revenue that year. So I'm 304 00:10:37,835 --> 00:10:38,575 well aware 305 00:10:38,955 --> 00:10:41,134 that people like these gimmicks 306 00:10:41,490 --> 00:10:41,990 even 307 00:10:42,529 --> 00:10:46,129 though it's less beneficial for them. But nonetheless, 308 00:10:46,129 --> 00:10:48,049 I put those proposals out there anyway. Let's 309 00:10:48,049 --> 00:10:49,730 see where they go. I think it's what's 310 00:10:49,730 --> 00:10:51,110 best for the state of New Jersey. 311 00:10:51,889 --> 00:10:53,889 You're a tough guy. You put things out 312 00:10:53,889 --> 00:10:56,404 there that you already know will probably fail 313 00:10:56,404 --> 00:10:58,565 because you look back at JCPenney and you 314 00:10:58,565 --> 00:10:59,605 see the the, 315 00:11:00,485 --> 00:11:01,065 the results 316 00:11:01,605 --> 00:11:02,105 of, 317 00:11:02,644 --> 00:11:05,524 wanting to actually help people, but they like 318 00:11:05,524 --> 00:11:07,225 thinking they're gonna get a sale. 319 00:11:08,409 --> 00:11:10,750 Brian, please stay with us. We have assemblyman 320 00:11:10,889 --> 00:11:13,049 Brian Bergen, and we're going to have our 321 00:11:13,049 --> 00:11:14,909 own Brian Fitzherbert on. So, 322 00:11:23,455 --> 00:11:25,455 You betcha. This is Anne Baker on talking 323 00:11:25,455 --> 00:11:28,975 with Anne on News Talk 1492.30. 324 00:11:28,975 --> 00:11:30,595 Calling line (609) 325 00:11:30,654 --> 00:11:32,254 927-1100. 326 00:11:32,254 --> 00:11:33,795 I am honored to have assemblyman 327 00:11:34,254 --> 00:11:36,434 Brian Bergen on the air. 328 00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:38,620 When I looked at, 329 00:11:39,019 --> 00:11:39,679 the committees 330 00:11:40,539 --> 00:11:43,579 that, Assemblyman Bergen is on, I thought to 331 00:11:43,579 --> 00:11:46,639 myself, wow. These are really heavy duty 332 00:11:47,100 --> 00:11:50,159 heavy duty committees on commerce, economic development. 333 00:11:50,620 --> 00:11:53,455 All we're hearing is that the, high taxes 334 00:11:53,455 --> 00:11:54,815 that are being brought to us by the 335 00:11:54,815 --> 00:11:55,315 Democrats 336 00:11:56,095 --> 00:11:57,315 are, in fact, pushing 337 00:11:57,615 --> 00:12:01,475 business out of our state. What's actually happening? 338 00:12:02,735 --> 00:12:03,955 Because we don't know. 339 00:12:05,870 --> 00:12:08,029 Well, can can you can you guys hear 340 00:12:08,029 --> 00:12:09,009 me now? Hopefully. 341 00:12:09,389 --> 00:12:10,610 Yes. Absolutely. 342 00:12:11,230 --> 00:12:14,449 Well well well, thanks. Sorry about that. So 343 00:12:14,750 --> 00:12:15,250 well, 344 00:12:15,709 --> 00:12:17,774 I like to I I wouldn't call them 345 00:12:17,774 --> 00:12:19,375 heavy duty committees, to be honest. I mean, 346 00:12:19,375 --> 00:12:20,894 none of the committees in Trenton are are 347 00:12:20,894 --> 00:12:23,375 that are that active in stuff that's actually 348 00:12:23,375 --> 00:12:26,575 beneficial, particularly the Commerce Committee. So I'm on 349 00:12:26,575 --> 00:12:28,414 the committee, but we don't do anything really 350 00:12:28,414 --> 00:12:31,240 that's gonna help business. We just mostly do 351 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:33,799 annoying new rules and laws that hurt, and 352 00:12:33,799 --> 00:12:35,399 that's just the truth. Who am I going 353 00:12:35,399 --> 00:12:35,899 to? 354 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:37,879 The chair picks what bills are on there 355 00:12:37,879 --> 00:12:39,579 and at the direction of the speaker, 356 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,519 and we deal with nonsense. The the truth 357 00:12:42,519 --> 00:12:44,440 is in order to help business in New 358 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:46,285 Jersey, you have to you have to create 359 00:12:46,285 --> 00:12:48,524 a better regulatory environment for them, and we're 360 00:12:48,524 --> 00:12:49,805 not looking to do that. I mean, I 361 00:12:49,805 --> 00:12:51,565 wish we were. I hope we would do 362 00:12:51,565 --> 00:12:53,024 one day because 363 00:12:53,485 --> 00:12:54,465 all the trying 364 00:12:55,165 --> 00:12:57,245 about how much revenue we have in the 365 00:12:57,245 --> 00:13:00,100 state and and how much property tax relief 366 00:13:00,100 --> 00:13:02,420 we need to provide, all would be solved 367 00:13:02,420 --> 00:13:04,580 if we unlock the business potential of New 368 00:13:04,580 --> 00:13:07,139 Jersey. Because then businesses will be here and 369 00:13:07,139 --> 00:13:07,960 they will contribute 370 00:13:08,500 --> 00:13:10,040 enough to our revenue, 371 00:13:10,580 --> 00:13:13,059 to allow us to reduce the tax burden 372 00:13:13,059 --> 00:13:13,784 in other places. 373 00:13:14,745 --> 00:13:16,264 So the short the long and short answer 374 00:13:16,264 --> 00:13:17,784 to your question, I guess, is the Commerce 375 00:13:17,784 --> 00:13:19,784 Committee isn't doing anything of value. I wish 376 00:13:19,784 --> 00:13:21,704 it was, but I do go sit there 377 00:13:21,704 --> 00:13:24,125 and listen to the nonsense that gets proposed. 378 00:13:25,304 --> 00:13:27,565 Well, you're also on the committee on labor, 379 00:13:28,220 --> 00:13:30,379 and I I would assume that that has 380 00:13:30,379 --> 00:13:33,179 to do with unions and the cost of 381 00:13:33,179 --> 00:13:35,259 unions. Does that have anything to do with 382 00:13:35,259 --> 00:13:37,120 the businesses leaving, 383 00:13:37,659 --> 00:13:38,879 the state of New Jersey? 384 00:13:39,865 --> 00:13:42,024 No. I don't I don't think that the 385 00:13:42,024 --> 00:13:44,264 cost of labor in New Jersey has a 386 00:13:44,264 --> 00:13:46,345 lot to do with businesses leaving. I think 387 00:13:46,345 --> 00:13:47,545 it has a lot more to do with 388 00:13:47,545 --> 00:13:49,705 the regulatory environment. I mean, you can't you 389 00:13:49,705 --> 00:13:52,184 can't build anything around here without going through 390 00:13:52,184 --> 00:13:53,165 so many hoops. 391 00:13:53,625 --> 00:13:55,649 There are businesses that would love to build 392 00:13:55,809 --> 00:13:58,129 plants in New Jersey and despite maybe the 393 00:13:58,129 --> 00:13:59,590 higher labor costs here, 394 00:14:00,050 --> 00:14:02,129 because there's a lot of additional value that 395 00:14:02,129 --> 00:14:04,790 comes from being located in this area. So 396 00:14:04,930 --> 00:14:06,149 that kinda offsets 397 00:14:06,690 --> 00:14:10,024 the cost of labor. But the downside is, 398 00:14:10,024 --> 00:14:11,784 you know, you can build a plant here 399 00:14:11,784 --> 00:14:13,784 in, you know, seven years, and you can 400 00:14:13,784 --> 00:14:16,044 build it in Texas in a year. 401 00:14:16,504 --> 00:14:17,004 So 402 00:14:17,464 --> 00:14:19,464 they they don't have the time to delay 403 00:14:19,464 --> 00:14:20,904 for those types of things. And then once 404 00:14:20,904 --> 00:14:23,750 it's built, you're subject to the environmental justice 405 00:14:23,750 --> 00:14:24,250 laws, 406 00:14:24,629 --> 00:14:27,110 and the title 10 permits are difficult, and 407 00:14:27,110 --> 00:14:29,290 everything is hard to do in New Jersey. 408 00:14:29,429 --> 00:14:31,429 And to be honest, that's that's a lot 409 00:14:31,429 --> 00:14:33,049 more of the problem, in my opinion. 