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Of those who voted no, many didn't

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care for the fact the package was

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hatched by leaders not running for

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re-election and a lame

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duck governor, also not running.

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The bill saw bipartisan passage

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in the state assembly with ten Dems

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voting in favor along with all

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Republicans, among them Republican

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Representative Tony Kurtz of

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Wannewok, Vice Chair of

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the Joint Finance Committee.

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He joins us now.

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Thanks a lot for being here.

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Oh, my pleasure. Thank you for

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having me.

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So how surprised were you that

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this blew up and failed?

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I was uh...

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Incredibly shocked uh...

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I'm actually you know or how many

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days after the fact that i'm

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still i'm so a little shocked

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and and and dismayed to

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be very very frank with you

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I just think it's a good package.

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I mean, I understand there's people

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on both sides of the aisle that

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have their differences

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with it.

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And I know you just talked about,

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you know, a lame duck

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governor and a new speaker and

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a majority leader, but.

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You know, really, since January,

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we've been working with the governor

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in good faith on this.

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So for those that say this

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was done out of the blue, that is

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not true.

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This is something that we've been

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working on.

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Anybody inside the

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Madison bubble know we've been

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working on that.

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We've taken votes on no tax on tips

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and no tax on overtime.

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The special ed is something that we

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all know our school districts know

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that they they need that.

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And so that's what

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kind of shocks me the most.

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That we couldn't get this across the

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finish line, even though people

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knew we were working on this.

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As to the day in question

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of the vote,

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the assembly sat on this for hours

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before it finally passed.

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Were you negotiating with Senate

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Republicans or Democrats during that

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time?

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To be very frank with you,

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both.

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I mean, we were trying to get a

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deal. I mean I'm in

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the state assembly, and I'm trying

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to whip votes over in the

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State Senate.

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Yeah, we are trying to this done.

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This is something that we truly

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wanted to get done.

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I think.

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Personally, and I'm just speaking

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for me, I hope the governor

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calls us back in for a special

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session. I really do.

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Because we have some unfinished

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business to do.

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On this or other matters.

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On this particular matter, I mean,

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what bothers me the most about

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this entire package is,

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you know, you have some of my

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Republican colleagues that, you know

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obviously, you know, they want to

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save the money for a large tax cut

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next year. Okay, that's fine.

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And then you have my Democrat

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colleagues that obviously want to

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save all this money for next session

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because, you know, what they have

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their various programs that they

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want to do.

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But the problem is

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people are hurting right now.

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The economy is suffering.

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Our school districts could use the

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money for special education and

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the further we keep pushing this

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down the down the road is

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we're another year behind because

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let's say.

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January, and you know

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this, you've been around this longer

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than I with your experience.

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In January, everything's now focused

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on the state budget, and

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historically the state budget gets

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signed into, you know, late July,

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and then once

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again those programs have to get

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implemented. So we

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are another 14 to 15

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minutes, months further

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down the road to try

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to get tax relief for those folks

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that need it. And also...

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The special education funding that

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our schools so desperately need.

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And so that's if you want to know

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the truth, that's what frustrates me

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the most

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is we had a really good deal

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now. I mean, yeah, it had its

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issues, but now we're just kicking

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the can down the road, honestly,

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probably 15 to 16 months

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before we get something else

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that's going to help Wisconsinites.

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Why would coming back in be any

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different?

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Um, maybe it would give time

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for people to possibly

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reflect, see if there's something

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that we can tweak.

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Cause it's like, just like you even

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mentioned, you know, we,

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we were truly trying to

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find, uh, something that

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would get some of our Democrat

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colleagues or some of the Republican

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colleagues on board.

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Uh, maybe, it gives us more time

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to do that now.

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Um, I thought we, uh

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we've heard a lot of that before.

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Thank you very much.

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But that's my hope, because once

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again, the longer we wait,

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I don't see a point in waiting,

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I'll put it that way.

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What were some of the pot sweeteners

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that were going back and forth?

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Obviously, talking about

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the different things,

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you know, we saw that at the end, we

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did put the veterans tax

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cut it. I'm a veteran.

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I know, you, know, it's funny,

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last week, the week before, excuse

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me, the VA Secretary Dave

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Collins was actually in the state of

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Wisconsin. I got to

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talk to the DFW

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State Commander there, the American

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Legion State Commander.

