Saturday, Nov 23

boom boom boom on the and and all of the game whereever we meet everything is going for the Bedrock [Music] bu all is the new you [Music] on and yes indeed welcome to Saturday and wbsm and and Brian's beat you know this is the only show born at the Apex of Freedom entrepreneurship and nomadism yeah I guess we welcome back the rain it's a normal feature here on Saturdays but but as you well know over the past several weeks we haven't seen it Thursday we started to get a little rain it continued early Friday then it stopped became windy and then it came back last night and it's going to be with us for a little bit today ABC has told us what they want us to know now I'm going to do the same I'm going to tell you what I'd like i' like you to know let's start with the Bruins the Bruins play tonight in Detroit they win one they lose one they win one they lose one they're about their their record is nine- n and then they also have a few ties nine- n the Celtics they beat the Wizards last evening they are off to today but they play tomorrow against Minnesota tomorrow afternoon a little bit after the Patriots start time which is 1:00 by the way the Patriots game right here on wbsm you can hear it starting with the pregame 10:00 a.m. kick off a little after 1:00 they are playing down in Miami and to the best of my knowledge it is not supposed to be raining in Miami maybe raining footballs what else let's see oh T minus 6 days in counting well probably a few less days for those turkeys 32 shopping days before Christmas with rain soaking the lawn today there is really no no need to worry about brush fires now there may be a little cause for worry if you live in the city of New Bedford the Mitchell Administration wants Millions more millions of of tax dollars to pay some City bills the finance committee says no no no no no no no no no no no no no no and so far it remains a no this from newbedford light Grace Ferguson writes she writes about our housing shortage just in case you didn't know there is a housing shortage going on the story pretty much mirrors a story that I believe she wrote several several months ago before sale sign at freeston I saw it hanging there this morning it is a reminder our restaurant industry is on on very shaky ground as shaky as if you're driving over those cobblestones just you never know what's going to be the next restaurant to close or the new one to open a Massachusetts state trooper suspended suspended facing charges of sexual misconduct if they can do it in NAIC then why not here n ADC is contemplating becoming a sanctuary City now I'm not suggesting that Fair Haven Acushnet Dartmouth New Bedford Westport I'm not suggesting they become Sanctuary cities what I am suggesting is that the different communities vote on whether you want to do it or not do it nax's not the only Sanctuary town if it becomes one here in the Commonwealth it would be joining numerous others my thought process let's bring it up for a vote we we always talk about it we We [Music] complain maybe it's time that we get off our keester and just say okay let's get up a petition get people to sign on the dotted line and then this way we can hold our elected officials accountable anyway we'll talk more about that after the Brian be quote of the day Jim has his Town Square Sunday preview in just a bit speaking of bit the Bitcoin Biz barometer next half hour that puppy is humming the Brian be quote of the day after we learn a little bit more about today who today by the way is November 23rd 2024 I did say [Music] who because it's Dr Who day Doctor Who isn't Doctor Who one of those James Bond movies which begs the question which is your favorite Jimmy Bond movie if you have one and who's going to be the first Miss Bond M Bond anyway it's it's Dr Who day it's also eat a cranberry day which begs my question are cranberries big at your house or wherever you go at Thanksgiving I like cranberries you know cranberry nut bread but I don't like cranberry sauce and I know it oh you got to have mine it I it's homemade I I don't like cranberry sauce I don't really like cranberries in my dressing or my my stuffing but I do like a cranberry nut bread I I like cranberry muffins cranberry but anyway eat a cranberry today you will feel better it's also International image consultant day way back when 40 some odd years ago maybe 40 years ago close to 40 years ago radio station that I was working for we had an image consult now you would think it would be about the music we play the news we're doing you know that kind of stuff no how to dress how to dress to impress at a radio station anyway today is international image consultant day it's also family volunteer day what would you volunteer to do are you volunteering to work with Elon Musk to try to trim government family volunteer day might want to wait till it dries but volunteer to rake up some of the leaves that are falling all over the place finally not that I I I prefer leaves on the on the on the trees I really do but you know we get to this time of year and it just looks so bad and especially when they're all soppy wet it's time to pick up those leaves what else do we have today oh National cashew day National cashew day I I like cashews National expresso day I probably have tasted one but um it looks way too heavy in caffeine for me but it is National espresso day who does a good espresso