Whose Land, Whose Future? Indigenous Peoples' Day, Data Centers, and the Texas Vote

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Every decision about land is also a decision about whose voice counts.
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Today, our topic is whose land, whose future, Indigenous Peoples Day, the data centers, and the Texas vote.
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As Texas becomes one of the fastest growing data center markets in the country, and really in the world, we're asking who decides how our land, water, and power are used?
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Who pays and who will represent us when those decisions are made?
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Welcome to Rethinking Freedom.
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I am your host, Ayako Baronelli, and this episode airs on Indigenous People's Day, a reminder that land, that questions of land, questions of sovereignty and consent have deep roots here long before Texas became a state.
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Those questions haven't gone away.
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Today they are showing up in zoning hearings, utility bills, water permits, and tax deals.
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If you've been paying attention, if you've taken any part of Texas history, you understand that Texas wasn't always what we know it to be as just this state.
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We understand the role of indigenous peoples.
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We understand how they were chased away from this land, killed.
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We understand the role slavery played in building up this place called Texas.
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But also today in 2026, data centers are a big part of that conversation.
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Supporters point to investment, taxpays, and jobs.
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Critics raised concerns about the grid or the water, rising costs, and whether residents get a real say.
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And joining me today, as we head into the midterm election, there are two candidates who, if elected, if you show up and vote for them, will certainly have a say in what is going on in Texas.
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Today I would like to welcome back Amelia Raybroker.
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She is no stranger to this show.
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Amelia was actually on the very first episode of Rethinking Freedom.
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Um, Amelia, welcome back to Rethinking Freedom.
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Thank you, and thank you for giving me this honor once again.
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I was honored the first time and I've been honored ever since.
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So thank you.
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Thank you so much.
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And we're gonna go into why you're coming back today, because you know, in the capacity that you were on the very first show, that was a totally different capacity, and we're we're gonna get into that.
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Um, and of course, we also have another guest, and that is Justin Early, who is also running for office, and each of them will tell you a little bit about themselves.
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Welcome to Rethinking Freedom, Justin.
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Thank you very much, and I'm honored to be here.
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Thank you so much.
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So, for those of you who are listening to us on the radio, we thank you so much for being faithful listeners and for letting other people know to tune in because you know we are always giving you pertinent information on this show.
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Leave a comment.
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Tell us where you're listening from.
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Tell us what you're thinking.
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Tell us if you're in Texas, if you're having the same issues wherever you may be, wherever in the country or the world you may be.
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We want to hear from you.
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And of course, like and share.
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So let's get into this segment with with our um guests.
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Justin, as our new guest on this show, can you introduce yourself to our audience?
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Tell tell us who you are and why they should know about Justin Early.
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Yes, ma'am, and thank you so much again for having me on here.
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Uh, my name is Justin Early, and I'm running for uh Congress in Texas's 31st Congressional District uh that encompasses Bell and Williamson County and some surroundings counties, but the majority cities are Killeen, Parker Heights, Round Rock, and Georgetown.
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Um I'm a father and uh I'm a veteran.
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I was a paratrooper at the 82nd Airborne Division.
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Um, I come from a family of service.
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Both of my parents serve in the military as well.
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And today I work in cybersecurity, um, doing things such as protecting critical infrastructure and making sure that data systems are actually protecting data.
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Um, you know, I'm running because families just like mine are struggling and trying to make ends meet.
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And I really want to focus on three main things.
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Number one is affordability, that's housing, healthcare, and you know, jobs.
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Number two is automation and AI and making sure that we have real regulation on these things.
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And there's so much we can dive into that, especially with this topic here today.
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The third and finally is also to strengthen our democracy, because that's very paramount to what the conversation is today as well.
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We're seeing erosions not only to our democracy at a federal level, but also at the local level.
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And a lot of the things that we're seeing happen with AI and data centers and land grabs and loss of local control is a lack of a strong democracy.
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And so we want to make sure that we're providing the best, not just for myself, not for just for you, but our children and our children's children, to make sure we have a great democracy coming on for generations.
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Thank you so much for giving us a little bit of that background and thank you for your service to our country in the past and for being willing to jump into really what has become not just a swamp, a cesspool in terms of what our political arena is.
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It's a lot.
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Um, I do have a question for you though.
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Yes, ma'am.
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Who is your Republican opponent?
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Because I'm seeing signs, but I've seen no evidence that that person is alive.
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And I've been in this community for almost 20 years.
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So who are you running against, or should I say, who's who is supposedly running against you?
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Yes, ma'am.
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Um, so I'm running against John Carter.
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He's an 84-year-old incumbent.
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He's been in office for 24 years now.
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He's asking uh everybody for his 13th term.
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And so at his age, what he's doing, um, I wish him the best, but I want to provide him the best thing that anybody's ever given him, which is his retirement.
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I know that I'm running a very strong campaign.
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We're out in the community every single day because your job as a representative is to represent people.
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And if you're not there where the people are, to listen to them, understand what their needs are, you can't be a true representative.
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Um, the final thing I'll say on this is that whether he is uh in DC or here or whatever, we have seen what his policies are doing.
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He's a rubber stamp for the Trump administration, and he's not standing up or building out actually the communities here back in central Texas, the place that he purports to represent.
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Now, before I go over to to Amelia Raybrokers, can you tell us why you would even decide to run for Congress?
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I mean, that's a pretty big deal.
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You already have a family, you have a thriving career.
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Why would anyone decide at this point in time with how divisive politics is to make that decision to pretty much give up your life to run for Congress?
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Exactly what you had said, you know, give up my life.
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Because I had raised my right hand and signed on the line that I was willing to live or to give my life for this country.
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And I see a lack of servant leadership here, uh, especially in Texas 31.
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Um, there was a lot of people who actually ran, you know, earlier on that came to this district to say they wanted to represent here.
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This is my home.
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And I felt very strongly that I can stand up and represent my home because I understand uh the tech workers outside of Round Rock, the veterans and soldiers in Fort Hood and Killeen, and even the farmers and ranchers out in Lampasas.
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Um these are people that I connect with all the time.
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And I said, at the very least, I'm gonna stand up for my community and you know, the people who elected me to be the Democratic nominee.
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And now that I'm here, I'm gonna stand up again to say this is what we need, not just in Central Texas, but the entire United States.
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And I'm taking my talents, my blessings, everything that I have to fight as hard as I can for the people in my district.
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Well, thank you very much.
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Um, and and for those of you who are hearing this name for the first time, you want to go to his website to learn more, figure out how to jump in.
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We're going to say the websites over and over again during this time that I have with both our candidates.
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But um, Justin, can you let them know how they can get more information about you and your campaign?
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Yes, ma'am.
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My website is votejustinearly.com.
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Just V-O-T-E and Justin Early as an early in the morning.
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Vote JustinEarly.com.
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And and I will add to that and go ahead and cast your ballot during the early voting portion of our vote for voting period.
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I say that all the time.
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Vote early for Justin Early.
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Vote early for Justin Early.
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Thank you so much.
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So now let's come over to you, Amelia Raybroker.
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You are also a candidate.
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Um, some of our guests, some some of our audience may have seen you before as a guest.
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Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself and why you are running?
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Um, and what what um office you're running for at this time?
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Yes, most definitely.
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So I am Amelia Raybroker running for Texas House District 55.
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That is for our state representative at the House level.
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And my district encompasses a little portion of Colleen, Harker Heights, Nolanville, Temple, and Belton.
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So I'm the center of the county.