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And the property tax exemption

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for disabled veterans,

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that was part of a sweetener.

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That is something incredibly

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important to those organizations.

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We thought that was going to help.

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Disaster relief, that

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is something.

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And that's had broad bipartisan

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support as well.

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You know, in my area, we had just

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had some tornadoes a couple of weeks

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ago, you know, up there by the

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Wausau area, in the Milwaukee area,

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the flooding last year.

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So we thought that that was a

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way.

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To sweeten the pot.

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But once again, this is

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an opportunity for them to

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come back to us and say, hey, we'd

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like to maybe see this or like to

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say that.

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They wouldn't even entertain that.

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That's what's kind of frustrating

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about the whole thing.

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We got to the point where, you

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know, they didn't even want to sit

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down and talk in a reasonable way.

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When Republican candidate for

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Governor Tom Tiffany blasted

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the measure, did that give you any

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pause?

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No, because and

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because what I just mentioned

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earlier, I mean, I understand and I

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respect Tom and I understand what he

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wants to do.

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But the fact of the matter is

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it's today.

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I mean we have the surplus, the

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state is very, we are in

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a great financial position to

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get some of this money back to

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taxpayers, but also help

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our schools with special education

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and I'm sympathetic to that.

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I know that's an incredibly costly

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program.

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So, no, that does not give me

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pause. I mean, I understand why he

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did what he did, and I respect that,

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but, you know, let's be honest.

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I mean the Democrats on

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the Senate side did the same thing.

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You know, they dug their heels in

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too for various reasons, and I

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expect that as well.

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It's just the

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time and place is now.

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Why do we want to wait?

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Because like I mentioned before, the

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timeline is not,

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why do something that we

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all collectively know we should

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do?

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Why are we going to wait 15

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to 16 months next

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year to do that?

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The rebate checks per the bill was

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supposed to go out no later than the

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15th of September

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2026.

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Property tax relief, people would

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see that immediately on their taxes

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in December when they

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get their property tax bills.

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The interesting about the no tax on

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overtime. That would have took

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effect immediately with the

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whole with holding tables being

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being affected.

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So people would have seen that

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relief immediately.

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And then once again, the schools I

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talked to one of my superintendents

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yesterday, I'm not going to say

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names, because he's a wonderful

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person. And I don't want to, you

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know, put words in his mouth, but he

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was just in disbelief that

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this failed.

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And that would've been a million

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dollars for this one particular

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school district that would help

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them immediately to

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help that on the special ed.

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So the other money They could pull.

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Or they wouldn't have to spend on

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special ed. So there's a lot of

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frustration out there.

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I hope you hear it in my voice.

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It's just, I guess I

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00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:36,439
go back to the thing, why wait?

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We know we have needs.

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People are hurting because of the

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economy and prices.

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So let's try to give some of that

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back.

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Just coming back around on this a

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bit, Tom Tiffany also called the

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measures in this temporary

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gimmicks. What about that?

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I don't, no tax

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on tips and no tax on overtime

283
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as a gimmick.

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I respectfully disagree with that.

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You know, the special education

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funding, once again, that

287
00:09:05,150 --> 00:09:07,229
is, and if you want anybody to

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00:09:07,230 --> 00:09:08,629
blame and like the state legislature

289
00:09:08,630 --> 00:09:10,449
on who really is a hawk

290
00:09:10,450 --> 00:09:12,369
on the special ed, it's me,

291
00:09:12,370 --> 00:09:14,369
because as you know, from your

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experience, once we put money into

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00:09:16,050 --> 00:09:18,059
special education, funding

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regardless of what the economy does,

295
00:09:20,100 --> 00:09:21,939
that is money we as a state can

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00:09:21,940 --> 00:09:23,619
never pull back because we have a

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00:09:23,620 --> 00:09:25,579
federal requirement.

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Once we put a dollar amount in

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00:09:27,180 --> 00:09:29,019
special education, it has to stay

300
00:09:29,020 --> 00:09:30,819
there. We can never call that back

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00:09:30,820 --> 00:09:32,619
if we have another horrible economy.

302
00:09:32,620 --> 00:09:34,719
So I am a little careful on what

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00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:35,919
we do for special ed.

304
00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:37,019
Do we need to do it?

305
00:09:37,020 --> 00:09:37,979
Absolutely.

