Episode 92
Episode 92: Wichita Falls Showdown: Sam Pack vs. Austin Cobb
The latest episode of *Get It Right Texoma* features an insightful discussion with local city council candidates Sam Pack and Austin Cobb as they navigate the upcoming runoff election for the at-large position. With less than 200 votes separating them from the previous election, both candidates share their visions for the future of Wichita Falls, emphasizing the need for economic development and community engagement. The conversation also delves into the importance of local businesses and the role they play in shaping the city’s economy. The hosts, Mike Hendren, Terry McAdams, and Trey Sralla, guide the dialogue with their trademark casual banter, ensuring a lively yet informative atmosphere throughout.
In addition to the political discourse, the episode highlights the local dining scene, featuring Samurai of Tokyo, a beloved Japanese restaurant known for its delectable hibachi dishes and addictive fried rice. The hosts discuss their personal experiences with the restaurant, adding a touch of culinary insight to the political discussions. Overall, this episode encapsulates the spirit of *Get It Right Texoma*, blending local politics with community highlights and engaging conversations that resonate with the Wichita Falls audience.
Takeaways:
- The discussion centered around the importance of local elections and community involvement, emphasizing the significance of voting in the upcoming runoff election for city council.
- Sam Pack and Austin Cobb, two candidates vying for the city council at large, shared their insights on community development and economic growth in Wichita Falls.
- The podcast highlighted the necessity of growing the population and tax base in Wichita Falls, addressing the local economy's challenges and opportunities.
- Listeners were encouraged to support local businesses and restaurants, such as Samurai of Tokyo, which was featured for its exceptional fried rice and sushi offerings during the episode.
- The hosts discussed the evolving dynamics in local service clubs, such as the Optimist Club, and the impact of declining memberships on community initiatives and fundraising efforts.
- The episode concluded with a call to action for listeners to engage with local events and initiatives, fostering a sense of community and local pride.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- SpaceX
- Elon Musk
- Trump
- Ronny Jackson
- Ted Cruz
- Austin Cobb
- Sam Pack
Transcript
You make this rather snappy, won't you?
Speaker B: y heavy thinking to do before: Speaker B:Hey, welcome to another episode of Get It Right Texoma with the trio Mike, Terry and Trey.
Speaker B:Thank you so much for being with us.
Speaker B:We appreciate it.
Speaker B:We get together here to entertain, inform and educate you and hopefully enlighten you in some, some way with local news events and information and things of, you know, regional, state, national, international, intergalactic interest, whatever.
Speaker B:Speaking of intergalactic, by the way, just, I want to throw this in here real quick.
Speaker B:Elon Musk is doing successful launch after successful launch after successful launch of SpaceX.
Speaker B:It has become routine.
Speaker B:I watched a video the other day.
Speaker B:He and Trump and a bunch of other dignitaries.
Speaker A:Ronny Jackson was right there behind Trump.
Speaker B:Yes, he was.
Speaker A:Ted Cruz was right next to him.
Speaker B:Watching this latest launch.
Speaker B:At this point, I'm going to say it.
Speaker B:SpaceX is the future of space exploration for the world.
Speaker A:Oh, sure.
Speaker B:And not just this country, because what.
Speaker A:They'Re doing also what that, what that launched the other day, they were working on recovering.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:And that's, that's the whole point behind it.
Speaker A:You can't just blow and go, okay, we use this $20 million piece and now it's throw it away.
Speaker A:It's pile of shit.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:It falls under the end of the ocean.
Speaker B:It's gone.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:No, now it's, it's, it's going to fall into the ocean or we're going to try to catch it with the chopsticks.
Speaker A:That didn't happen.
Speaker A:But they did fell in the ocean and then they went, sent out a boat to recover it.
Speaker A:So that's the whole thing.
Speaker A:That's the new key is recoverable stuff.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And I think they're, it looks like they really are perfecting this.
Speaker B:Oh yeah, and they will, they're getting, they're getting this now down to a science, literally and figuratively.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:And it's, it's looking, I think it's looking good for the world to benefit from what SpaceX is doing here.
Speaker B:Obviously, I think that's really Elon Musk's aim.
Speaker B:He seems to be doing it better than anybody else can at this point.
Speaker A:And then you, but you have Bezos, you have some other people that are in the game as well.
Speaker B:You do.
Speaker A:But that's good though.
Speaker A:It's competition.
Speaker B:Oh, sure.
Speaker A:So yeah, it's competition.
Speaker A:It'll be great.
Speaker A:You get these rich, ultra rich guys and get them something to do and space is the next thing.
Speaker A:Hey, by the way, we have an empty chair here.
Speaker B:We do.
Speaker A:So we do have a guest.
Speaker A:We actually have two guests coming up.
Speaker B:We do.
Speaker A:We have our the two candidates left in the city council race for the city council at large, Wichita Falls.
Speaker A:Sam Pack and Austin Cobb will come in.
Speaker A:They're going to have a runoff election coming up and we'll talk about all that.
Speaker A:We'll interview Sam, then we'll interview Austin and then stay tuned at the very end there.
Speaker A:Terry, Terry.
Speaker A:Terry has a face off.
Speaker A:He's got.
Speaker A:Got a special thing with the two guys there.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:The one thing I will say about these two, they're both, they're both very skilled people.
Speaker A:They're both very qualified people.
Speaker A:So whoever you vote for, you're going to be voting for a good candidate.
Speaker A:I like both of them personally and I think both of them would do a great job.
Speaker A:And I'm going to make prediction.
Speaker A:By the way, my political predictions are usually pretty good.
Speaker A:I predict that Austin Cobb and Sampac will both be on the City Council at some point.
Speaker A:They may not be on the city council at the same time but.
Speaker A:And I don't know who's going to get it this time and who's going to be next time.
Speaker A:But they live in different districts.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:So not only is it the at large but they have so they each have opportunities to run.
Speaker A:Otherwise and it may be 10 years from now, I don't know.
Speaker A:But at some point I believe that Austin Cobb and Sam Pack will be on the City Council.
Speaker B:I, I think you're absolutely right.
Speaker B:We got a few things happening around the area.
Speaker B:Let's talk about here the City Lights parades coming up on December 21st, 7pm it's going to start 8th in Austin, downtown Wichita Falls.
Speaker B:It winds through the heart of downtown up Ohio, the nice street and then up to Bluff.
Speaker B:Pretty good, pretty good footprint there for that parade.
Speaker B:Lots of great places.
Speaker B:You can view it from anywhere you stand.
Speaker B:You're going to have a good view.
Speaker A:And this has been a massive parade.
Speaker A:I haven't been there the last couple of years.
Speaker A:My kids aren't involved anymore and stuff.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:But I've heard it's a.
Speaker A:Turned out to be a really good parade.
Speaker A:Yeah, it used to be a huge parade.
Speaker B:It's been very large in the past and I think it still is and hopefully everybody can turn out for it again.
Speaker B:It's going to be the 21st 7pm I would advise getting there at least by 6.
Speaker A:Oh yeah.
Speaker B:For parking purposes.
Speaker B:And also make sure you get you a good spot.
Speaker A:Good spot.
Speaker B:There's gonna be vendors.
Speaker B:There's gonna be some things to take advantage of.
Speaker B:There'll be some businesses open that you can visit while you're down there, while you're waiting for the parade to start.
Speaker B:So it's not like you're just gonna be standing around.
Speaker B:There are things to do while you're there.
Speaker B:But I would advise getting there at least by 6.
Speaker B:If not, maybe even 5, 30.
Speaker B:And give yourself good position.
Speaker A:Visit some of our downtown vendors down there.
Speaker A:Because there's a lot of people downtown.
Speaker A:There's a lot of neat things going on downtown.
Speaker B:Sure are.
Speaker A:If you don't get.
Speaker A:If you don't go downtown, Wichita Falls, make a point.
Speaker A:Go downtown and see what's going on.
Speaker A:There's a lot of things going on downtown.
Speaker B:I really get irritated when I hear people say, oh, downtown, Wichita Falls is dead.
Speaker B:No, it's not dead.
Speaker A:In 20 years, when Trey and I.
Speaker B:Were in high school, downtown was dead.
Speaker A:Absolutely dead.
Speaker B:I mean, it was.
Speaker B:It was barely on.
Speaker A:Life looks like zombie land down there at about 2 o'clock in the morning.
Speaker A:Yeah, well, it was sketchy.
Speaker B:The last retailer down there at the end during that era was Sears.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B: They left in: Speaker B:And then from that point forward for several years, you could fire a cannon off down Scott Avenue and you wouldn't hit anybody.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Like I said.
Speaker A:Except for the zombies.
Speaker B:Yeah, except for the zombies.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And the drunks leaving the bar.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So, I mean, you really.
Speaker B:But today it's a totally different atmosphere.
Speaker B:It's a totally different vibe.
Speaker B:It's a totally different downtown.
Speaker B:It really is.
Speaker B:It's improving a little bit all the time.
Speaker B:And there's a lot of people that are investing money in buildings down there and businesses down there.
Speaker B:But in order to keep those things viable and moving forward, they need your support, Wichita Falls.
Speaker B:They need your money and the rest of the surrounding communities too.
Speaker B:You know, we need everybody else to show up.
Speaker B:You know, I've said it before.
Speaker B:I'm going to say it again.
Speaker B:I've said to the two guys that are going to join us on this show today, as Wichita Falls goes, the rest of the area communities go.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker B:If Wichita Falls is succeeding, everyone else is benefiting from it.
Speaker B:Everyone.
Speaker B:So it's.
Speaker B:It's to the mutual benefit of every community within 25 miles of us, if not more, to make a driving to make sure that Wichita successful.
Speaker C:I was going to say, is that just an example of.
Speaker C:Of.
Speaker C:I guess it's kind of a growth we have.
Speaker C:We had one farmer's market and through however it happened, a little bit of conflict.