last on our list survivors of suicide day glad you made it hope you don't try again but survivors of suicide day I suppose there's a reason to have such a day I'm not going to try to argue it but I would say this if you are a Survivor because you tried to take your life I really do hope that you're looking around right now not everything is great but do you really want to see what it's like on the other side when you you can't get back especially if you're healthy enough to be back so I give a toast to you for surviving survivors of suicide day today Saturday November 28th 2024 I don't know if it's always on the 28th or if it's on the Saturday close to thanksgiv giving or or or whatever today's the 23rd excuse me but it's survivors of suicide day today is Saturday the 23rd if you heard me talking with Barry yesterday I mentioned Saturday the 23rd because it was that morning 61 years ago that it really hit us like an anvil that President Kennedy had been assassinated and most of us believed that the person that they caught Lee Harvey Oswald was the was the person who pulled the trigger we didn't know any better and there are many people who who still believe to this date that Oswald acted alone to each their own the branby quote of the day tomorrow is from Lee Harvey Oswald it is tomorrow I I do want you to hear it because he said this well you'll you'll be able to figure out when he said it the only thing I have done is carry a pistol into a movie Oswald was wondering why the authorities at that particular time were were treating him the way that they were treating him apparently he was clueless remember the py line the only thing I've done is carry a pistol into a movie now today that's a big deal you me we wouldn't think about packing into a into a theater and we would expect holy hell if we got caught doing it never mind probably not getting a refund on your ticket if you had paid for it but now that you know that Oswald made that statement do you still feel today November 23 2024 that Oswald acted alone do you think he was a part of the plot and that's what I'm calling it you can call it whatever you want I'm calling it a plot because I think there was more than one person involved if there's more than one person involved yes it's called a conspiracy but what did you conspire to do you plotted to do that's why I'm calling it a plot I think that there was a plot do you think Oswald was a part of that plot all of this is leading us to the Bryant be quote of the day for today November 23 and it comes from Mary Tyler Moore take chances make mistakes that's how you grow pain nourishes your courage you have to fail in order to practice being brave that's a mouthful from Mary take chances make mistakes that's how you grow pain nourishes your courage you have to fail in order to practice being brave that's your Brian be quote of the day let's hear from you 508 996 500 to get on to Brian's beat all right Eric you are banana man I am Brian and this is Brian's beat I'm GNA give a I don't normally do this but I'm going to give a a big shout out to the New Bedford City Council finance committee I'm going to tell you why in in just a bit Jim is also going to tell us about Town Square Sunday but I want you to think about this over that cup of Duncans or maybe you broed it in your kitchen the next time that you ride South Coast rail those workers those workers are earning some nice cheddar more than $130 million this year alone in overtime according to the T general manager as as the workers modernize the system and and you got to figure they're modernizing what's going to be South Coast rail I know we haven't used it but they are getting it ready and I was talking to to one of the uh folks with the Department of Transportation earlier in the week and he says it should be running by the springtime you know it seems to me we were sitting here last year about this very time scratching our heads saying they said the train was going to be running fourth quarter last year look I'm going to give them the benefit of a doubt that they'll probably get it done in time for the end of May maybe I don't know but think about that 130 130 million in overtime never mind regular pay in overtime last year according to State figures last year overtime was a record 110 million they've already exceeded 130 million this is the system the MB ta ta that always ends up losing money and yet they have time for or the money I guess coming from somewhere the feds your state tax dollars because it's certainly not coming from from fairs 130 million just in overtime I I wonder what the regular payroll is all right uh shout out kudos to the finance committee city of New Bedford the Mitchell Administration said hey we're tapped out we need more money we have obligations to take care of and the committee they voted almost unanimously not to not to give um about 4 a half million maybe more here's what they said no to health insurance 83 excuse me not 83 that's it's a dollar sign $3 million facilities and Fleet Management 400 95,000 bucks solicitors office 485,000 auditor office 142,000 and change Emergency Medical Services 130,000 if you live in the city of New Bedford are you applauding what the finance committee not not the whole city council what they are basically saying is we agreed upon a budget way back a win and now here you are saying you need more money and you're using