410 00:14:34,544 --> 00:14:35,024 Yeah. 411 00:14:35,424 --> 00:14:36,245 Brian Fitzherbert, 412 00:14:36,625 --> 00:14:38,384 what do you think should be done to 413 00:14:38,384 --> 00:14:38,884 to, 414 00:14:39,904 --> 00:14:40,404 inform 415 00:14:41,024 --> 00:14:41,924 the taxpayers 416 00:14:42,225 --> 00:14:42,965 who continue 417 00:14:43,665 --> 00:14:45,524 to put these kinds of people 418 00:14:45,985 --> 00:14:48,705 in office who do nothing more than raise 419 00:14:48,705 --> 00:14:49,365 our taxes 420 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,200 and make it more difficult for business to 421 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:55,259 stay in business because of the regulations? 422 00:14:56,519 --> 00:14:59,419 Yeah. Look. This this has been a unfortunate 423 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,279 theme for decades now in the state of 424 00:15:02,279 --> 00:15:04,125 New Jersey, and a lot of 425 00:15:04,524 --> 00:15:06,044 the result of this is putting back the 426 00:15:06,044 --> 00:15:08,125 same people that get elected that put these 427 00:15:08,125 --> 00:15:08,625 ridiculous, 428 00:15:09,404 --> 00:15:12,304 rules, regulations, and and laws in some cases, 429 00:15:12,924 --> 00:15:15,004 that make us not competitive. And the only 430 00:15:15,004 --> 00:15:17,245 other avenue that New Jersey has is to 431 00:15:17,245 --> 00:15:18,144 try to compete 432 00:15:18,559 --> 00:15:20,720 with states that are worse than New Jersey, 433 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:22,480 and there's not that many of them. Right? 434 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:23,940 You'd have to look at Massachusetts, 435 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:25,539 California, and Illinois, 436 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,740 to try and encourage businesses from those states 437 00:15:28,879 --> 00:15:31,059 to come to New Jersey because by relative 438 00:15:31,605 --> 00:15:34,164 standards, it's better. But if they have the 439 00:15:34,164 --> 00:15:36,664 option to go to some place like Texas 440 00:15:36,725 --> 00:15:38,804 or South Carolina or Florida, you know, if 441 00:15:38,804 --> 00:15:40,565 you're gonna do do be doing a move 442 00:15:40,565 --> 00:15:41,464 or an amortization 443 00:15:41,764 --> 00:15:42,584 of your business, 444 00:15:42,884 --> 00:15:44,804 you're gonna wanna go to some place where 445 00:15:44,804 --> 00:15:45,544 it's cheaper, 446 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,399 on all ranks in in terms of doing 447 00:15:48,399 --> 00:15:49,920 business. And, you know, there is some women's 448 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,800 right. It's not fixated to necessarily labor, but 449 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:55,040 it's fixated to an environment that makes it 450 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,040 so damn difficult. How many attorneys do you 451 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:58,720 have to hire to make sure that you're 452 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:00,899 qualified? How many things would that your accountants 453 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:02,204 have to do? I mean, 454 00:16:02,504 --> 00:16:05,544 the added cost just to do business is 455 00:16:05,544 --> 00:16:06,044 discouraging, 456 00:16:06,424 --> 00:16:08,825 and that, unfortunately, is to our detriment here 457 00:16:08,825 --> 00:16:11,225 in the Garden State even further because we 458 00:16:11,225 --> 00:16:12,825 do have an exodus. We do have people 459 00:16:12,825 --> 00:16:14,105 that are leaving the state of New Jersey 460 00:16:14,105 --> 00:16:16,284 because it's too expensive to live here 461 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:18,440 from a tax burden standpoint, from a cost 462 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,240 of living burden standpoint, so they're leaving. But 463 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,320 we also have the same problem because in 464 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:25,639 New York City, people have it even worse. 465 00:16:25,639 --> 00:16:28,220 So they're coming into North Jersey to replenish 466 00:16:28,519 --> 00:16:30,514 those who have left New Jersey. So we 467 00:16:30,514 --> 00:16:32,774 can't even have the the conclusion 468 00:16:33,154 --> 00:16:33,975 or the ramifications 469 00:16:34,355 --> 00:16:34,855 of, 470 00:16:35,794 --> 00:16:38,595 these decisions because it's not really being solved 471 00:16:38,595 --> 00:16:40,674 by people voting with their feet because they're 472 00:16:40,674 --> 00:16:43,315 just being replenished in that environment. So it's 473 00:16:43,315 --> 00:16:45,394 it's very difficult in the situation that we 474 00:16:45,394 --> 00:16:46,169 have right now. 475 00:16:47,529 --> 00:16:48,029 Assemblyman, 476 00:16:49,209 --> 00:16:51,850 is there anything that that you can do, 477 00:16:51,850 --> 00:16:54,809 that you can see coming up, perhaps in 478 00:16:54,809 --> 00:16:56,809 your future that you might be able to 479 00:16:56,809 --> 00:16:59,070 put a a a plan out there 480 00:16:59,514 --> 00:17:00,574 that would change, 481 00:17:01,674 --> 00:17:04,894 the direction we're going, that would perhaps eliminate 482 00:17:05,194 --> 00:17:08,875 some of the bureaucracy, that would lower the 483 00:17:08,875 --> 00:17:10,815 cost of doing business, and, 484 00:17:11,595 --> 00:17:14,380 anticipate the fact that there will always be 485 00:17:14,380 --> 00:17:16,700 regulations, but that there should be perhaps an 486 00:17:16,700 --> 00:17:18,160 office that cuts regulations 487 00:17:18,859 --> 00:17:21,259 like Donald Trump did when he came into 488 00:17:21,259 --> 00:17:21,759 office. 489 00:17:24,380 --> 00:17:25,980 Yeah. I'm a well, I could propose a 490 00:17:25,980 --> 00:17:27,579 million things, and we have there's plenty of 491 00:17:27,579 --> 00:17:29,294 examples. There was a red tape commission that 492 00:17:29,294 --> 00:17:31,375 was out there that offered a bunch of 493 00:17:31,375 --> 00:17:32,894 ways to cut down red tape in New 494 00:17:32,894 --> 00:17:35,954 Jersey. The business community has tons of ideas. 495 00:17:36,014 --> 00:17:37,855 I mean, I don't think that we should 496 00:17:37,855 --> 00:17:38,674 try to replicate 497 00:17:39,214 --> 00:17:41,054 Doge. I think that ended up being more 498 00:17:41,054 --> 00:17:43,954 of a theatrics than anything else, honestly. But, 499 00:17:44,869 --> 00:17:46,410 but what we can do is 500 00:17:46,710 --> 00:17:49,930 bring meaningful change. The business community can tell 501 00:17:50,150 --> 00:17:52,490 us exactly what they need. It's not hard. 502 00:17:52,549 --> 00:17:54,549 You just gotta help them be able to 503 00:17:54,549 --> 00:17:56,170 do business more effectively. 504 00:17:56,710 --> 00:17:59,095 And so the answer is yes. I don't 505 00:17:59,095 --> 00:18:00,694 have a whole lot of bills in there 506 00:18:00,694 --> 00:18:02,774 in relation to that right now just because 507 00:18:02,774 --> 00:18:03,835 it's also obvious 508 00:18:04,375 --> 00:18:05,974 that I think that, you know, there has 509 00:18:05,974 --> 00:18:06,934 to be and there has to be an 510 00:18:06,934 --> 00:18:08,234 appetite to do it. 511 00:18:08,615 --> 00:18:10,294 Right now, there's no appetite to do it. 512 00:18:10,294 --> 00:18:12,599 It's more it's more the same, and you 513 00:18:12,599 --> 00:18:15,240 can tell that by the governor's latest budget. 