Speaker C:But you know what?
Speaker C:It actually turns out.
Speaker C:It could be a positive or it's turning out.
Speaker C:There's two now.
Speaker C:So that's, I mean, just a sample of things that can happen that get better.
Speaker B:Both are downtown.
Speaker A:But like you said though, Mike, I mean, the three of us, none of us live in Wichita Falls.
Speaker A:No, we work in Wichita Falls.
Speaker A:We're in Wichita Falls every day.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:But we don't live here.
Speaker A:And that's.
Speaker A:That happens because you do have people who want to live in Wichita Falls, but then you have people who, like Terry and I want to live out in the country or like Mike that wants to live in a little bit smaller community.
Speaker A:But you still have Wichita Falls.
Speaker A:If Wichita Falls is successful, it'll still draw people to the area.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:They may live in Electra, they may live in Henrietta, they may live out in the country, they may live in Burke Burnett Iowa park, but they come to work in Wichita Falls.
Speaker A:This is where they make their living.
Speaker A:So, yeah, you're right.
Speaker A:It's success in Wichita Falls breed success everywhere.
Speaker B:We, we try to focus on a local restaurant.
Speaker B:Every time we do this, this program, we try to focus on a locally owned, family owned restaurant.
Speaker A:Hungry right now.
Speaker B:Thinking about this, y'all, and this, this particular episode we're going to talk about Samurai of Tokyo.
Speaker A:I, I don't know the recipe for the rice.
Speaker B:I don't either.
Speaker A:I know almost nobody who tells me who says that they have found better rice fried rice somewhere.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, it is like crack.
Speaker A:That stuff is.
Speaker A:So, I mean, you think I'm just going to eat a small bowl of it?
Speaker A:No, you could eat it all day.
Speaker A:I mean.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:Well, we just went there Tuesday, I think it was.
Speaker C:So I'm.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:You're familiar with it recently?
Speaker C:Oh, yes.
Speaker C:And, and the thing is they have a special and they, it's.
Speaker C:It's surf and turf every other week that they go through a cycle every four weeks.
Speaker C:And it's.
Speaker C:They do a special one week this week.
Speaker A:Hibachi beef.
Speaker A:Hibachi chicken.
Speaker C:This week it's fish.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:And then.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So then it's.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So it's.
Speaker C:It alternates between shrimp and beef and chicken and, and fish.
Speaker C:So there you go.
Speaker C:So that's 10 bucks or I guess.
Speaker A:It depends on lunchtime.
Speaker C:Yeah, lunch.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And the nice thing is if you go to lunchtime, you don't get quite as big a show, but the food is the same.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:And all that.
Speaker A:So it's but it's fun to sit there and you sit family style.
Speaker C:So you kind of sit somebody.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You talk to people.
Speaker A:It's pretty cool.
Speaker B:And they, they've got a pretty good sushi selection too.
Speaker C:Yes, I would know.
Speaker A:I'll take your word for it.
Speaker B:Not a huge sushi fan, but I do like theirs.
Speaker B:They, they do some good stuff.
Speaker A:I've never eaten sushi and I will never try sushi.
Speaker A:I have no desire to try sushi.
Speaker C:I just don't want to do the raw fish.
Speaker B:Oh, no, no.
Speaker B:I don't do the raw.
Speaker B:I didn't cook.
Speaker A:No, no, no desire, no desire to try it.
Speaker A:But if you like sushi, you're right.
Speaker A:They have a big sushi place there.
Speaker A:There's a lot going on.
Speaker B:It's like a little meal in a circle.
Speaker A:But, but it's a, it is a really, it's a top notch environment restaurant.
Speaker A:Good people that.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, run the place.
Speaker A:Very friendly.
Speaker A:The everybody's.
Speaker A:The food is great and like you said, the atmosphere is kind of cool.
Speaker A:Now you are going to smell like it when you walk out.
Speaker A:If you go, everybody knows you've been to Samurai for lunch.
Speaker B:Dogs will follow you.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But here's a hot tip, guys.
Speaker A:Get your, get your special.
Speaker A:Get your rice.
Speaker A:Get an extra fried rice to go because that stuff warms up.
Speaker A:And when you get home.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Just a little pat of butter.
Speaker A:Don't put margarine, by the way, quit using margarine.
Speaker A:Do you realize that margarine, butter, margarine is one.
Speaker A:Are two little components away from plastic.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, it really is.
Speaker B:It is.
Speaker A:So, so use real butter.
Speaker A:Put it in a pan.
Speaker A:Butter's good for you, by the way.
Speaker A:Butter fat is good for you.
Speaker A:Says a fat guy.
Speaker A:Put it in the pan and warm it up in there and it's.
Speaker A:Oh, it brings the flavor right back.
Speaker A:It's awesome.
Speaker C:Well, it's their sauce too.
Speaker C:There's some.
Speaker C:That's a secret sauce.
Speaker A:Mushroom sauce is what they call it.
Speaker C:Oh, that's mushroom.
Speaker A:They call it a mushroom sauce.
Speaker C:Well, see, I've heard it called.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:Anyway.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:It's good.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Oh, it's good.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And now I learned this from a buddy of ours.
Speaker C:Well, I think you know him, Max.
Speaker C:Whenever we, he was working for us for a while, we would go to Samurai.
Speaker C:He takes his rice and he puts it upside down on the plate and then eats out of it.
Speaker C:That's what I do now.
Speaker C:Because it keeps it hot.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:It's upside down.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:And you take it and you mix in.
Speaker C:If you want to put some of the sauce, you put it over and it keeps it hot.
Speaker C:While they're making your food, go check them out.
Speaker A:Samurai Tokyo.
Speaker A:They're on Mallard.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:2518 Mallard Drive.
Speaker C:It's actually.
Speaker C:They're right off of camp, right?
Speaker C:Yeah, right off camp.
Speaker C:And it nake calls moved in right next door.
Speaker C: And they've got a little: Speaker C:But anyway, so.
Speaker C:But yeah, right there.
Speaker C:Plenty of parking.
Speaker C:It can get busy, though, at lunch.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:On the holidays.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker C:When people are coming back from college.
Speaker A:The nice thing is, well, they do have takeout, so you could call in and go.
Speaker A:Go pick it up and take it home.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:But if you're gonna go.
Speaker B:If you're gonna go at lunchtime or you're gonna go on a weekend around the lunch hour, you can expect a little bit of a wait, you know, 15 to 12, 20 minutes maybe.
Speaker C:That's not bad.
Speaker C:They get them through there.
Speaker A:Samurai Tokyo.
Speaker A:Check that out.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:All right, we're gonna take a break here.
Speaker B:When we come back, Sam Pack is gonna join us.
Speaker B:Austin Cobb's gonna join us after that.
Speaker B:Both of these guys are in a runoff election for Wichita Falls city councilor at large.
Speaker B:Less than 200 votes separated them in the election, and early voting for the runoff is coming up.
Speaker B:We'll talk about that and we'll visit with both candidates here in just a few seconds on Get It Right Texoma.
Speaker B:Stay tuned.
Speaker B:Hey, welcome back to Get It Right Tech Soma with trio Mike, Terry and Trey.
Speaker B:And as promised, our first guest of the day.
Speaker B:We got two guests coming today, but our first guest today is Sam Pack.
Speaker A:We're guest poor today.
Speaker A:We're awash with guests.
Speaker B:We are awash.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Awash.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:If you have a lot of stuff, they say you're, you know, you're something wash.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Well, yeah, Okay.
Speaker B:I guess we.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Oh, that's.
Speaker B:Guess that's one way to look at it.
Speaker B:Okay, so we're guest poor today.
Speaker B:Sam is a local businessman, and he's also currently a candidate for Wichita Falls City Council at large.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker D:Correct.
Speaker B:And you're in a runoff now you.
Speaker B:So we had.
Speaker B:We had the regular election came down to a runoff between you and Austin.
Speaker A:Cobb, and it was a real close election.
Speaker A:What was the difference in votes?
Speaker D:It's a little under 200.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker A:Citywide.
Speaker A:And this is at large, so it's everybody in the city who's a registered voter.
Speaker A:In the city of Wichita Falls is eligible.
Speaker C:What were the number of votes that.
Speaker C:Other than you and Austin.
Speaker A:Yeah, it was, like, two.
Speaker A:Over 2,000.
Speaker D:So.
Speaker D:Okay, so, no, so I had 9,900.
Speaker D:He had like, 9,700.
Speaker D:And then Larry Nelson had, like 5,000.
Speaker D:500.
Speaker A:O.
Speaker A:5,000.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker C:So there's.
Speaker C:So y'all gotta fight for those, basically.
Speaker D:Well, Larry's already, like.
Speaker D:He called me that night, endorsed me that night, did a video for me the next day.
Speaker D:And I think that's a really big testimony about who I am, because last year, I ran against Kevin Hunter.
Speaker D:He's endorsing me.
Speaker D:I ran against Larry Nelson, and he's endorsing me.
Speaker D:You know, if you guys know Gary Silverman, he's been a.
Speaker D:He's also a financial advisor, and he's been, I guess, my competition for the last 24 years, and he's endorsed me.
Speaker D:So I think what that says is people who really get to know me, know my character, go, look, you know, I know who Sam is.
Speaker D:I know he's gonna do the right thing.
Speaker D:I'm gonna endorse him.
Speaker D:So he, like, immediately called me that night and said, sam, I'm ready to help support you.
Speaker C:You're getting better at as.
Speaker C:Cause, you know, I know that's not comfortable for you to really promote yourself and.
Speaker C:But you're getting better and more confident, which is great.
Speaker A:The good news is, once this is over, you don't have to do that.
Speaker A:Yeah, seriously.
Speaker A:No, once you get there, you don't have to worry about promoting yourself.
Speaker A:Any stuff like that.
Speaker B:Well, and the interesting thing here is, is you haven't spent any money on this.
