WEBVTT
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Welcome back to the Lars, Larson Joe.
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It's a pleasure to be with you, and I'm glad to get to your phone calls and emails on the Radio Northwest Network.
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We endeavor on a daily basis to serve the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and provide honestly provocative talk radio.
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Plus, an opportunity for you.
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If you want to join the best conversation in talk journalism, it's here every day at 866-HLARS.
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That's 866-439-5277.
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Send your emails to talk at LarsLarson.com.
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Well, Oregon has not sent a Republican to the United States Senate in 30 years.
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And it's kind of ironic because prior to that, uh Oregon had two of the most powerful members of the United States Senate.
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And they were both Republicans.
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One was head of ways and means, which is taxes, and the other was head of appropriations, which is spending.
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And today, Oregon has Ron Wyden, who doesn't even live in the region.
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He lives in New York City.
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And you've got Jeff Merkley, who, I think, to put it politely, is not the sharpest tool in your shed.
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So is the guy to replace Jeff Merkley, Oregon State Senator David Brock Smith, Republican of Port Orford.
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How are you doing, David?
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I'm good, Lars.
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Thanks so much for letting me come on.
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I'm glad to do it.
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Persuade my audience that you're the guy to take out Jeff Merkley and send him back to whatever it is he will do now.
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I'm sure just collect his pension and kick back.
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Well, I appreciate it, Lars.
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You know, Jeff Berkeley has never had an opponent like me that has been uh working from uh city counselor to the Oregon State Senate, uh assisting colleagues from pushing back against the Democrats, supermajority in the state, that has driven Oregon into a ditch.
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But more importantly, I have the uh the opportunity to raise the resources that are necessary to beat Jeff Merkley, and we have the team from here to DC and the plan on the path to do it.
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And the way we're gonna do it is similar to what my colleagues before me did, uh, and you may remember, Lars, back in 2010 when we took over, uh had equal uh members of Republicans and Democrats in the House, where you had co-Speaker Hannah and co-Speaker Roblin.
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And so our plan is very simple.
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You have Oregonians that are disenfranchised across the state.
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Um, they want affordability, they want accountability, they want public safety, and we have opportunities to go in every district in the state talking to the non-affiliated voters that we're gonna need to win, as well as the disenfranchised Democrats that are out there that signed 12.5% of them, uh, the individuals that signed the no-tax referendum that's on this uh May 19th ballot to stop the gas tax, uh, were Democrats as well.
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And we're gonna go in every district, starting with our state rep and then state senator candidate, our gubernatorial candidate, our congressional candidate, and then me as the United States Senate candidate, talking about how Republicans can bring back accountability and affordability to Oregon.
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And that's the same thing.
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So, David, tell my audience where they can find your website.
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They're certainly not going to get enough detail in this short interview to understand where you stand in all the positions, but where can they find you online?
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Uh they can find me online at David BlocksMith for Oregon, Lars.
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Okay, so if you became a member of the United States Senate, what do your priorities have to be?
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Because it seems to me that where the Northwest is spending itself into the poorhouse and taxing itself into the poor house, the federal government's not that much different.
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So what's it going to take to rein in the spending of the federal government so we don't all end up with a you know, say a default on U.S.
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debt and bigger economic problems than we have right now?
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Oh my goodness, Lars, you you hit the nail on the head.
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I mean, the federal government has to rein in its spending.
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We are we are putting our grandkids into poverty, essentially.
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And so with the with the with all of the efforts that are being uh done right now, Doge was the first step, of course, but with all the efforts that are being done right now with the fraud and exposing the fraud, uh, and then also looking at the money that we spend uh with other countries across this planet that don't like us, it's ridiculous.
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We spend almost a trillion dollars uh just for NATO.
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And look what they did or the lack thereof when they wouldn't assist us in dealing with a terrorist regime that is the number one sponsored uh terrorist organization in the in the world.
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And so when you're talking about identifying billions of fraud, hundreds of billions in fraud across this nation, um, we have an opportunity to make sure that we can clean up those books.
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But more importantly, Lars, we have fraud here in Oregon, and we have opportunities to move forward in the Senate.
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I can beat Jeff Merkley, the one.
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But more importantly, we can we need to save the Senate because if the Democrats take control of the Senate, Lars, and I know you know this, they will end the filibuster right away and they will stack the Supreme Court and do things that are absolutely horrible for our nation.
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Okay, so David, since you brought up the filibuster, should we end the filibuster now?
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I've always thought that that was a cheat on Americans because it's saying to Americans, it doesn't matter if you elect 51 uh say Republican senators, you can't pass any bills.
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Well, why not?
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Because you need 60.
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Well, who made that rule?
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The U.S.
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Senate made that rule.
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Well, should we have the rule at all?
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Would you get rid of the filibuster?