514 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:16,840 I mean, it was a budget increase of 515 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:17,900 $2,000,000,000. 516 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:20,539 A lot of it born as new taxes 517 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:21,820 on business 518 00:18:22,279 --> 00:18:25,160 and on the bigger business, more discouraging business 519 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:27,184 to come. So right now, there's not an 520 00:18:27,184 --> 00:18:27,684 appetite 521 00:18:28,065 --> 00:18:30,464 to make New Jersey more business friendly. They 522 00:18:30,464 --> 00:18:32,404 still see the business community as, 523 00:18:34,305 --> 00:18:36,144 as a way to continue to feed their 524 00:18:36,144 --> 00:18:37,984 revenue streams so they can tax and spend 525 00:18:37,984 --> 00:18:40,070 more. Yeah. I think I think most of 526 00:18:40,070 --> 00:18:41,690 us as citizens understand 527 00:18:42,390 --> 00:18:44,549 that living in New Jersey, seeing our taxes 528 00:18:44,549 --> 00:18:46,170 go up, seeing miss, 529 00:18:46,789 --> 00:18:47,370 the governor, 530 00:18:48,070 --> 00:18:50,230 add more and more taxes on things that 531 00:18:50,230 --> 00:18:53,284 were never taxed before. It's like crazy land. 532 00:18:53,424 --> 00:18:55,664 Anyway, please stay with us. We're gonna take 533 00:18:55,664 --> 00:18:56,244 a break. 534 00:18:56,704 --> 00:18:59,265 And, in the meantime, if there's anyone out 535 00:18:59,265 --> 00:19:01,184 there who wants to ask a question of 536 00:19:01,184 --> 00:19:02,644 assemblyman Brian Bergen, 537 00:19:03,424 --> 00:19:05,250 I think now's the time to do it. 538 00:19:05,490 --> 00:19:06,549 Perfect opportunity. 539 00:19:07,170 --> 00:19:08,549 And, Brian Fitzherbert, 540 00:19:09,089 --> 00:19:11,109 this is your show, my friend. 541 00:19:11,970 --> 00:19:12,789 I don't know. 542 00:19:13,970 --> 00:19:15,650 You and I shake our heads at what 543 00:19:15,650 --> 00:19:17,410 happens in New Jersey. You and I shake 544 00:19:17,410 --> 00:19:19,089 our heads at who, in fact, ended up 545 00:19:19,089 --> 00:19:21,565 in the governor's seat. The least, 546 00:19:22,505 --> 00:19:23,244 you know, 547 00:19:24,744 --> 00:19:26,684 the least of the of the lessors, 548 00:19:27,305 --> 00:19:29,305 ended up in the governor's seat. So we 549 00:19:29,305 --> 00:19:29,964 have to 550 00:19:30,265 --> 00:19:32,904 we have to continue to to abide by 551 00:19:32,904 --> 00:19:34,984 what's going to happen to us in the 552 00:19:34,984 --> 00:19:35,464 next, 553 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:38,019 three plus years, but 554 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:40,880 there's a lot to talk about. Anyway, stick 555 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:42,500 around. We'll be back after the break. 556 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:45,460 And it is Fitzherbert Friday 557 00:19:45,759 --> 00:19:48,900 with Brian Fitzherbert, and, Brian has invited 558 00:19:49,279 --> 00:19:50,740 assemblyman Brian Bergen, 559 00:19:51,634 --> 00:19:54,115 to be with us. And Brian is part 560 00:19:54,115 --> 00:19:56,355 and parcel of the government here in New 561 00:19:56,355 --> 00:19:56,855 Jersey. 562 00:19:57,875 --> 00:19:59,654 And that being said, 563 00:20:00,355 --> 00:20:03,174 there are so many things, so many issues 564 00:20:03,234 --> 00:20:04,259 that are out there, 565 00:20:04,660 --> 00:20:06,820 including how are we going to have a, 566 00:20:07,140 --> 00:20:08,440 an honest midterm 567 00:20:08,980 --> 00:20:09,480 when 568 00:20:09,940 --> 00:20:10,440 Democrats 569 00:20:10,980 --> 00:20:13,079 refuse to pass the Save Act. 570 00:20:14,500 --> 00:20:16,339 Either one of you can address that because 571 00:20:16,339 --> 00:20:17,240 I'm befuddled 572 00:20:17,859 --> 00:20:21,095 by these people not wanting to have a 573 00:20:21,634 --> 00:20:22,775 really honest election. 574 00:20:23,554 --> 00:20:25,234 Yeah. I'll kick this off from the federal 575 00:20:25,234 --> 00:20:25,734 standpoint 576 00:20:26,515 --> 00:20:29,394 perspective because, again, you need an ID for, 577 00:20:29,394 --> 00:20:31,875 I don't know, dozens of things throughout the 578 00:20:31,875 --> 00:20:33,960 country. You know, we have our 50 states 579 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:35,720 that are our, you know, our little laboratories 580 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:37,880 of democracy that have their own set of 581 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:40,519 rules and and, the way we do things 582 00:20:40,519 --> 00:20:42,359 and, you know, the New Jersey state legislature, 583 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:44,839 just like all the others, determine how we 584 00:20:44,839 --> 00:20:45,660 vote, etcetera. 585 00:20:46,125 --> 00:20:47,565 But at the same time, on the federal 586 00:20:47,565 --> 00:20:48,865 level with federal elections, 587 00:20:49,484 --> 00:20:51,484 it shouldn't be very difficult to be able 588 00:20:51,484 --> 00:20:53,964 to show an identification to go vote and 589 00:20:53,964 --> 00:20:55,724 to prove you are who you say you 590 00:20:55,724 --> 00:20:58,519 are as part of the voter rolls. Just 591 00:20:58,519 --> 00:21:00,599 like you go to a bar and when 592 00:21:00,599 --> 00:21:03,319 you're ordering alcohol, you prove that you're 21 593 00:21:03,319 --> 00:21:05,559 or when you're buying cigarettes or when you 594 00:21:05,559 --> 00:21:07,179 get on a plane to go 595 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:09,419 either, domestically or internationally. 596 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:11,880 It's not a ridiculous thought. And a lot 597 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:14,335 of these Democrats on the federal level that 598 00:21:14,335 --> 00:21:15,555 have gone against this 599 00:21:15,934 --> 00:21:18,575 are literally on camera not too long ago, 600 00:21:18,575 --> 00:21:21,134 maybe a few decades ago, saying how important 601 00:21:21,134 --> 00:21:22,335 it is to make sure they have a 602 00:21:22,335 --> 00:21:25,215 Social Security card as identification to vote. It's 603 00:21:25,215 --> 00:21:27,634 only now that it's become an issue. 604 00:21:28,140 --> 00:21:30,480 And, you know, look, there's there's examples, 605 00:21:31,259 --> 00:21:33,099 small, maybe a little bigger in terms of 606 00:21:33,099 --> 00:21:34,799 that. But I think when you have polling, 607 00:21:34,940 --> 00:21:36,720 consistent polling across 608 00:21:37,019 --> 00:21:39,759 sexes, across races, across party lines 609 00:21:40,059 --> 00:21:41,920 that have an 80% upwards 610 00:21:42,285 --> 00:21:43,644 agreement that this is how we should do 611 00:21:43,644 --> 00:21:44,625 it, that Americans 612 00:21:44,924 --> 00:21:46,924 are the only ones who should decide American 613 00:21:46,924 --> 00:21:47,424 elections. 