Speaker B:I mean, you've not dumped thousands of dollars into a campaign.
Speaker D:So the rules are, as long as you spend less than $1,080, then you don't have to do a campaign finance report.
Speaker D:Year to date, I spent $797.87 a day, and I did that out of my own money.
Speaker D:And almost all.
Speaker A:Could you get more specific, please?
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:I spent, like, 150 bucks on cards.
Speaker D:I spent, like, 120 bucks on three T shirts.
Speaker D:Like, they're pretty expensive when you have small bulk.
Speaker D:And then the rest of it was just Facebook advertising.
Speaker A:Beyonce, Jay z, and then $1 million on Oprah.
Speaker D:No, but it's all been just Facebook because, you know, I don't have the money.
Speaker D:I don't even have a website.
Speaker D:I don't have any TV advertisements.
Speaker D:I don't have any yard signs.
Speaker D:And what's really been amazing Is people have been coming up to me going, sam, we really want to donate to your campaign.
Speaker D:And I've said it from the very beginning, I'm taking no money, Please give it to a nonprofit.
Speaker D:I know there's money that's been given to the community foundation, money that's been given to the food bank and other organizations because I said I'd just rather you give that money to something that's going to be a worthy cause.
Speaker D:Because if I lose, then at least the community still wins.
Speaker D:And I don't, I really don't want anyone to even have an inkling of an idea that I owe anyone any favors.
Speaker D:I'm not saying that my opponent owes anyone any favors, but we all know that on a national level, special interests and lobbyists and PACs, they tend to have the ear of our elected officials.
Speaker D:And I think that's wrong.
Speaker A:And that's a, that's a, that's a whole other.
Speaker A:We don't have time, we don't want to take your time to do that one today.
Speaker A:But we've talked about that ad nauseam.
Speaker A:Limiting lobbyists and limiting term limits and stuff like that, which we are term limited in Wichita Falls.
Speaker A:Okay, so.
Speaker A:So you're explain to everybody what position you're actually running for.
Speaker A:Just so everybody's on the same page.
Speaker D:So at large is the entire city.
Speaker D:So anyone in Wichita Falls can vote for me.
Speaker D:My position, my main position is economic development.
Speaker D:So I'm a financial advisor for 23 years.
Speaker D:My award winning financial advisor.
Speaker D:And so what I actually do for a living is go, okay, what are our assets?
Speaker D:What are incomes or liabilities?
Speaker D:What are our future goals?
Speaker D:What do we need to do to get there?
Speaker D:And what kind of rate of return do we need?
Speaker D:What kind of tools do we have to make that happen?
Speaker D:How do we look at taxes?
Speaker D:How do we look at inflation?
Speaker D:My job is to analyze people's and businesses assets and do financial plan.
Speaker D:So I kind of wrote, I did write one for the city.
Speaker D:I don't think there's ever been a city councilor or anyone who's ever run for any kind of city council position who's written a financial plan for the city.
Speaker D:Can you guys think of one?
Speaker A:No, not aware of one.
Speaker D:So I've written one and said, look, and I may be wrong.
Speaker D:And I tell people all the time, I may be wrong, but at least I'm addressing the issues and I have a solution for them.
Speaker D:If you have a better way to build a better mousetrap, please call me.
Speaker D:I'm Willing to listen.
Speaker C:Yeah, but at least you have, you have a structure of a plan that you can bring to the table and then maybe work on it.
Speaker A:You know, you're not 180 degrees off.
Speaker A:I mean, you may be off a little bit here.
Speaker A:And that is part of it is.
Speaker A:And I've told people this before, when you become an elected official, there's a lot of things you don't know.
Speaker A:You don't know what you don't know until you don't.
Speaker A:Till you know it.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:And there's a lot of things you think and you, you have guess and you're very involved and keyed in as much as anybody is.
Speaker A:But there's still things that have to do with nuances and things like that that you won't understand.
Speaker C:But, but also structure.
Speaker C:Right, but it's the same thing in a.
Speaker C:When you're advising a client.
Speaker C:It's.
Speaker C:It's what.
Speaker C:We're starting with a plan, and we make adjustments along the way.
Speaker C:And you may real figure out real quickly, oh, wait a minute, let's.
Speaker C:Let's change that.
Speaker C:And then, so most of my clients.
Speaker D:I mean, at least, at minimum, at least once a year, because we know that tax laws changes, you know, the economy changes.
Speaker D:We know things can change.
Speaker D:We sit down or the job changes, or they get another family member or someone dies.
Speaker D:We have to make those adjustments on the move.
Speaker D:But planning to me is like saying, hey, I want to go on a trip to New York.
Speaker D:Some people go, okay, I'm going to get in a car, truck driving.
Speaker D:My job as a financial planner is going, okay, I've been to New York a million times and back for a bunch of other people.
Speaker D:I can tell you the best routes.
Speaker D:I can tell you where to get gas.
Speaker D:I can tell you where to take a break.
Speaker D:I can.
Speaker D:I can tell you the easiest way to get there and make sure that your tires are aired up and your car is in working order before you leave.
Speaker D:And to me, like, people who just do stuff are just people who just like, get in a car and go, oh, I'm just going to go do this.
Speaker D:Like, there's got to be planning in everything that you do.
Speaker B:How do you, based on what you've witnessed, examined, looked at, what is your assessment right now of the financial health of the city of Wichita Falls?
Speaker B:I mean, do you think it's in a reasonable place?
Speaker B:I mean, you come up with a plan, so obviously you think there's some tweaks that can be made.
Speaker B:They didn't need to be made.
Speaker D:So there's a couple of things.
Speaker D:We have a couple of obligations that are coming, coming due.
Speaker D:And so if you look at our chart, our net cash flow is supposed to increase because our obligations are going down.
Speaker D:But that doesn't, that uses a metric that we're currently at with sales taxes.
Speaker D:Okay, our sales taxes.
Speaker D:We've had a bit big windfall for the last three years because of inflation.
Speaker D:If we continue that, then yes, that looks good.
Speaker A:Which we don't want to continue that.
Speaker A:As far as the inflation part.
Speaker D:Exactly.
Speaker D:I mean, I highly doubt we're going to have 23% inflation over the next three years like we did the last three years before.
Speaker D:It's going to be.
Speaker D:We cannot sustain yourself as a, as economy, as an economy or as a country.
Speaker D:So if we can, we can normalize our like around $34 million in sales tax revenue.
Speaker D:If we can kind of keep that as our benchmark, then yes, we should have some, some wiggle room in the future because of some of the obligations coming up.
Speaker D:But that doesn't mean, and let's be very, very frank, I 100% expect people on city council to want to do other projects which may be good or not, I don't know yet because there may be some other projects that come up.
Speaker D:And I'm a big fan of capital investments with a good rate of return.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:If we can put money in to get jobs, to get 200 jobs that pay $100,000, let's do it.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker D:If we're putting in $5 million to get minimum wage paying jobs, let's not do it.
Speaker D:And we've done that in the past.
Speaker D:And what is that old?
Speaker D:It's a food line over there.
Speaker D:It's been a call center and it keeps rotating.
Speaker A:It's nothing now.
Speaker A:I think it's empty now, but yeah.
Speaker D:But for years we just kept giving money to the same thing over same kind of company and was paying minimum wage and no one there.
Speaker D:Every, almost every single person there was either below poverty levels or working two jobs.
Speaker C:Well, on that note, there's a guy out of Dallas I think that bought the building and is wanting to turn into a data center and he's hoping to do more.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:But of course, you know, there's not many bodies there.
Speaker A:Kitchens address that a little bit too though.
Speaker A:That was kind of replying.
Speaker A:I mean, yes, somebody has bought the building and he said that, but it has been a big headline and a splash and that's it.
Speaker D:So the other thing that I've been Being tagged about, talking about the state of the economy.
Speaker D:The newspaper quoted me saying, no, I wouldn't have done the raises.
Speaker D:The answer is I would have done the raises.
Speaker D:Not the way they did it.
Speaker D:They sat down.
Speaker D:The city council sat down and kind of revised the budget within a couple months because they wanted to push all the stuff through.
Speaker D:And I get that.
Speaker D:But they should have, they should have done planning for the last year before and go, hey, what do we need to do?
Speaker D:How do we make things more efficient and how do we make sure that everyone gets raises?
Speaker D:Because as much as we like, and I'm a huge fan of the firing police, I think people get that wrong.
Speaker D:And last night Austin wrote, sam doesn't support our first responders or fire police.
Speaker D:I'm like, I've been supporter for over 10 years.
Speaker D:I've donated money and gift cards and, like, served food with them.
Speaker D:And so I'm not sure where this dialogue, this narrative is coming from.
Speaker D:Like, I don't support the police officers.
Speaker D:I 100% do.
Speaker D:For the last two years, you can even ask the chiefs of police and the chief of the fire.
Speaker D:I've sat down with them with hours and said, how do we do?
Speaker D:How do we improve?
Speaker D:What are the things that you need and how can we accomplish those things?
Speaker D:But no one here knows about that because I don't sit there and go, look what I did.
Speaker D:Look what I've been trying to do.
Speaker D:I sat down with the city manager, I sat down with the city finance person.
Speaker D:I sat down with the city human resources to find out, like, I'm a data driven person, what are our needs?
Speaker D:How do we keep them here?
Speaker D:So one of my solutions was doing a 457 plan at deferred comp and saying, like, especially for a police department, because we were at the most bottleneck there, saying, hey, look, we want to give you a bonus of maybe like five or ten thousand bucks a year, but you cannot get that money until after 10 years.
Speaker D:If you leave after three years, the money goes back to the system.
Speaker D:And the reason why is we know after five or 10 years, they're invested their families here, they grew up here, they're gonna want to stay here.
Speaker D:And so that extra $15,000 to move somewhere else is not gonna look near as good.
Speaker A:Yeah, in the school district, you do step increases, correct?