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I would get rid of the filibuster lawyers.
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And we don't have a filibuster in the Oregon State Senate.
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We shouldn't have a filibuster in the United States Senate.
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We have elected 53 Republicans in the United States Senate.
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We should damn well get rid of the filibuster so that we can move forward with the president's agenda on keeping America safe and putting America back on top in prosperity.
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Thank you for that.
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Because this has always frustrated me, David, is that you have this filibuster, this rule made by the Senate.
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And you know what?
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I think the primary purpose of it is to allow the Senate to do nothing.
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Because they can say, well, you know, we'd pass that.
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We have 53 votes, but we can't because of this rule.
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You know, it it'd be like having a rule in workplace saying, I'm sorry, boss, I would do the job you want me to do, but I I have a rule that I made up on my own that says I can't do any heavy lifting, you know, after 9 o'clock in the morning or before 5 o'clock in the evening.
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And so therefore I can't do any work.
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And that's what it does.
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It allows members of of the Senate and and uh effectively the House to be lazy about things because they can always say, we'd love to pass it, but we don't have the votes.
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What else do you want the voters to know before they go to the uh your website?
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Listen, um, so I have been everything natural resources, energy, and environment in the state of Oregon, and I plan on bringing all of that knowledge to the United States Senate.
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We need to deal with our natural resources in the state and cut through the bureaucratic blue tape that is Oregon.
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And so I hope everyone starts using blue tape rather than red tape because Republicans in Oregon want to cut through that bureaucratic blue tape and move things forward.
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When it comes to our natural resources and manage our timber, I've been working on that with the Council of State Governments West for the 13 Western states.
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Um when it comes to our fishing and farming and forestry.
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I mean, it's absolutely insane, Lars, as I am traveling around the state and over in eastern Oregon, and our two United States Senators are keeping uh Congressman Bence's wolf management bill from moving forward.
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And yet those wolves are slaughtering those ranchers' cattle over the case.
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Welcome back to the Lars, Larson Joe.
00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:09.599
It's a pleasure to be with you, and I'm glad to get to your phone calls and emails on the Radio Northwest Network.
00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:16.879
We endeavor on a daily basis to serve the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and provide honestly provocative talk radio.
00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:18.800
Plus, an opportunity for you.
00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:24.800
If you want to join the best conversation in talk journalism, it's here every day at 866-HLARS.
00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:28.399
That's 866-439-5277.
00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:31.600
Send your emails to talk at LarsLarson.com.
00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:37.679
Well, Oregon has not sent a Republican to the United States Senate in 30 years.
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And it's kind of ironic because prior to that, uh Oregon had two of the most powerful members of the United States Senate.
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And they were both Republicans.
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One was head of ways and means, which is taxes, and the other was head of appropriations, which is spending.
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And today, Oregon has Ron Wyden, who doesn't even live in the region.
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He lives in New York City.
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And you've got Jeff Merkley, who, I think, to put it politely, is not the sharpest tool in your shed.
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So is the guy to replace Jeff Merkley, Oregon State Senator David Brock Smith, Republican of Port Orford.
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How are you doing, David?
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I'm good, Lars.
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Thanks so much for letting me come on.
00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:18.239
I'm glad to do it.
00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:24.079
Persuade my audience that you're the guy to take out Jeff Merkley and send him back to whatever it is he will do now.
00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:27.120
I'm sure just collect his pension and kick back.
00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:28.719
Well, I appreciate it, Lars.
00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:46.159
You know, Jeff Berkeley has never had an opponent like me that has been uh working from uh city counselor to the Oregon State Senate, uh assisting colleagues from pushing back against the Democrats, supermajority in the state, that has driven Oregon into a ditch.
00:01:46.400 --> 00:02:01.040
But more importantly, I have the uh the opportunity to raise the resources that are necessary to beat Jeff Merkley, and we have the team from here to DC and the plan on the path to do it.
00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:19.120
And the way we're gonna do it is similar to what my colleagues before me did, uh, and you may remember, Lars, back in 2010 when we took over, uh had equal uh members of Republicans and Democrats in the House, where you had co-Speaker Hannah and co-Speaker Roblin.
00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:21.759
And so our plan is very simple.
00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:26.240
You have Oregonians that are disenfranchised across the state.
00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:55.599
Um, they want affordability, they want accountability, they want public safety, and we have opportunities to go in every district in the state talking to the non-affiliated voters that we're gonna need to win, as well as the disenfranchised Democrats that are out there that signed 12.5% of them, uh, the individuals that signed the no-tax referendum that's on this uh May 19th ballot to stop the gas tax, uh, were Democrats as well.
00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:12.960
And we're gonna go in every district, starting with our state rep and then state senator candidate, our gubernatorial candidate, our congressional candidate, and then me as the United States Senate candidate, talking about how Republicans can bring back accountability and affordability to Oregon.