614 00:21:47,884 --> 00:21:50,205 I I find it very ridiculous that both 615 00:21:50,205 --> 00:21:51,265 sides of the aisle, 616 00:21:51,725 --> 00:21:53,484 seem to have any kind of resistance on 617 00:21:53,484 --> 00:21:55,404 the federal level to passing the Save America 618 00:21:55,404 --> 00:21:58,409 Act. And, you know, Brian, as an assemblyman, 619 00:21:58,470 --> 00:22:00,169 can talk about the challenges 620 00:22:00,549 --> 00:22:02,630 of, you know, a bill because the language 621 00:22:02,630 --> 00:22:04,230 that's in there and what you have to 622 00:22:04,230 --> 00:22:05,829 do to actually get this over the finish 623 00:22:05,829 --> 00:22:09,109 line. But, I suspect that it's not just 624 00:22:09,109 --> 00:22:10,409 language that's in, 625 00:22:10,964 --> 00:22:12,664 the bill. It is, 626 00:22:13,684 --> 00:22:14,184 resistance 627 00:22:14,644 --> 00:22:16,884 for for access and for a lot of 628 00:22:16,884 --> 00:22:19,045 ridiculousness. Like, trying to say that there are 629 00:22:19,045 --> 00:22:21,704 women out there that are not smart enough 630 00:22:21,845 --> 00:22:23,924 to update their voter registration when they get 631 00:22:23,924 --> 00:22:25,740 married and they change from their maiden name 632 00:22:25,740 --> 00:22:27,340 to their married name, I mean, that's pretty 633 00:22:27,340 --> 00:22:27,840 insulting. 634 00:22:29,820 --> 00:22:31,440 Yeah. I'd agree. Assemblyman, 635 00:22:32,299 --> 00:22:33,599 what do you make of it? 636 00:22:34,619 --> 00:22:36,380 I mean, I think the I I don't 637 00:22:36,380 --> 00:22:37,980 know the the bill. I haven't read the 638 00:22:37,980 --> 00:22:40,220 bill, in its entirety, to be honest with 639 00:22:40,220 --> 00:22:42,674 you, because I'm more focused on stuff going 640 00:22:42,674 --> 00:22:44,434 on here in New Jersey. But but I 641 00:22:44,434 --> 00:22:46,674 will tell you that, you know, the the 642 00:22:46,674 --> 00:22:47,734 notion of having 643 00:22:48,194 --> 00:22:50,134 the requirement for voter ID is 644 00:22:50,914 --> 00:22:52,375 not that big of a deal. 645 00:22:52,849 --> 00:22:55,170 And I don't understand why that's a problem. 646 00:22:55,170 --> 00:22:57,410 So I do need to go review the 647 00:22:57,410 --> 00:22:59,570 Save Act and read it because the devil 648 00:22:59,570 --> 00:23:00,710 can be in the details. 649 00:23:01,089 --> 00:23:01,589 But, 650 00:23:02,369 --> 00:23:04,529 but having voter ID just makes sense to 651 00:23:04,529 --> 00:23:05,970 me and everybody else out there, and I 652 00:23:05,970 --> 00:23:07,305 don't know why we don't do it. 653 00:23:08,265 --> 00:23:09,884 Yeah. And when we consider 654 00:23:10,345 --> 00:23:10,845 that, 655 00:23:11,865 --> 00:23:12,684 ICE is 656 00:23:13,225 --> 00:23:16,045 absolutely the enemy as far as the Democrat 657 00:23:16,184 --> 00:23:16,684 politicians 658 00:23:17,465 --> 00:23:20,025 in our state, how do we guarantee an 659 00:23:20,025 --> 00:23:20,924 honest election 660 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:22,339 if in fact, 661 00:23:23,599 --> 00:23:24,980 we can't have 662 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:27,460 officials there? Because we know, 663 00:23:27,839 --> 00:23:30,099 after having gone through the voter rolls, 664 00:23:30,559 --> 00:23:31,539 that there are 665 00:23:32,319 --> 00:23:33,859 so many illegal immigrants 666 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:36,644 that came in, were told they could get 667 00:23:36,644 --> 00:23:37,384 a license, 668 00:23:37,765 --> 00:23:40,184 who then got a Social Security guard. 669 00:23:40,644 --> 00:23:42,644 And when you get your license, you're always 670 00:23:42,644 --> 00:23:43,944 asked, do you wanna vote? 671 00:23:44,404 --> 00:23:44,904 And 672 00:23:45,365 --> 00:23:48,424 who's not going to say yes to that 673 00:23:48,859 --> 00:23:50,619 when in fact you're being pushed to do 674 00:23:50,619 --> 00:23:52,160 it by the Democrats 675 00:23:52,539 --> 00:23:53,759 who are in your district? 676 00:23:54,380 --> 00:23:55,900 Do you think we have a chance of 677 00:23:55,900 --> 00:23:57,440 having an honest midterm? 678 00:23:58,779 --> 00:24:00,299 Yeah. Yes. I do. I think we have 679 00:24:00,299 --> 00:24:02,559 a chance of having an honest midterm. I 680 00:24:02,940 --> 00:24:03,600 I'm not 681 00:24:04,154 --> 00:24:04,654 that 682 00:24:05,195 --> 00:24:06,735 concerned that we don't have, 683 00:24:07,355 --> 00:24:09,275 honest elections. I mean, there is there is 684 00:24:09,275 --> 00:24:11,595 a certain degree of fraud that happens for 685 00:24:11,595 --> 00:24:13,515 sure. But is it enough to to change 686 00:24:13,515 --> 00:24:14,174 a congressional 687 00:24:14,475 --> 00:24:14,975 race, 688 00:24:16,075 --> 00:24:18,315 presidential race? In my personal opinion, no. It 689 00:24:18,315 --> 00:24:20,579 doesn't rise to that level. But it does 690 00:24:20,579 --> 00:24:22,819 have the ability to one or two or 691 00:24:22,819 --> 00:24:23,319 10 692 00:24:23,700 --> 00:24:25,619 voters who shouldn't be voting can change a 693 00:24:25,619 --> 00:24:27,619 mayoral race in a town or a council 694 00:24:27,619 --> 00:24:30,099 cedar. I mean, these races are decided by 695 00:24:30,099 --> 00:24:31,700 a few votes, and the voter rolls need 696 00:24:31,700 --> 00:24:34,484 to be cleaned up, one. Voter ID needs 697 00:24:34,484 --> 00:24:35,304 to be instituted, 698 00:24:35,605 --> 00:24:37,845 two. And the the motor vehicle, as you 699 00:24:37,845 --> 00:24:39,524 mentioned before, when you go to get your 700 00:24:39,524 --> 00:24:40,024 license, 701 00:24:40,325 --> 00:24:41,845 you know, they just ask you if you 702 00:24:41,845 --> 00:24:43,365 wanna vote, and then they ask you. You 703 00:24:43,365 --> 00:24:44,804 have to say that you're a citizen, but 704 00:24:44,804 --> 00:24:46,325 that's it. You just have to say yes 705 00:24:46,325 --> 00:24:48,529 that you are. I mean, how ridiculous is 706 00:24:48,529 --> 00:24:50,690 that? You need 30,000,000 707 00:24:50,690 --> 00:24:52,710 proof things approved to get the license, 708 00:24:53,170 --> 00:24:54,529 and you could just click a button to 709 00:24:54,529 --> 00:24:55,589 say yes, 710 00:24:56,450 --> 00:24:58,049 and all of a sudden you register to 711 00:24:58,049 --> 00:24:59,809 vote. It's a big deal. And the voter 712 00:24:59,809 --> 00:25:01,924 rolls, you know, are a big deal too. 713 00:25:01,924 --> 00:25:03,684 So, you know, when you have people getting 714 00:25:03,684 --> 00:25:05,765 vote by mail, they could be dead. They're 715 00:25:05,765 --> 00:25:08,345 returning the ballot could get returned for them. 716 00:25:08,565 --> 00:25:10,184 Again, do I think that, 717 00:25:10,644 --> 00:25:13,559 you know, there's a tremendous amount of fraud 718 00:25:13,559 --> 00:25:15,640 that rises to the level of influence of 719 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:17,579 congressional race here in New Jersey. 720 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:20,679 My answer would be no, but that doesn't 721 00:25:20,679 --> 00:25:22,519 mean that we shouldn't safeguard it at all 722 00:25:22,519 --> 00:25:23,019 costs. 