Speaker A:And you'll set the level where after one year, two year, three.
Speaker A:But at 10 years, you get kind of a big step increase.
Speaker A:It's not necessarily a bonus, but it's a.
Speaker A:It's an increase in pay, but it's a sizable increase and it's more increase.
Speaker A:So same concept.
Speaker D:Yep.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker B:It just.
Speaker B:We talked about these projects, all these things.
Speaker B:We've had some pretty big announcements recently.
Speaker B:Amazon's opening a last mile distribution center here.
Speaker B:That's going to be a big deal.
Speaker B:It really is.
Speaker B:The data center thing that Terry was talking about, apparently there are people who want to do multiple data centers here.
Speaker B:There's a.
Speaker B:There's some motivation for them.
Speaker B:I'm not exactly sure what the motivation is to put them here.
Speaker A:Probably the price, the cost, the cost of doing business is here and stuff like that.
Speaker B:Well, the cost of commercial real estate arguably here is a lot less than it is in some place like Dallas or Austin or most of other parts.
Speaker A:Of Texas that have infrastructure.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:So we've got.
Speaker B:I think Wichita Falls got a lot of things going for, but I think one of the most important things is if we're going to grow that tax base.
Speaker B:We talked about sales taxes.
Speaker B:Well, one way you can grow that without inflation being out of control is to add more people.
Speaker D:Correct.
Speaker B:You need more bodies here, living here, buying homes here, buying things here, only.
Speaker D:More people buying gas.
Speaker D:More people with more money.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker D:So 49% of Wichita Falls live paycheck to paycheck.
Speaker D:About 18% live under poverty levels.
Speaker D:Our national average in Wichita Falls, I mean the national average in Wichita Falls average is about $10,000 difference.
Speaker D:We are not making it.
Speaker D:We have less than 1% of people live in Wichita Falls that make six figures.
Speaker D:We have a very.
Speaker D:We have almost diminished the middle class.
Speaker D:We cannot go out to buy, go out to eat anymore.
Speaker D:We cannot go shopping anymore.
Speaker D:So there's a really, really rich.
Speaker D:And then there's kind of like the rest of us.
Speaker D:We need to get better paying jobs because with better paying jobs, that means they have more discretionary dollars.
Speaker D:Do you have more sales taxes to keep the doors open for these restaurants and these places that we want to see here?
Speaker A:And to buy motorcycles and.
Speaker D:To buy motorcycles and houses.
Speaker B:And houses.
Speaker D:Well, I need a financial advisor.
Speaker A:You don't need a financial advisor if you make $5.23 an hour.
Speaker B:Well, but the federal minimum wage of $7 is, what is it?
Speaker B:$7.25 an hour, something like that.
Speaker A:It's a moot point.
Speaker B:It's a moot point.
Speaker B:Now nobody, you can't get anybody to even show up to do an application for $7.25 an hour.
Speaker B:Now.
Speaker B:You just, you can't do it.
Speaker B:I know most restaurants In Wichita Falls are having to pay 10, 11 plus per hour just to get help.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:So how high do we need to go?
Speaker B:Where do we need to be wage wise to really improve on that situation that you're talking about?
Speaker D:I'd like to see our median household income around about 65.
Speaker D:So that means both.
Speaker D:Both incomes.
Speaker D:Household incomes.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Our median household income right now is around 55, maybe closer to 60, but that's because of inflation.
Speaker D:But inflationary costs have gone way higher.
Speaker D:I want us to at least be close to the national average because that way we can have money to go.
Speaker C:Spend on, benchmark this, work on that.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker A:On the last minute here.
Speaker A:Is there anything else you want to say to wrap things up?
Speaker D:Thank you.
Speaker D:Everyone who came out supported me.
Speaker D:I appreciate it so much.
Speaker D:Who could have ever thought that a little Korean boy in Wichita Falls growing up here?
Speaker D:And I'm being serious because, I mean, there's not a lot of Koreans here.
Speaker D:How many Koreans you guys know had a chance?
Speaker B:I think you make three.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:Had a chance of running for a city council position, especially for someone who spent.
Speaker D:Who received no campaign contributions.
Speaker D:I did it just 100% based upon my merit and my character and who I am.
Speaker D:I hope that my campaign resonates with people in saying, if you really want to get to know me and know why I'm doing it, you'll know I'm doing it for the right reasons.
Speaker D:I hope you vote for me.
Speaker D:I have nothing against any of my competitors.
Speaker D:I think they're all great people, but I think when you elect someone, you should ask them what their motivation is and look at their past.
Speaker D:If their past says I'm doing it because I want to help and they've actually done it, please vote for them.
Speaker D:If they say, I want to do it because I want to help, if they have no history, then I sometimes question myself of why are you running?
Speaker D:So thank you so much.
Speaker D:Please go up, vote.
Speaker D:December 2nd through the 10th will be early voting, and December 14th will be the day of voting.
Speaker D:Thank you guys for having me on here again.
Speaker D:I always enjoy talking to you guys.
Speaker B:And again, if people want to learn more about you, they can go to.
Speaker D:My Facebook page at Samuel Pack for.
Speaker D:For Wishaw Fall City Council at large.
Speaker D:Or you can call me directly.
Speaker D: -: Speaker B:There you go.
Speaker B:Sam Pack, thank you very much for being here.
Speaker D:Thank you.
Speaker B:Appreciate it.
Speaker B:All right, guys, we're gonna take a break here, and when we come back, Austin Cobb.
Speaker B:Is gonna join us for his interview with us, his second interview with us, to talk about his candidacy for the same position, which tall fall city council at large will be back with.
Speaker A:We'll make sure we'll get the fistfight out of the way beforehand.
Speaker C:Yeah, no, they need to do rock, paper, scissors and then call.
Speaker B:Hang on.
Speaker B:We'll be right back after this.
Speaker B:Hey, welcome back to get it right Tech soma.
Speaker B:And as promised, we have another guest in the studio with us today.
Speaker B:Austin Cobb is with us.
Speaker B:He is one of the two candidates vying for the position of Wichita Falls city council at large.
Speaker E:Good morning, guys.
Speaker E:Thanks for having me again.
Speaker A:Hey, Austin, how you doing?
Speaker E:How are you?
Speaker E:Enjoy hanging out with us?
Speaker B:Third time might be a char.
Speaker B:How you doing?
Speaker E:I'm doing well.
Speaker E:I'm doing well.
Speaker E:You know, it's.
Speaker E:We're going a million miles an hour.
Speaker E:It's been fun.
Speaker E:We debated last night.
Speaker E:That was fun.
Speaker E:You know, we've done forums before, but this is actual debate live on television.
Speaker E:So my first live debate live, you know, hour long.
Speaker E:That was.
Speaker E:It was.
Speaker E:It was a lot of time.
Speaker A:I debated in high school and college, and people don't realize sometimes how.
Speaker A:How long a debate can be.
Speaker E:Oh, yeah.
Speaker E:You know, and they get, you know, they took away the comfy counselor chairs and put us on these plastic little chairs.
Speaker E:We just sit the whole time.
Speaker E:I was like, oh, my gosh, guys.
Speaker E:And moderators are in these big, comfortable chair.
Speaker E:Just, you know, relax.
Speaker C:Discussions of dogs being eaten or anything.
Speaker E:Nothing like that.
Speaker E:Nothing like that.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:I'm trying to focus on local issues.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:The things that matter.
Speaker C:We don't have any dogs.
Speaker A:Also, you were in a very tight race, you and Sam, and it came down to less than 200 votes between the two of you.
Speaker E:Did.
Speaker A:And so what does that tell you about.
Speaker A:Does it just tell you that you guys are just neck and neck and.
Speaker E:It'S neck and neck?
Speaker E:I mean, I think it's a combination of three things, really.
Speaker E:I mean, there was three, you know, known candidates on this.
Speaker E:On this race.
Speaker E:It wasn't just Larry Nelson was in there, too.
Speaker A:He was being blown out.
Speaker A:He had over 5,000 votes.
Speaker E:Yeah, he sure did.
Speaker E:He sure did.
Speaker E:So it was three well known people.
Speaker E:So, you know, I.
Speaker E:I expected a runoff.
Speaker E:You know, just looking at the law of averages and who the candidates were, you know, we worked.
Speaker E:We tried to avoid a runoff as hard as we could and.
Speaker E:Yeah, but that's where we are.
Speaker E:That's, you know, that's where we are today.
Speaker E:And we're Excited.
Speaker E:And.
Speaker E:Yeah, we haven't stopped.
Speaker E:It's been.
Speaker E:It's been a lot of fun.
Speaker B:Well, I think it's a reflection that people in the community, the people that voted, because we never have 100% voter turnout.
Speaker B:I mean, we're lucky if we get 20.
Speaker B:But the voters seem to agree at least that you guys are fairly even, I think, on what you bring to the table.
Speaker B:I mean, obviously both of you are saying things and putting things out there that majority of these voters agree with.
Speaker B:To be that close in an election, that's not the tightest election we've ever had in Wichita Falls.
Speaker B:I mean, we had a mayoral election many years ago that was decided by, I think, like 36 votes or 34 votes.
Speaker A:Jerry.
Speaker A:Luke.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's.
Speaker A:KK got that one.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, that was a very tight race, but still less than 200 votes.
Speaker B:I mean, that's a very tight race.
Speaker B:And I think it says something about the messaging that you're both putting out there.
Speaker B:What would you say is the biggest issue in your message?
Speaker B:Is there one thing that just stands out for you as a glaring issue, good, bad, or indifferent in the community?
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E: had the same population since: Speaker E:We've got to grow.
Speaker E:No one likes potholes.
Speaker E:Our city staff and city workers want to be paid more.
Speaker E:So do our public safety.
Speaker E:How do you do that?
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker E:Our tax burden on the residents is way too high.
Speaker E:How do you offset that tax burden on the residents?