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As we know, our county is gerrymandered.
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So I am the center of the county for House District 55.
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And then we have, of course, House District 54 is the surrounding of the county.
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Um, I am originally from central Texas.
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I come from Waco, Texas.
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I graduated from Baylor with a degree in education and art education also.
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And I started teaching here in on Fordhood at Clear Creek Elementary.
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When I started teaching, it was in 2003.
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This is when we were seeing deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
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And so we were seeing that um the effects of war and those deployments here at home as the caregivers for this community.
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So I taught for Kaleen ISD.
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Um, that's where I spent my entire public school teaching career.
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Um, and then I went on to open my own art school and have been doing that ever since as a business owner.
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And my husband is has been a Kaleen firefighter for 30 years or almost 30 years.
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So we are definitely, definitely servants to this community, and that is how we live our life.
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Um, and I'm I'm grateful to be here.
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And I do love my community, and that is why I feel like as a leader, I am very community-centered.
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Um, I listen to a lot of different people in my community because I believe representation, you should represent your entire community, just not a certain few.
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Um, and I don't feel like we've had really good representation.
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And so I have stepped up to this role to ensure that we have the representation I feel we deserve down at the Capitol.
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And uh my big topics are my platform is making sure our public education is fully funded.
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We know how important education is and why they want to keep us uneducated.
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Um, but I'm gonna see to it that that doesn't happen.
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And so making sure our schools are funded.
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Also, because we are a military community, we have a unique situation where the state is not making good on the money it owes our communities through tax exemptions, which our veterans have definitely earned those and owed, but when the state does not replace those funds, it affects our cities.
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And so if we are going to say we care about our military and our veterans, then why are Texas leaders not ensuring that our cities have the resources it needs to thrive?
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Um, and lastly, much like Justin said, of course, democracy, everyone I'm looking at is struggling in one form or another.
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I want to make sure our workers have rights, but also that we're taking care of our small businesses.
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They are the backbone of our community, and I feel like we should be giving more to small businesses than we are to corporations.
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And one last thing I'm gonna add, because I did not feel we had representation, I wanted to give some power back to the back in the hands of Texans and created the voter ballot initiative and referendum.
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It is a bill I have already written because if we have representatives, like in our case, my opponent, the current representative, is beholden to our governor.
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And of course, we already know he takes marching orders from Trump.
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So I don't feel we have representation.
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With a voter ballot initiative, we ourselves can put things on the ballot when our legislators are not doing the will of the people.
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And so that's one of the things I am pushing forward in this election.
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Thank you both very much.
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Um, I do have a question that I want each of you to answer.
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As I've gone out block walking, um dropping literature, trying to get people registered to vote.
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And for those of you who are curious, I'm actually neither a Republican nor a Democrat.
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Um I am someone who cares deeply about all of us having a voice.
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And regardless of the party, if that party is for humanity and justice, I will vote for that person.
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Unfortunately, right now, the Republicans are definitely not about democracy and definitely not about our civil rights.
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Um, and so when you see me platforming candidates from a certain party, it's not because of their party, it's because of what they stand for.
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But what I have noticed as I go out to speak to people is we're failing in terms of civic education, because most people don't even know what the positions you are um vying for, if you will, like what they do, what does a house representative do?
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Like, how does that impact the average person's daily life?
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What does a congress person do?
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Now, I know to you this might seem like this is a basic question, but can each of you just I would say take about a minute or two and explain what are some of the things that some if you are elected into this position or for someone who's already in that position, what are the powers that you have?
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What do you get to make decisions on?
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How does it impact the everyday person who's like, I don't care to vote, I don't know what they do, it doesn't concern me.
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And we're gonna jump in there.
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Okay, thank you.
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So I I get the question all the time, you know, what is Congress?
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What are you running for?
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And the funny thing I always say is like, you guys know Jasmine Crockett, right?
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I'm there to be, you know, work for her, work with her, you know, up in Congress.
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She's not gonna be there when I arrive, but it's a great visualization for people to know I'm gonna be doing the same job that Jasmine Crockett did.
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Um, but to go deeper into that, I very easy or very simply break it down like this.
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You know, the job of a congressman is three things.
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One, we write bills.
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Those bills will determine how businesses interact with their workers, where businesses can, you know, um tax you or not, um, where, you know, uh, other corporations, other you know, entities interact with the citizens, right?
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We write rules and regulations on that.
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Uh, the second one is to vote on bills and vote on those same bills that, like, hey, look, I like this one, it's gonna strengthen people in my district, or I don't like that one.
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And it can be as mundane as you know, naming a post office, or as serious as giving a authorization for war.
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Um, those are the huge things that you know a congressman is gonna be doing.
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And the third thing, which really relies or ties right back to the district itself, is using my platform in order to strengthen and bring dollars back to this area.
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So I'll be working with other levels of government that are um closer to uh homes.
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Slow down on that part.
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Can you say that part again?
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Yes, ma'am.
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The third part is use my platform uh to you know strengthen the communities, but also bring dollars back into the district.
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And I work with, I would end up working with um Mrs.
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Amelia Robrucker, uh, Mr.
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Don Richardson, um, who are running for state house, um, those who work in city councils in order to figure out what plans and what needs they have here, and then take that to get those federal dollars or federal programs to aim those dollars right here in Texas.
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But it also means about bringing additional opportunities here, and so we can build bigger businesses, we can have actual real jobs that actually strengthen Central Texas.
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We just need a congressman who's actually going to stand up and bring those uh opportunities here.
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Thank you very much.
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So, again, for those of you who have been, you know, a little unclear or you're talking to people who are unclear, you can send them this information, you can rewind this, take notes, and be able to explain how important these positions are.
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Please, um, if you will answer the same question, uh, Miss Rayboker.
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Yes, so it's it's very similar, but you know, the Texas House is at the state level, but we still have a House and a Senate, and then of course the lieutenant governor and governor position.
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So we we have a similar setup.
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Um, and so yes, I would be writing bills, voting on bills, um look looking at state budgets, those kinds of things.
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But the one of the most important things to me about this seat is working with my community and just like Justin said, bringing that economy, getting innovative with our local governments of how we can bring resources, how we can use resources, and how we can connect citizens to those resources.
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And that's another piece of my work is making sure that um citizens and constituents feel comfortable coming to me, expressing some of their needs, and also me being able to connect them to the resources that they would need.
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And we need resources for just about anything.
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So anybody that is governing where our resources are directed is basically determining where there will be growth, where there will be death, whether we have mental health services for our youth, whether our senior citizens have the safety nets that they should have, whether we have access to health care.
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As a matter of fact, for some of us like myself, who now have anxiety going to the grocery store, not just because of the price of the products there, but also because of the safety of the products.
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Justin Early, in your position, you are going to be overseeing federal agencies, including agencies that are supposed to make sure, like the FDA that are supposed to make sure that our food and our water is actually healthy for us, and our drugs are sorry, are actually healthy for us.
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So we need people who understand the issues and are not beholden to big money, big corporations.
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And I'm gonna come back to that in a second when we talk about how you're funding your um your um your campaigns.
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Now, in the work that you get to do, should the the people vote you into these positions?
00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:34.000
I'm going to assume that this whole issue of data centers is going to configure into that a little bit.
00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:39.440
Amelia, can you tell us where you stand on data centers in our community?
00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:40.799
Yes, most definitely.
00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:43.279
And I called early on for a moratorium.
00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:45.200
They needed to stop a while back.