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00:09:37,980 --> 00:09:39,599
And so to say that's a gimmick, once

307
00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:41,159
again, I respectfully disagree with

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00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:43,419
that. That's permanent funding for

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00:09:43,420 --> 00:09:44,359
our schools.

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00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:46,239
Like the Reedsburgs of the world,

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00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:47,559
like the Westons of the World,

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00:09:48,560 --> 00:09:50,879
like the Richland School

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00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:52,779
Districts of the world can count on

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00:09:52,780 --> 00:09:54,599
for months

315
00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,079
and years ahead.

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00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:58,679
So I'm

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going to respectfully disagree.

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00:09:59,780 --> 00:10:01,479
I don't think it's a gimmick at all.

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00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:03,179
Now, let's be fair, both sides have

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00:10:03,180 --> 00:10:04,159
said that.

321
00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:05,979
I know some of my Republican

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00:10:05,980 --> 00:10:07,559
colleagues like you pointed out, but

323
00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:09,619
also some of my Democrat colleagues

324
00:10:09,620 --> 00:10:11,159
pointed the same thing out.

325
00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:12,459
So I.

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00:10:12,460 --> 00:10:14,379
I disagree on the

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00:10:14,380 --> 00:10:15,869
premise on both of those.

328
00:10:15,870 --> 00:10:17,809
So as to the economy,

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00:10:17,810 --> 00:10:19,789
some people wanted to be prudent,

330
00:10:19,790 --> 00:10:22,529
hold on to any projected surplus,

331
00:10:22,530 --> 00:10:24,849
in case it sours

332
00:10:24,850 --> 00:10:26,889
potentially more than

333
00:10:26,890 --> 00:10:27,949
it has.

334
00:10:27,950 --> 00:10:29,210
What about that persuasion?

335
00:10:30,770 --> 00:10:32,609
You know, I've heard that that's

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00:10:32,610 --> 00:10:34,689
an argument some have tried to make.

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00:10:34,690 --> 00:10:36,289
The fact of the matter is,

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00:10:37,470 --> 00:10:39,429
we had a really good state budget.

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00:10:40,430 --> 00:10:42,289
Coming out of the state budget late

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00:10:42,290 --> 00:10:44,549
fall, we saw our

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00:10:44,550 --> 00:10:46,449
projection numbers higher than

342
00:10:46,450 --> 00:10:47,629
anticipated.

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00:10:47,630 --> 00:10:49,649
Just in January, you know,

344
00:10:49,650 --> 00:10:51,649
the numbers really, like our economy

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00:10:51,650 --> 00:10:53,129
is doing better than we anticipate.

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00:10:53,130 --> 00:10:54,879
Even on Monday.

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00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:56,319
You know, Monday, the fiscal Bureau

348
00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:57,739
and wonderful Bob Lang and his

349
00:10:57,740 --> 00:10:59,419
incredible team over there came out

350
00:10:59,420 --> 00:11:01,559
with another is going to be $300

351
00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:03,179
million that we are above

352
00:11:03,180 --> 00:11:04,180
projections.

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00:11:05,079 --> 00:11:07,119
So I would never,

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and let me repeat this, I would

355
00:11:09,419 --> 00:11:11,399
never sign or vote on a bill if

356
00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:12,699
I knew that was going to put us in

357
00:11:12,700 --> 00:11:14,379
financial peril. That's not the way

358
00:11:14,380 --> 00:11:16,279
we've been doing budgeting over the

359
00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:18,319
last four or five budgets.

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00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:20,179
We live within our means

361
00:11:20,180 --> 00:11:22,169
and and this budget

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00:11:22,170 --> 00:11:23,829
And the proposal that unfortunately

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00:11:23,830 --> 00:11:25,349
failed Wednesday night lives within

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00:11:25,350 --> 00:11:26,689
our means. Once again, people think

365
00:11:26,690 --> 00:11:28,549
about if this was all said and

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00:11:28,550 --> 00:11:30,629
done, we'd still probably well

367
00:11:30,630 --> 00:11:32,809
well over have probably nine,

368
00:11:32,810 --> 00:11:34,109
eight hundred to nine hundred

369
00:11:34,110 --> 00:11:36,309
million, a million dollars in

370
00:11:36,310 --> 00:11:37,529
our checking account.