Speaker E:Growing industry spread the burning commercial business.
Speaker E:And so it's.
Speaker E:There's got to be a focus on growing commercial business, because where we sit today, flat population cost of everything continues to go up.
Speaker E:If we don't grow our commercial industry.
Speaker E:I mean, there's no other recourse to keep the status quo but to raise taxes.
Speaker A:And our.
Speaker A:And our population keeps aging.
Speaker A:Sorry about the population keeps aging as well.
Speaker B:So that was just kind of where I was going to go there.
Speaker B:55/plus has been the one demographic that has grown with any consistency at all here.
Speaker B:But that's because we are an aging population.
Speaker B:But we've been talking about this for years and years now, and we never seem to get to an answer.
Speaker B:And I don't know that there's any one thing.
Speaker B:Growing commercial, bringing more industry, growing the tax base.
Speaker B:Yes, but growing the population.
Speaker B:I don't know that there's any one thing you can do.
Speaker B:I think you've got to do a combination of things.
Speaker B:I'm not sure exactly what all that needs to Be what that needs to look like.
Speaker B:But everybody that I talk to, and you tell me if you've got the same experience.
Speaker B:Everybody that I talk to about it here says in various, you know, putting it in various ways, it comes down to quality of life.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:It comes down to what does Wichita Falls have to offer to entice people to come here?
Speaker B:It's not jobs alone.
Speaker B:Doesn't do it.
Speaker B:Now, apparently, you got to do more than that.
Speaker B:So what can we do?
Speaker E:Well, I mean, quality of life.
Speaker E:Everyone wants something to do.
Speaker B:Well, sure.
Speaker E:The thing I think Wichita Falls in the past has done bad is promoting itself.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker E:Do not promote ourselves.
Speaker E:There's stuff to do every single weekend.
Speaker E:Every single weekend, there's different stuff.
Speaker E:Whether you're into arts or going to the brewery or there's art walk, you name it.
Speaker E:We don't promote ourselves.
Speaker E:We've got to promote ourselves.
Speaker E:I think if we do a better job of promoting ourselves.
Speaker E:Industry moving to Wichita Falls and we've done a bad job of recruiting as a city, as a whole.
Speaker E:Texas grew rapidly.
Speaker E:No one moved to Wichita Falls.
Speaker A:Yeah, you're right.
Speaker E:We don't have that luxury.
Speaker A:I've explained that to people all over the country.
Speaker A:Right when they talk, Texas is blown up.
Speaker A:And I'm like, yeah, not in Wichita Falls.
Speaker C:But we.
Speaker E:We have to.
Speaker E:Sorry, I just one quick point.
Speaker E:We've got to start working together.
Speaker E:We finally have new leadership at the chamber in the MSU and Shepherd, and we're starting to work together.
Speaker E:In the past, we've.
Speaker E:We've kind of all gone our separate ways.
Speaker E:Wichita Falls doesn't have the luxury to do that.
Speaker E:You've got to work together.
Speaker E:And the most important decision that the next councilor at large is going to make is hiring that city manager to fit in with the rest of the chamber and the base and everything.
Speaker E:That is such an important decision.
Speaker B:I brought this up with a number of people is Midwestern State University.
Speaker B:And that relationship that doesn't exist between the city and msu.
Speaker B:It pains me that people can drive through our city and not know that MSU is there.
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker B:And not know that college exists here because the signs are not there.
Speaker B:I know how to fix it.
Speaker B:Trace had a great idea on that.
Speaker B:I think there's a lot of people.
Speaker B:I mean, we had the MSU president on the show here a while back.
Speaker B:She's obviously invested in doing something about this.
Speaker B:Mayor Short is you are.
Speaker B:Sam is.
Speaker B:Everybody seems to be on the same page of, yes, we need to do something to make that relationship Better, but we better get to work on it.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker E:And I think you're starting to see that.
Speaker E:I mean, you really are with President Haney and Ron Kitchens.
Speaker E:I mean, he has been super involved with pulling MSU in, and she's vice versa.
Speaker E:Pulling the chamber in and pulling the city in.
Speaker E:You're starting to see that momentum.
Speaker E:You really are.
Speaker E:You know, we've got new businesses coming.
Speaker E:You know, MSU just did a partnership with Shepherd Air Force Base to train some of their students there while they get the college credit, keep them in the community.
Speaker E:And you're starting to see those wheels.
Speaker E:But you're right.
Speaker E:You just still don't see signs down the.
Speaker E:Down the street.
Speaker E:You know, MSU grew their undergrad this year.
Speaker E:You know, we saw one little blip about it.
Speaker E:We need to keep promoting it.
Speaker E:MSU is growing, not the other way around.
Speaker B:Talk about an ad nauseam.
Speaker E:Correct.
Speaker C:Well, I just wanted to talk about Abilene real quick.
Speaker C:And what can we do to go to Abilene and find out what the heck they've done?
Speaker C:Because they've.
Speaker C: ,: Speaker C:And now they're approaching, if not right at about.
Speaker A:I think.
Speaker A:I think they focused on downtown.
Speaker A:Yeah, that was their downtown.
Speaker E:They focused on a lot.
Speaker E:They focused on downtown.
Speaker E:They focused on growing industry.
Speaker E:Being on the interstate helped them or the, you know, how close they are to Dallas and you get straight out to West Texas.
Speaker E:But you can kind of see that their chamber was very involved in their community.
Speaker E:You could see that Abilene Christian is very involved in their community and the banks.
Speaker E:And if you start to work together, I mean, Abilene was in the same spot we are.
Speaker E:You know, they weren't growing.
Speaker E:What did they do?
Speaker E:They started working together.
Speaker E:You know, we've.
Speaker E:We do not have that luxury.
Speaker E:We've got to have a sharp spear.
Speaker E:I've said it a hundred times.
Speaker E:Find the businesses that fit your community that are looking to relocate and go get them.
Speaker E:Bring them here.
Speaker E:You know, go sell your town to them.
Speaker C:Target customer.
Speaker B:Well, and another thing, too, you know, talk about the change in leadership.
Speaker B:We're going to.
Speaker B:We have an interim city manager right now.
Speaker B:We're going to have a new city manager six months to a year down the road.
Speaker B:We're going to have a new city manager, depending on how long that process takes.
Speaker B:And one of the things I think that's got to happen, and I think this needs to be a mandate from the council that the city manager Needs to also be involved in that community outreach.
Speaker E:Yes.
Speaker B:I practically begged at one point, our previous city manager, these businesses that are walking around going, hey, the city is not business friendly.
Speaker B:They don't want business to grow here.
Speaker B:They don't want business to thrive here.
Speaker B:They don't try to make it happen.
Speaker B:Go and talk to these business owners, these decision makers, these leaders in the community.
Speaker B:Sit down with them and listen to them.
Speaker B:Give them an hour of your time, take an hour of their time and try to figure out how the hell do we meet in the middle.
Speaker B:And that's got to happen with the new city manager.
Speaker B:And I think it has to be a mandate from the council.
Speaker B:You're going to do this.
Speaker E:Oh, I agree.
Speaker E:And I agree 100%.
Speaker E:Our previous city manager, look, he did a lot of good things.
Speaker E:I'm not going to sit here and bash him.
Speaker E:I think, you know, during COVID you know, the guy on is a spreadsheet wizard, you know, managing a very tight budget that we have.
Speaker E:But, you know, I never really saw him in the community and I'm.
Speaker E:He doesn't need to lead every city parade and be at every function.
Speaker E:But, you know, your community wants to see you and wants to see you be involved.
Speaker E:And so, yeah, you know, when we hire a new city manager, there's gotta be a list of expectations.
Speaker E:And one of those has to be, you know, you have to be out, you have to show face, you have to meet with some business owners.
Speaker E:There has to be accountability in the city.
Speaker E:Managers crystal clear that this is your expectations and you need to meet them.
Speaker A:Well, that you're in charge.
Speaker A:That's part of the problem.
Speaker A:The problem is people think the mayor's in charge, the mayor's not in charge.
Speaker A:The mayor, the mayor has some responsibilities and leads.
Speaker A:That leads the council.
Speaker A:But the mayor by himself and city councilors by themselves have very limited authority.
Speaker A:It's the group that has the authority.
Speaker A:But the city manager has a lot of authority on the day to day operations.
Speaker E:He's the CEO of the CEO of the city.
Speaker B:And I think as such should be a face.
Speaker B:Doesn't need to be the face necessarily, but a face of the city that people can identify.
Speaker B:And particularly our business leaders in the community, they need to see that person, whoever he or she ends up being, they need to have a relationship with that person and they need to feel like that person wants a relationship with them and that they're invested in seeing business improve and things.
Speaker E:It goes back to what I said earlier.
Speaker E:We've got to start Working together.
Speaker E:And it's going to take all of us to do it.
Speaker E:And the next city manager is a very important hire.
Speaker E:And, you know, I want somebody that's got a proven track record of success, somebody that wants to prove themselves.
Speaker E:You know, I would love nothing more than to have a city manager come in and promote growth and go grow and bring growth in.
Speaker E:You know, Wichita Falls is ripe for opportunities.
Speaker E:We want somebody that hungry that's looking to make a name for themselves.
Speaker E:Not, you know, I want to stay here for the next 25 years and just.
Speaker C:Okay, so that's what I was going to ask you that.
Speaker C:So that what would you be your expectation for someone?
Speaker C:Because you said somebody make.
Speaker C:Use this as a stepping stone.
Speaker C:So that means that we're going to have to do this on a regular basis.
Speaker E:I mean, that's typically what city managers last.
Speaker E:At a town, like a town that is our size.
Speaker E:You know, they're here three to five years.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker A:And they're looking to go to a big.
Speaker A:Yeah, we talked about that.
Speaker A:It's the same school district which football.
Speaker E:Is ripe for growth.