00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:52.319
We don't have any impact studies, any environmental impact studies for these um data centers.
00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:58.880
And I want to go back a little bit when, you know, kind of what brought me into it and talking about being with your community.
00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:00.880
I had known about data centers.
00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:04.400
I had been kind of watching it from the peripheral, but there's a lot going on.
00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:09.359
Um, but what brought my attention was a group in Temple, Stop Temple Data Centers.
00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:15.119
They were a group that were bringing awareness to what was happening in Temple because they have so many projected data centers.
00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:16.720
I believe they're up to eight projected.
00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:19.279
I thought it was 11, but they're up to eight.
00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:27.039
And they were down at their city hall expressing themselves as constituents, as somebody that wants to be your representative.
00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:32.799
And as a representative, if your people are gathering, you need to be down there to hear them.
00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:35.119
I think people are forgetting that part of representation.
00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:47.920
I mean, there were hundreds of people down at City Hall begging and pleading their city uh council to rethink this and really expressing their concerns about water and land and noise pollution and regular pollution.
00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:51.920
There's just so many aspects to what these data centers bring.
00:19:52.079 --> 00:20:00.240
And so I was down there on the front lines with them early on, listening to them because it is about listening and learning and then making judgments.
00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:05.440
Now, our reps, they've had the privilege of having this information for some time.
00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:09.599
And I think leaders should have forethought and start asking questions.
00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:23.920
But if you are not moving with the will of your people and you're moving at the will of these corporations, it's a little bit harder to ask questions because you're just signing off on whatever it is that they want all for the dollar, and you're not worried about your constituents.
00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:29.759
And so I was worried about my constituents or hoped to be my constituents and went down there and listened.
00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:34.720
And the more I learned and understood, I very much um called for a moratorium early on.
00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:44.960
At this point, um, with what we're seeing with data centers and these companies and the electrical lines and the VLOC cameras, there's so many aspects to this.
00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:50.640
I, you know, we've got to obviously have innovation, but not in this way.
00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:52.160
We are rapidly moving.
00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:56.079
And I said early on, do not play fast and loose with our resources.
00:20:56.160 --> 00:21:12.720
And it is unbelievable to me that your natural resources, land and water, that we are just um letting these companies come in and take advantage of a situation, you know, that was brought here by our governor to be, you know, he he really encouraged these data centers.
00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:14.960
He wanted the epicenter of data centers.
00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:17.119
So they knew good and well what was happening.
00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:24.319
One last piece on that is this is no longer about like, oh, we we need this much storage space or to push innovation.
00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:26.000
This is an arms race.
00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:35.039
And once this arms race is over, we are going to have these empty monstrosities of pollution really on our farmland.
00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:36.480
And then what do we do with that?
00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:41.599
So there's there's a lot of compounded issues in in what we're seeing in data centers.
00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:51.680
And and as you talked about these monstrosities that will live on, the the consequences for for these are large scale.
00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:56.960
These are large thinking about how the indigenous people took care of this land.
00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:59.599
Oh, yes, and how we just do not seem to be paying.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:10.880
Attention to the fact that as human beings, we have a relationship with our land, with our water, with our air, and we can't live if we abuse everything around us.
00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:12.319
How about you, Justin?
00:22:12.400 --> 00:22:14.720
Um, where where do you stand on data centers?
00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:19.119
Yeah, I can I can talk for three hours on this topic specifically.
00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:22.319
Um, it's something I'm very close to and understand a lot about.
00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:28.400
And what I try to do to break it down for people is well, before I get into my spiel, I'm gonna say to you know, I want to back what Ms.
00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:30.880
Robucker had said was that this is an arms race.
00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:34.400
The problem is we're being lied to about who the arms race is against.
00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:39.279
Um, the Trump administration, the you know, local governments are saying we're in a race against China.
00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:41.759
That is not the arms race that actually we're in the middle of.
00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:48.799
We're in the middle of an arms race between multi-billion dollar corporations to build these systems out in order to make more money for themselves.
00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:54.319
So there's three big problems, and I'll boil this into AI because data centers is a part of this.
00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:56.799
And number one is the data centers themselves.
00:22:56.880 --> 00:22:59.279
Now we've had data centers for decades, right?
00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:05.119
You think of anything, cloud computing, storage, Netflix, you know, all those things go through a data center.
00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:07.119
What we have today are called hyperscalers.
00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:12.480
They are 10 to 30 times as large of what we're used to doing or what we're used to seeing.
00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:24.480
And so these huge buildings are being made right nearest municipalities, cities on land, and they're taking resources, the water, the air, the fuel, and shipping all those resources to Wall Street.
00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:26.559
Um, it's a different model with data centers.
00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:30.720
Uh previously, if you build big things in America, you get big things.
00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:36.480
If Bell County or Central Texas said, hey, I want to build a big hospital, then you get big healthcare and big jobs.
00:23:36.640 --> 00:23:41.279
But when you build big data centers or hyperscalers, all those resources go straight to Wall Street.
00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:43.599
They don't stay here within the community.
00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:46.400
That's the number one problem with data centers themselves.
00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:51.920
Um, we're seeing this extraction of resources, just like we've seen it time and time again, generation after generation.
00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:54.960
This is just the new empire of doing so.
00:23:55.200 --> 00:23:57.279
The second thing to this really is the models, right?
00:23:57.359 --> 00:23:58.720
So we talk about AI models.
00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:01.759
Uh, that's what's actually happening or going on within those data centers.
00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:08.160
They're crunching massive amounts of data, massive amounts of numbers, and they need a lot of water to cool, a lot of electricity to power.
00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:11.920
And those models, we call them artificial intelligence, but they're not intelligent.
00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:13.920
Um, there is some intelligence behind it.
00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:15.200
Well, they're not intelligent.
00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:22.640
However, they're they're computer programs, and those programs are written by human beings that say, here's what data you should see, here's what you cannot see.
00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:30.160
Um, we know the Deep Seek example, which DeepSeek is China's AI, that they can't you can't ask questions about TMN Square, right?
00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:35.519
Um that is a choice that a human being made that this system cannot show you that data and that information.
00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:39.519
Those same things happen here because we have billionaires who run and own these systems.
00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:43.039
They can control how those models are shaping that data that we see.
00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:48.799
And the last part about this and why they're building so many and so fast is because it's a race for your data.
00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:57.200
In the United States, we don't have a strong data protection or privacy laws here in the United States, so they can capture all the data that they've ever can get their hands on.
00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:02.240
And we're seeing in the news that they're taking massive amounts of books and scanning books and then shredding them.
00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:03.839
They're taking movies and music.
00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:04.880
We're seeing all that.
00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:08.720
But what we're not seeing and we're not understanding is that is just the tip of the iceberg.
00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:13.599
Because human beings, you, me, citizens, we create data every single day.
00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:15.839
And what can they do with this data that we create?
00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:22.640
They can tell you how many steps you take in a day, they can tell you if you're starting to become ill, they can tell you where you're spending your money at and where you're not.
00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:26.000
They can even tell you if you're doing your job a great, doing a job great or not.
00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:33.759
And we're seeing these AI systems doing things such as determining your insurance rates, healthcare and you know, car and automatical insurance, all insurance rates.
00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:41.039
We're seeing AI being used in um in housing and understanding if you can get a rent or you can get a place that you can live or not.
00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:44.319
Uh, they're determining if you if they want to you know sell to you or not.
00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:49.519
And also they're using AI to determine how much they can charge you for something or how much they can pay you.