371
00:11:37,530 --> 00:11:38,809
But then a lot of people don't

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00:11:38,810 --> 00:11:40,209
forget about the rainy days and the

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00:11:40,210 --> 00:11:42,269
rainy day fund is like our savings

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00:11:42,270 --> 00:11:43,929
account, and that's well over two

375
00:11:43,930 --> 00:11:44,949
billion dollars.

376
00:11:44,950 --> 00:11:46,509
And that's earning interest.

377
00:11:46,510 --> 00:11:48,159
It's almost seven and a half.

378
00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:49,879
A million dollars a month just in

379
00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:50,719
interest.

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00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:52,599
So financially the state is

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00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,599
doing very well and I would

382
00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:56,459
never, once again, I never would

383
00:11:56,460 --> 00:11:58,399
put any of that

384
00:11:58,400 --> 00:11:59,979
in jeopardy if there was a question

385
00:11:59,980 --> 00:12:01,479
about if we could not afford this or

386
00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:01,839
not.

387
00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:03,939
So, finally,

388
00:12:03,940 --> 00:12:05,779
in your mind, how tough might it be

389
00:12:05,780 --> 00:12:07,779
for people who voted no

390
00:12:07,780 --> 00:12:09,599
at the doors in their

391
00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:11,700
campaigns for their elections?

392
00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:17,319
I personally think it's going to be

393
00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:18,320
pretty tough.

394
00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:20,859
I cannot tell you.

395
00:12:20,860 --> 00:12:23,059
I honestly can't make clone calls.

396
00:12:23,060 --> 00:12:25,119
I have gotten over the last two

397
00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:27,199
days about what

398
00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:28,959
in the world happened.

399
00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:30,239
How did this fall apart?

400
00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:34,559
I mean, being inside the bubble,

401
00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:36,519
I know how it's

402
00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:38,079
failed, and that's what frustrates

403
00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:39,119
me the most.

404
00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,079
So I couldn't imagine going

405
00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:42,899
into campaign season and walking to

406
00:12:42,900 --> 00:12:44,819
a door and talking to

407
00:12:44,820 --> 00:12:46,999
a wonderful young lady,

408
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,159
well, a server just in my area,

409
00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:51,279
Allison, and how to tell her,

410
00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:53,339
oh, by the way, you're

411
00:12:53,340 --> 00:12:55,099
not gonna get the no-tax on tips

412
00:12:55,100 --> 00:12:57,399
like we wanted to.

413
00:12:57,400 --> 00:12:59,219
Or Brad, which is a good

414
00:12:59,220 --> 00:13:00,439
friend of mine, who is a factory

415
00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:02,759
worker. Who was just ecstatic

416
00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:05,199
about the no tax on overtime,

417
00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:07,059
how do you tell him that,

418
00:13:07,060 --> 00:13:09,259
oh, by the way, I voted no against

419
00:13:09,260 --> 00:13:11,119
that? It's, or,

420
00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:13,279
or even more importantly,

421
00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:14,799
you know, how do tell a

422
00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:15,879
superintendent or school board

423
00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:17,759
member, oh, the way you know

424
00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:19,899
we had this other $300

425
00:13:19,900 --> 00:13:21,659
million we were gonna help with

426
00:13:21,660 --> 00:13:23,099
special education funding and I

427
00:13:23,100 --> 00:13:24,039
voted, no on that.

428
00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:25,859
It's a hard sell in my

429
00:13:25,860 --> 00:13:26,860
very humble.

430
00:13:27,710 --> 00:13:29,449
Representative Tony Kurtz, thank you

431
00:13:29,450 --> 00:13:30,469
very much for joining us.

432
00:13:31,630 --> 00:13:32,789
Hey, thank you for your time.

433
00:13:32,790 --> 00:13:34,130
I hope you have a good weekend.

434
00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:40,759
That was so good.

435
00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:41,760
Thank you.

436
00:13:42,740 --> 00:13:44,259
I don't know about that.

437
00:13:44,260 --> 00:13:45,979
I'm probably gonna get blasted by

438
00:13:45,980 --> 00:13:47,190
yourself. I don't know.

439
00:13:48,330 --> 00:13:50,129
Aren't we all all the time, you

440
00:13:50,130 --> 00:13:52,009
know, but you do

441
00:13:52,010 --> 00:13:52,779
the work.

442
00:13:52,780 --> 00:13:54,799
So we are and it's uh i'll

443
00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:55,800
tell you it is um