Speaker E:I mean, we're putting some together, some real momentum, and this should be a very attractive job.
Speaker E:I have no doubt we'll probably get 100 different candidates that you're going to have to whittle down to five.
Speaker B:What are the shiny points?
Speaker B:The things that we talked about msu and we were talking about the leadership side of it, but what are some of the other points you talked about?
Speaker B:How we do such a bad job of promoting ourselves.
Speaker B:And we do.
Speaker B:I think we just had people in leadership positions that had marketing as one of the tools in their wheelhouse.
Speaker B:It just wasn't part of it.
Speaker B:And I think you need.
Speaker B:You need some of that.
Speaker B:You need someone who can.
Speaker B:Who can be an active cheerleader and promoter and voice.
Speaker E:We do need a cheerleader.
Speaker B:But what are some of the shinier points about the city that we need to promote, in your opinion, beyond those things that we've talked about?
Speaker E:You know, we're starting to see some momentum and growth.
Speaker E:You know, Amazon's coming here.
Speaker E:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker E:No tax incentives given.
Speaker E:They want to come here.
Speaker E:Piggyback on it.
Speaker E:You know, success breeds more success.
Speaker E:Start piggybacking on this.
Speaker E:We were getting a data center coming here.
Speaker E:Oh, that's another one.
Speaker E:No, incentives continue to go.
Speaker E:We want these businesses here.
Speaker E:Go out and get them.
Speaker E:We've got to promote that.
Speaker E:Hey, look, we're growing.
Speaker E:You know, everyone sees rumors on Facebook and they go, go, go, go, go, go.
Speaker E:And they become truth before the city ever responds.
Speaker E:And by that time, it's too late.
Speaker E:We've got to stay on top of these things.
Speaker E:You know, being chair of the lake Wichita, I've been, you know, every week I get asked, oh, well, so and so wanted to dredge it for free.
Speaker E:I was like, here's my cell phone number.
Speaker E:They can call.
Speaker E:They can start tomorrow.
Speaker E:You know that.
Speaker E:It's been bullshit, man.
Speaker B:Austin.
Speaker B:I personally took the initiative to research that rumor several years ago.
Speaker B:And I went out and I talked to several individuals and a couple of different businesses that I was told were involved in that not one person could provide me with one ounce of evidence that anybody ever offered.
Speaker A:No, there's a lot of conjecture, but nobody could say, oh, this person is who decided.
Speaker A:Yeah, I totally agree.
Speaker B:None of that.
Speaker E:You know, how much that cost and how much we've put into this.
Speaker E:We want.
Speaker E:The city's not going to dredge it because it costs too much money.
Speaker E:If someone wanted to do it free, they.
Speaker E:My cell phone number is public.
Speaker E:I am the chair.
Speaker E:You can start tomorrow.
Speaker B:The last time I heard a price tag on that, Austin, it was about $40 million to do the dredge.
Speaker B:And a wet dredge, supposedly was going to be easier to do than a dry dredge, therefore.
Speaker B:That's why you didn't see bulldozers out there when the lake was dried up during the drought.
Speaker E:Right, Right.
Speaker D:That's true.
Speaker E:That's all true.
Speaker E:Today's actually the year anniversary of when Mayor Short sent off our letter to the corps of Engineers requesting the grant.
Speaker E:We still haven't heard back.
Speaker E:We Election year.
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker E:You know, so they haven't appropriated funds in Congress yet.
Speaker E:That's what we're waiting on.
Speaker E:As soon as those appropriations go through, we should get that grant.
Speaker E:We're going to start next.
Speaker E:This year or.
Speaker E:Yeah, 25, I guess next year.
Speaker E:We're already at next year, man.
Speaker E:It's been a long year.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker E:But we're excited about it.
Speaker E:It's going to happen.
Speaker E:The first phase will happen.
Speaker E:But it's a 75, 25 match.
Speaker E:We just did the master plan for the Veterans Plaza.
Speaker E:I'm super pumped up about.
Speaker E:We should have our price tag on that this week.
Speaker E:And then I'm going to go raise that money.
Speaker E:That's my goal.
Speaker B:The idea here has been to turn that into a recreational entertainment sort of center for the city to again, go back to the quality of life thing.
Speaker E:Absolutely.
Speaker B:And that would be part of it.
Speaker B:And that's still the plan.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker E:To do that.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker E:It's going to be a recreational lake, a usable recreational lake.
Speaker E:That's our goal.
Speaker E:The first phase of dredge will help that you'll be able to get a boat in it once you be able to get a boat in it and that first stage addressed.
Speaker E:First stage is dredged.
Speaker E:Sorry, excuse me.
Speaker E:Texas park and Wildlife.
Speaker E:That will make it a fish habitat again.
Speaker E:We'll stock it with fish.
Speaker E:We're going to have the Veterans plaza finished.
Speaker E:There'll be an amphitheater.
Speaker E:There will be a place for reflection.
Speaker E:It's going to be awesome.
Speaker E:And my goal is to get it completely funded in one.
Speaker E:And I don't want to build it in parts.
Speaker E:I want to build it all at once.
Speaker E:And we're going to go out and see if our community, we can raise that money.
Speaker E:And that's goal number one.
Speaker A:Well, the last minute here, why don't you go ahead and tell everybody why you think you're the best candidate for this position.
Speaker E:Yeah, well, you know, I love this town and you know, I'm invested.
Speaker E:You know, I brought my family here to raise, you know, and I did that by choice.
Speaker E:I think we all want Wichita Falls to do good.
Speaker E:You know, the reason why I'm the best candidate, you know, I've shown through my time volunteering in city projects that I've got the follow through to do it.
Speaker E:Everything I stick, I start.
Speaker E:Whether it's the lake or heritage site or anything, I follow through and get it done.
Speaker E:I've worked with city council on my boards.
Speaker E:I know how the process works.
Speaker E:I know how to get along with city staff.
Speaker E:And, you know, I've been in oil and gas my entire life.
Speaker E:I've been able to negotiate contracts and Fortune 500 companies.
Speaker E:And I'm ready just to, you know, give back and give 110% to the city because the city's given so much to me.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker A:Very good.
Speaker B:Austin Cobb, thank you very much for your time.
Speaker B:We wish you luck and we'll see.
Speaker B:Now again, early voting is going to be the third.
Speaker E:Second through the tenth.
Speaker B:Second through the tenth.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:But no weekend voting.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker E:And then December 14th is election day.
Speaker C:Well, if, if you voted, you don't have to have voted in the, you.
Speaker E:Do not have to.
Speaker E:If you did not vote in the general election, you can, you can vote in the.
Speaker A:As long as you're a registered voter.
Speaker E:As long as you're registered before the, the deadline for the general election.
Speaker C:Oh, you mean I can't vote in Clay County?
Speaker B:Sadly, those are the rules.
Speaker E:I Didn't make them.
Speaker B:Well, he does have a bumper sticker that says vote early, vote often.
Speaker B:But anyway, Austin, thank you again.
Speaker B:People.
Speaker E:Learn more about you Facebook page Austin Cobb for Counselor at large.
Speaker E: -: Speaker E:It rings all the time, but I will call you back.
Speaker B:All right, terrific.
Speaker B:Austin Cobb, thank you very much.
Speaker E:We appreciate it.
Speaker B:Guys, stick around.
Speaker B:We're gonna take a short break.
Speaker B:We'll come back and we'll wrap it up with this episode of Get It Right.
Speaker B:Text on stick.
Speaker B:Stick around.
Speaker C:All right, hey, everybody.
Speaker C:I got the two guys, you know, because I talked about the doing the rock, paper, scissors to decide it all.
Speaker C:So you know what?
Speaker C:I got the two of them here and they're willing to do it.
Speaker C:So let's get it going.
Speaker C:So you guys.
Speaker C:Yeah, keep the blood down, you know, be fair.
Speaker C:No below the bell.
Speaker C:All that good stuff.
Speaker C:All right, you ready?
Speaker C:Let's go.
Speaker D:One, two, three, go.
Speaker D:Yay.
Speaker D:One, two, three, Go.
Speaker D:Oh, one, two, three, go.
Speaker A:Oh.
Speaker D:1, 2, 3, go.
Speaker C:All right, so what's that?
Speaker C:So you want?
Speaker C:All right, well, good deal.
Speaker C:All right, thank you, guys.
Speaker C:All right, there you go.
Speaker D:Let's start here first.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:Alright.
Speaker B:Welcome back to Get It Right Tech Soma.
Speaker B:We want to thank Sam Pack and Austin Cobb for joining us.
Speaker B:We appreciate their views and their input.
Speaker B:And like I said, whichever one of these guys wins, the city's gonna win, community's gonna win.
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker A:That's a great way to put it, Mike.
Speaker A:You're absolutely right.
Speaker B:They're both good guys and both have great, great, A great outlook and great heart for the city, I'll tell you that.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker B:Let's see here.
Speaker B:The Salvation army, they're looking for bell ringers for there or ding.
Speaker C:Don't want to bell.
Speaker C:Ring your bell, but yeah, yeah, look for bell ringers.
Speaker A:Ring my bell.
Speaker A:No, you don't remember that song.
Speaker A:You're in the right era for that, Terry.
Speaker A:It was from the 70s, wasn't it?
Speaker B:Yeah, I believe so.
Speaker A:Yeah, late 70s.
Speaker C:I may have to listen to this.
Speaker A:I have to look it up.
Speaker B:But yeah, better look for bell ringers.
Speaker B:You'll contact me, somebody.
Speaker A:I don't remember.
Speaker B:I'm not sure.
Speaker B:I can't remember now, but.
Speaker C:Ding, ding, ding, ding.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:And so contact the local Salvation army office.
Speaker A:I need a ward.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, okay.
Speaker B:And, but anyway, I need a ward.
Speaker B:Has nothing to do with the Salvation Army.
Speaker B:She will not be ringing any bells there.