723 00:25:25,255 --> 00:25:26,554 We don't seem to have 724 00:25:27,174 --> 00:25:28,554 a bureaucracy, though, 725 00:25:28,934 --> 00:25:31,335 that does clean up voter rolls. We don't 726 00:25:31,335 --> 00:25:33,894 seem to have people despite the fact that 727 00:25:33,894 --> 00:25:35,275 we've got a huge 728 00:25:35,724 --> 00:25:36,134 a huge, 729 00:25:37,619 --> 00:25:40,099 bureaucracy out there in New Jersey and it 730 00:25:40,099 --> 00:25:41,640 seems in every other state 731 00:25:42,019 --> 00:25:44,660 that the taxpayer pays for, and yet what 732 00:25:44,660 --> 00:25:45,559 are they doing 733 00:25:46,019 --> 00:25:46,519 to 734 00:25:46,980 --> 00:25:50,099 make sure that, voter rolls are cleaned up? 735 00:25:50,099 --> 00:25:52,815 This to me They're not donating. Yeah. Yeah. 736 00:25:52,894 --> 00:25:55,234 Yeah. And and I'll jump in here. Yeah. 737 00:25:55,534 --> 00:25:57,134 Yeah. I'll jump in here, Anne. And this 738 00:25:57,134 --> 00:25:58,494 only means this is one of the things 739 00:25:58,494 --> 00:26:00,355 that frustrates me because you got other 740 00:26:00,734 --> 00:26:03,454 states. Right? You know, laboratories democracy that try 741 00:26:03,454 --> 00:26:05,214 this, and you got a state like Ohio 742 00:26:05,214 --> 00:26:07,259 that says, guess what? If you don't vote 743 00:26:07,259 --> 00:26:09,980 in two consecutive or three consecutive elections, you're 744 00:26:09,980 --> 00:26:12,059 removed from the voter rolls. So that helps 745 00:26:12,059 --> 00:26:12,559 prevent, 746 00:26:13,500 --> 00:26:14,859 you know, voters being on there for an 747 00:26:14,859 --> 00:26:16,299 extended period of time. People who have left 748 00:26:16,299 --> 00:26:18,160 the state that have passed away, 749 00:26:18,779 --> 00:26:20,505 you name it. And it at least is 750 00:26:20,505 --> 00:26:21,244 in administrative 751 00:26:21,545 --> 00:26:23,305 control. I mean, in in the private sector 752 00:26:23,305 --> 00:26:25,305 where, you know, I and and the assemblymen 753 00:26:25,305 --> 00:26:27,065 work, you know, you don't have this kind 754 00:26:27,065 --> 00:26:29,384 of bureaucracy where you don't know where every 755 00:26:29,384 --> 00:26:32,265 little digit is going, whether that's hours for 756 00:26:32,265 --> 00:26:33,484 labor, dollars, 757 00:26:33,789 --> 00:26:36,589 or administrative costs, etcetera, that you you run 758 00:26:36,589 --> 00:26:38,130 this. And a lot of this responsibility 759 00:26:38,430 --> 00:26:40,430 falls on the clerks, and the clerks in 760 00:26:40,430 --> 00:26:42,450 each of the 21 counties in New Jersey 761 00:26:42,589 --> 00:26:44,769 should be a little more aggressive and welcome 762 00:26:45,230 --> 00:26:47,490 a challenge to the decision or the executive 763 00:26:47,549 --> 00:26:49,329 choices that they make because they are constitutional 764 00:26:49,765 --> 00:26:51,285 And if there's an issue, then they can 765 00:26:51,285 --> 00:26:53,044 be sued and things can be whittled out 766 00:26:53,044 --> 00:26:55,304 through the courts. But there should be more 767 00:26:55,605 --> 00:26:56,105 administrative, 768 00:26:57,444 --> 00:26:59,765 you know, management of this so that you 769 00:26:59,765 --> 00:27:02,404 know exactly who's on the rolls and who 770 00:27:02,404 --> 00:27:03,304 can be removed. 771 00:27:03,605 --> 00:27:06,360 Because, again, to the assemblyman's point, what happens 772 00:27:06,360 --> 00:27:08,039 in a vote by mail scenario, god forbid, 773 00:27:08,039 --> 00:27:09,799 we hope it never happens again like COVID, 774 00:27:09,799 --> 00:27:11,960 where everyone receives a ballot in an apartment 775 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:15,000 complex that has had so many transient people 776 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:16,380 living there that 777 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,080 12 ballots show up, and you would hope 778 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:20,539 that no one's going to, 779 00:27:21,265 --> 00:27:22,545 fill out those ballots and send them in, 780 00:27:22,545 --> 00:27:25,525 especially when a signature verification has been waived. 781 00:27:26,065 --> 00:27:28,384 But it may happen. Will it happen? That's 782 00:27:28,384 --> 00:27:31,664 another story. But there's no reason why, just 783 00:27:31,664 --> 00:27:34,349 like any kind of management of data, that 784 00:27:34,349 --> 00:27:36,429 you can't be very good at doing so. 785 00:27:36,429 --> 00:27:38,609 And, unfortunately, government is another example 786 00:27:38,910 --> 00:27:41,170 of proving that they can't do anything better, 787 00:27:41,470 --> 00:27:43,150 when there's an absence of, 788 00:27:43,630 --> 00:27:45,809 incentive or profit to be more efficient. 789 00:27:46,674 --> 00:27:48,755 Oh, Assemblyman. You wanna make a comment on 790 00:27:48,755 --> 00:27:49,255 that? 791 00:27:50,195 --> 00:27:51,875 Well, I just agree with everything that you 792 00:27:51,875 --> 00:27:54,434 just said. I mean, it's, it's ridiculous that 793 00:27:54,434 --> 00:27:56,994 we're in this position. And anybody who's run 794 00:27:56,994 --> 00:27:59,315 for office knows how terrible the voter rolls 795 00:27:59,315 --> 00:28:02,210 are. I mean, we go to places people 796 00:28:02,670 --> 00:28:04,849 either have passed away or have moved 797 00:28:05,309 --> 00:28:08,130 away or there's multiple names in one house. 798 00:28:09,549 --> 00:28:11,869 There's people who are registered to vote under 799 00:28:11,869 --> 00:28:12,369 their 800 00:28:12,750 --> 00:28:14,849 their their married name, their maiden name. 801 00:28:15,585 --> 00:28:17,125 It's it's it's a disaster. 802 00:28:17,984 --> 00:28:19,125 Spelled with an initial 803 00:28:19,505 --> 00:28:20,404 with a period. 804 00:28:21,105 --> 00:28:23,184 Yeah. I've seen instances where you've got the 805 00:28:23,184 --> 00:28:23,924 same name 806 00:28:24,384 --> 00:28:27,044 registered three times, their full name, 807 00:28:27,345 --> 00:28:29,765 their name with an initial, and a period, 808 00:28:29,825 --> 00:28:31,109 and then their name within, 809 00:28:31,509 --> 00:28:33,429 their initial and no period, and they're count 810 00:28:33,429 --> 00:28:35,429 as three separate voter registrations and it's the 811 00:28:35,429 --> 00:28:36,170 same person. 812 00:28:37,029 --> 00:28:38,549 Right. And that was that was the challenge 813 00:28:38,549 --> 00:28:39,910 in the 2020 814 00:28:39,910 --> 00:28:40,970 election cycle. 815 00:28:41,910 --> 00:28:44,170 Was that I think it was 2020, 816 00:28:44,875 --> 00:28:46,315 because it was all vote by mail. So 817 00:28:46,315 --> 00:28:48,154 you would get all three of those people 818 00:28:48,154 --> 00:28:48,894 would get 819 00:28:49,595 --> 00:28:51,934 a vote a ballot mailed to their house. 