00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:56.240
They can look at all the data that they've collected on you and say, hey, I have a hundred thousand dollars in your job here, but you would accept it at 65,000.
00:25:56.319 --> 00:25:58.400
And if you don't think you're doing a good job, we'll fire you.
00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:03.119
When your your neighbor or your person next to you may be making a hundred thousand dollars for the exact same job.
00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:12.640
We've seen um patents in today, Walmart specifically, for a shopping cart that lets you put your date put your item into the shopping cart and it charges you right away.
00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:16.160
But with that, they can use AI to understand what is the next thing you're gonna buy.
00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:24.079
And the exact example they have in these things is if you buy a can of tuna and you put it into the cart, they know you're gonna want mayonnaise to make a tuna sandwich.
00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:29.279
So before you walk over to that mayonnaise in that aisle, they have just raised the price of mayonnaise for you 15%.
00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:35.440
And when you're not checking out at the counter, you can see what everybody else is paying for their items, you don't know that you're being surveilled for that pricing.
00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:41.680
And in order to do that massive amount of surveillance, they need these giant data centers that are being put in our land and our communities.
00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:50.880
They need these things in order to take more money from us, determine if we can or cannot live in certain areas of the country, and also to determine if people end up living or dying in certain areas.
00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:52.640
That's why they're rushing so fast at this.
00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:57.680
And the arms race is not against another country, it's against corporations trying to make more money off of us.
00:26:58.240 --> 00:26:59.759
Yes, thank you for clearing that up.
00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:01.519
Yes, that's what I meant by the arms race.
00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:03.759
It is between these companies.
00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:12.799
What you guys are sharing right now, and I thought I knew something on data centers and why I had some concerns, um, is boon killing.
00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:20.000
So I had read an article not too long ago talking about how they're collecting data and how they're using it.
00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:31.920
Where if you're searching, for instance, for a ticket, a plane ticket, but the data that has been collected knows that you recently lost to someone, someone died in your family.
00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:37.920
Then they know that this you're not just searching for this ticket for pleasure.
00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:45.119
Like you probably have a tight window deadline and you are going to go no matter what the cost is.
00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:54.400
And so, yes, they do charge you a higher price because they know you are in that position where you are so desperate you will pay no matter what.
00:27:54.559 --> 00:28:01.519
And it is really crazy how this data can be manipulated, particularly for people who think in evil ways to begin with.
00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:14.160
I was focused on things like um what happens with that grid in extreme weather when large facilities are, you know, sucking up all the electricity, the power.
00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:37.759
I was looking at the the tax incentives that are being offered for these so-called big investments and whether the jobs, whether these data centers actually deliver enough jobs and long-term benefits to justify all these really social when they talk about socialism, the socialism that's going to these corporations.
00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:47.440
Um I was thinking about, you know, should our um elected uh officials be allowed to sign NDAs with developers?
00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:50.160
Should there be some transparency?
00:28:50.480 --> 00:29:00.160
Should they be able to sign these agreements and tell the people in the community after the fact, or should the community be brought in earlier on?
00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:01.440
That's what I was focused on.
00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:03.920
But now both of you have really blown my mind.
00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:08.480
Anything else you would like to add as we talk about data centers and why?
00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:11.519
You all need to understand why we're having this conversation.
00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:31.440
If you do not put into these positions the right people to fight for you, it doesn't matter how concerned you are or how much information you have, the folk who are in there are going to do what they want to do because that's what they've been doing, because they're bought and paid for by these corporations.
00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:40.720
So if you want to see change, you have got to vote for people who are going to be courageous enough to fight for what you want.
00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:46.079
So, um, Amelia and Justin, anything else you would like to add in terms of this issue with data centers?
00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:48.799
Because it is huge in this area.
00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:54.559
Um, and and I am appalled at how this is just being like rammed down our throats.
00:29:54.799 --> 00:29:55.200
Yes.
00:29:55.359 --> 00:30:02.480
Yeah, I'll say the reason it's being rammed on our throats is because they're okay taking the heat on, you know, there's excess water usage, right?
00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:19.200
They're okay taking the heat on, you know, the scary aspect that the amount of um data centers that are on the books today are going to take four times the size of the grid that we have today because they know in the end they can make so much more money off of us whenever they have even a quarter of building what they want to build out.
00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:25.839
But I'm not willing to sacrifice farms, families, or my freedom for these data centers or what they want to do with them.
00:30:25.920 --> 00:30:28.160
And that's why I stood up to fight in this fight.
00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:37.440
Well, and this whole thing is so webbed, and it's all about these billion-dollar corporations and control, control of us.
00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:42.240
And the more I look into it, you yeah, you start at data centers, but it just webs out.
00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:49.519
You know, like you said, when you're looking at water and you're looking at electricity, and right now we're looking at a situation with these transmission lines.
00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:53.440
You know, there are a lot of people that are very much against as they should be.
00:30:53.519 --> 00:31:01.680
I mean, these another monstrosity that we have across the country going up is for this large use of usage of electricity.
00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:03.839
Now, they can't say, oh, it is for data center.
00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:05.440
We need to upgrade these lines.
00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:11.200
And yes, I'm sure there is truth to needing to upgrade these lines, but not to that capacity.
00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:18.720
And one of the things I was also looking at today was with Encore, this is they are making billions of dollars.
00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:20.720
This is a monopoly.
00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:23.279
We have um a situation too.
00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:25.359
I mean, listen, my electric bills are through the roof.
00:31:25.440 --> 00:31:27.440
I own an art school and I use a kiln.
00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:40.559
I mean, it has really put me out of business, the amount of this electricity, because it is falling, this infrastructure is falling on us as individuals and as small businesses, where they're getting, like you said, these tax abatements.
00:31:40.640 --> 00:31:42.160
They're also getting sales tax.
00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:43.599
You know, they don't have to pay sales tax.
00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:48.960
I think it's like$8 billion that we're not getting in sales tax um with these companies.
00:31:49.119 --> 00:31:57.839
And so us on the on one hand, we've got to pay all of our taxes, our property taxes, our sales tax, where we're letting these companies come in and do that.
00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:02.559
The other piece is the transparency piece and just moving faster than we should be.
00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:04.640
I mean, we are moving at rocket speed.
00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:12.400
This we should have been, there's so we are so we are not acting quick enough, truly, with with what we're seeing.
00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:22.799
Um, I went to the Natural Resources Committee down at the Capitol, and it turns out it was voluntary for these companies to submit their water usage.
00:32:23.279 --> 00:32:23.920
Voluntary.
00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:28.799
Voluntary feel like it, they can submit it.
00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:30.160
And if they don't, no big deal.
00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:36.160
Well, I think they said, Oh, they were supposed to submit it, but only 17% submitted it, but nothing came of it.
00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:37.599
So to me, that's voluntary.
00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:39.359
You know, we're in semantics now.
00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:49.519
And one last thing that I want to say about that is it, you know, when we get into education, we've seen um Houston ISD being taken over, we've got different campuses being taken over.
00:32:49.680 --> 00:33:07.039
Not only, you know, it was already bad enough that we were putting them in charters, you know, these other schools that did not have any of the things our public schools, you know, requirements have to have, but now they are pushing these AI schools, and you can see direct contributions into these politicians on all of these fronts.
00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:07.920
Yeah.
00:33:09.039 --> 00:33:16.880
And so again, with today being Indigenous People's Day, um, I just want to add this to the to this conversation.