the same same excuse we've got obligations now we we hear that at budget time from the city council we hear that from the department heads we hear from everybody you know I've got obligations you've got obligations everybody's got obligations sometimes we meet them sometimes we don't and so Linda Morad and Company uh congratulations you deserve a a a big pat on the back don't mean to be condescending about that I I'm I'm glad that you that you stuck up for for the taxpayers in the city because quite frankly when I'm looking at a budget for for a city uh that's up in the range of 500 and change [Music] that's a that's a lot of money that's a lot of money here um Labor Relations the city councilors excuse me not the city councilors the administration wanted almost $777,000 for Labor Relations for the assessor's office 50,000 Zoo Services 40,000 the airport 30,000 Arts culture tourism $8,800 reading in the standard times ask for comment mayor Mitchell told the standard times the council's decision to disregard the professional assessment of the city's experienced Chief Financial Officer is trouble in it's not troubling that you ran out of loot it's troubling that the council at least is thinking about the people can't you understand that whether you're the CFO I again I I don't I don't doubt that the state has put unfunded mandates on the cities and towns but it's not like I hear the cities and towns fighting it they come back every year around budget time and in this particular case supplemental budget time crying the same story we've got all these obligations what you do with the money before why didn't you take care of the obligations at that particular time why now are you you you're upchucking in front of the finance committee so what are you going to do now how you going to pay those bills health insurance I'm not trying to say it's not important but you've got a an experienced professional CFO you've got a treasurer you're bringing in the dough maybe you need to cut folks maybe you need to uh banish departments and I know it all sounds troubling but if we end up paying you we being the people the taxpayers how do we pay our bills I don't hear the mayor or the CFO and I'm going to spread it out to select boards I don't hear them saying well we're going to help you pay your bills so you know you pay help us pay our bills we're going to help you pay your bills no no no no no n n not on that airport 30,000 for what what's the airport need 30,000 for what's the zoo need 40,000 for what is this resilience and environmental stewardship 20,500 bucks facilities and Fleet Management 495,000 you know I I at solicitor's office aren aren't these folks already getting paid money where did where did you get short changed that you have to come back skinning your knees looking for more money I'm sorry uh that's you know what it is it's Brian just kind of losing himself in all of this because of the fact that you know I I complain and I think rightfully so about Donald Trump getting elected but you know here's one of the reasons why now Donald Trump isn't going to be able to take care of what's going on uh at the city level at the Town level but it's the same kind of action that takes place at the state level and and the federal government that has him out there saying it's time to drain the swamp and people feel it I get why you voted for him I'm just not the type that's going to vote for a crook that's all you know you know that's how it goes now we're going to go over to Studio 6 and 78 that's where Jim is with a Town Square Sunday preview good morning Jim good morning Brian good morning everyone here's what's happening this week on Town Square Sunday we'll get the first in a series of monthly updates on the ziton Performing Arts Center in new bford president and CEO Rosemary Gill will give us a rundown of the work done so far and what's ahead for the 100-year-old Z we'll also meet Alfred SES who's written a fascinating book on the French in New Bedford the early year years and December 3rd is giving Tuesday South Coast Community foundation's Melanie Edwards Tavares will tell us how your donations can be put to good use I'm Jim Phillips join us for Town Square Sunday this Sunday morning at 6: and 8 a.m. on 1420 wbsm and 99.5 Fm thank you very much Jim and and you know what I want you to have yourself a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving 508 9960 500 let's let's torque up the phone hear what you have to say on this wet Saturday hello hey what's going on Brian Brian is he is and he's very good oh yes he is I took my temperature today that's good Which Way orally or look you don't want to get into that right now this is a F this is a family show well we're just medical professionals there so okay um well here let me put this under your tongue no nope I feel fine thank you um so there's there's a lot to unpack in a budget right that we don't know a lot of different things we know kind of the the the titles the headlines that they throw out there and we need to get into the the the weeds of the entire thing one of the uh budget lines that you the line items that you brought up was Fleet Management a lot of that has to do with a lot of these old trucks uh that they have to update or buy new ones especially with uh plow trucks salting all that needs major M either major maintenance or major Replacements and those trucks are not