820 00:28:51,994 --> 00:28:54,075 So now you have one person with three 821 00:28:54,075 --> 00:28:56,335 ballots with their name on it, and you're 822 00:28:57,434 --> 00:29:00,095 relying on them to only return one. 823 00:29:01,220 --> 00:29:03,140 Yeah. I think that speaks to the fact 824 00:29:03,140 --> 00:29:05,700 that there is, so so much in the 825 00:29:05,700 --> 00:29:06,600 way of illegality 826 00:29:07,220 --> 00:29:09,400 when it comes to our our vote. 827 00:29:10,100 --> 00:29:12,580 Our voting rights are being taken away by 828 00:29:12,580 --> 00:29:15,664 by people that don't even have citizenship, 829 00:29:16,765 --> 00:29:19,664 and it is being pushed by Democrats 830 00:29:20,284 --> 00:29:23,164 who seem to want these people to have 831 00:29:23,164 --> 00:29:26,125 access to every form that would allow them 832 00:29:26,125 --> 00:29:29,325 to say that they're citizens, but indeed they're 833 00:29:29,325 --> 00:29:29,825 not. 834 00:29:31,379 --> 00:29:33,700 Yeah. There's no compromise here that I mean, 835 00:29:33,700 --> 00:29:35,859 there should be compromise and there should be 836 00:29:35,859 --> 00:29:36,359 normalcy, 837 00:29:36,980 --> 00:29:38,759 but everybody, you know, 838 00:29:39,059 --> 00:29:41,940 everybody is pulling at the far far direction. 839 00:29:41,940 --> 00:29:43,434 I mean, we have 840 00:29:43,815 --> 00:29:47,255 Republicans screaming, you know, that every election is 841 00:29:47,255 --> 00:29:49,894 stolen. Then we have Democrats saying that you 842 00:29:49,894 --> 00:29:51,575 need to make sure everybody can vote. We 843 00:29:51,575 --> 00:29:54,454 shouldn't do anything to control it. And those 844 00:29:54,454 --> 00:29:56,454 are the extreme opinions. And then there's the 845 00:29:56,454 --> 00:29:57,835 middle, which is like, listen, 846 00:29:58,700 --> 00:30:01,180 there is fraud. Yes. But it's not you 847 00:30:01,180 --> 00:30:04,160 know, it's it it it does not impact, 848 00:30:04,940 --> 00:30:07,200 lies and level impact of a federal election, 849 00:30:07,740 --> 00:30:09,579 but it needs to be addressed before one 850 00:30:09,579 --> 00:30:11,325 day it does. And the way to do 851 00:30:11,325 --> 00:30:13,484 that is to put meaningful controls in. That 852 00:30:13,484 --> 00:30:15,484 just makes sense to everybody in the planet, 853 00:30:15,484 --> 00:30:17,105 like voter ID. 854 00:30:18,444 --> 00:30:20,365 Yeah. But the Dems don't want that. They 855 00:30:20,365 --> 00:30:22,444 don't want voter ID. They don't want save. 856 00:30:22,444 --> 00:30:24,285 They don't want people who, 857 00:30:24,845 --> 00:30:25,345 ordinarily 858 00:30:25,964 --> 00:30:26,464 have, 859 00:30:27,059 --> 00:30:29,159 the means to show who they are. 860 00:30:29,619 --> 00:30:30,839 They don't want that. 861 00:30:31,380 --> 00:30:32,839 How do we get beyond 862 00:30:33,220 --> 00:30:35,720 those those Democrats who are, 863 00:30:36,500 --> 00:30:37,399 keeping us 864 00:30:37,700 --> 00:30:38,440 from having 865 00:30:38,899 --> 00:30:39,399 truly 866 00:30:40,179 --> 00:30:42,634 safe, free, and honest elections? 867 00:30:45,894 --> 00:30:47,255 The the time to do it is now. 868 00:30:47,255 --> 00:30:49,494 I I don't they gotta push as hard 869 00:30:49,494 --> 00:30:51,174 as they can to congressional level to get 870 00:30:51,174 --> 00:30:52,934 this done. I don't I don't know how 871 00:30:52,934 --> 00:30:53,974 to tell them to do it because I'm 872 00:30:53,974 --> 00:30:55,575 not there in congress. There's a lot of 873 00:30:55,575 --> 00:30:57,869 levers to pull in all these different places. 874 00:30:57,869 --> 00:30:59,309 I know the ones in Jersey. I don't 875 00:30:59,309 --> 00:31:00,369 know the ones there. 876 00:31:01,789 --> 00:31:04,049 Yeah. And, again, this is this is where 877 00:31:04,430 --> 00:31:06,990 at least debate is is beginning with this. 878 00:31:06,990 --> 00:31:09,070 It'll carry out through the weekend, and there 879 00:31:09,070 --> 00:31:10,990 are tools like these settlement talks around the 880 00:31:10,990 --> 00:31:13,484 federal level, whether it's shifting to a talking 881 00:31:13,484 --> 00:31:16,365 filibuster, which instead of just, you know, calling 882 00:31:16,365 --> 00:31:17,025 the clerk 883 00:31:17,325 --> 00:31:18,765 of congress and saying, hey. I'm not gonna 884 00:31:18,765 --> 00:31:20,125 vote for this. So there's no reason to 885 00:31:20,125 --> 00:31:21,884 even have this. So, therefore, it's a it's 886 00:31:21,884 --> 00:31:23,345 a dead on arrival bill, 887 00:31:23,965 --> 00:31:25,984 in terms of changing the rules. But, again, 888 00:31:26,309 --> 00:31:28,630 talking about things, bringing attention to things, you 889 00:31:28,630 --> 00:31:29,849 know, more or less, 890 00:31:30,630 --> 00:31:32,549 to get more I mean, the the idea 891 00:31:32,549 --> 00:31:34,789 to get more public backing behind this is 892 00:31:34,789 --> 00:31:36,549 ridiculous given the polling that we've seen where 893 00:31:36,549 --> 00:31:37,769 it's 80% plus, 894 00:31:38,309 --> 00:31:39,929 support it time after time. 895 00:31:40,575 --> 00:31:42,654 But as the settlement said, now is the 896 00:31:42,654 --> 00:31:45,134 time when if the Republicans have this as 897 00:31:45,134 --> 00:31:48,174 a campaign issue, as a policy issue, they 898 00:31:48,174 --> 00:31:50,255 have the congress, they have the White House, 899 00:31:50,255 --> 00:31:51,794 this is the time to do it. 900 00:31:53,130 --> 00:31:54,330 Well, we see that, 901 00:31:55,210 --> 00:31:57,230 there's incredible corruption 902 00:31:58,170 --> 00:32:00,730 in the parties, and it's not just one 903 00:32:00,730 --> 00:32:01,230 party. 904 00:32:01,930 --> 00:32:03,150 It's it's certainly, 905 00:32:03,930 --> 00:32:05,070 anyone who's running, 906 00:32:05,684 --> 00:32:07,764 who wants to win will do whatever they 907 00:32:07,764 --> 00:32:09,524 feel they have to do in order to 908 00:32:09,524 --> 00:32:10,024 win. 909 00:32:10,325 --> 00:32:11,944 And sometimes that includes, 910 00:32:12,724 --> 00:32:13,704 election fraud. 911 00:32:14,005 --> 00:32:16,085 I mean, if it's true that what happened 912 00:32:16,085 --> 00:32:16,744 in Georgia 913 00:32:17,204 --> 00:32:19,384 led to over 300,000 914 00:32:19,845 --> 00:32:20,250 votes, 915 00:32:21,130 --> 00:32:23,369 not being identified by the people that had 916 00:32:23,369 --> 00:32:26,029 to identify them to make them count. 917 00:32:26,490 --> 00:32:26,990 Then 918 00:32:27,529 --> 00:32:29,130 who are we to say that any of 919 00:32:29,130 --> 00:32:31,529 the elections, the previous elections, at least from 920 00:32:31,529 --> 00:32:34,809 2020 when mail in ballots became so important 921 00:32:34,809 --> 00:32:35,789 because of COVID, 922 00:32:36,095 --> 00:32:38,115 Who are we to say that any election 923 00:32:38,335 --> 00:32:41,295 from that time on has actually been safe 924 00:32:41,295 --> 00:32:42,755 and secure and honest? 925 00:32:45,695 --> 00:32:47,695 Yeah. That's that's where it gets difficult, and 926 00:32:47,695 --> 00:32:50,109 you hope the voters will will rectify it, 927 00:32:50,109 --> 00:32:51,789 you know, if there was argument over that 928 00:32:51,789 --> 00:32:53,789 in the next election. And, you know, there 929 00:32:53,869 --> 00:32:55,869 we have some constitutional tools, but we don't 930 00:32:55,869 --> 00:32:58,029 have for all these instances. You know, our 931 00:32:58,029 --> 00:32:59,950 founder group were brilliant, but I don't think 932 00:32:59,950 --> 00:33:02,505 they they could foresee every single instance to 933 00:33:02,505 --> 00:33:03,325 give a constitutional 934 00:33:03,625 --> 00:33:06,184 tool to to have a a rectification for 935 00:33:06,184 --> 00:33:06,684 that. 936 00:33:07,464 --> 00:33:09,085 Right. And the thing that that 937 00:33:10,184 --> 00:33:11,085 just to me is 938 00:33:11,384 --> 00:33:12,525 any one person, 939 00:33:12,904 --> 00:33:13,404 forget 940 00:33:13,944 --> 00:33:14,444 whether, 941 00:33:15,070 --> 00:33:16,430 you know, how much of an impact it's 942 00:33:16,430 --> 00:33:18,509 had on elections or not. And people wanna 943 00:33:18,509 --> 00:33:20,910 argue all different ways about it. But right 944 00:33:20,910 --> 00:33:22,529 now, there clearly exists 945 00:33:22,830 --> 00:33:23,570 the opportunity 946 00:33:23,950 --> 00:33:25,809 for somebody to be nefarious, 947 00:33:26,670 --> 00:33:28,769 and there should not be that opportunity. 