00:33:17.279 --> 00:33:22.799
And the reason why we need to do these um studies to figure out what the impact of these data centers will be.
00:33:23.119 --> 00:33:27.839
I'm not anti umnovation is the word I use.
00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:33.440
I'm not anti-innovation at all, but we need to do things in a way that makes sense.
00:33:33.839 --> 00:33:36.880
So we need to understand the habitat loss.
00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:46.319
When we're talking about large acres of land, like when this wave passes, what is going to be the plan?
00:33:46.480 --> 00:33:53.759
And is it even possible to reclaim this land to be able to produce a food and to support the habitat like we should?
00:33:53.920 --> 00:33:57.599
So when we talk about the land, I'm also thinking about habitat loss.
00:33:58.079 --> 00:34:01.200
What happens to all the wildlife where I live right now?
00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:07.440
We used to have a lot more wildlife than I and we do now as more development has sprung up, right?
00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:17.599
Yes, people need a place to live, but it's also how we do things humanely, whether we're cutting down everything because of what happened to the the the uh the wildlife.
00:34:18.159 --> 00:34:18.800
Noise.
00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:27.119
I have talked to people who live in areas where they now have these data centers, and they say that noise is limiting.
00:34:27.679 --> 00:34:36.639
And for some of them who have pets, they're saying that it is completely disorienting their pets because it is a persistent noise.
00:34:36.800 --> 00:34:49.679
And research we know on wildlife shows that noise can interfere with communication, with finding prey, with being able to even detect predators, and it can impact reproduction.
00:34:50.639 --> 00:35:10.559
So again, we need to do these studies, which is why we can't rush into all of this, money or not, and this is why we need to vote Justin Early and Amelia Raybroker and Don Richardson and and uh let's just start from the the top of the ticket, Gina Hinajosa and Goodwin and James Talarico.
00:35:10.800 --> 00:35:15.360
Really, why you need to vote the Democratic ticket?
00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:18.079
Because at this time they are the ones fighting back.
00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:24.159
Now, YouTube, I understand that you're going to consider this is political content and you try to do the shadow bad.
00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:25.519
But guess what, y'all?
00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:30.000
If you keep liking and sharing, we can be to the shadow bad.
00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:32.639
Let's also think about nighttime lighting.
00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:43.280
And it disturbs nocturnal wildlife, right?
00:35:43.599 --> 00:35:51.760
And so these are things that if you all you're doing is just counting your dollars, you're not thinking about what is the long-term effect.
00:35:51.920 --> 00:35:55.360
And then finally, air pollution and the climate effect.
00:35:56.480 --> 00:36:11.760
And Donald Trump, whom I call the felony, a sexually adjudicated predator, um carrying out extrajudicial killings in in the Caribbean, has basically said, hey, I don't care what happens when I die.
00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:15.840
These are the kind of people who are currently in office.
00:36:16.159 --> 00:36:19.119
They are self-centered, they're self-efficient.
00:36:19.440 --> 00:36:25.679
And we the people who have the power to choose to have different kinds of leaders.
00:36:26.400 --> 00:36:35.519
All right, so Justin, coming back to you, one of the things that you said was um a pillar, if you will, of your platform was affordability.
00:36:35.840 --> 00:36:40.480
And there's something that I hear people talking about, it is affordability.
00:36:40.719 --> 00:36:46.480
Um, how much groceries cost, how much gas costs, people who use diesel are crying.
00:36:46.639 --> 00:36:48.880
Um, everything has gone up in costs.
00:36:49.119 --> 00:36:54.880
If you are elected into this position, how are you going to even begin to address this issue?
00:36:55.360 --> 00:36:56.320
Yeah, absolutely.
00:36:56.480 --> 00:36:59.119
So, you know, there's a few different areas and we can deal with this.
00:36:59.199 --> 00:37:05.119
And I had a conversation with a woman and two different people, two different stories, I'm gonna kind of talk both sides of them.
00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:10.639
So, first woman um had said it's got to be uh government fraud, waste, and abuse, that's the problem.
00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:16.159
And I argued, well, we do have a problem with fraud, waste, and abuse, and that was what was supposed to be handled in the Trump administration.
00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:18.559
That was one of the promises that he was going to fix.
00:37:18.639 --> 00:37:25.199
Um, so if that was done, then we need to go to step two, which is actually taxing what he was gonna fix or what he was going to implement.
00:37:25.440 --> 00:37:26.320
Just implement.
00:37:26.639 --> 00:37:28.880
Well, he was going to fix fraud, waste, and abuse.
00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:29.360
Right.
00:37:29.679 --> 00:37:32.159
Implementing it, you know, that's well, I'll keep it coming.
00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:37.039
It looks to me like we have more fraud and more waste and more abuse under him, but carry on.
00:37:37.280 --> 00:37:37.760
Correct.
00:37:37.920 --> 00:37:42.480
And the next step would then also be to tax billionaires appropriately, right?
00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:59.440
Um, one of the things I had stated is that um, you know, someone had said billionaires create jobs, and I argued back in saying that, you know, there are millionaires who create jobs, they own small businesses, they invest in their communities, but billionaires own whole corporations and whole you know sections of industry, right?
00:37:59.599 --> 00:38:02.719
And their whole role and goal is to minimize the amount of jobs they have.
00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:07.360
So they may have jobs, they may hold jobs, but they don't necessarily create jobs.
00:38:07.440 --> 00:38:11.760
But millionaires do create jobs, whether that be small businesses or medium-sized businesses.
00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:18.559
But the largest of the large in this United States of America are actually exploiting the smaller people, individuals all along the way.
00:38:18.639 --> 00:38:20.159
So they need to be taxed appropriately.
00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:24.079
Jeff Bezos drives more roads than I ever will with his company, Amazon.
00:38:24.159 --> 00:38:28.400
Um, Elon Musk pollutes more air than I ever will with his company, SpaceX.
00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:34.159
And so these corporations need to be taxed accordingly by the usage of our resources instead of relying on me.
00:38:34.320 --> 00:38:41.519
It frustrates me that I'm asked to turn off my lights when I leave a room, yet Taylor Swift or other billionaires can fly around the country in their private jets.
00:38:41.679 --> 00:38:42.800
Um, so that's number one.
00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:47.119
Number two is we need to roll back the big BS bill that was written and actually signed into law.
00:38:47.199 --> 00:38:50.880
Um, that took a lot of taxes away from the services that actually helped people get ahead.
00:38:50.960 --> 00:38:57.679
That's how we actually build more wealth in this country by providing people the necessary the needs that they have they need in order to get ahead.
00:38:57.840 --> 00:39:04.639
Um, we're we've seen cuts to health and human services, we've seen cuts to the HUD, so human and I'm sorry, housing and urban development.
00:39:04.800 --> 00:39:07.920
That's gonna cause more people on the streets, that's gonna cause more sick people.
00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:09.760
And we've seen cuts to the VA, right?
00:39:09.920 --> 00:39:18.880
We've told people, hey, give me a promise of of come and defend our country, and afterwards we'll take care of you and your ailments that caused you and that happened for you when you serve in the military.
00:39:19.119 --> 00:39:22.800
We're seeing them roll back on these promises, and that's actually how people get ahead.
00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:28.880
So we need to make sure we strengthen the things that make America better, that actually made America the superpower and the wonderful place that it was.
00:39:28.960 --> 00:39:32.400
And then the final thing we need to do is actually change the discourse of this country.
00:39:32.480 --> 00:39:37.679
We need to actually make sure we're providing for everybody because as the saying goes, a rising tide raises all boats.