Speaker B:But you could Be So they need your help with that.
Speaker B:We had a.
Speaker B:This announcement came out a couple days ago.
Speaker B:Kind of sad in a way, but not totally a shock really when you consider the economy and changing attitudes and preferences and whatnot.
Speaker B:But the Wichita Falls Optimist club for over 70 years they have had.
Speaker B:They would do Christmas tree sales as a fundraiser.
Speaker B:It was like their biggest fundraiser annually was the Christmas tree lot.
Speaker B:And they made the announcement that that is coming to an end after 70 years.
Speaker B:They are citing a continuous increase in supply prices, dwindling sales each year, the drastic drop in Optimus club memberships.
Speaker A:Yeah, because it takes volunteers to go do this.
Speaker B:Of the last 70 years, they raised nearly $600,000 on Christmas tree sales.
Speaker A:And I believe that that was the profit.
Speaker A:Over 70 years they brought in a lot more than 600,000.
Speaker A:But once they paid the trees and everything, they're net $600,000 went to community projects over this.
Speaker A:That's a lot of money over the years.
Speaker C:Well, and 70 years ago it would have been a lot.
Speaker C:You know, the little bit increased over the last year.
Speaker B:Well, 70 years ago if you wanted a Christmas tree, you had a real Christmas tree.
Speaker B:Artificial trees, $5 probably.
Speaker B:I'm sure artificial trees were around in the late 40s, early 50s, but they.
Speaker A:Weren'T popular and they weren't like they are now.
Speaker B:And they weren't like they are now.
Speaker B:And then in the 60s they came along with aluminum trees.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:How was that all about?
Speaker A:And then you had Seinfeld Festivus.
Speaker A:Oh, if any of you are Seinfeld people.
Speaker B:Celebration for the rest of us and whatever.
Speaker B:Yeah, Anyway.
Speaker B:But anyway.
Speaker B:So over the years artificial trees have gotten better.
Speaker B:Oh yeah, they.
Speaker B:Some of them look extremely.
Speaker B:Got it all.
Speaker A:You can hear them pre lit.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Pull them out of the box, take.
Speaker B:Them out, set them up and go.
Speaker A:Which they are safe.
Speaker A:I mean it is a Safer way.
Speaker C:To LEDs because it's LEDs.
Speaker A:There's no heat in them.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I think that there's.
Speaker A:We've turned it more into a country of convenience.
Speaker A:And so the going to go pick up the Christmas tree.
Speaker A:And my, my family, we did that for years.
Speaker A:It was kind of one of those things.
Speaker A:But after a while, you know, people get so busy and then all of a sudden, well, this kid can't go.
Speaker A:Well, that kid's got something else with this kid.
Speaker A:Well, at some point you just kind of go, Alice, just get a fake tree.
Speaker B:Well, the other thing I want to address in this too is the.
Speaker B:They talk about the drastic drop In Optimus Club memberships?
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:You know, they're a service club, a service organization, you know, like many others are.
Speaker B:And every service club that I'm.
Speaker B:That I'm aware of has seen a drop in membership.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker B:There was a time, I can't speak for other committees, but I can speak for Wichita Falls.
Speaker B:There was a time in Wichita Falls where employers would either pay for a portion of or all of your dues to be part of a service club.
Speaker B:Because they wanted their employees to be involved in that.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:They wanted you to create those connections in the community and would also give.
Speaker A:People could have time off to go do the meetings and stuff like that.
Speaker B:Because most of their meetings happen usually around the lunch hour or, you know, maybe early in the evening's afloat for years.
Speaker A:Was all the service clubs, the optimist club and the Rotary clubs and everything meeting over there.
Speaker B:They kept that big back room over there full every week with someone's organization.
Speaker B:And most of these service clubs will meet either once a week or every two weeks.
Speaker B:And I think there's a couple that now are down to like once a month, but their membership has dropped.
Speaker B:You know, people are busier.
Speaker B:People have more things to occupy their time.
Speaker B:People have more things occupying their brain than ever before.
Speaker A:Well, unfortunately, some of it is bullshit, though.
Speaker B:Well, a lot of it is agreed, but it's the thing here is that the interest is not there.
Speaker B:And I think what the service clubs, if I could give them any advice at all, it would be this.
Speaker B:The individual service clubs need to figure out a way to come together.
Speaker B:Maybe you consolidate in some way or another and focus and laser focus your efforts on recruitment, but in ways you haven't done before.
Speaker B:And I don't know quite what that needs to look like.
Speaker B:But I think, you know, you've got.
Speaker B:I don't know how many service clubs there are around here.
Speaker B:6, 10, 12?
Speaker B:I'm not real sure.
Speaker A:Well, redneck culinary.
Speaker A:I'm part of one here.
Speaker B:But however many there are, maybe it would be to the benefit of at least some of them to come together, form some sort of unified organization and combine their efforts and not see each other as competing entities anymore, but as complementary.
Speaker A:They see each other as competing entities.
Speaker B:Well, I think there's some of that.
Speaker B:I think maybe there is some of that.
Speaker B:There's an element, the old school, a.
Speaker C:Lot of the old school.
Speaker C:That's partly why I think a lot of these clubs have died or gone down is because they haven't really kept up and learned how to get the Younger players, folks involved and then, and then the competition for all these different charities and everything out there as well.
Speaker C:And I mean, look at what, look at what United Way did.
Speaker C:I mean, they, they really knew more about that than I would, being as much volunteering as you do.
Speaker C:But you know that they've had to focus in their efforts and consolidate on their efforts to provide support for.
Speaker C:Because they're really a pass through.
Speaker C:But they've, they've done, they've changed some things.
Speaker C:I don't want to speak for them, but I'm just saying that things, things even in the charity industry have changed over the years.
Speaker A:Of course.
Speaker A:Hands to Hands, the Hands to Hands organization, which is local, that was born out of the United Way, changing the way they do things.
Speaker B:Yep, sure was.
Speaker B:And all those, all those organizations that.
Speaker B:Hands to Hands, their original seven or eight organizations that came under their wing were organizations that were basically abandoned by United Way.
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker B:For one reason or another.
Speaker B:But I do think with the service clubs, as with many other types of businesses, at some point you got to go, we can't do business the way we did 50, 60, 70 years ago.
Speaker B:And this is one of the changes they're choosing to make.
Speaker B:If it's becoming a financial drag on the club to continue to sell Christmas trees, you really can't do it.
Speaker A:Well, not just a financial, but also a membership drag, you know, because what happens is you have the same six people out there every night.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:And everybody else is going to do this and people are going to.
Speaker A:Then somebody, hey, I'm sick kids doing this.
Speaker A:Got this going on and that going on.
Speaker A:Next thing you know, you have the same five or six people doing the same.
Speaker C:But I think the challenges aren't like Optimus, that's a worldwide or at least nation, nationwide.
Speaker A:Nationwide.
Speaker C:And then all these other.
Speaker C:I mean, look at Lions Club.
Speaker C:All the different ones are.
Speaker B:Lions Club is worldwide.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:So there, there's this.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:So there's a top level that it's going to be difficult for them and there's all that history.
Speaker C:It's like, it's, it's kind of like the, you're going to get resistance because of the history of those.
Speaker B:I get that.
Speaker B:But history don't pay the bills.
Speaker C:But you're gonna have to convince the upper.
Speaker C:Even if the local one wanted to there, you know, they had.
Speaker B:Basically that's why I said maybe, maybe then, maybe then you're.
Speaker A:A lot of times you can operate your local chapter, however, not however you want to.
Speaker A:But yeah, but you have a lot of autonomy.
Speaker A:Autonomy.
Speaker B: ed to comply with Senate Bill: Speaker B:It requires all panels of government in the state to remove tick tock from city or government issued devices.
Speaker A:I'm for that.
Speaker C:Well I.
Speaker A:Taxpayer devices.
Speaker C:No, no, no, no.
Speaker C:For a different reason.
Speaker C:I.
Speaker C:The TikTok has on.
Speaker C:On certain devices there's more leeway and I won't get into much of the technical side but.
Speaker C:But on the.
Speaker C:On.
Speaker C:On Android versus iPhone there are things that can or can't be done differently as far as security things Apple doesn't allow a lot of what they're being accused of doing on the Android side which is going across the board.
Speaker C:Now that being said, what does TikTok have to do with.
Speaker C:If the city does not want to promote social media on TikTok then you just say don't do it.
Speaker C:It doesn't.
Speaker C:It has nothing to do whether the reasoning behind all this.
Speaker C:I just think that's a smart thing to do anyway is you.
Speaker C:You need to.
Speaker B:You're.
Speaker C:Why does an employee need TikTok or any social media unless they are part of the marketing?
Speaker C:The marketing part I think for a different reason.
Speaker C:But I think a lot of.
Speaker C:As much as I'm not a fan of TikTok and I know they're China related and all of that but.
Speaker C:But I think that a lot of what happened here was less on education.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:Again, it may be true.
Speaker C:A lot of what you're hearing is it's true on the Android platform but not necessarily on the.
Speaker C:On the iPhone platform.
Speaker C:And I'm not trying to defend Apple.
Speaker A:Or whatever but I was gonna say.
Speaker A:But you can, you can't discern when you're talking.
Speaker A:I'm talking about taxpayer money.
Speaker A:That's where I go to this because I'm the same way.
Speaker A:I don't care if it's TikTok Facebook.
Speaker C:Exactly.
Speaker A:Instagram.
Speaker A:If you, if you are on a.
Speaker A:Unless you're part of the marketing and you're in your city and your city directs that you must use like the city of Wichita Falls is a Facebook page.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:And then.
Speaker A:But, but, but they're the person who works at the, at the who's over the street department doesn't need a Facebook well on their, on their city device.
Speaker C:Unless, unless that's part of the strategy that the city has laid out.
Speaker C:It's not.