948 00:33:29,075 --> 00:33:31,315 So whether it happens, doesn't happen, happens a 949 00:33:31,315 --> 00:33:33,474 lot, doesn't happen a little, none of that 950 00:33:33,474 --> 00:33:35,234 really matters. The bottom line is the current 951 00:33:35,234 --> 00:33:37,954 system creates an opportunity. We should close that 952 00:33:37,954 --> 00:33:38,454 loophole 953 00:33:38,914 --> 00:33:41,549 and get it done. That's the meaning. That's, 954 00:33:41,630 --> 00:33:43,309 in my opinion, the most logical way to 955 00:33:43,309 --> 00:33:45,789 present it to anybody on both sides. Like, 956 00:33:45,789 --> 00:33:48,590 let's not argue about anything else other than 957 00:33:48,590 --> 00:33:50,850 the fact that the current system 958 00:33:52,029 --> 00:33:53,330 creates an opportunity. 959 00:33:53,884 --> 00:33:55,965 We should close that opportunity so it never 960 00:33:55,965 --> 00:33:57,424 happens. Because one person 961 00:33:57,725 --> 00:34:00,065 voting illegally in our election is too many. 962 00:34:00,765 --> 00:34:01,585 100%. 963 00:34:01,725 --> 00:34:03,085 Yeah. And the fact that they, 964 00:34:03,884 --> 00:34:04,205 that, 965 00:34:04,924 --> 00:34:07,345 party does not want ICE officials 966 00:34:07,869 --> 00:34:10,210 to be anywhere near the polling places, 967 00:34:11,230 --> 00:34:13,409 I think, is is rather funny. 968 00:34:14,670 --> 00:34:16,530 And I I don't understand 969 00:34:17,469 --> 00:34:17,969 why 970 00:34:18,750 --> 00:34:20,690 this is such a huge 971 00:34:20,989 --> 00:34:21,489 issue 972 00:34:22,014 --> 00:34:24,514 for them. ICE should be there. Police 973 00:34:24,815 --> 00:34:25,795 should be there. 974 00:34:26,175 --> 00:34:28,014 There should be a way to keep our 975 00:34:28,014 --> 00:34:31,315 elections fraud free. And certainly, with the Democrats 976 00:34:31,454 --> 00:34:34,114 wanting every illegal to be able to vote, 977 00:34:34,409 --> 00:34:36,809 there should be ICE agents there who are 978 00:34:36,809 --> 00:34:38,650 very well aware that this is going to 979 00:34:38,650 --> 00:34:39,150 happen. 980 00:34:40,250 --> 00:34:42,409 Well, I I don't completely agree with you 981 00:34:42,409 --> 00:34:45,049 on that one. I mean, ICE the ICE 982 00:34:45,049 --> 00:34:47,069 right now is a is a polarizing 983 00:34:48,074 --> 00:34:50,074 force for whether it should be or should 984 00:34:50,074 --> 00:34:52,155 not be. The way it's being portrayed, the 985 00:34:52,155 --> 00:34:53,114 way it was you know, we had this 986 00:34:53,114 --> 00:34:54,954 guy with the high and tight throwing gas 987 00:34:54,954 --> 00:34:56,894 canisters at people in Friggin, Minnesota 988 00:34:57,195 --> 00:34:58,574 really didn't help the situation. 989 00:34:59,034 --> 00:35:01,514 And so, you know, I agree with supporting 990 00:35:01,514 --> 00:35:03,195 us. There's a huge role for ICE. But 991 00:35:03,195 --> 00:35:04,210 right now for for 992 00:35:04,930 --> 00:35:06,309 by mistakes of people, 993 00:35:06,769 --> 00:35:09,329 ICE has this polarizing effect. I think putting 994 00:35:09,329 --> 00:35:10,949 ICE by polling locations 995 00:35:11,489 --> 00:35:13,730 in New Jersey would be insensitive to that 996 00:35:13,730 --> 00:35:14,710 fact and counterproductive. 997 00:35:15,250 --> 00:35:17,269 And there are a lot of good solid 998 00:35:18,174 --> 00:35:18,674 citizens 999 00:35:18,974 --> 00:35:20,974 who would still not go because it makes 1000 00:35:20,974 --> 00:35:23,454 them uncomfortable. And I wouldn't want that. Now 1001 00:35:23,454 --> 00:35:26,194 that that is just a tiny microcosm 1002 00:35:26,494 --> 00:35:28,974 of the whole law enforcement community. There was 1003 00:35:28,974 --> 00:35:31,250 a push a couple years ago to not 1004 00:35:31,250 --> 00:35:33,989 allow police officers anywhere in their polling locations, 1005 00:35:34,289 --> 00:35:35,349 and that I completely 1006 00:35:35,730 --> 00:35:37,429 totally disagree with because 1007 00:35:37,730 --> 00:35:40,130 the that that's a that's different. The you 1008 00:35:40,130 --> 00:35:41,570 know, the ice right now, it's it's a 1009 00:35:41,570 --> 00:35:44,150 polarizing thing. So why drop it into 1010 00:35:44,609 --> 00:35:45,429 this mix 1011 00:35:46,394 --> 00:35:48,954 and create people being uncomfortable who are even 1012 00:35:48,954 --> 00:35:51,114 our citizens and won't go? But, please, that's 1013 00:35:51,114 --> 00:35:52,394 a horse of a different color in my 1014 00:35:52,394 --> 00:35:52,894 opinion. 1015 00:35:54,474 --> 00:35:55,934 I don't know. I think it's dangerous. 1016 00:35:56,235 --> 00:35:58,394 I I think the fact that that there 1017 00:35:58,394 --> 00:36:01,180 are that the Democrats have literally pushed these 1018 00:36:01,180 --> 00:36:04,059 illegal immigrants to vote, that is why they 1019 00:36:04,059 --> 00:36:06,059 were allowed in in the first place during 1020 00:36:06,059 --> 00:36:07,119 the Biden administration, 1021 00:36:08,059 --> 00:36:09,519 that they are there to 1022 00:36:09,900 --> 00:36:10,400 vote 1023 00:36:10,700 --> 00:36:13,440 and that if your city is a Democrat 1024 00:36:13,994 --> 00:36:16,154 city, that they, of course, are not going 1025 00:36:16,154 --> 00:36:18,795 to want ICE agents there to possibly pick 1026 00:36:18,795 --> 00:36:19,614 up illegals 1027 00:36:19,994 --> 00:36:22,714 that obviously don't even speak English, so many 1028 00:36:22,714 --> 00:36:24,634 of them. They come in, 1029 00:36:24,954 --> 00:36:27,114 they've been registered because they were able to 1030 00:36:27,114 --> 00:36:28,769 get a license and maybe even a a 1031 00:36:28,769 --> 00:36:29,989 Social Security card. 1032 00:36:30,530 --> 00:36:33,030 How and why should these people be allowed 1033 00:36:33,489 --> 00:36:35,110 in any way, shape, or form 1034 00:36:35,570 --> 00:36:38,469 to cast a vote? And why shouldn't 1035 00:36:38,849 --> 00:36:39,670 ICE agents 1036 00:36:40,449 --> 00:36:42,230 be somewhere in the area? 1037 00:36:43,414 --> 00:36:44,074 I mean, 1038 00:36:44,454 --> 00:36:45,355 you you you talk, 1039 00:36:46,215 --> 00:36:46,715 Brian, 1040 00:36:47,494 --> 00:36:48,315 as though 1041 00:36:48,614 --> 00:36:50,235 they're not going to show up, 1042 00:36:51,655 --> 00:36:54,715 in the hundreds, perhaps even in the thousands. 1043 00:36:55,299 --> 00:36:58,039 And those votes can literally change 1044 00:36:58,339 --> 00:37:00,039 the the direction 1045 00:37:00,900 --> 00:37:03,139 of, how a vote goes and who is 1046 00:37:03,139 --> 00:37:03,639 elected. 1047 00:37:04,659 --> 00:37:06,339 I don't know. I I see it as 1048 00:37:06,339 --> 00:37:07,454 an important piece. 