00:39:37.840 --> 00:39:41.360
If we can actually provide for the least of us, we can provide for the most of us as well.
00:39:41.519 --> 00:39:50.559
So if we flip the model and actually invest in small businesses, invest in individuals and not these giant corporations, we can actually get ahead and actually make things more affordable for people.
00:39:51.199 --> 00:39:53.199
What a novel idea.
00:39:53.679 --> 00:40:01.599
What an absolutely novel idea that we can all live, not just a time minute, you know, group that everybody can do.
00:40:03.280 --> 00:40:03.440
Yes.
00:40:03.679 --> 00:40:08.960
Yes, I want to add one thing as we talk about data centers and affordability and the noise, pollution, all these things.
00:40:09.039 --> 00:40:13.039
You know, these billionaires who own these companies live nowhere near these data centers.
00:40:13.199 --> 00:40:15.519
Of course, they can afford to live anywhere else.
00:40:15.599 --> 00:40:24.960
But wherever we live, because I live in Georgetown, I'm here in a neighborhood, they will put data centers near them because we could not afford the money to say, I don't want that in my backyard.
00:40:25.119 --> 00:40:28.559
And so we're seeing this being squeezed on every single aspect around.
00:40:28.719 --> 00:40:35.039
And taxing these people appropriately, putting real regulations around these things that are happening, are only going to make everybody else better.
00:40:35.119 --> 00:40:37.440
And they don't want that because it hurts their bottom line.
00:40:37.519 --> 00:40:40.079
And the whole goal of them is to get more zeros behind their name.
00:40:40.159 --> 00:40:43.039
But we're just trying to eat and to live and to enjoy life.
00:40:43.440 --> 00:40:47.679
The same way they fight unions because they do not want people to have a good quality of life.
00:40:47.760 --> 00:40:48.239
Absolutely.
00:40:48.559 --> 00:40:49.199
Correct.
00:40:49.519 --> 00:40:50.719
How about you, Emily?
00:40:50.880 --> 00:40:56.400
I know that you talked about public education, and it has been heartbreaking for me as a mother of five.
00:40:56.559 --> 00:41:07.440
All my children have gone through the public education system to see how, in real time, again, record-breaking speed, that we are getting our public health system.
00:41:07.679 --> 00:41:16.400
Um, that voucher bill was just passed, just implemented, and already the comptroller is saying, Oh, we are going to need another two billion.
00:41:16.480 --> 00:41:18.639
And there's no end in sights here.
00:41:18.960 --> 00:41:23.519
Even though rural areas don't are really not being able to take advantage of this.
00:41:24.239 --> 00:41:30.400
What will you do in your capacity if you are voted into um this position?
00:41:30.559 --> 00:41:38.239
You become our representative for House District 55 in terms of addressing our very real needs in terms of education?
00:41:38.639 --> 00:41:49.119
Well, you know, we um we have not kept up with a basic allotment since 2019, and so that has continued to keep our schools in a deficit and squeeze and squeeze our schools.
00:41:49.280 --> 00:41:52.559
Now we know that was done on purpose in order to push these voucher bills.
00:41:53.199 --> 00:41:57.280
Hold one second, because for the average person, they're like, what are basic allotments?
00:41:57.360 --> 00:41:58.320
We don't know what that means.
00:41:58.400 --> 00:42:02.800
So what do you mean by we have not kept up with that basic allotment per student?
00:42:02.960 --> 00:42:06.159
And so just like anything else that has inflation, everything goes up.
00:42:06.320 --> 00:42:12.880
Your electricity bill, you know, teacher wages, you know, just like anything else, the inflation goes up.
00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:17.920
And so you're supposed to get more money per student over you know each year.
00:42:18.079 --> 00:42:26.239
And so because we stopped yes, we did not get any, we stopped giving basic allotments in, I believe, 2019.
00:42:26.639 --> 00:42:35.840
And so that really did a number on our public schools, and so of course, when you squeeze your public schools financially like that, it's gonna get somewhere.
00:42:36.000 --> 00:42:43.440
And so more and more people get you know upset with public education because public education isn't receiving the resources that it needs.
00:42:43.599 --> 00:42:49.840
And so when you create that kind of dynamic, it really justifies oh, well, this isn't a good school system.
00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:56.239
We've got to push this money towards vouchers and this idea of parent choice is is what they're calling it.
00:42:56.400 --> 00:43:00.800
Um, but it really is a way to siphon, even siphon further our public schools.
00:43:00.880 --> 00:43:04.639
And so, like you said, they're already wanting to increase it by a billion.
00:43:04.800 --> 00:43:13.760
They put a billion towards the voucher program, which 70% of the the kids already um were already in private schools.
00:43:13.920 --> 00:43:19.679
And so, really, we're just paying for that private education instead of pouring that into our public school system.
00:43:19.840 --> 00:43:26.159
I also would so I would want to get up with inflation and make sure we're getting what we're supposed to be getting.
00:43:26.480 --> 00:43:33.440
They recently added, um, they were saying, oh, we gave the teacher raises and we put X amount of dollars in public school.
00:43:33.599 --> 00:43:36.079
All they did was increase it for$55.
00:43:36.960 --> 00:43:41.440
But they're they kind of create, yes, created this chaos.
00:43:41.599 --> 00:43:43.840
And of course, now they're you know look like the heroes.
00:43:43.920 --> 00:43:44.960
Oh, look at all this money.
00:43:45.039 --> 00:43:55.039
Well, you withheld it, and that's why our our uh rainy day fund is at its cap, you know, because we've hoarded that money to fail our public schools.
00:43:55.199 --> 00:44:09.519
Another piece that they've done is required armed guards at every School and this massive security, but they did not, it was a mandate from the state, but they are not putting the funds into the schools to pay for that mandate.
00:44:09.679 --> 00:44:12.880
So who's paying for all of these armed guards and all of these things?
00:44:13.119 --> 00:44:15.280
Well, the school has to budget it somewhere.
00:44:15.360 --> 00:44:16.800
So you're further squeezing.
00:44:16.880 --> 00:44:20.960
I mean, that costs you counselors and aides and you know, all sorts of things.
00:44:21.119 --> 00:44:24.719
The last thing is to change from the attendance.
00:44:24.800 --> 00:44:31.360
Uh, you know, we are funded through attendance instead of enrollment, and that is uh is uh hurting us as well.
00:44:31.519 --> 00:44:48.320
So changing the way we get our funding, I would like to see an enrollment-based and making sure that we're keeping up with in uh with inflation and that allotment, and increasing the state to 50% of funding our public education funds.
00:44:48.800 --> 00:44:53.360
Um another piece, you know, we hear a lot about taxes at this local level.
00:44:53.679 --> 00:45:17.840
People love to point at our city council, and and listen, we all need, you know, uh oversight, you know, scrutiny and that kind of thing, but you can't scrutinize so much when you were when you have a state that is creating all of these mandates and all of these um exemptions and you know, and then go, oh, I mean, the money has to come from somewhere.
00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:21.440
And so the cities and the counties have to get creative.
00:45:21.519 --> 00:45:31.360
And so when they start new taxing entities, for instance, everyone goes, oh, look, they're raising our taxes, without looking with this, how the state is playing into that.
00:45:31.440 --> 00:45:40.400
And I think we need to hold our state uh legislators accountable for that piece and stop pinning it just on our local officials.
00:45:41.119 --> 00:45:41.840
Thank you very much.