00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:13.599
And that's the same thing.
00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:16.479
So, David, tell my audience where they can find your website.
00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:24.000
They're certainly not going to get enough detail in this short interview to understand where you stand in all the positions, but where can they find you online?
00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:27.919
Uh they can find me online at David BlocksMith for Oregon, Lars.
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Okay, so if you became a member of the United States Senate, what do your priorities have to be?
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Because it seems to me that where the Northwest is spending itself into the poorhouse and taxing itself into the poor house, the federal government's not that much different.
00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:49.759
So what's it going to take to rein in the spending of the federal government so we don't all end up with a you know, say a default on U.S.
00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:53.120
debt and bigger economic problems than we have right now?
00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:56.319
Oh my goodness, Lars, you you hit the nail on the head.
00:03:56.479 --> 00:03:59.120
I mean, the federal government has to rein in its spending.
00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:02.960
We are we are putting our grandkids into poverty, essentially.
00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:25.439
And so with the with the with all of the efforts that are being uh done right now, Doge was the first step, of course, but with all the efforts that are being done right now with the fraud and exposing the fraud, uh, and then also looking at the money that we spend uh with other countries across this planet that don't like us, it's ridiculous.
00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:30.160
We spend almost a trillion dollars uh just for NATO.
00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:42.160
And look what they did or the lack thereof when they wouldn't assist us in dealing with a terrorist regime that is the number one sponsored uh terrorist organization in the in the world.
00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:56.240
And so when you're talking about identifying billions of fraud, hundreds of billions in fraud across this nation, um, we have an opportunity to make sure that we can clean up those books.
00:04:56.399 --> 00:05:04.319
But more importantly, Lars, we have fraud here in Oregon, and we have opportunities to move forward in the Senate.
00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:06.639
I can beat Jeff Merkley, the one.
00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:24.240
But more importantly, we can we need to save the Senate because if the Democrats take control of the Senate, Lars, and I know you know this, they will end the filibuster right away and they will stack the Supreme Court and do things that are absolutely horrible for our nation.
00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:28.399
Okay, so David, since you brought up the filibuster, should we end the filibuster now?
00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:38.399
I've always thought that that was a cheat on Americans because it's saying to Americans, it doesn't matter if you elect 51 uh say Republican senators, you can't pass any bills.
00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:39.199
Well, why not?
00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:40.480
Because you need 60.
00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:41.600
Well, who made that rule?
00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:42.160
The U.S.
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Senate made that rule.
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Well, should we have the rule at all?
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Would you get rid of the filibuster?
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I would get rid of the filibuster lawyers.
00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:52.959
And we don't have a filibuster in the Oregon State Senate.
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We shouldn't have a filibuster in the United States Senate.
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We have elected 53 Republicans in the United States Senate.
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We should damn well get rid of the filibuster so that we can move forward with the president's agenda on keeping America safe and putting America back on top in prosperity.
00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:12.720
Thank you for that.
00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:18.399
Because this has always frustrated me, David, is that you have this filibuster, this rule made by the Senate.
00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:19.040
And you know what?
00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:22.879
I think the primary purpose of it is to allow the Senate to do nothing.
00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:25.439
Because they can say, well, you know, we'd pass that.
00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:28.800
We have 53 votes, but we can't because of this rule.
00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:44.079
You know, it it'd be like having a rule in workplace saying, I'm sorry, boss, I would do the job you want me to do, but I I have a rule that I made up on my own that says I can't do any heavy lifting, you know, after 9 o'clock in the morning or before 5 o'clock in the evening.
00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:46.160
And so therefore I can't do any work.
00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:47.120
And that's what it does.
00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:56.720
It allows members of of the Senate and and uh effectively the House to be lazy about things because they can always say, we'd love to pass it, but we don't have the votes.
00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:00.800
What else do you want the voters to know before they go to the uh your website?
00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:11.920
Listen, um, so I have been everything natural resources, energy, and environment in the state of Oregon, and I plan on bringing all of that knowledge to the United States Senate.
00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:18.240
We need to deal with our natural resources in the state and cut through the bureaucratic blue tape that is Oregon.
00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:27.439
And so I hope everyone starts using blue tape rather than red tape because Republicans in Oregon want to cut through that bureaucratic blue tape and move things forward.
00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:35.199
When it comes to our natural resources and manage our timber, I've been working on that with the Council of State Governments West for the 13 Western states.
00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:38.959
Um when it comes to our fishing and farming and forestry.
00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:52.560
I mean, it's absolutely insane, Lars, as I am traveling around the state and over in eastern Oregon, and our two United States Senators are keeping uh Congressman Bence's wolf management bill from moving forward.
00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:57.199
And yet those wolves are slaughtering those ranchers' cattle over the case.