cheap those run like $150 $200,000 a piece so I can I can see that aspect of it being you know a man not a mandatory a very need a big need for the city okay and I I won't argue that but there was a budget before I mean this is just extra money that they need so they should have you know you've got a family right right do you get everything you want every year and if you don't is somebody else giving you money so you can go out and get that extra car or or um uh pay your your health insurance no no or to take care of your your CPA for your for your taxes or do you have to figure that out well I don't I don't look at the city budget as a family budget I look at the the city budget as a business budget okay and folks that and you'll find that folks that have good uh family finances run their family budget like it's a business yes many times they do and one thing that I do know when you are going through your fiscal year as a business owner you come up where there's points in time you're like there there are things that you didn't expect to happen in the future January and in in September you're like I didn't realize that this this stove if you're own a restaurant was going to break down I need to buy a new stove now to continue operations so you have to go into debt you have to take out a note you have to go on a credit card or you take out a loan and that's what the city's doing I don't think the city is going to actually increase taxes to pay for these trucks they're going to have to take out a loan to pay for these trucks and that's where the line item comes in well they're going to have to do something because at this particular time the council isn't giving them the money right so the those are like onetime payments right the the biggest issue I have with the way the city runs their budget a lot of times is they will take loans for everyday expenses health insurance payroll you can't run a business by taking out loans for ongoing expenses for your operating expenses you cannot do that that is irresponsible because those are those are things that are ongoing onetime expenses absolutely you take out a mortgage for to buy a house right you don't nobody has a $200,000 laying around so you have to ask for a loan this is operating expenses you don't go out usually and buy cash wash or dryer stove oven and and refrigerator all at once when you're buying a new home you go you take out a Lo these are one-time expenses I have no problem with the city doing one-time expenses like buying trucks and in in fixing fixing things right you got to take out a loan to put on a roof for for a school but when they're taking out loans and asking for more money for payroll for a new position that aggravates the crap out of me well you know but here's here's how I look at what you are saying they went out and they put the other person in there and now they're saying they need the money for the health insurance for the vehicles for the solicitor for the auditor when they should have taken care of the crap that they needed to take care of before instead of saying uh oh we we we're short right so so and one other thing this is a plan this happens year in and year out not only the city of New Bedford but in every city in town they they come back and they tell you we've got these unfunded mandates that we need to take care of well right they they need to go up to Bacon Hill and and try to get these lost changed so they don't so they're not strapped down the way that they are but they don't do that no no they never do because they're all friends the the UN unfunded mandates that should be illegal in my opinion the state should not put added pressure on the taxpayer in the cities in the towns say you have to do this but we're not going to pay for it that doesn't make any sense that's like yeah it it just I can't even fathom in in the real world in the private sector where that would actually happen where there are unfunded liabilities and unfunded mandates it doesn't make sense to me yeah by that time that business is out of business right so it'd be actually it'd be similar to like this this big CE all the way at the top telling a department within their entire Corporation you need to do this but we're not going to fund it find a way to fund it what that doesn't make sense now now that department has to kind of finagle away to get that money you got it hey uh just gonna let you go with that but I I do appreciate it you I uh it's it's something that the 's and M aren't going to be able to resolved today um I don't know what the city is going to do I would hope that they're back at the drawing board looking at these figures and saying look well we we may just have to go without I hate to say it like this health insurance or the solicitor's office or the auditor's office isn't uh got to get this extra money and then maybe next time maybe next time if they have these so-called unfunded mandates they take care of them first but I think it would also be wise very wise if the if the council you know the New Bedford City Council along with The Fair Haven and Dartmouth uh town councils and even Fall River you know maybe it's a Gateway cities type type thing thing they get together and they march on Beacon Hill and say look we can't handle this this is way too much and and maybe maybe there needs to be some type of ballot referendum ending you know you probably can't