Speaker A:Then you're part of the marketing.
Speaker A:The person who's running the bulldozer for the city.
Speaker A:Are they going to be on Facebook?
Speaker B:That's what I'm getting at.
Speaker A:It's about taxpayer money.
Speaker B:You know the people that are using taxpayer funded government issued devices don't need access to that.
Speaker A:Yeah, do what you want on your own devices.
Speaker B:And I keep hearing that there are people making tons of money on TikTok.
Speaker B:I've looked at TikTok.
Speaker B:I don't understand quite how they're doing it.
Speaker A:There's people making lots of money on lots of things.
Speaker A:Things I know only fans type stuff.
Speaker A:I mean who, who's I, I'm not going to disparage people.
Speaker A:I guess you, you got your own little thing that you do.
Speaker A:But who's got time to sit around and watch stuff like that all the time?
Speaker B:I know, but I just wonder if I shave my legs.
Speaker A:There you go.
Speaker B:Is it even possible just.
Speaker C:And, and get the, what do they call it?
Speaker C:The S.
Speaker C:E.S.M.R.
Speaker C:whatever the, the, where the, the sound is, you know, very deep and a lot of bass and they're trying to stimulate various aspects of your.
Speaker C:Well, that doesn't sound good.
Speaker B:But anyway, let's write that down.
Speaker B:Asmr.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker C:Asmr.
Speaker A:Yeah, so.
Speaker A:So my whole thing, but my whole thing on banning this and banning all social media on taxpayer funded is I don't want my money to be paying for somebody to mess around on their, on their Facebook, on, on taxpayer.
Speaker A:On taxpayer dollar and taxpayer.
Speaker C:The truth is if somebody's going to do that, they've got all got their own personal devices.
Speaker C:So it really, it's.
Speaker C:That's what I'm saying.
Speaker C:This is a.
Speaker A:It matters though because if you're, if you have to be on a city device, you may jump it on your phone but you can't sit there and do it on your phone.
Speaker A:If you're working on your desktop and you're super right.
Speaker C:The reason this is, is it's more about security than it is about anything else.
Speaker A:Well, to me it's about money.
Speaker A:It's about taxpayer money.
Speaker A:Right, but, but the Senate Bill to.
Speaker C:1893 is like I said, about Tick Tock and security and giving more information.
Speaker A:And then, and then the app is actually facing a national ban that Joe Biden signed.
Speaker A:The.
Speaker A:That was not a state of Texas.
Speaker A:That was the United States Congress passed this bill and Joe Biden signed it.
Speaker B:I think, I think you're going to see something major happen with Tick Tock.
Speaker B:Well, they would within the next year.
Speaker C:They didn't.
Speaker C:Well, they were.
Speaker C:They basically put pressure on Tick Tock to move the subsidiary or whatever it is that controls Tick tock into the US and divorced themselves essentially from the government of China.
Speaker C:And then they wouldn't ban it, but they still didn't want to.
Speaker C:And so that's where the ban came from.
Speaker B:There's the next move real quick here before we wrap it up here.
Speaker B:Talia Brooks is an Olympian.
Speaker A:She's a local girl from Wichita Falls.
Speaker B:She's from here.
Speaker A:Her dad actually is now on the.
Speaker B:City council and she hosted a youth field and track camp over at City View.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think this is cool.
Speaker A:I mean, Talia just competed in the, in the Olympics.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:In Paris in the heptathlon, which, look, if you're not familiar, look it up.
Speaker A:This, this is not a one trick pony.
Speaker A:This girl.
Speaker A:This lady can do anything.
Speaker A:She excels at so many things.
Speaker A:When you get those heptathletes and decathletes and those sort of things, you talk about supreme athletes.
Speaker A:And Talia Brooks is not.
Speaker A:And not only an athletic.
Speaker A:She's a really smart person, she's a really good person and she's giving back to the community.
Speaker A:And I just think this is awesome.
Speaker A:So right here in Wichita Falls, an Olympian who's from Wichita Falls, gets back to the community and has a host a track and field day.
Speaker A:And she's going to be as good as anybody to coach and tell you how to do it because she does it all.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Wichita Falls has produced more than a few celebrities over the years.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Big names.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Well, your, your business partner, I mean.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Eddie Hill.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It was a world champion drag racer at one time.
Speaker A:So the, the world champion.
Speaker A:He was the fastest.
Speaker A:He was the quickest man in the quarter mile.
Speaker A:The quickest person on the planet from a standing start quarter mile on land and water at one time period.
Speaker B:Amazing.
Speaker B:And I think Talia Brooks may be one of the fastest people on land, on foot.
Speaker A:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:I couldn't outrun her if I had to.
Speaker A:I couldn't outrun her when I was, when she's 100, I wouldn't be able to outrun.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, she, she is a, she's a gifted athlete.
Speaker B:She is very much.
Speaker A:Not only is she gifted though, with the athletic prowess, she's also trained herself.
Speaker A:Yes, she's the discipline.
Speaker A:I mean, just imagine what it takes for somebody to reach to become an Olympian or a professional at anything.
Speaker A:You are the best of the best.
Speaker A:And I don't care where you placed.
Speaker A:It doesn't matter.
Speaker A:This, she played.
Speaker A:It doesn't matter if you won or you place dead last, which she did not.
Speaker A:But if you place dead last to even get there, you're one of the best of the best of the best of the best in the entire planet.
Speaker B:Well, and how many.
Speaker B:How many people, you know, compete for that role to be in the Olympics?
Speaker A:Thousands.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, so she's that.
Speaker B:That makes her elite in that.
Speaker B:She's that one person out of however many hundreds or thousands were competing for that position in that Olympic Games.
Speaker B:And she won out.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:By the way, she's smart and she's a nice person on top of that.
Speaker A:So it's not just great athletics.
Speaker A:She's really bright.
Speaker C:And we can't forget Eddie the Eagle from the Olympic Olympics a number of years in the 90s, I think it was.
Speaker A:It was in the 80s, I think.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:He was the ski jumper from England.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because England's known for providing all the.
Speaker C:Ski jumpers, so he.
Speaker C:He was the best in England that had competed.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker B:What do we used to make?
Speaker B:The Jamaican bobsled team.
Speaker A:But they did.
Speaker A:They competed.
Speaker A:I mean, there's even a movie about it.
Speaker B:I know, and I.
Speaker B:It's like full runnings.
Speaker D:Who.
Speaker B:Who would have ever thought at one point that where could we get a great bobsled team?
Speaker B:I know, let's recruit out of Jamaica.
Speaker A:Well, part of it was because.
Speaker A:Because of great athletes.
Speaker A:And that's part of what a bobsled is, you know?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You have one person who's driving, but everybody else is pushing.
Speaker A:You know, Herschel Walker was.
Speaker A:Was.
Speaker A:I don't know if he ever made the Olympics, but he was like one of the greatest athletes ever in American sports and was on an Olympic qualifying team at least.
Speaker A:And that's what they did.
Speaker A:Bobsled people, they go, wait a minute.
Speaker A:I don't care if anybody can ski.
Speaker A:Likes the snow, likes the cold or whatever.
Speaker A:Let's get some of these athletes in there.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:To help us push this damn thing.
Speaker C:Have you sent anybody from the NBA to the Olympics in a while?
Speaker C:Remember how that.
Speaker C:There was that push.
Speaker C:We went and sent NBA players for a.
Speaker A:The last.
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker C:I haven't paid.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:In the U.S.
Speaker A:swept it by.
Speaker A:Yeah, they did.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:No, no, the NBA has played.
Speaker A:The Dream Team was the first one.
Speaker C:Right, right.
Speaker A:But no, the NBA has played.
Speaker A:The Olympic teams have been made up of NBA players for years.
Speaker E:Okay.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:I'm not.
Speaker B:I've not ever really paid attention to the Olympics and beyond.
Speaker B:To Leah Brooks.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I couldn't tell you.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:I love the Olympics.
Speaker B:I know, I know.
Speaker B:Talia competed.
Speaker B:And beyond that, I couldn't name one person that was there.
Speaker B:That's it.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:All right, we're gonna wrap it up here, guys.
Speaker B:Again, we want to thank Austin Cobb and Sam Pack for being with us.
Speaker A:Stay tuned.
Speaker C:And we have, yes, we have something very special here.
Speaker C:We have agreement to settle it all and just watch.
Speaker B:Terry came up with a, with a contest.
Speaker B:I don't think there'll be knives involved, but there could be.
Speaker B:You never know.
Speaker A:And I'm not 100% sure if it's going to be official.
Speaker A:Well, yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:Well, we'll see.
Speaker B:I mean, we'll see.
Speaker C:We'll say it might be predictor.
Speaker B:I've got my mop and bucket ready.
Speaker B:Anyway, thank you very much for joining us.
Speaker B: downtown Wichita Falls since: Speaker B: cycles.com MacTech Solutions,: Speaker B:Mactech-solutions.com Get your iPad.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Hey, Christmas is coming up.
Speaker B:Four weeks away.
Speaker B:These guys both have very cool things in stock that would make great gifts, I'm telling you.
Speaker B:Go see them.
Speaker B:Eddie hills Fun Cycles, 401 North Scott in Wichita Falls.
Speaker B: MacTech Solutions,: Speaker B:Lollipop Sweet Shop Speaking of the holidays, speaking of the holiday.
Speaker B:Pecan pies.
Speaker B:We got your pecan pies.
Speaker B:We got you hooked up.
Speaker B:Even pump.
Speaker B:We'll even do pumpkin pies.
Speaker B:I'm not a big fan of pumpkin.
Speaker A:Pie, but great, great cookies and, oh, brownies and that sort of thing.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:We're working on some new stuff that's going to blow you away.
Speaker B:Lollipop Sweet Shop Online lpsuite.com on Facebook Lollipop Sweet Shop L O L L I E Lolli and pop Sweet Shop on Facebook.
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