1049 00:37:08,015 --> 00:37:09,614 I think the SAVED Act is the way 1050 00:37:09,614 --> 00:37:11,235 to solve that. I don't think having, 1051 00:37:11,775 --> 00:37:14,175 you know, armed ICE agents standing outside the 1052 00:37:14,175 --> 00:37:16,974 polling places places is a realistic approach. I 1053 00:37:16,974 --> 00:37:19,155 mean, the the police are there to protect 1054 00:37:19,215 --> 00:37:21,059 the polls. They're there to protect 1055 00:37:21,460 --> 00:37:23,539 the people in line. They're there to protect 1056 00:37:23,539 --> 00:37:26,180 everybody from anything that could happen to somebody 1057 00:37:26,180 --> 00:37:28,500 who wants to, you know, do harm to 1058 00:37:28,500 --> 00:37:31,140 people there. For ICE agents to be there 1059 00:37:31,140 --> 00:37:34,204 for the purpose of questioning people, I just 1060 00:37:34,204 --> 00:37:35,485 don't think it's the right time and place, 1061 00:37:35,485 --> 00:37:37,585 quite frankly. That's that's my opinion, though. 1062 00:37:38,844 --> 00:37:39,885 Well, I think, 1063 00:37:40,364 --> 00:37:43,105 yeah. You know, we all have differing opinions. 1064 00:37:43,324 --> 00:37:45,244 It's like I'd like to I'd like to 1065 00:37:45,244 --> 00:37:47,085 get rid of the bureaucrats. I'd like to 1066 00:37:47,085 --> 00:37:49,085 get rid of the huge bureaucracy that we 1067 00:37:49,085 --> 00:37:51,630 have. I think that it is so unnecessary 1068 00:37:51,769 --> 00:37:53,789 to have all the departments that we do. 1069 00:37:54,010 --> 00:37:55,849 And when you look at the budgets, you 1070 00:37:55,849 --> 00:37:58,670 know our money is being poured into bringing 1071 00:37:58,890 --> 00:38:01,070 more people into a bureaucracy 1072 00:38:01,369 --> 00:38:02,829 so that they get the vote. 1073 00:38:03,905 --> 00:38:05,905 That's totally true. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think 1074 00:38:05,905 --> 00:38:07,344 it's good that we disagree. Look, if you 1075 00:38:07,505 --> 00:38:08,864 if all you do is bring people on 1076 00:38:08,864 --> 00:38:10,065 the show that you that you agree with, 1077 00:38:10,065 --> 00:38:11,184 then what the hell is that? You know? 1078 00:38:11,184 --> 00:38:11,764 We gotta 1079 00:38:12,144 --> 00:38:12,704 we gotta, 1080 00:38:13,264 --> 00:38:15,105 agree to disagree on certain things. I think 1081 00:38:15,105 --> 00:38:16,385 that's what makes us good. And the fact 1082 00:38:16,385 --> 00:38:18,000 that we do it in a cordial way 1083 00:38:18,159 --> 00:38:19,920 is kind of a demonstration that this is 1084 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:22,000 kind of how these discussions should be taking 1085 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:23,619 place instead of people just, 1086 00:38:24,159 --> 00:38:26,739 going crazy on each other and not listening. 1087 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:29,559 Yeah. Especially when, you know, someone looks at 1088 00:38:29,679 --> 00:38:31,840 through a moral equivalency lens that guess what? 1089 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:34,054 If you disagree with me, then you're evil 1090 00:38:34,054 --> 00:38:35,894 and we're not going to talk anymore. And 1091 00:38:35,894 --> 00:38:37,674 again, to your point, having conversation 1092 00:38:38,214 --> 00:38:41,174 and diverging opinions is fine. And there's nothing 1093 00:38:41,174 --> 00:38:42,855 wrong with that. And, you know, I think 1094 00:38:42,855 --> 00:38:44,694 we do it a little bit better on 1095 00:38:44,694 --> 00:38:45,835 our side of the aisle, 1096 00:38:46,489 --> 00:38:46,989 especially, 1097 00:38:47,609 --> 00:38:49,690 given how many different directions, especially in New 1098 00:38:49,690 --> 00:38:52,989 Jersey, Republicans can go. But, again, perfect example, 1099 00:38:53,289 --> 00:38:55,069 you know, to point someone in. 1100 00:38:56,170 --> 00:38:57,630 Yeah. It's unfortunate. 1101 00:38:58,170 --> 00:38:59,594 You know, I like ICE. 1102 00:39:00,155 --> 00:39:03,114 I respect ICE. I think ICE has a 1103 00:39:03,114 --> 00:39:03,614 purpose 1104 00:39:03,914 --> 00:39:05,275 and that they should be out on the 1105 00:39:05,275 --> 00:39:08,394 streets, particularly in communities where they know there 1106 00:39:08,394 --> 00:39:09,695 are a lot of illegals. 1107 00:39:11,275 --> 00:39:13,695 The problem is we've got a governor today 1108 00:39:13,994 --> 00:39:15,980 that says, take out your phones. 1109 00:39:16,519 --> 00:39:18,059 Take videos of these people. 1110 00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:20,460 Keep them from doing their jobs. 1111 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:23,400 As far as I'm concerned, Mikey Sheryl belongs 1112 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:25,960 behind bars because she is that bad for 1113 00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:26,699 our state. 1114 00:39:27,014 --> 00:39:28,855 She is that bad for the citizens who 1115 00:39:28,855 --> 00:39:32,074 pay taxes, who end up supporting illegal immigrants. 1116 00:39:32,454 --> 00:39:33,914 She's that bad for democracy. 1117 00:39:34,534 --> 00:39:35,034 So 1118 00:39:35,734 --> 00:39:37,094 Oh, we gotta beat her in we gotta 1119 00:39:37,094 --> 00:39:38,315 beat her in four years. 1120 00:39:38,614 --> 00:39:40,909 Yeah. Yeah. We certainly do. Brian, I'm sure 1121 00:39:40,909 --> 00:39:42,769 you'll perhaps be running, 1122 00:39:43,549 --> 00:39:44,049 in 1123 00:39:44,670 --> 00:39:45,409 that respect, 1124 00:39:46,429 --> 00:39:46,929 and 1125 00:39:47,869 --> 00:39:49,250 maybe you'll have as 1126 00:39:50,109 --> 00:39:50,929 your coordinator, 1127 00:39:51,789 --> 00:39:53,089 my own Brian Fitzherbert, 1128 00:39:54,014 --> 00:39:55,315 on Fitzherbert Friday. 1129 00:39:56,494 --> 00:39:57,954 Yeah. Very interesting, 1130 00:39:58,734 --> 00:40:00,014 time ahead, and, 1131 00:40:00,734 --> 00:40:03,375 hopefully, we'll all find our way to having 1132 00:40:03,375 --> 00:40:04,275 honest elections 1133 00:40:04,894 --> 00:40:07,929 and actually hiring the right people. As you've 1134 00:40:07,929 --> 00:40:09,949 been hired, Assemblyman Bergen, 1135 00:40:10,650 --> 00:40:12,410 I wanna thank you for giving us your 1136 00:40:12,410 --> 00:40:14,329 very precious time to be on air with 1137 00:40:14,329 --> 00:40:17,210 us this morning. And, Brian, Fitzherbert, needless to 1138 00:40:17,210 --> 00:40:18,750 say, it's Fitzherbert Friday. 1139 00:40:19,050 --> 00:40:21,965 I'm so glad that you brought Assemblyman Bergen 1140 00:40:21,965 --> 00:40:22,465 in, 1141 00:40:22,844 --> 00:40:23,985 to speak with us. 1142 00:40:24,525 --> 00:40:26,844 I hope you'll come back. I hope that 1143 00:40:26,844 --> 00:40:29,565 when other things, other issues arise that, you 1144 00:40:29,565 --> 00:40:31,184 will you will be back here, 1145 00:40:31,724 --> 00:40:33,805 explaining them to us. And in the meantime, 1146 00:40:33,805 --> 00:40:36,199 I wanna thank you both for being here, 1147 00:40:36,260 --> 00:40:36,579 and, 1148 00:40:37,460 --> 00:40:40,099 have a wonderful weekend, and let's hope for 1149 00:40:40,099 --> 00:40:41,559 a great midterm election 1150 00:40:41,940 --> 00:40:42,760 for Republicans. 1151 00:40:43,859 --> 00:40:45,619 Alright. Well, thanks for having me. I appreciate 1152 00:40:45,619 --> 00:40:47,619 it. Have a great weekend. Thank you. Absolutely. 1153 00:40:47,619 --> 00:40:49,619 Thanks for having me. Yeah. Thank you, guys. 1154 00:40:49,619 --> 00:40:50,679 I appreciate it.