00:45:42.000 --> 00:45:45.599
So we've got about 10 minutes, and I have three topics I want to cover with you guys.
00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:48.559
So we're gonna go to do rapid fire, but Justin, you had go ahead.
00:45:48.639 --> 00:45:49.440
No, go ahead, Justin.
00:45:49.760 --> 00:45:54.000
Oh, I was just gonna say really quick, Miss Uh Robarker and I we talk a lot, we're always different places together.
00:45:54.159 --> 00:46:06.079
And one of the things that, from my perspective, you know, people ask about what levels of government do what, the federal government promised that they would pay 40% of special needs education costs uh to the states, and today it's only 10%, if that.
00:46:06.239 --> 00:46:15.199
Um, one of the things we need to do is strengthen this um the target of education to actually bring up some of those costs and bring up, you know, so that burden is not on them so much uh of costs.
00:46:15.360 --> 00:46:25.599
The second thing is if we were to provide universal health care from the federal government perspective, look how much we would actually save at states and lower you know, governmental entities that don't have to worry about providing for that care.
00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:29.440
Um, these are things that we can actually do to actually strengthen everybody along the entire path.
00:46:29.679 --> 00:46:30.320
Most definitely.
00:46:31.199 --> 00:46:42.880
And of course, if states like Texas would actually take the Medicaid dollars or the dollars that are earmarked, we wouldn't be the states with the highest number of highest percentage of people who are on the, you know, have no health insurance, which is just ridiculous.
00:46:43.199 --> 00:46:47.119
And even people who don't have health insurance are still voting against their own interests.
00:46:47.280 --> 00:46:49.039
Okay, so rapid fire here.
00:46:49.440 --> 00:46:53.199
Both of you talked about democracy, our democracy being under attack.
00:46:53.679 --> 00:47:02.159
If you can quickly share your thoughts and ways that you are fighting back against all the things that are being done, or one or two of the things that are being done to erode our democracy.
00:47:02.239 --> 00:47:03.679
Um, we'll start with you, Justin.
00:47:04.000 --> 00:47:13.760
Yeah, so you know, we're seeing attacks on the First Amendment rights, you know, uh people are unable to protest in the streets and speak their word uh because the federal government is actually trying to suppress that.
00:47:13.840 --> 00:47:21.760
Um, we're seeing a pushback, or we're seeing an erosion of our Fourth Amendment rights, which is a legal search and seizure with the flock cameras and the mass surveillance that we're having right now.
00:47:21.840 --> 00:47:24.400
I talked about that with AI and how that just boosts that up.
00:47:24.480 --> 00:47:29.199
And we're also seeing an erosion of our Fifth Amendment rights, which is the um the due process clause, right?
00:47:29.280 --> 00:47:31.920
That is something we need to actually make sure we have and strengthen.
00:47:32.000 --> 00:47:43.440
Um, what I'm doing is actually talking as much as I can about this and just making sure my positions are solid because when I get into Congress, I'm with a group of people who are standing by each other saying we're gonna stand for democracy and we're actually gonna do what's right for people.
00:47:43.519 --> 00:47:54.480
Um, there's a huge movement in this country right now, especially amongst these young, first-time Democratic uh nominees, saying that when we get up there, we're gonna make a rapid change to what government looks like and it's gonna work for you.
00:47:54.880 --> 00:47:55.679
Thank you very much.
00:47:55.840 --> 00:47:57.039
How about you, Amelia?
00:47:57.360 --> 00:48:02.159
Well, yes, and this is, you know, when I started this, I am very much a civil rights advocate.
00:48:02.239 --> 00:48:03.679
That's really what brought me in.
00:48:03.760 --> 00:48:11.280
And especially when we're looking at religion, you know, the freedom of and from religion, and that we don't uh favor one religion.
00:48:11.360 --> 00:48:16.079
And we're seeing this throughout this danger of theocracy and white Christian nationalism.
00:48:16.239 --> 00:48:19.199
This is something I've been fighting against a really long time.
00:48:19.360 --> 00:48:28.000
Um, and you know, we've got different communities that are rightfully scared because just like First A Came, we are constant, you know, it's it's the same thing.
00:48:28.159 --> 00:48:30.400
We attack the most vulnerable groups.
00:48:30.639 --> 00:48:34.320
Your very first show, I talked about this, and this was how many years ago?
00:48:34.480 --> 00:48:37.679
And it was on trans rights because I kept, and it was then too.
00:48:37.840 --> 00:48:41.519
If you don't, if you lack humanity, at least know that you're gonna be next.
00:48:41.840 --> 00:48:51.440
And you know, you've got you know, trans people are your most vulnerable group, and of course, then you're immigrants, and like Justin said, we've got these vlog cameras, this evasion of privacy.
00:48:51.599 --> 00:48:53.360
We're in a police state.
00:48:53.599 --> 00:48:58.960
We've got um loans, you know, we've got laws that now we can pick up people just for looking Hispanic.
00:48:59.039 --> 00:49:04.480
There's no, you know, this lack of due process in these camps, which that's a whole nother corporate-owned situation.
00:49:04.639 --> 00:49:23.679
But again, it's so webbed out when you're looking in the infringement of our rights, along with the amount of money that are going into all of these industries to further infringe on our rights, um, and from the school system level to like the block cameras to no due process to and stating this idea of Christian nationalism.
00:49:23.840 --> 00:49:39.599
And right now, of course, we're looking at the attacks on the um on the Islamic community um with this idea of Sharia law and these and these wild scare tactics and red scares when when it's really Christian Christian nationalists that are trying to impose their religion on everybody, yeah.
00:49:39.920 --> 00:49:40.880
Most definitely.
00:49:41.119 --> 00:49:41.440
Yeah.
00:49:41.679 --> 00:49:43.199
All right, so next question.
00:49:43.360 --> 00:49:45.679
Um, Millie, I'm gonna start with you.
00:49:45.920 --> 00:49:48.400
What differentiates you from your opponent?
00:49:48.559 --> 00:49:53.280
Um, if you can do that in about 45 seconds to an hour, it's not an hour to a minute.
00:49:53.440 --> 00:49:57.119
Yes why why should people vote for you as opposed to your opponent?
00:49:57.440 --> 00:50:01.039
I am a very conscientious leader and I am a problem solver.
00:50:01.199 --> 00:50:02.239
I am innovative.
00:50:02.400 --> 00:50:05.280
I have lots of skill sets um when it comes to budgeting.
00:50:05.360 --> 00:50:06.559
I've owned my own business.
00:50:06.719 --> 00:50:08.320
I just I have a lot of skill sets.
00:50:08.400 --> 00:50:13.519
I'm community led um and not led by corporations and not led by our governor.
00:50:13.679 --> 00:50:26.000
Um, because you know, we can see who's pulling the strings, and when you, you know, when you own the have the purse strings, you know, you get pulled in different directions, and and I can honestly stand here for the people and be the true representation for people.
00:50:26.400 --> 00:50:27.039
Thank you very much.
00:50:27.199 --> 00:50:28.159
How about you, Justin?
00:50:28.320 --> 00:50:30.079
Why you versus your opponent?
00:50:30.400 --> 00:50:35.840
Yeah, you know, I don't want to talk about how I'm the better looking of the two, or how I'm the younger of the two, or how I'm the funnier of the two.
00:50:35.920 --> 00:50:36.639
I don't want to talk about that.
00:50:36.719 --> 00:50:38.320
I'm also the only veteran of the two.