end all the mandates but ending one at a time take it off the shoulders uh speaking of of of mandates or doing it one at a time town of nitic is now contemplating becoming a sanctuary City Sanctuary Town yes we're here and the Brian's beat quote of the day going to come up U after ABC tells us what they want us to know right now let's take a look at the Bitcoin biz barometer where we measure the universal crypto Marketplace and you talk about blistering Bitcoin up almost $7500 from last week at this time coming in at $ 98,6 52 one Bitcoin 98,6 52 man ethereum is 3,348 that's up almost 235 from last week at this time Solana at 258 that's up $39 binance coin up $40 at [Music] $663 xrp crossed over into the dollar zone coming in at [Music] $154 it's up 58 cents from last week Dogecoin at 46 cents that's still up nine almost a dime cardano a19 up [Music] 37 cardano has had quite the climb over the past couple of weeks and that's your Bitcoin Biz barometer for today no November 23rd 2024 as always I get my numbers from coinmarketcap.com they are updated every second of every day and that includes the holidays 508 9960 500 let's look around see what's going on rith 41 degrees over at Fort Phoenix 42 Brook laon Park 41 degrees and my thanks to South Coast Towing because many folks I find out just about every week more and more people are listening to our program not only my show but but pitman's show Barry's show Chris Tim they're listening through the wbsm app and that app comes to not only you but to me free courtesy of South Coast Towing so no problem thanking them for making sure you know you're listening to us in nice crystal clear I think they say stereo sound I know it's really two channel I I'm not going to debate whether or not it's stereo or not we spent a good part of this half hour talking about the New Bedford finance committee telling the Mitchell Administration hey you're going to have to figure out a way to pay some of your bills unbelievable that and look it happens all the time an Administration goes back to to the financing Department saying we need more money we we're we've run out of dough the one thing that I recall several years ago uh someone who worked with me also worked for the Commonwealth and I was doing a program and he said look do you need do you need somebody to buy some advertising I said I'm always looking for folks to to buy advertising well the department that he worked for had extra do me read that as tax dollars and so he said look we can buy time on your show and then we can do a show and you know till we exhaust all of this money I think it went on for about seven weeks might be off a week or so but they threw your tax dollars to to my radio program so they could come on and talk about the benefits of of what they that what they do and you know I I sat there in in in kind of discuss yeah I took the money okay I knew what I was taking but to hear what they were doing and knowing why that they were doing it it it it was crappy radio first of all but more to the point they're they want to make sure that they get rid of that money so when budget time comes around they can say they need at least as much as they had last year if you know plus whatever cost of living adjustment needs to be added in there that's pretty disgusting that's what's happening to your tax dollars and mine these folks don't care and then at the state level you have these mandates well you got to make sure your full-time employees have insurance you have to make sure that you give x amount to some type of 403 plan or you what whatever plan uh that is a contributory plan that the the employer also adds money to so when it's time to as the previous caller stated fix a truck you don't have any money to fix the truck so you figure you can come back to whatever Authority and ask for more money and my guess is lots of times they've gotten the money well in this particular case new bedford's finance committee said no you know it's was we want our money and we want it now they said no no 10 Z for health insurance 3 million facilities and Fleet Management requested $495,000 the vote was 7-3 no solicitor's office requested 485,000 the vote was 73 no the auditor's office 142,000 in change the vote was 91 no Emergency Medical Services has to make you wonder you know what what did they spend the money on that they had what do they want to spend this $100,000 for at any rate the finance committee 8-2 NADA Labor Relations the request was 76 $ [Music] 6,989 nice round figure the vote was 10 nothing assessor's office $50,000 the vote was 10 nothing resilience and environmental stewardship they requested $20,500 the vote was 10 nothing Zoo Services I guess they needed another elephant 40,000 ,7 the vote was 82 no airport wanted 30,000 and and change the vote was 10 nothing no Arts culture and tourism they requested 800 excuse me [Music] 8,816 the vote was 10 nothing according to Linda Morad the councils told you that you can't go to the taxpayers to ask them to give you money to cover the spending you have to figure it out you got to figure out some way to do it I'm not looking to give you back money I'm looking for you to figure out a way to live within the budget you had thank you Linda Morad now I don't live in the city but thank you for putting your foot down in this particular case if you live in the city of New Bedford you should be applauding