00:50:38.480 --> 00:50:40.880
But I really think it's time for a change for people, right?
00:50:41.039 --> 00:50:42.960
I grew up in this district, this is my home.
00:50:43.119 --> 00:50:45.760
Um, I'm the only veteran in the race who understands what war is.
00:50:45.840 --> 00:50:46.719
And just like Dwight D.
00:50:46.800 --> 00:50:53.519
Eisenhower said, I hate war only as a soldier who has lived in Cannes, as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, and its stupidity.
00:50:53.679 --> 00:51:01.760
And for having a congressman who says he's a very pro-veteran, pro-uh-soldier congressman, he's doing everything in a rubber stamp and agree with this war in Iran.
00:51:02.880 --> 00:51:03.760
Thank you very much.
00:51:04.000 --> 00:51:06.320
All right, very important question.
00:51:06.800 --> 00:51:08.639
We've got, I've lost track.
00:51:08.800 --> 00:51:09.840
Do we know?
00:51:09.920 --> 00:51:17.440
I know we are what seven days away from so exactly a week from today, you can go and cast your ballot.
00:51:17.599 --> 00:51:22.800
Early voting starts on October 19th, and then November 3rd will be the general election.
00:51:23.760 --> 00:51:26.159
How do people get involved with your campaign?
00:51:26.320 --> 00:51:27.440
How do they find you?
00:51:27.599 --> 00:51:28.719
Do you need volunteers?
00:51:28.880 --> 00:51:30.639
Do you need um donations?
00:51:31.280 --> 00:51:34.159
What is your message to the voters right now?
00:51:34.320 --> 00:51:35.760
Justin, we'll start with you.
00:51:36.079 --> 00:51:39.039
Yeah, this is a consequential time in our history, right?
00:51:39.119 --> 00:51:42.480
Um, every generation is uh put with a test, and this is our test.
00:51:42.559 --> 00:51:46.079
Um, what we need for our campaign to finish out are donations, you know.
00:51:46.159 --> 00:51:51.039
But outside of donations, we would love your time, your talent, because we need people to understand where they can go and vote.
00:51:51.119 --> 00:51:51.920
We need help with that.
00:51:52.000 --> 00:51:58.159
We need what's called poll greeters to let people know who they can vote for at the polls, and we also are running a program to get people to the polls.
00:51:58.320 --> 00:52:04.559
So, as this is, like I said, the most consequential election in our generation, we need to get as many people out to vote as we can because that is your power.
00:52:04.719 --> 00:52:07.519
We want to make sure people exercise it as soon as they can.
00:52:07.840 --> 00:52:08.320
Thank you.
00:52:08.400 --> 00:52:09.519
And you, Amelia?
00:52:09.920 --> 00:52:14.239
Um, just like he said, this is the most important um election of our lifetime.
00:52:14.400 --> 00:52:16.800
So, you know, making sure that we're getting out the vote.
00:52:16.960 --> 00:52:18.639
Of course, donations are huge.
00:52:18.800 --> 00:52:28.320
They're always going to be the biggest thing we need because unfortunately, we've got to get our name out there and that costs money, whether that be mailers or digital ads or billboards.
00:52:28.400 --> 00:52:30.079
I mean, we have to get our name in front of people.
00:52:30.159 --> 00:52:31.599
And so a lot of people don't realize that.
00:52:31.760 --> 00:52:33.199
We also have to support our staff.
00:52:33.360 --> 00:52:37.199
We have people working very hard for us every day, but they've got to make a living too.
00:52:37.280 --> 00:52:39.679
And so, you know, we've got costs that we incur.
00:52:39.760 --> 00:52:41.280
It's just like, you know, a business.
00:52:41.360 --> 00:52:46.719
You know, we've we've got to let them know about who we are, what we're about, make sure that our staff is paid.
00:52:46.880 --> 00:53:05.920
But yes, like you said, we definitely need donate uh volunteers as well, door knockers, phone bankers, any which way we can we can get our name out there and um and of course get people to the polls, make sure people are doing their relational voting, bringing 10 people to the polls, making sure everyone has a voting plan, getting there early.
00:53:06.639 --> 00:53:08.880
So, how again can people find you?
00:53:08.960 --> 00:53:10.639
Um, let's start with you, Justin.
00:53:10.800 --> 00:53:16.400
If they need more information on you, if they want to get involved with your campaign, if they want to give to your campaign, where do they go?
00:53:16.719 --> 00:53:17.280
Absolutely.
00:53:17.440 --> 00:53:24.960
Uh, my website again is votejustinearly.com, V-O-T-E-J-U-S-T-I-N-E-A-R-L-Y dot com.
00:53:25.119 --> 00:53:27.760
And on there, there is a donation link, you know, if you're so needed.
00:53:27.840 --> 00:53:32.159
There's also an events link that shows you all the events we're doing, and most of those events are volunteer events.
00:53:32.239 --> 00:53:36.000
Um, we do block walks, you know, five times each each Saturday and Sunday.
00:53:36.079 --> 00:53:37.599
Um, we have them throughout the week as well.
00:53:37.760 --> 00:53:43.440
And, you know, we would love to get you out here and work with us because this is our time and we can make an absolute change here.
00:53:44.000 --> 00:53:45.199
And how about you, Amelia?
00:53:45.280 --> 00:53:45.679
Where can you do that?
00:53:45.920 --> 00:53:46.480
Most definitely.
00:53:46.639 --> 00:53:50.480
So, yes, you can um go to my website, Ameliafortexas.com.
00:53:50.559 --> 00:53:52.480
That is the same way for my social media sites.
00:53:52.559 --> 00:53:54.079
It's Amelia for Texas.
00:53:54.159 --> 00:53:55.920
Um, there are all sorts of links there.
00:53:56.000 --> 00:53:58.559
You and I'm very, very clear about my issues.
00:53:58.639 --> 00:54:00.639
I will say that's unlike my opponent as well.
00:54:00.800 --> 00:54:05.039
You know, there's a lot of dancing around, but mine are very, very clear and spelled out.
00:54:05.119 --> 00:54:06.320
But I'm also approachable.
00:54:06.400 --> 00:54:13.280
And I, you know, if you want to send me an email or, you know, there's a link also to sign up to volunteer and to donate on my website.
00:54:13.760 --> 00:54:19.920
And so, in terms of your social handles, because one of the very basic things people can do is just amplify your voices when you're posting.
00:54:20.239 --> 00:54:22.239
Social handles, you said Amelia for Texas.
00:54:22.559 --> 00:54:24.320
That's how they find you on every platform.
00:54:25.119 --> 00:54:25.920
On every platform.
00:54:26.719 --> 00:54:28.559
Yeah, mine is vote just and early.
00:54:28.639 --> 00:54:30.880
Everything is at vote just and early.
00:54:31.440 --> 00:54:32.000
All right.
00:54:32.320 --> 00:54:43.360
So, for all our listeners, whether you are in Central Texas, whether these are representative people that you can vote for, or you're in a different community, it's imperative that we all take this election seriously.
00:54:43.599 --> 00:54:52.880
We do our part, that we call on other people and we get everybody that we can involve because we get to choose whether our voice is going to be silent or heard.
00:54:53.119 --> 00:54:55.360
I want to thank you both for joining me today.
00:54:55.599 --> 00:55:01.280
And I certainly wish you luck, not just on your behalf, but on all our behalf in this election.
00:55:01.440 --> 00:55:02.559
Thank you so much for joining us.
00:55:02.960 --> 00:55:03.199
Thank you.